SLEEPERS FROM ABROAD.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1550, 6 February 1879, Page 3

SLEEPERS FROM ABROAD.

On Monday wo (Auckland “ Herald ”) published a telegram from Wellington, saying that the Public Works Department were now obliged to face the sleeper difficulty ; that it was found impossible to obtain sleepers in New Zealand; and that in the meantime 50,000 had been ordered from Tasmania. Now, there is no impossibility in the matter. The Public Works Department can get hero better sleepers than in Tasmania, if they did not put in the contract a quite unnecessary clause, for the very purpose —so far as we can see, it has no other —of excluding New Zealand timber. The greater portion of the supply of pnriri for sleepers comes from Pukekohe and the neighborhood, and the furnishing them would be a great aid to the small settlers of that part of the country. Up to this time a largo quantity has been furnished, and a few days ago we published a letter from Mr F. Mander, of Ramare.ma, stating that he had supplied from 15,000 to 20,000 to the Messrs. Brogdon, and is ready to do the same again. Ho had, in fact, —knowing that the Government wanted a large quantity, —entered into arrangements to get trees, and was told by an officer of the Public Works Department that ho would bo quite safe in doing so. But, when the tenders came out, it was found that it was made a consideration that the sleepers must be saifE, not split. We are told by experts that the split sleepers, properly dressed—and the department need not pass them except they are properly dressed, —are superior to the sawn. But the effect of the change in the specification is, that the settlers of the district where the chief supply of pnriri is to bo obtained are completely thrown out, sleepers cannot bo got in New Zealand, and

orders have to b« given to the mills in T« maria,. Sawn sleeper Cannot be funiishe unl-ss a mill is erected for tho purpose and this cannot be done in many parte, ss the trees are widely apart. A great injury is thus done to the colony. We under stand that Mr Hobbs, M.H.R. for Franklin, has written on the subject to tho Minister of Public Works, and as M» Macandrew has shown himself anxious to obtain the material for public works in the colony where possible, we make no question but that ho will closely look into the matter.