PUBLIC WORKS ON THE WEST COAST.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1281, 6 September 1872, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS ON THE WEST COAST.

Mr Ormond, in his statement to ihe House as Ministec-of Public Works, gave the followingiilaso^flj of the progress of works on^^^^i^gast : — A road is in course^of construction to connect new district- of Reef ton with Westport on the one side and Grey mouth pn the otherr '* ; . '.'_". The contracts iiiiX tin the vVestportTside amount to an approximate-sum bf L] 2,082 7 iss, while ,the,w.ork on.the Greymouth : side is, partly under ' contract and partly under day labor,; and amounts to J43, 36,2, 15s j in alf, a.snm)of £$,445 Ids. " " The object of the works-undertaken in •Westland was to -provide a ! main trunk line frora'Grejymouth at the tforih to .Ross 'at the southern "extremity j'atjd'in'^arrT- ! ing.out this object it was considered advisable to utilijsethe rpads made by the ; couhty authorities i to connect the principal mining districts.; ' ' ' ■ : '-. Out of a total; distance of about 58 miles of trunk line, about If miles of local roads were thus utilized, leaving a balance of 41 miles to be constructed. Of these about 17 vtniles ; are now completed ,&nd 13 in progress, the remainder, between Omotumotu and Marsden, about 11 miles, being 'yet iTintpuched> -,% ,T-!i>. [Y\'H The importance of this trunk line has ibeent increased by conneotdngiitf about midway, between Iflokitikaandthe Greenstone with j;he niaip coach ( road to Ghiistchurch, tie branch line being about four miles and three-'qaarters'lolflg; r'Thia provides fortraffic i either north or south ifrom the Christchurch road] 1 ! " " r li; ' : : * The estitnate'd expenditure on roads for theabove r was L 32,000, but this will be ~exceeded-by about L3oo&randTKrexpenditure has yet 'taken .place between Omotumotu and Marsden. ; ? The expenditure on roads in the Middle Island, to the end of June, has been — In Nelson, E9917 15s ; and in Westland, L 22.462, |4s, lOd; , : making//a total of L 32,380 9s lOd, which amount is charged to the Middle 1 Island JJJailway fund. " . The : rqads .in .the ... Nelson , gioi;tji-Wes.t Gold fields • average, "prpbabJylrojn LGOO/to L^QO a mile,;having/beenl^*out Jess; Expensively than those iu-WtSSfand ; whilst ; the roads in Westlandj which have been well laid olf, and substantially built ;and gravelled, will vary from about L7OO to -L 1500.;, This may be accounted for partly by the h^hrate of wages and partly N by the difficult nature of th.c country, r — -A-sum of-nioney-4iaving-been-"appropri-ated by Aqts'fpr>!thet discovery and development of our coal fields, the Government, employed ;,Dra.- t^^ctor an<j- Haast and Captain fluttoi to, explore thb different localities of the Middle Island where ]ooal!.wais;supposed:torexiߣ < Reports from those gentlemen have been submitted to the House.' I nope that arrangements will.ifl.h^prtly, jbe, made.. 1 tQ r develop th.c Brunher coal mine on a scale suited to its •importance.,. . The,- immediate necessity for the development 'Of the' coalfields of the whole Colony is fully recognised by the^ Government^ .and will; receive earnest attention.' I will take an early opportunity of bringing this subject more fully before the Ifouqe, gkey.;moctß« ekotbcxive works. The recurrence of serious floods in the Grey had long rendered it apparent that siibstautial, works, wei'c needed to prevent their destructive effects oh {-he. town of J?rjeymQji.fch,.and.after_one-of~mftre-i^an usual severity, steps were, taken to protect .«He^-fl?cr ; banfc ! ' M f f • permanent manner. The details of the workiaYa already ; laid.| befbrb the ! gopse ; they consist of a dry stone quay wall, 2§ pliains- long, .cominencing a little abpve the town, at the lower end of the B[oc^y Gorge j .Uiis^will Jbe/buUt.,of the largesj; stones pfocurabfe, and well protected with groins of the same material. The cost is est^mate^ part of ; which will bo borne by the Native Trust. Below this, for a distance ; of twenty- cliains, the original wharf is being repaired and strengthened at a 'cost bf LIOOO, and beyond,, for; a further distance of 11 chains, 1 a nbw wharf 'or quay is being erected of timber, ia at substantial manner, at an estimated cost bfL27OO. Tb,is -work is-neaply Qompletedi and the others are- progressing rapidly. The post ia being defrayed out of a loan of L4OOO from the General Government to " the Cprpbratipn of Greymouth.