DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 December 1925, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ABBN., 00PTRI0HT. NEW RAILWAY OPENED. DUNEDIN, December IG. At .Miller’s Flat to-day, Hon. G. J. Anderson officially opened a new section of railway fourteen miles seventy chains in length, from Beaumont to the surrounding districts, and much satisfaction was expressed at the manner in which the line had been pushed on by the Minister of Railways. The residents are also gratified at tho present progress of the railway extension from 'Miller’s Flat to Roxburgh, and the opinion was expressed that it would ho completed within two years. The Minister returned to Lawrence, and took the principal part in the ceremony of unveiling a memorial to 51 old pupils of the school, who fell in the Great War. The Minister is an expupil of the school, having severed his connection with it 52 years ago. GENEROUS BEQUESTS. AIASTERTON. December 16. Tlie will of the late Wm IT. Beetham makes provision for the following bequests: Salvation Army. £2000; Y.Af.C.A., £2000; Afawterton Hospital, .£2000; St. Matthew's Girls’ School (Arastertou), .-£2000; St Matthew’s { Church (Alasterton) £2OOO. NEW WORKSHOPS. TO COST £1,500,000. WELLINGTON, December 13. The Government intends to call tenders shortly for the erection of new railway workshops at Petone and Newmarket. and to carry out organisation and extensions at Addington and Hillside. The specifications will be ready next month. The work has to be completed within three years. Tlie present workshops arc cramped in respect to room, the congestion which is almost of daily occurrence, lteing such as to make it impossible to obtain the same standard of results in respect to economy as would tic practicable if proper accommodation and improved facilities were available.

It is estimated that the cost of tho new works will run into £1,500.000. The Newmarket and Petone shops are to lie erected on new sites. Up-to-date machinery is to be installed in tlie new shops. There will he. complete electric installations. accurate costing methods, and production schedules will lie adopted. It has been recognised for some time past that new workshop facilities arc necessary, as it has been shown that under existing conditions locomotive repairs arc taking nearly double the. time required in shops equipped ivitli modern facilities.