Mount Ida Chronicle SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1874. By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 281, 25 July 1874, Page 1 (Supplement)

Mount Ida Chronicle SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1874. By Electric Telegraph

(From our special reporter.) Wellington, Friday Evening. %"| . Vogel made two amendments in the Telegraph Bill, one making it compulsory on the Telegraph Commissioner to produce telegrams when so requested by either the sender or receiver of the message; the other, making it compulsory on persons summoned before a Select Committee or Eoyal Commission to give evidence of the contents of a telegram improperly divulged, to give such evidence on receiving, at the hand of the Chairman of Committee or Commission, an indemnity which shall serve as far as the penalties, criminal or otherwise, to which he may render himself liable by criminating himself or others. Carried.

On the Regulation of Mines Bill being read, it was moved, as an amendment on clause 4, that the expenses of carrying out the provisions of the Act should be defrayed out of sums voted by the Assembly. Ayes, 20 ; noes, 20. Seymour voted with the ayes, and the amendment was carried.

This morning the Goldfields Committee considered Shepherd's Bill, and came to the following resolution, which was passed on the motion of J. C. Brown—" That, in tsie opinion of this Committee, it is not desifdble' to pass the new Goldfields Act. until the people of the districts which it affects have had a full opportunity to consider it, and that the Committee recommends that any measure for the amendment of the Goldfields Laws should be prepared by the Government as early as possible after the meeting of Parliament, and copies forwarded to meubers for Goldfields constituencies for cinulation through their respective districts. There voted for tke resolution : O'Neill, Sheehan, Gibbs, O'Connor White, Steward. Pyke, Brown, Karrison, and Thomson. Again9t—Shepherd was the only fli-sentient, and he refused u> vote.

At the afternoon sitting to-'laythe Gold Mining Bill was ordered to bo discharged July 25th.

YVe have been favored• with t!ie following telegram of the Public Works Statement, made in the llou-se of Representatives : Mr. Richardson made his Public "Works Statement. He said he hoped to satisfy the House that as much work had been put in hand as it was advantageous to the country should be put in hand during the year. Some few works contemplated last session remained in abeyance. Two reasons had operated to cause this: first, the great demand for labor throughout the Colony rendered unwise any active competition by the Department; secondly, there had been a want of skilled engineers, arising mainly from Provincial and private requirements. Seven engineers had now been, obtained from England; but, while he acknowledged some delays, it would be only fair the House should recognise that, taken as a whole, the progress of Public Works under the Department had been quickened during the year beyond what was contemplated last session. He had to repeat the thanks he expressed last year for the energy shown by the officers of the Department. He much regietted the loss, b, sudden death, of two very promising engineers, Messrs. R. Millett and R. Johnstone. The Engineer Cadet system was working excellently, and would supply officers who would be most valuable to the Colony. The Auckland to Meroer line was progressing satisfactorily, and it was hoped that the bonus offered to Messrs. Brogden, of £SOO a-month would lead to its completion three or four months in advance of contract time, Ist September, 1875. FronfrMereer to Newcastle the line was in hand, by contract and partly by the "Volunteer Engineer Militia. That corps now consisted of three companies, numbering in all about .200 men. Its organisation was effected by the Hon. Dr. Pollen, the Government having at one time supposed that an additional defence force was necessary in the Waikato. The corps has been at work since the month of December, and had worked very effectually. Their work had been well done under the direction of the District Engineer, but Major Cooper and other officers in charge had maintained discipline and drill so as to ensure that the corps would be available for defence, if needed. It was proposed to charge to Defence any excess of cost in the work done by the corps, as compared with ordinary contract works. The materials for the Waikato for road as well as railway traffic, were on the way from England, and it was expected this bridge would be completed about March, 1874. On the Waitara and New Plymouth line the contract time ought not to be exceeded, but could it have heen foreseen that the Court would sustain such claims for payment for land as it had sustained, the Government would have delayed commencing the works until reasonable arrangements had. been effected. Despite all possible exertions, no date for completing the formation of the line could be fixed. It was proposed to contract with Mr. A. F. Halcombe, the agent of the Emigrant Colonist Corporation, to construct some miles of this railway, he waiving the right of the Company to require employment for 200 of the Company's emigrants at any time during the next three years—a condition which was found to be very embarrassing. The first section of the Wellington and Mas-

terton railway had been, after three months' maintenance, taken over from the contractors. The hurried collection of information on which the contract was based caused both engineers and contractors to be misled as to the cost of the stone in the hills alongside the line. The stone proved unfitted for seafacing, and there was a consequent change of plan, and an additional cost incurred. . The work of the Engineers in selecting the best route across the Kimutaka had been most arduous. The Engineer had, in company with Mr. James M'Kay, examined the country between Cambridge and Manawatu. He had reported, bul nothing could be decided as to a railway line unless it was known whether the line could be taken on on the west side of Lake Taupo instead of, the east side—the land that would be travelled on the former route being very superior to that on the latter. The Greymouth and Br miner line, including the suspension bridge over the Grey River, was in hand, but the railway works were not in such a forward state as was anticipated. This was owing to the necessity for improving the line over a short length where heavy slips threatened. The protective works undertaken had answered expectations, standing test of heavy floods. Ike extension from the Kaikaia, the south side of the Rangitata, included three large bridges, and one small one. The section to the Ashburton would be opened for general traffic in a few days ; that to the Hinds Kiver would be opened about January Ist, and the whole work would be concluded by the middle of 1875. The continuation to Temuka was about to be let, and from Christchurch to Timaru. The whole line should be ready for traffic about August or September, 1875. The Timaru to Young's Creek section could be opened in two months ; fr im Timaru to the Waitaki was realy for contract, and about December, 1875, perhaps, might be completed. The completion of the Waitaki bridge wa3 under contract to Messrs. M'Gavin and Co., and should be finished about November, 1875. Every endeavor would be made to keep the contractors to their time, and a bonus was offered them to finish it earlier. It had been found necessary to add an extra six feet to all the cylinders now on the way from England, and a further appropriation would be required to cover the cost. He al-' luded to the great delay causad by the altering in England of the design for this bridge, and he must repeat his personal opinion that the original design would, at very much smaller cost, have answered the purpose.Passing to the Otago lines: That between Waitaki and Oamaru had been much delayed by the difficulty of getting sleepers. Between Oamaru and Moeraki the works' were not in as satisfactory a state as they should be, but the Government were not free from blame in the matter. The engineer over this section had to be removed in November, and since than Brogden has been getting on more satisfactorily with the works. On the Moeraki line, half-a-niile of works, costing about two thousand pounds, would have to be abandoned. This might have been provided against had more time been taken for the survey between Moeraki and Dunedin. The heaviest was the tunnel through Blueskin. It wa3 progressing satisfactorily. Dunedin to Blueskin Bay would be completed conveniently with the tunnel, and from Blueskin to Moeraki would be let during the year. An extension of the Port Chalmers line was contemplated to be in hand this year. The Dunedin and Clutha railway had been recently opened to Green Island—about six miles. The works were progressing satisfactorily on the rest of the line, and, with a view-of expediting its completion, the Government had offered Messrs. Brogden a bonus of £BOO per raonth ; for every month they saved in completing the line to Ist September next year. ' The Tokomairiro and Lawrence railway was all under contract, the date for completion of the formation being Ist of June next. The line ought to be finished by Ist September, 1875, but the whole of this work depends on the completion of the Glenore tunnel. From Clutha to Mataura the only work in hand was the large bridge over the Mataura River. Between Mataura and Invercargil] about 12 miles had been opened for traffic, and the remainder of the line was progressing very well, although not so forwird as it should be. The action of the Southland Land Board, by affecting the supply of sleepers, would probably prevent the Wintonto Kingston line being kept within estimate cost. The cost of railways authorised in each Province, and the amounts appropriated, might be thus summarised :

. . Miles. Chains A PP ro PWtions. Auckland 166 36 £934,400 Taranaki ... ... 18 13 11,050 Hawkes Bay ... 45 25 22,000 Wellington ... 133 25 644,000 Westland ... ... 70 23 74,400 Nelson 38 20 22,000 Marlborough ... 28 53 126,n00 Canterbury... ... 251 34 1,160,00 • Otago ... 332 40 2,065 J 000 General (surveys) , 10,000 Total miles 1081 48 Total appropriation 5,575,00j There were open for traffic 87 miles 68 chains, complete and ready for traffic 57 miles 84 chains,, plate laying going on 103 miles 65 chains, length under contract in course of construction 421 miles 45 chains, total length undertaken 673 miles 2 chains, still to be let 337 miles 46 chains. The expenditure and liabilities incurred for railways completed or in hand amount to a total of £3,660,881, leaving £1,924,519 for which no liabilities are yet incurred. In a few months the department will be in a position to execute not only repairs, but also to fit up and complete considerable j amounts of rolling stock, which must be im-

ported from England. It will be a matter hereafter to consider -whether it will be advisable to undertake the manufacture i-i this Colony of rolling stock which will be required. The estimates for the Groldfields water supply works, which were mostly based on information supplied by the Provincial Government, had been greatly exceeded., The great increases of cost had been on the Waimea, Kelson Creek, and Thames Races, while the Mount Ida Race and Sludge Channel, would be completed at 'a cost very little exeeding the estimate. £30,000 had been appropriated for this class of works. There had been expended £95,937, and the liabilities amounted to £201,454. No more works of the kind would be undertaken until time proved howfar those in hand had succeeded. After other explanation, Mr. Kichardson concluded as follows : —Up to the 30th June, 1873, there was a total expenditure by the Public Works. Department, exclusive of immigration, of £1,649,921 2s. lid., and the expenditure during the year 1873-74 wa3 £155,446 4s. lOd. There are outstanding liabilities in England and the Colony of £1,873,688 16s. 4d., making a total of expenditure and liabilities of £5,078,056 4s. Id. These are large figures, but, sir, we have large results, and there are few who will he J ound now to assert that any of the railways which are proposed or undertaken will not, from the moment they are opened, return more than working expenses and a fair depreciation fund, and, if economically worked, will considerably contribute, in course of time, towards paying interest on the outlay. The Colony has undertaken a gigantic work. • It is incumbent on the Assembly to see that it is carried out to its legitimate uses; and, sir, I have no fear as to the resalt.