The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 192, 13 August 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1872.

At the r pr^entl time, jwiien the public mind. in JNetsbn is much Exercised with re- ; gavd l to our promised railway, a ; short ; summary; of^ the [ ; wprks' that, have beenf or ?; '^^o\ftok>-'-be? comrriericdd .; througliout ; ;^t^colpriy,i^hioh;!^ei"take-::iTo'raithe; re-v I dr;fc|b|;fthe ; -;E'n^ne^

told, with reference to the Auckland and Mercer railway,, and Onehunga braDch, that this work was begun some years ago by tbe Provincial Government, but abandoned after a good deal of work had been done. Pending the preparation of plans and sections of the whole Hue, work was begnn in January last between Auckland and Newmarket, under a contract with Messrs Brogden & Sods, and has been actively carried on. From Newmarket to Mercer the working plans have been made," and tbis contract also is let to ' the same firm. In Ilawke's Bay, the line from the Port of Napier to Paki Paki. has been surveyed, and tho contract, let to Messrs Brogden & Sons. In tiie Province of Wellington, trial surveys from Manawatu Gorge to the Wanganui Kiver have been made, the plans are now in hand, and a length of about seven miles has been felled and cleared. For the line from Wanganui to. Waitotara the contract surveys have been completed, and tho plans are in hand. Of the Wellington and Masterton line, 15 miles of tho contract survey are complete, and the contract for eight miles let to Messrs Brogden. The data for the other seven miles have been given to the same firm, and their tender was shortly expected at the time when the report was written, and if we remember right, has since been accepted. From Waitara to New Plymouth in the Province of Taraaaki, the preliminary, and part of the working surveys are complefc. In Canterbury, reference is made to five lines, for all of which the surveys are completed, and in some instances the works commenced. la Otago some of the lines are being surveyed, and on others work hns been commenced. On the Dunedin and Clutha line, 5| miles have been let to Mr Smyth, " who is carrying out his contract with energy." The next section of 34J miles has been let to Messrs Brogdec. The work at the Clutha find, lOh miles, was let in August last, but the contractor having failed, it was let in March to Messrs Blair and Watson, at an advance of ,30 per ceut. ou the first contract. The contract for the Invercargili and Mataura line has been let to Messrs Brogden, and for the Winton and Kingston line, 16 miles of contract survey are ready, and the rest is in hand. For the Brunner coal mine railway in the County of Westland the contract surveys are Dearly ready. This brings us to the end of the lines of which mention is made in Ike report before us, no reference of course being made to the Nelson and Foxhill railway which has not yet engaged the attention of the Eogineer-in-chief. We sincerely trust, however, that the movement which is now set on foot, and the pressure that will be brought to bear by our representatives upon the Government will have the desired effect, and that in the next annual report presented to the Houses of Assembly, we shall find it noticed that the contract for this work is being carried oat with energy. While on the subject of public works we may quote the following brief description of the Picton and Blenheim line from the report before, us. " The line begins near the wharf at Picton, and ends at the north bank of the Opawa, the length being 17-g- miles. It was intended that the line should be carried across the Opawa into Blenheim, but the expense of doing so would be very great, and would bring no corresponding advantage to the railway. The country through which the line runs is unfavorable to railway construction, and with every regard to cheapness, it has been impossible to reduce the earthwork below 16,200 cubic yards a mile, of which a great proportion of the cuttings is rock. There are 3600 lineal feet of wooden bridges, the most important being the bridge over the Waitohi — a. trestle 6.00 feet long, and 45 feet high ; and that over the Wairau, which is 1200 feet long and 25 feet high. Heart of black birch will be exclusively iised. The culverts will be of timber throughout. Roads will be all crossed on the level. Warning posts will be placed at each crossing, as is done in America and Germany, but noj gates will be built, nor watchmen engaged. Sleepers will be of black birch, 2050 to tbe mile, and just sufficient ballast will be used to keep the sleepers from sinking into the banks. The curves and gradients are very severe, and it is [quite evident, from the lightness of the permanent way,, and the steepness of the gradients, that only a very moderate speed is provided for; ten or twelve miles an hour will .be as fast as ought to be attempted. „ Two locomotives, three passenger carriages, and seventeen goods waggons are -estimated to be sufficient for' the opening of the .line. The passenger carriages have a (central passage, and seats arranged" bifi nibus i fashion . The ; -stations will^-bp of' l 'the:simpre ; slWindi 7 and buildings will fh& erected only at the termini. The estimated cost is aa follows :-—< ; «pißitmblli D g : stock (iagu^ /mihent^^^^^l&'Q^ris^.^S^fcloag^

Ptjblic Meeting. — It is scarcely necessary to remind our readers that the .-.pjiblic convened for the purpose of strengthening the hands of our representatives in insisting upon the Nelson and Eoxhill railway being commenced without delay, is to bo hold at the Provincial Hall, this evening, at 8 o'clock sharp. The following is the translation of a notice sent by the natives of Arowbenua to the Government: — " It is the intention of the Runanpa of Arowhenua to let the Government know their wishes respecting these birds : — The paradise ducks, grey docks, teal, plover, and other water fowl ; pigeons, mountain parrots, kakas, wekas, and other birds. Let not these birds bo protected, let no laws be passed about these birds. These birds are ours. And the rivers, do not, ye white people, place fish in these wafers betweeu Wailaki .md Lake Ellesmero; in none of these waters place fish. Do not, oh white people, thoughtlessly place your fish in these sLreams, because it is -from the native birds and fish wo get most of our food. Tbis is what we want you to kcow. But another matter we want to moke known is the impounding of horses, and dog collars (<ax), these laws are obnoxious to us. We Maoris ought to be protected from the operations of these laws.

—« *^r..~~ .." -~ t.^,*. """*"■"■