PUBLIC WORKS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4836, 21 September 1876, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS.

The following tenders were received at the Public Works office, Wellington, for the southern contract (permanent way, &c.) of the Kowai to Waitaki railway: —Accepted : John Whittaker, Dunedin, £5566. Declined : Allen and Stumbles, Timaru, £6375 ; E. G. Wright, Christchurch, £6526; D. Proudfoot, Dunedin, £6691 ; Michael Lake, Christchurch, £8847.

The following tenders were received at the Public Works Office, Wellington, for the Mercer and Newcastle contract of the Kaipira to Punui railway : —Accepted : Daniel Fallon, Auckland, £16,832. Declined : W. H. Topham, Auckland, £22,994 ; John Brett, Auckland, £23,129 ; Alex. Watson and Colebrook, Auckland, £25,323 ; Alex. Smith, Auckland, £27,534 ; John Taylor, Auckland, £'9 529 ; Richard Dickson, Auckland, £32,635 ; W. H. Clarke, Newcastle, £32,985 ; Wm. Cameron, Auckland, £33,945. A special train drawn by the new locomotive left Foxton for I'eilding yesterday morning (says the Manawatu Times, of Sept. 9), for the purpose of testing the railway line and the new bridge which crosses the Oroua river near Bunnythorpe. Mr. J. T. Stewart, the District Engineer, and the manager, Mr. Abernethy, accompanied the train ; and many Foxton residents, who were joined by others from Palmerston, took advantage of the polite invitation given them. The line not being quite completed is at present somewhat rough, but otherwise the result of; the trial was very satisfactory, the bridge standing the test of the heavy weight without an apparent deflection. After a short interval spent in Feilding, in which full justice was done to the good cheer provided by the hosts of the two hotels there, the train returned to Foxton, all the visitors expressing their appreciation of the very enjoyable trip. The line, we understand, will be open for traffic at the end of this month.