PUBLIC WORKS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5377, 21 June 1878, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS.

It has been determined to take immediate steps for the erection of the new school for the Sisters of Mercy at Te Aro. Mr. Charles O’Neill has been instructed to prepare plana and call tor tenders for the building. Mr. William Smith’s tender, £27,590, has been accepted by the Hokitika Harbor Board for the construction of harbor works. The following tenders have been received at the Public Works Office, Wellington, for the Waitotara contract of the Patea-Manawatu railway. —Accepted ; Collie, Scott, and Wilkinson, Wellington, £39,791. Declined ; D. Fallon, Auckland, £40,095; M. Lake, Christchurch, £42,086 ; E. O’Malley, Wellington, £42,100 ; M. Danaher and Co., Wanganui, £43,998; Denbyaudßowe, Wanganui,£46,92o; John Taylor and Co., Auckland, £49,889; J. B. Blair, Dunedin, £51,498 ; E. Whiting, Wanganui, £53,500; J. Saunders, Wellington, .£54,843; Boss and Dunbar, Auckland, £56,232; Lockie and Dunn, Wellington, £57,600. Port contract of the Nelson and Foxhill railway:— Accepted : E. O’Malley, Wellington, £6229. Declined: W. H. Curnon and Co, Nelson, £7616,; Jno. Briton, Motueka, £7965; J. Gilbertson, Nelson, £9161 ; Jno. Scott, Nelson, £10,643. An influential meeting has been held in Dunedin in reference to the construction of a railway from Gore to Elbow, a distance of 35 miles. It was represented by several speakers that it would open up a large area of agricultural land. A company with a capital of £150,000 was formed to carry out the work. The contractor for the Raglan and Waiparoad, which is about to be commenced to connect Raglan with the Waikato, has been warned by the Kingites in the name of Tawhiao to suspend operations. It is said, the road going through the King’s territory, he considers his consent should have been first obtained.

The City Council are at present laying down with patent Caithness flagging the footpaths all round Messrs. Turnbull and Co.’s large block of brick buildings between Custom House-quay and Peatherston-street. The flags are similar to those laid down in front of the $ Colonial Bank, the Australian Insurance office, and the Athenssum. We trust to see all our footpaths paved with the same seemingly unperishable material, which would indeed be a great boon to pedestrians, for certs.-’nly the gravelled portions of the footpaths are most uncomfortable. By the English mail we have some particulars as to paving in Glasgow, and that great city prides itself in possessing the best and most durable roadways and footpaths in the whole world. The roadways there are formed of granite blocks, about three inches broad, and the footpaths of Caithness flagging of various thickness, the cost of which is as follows :—Flagging, 3 inches thick, 9s. per square yard ; flagging, 4 inches thick, 9s. Bd. per square yard. We understand the cost of the patent Caithness flagging in Wellington is only Bs. sd. per yard laid down. ’ On Tuesday a deputation of shipbuilders and shipwrights waited upon the Hon.-Mr. Macandrew, Minister for Lands, to bring under his notice the position in which they would be placed when the proposed Te Aro reclamation was carried out. They would then have no water frontage, and would be unable to carry on their works. Mr. Macandrew expressed an opinion that when disposing of the laud to be reclaimed provision should be made for securing water frontage for engineers, ship and boatbuiiders, &c. A track has lately been discovered between Paikakiriki and Otaki which would be an excellent route for au inland road between those places. Mr. Halcombe and Mr. Macara passed over it lately, and found the country y praotically level, and presenting very few difficulties to be overcome. Abridge of 12 feet . * span over the Otaki would be the only one required. There is plenty of metal on the line for forming the road, and the cost of the necessary works would be very small indeed. The new route is five miles shorter than the beach, and the coach could make much better time upon it, as the delays caused by a bad beach and by travelling for miles across sandhills would be avoided. The desirability of opening up this road will be pressed upon the at teution of the Government and the county authorities. The following tenders have been received by the Public Works Department for the conveyance of about 1248 tons railway iron from Wellington to Wanganui:—Accepted : Charles H. EUaby, Wellington, 16s. 7d. per ton. Declined : Mclntyre and Co., Wellington, 18s. fid. per ton ; Plimmer, Peeves, and Co., Wellington, 19s. lid. per ton. Mr. Conyers and Mr. Lawson, the heads of the Railway Department for tho Middle and North Islands, respectively, proceeded to Auckland on June 16th for tho purpose of examining the working of the railways there, with a view to improvement. It does not need a prophet to foretell that changes will follow., Both officers have had large experience in the South, aud Mr. Conyers has had the charge of all sorts ef railways from the Invercargill and Bluff line to the whole of those in the Middle Island. The Hon. Mr. Macandrew is desirous of visitiug Auckland in connection with public works, but pressing demands upon bis time prevent him from leaving Wellington at present. The alterations to be made in the Wanganui to Pox ton railway time-table, for the purpose of giving more time for shunting and changing goods trucks, will causa the hours of arrival and departure of trains to be as tollowa Leave Wanganui at , 0.45 a.m., and arrive at Poxton at 12.20 p.m.; leave Wanganui at 4.15 p.m., aud arrive at Poxton at 10.35 p.m.; leave Poxtou at 6.5 a.m., and arrive at Wanganui at 12,25 p.m.; leave Poxton at 4.20 a.m., and arrive at Wanganui at 10.40 p.m. These changes will add very largely to the length of time occupied in the journey.