Railway Maintenance.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 158, 8 July 1904, Page 2

Railway Maintenance.

ENCOURAGING WORKMEN. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 7. As an incentive to the permanent way gangs employed on the New Zealand Government railways the Minister for Railways has authorised the giving of yearly prizes for the best kept length in each of the

following districts Auckland, Wol-lington-Nftpiw-Ncw Plymouth, Huru-

nui-JHuff (north of Pnlmeraton), Hu-runui-Blulf of Palmerston), and small sections.Tho amount will be ns follows : First prize £ls second £lO, third £5, in each of the above districts, and will be divided among the gang according to the number of men employed, the ganger to receive 25 per cent, moro than surfacemen. The following will be conditions to be considered in deciding prizes-Length of track maintained, character of formation and ballast, grades, alignment and weight of rails, growth of weeds eemdition of track for alignment; cleanliness and general appearance condition of points and crossings in yards. The judging ds to hl \ mf} between January and March of each year, the district engineers and inspectors of permanent way acting ns judges. The system of marking for I judging will he-Alignment, maximum number of points, 5 ; surfacing ■>; condition of fastenings, 4- condition of turnouts, 4 ; droinago. 4 ■ cleanliness and general conditio",. „f track, i). J