THE TRAMWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 315, 15 June 1915, Page 6

THE TRAMWAYS.

PROGRESS OF THE WORK. REPORT BY MR. FRED BLACK. Mr. Fred Black, consulting engineer, lias supplied tho Borough Council with the following report dealing with the, progress of tramways works for May:— Contract No. I.—Tho conduit for electric light wiring in the car shed and adjoining office has been erected, and the wires are practically all drawn in. Contract No. 2. —The work in this BontracJ was commenced on May 3, when the track construction was put In hand on the Moturoa Road. During Uie month 140 chains of track trench liave been excavated, 00 chains metalled and completed except for soltarring and tolling, and 19 chains of permanent way laid but not ballasted. Throughout the nature of the ground has been very Satisfactory, the formation having sunk very little under the rolling prior to the ballast being placed on it. Weather conditions have also favored the work, (aid the progress made has therefore been satisfactory. 1-rior to the commencement of the work there was little knowledge of the line of water and gas mains, and the opening up of the ground has revealed certain mains which have required alteration. A portion of the water main at Cutfield Road fouled the track, and had to bo moved for a distance of four chains. The water mair at St. Aubyn Street is now known t< lio in such a position as to call for ai alteration, and tlr.3 work is in hand b\ tho borough engineer. Both water ani gas mains alterations in St. Aubyi Street, between Queen Street and Eg mont Street corners, are being attendee to. In consequence of the existing fences on Moturoa Road being, in some in stances, off the proper road boundaries I instructed tho contractors on my visil early in the month, not to proceed witl the construction towards the nreanvrnu;! until further notice. Meanwhile the borough engineer had taken up the mat ter of the fencing line with the district engineer of the railways, and I furthe: went into the matter with tho official in the head office in Wellington, and an J pleased to say that on 2fith ult., I wa; advised by them that the district en gineer at Wanganui was arranging witi the borough engineer to shift the rail j way fences to the proper boundary line The matter will now rest between thi> official and tho borough engineer, an< I have no doubt the latter will be ab!t J to arrange for this work to be exccutec at a very early date. Meanwhile, I hav< instructed the resident engineer to al low the contractors to proceed with tin track work as far as Ngamotu Roat I corner. The carrying out of tins part of tho track will, however, depend con siderably upon whether fine weather is experienced, as it is impossible to dc any work on this portion of the road unless the road is dry. Contract No. 3.—There is virtually nothing to report in tho case of tlw contract at the present moment. Drawings of all the plant except switchboards have now been received, and I am preparing lay-out plans for the plant in the sub-station. Contract No. 4.—1 made an inspection of the cars in Messrs Boon's factory in Christchurch on May 24. All the six bodies are erected in the framing, and j have roofs on. Work is now proceed-

ing steadily, and V I am pleased to say that a very satisfactory job is being made by the sub-contractor. i