DASHWOOD CONTRACT, PICTON-HURUNUI RAILWAY (REPORT BY ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF RELATIVE TO).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1892 Session I, D-21

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1892. NEW ZEALAND

DASHWOOD CONTRACT, PICTON-HURUNUI RAILWAY (REPORT BY ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF RELATIVE TO).

Laid on the Table by the Hon. Mr Seddon, with the Leave of the House.

No 1 The Engineeb-in-Chief to the Disteict Engineee, Nelson. Public Works Office, Wellington, 23rd June, 1886. Memorandum for District Engineer, Nelson. Batter of Slopes, Dashwood Section. In reply to your memorandum, No. 593/12, of the 7th instant, the cutting may be allowed 1 to 1, and a corresponding reduction in payment must be made. If any alteration is required hereafter it can be more cheaply done during platelaying. John Blackett.

No. 2. The Engineee-in-Chief to the Hon. the Ministeb for Public Woeks. Public Works Office, Wellington, 13th July, 1892. Dashwood Contract, Picton-Hurunui Railway Memorandum for the Hon. the Minister for Public Works. The tender of Parker and Maddock was accepted for the Dashwood contract for formation of 3 miles 40 chains of railway, on the 9th July, 1884, and the contract was signed on same date. Amount of contract, £17,749 6s. Bd. Time allowed in contract for completing the whole of the works was twenty-four months from the date of acceptance of tender —that is, the 9th July, 1886. If works not completed in time stated the contractors to pay £20 per week for every week after the 9th July, 1886, until works finally completed and taken over by Government. The contract works were completed, except certain reductions, on the 7th May, 1888, ninetyfive weeks after contract date for completion. The amount liable to be deducted as liquidated damages for overtime was therefore £1,900, but £400 only was deducted, that sum being about the amount paid for salary of Inspector on the works for the ninety-five weeks during which, the works remained unfinished after the contract date for completion. The terms of contract provide that slopes of cuttings shall be J horizontal to 1 vertical in solid rock, 11 to 1 in sand, and 1 to 1 in all other material, but should the Eesident Engineer require any other slopes the difference in cost, estimated at schedule rates, shall be added to or deducted from the contract sum, any alteration in the slopes of cuttings to be ordered in writing by the Eesident Engineer There was no solid rock in any of the cuttings on the contract, and the contractor's schedule does not state a price for cuttings in rock, therefore, if the Engineer reduced the slopes in the gravel-cuttings, as stated, it would be understood by both parties that the difference in quantity between slopes of 1 to 1 and 1 to 1 would be deducted from amount of contract at the schedule rate for cuttings. The estimated quantity of material requiring to be lifted in making all the cuttings left at 1 to 1 to the specified slopes of 1 to 1 is 59,936 cubic yards, which at the schedule rate for cuttings would cost £2,497 6s. Bd. The deductions made, however, by the Engineer-in-Chief were only for the cuttings which were not considered to be perfectly safe with 1 to 1 batters, and would afterwards require to be flattened

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to the specified slopes. The quantity of material requiring to be shifted from these cuttings was estimated at 32,204 cubic yards, which at schedule rate for cuttings would cost £1,341 16s. 10d., and this sum was deducted from the amount of contract on the final settlement, and the reduction accepted by the contractors. The amount of the original contract was £17,746 6s. Bd., and extra works allowed amounted to £504 10s. 2d., making total amount of contract and extras £18,250 16s. lOd. Deductions from amount of contract were £1,341 16s. lOd. for deficient slopes in cuttings and £400 portion of penalties for overtime, leaving £16,509, which was paid to the contractors, whoexecuted a deed of acquittance on receiving the final payment. W H. Hales, Engineer-in-Chief. P.S. —A copy of the deed of acquittance and final voucher is attached. Approximate Cost of Payer—Preparation, nil; printing (1160 copies), £1

By Authority: Georgr Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB92. Price 3d.]