Government imports over protest

The cheese factory at Otokia. - Otago Witness, 27.1.1914.
The cheese factory at Otokia. - Otago Witness, 27.1.1914.
The decision of the Government to import 10 railway locomotives has met with some protest, principally based on the ground that the dominion should itself construct the locomotives that are required by it.

It may be recalled that the report of the General Manager of Railways, which was presented to Parliament in September of last year, contained a recommendation that 20 locomotive engines should be imported from abroad at the earliest possible date, in order that the requirements of a continually increasing traffic might be met.

The urgency of the case was shown in Mr Hiley's statement that no fewer than 72 of the engines at present in use are obsolete and in the interests of economical and efficient working should be dispensed with.

The need being urgent, the reason for importation was thus explained in the report: ''The engines now on order in the railway workshops are more than sufficient to keep the shops at Addington and Hillside going at full pressure for the next two years, and the contracts already let to the outside engineering firm will similarly keep their establishment employed for the same period.''

Two years hence, if efficiently equipped workshops are in existence, as is contemplated, in each of the islands of the dominion, it should be possible to overtake all railway requirements in the way of locomotives without recourse to importation. In the meantime, however, the pressing need of locomotives must be met, and it is with the view of meeting it that an order for 10 locomotives of the first class has been placed with an American firm.

It seems to us to be a matter for regret that the contract for the supply of these engines has not been secured by a British firm, but apart from the fact that the American price was the lower, the ability of the manufacturers in Philadelphia to supply the locomotives in 60 days, as against the offer of the North British Company to deliver in seven months, may reasonably be said, in view of the urgency of the need, to be a consideration of prime importance.

• The farms of Inchclutha at the present time present a sight to gladden the eye of the observer.

A Balclutha Free Press representative who traversed the Island the other day was struck by the many fields of turnips in different stages of growth, some few paddocks undergoing the ''thinning'' process, but in the majority the plants were very well advanced, giving promise of the enormously productive yields for which the Island soil is famous.

A few nice fields of oats and wheat were also seen, both cereals giving promise of large yields. In the fields of the dairy farmers the cattle were knee deep in the luxuriant grass.

To crown all very few weeds were to be seen, except on some of the roadlines.

Inchclutha indeed bids fair this season to justify her old claim to be the ''Garden of Otago''.

• Three bundles of notes, totalling a considerable amount, and the proceeds of a property sale, were left by a lady on a chair at a Dargaville theatre after a picture performance (says the Auckland Star).

The fact that they were missing was not noticed until the lady arrived home.

Early on Sunday morning the caretaker was interviewed, but he announced that he had seen nothing of the missing treasure.

As an afterthought, however, the caretaker walked down the body of the hall to the chairs indicated, and there, sure enough, were the rolls, just as they had been left. - ODT, 28.1.1915.

 


COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ

 

Add a Comment