95

No. 4.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 14th January, 1874.

SIR,—

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th inst., in which you wish to be informed whether it is intended to extend the date fixed for opening the section of the Wellington and Masterton Railway between Wellington and the Hutt, in order that you may know how to arrange with the parties who have applied to you for appointments in the various offices necessary for the working of the line, and in reply, to express the regret of the Government that the progress of the works has not been such as will enable the line to be opened at the contemplated date, and to assure your Honor that every exertion has been, and is being, made to induce the contractors to proceed more rapidly.

With reference to my letter of the 23rd October, and to the interview which took place on the 12th instant between your Honor, the Provincial Executive, and the Hon. the Minister for Public Works, I have the honor to state that, owing to the large amount of plant and material which the extension of the line will oblige the Public Works Department to have conveyed over the completed portion, and the interference with the ordinary public traffic which will be sure to be occasioned thereby, it appears to the Government that the time has not yet arrived when it would be to the interests alike of the General and Provincial Governments to hand over the section alluded to.

In submitting this opinion for the consideration of your Honor, the Government request to be informed whether the Province is desirous of immediately taking over the Railway, under such conditions as will ensure the requirements of the Public Works Department being carried out, or whether, for the reasons above mentioned, you concur in the opinion of the Government; and in the event of such concurrence, the Government will be obliged by your Honor forwarding the applications for employment on the line you have received, coupled with any recommendations your Honor may wish to make, for the information of the Minister for Public Works.

As the reasons that appear to the Government to apply to the Hutt Railway apply with equal force to the postponement of the taking over the Manawatu tramway by the Province, owing to the Government having determined, with a view to economy, to push forward the construction of the Manawatu and Wanganui Railway from the Manawatu end; the Government will be obliged by your Honor also expressing the opinion of the Provincial Government as to the course desired to be taken in reference to the tramway now in use as far as Palmerston.

I have, &c.,

WILLIAM H. REYNOLDS.

His Honor the Superintendent,
Wellington.

No. 5.

Superintendent’s Office,
Wellington, January 28, 1874.

SIR,—

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th instant, in which you say: “With reference to my letter of the 23rd October, and to the interview which took place on the 12th instant, between your Honor, the Provincial Executive, and the Hon. the Minister for Public Works, I have the honor to state that, owing to the large amount of plant and material which the extension of the line will oblige the Public Works Department to have conveyed over the completed portion, and the interference with the ordinary public traffic which will be sure to be occasioned thereby, it appears to the Government that the time has not yet arrived when it would be to the interest alike of the General and Provincial Governments to hand over the section alluded to.” You also go on to say, “in submitting this opinion for the consideration of your Honor, the Government request to be informed whether the Province is desirous of immediately taking over the Railway, under such conditions as will ensure the requirements of the Public Works Department being carried out, or whether, for the reasons above mentioned, you concur in the opinion of the Government.”

In reply, I write to say that to a great extent the Provincial Government concurs in the opinion of the General Government that the time has not arrived when it would be to the interests alike of the General and Provincial Governments to hand over the section alluded to, and I would suggest that the control should remain in the hand