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Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2809, 3 May 1872, Page 2

?£bJβ^-wre^lcSect'BaTr!Pranciseo maii Ts late as usu&l,by teti <3ear days. The steamer was due at Auckland, on the 22nd April; to-day is the 3rd May, the eleventh day after date, and noyet been heard of it. Last month: it was. twelve day* behind-hand.-In fact, from the very first the' contract time has' scarcely ever been kept -y and instead of , improving as it progresses, the service seems to be growing every month more tardy and inefficient. •'•-Of cotifee excuses' are plentiful. Last.:month; the delay : wae attributed to the Union Pacific Railway being blocked up by show—an idiotic excuse, •as the steamer brought word that the i line, had been cleared, and that the trains were running through to their time, ; a fortnight before it left San Francisco. iNoyv the delay ie charged to the accident tip''thei'"Nevada's boilers; which : the vessel'in Auckland beyond the day fixed for the outward : voyage, mast make it to a corresponding extent late in returning from Honolulu., We ;do not see why a single [breakdown should be allowed jtp. throw ithe whole eer'vice permanently betiind- >■ hand.. But anyhow" the,exepse is. in--;BuJ&cient. Tor making, esery allovsfc jance on, scorej th_e ; mails ;pught to 'have been delivered in Auckland on the 26fchS'April. i So that, putting ihe : case in the form most favorable to the contractors,'thVst'eamer ia behind its contract time-by not less than six' ( clsar days. ;Wβ believe the real reason is that the 1 vessels ; employed a^etoq:deficient in power and speed td perform the work. r . ; .-.-.'■ : j We want tqaknqw how : .long this Bort of thing risrta last. What is the use of a contract- all, if its conditions are to'be Jiabitnally violated. WKat is the Postraaster-Grenerarabout? Mr Webb has undertaken that the voyage between San Trancisco and Auckland, eack way, shall be performed in a time not exceeding 600 hours (25 days), under a penalty bf £2 per.hour .for every hour's delay 'Are these penalties - beieg If not, why not?; ■-- We ;: do J hop© that -next ■ eessibn the ' : H6use' of Representatives, which hitherto has - been Satisfied with leaving everything ~to-th: c : Government will Jobk into the matter for iteelf. An opportunity will occur when, sxr&ngeiHent with Victoria is,.sp,b I mitted for ratification. whole 4 question will then be reconsidered; ; "and we hope that some of pur yeprieseatatiyesfwili have the bold--"neafctd demand that, M tbieeorrtract is continued, its terms shall be faithfully observed. They have allowed, the Government incur kn - enormous anriiial liabi 1 ity for the mainten&nce of thjß setvidej and the least they can do is to insist that tlfe colony shall really have What it pays for. ; ■■■'■ : r - r; ' r : : " :,r ! .-•! •■ •.-■•■:-; /. n ..■;:■; \'Z .■ '. :'.-''>". ■'■ -1- j- ■-"-'- • i

TPhe letter'- signed ""Mm in urbe" \?i^r^€ieneed;o'tfaenotice'Berved'by the City a r riumber of to cut their trees in such a tnjauner that, they do not overhang the footpath, calls attention :to what,. in our opimcra, /isa great inist'ake on the part of tne Citj Council. '" Ts6 one can for .a. moment dotfbtth'at trees in £ jarei, most beneficial to the puufie health, and in addition, provide, for at least eight months out of the twelve; an—agreeable shade"from" the burning rays of the sun. j We have only to lodk J "t6 : America to see in (I what,.; estimation; ; these ;ad van*tages-, ar,e held. :Avenues 'of-trees line all the main streets of ffie qities^ : ; arid sums' of money are annually ; ejcperided on their preservation. The streets of Christchureh L cfo; not admit of a similar,, t^ing-being, here", but -it is. surely tlae .height of absurdity to-prevent private enterp/ise in this direction. And this is really what the Council wish to do; , 'They have ordered all overhanging branches to ba cot awagy and the result will be that in every"*case where have attained any eize at all, "their balance will W destroyed, and they will be broken off during the Jlrst south-wester that visits .us. ' And the extremely picturesque appearance that Buch trees present is not by any means the least important point in their favor. It is a characteristic of ChrietcbuTcb. winch calls forth the .highest-praise from visitors from the -other coloniea. If the trees, properly pruned, werV in any way, a source of annoyance- to pedestrians, something might be said in favor of the prohibition, but such is not the case. The jonly object, as far as we can learn for this prohibition, is that a little labor may be saved in keeping the footpaths in order for a month or two, during the winter. -But surely such a consideration as tliis ought cot to have any weight tt! the face of the many advantages which' can be urged -on the other side. '