TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7384, 9 August 1889, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

SoMBTHrsa very like, the eyetem which Mr S. Vaile, of Auckland/ha 3 beea urging on the New Zealand authorities with so niueh persistency, for several years, is. about to be tried" on tjhe railways of Hungary—ia fact we presume} it is now in actual operation, since it was to be initiated on the Ist of August. Oa that date a plan tending in the direction o£ uniform fares, irre4 spoctive of the distance travelled, waa to

be introduced on all the State railways. We are indebted to the Aegva fora description of the system:— "The country is divided into zones. First, there is the "local zone," each centre of population having its radius of 15 or 20 miles, and then there is the " general aone," the country being cut into lengths of a maximum of 25 kilometres, or 15 miles each, and an average apparently of 10 miles each. These aonea extend j up to 140 raile,9, and each, has its own fare, but for journeys beyond 140 miles the one price is paid. The fares are to bo very low. In the local zone, the charge is 6d first class, 3d second class, and 2d third class. As. to fche general sones, the charges are 10d first class, 8d second clas3, and 5d third clase. Thus, if you wish to travel to a place six zones, or fom GO to 90 miles, away, you will pay 5s first and 2s 6d third class. AU journeys, however, cf more than 225 kilometree (140 miles) leading through Buda-Pesth, are to be divided in two —namely, to Buda-Pesth and again from Buda Peath—and charged according to separate lengths. The distance from Vieana (by Hungarian state railway) to Brasso, in Transylvania, is 034 kilometres, and the fare (reckoned as two joarneys at 123 each, and adding Is 8d for the short run on Austrian territory) will now be i>l 5s Bd, instead of about £4 7s 6d as hitherto." Supposing the system were in vogue on Christchurch-Dunedin railway, with the same fares, a passenger could go from Christchurch to Rolleston for 6d first class and 3d second class, but would have to pay the same amount to travel to Addington or any other of the [ intermediate stations. The next " zone" would probably terminate at Selwyn, and ' the next at Rakaia. To get to the latter place one would pay 2s 2d first class, instead of 7s 6d as at present. To Timaru should be ten " zones" at the outside, and the first class fare ought not to be more than Sβ, instead of 20s 101, the amount now charged. This will give an idea of the way in which the plan works out if applied to our local railways. We prej sume residents at Timaru, for example, would have no objection to its adoption. The idea, of course, is that " the wonderful liberality will lead to a wonderful increase in travelling," and it remains to be seen whether this is brought about to ' a sufficient extent to make the plan remunerative. The experiment will be watched with great interest by railway experts hi all parts of the world. Of course it does not, by any means, follow taat if it were successful in Hungary it would succeed m New Zealand. The former country ha 3 a very large population to draw upon which we do not possess. A very interesting appointment has ju&t become vacaut, and although the stipend is a very modest one, the number oi applicants was legion. The post is , that of custodian, of the house in which Shakespeare was born at Stratford-on-Avon. For the last twenty years it has been held by two maiden ladies, the Misses Chattaway, daughters of a local banker who, like a well-known Shakespearian character, had "had losses." During the whole of that time they did the honors of that historic place with an unfailing courtesy which charmed the visitors aa much as their intense and loyal devotion to the memory of the great writer, of whom there were few more wholehearted admirers. What an interesting story these old ladies could tell. Think of the receptions they held! The first year they took eharga of the house they had 8009 visitors, and last year they had 17,000. What diversities of human character they must have witnessed—from Royalty, the great man of letters, the distinguished politician— down to the latest inquisitive American tourist, bent on " whittling " off a piece of the poet's chair to carry away as a memento. We can imagine the state of mind the dear old ladies would get into when this terrible personage made his appearance. No wonder they found at last the strain was getting too much for them, and so they have decided to go away from the precious relics thoy love so well, to spend the rest of their days in peace on the little pension which we Are glad to hear accrues to them. Among the applicants for the situation, which is worth J6IOO per annum, with residence, coals, and gas, we are toid, may be enumerated at least one pit-son of title and many more connected, in a greater or sdialler degree, with literature, art, and the stage. Somebody connected with literature or the stage ought to, get it, if those who have the bestowal of the appointment have any sense, .of Jfche fitness of things. We would rather not have Hie "parson of title" to show ua round. Yet another suggestion has been made a3 to a beneficial use which could ; be made of the Eiffel Tower. Briefly put, it is suggested that a Company should be formed to rjuadruplicate this gigantic structure "so as to form the four legs of a huge platform," whereon a sanatorium might be built, out of the noise, the dirt, and the foul atmosphere of our towns. The invalids could be carried up simply and easily by the lift, and in a few minutes would thus be practically enabled to enjoy " mountain air." It may be some time before this daring project is carried into eilect. and after all, most; people who desire mountain aXt would wish -to have something more stable than a platform supported by Eiffel towers under their feet. Otherwise there is little reason to to doubt such a sanatorium would prove beneficial. There is no question that a fine tonic effect is to be got out of an elevation of even a thousand feet. Constant residence on a dead level has an undoubtedly depressing effect. It does a dweller on a plain good even to mount as high as.the top of a house, so that he may enlarge hi 3 prospect, and we often wonder why people in Christchurch in building houses do not go in more frequently than they do for something in the shape of a look-out tower;*- or a flat roof, after the Eastern fashion. Above all, the hills, which fortunately lie at no great distance, should be used a little more for "constitutional " purposes.