THE MASTERTON RAILWAY.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 8, 11 January 1881, Page 2

THE MASTERTON RAILWAY.

? The experiments tried during the recent holidays in the working of the Wellington and Maatetton railway madeono point abundantly clear. It was shown that the journey between Wellington aad all the Wairarapa stations could be materially shortened in regard to time, without the slightest "risk, inconvenience, or appreciable increase ol expense. The excursion trains from Wellington on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day were timed to reach all the Wairarapa stations 45 minutes quicker than the ordinary daily trains. This was accomplished with the utmost case and time excellently kept, notwithstanding that the delays at wayside stations were very lengthy- quite as great as those commonly caused by shunting. Moreover, the train on Christmas Day stopped at every station by the way, and yet was pnnctnal in arrival, without any undue hurrying. Again, the early train from the Wairarapa stations to Wellington was timed to perform {he journey from Masterton to Wellington in 3 hours 20 minutes, and' 1

really did it in 5 minutes less. All this goes to show that the time at present allowed for the through journey is needlessly long and t«dioue, indued, this is a subject of constant complaint an the part of travellers to and from the Wairarapa. It has been suggested that the afternoon train from Wellington might very well be accelerated half an hour, leaving Wellington at 4 p.m. instead of 3.30, and reaching Masterton at 8 p.m. as at present. This would involve no danger or difficulty, and would inconvenience nobody, but, on the contrary, would greatly promote the public convenience by enabling country people to spend half an hour longer in town and by abbreviating the weary time compulsorily spent cooped up in the train. By adopting this suggestion, the trains even then would take from 15 to 40 minutes longer than the time in which the holiday trains easily performed the journey with long stoppages by the way. We hope the railway authorities will see their way to concede the very moderate and reasonable boon now asked for, and we feel sure it wonld have a most favorable effect on the railway traffic.

Tha Hon. Mr. Rolleston will take charge temporarily of the Native and Defence Departments, vacated by the resignation of Mr. Bryce. It ia not likely that the vacancy in the Ministry will be filled np for some days. Rumor, of conrse, is busy with the names of probable successors to Mr. Bryce. Among those mentioned were those of Sir William Foi and Mr. Ormond, but we believe we are correct in stating that there is not the slightest likelihood of either gentlemen taking office. No decision has yet been arrived at in regard to the fate of Wharepa, the Chatham Islands murderer. The matter came before a meeting of the Executive Council held in Auckland yesterday, but it was not definitely decided whether or not the law Bhould be allowed to take its conrse. Several letters to the Editor are held over. - Mr. Justice Eichmond held a sitting of the Bankruptcy Court at the new Supreme Court buildlng3 to-day. Mr. Gordon Allan applied for an order for the discharge of William Smith, which was granted. Mr. Edwards applied for the discharge of Benjamin Cohen and J. C. B. Isherwood, but the notices of the applications having been too short, Mr. Edward? was asked to apply again at the next sitting of the Court. An order declaring the complete execution of a deed in re the estate of Andrew Orr having been granted, the proceedings terminated. The water from the reservoir, never good at the best, has, during the last few days, become positively disgusting. In color it is of a dirty brown, and leaves a thick black muddy sediment in the bottom of any receptacle it may be allowed to stand in for a few minutes. Citizens who love their morning bath almost dread to get into the filthy liquid, and take care not to Btir it up more than they can help. If allowed to stand over night in a jug the water actually becomes putrid, and throws off a stench as bad as stale soapsuds or cabbage water. It is by no means pleasant to contemplate that, as the summer advances and the supply in the reservoir gets lower, the water will become still more impure. Several correspondents have complained from time to time that they could not get at the private letter-boxes at the Post Oflice on Sundays. It further appears that they are under the impression that the mails are sorted on Sundays. We have made enquiries, and find that this is only done during the session, and then the office in which the private boxes are situate is kept open. During the recess the mails are not sorted on Sundays. ||An adjourned meeting of the Begatta Committee will be held at the Pier Hotel this evening, at 8 o'clock, when the amount of the prizes will be fixed and other business dealt with. A full attendance is requested, as it only wants a short time to the date of the Begatta meeting. Messrs. Dwan & Co., at 2 o'clock, groceries, drapery, &o. "Victim" writes to us: — "Will yon kindly allow me, through your columns, to caution the Wellington lodging-house keepers and others against entertaining an individual who, by his plausible statements and sham demeanor, has succeeded in swindling (to my knowledge) three parties, myself included. He represents himself to be a monied man, a member of the V.M.C.A., a carpenter by trade, but expects Bhortly to enter the Telegraph office. He is about 30 years of age, and short of stature." When the Wellington Guards fired against the Torpedo Corps, on Saturday, the scores made were also to be considered as the result of a match against the Patea Rifles, who were, by previous arrangement, to fire at their own range the same day. The , Guards made a total of 350 points, and the Patea Rifles 366, the latter thus winning by 16 pointsv Thanks are returned to Mr. H. H. Travers for a present of vegetables for the use of the Hospital patients. A pleasant gathering took place in the Friend'y Societies' Hall, Tory-street, last night, under the auspices of the Pioneer Lodge, 1.0. G.T. A programme, consisting of miscellaneous items, was carried out very successfully, and at intervals a quantity of fruit was distributed. The hall was tastefully decorated with ferns and flowers for the occasion. A cricket match was played on the Basin Reserve on Saturday between an eleven of the Mount Cook School and thtf second eleven of the United Cricket Club, resulting in an easy victory for the former by eight wickets. The bowling and batting ol Rigg and Blacklock, and the batting of Barnett, for the Mount Cook team, were much admired. The following are the scores :—: — United C.C.— 5O and 60, total 100; Mount Cook C.C.— 75 and 28 (with two -wickete down). There will be a Bpecial sitting in Bankruptcy on Monday, the 24th inst. Mr. Shaw, R.M., will preside over a sitting of the Hutt R.M. Court to-morrow morning. ' " " Joseph Bidmead, boarding-house keeper,, of Wellington, convened a meeting of his creditors for noon to-day, but owing to the absence of a quorum the meeting lapsed. The particulara have not yet been filed. A queer case of "justices' justice" has come under our notice. A man, well known in Carterton, was found a few evenings ago in the honse of another well known residen%< and an information charging him with burglary was laid at the instigation of the police. When, however, the case came on for hearing 1 , it was found that the accused was frequently in the honse in question, and the owner had nothing to say against the alleged burglar, except that he objected to his bein& drunk. The sapient justices of course had to dismiss the charge of burglary ; bnt while they endorsed on the information their disbelief in his having any felonious intent, they also entered up a conviction for drunkenness — an offence for which there was no charge laid— and sentenced the unfortunate man to four weeks' hard labor. The prisoner ha& been brought to Wellington to undergo his sentence, but in the meantime thts facts of the case are being brought under the^iotice of the Minister for Justice by Mr. H. Bunnyi M.H.R. The matter is, we are informed! the subject of much unfavorable common : in the district. Mr. Bradlaugh informed his constituent , at Northampton lately that he had ( voted 9$ times in the lost session and now haVl'aiittle bill of J545.500 against Mm ; and heqbservedthat he was glad lie had a rich colleague. H^ attributed his position to the solid vote of the great Nonconformist party being scarcely broken. As to what he intended to do in Parliament, he proposed to try his hand at the perpetual pension list. "What prospect there is of coring larrikin* ism under the so-called humanitarian system may be judged of from the following incident , which is recorded by an Australian journal:— • A boy of seven years was recently committed at Melbourne to the training ship Vernon, his juvenile weaknesses being drinkingi stealing, and Bmoking. After being taken into custody, he refused to take any food unless he was allowed a smoke before mealai and the authorities, rather than see his conj stitution injured by bis wilful abstinence; allowed him the consolatory pipe! It is stated that in the city of Sydney there is but one J.P. who ventures, without fear or f aror, to deal out the law to the larrikin class, and the result is that he is far from occupying a bed of roses. Attention is directed to a special advertisement appearing on the first page of ;this issue, in which Mr. George Mcc (late Plummer), chemist, of Lambton Quay, annonncea an extensive Btook of homoeopathic and other medicines.