WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

Evening Star, Issue 14037, 19 April 1909, Page 1

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

6 THE SHOE PINCHlfib. We really do not know, why our Duncdin friends should assume that we are "gloating over the injustice with which Otago is \threatened " by the stoppage of work on the LawrenceRoxburgh railway lino. The worst we have done is to express approval of the determination to discontinue building railways which give ro promise of making a reasonable return upon the money expended in their construction. If our friends could-show ■thut the Lawrence-Roxburgh line was likely to pay 3A per cent., or even 3 per ec-ut., they would have our fullest sympathy in -their disappointment. The Dunediu 'Star' wants to know if Ministers intend "to back out of their far-reaching engagements in connection with the Midland Railway" in the sti'ne way ;:s they have backed out of tlicii engagements in connection with the southern Hue: but of course our c-)iiten\p;>rary knows petrectly well that there is no resemblance between the two uiidertHkiugs. The Midland Railway is now 2pprr.acl-.iiig ::ompletion alter the expoiidit ire of a huge sum of money upon its construction, while the Lav. jence RoxLurgii line has pjegn-ssei only fome fh e or six miles over very simple count!y, and might be abandoned altogether without shucincr a fireat deal of money. If the Midland Riilway were in the same position \ our contemporary's suggestion might be seriously considered.—' LvtteHou 'limes.' » RAILWAY MATTERS. We are pleased to notice that. influential men in Dunadin are zealously battling on/behalf of the LawrenceRoxburgh line. Moreover, the opinions of our own member, Mr James Allen, M.P., are particularly favorable towards the line. At the meeting of the Railway League.in Dunedin he pointed out .the peculiar facilities the line would afford for close settlement and intense culture. This, is .its crowning merit, and to a professedly Liberal Government their intentions to settle as many industrious cultivators on the soil "as possible should be enough to turn the scale in its favor. None of-the. recently projected cr completed railway lines pass, through country offering better prospects for small holdings than the mid'lle ; Molyneux Valley, l which would be tapped bv the Law-rence-Roxburgh Railway. " Mr Allen stated that he had known of men with ten acres of this land making a handsome living. This is the best answer to those detractors who harp on the limited area which would be served Jby the railway. Limited area is no objection, so long as the limited area | will support a '.arge population.—' Tua- ! peka Times.' i ■» - PATRIOTISM AT HOME. Every little act of government, local or general, has its effect, for good or ill, upon the welfare of this Dominion. If this were . more geheraOly' realised/ i there would be less reluctance on the. part of men of ability and influence to take upon thenisehes the comparatively trivial, and yet important, duties of. local government—less indifference' on the part of the community as to the capacity and experience of the men to i whom those duties are entrusted. Patriotism does not begin at home—a man's country has greater claims upon him than his city—but that is no reason why he should neglect his city, or whv he should hesitate.to render it the personal service which he would hasten to give ins country if she asked for it.— Christchurch ' Press.' ♦ • SUBSIDIES AND MAILS. We admit that from the patriotic or. Imperial standooint there is a great deal to be said .the "All Red", route. But*tt seems to us that the proposal to run a special service at an extremely high rate of speed on either Atlantic or Pacific rcutes is not. vmdav existing circumstances, financially sound, and that unless- we can be content with a. moderately fast service, and decline to follow the somewhat spectacular suggestions put forward by the promoters of the scheme, we are likely to find the experience of the Cunard and the Hamburg-America, and the Norddeutscher Lloyd repeated in our own unfortunate case.—Auckland ' Star ' — : -* THE MORTGAGE TAX. The Prime Minister has expressed his willingness to listen to representations on the subject of the mortgage tax. In replying to these representations, the question Sir .loseph Ward will have to answer will be. Why should a person who invest; money in mortgage be more heavily taxed than an individual who invests it in business? If he can give an effective ivply to that, and if he can justify private capital being subjected to a tax that Government lending departments are not saddled! i with, then there will be some justification for retaining the tax; but if he /cannot, and we do not think it possible, then the tax ought to go.—Wellington-! Times.' EXPENSIVE RAILWAYS. The Premier's duty to New Zealand has obliged him to adopt the heroic method on the Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway, which is a line sure to make an inroad.into the public exchequer rather than open up avenues to wealth for the | benefit of the general community. A sum approaching £50,000 has already 1 been buried in that political metalled way, and a further £B,OOO to £IO,OOO w;ill be required for rolling stock and other incidentals necessary for the running of traffic on the portion that is to bo finished off. But the Premier has courageously said: "Thus far and no farther!" Otago hoped for the inter-'' ment of £300,000 in the beautiful Law-ience-Rosburgh grave, but Sir Joseph thinks that the money deserves a less ! pitiful fate. Indignation meetings, as Iwe anticipated, are "letting the State foster-parents know that the stopping of the spoon-feoding is causing some perturbation, and.it is even cunningly [hinted that the threat to cut-off the supplies of pap is by way of punish--1 ment on the district for failing to vote the " Government ticket" at the General Election. Sir Joseph's reply however, gives facts and figures to furnish overwhelrmug justification for his firmness. He .nentions that the Central (a notoriously political project) *«fnnn i % *° SS ° f SQmetJ »°g like £30,000 last year, even on the modest 3 per cent, basis, and possibly the £35 U MO Thi Cy p WaS - in re s' ion of fL ' xu T lhe Pren »er demonstrates that the Lawrence-Roxburgh, if completed to the point desired by the parties interested, would lose" on a similar grand scale. New Zealand cannot afiord to dispense charitable aid so lavishly.—Wellingt->n 'Post.'The vineyards of the, world yield 3,554,416,000 gallons of wine a year. A ball dress worn recently in Bermuda was. covered- witb. 30,000 .postage stamps.- •