Notes and Comments.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 759, 21 December 1908, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

Up to last year a considerable amount of interest was taken by some of the settlers in the Kiwitea County in the rabbit pest, and Mr. E. H. Crabb in particular took a leading part in impressing on farmers the necessity of acting promptly to prevent the development of what has proved to be a menane to lap/i/tmrzaars 'a* v^uuy parts of the Quminion. But, despite any effort to arouse the community to a proper sense of their duty in the matter, the interest died out, and very few troubled even to call for the poisoned grain which was offered for distribution free of cfiarge. At Saturday's meeting of the Kiwitea County Council, Cr. Mclntyre brought up the question of taking steps to set apart a day for systematic poisoning, and pointed out that on one section in his locality forty rabbits had been caught in one day. The Chairman referred to the abortive efforts made last year to arouse interest in systematic poisoning, expressing the belief that settlers were like Cr. Mclntyre, they could not realise the danger of the rabbit pest until their own land was threatened. Then the knowledge that poisoned grain could be obtained from the Agricultural Department at cost price would be sufficient to induce them to protect their own interests. Other Councillors agreed with the Chairman, and it was considered that the best course was to ask the Press to direct the attention of settlers to the fact that the poisoned grain could be obtained from the Department.

Theue never was a greater muddle in connection with our railway system than the attempt of the department to utilise the North Island Main Trunk Line before it is really ready for use. The particulars given by travellers who are dumped down in Ohakune in hundreds for the night, two miles from nowhere, with vehicular accommodation for a tenth \)f their number, and lodging accommodation in somewhat similar proportions, is a scandal and a disgrace. Delicate women and tiny children turned out of trains about midnight, the doors locked for fear the seats will be stolen, and passengers left to find conveyances and lodgings where they do not exist, is carrying \ the farce a little too far. If the line was not ready to be utilised for | through traffic, it should not have been offered or steps should have been taken to make the step-over station where accommodation could be obtained, say, at Taihape. The ineptitude of the Railway Depart- j ment in this matter is astounding, and we are surprised that the Minister in charge of the railways has not taken steps to prevent such a state of affairs obtaining within his jurisdiction. It will be seen by. today's paper that through trains are to be run daily during the holidays, so that will considerably improve the position. One of the oddities in late cablegrams is the news that a Parliament has been opened in Turkey, and that the Sultan did the opening ceremony in Western style. The Sick Man of Europe must have had the time of his life, for the opening of a Parliament is not as common a thing as in New Zealand. It is a rarity with the Turks; and, then, again, the Sultan is not accustomed to driving through the streets of Constantinople — he goes to church at breakneck speed and returns even faster, with the object of dodging shot and shells or other media of sudden death. And still less accustomed is his Majesty to the acclamations of his people, voluntarily given as he went to open Parliament. The wonder is that all these unusual excitements did not overwhelm Abd-ul-Hamid, and do ; him greater injury (in the heart) than all the plots of the palace during the 62 years of his life. .

Whether justifiable or not, one of the standards by which Englishspeaking folk judge a man is the manner in which he takes a defeat. And, no matter how just, if he belittles or berates his more successful opponent, the colonial comes to the conclusion that he is "no class." Judged by this standard, Mr. j. T. M, Hornßby, ex-M,P. for Wairarapa,

would be at a great discount, for at ' a banquet the other evening! when he was presented with a purse,, of sovereigns, he devoted his speech mainly to a tirdae of abuse of his '■ opponents and of electors who had been provided with roads and bridges through his (Mr. Hornsby's) exertions, and yet who failed to return | him a quid pro quo in the shape of votes. Many members of Parliament believe that they are consolidating support for themselves and their party by getting Government money , spent in their districts, but there are few men who say so in the direct manner adopted by Mr. J. T, M. Hornsby. ,

Matters in connection with the contract for the new Feilding Courthouse are in a peculiar position. Of the three tenders sent in by Feilding contractors, that of Mr. D. S. Hingston was the lowest, and while the other two ■ tenderers had their deposits returned, that of Mr. Hingston was retained. Hearing that a tender had been accepted, Mr. Kingston wired to* the Department on December 9, making inquiries on the subject. He received a reply to this effect: "Feilding Courthouse tender lower than yours accepted." Yet up to to-day Mr. Kingston has not received his deposit money. He is naturally somewhat inAignanh at the methods of the Government. Thinking that he might have the contract for the Courthouse, he did not tender for the borough swimming I>aths. The Secretary of the Chamher of Commerce has received a letter to the offect that a tender has boon accepted, but there appears to be no way of finding out whose tender it is.