Hawke's Bay Herald. MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 1879. PUBLIC WORKS IN HAWKE'S BAY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5457, 11 August 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 1879. PUBLIC WORKS IN HAWKE'S BAY.

Ox Saturday we proved, from the figures supplied in the statement of the Minister for Public Works, that the cry about the unfair treatment of the North Island in the matter of railways had no foundation iv fact, but that, on tho contrary, tho present Ministry have shown a greater liberality to the North Island than their predecessors. But, as there may be wheels within wheels, so may there bo a jealousy within a jealousy, and in New Zealand we have not only an antagonistic feeling between the two islands, but also a move local jealousy existing between diflei'ont parts of tho sumo island, which is a natural remnant of the old Provincial system. We therefore propose to examine further tlie figures supplied by Mr Macaiidvew, that the actual treatment of Hawke's Bay by the Grey Ministry may be ascertained Tho total expenditure on the North Island railways during the last financial year was £343,801 ; and the liabilities on contracts amounted to £;~>;37,9D1. These totals were thus distributed : — Wellington, expenditure, £17G,G18; liabilities, £34:2,901; Auckland, expenditure, £83,395, liabilities, .£-31,f>8G; Ilawke's Bay, expenditure, £18,107; liabilities, £2S,GI»G ; Taranaki, expenditure, 035,179; liabilities, £'or>,77G. The population of Wellington is M,QG9, giving an expenditure of ,£3 9s Gd per head, and liabilities of £6 18s. Auckland numbers 82,001 of population, the expenditure therefore being a fraction over £ 1 per head and the liabilities £3 per head, this latter no doubt being due to the Thames- Waikato railway. In Hawke's Bay our population is 1.4,015, the expenditure in this province having therefore been .-£3 4s per head, but the liabilities are only £[ 18s per head. Taranaki is the least populous province, counting only 9,430 inhabitants, which gives an expenditure of £'■$ J 8s Gd per head, and liabilities of nearly the same amount. Thus in ILiwko's Bay the expenditure has been slightly less, in proportion to population, than in Well ington or Taranaki, but more than three times as great as in Auckland. The liabilities for contracts in this province aro, however, less than one-third those of Wellington, about 30 per cent less than Auckland, and 3D per cent, less than Taranaki. This may possibly arise from the fact that laigo contracts have very recently been taken in the other three provinces, and new sections of

our railway will probably be let before long. Had the return been only to the end of April, or two months earlier) a different result would' have been' shown, and two months' hence the figures may be more * favorable to Ilawke's Bay. The liabilities do not concern us so much as the actual expenditure, for that proves Avhat the Grey Ministry have done in the past, and is a better guide to their intentions I in the future than the contracts which may have been let at a fixed date. Having thus seen the expenditure compared ■with population, thei-e remains the commercial aspect of the question to be considered. The returns of the different .railways for May are before us, and Avith very slight variation they may be accepted as a guide to the yearly receipts. The throe best ' paying lines' are those of Auckland, . Wnngauui and Wellington. The returns on the Wangauui section for May Avere £3,038, and the working expenses 04*12 per cent, the profit for the four weeks being 37 per cent, or £1100. For the Wellington and Hutt line the receipts Avere £•21.99, and the expenses 79.78 per cent., showing a profit of 20 per cent., or £050. The receipts on the Auckland lino were £-10-1-1, and the expenses 79-32 per cent., the profit thus being about tho .same per cent as Wellington, but owing to the greater receipts the gross profit Avas .£Bl9. Next comes the Hawke's Bay line, Avith receipts £148-1 ; working expenses GG per cent. • profit 3-i< per cent,, or £-190. On the Kaipara and New Plymouth lines the receipts Avere very small, and the -svoi-king expenses very high, so that their profits Avere almost nil. It is a fallacious method of calculation to take the mere percentage of expenditure to receipts as shoAving the payingcharacter of a line. If, for instance, the returns on our railway were £10,000 per month, while the workingexpenses increased to 80 per cent., the profit Avould be £2000, or more than four times as groat as at present, notwithstanding the great increase in the por centago of Avorking expenses. We have not before us a tabulated statement of the receipts per mile, but this would not alter for the better the position of our local line Avhen compared Avith others. It therefore appears that Hawke's Lay has more than its share of railway accommodation, but there is yet one other consideration, Avhich Avill materially affect the balance in our favor. The expense of construction per mile on the 'Wellington-Featlier-ston line Avas very great — probably six times the cost of the Hawke's Bay line. There are about 40 miles of line in Wellington, and GO in Hnwke's Bay. Taking the cost of the 'Wellington, line ufc three times that of our railway, which is quite within the mark, Aye should haA-c double the amount spent in Wellington, and consequently double the interest to pay-, .-while the gross profit is only very slightly larger, and proportionately is very much less. In other Avords, if the profit on the Wellington line Avere sufficient to pay £1 per cent, on the cost of construction, the profit on our HaAvke's Bay line, though less in the gross, would pay .-£2 per cent. ' These proportions, however, will gradually disappear, as the more expensive portion of the Wellington line— the '-passage over the Himutaka range — has been constructed, while we are just beginning the more expensive part of the Hawke's Bay line. Again, every ten or tAventy miles of the Wellington extension will fora long distance touch a township, while our extension Avill pass through dense bush in Avhich are only one or two small and isolated settlements. But it is not until tho two lines meet that the full profit on each Avill be reaned, and they should be pushed on as rapidly as possible, that this desirable end may be reached at the earliest period. As to the xnd lines, one pays Avell, and the other pays nothing, just covering Avorking expenses. Wo doubt whether the Thames- Waikato line would be any more profitable than tho Kaipara line, but do not possess sufficient knowledge of the country to enable us to express any opinion Avorthy of weight as to its prospects. The New Plymouth lino is in very much the same position, regarded financially, as the- Kaipara line, and neither the profits on tho pvescnt line nor the population avoulcl justify a further extension. Here, however, another consideration comes into play. At the present juncture Avork on the railway is needed to keep Europeans in the district, to obviate any danger from i a possible Maori rising, and the line is also required to convey troops or provisions rapidly across the country. It may, in fact, be regarded as a sort of defence work as Avell as a railway. The Xew Plymouth line, too, forms part of the main trunk line from Auckland to Wellington, which must be constructed sooner or later, and the pushing on of tho work now is merely forestalling the requirements of the future. The line may not pay by itself, but in a few years it would be a necessity. Bearing in. mind the various conflicting considerations adduced above, we do not see that the present Ministry can be charged with having neglected the interests of Hawke's Bay. We luwe received our full share of railway expenditure, although Aye have not been unduly favored. Vague statements of iniquitous orders to delay railways hero and all over the North island are seen, by the light of facts, to have no foundation, and we hope that avo shall hear no more attempts to make political capital out of grievances which exist only in the heads of extreme members of the Opposition.

Tt w;is a noticeable fact that at tho two days' sitting of tho Land Tux Assessment Court nearly all thoso objectors who took with them proper professional assistance obtained reductions in their assessments, while in other cases tho valuation was invariably uphold. As Mr Kenny pointed out, he could not tako an owner's evidence about tho value of his land, as against that of tho land tax valuer, bnt another professional opinion from a gentleman ablo to spoak from experience of the valno of property might over-rule that of tho valuer. It Avas noteworthy that on Saturday tho Government valuers were occasionally called iv opposition to each other. Thus Mr Margoliouth, who valued tho borough properties, was called by Mr Tiffen to sustain his appeal against the valuation placed liy Mr l/ucUio on that gentleman's Tnrailule property. Tho liov. Joseph Shearman, of "Waipukurau, writes as follows: — "I have boon requested by Mr and Mrs HVii-glioi-to convoy their sincere thanks to those who so kindly responded to tho appeal on their behalf made by Mr Hill in the columns of the TIEitATiD. I had the pleasure of handing to them tho sum of

£15 15a, together with six bottles of cod liver oil and three pairs of boots. Mr Bibby also made a present of a pair of boots to the eldest son, who. has been received into the Te Aute College by the Roy. S. "VVilliains. I may add that the assistance thus rendered has been given at a most opportune time. The husband is again laid aside by excessive weakness, and a fortnight ago a large tree - fell across the house in which the family lived, cutting it completely in two, but fortunately doing no further damage than utterly demolishing the dwelling." The adjourned annual meeting of ratepayers in the Maraekakaho Road District was held at the Library Hall, , at Mamckalcaho, on Friday last. The accounts for the year ending 30th Juno wore duly passed, and the following gentlemen Avere elected as members for the. ensuing year :— Messrs A. M'Lean, J. G. Kinross, N. E. Beamish, W. Todd, and H. Sbrimpton. The wardens then elected Mr Shrimpton as Chairman. They also decided that a rate of twopenco in the pound should be struck, payable on the 30th September. Ouo or two local matters were discussed and dealt witli and the meeting closed. The Hon. H. R. Russell will probably carry off the palm for objections to the land tax over the whole colony. Ho is assessed at £155,200, but he claims to have £175,149 struck off, or about 95 per cent. The chief ground of appeal is that the greater portion of the laud is held under lease from the natives, Avith such stringent conditions as to improvement that the capital value of the leases is very small. Nearly the whole of Saturday morning Avas occupied by Mr liussell in stating 1 his objections to the many separate valuations against his name, and ultimately the appeal Avas adjourned to WaipaAva for fuller examination. The sittings of the Court to hear the objections to the land tax valuations in the Wairoa district concluded on Saturday. Wo learn that none of the appeals Avore alloAved. In the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday only one drunkard was dealt Avith. Mr H. S. Tiffen either sold some property at much less than its real value a short time since, or the land-tax valuer ' is very much out in his calculation. Mr Tiffen Avished his assessment on his Tai-a-dalo and Papakura property reduead about £8000, or 20 per cent. In addition to calling professional evidence as to the value of the land, lie stated that just aboxit the time the valuation Avas made, and during the time Avhen land brought high prices, ho sold part of his run, fronting the main road, at £o per acre, including all improvements, while he was assessed at *£9 per acre, excluding improvements, for the remainder of the same block. The flat land at Taradale it was also contended, was greatly overvalued at £35 per acre, without improvements. He had recently sold some of it for less than that sum, including the improvements, Avhich had been extensive, and Avas letting small sections on lease for seven years, with a purchasing clause of £40 pev acre at the end of that term, when it might be expected to be worth much more. The rental he obtained Avas £2 por aero, which, calculating interest at 8 per cent. , Avould fix the value of the land, with improvements, at £25 per acre. Some property he had purchased Avitliiu the last six months was valued, Avithout improvements, at 50 por cent, in excess of Avhat he gave for it, improvements included. The Court took time to consider its decision. The annual meeting of the Jockey Club is called for Tuesday Aveok, the 19th hist., at the Criterion Hotel. A special general meeting of members of the Working Men's Club is called for this evening at S o'clock, to consider the question of obtaining neAV premises for the Club. One singular feature of some of the land tax appeals Avas that the objectors had valued their own properties. As everyone knows, land had reached a fictitious price Avhen the land-tax papers Avero sent round, and many filled in the ! value as the price Avhich they hoped to obtain for their properties whoa sold. Some no doubt fixed a high price Avith the direct object of selling, as they could then point to the land-tax assessment as proof of the value — indeed, in Court on Saturday Mr Margoliouth, in reply to one objector, stated that ho knew of several instances in Avhich this Avas actually done. Ho added that ho knew at the time that the properties were over- valued, but did not reduce the sum as he thought that it Avas not his duty to fix a loAvor value than the owners. We understand that Mr J. E. Macdonald, solicitor, of Napier, lias decided to accept the District Judgeship of Auckland, which has bnen offered to him by the Minister of Justice. The appointment is most creditable to the Government, for a better man than Mr Macdon aid could not avcll be found for the position. A statememt has appcai'ed to the effect that some of thoso avlio seek to induce Mr Buchanan to stand for the Napier Electoral District, attempted to infringe the rules of the Working Men's Club, by talcing a requisition into the club-room for signature. We are informed there is no truth in the statement that this is in any way an infringement of the Club rules. A motion which Avould have had the effect of totally tabooing everything in the shape of politics from the Club premises Avas proposed some time ago, but rejected in favor of one declaring that the Club "as a Club" should not take part in any political movement, and that politics should not be discussed except in v opcu meeting" — that is, when no one is in the chair. This rulo is Aviso and proper, as institutions of this character should not interfere Avith political subjects, but the members individually arc loft to their own sense of Avhat is right and proper to guide them, Avith the restrictions above stated. An Auckland telegram states that the Rev. P. A. Cornford, of Sydney, but formerly pastor of the Auckland Baptist Church, is about to return to New Zealand, and will sottle in Napier. Mr Cornford is the father of Mr H. A. Cornford, solicitor, of Napier. Though he lived at Auckland,he has many friends in Napier, as he has on more than one occasion A'isited our town. l\vo sections in the township of Clyde, containing together nearly two acres, are gazetted as reserved for a school site. The teachers of Hawke's Bay have decided to co-oporate Avith thoso of Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington in petitioning Parliament to appoint some body to decide disputes between the Education Boards, School Committees, and teachers. The local football team had their final practice last Saturday in Clive-square, and did good Avork. Sides Avore chosen by MoAvbray and Caldwell, the game resulting in favor of the latter. At the conclusion of the game the scores stood — Caldwell, 3 goals and a try ; Mowbray, 2 goals and a try. Nearly all the reju-csentative team Avere present, and judging from the play they ought to pull off the Gisborne match. Wo remind those avlio aro to proceed to Poverty Bay that they arc expected to assemble at the Criterion Hotel at 2 p.m. on Tuosday. Wo have been requested to call attention to an advertisement over the leader, announcing the appearance of two new books, with titles which are, to say the least, curious. Wo are assured that the Avorlcs Avill contain no reference to politics. Perhaps not — if they arc never printed. Messrs. lloufcledge, Kennedy & Co. ) to-day sell at the Avharf, Port Ahuviri, a consignment of Canterbury potatoes, j

The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times has revived,' afiropos of Major Te Wheoro's visit to the " City," the following tale • of the old, chief's prowess on behalf -of the'- Euro-?', pean : — " It was after the taking of Ngatapa, that Ropata, by Colonel Whitmore's orders, followed tho enemy, and, coming up with them, captured : the celebrated Hau Hau chief, Mikora Te "Whakaunua, and. 120 of his men. These were, while being guarded, somewhat turbulent, and Ropota was asked to go outside (from the tent) and quiet them; A fow seconds afterwards shots were hoard, and on Major Biggs rushing outhe found !Ropata armed with seven revolvers, and diligently employed blowing out the prisoners' brains. When re--1 quested to desist ho was much chagrined, saying, 'Oh, very well, you are my superior officer, and I must obey orders ; but these (pointing to sixteen he had just killed) won't make any more noise.' I had tho pleasure the other day of looking ! across the mahogany towards this energetic executioner, and taking wine with him." llopota is still a powerful man, and does not look more than 50 years of age, although he must be nearer 70. A singular suit, not without its comical aspects, says the New York Times, has been brought in a St. Louis court by one H. M. Stone, proprietor of a small show, which he ambitiously calls a museum, against the Commercial Insurance Company, for damages sustained in this wise : The company, while removing the wall of a building recently burned, allowed it to fall upon tho roofs and floors of the adjoining museum, thereby creating sad havoc. Stone's stock, to term it such, was of a perishable sort, consisting in pui'fc of a white raccoon, a Mexican stingaree, a mermaid, ft wax-figure of Henry Ward Beecher, an imago of the devil, a picture of the battle of Vicksburg, and various other things valued at GOOO dollars. These were so demolished that it was very hard to distinguish the mermaid from the stingareo, or Henry Ward Beecher from the devil. They wore rendered so useless for exhibiting purposes that the devil, or such part of him that .was solid, had to be sold for old iron, and Beecher, being of wax, had melted into candles, and so contributed, not to the illumination of Plymouth Church, but of a very secular beer garden. The devil and the preacher were the two objects Stone prized above all, and he pathetically remarked that he would rather have lost the raccoon, stingaree, mermaid, and picture of Vicksburg, than either one of those. He said that the first thing his patrons always wanted to see was Beeoher, and then the devil. The question is too complicated to be speedily decided. A great operatic " star once gave her servant, a simple country girl, an order for the opera on a night when she appeared in one of her greatest parts. .That evening the great prima donna surpassed herself; she was recalled time, after time; the audience was highly enthusiastic ; almost every member was encored. On returning home she wearily asked her maid how she en j oyed the opera, ' ' Well, the opera, ma'am was fine, but I felt sorry for you," was the reply. "For me child ? and Avhy ?" " Well, ma'am," said the waiting maid, " you did everything so badly that the people were always shouting and storming at you, and making youdoit all over again." A letter from Texas thus describes a night session of the Texas Assembly : — "In the Speaker's chair, sits what looks like a mpi ; you can't just make out what it is, as most of the honorable gentlemen are very busily engaged in smoking, and. tho smoke from so many pipes hangs liko a cloud over their heads — very typical, as all the speeches I heard also ended in smoke. Every member had a lighted tallow candle sticking in his hat. Whether this is part of the outfit of every member I cannot say, but I suppose it is, for each one oii the adjournment of the House laid his away. The clerk seemed to me to run tho machine, as he had a good deal to say afc different times. One thing in particular amused me : he was calling the roll, and not liking the way the members auswered, or failed to answer, as they lay back sprawling with their feet on the desks, he cried out, ' You fellows better pay more attention ; thero won't be a quorum if you don't look out," The Colonies anil India exhibits from time to time a most curious ignorance of the colonies, and for aught we know its knowledge of India may be equally circumscribed. In the last number to hand we find that the cultivation of the esparto grass is recommended to Australian colonists, " because labor is so much cheaper there than, in England." Wo notice that in the "skit" prospectus of the "Fox Exploitation Company," which was referred to in our columns recently, occurs tho following among the various items of "expected revenue " : — Subsidies from banking corporations, mercantile communities, and speculators, to open free trade in native lands, whereby they can be acquired for the employers and not for the people, £20.000. Messrs Sutton and Ormond will take this department under their special care. A large commercial business in connection with the company for the purpose of paying for lands in goods and, alcohol instead of money will be established. In a certain drug store of Pittsburgh may be seen a notice recommending a certain patent medicine Avith the dubious heading, ." Try the box ; no other medicine will ever be taken." The following is a paragraph from tho New Zealand lettur of the Insurance and Banking Record for July : — " On the soundest authority, I am iv a position to say that very large sums are on the way to the loan companies, and are, of course, anxiously looked for. One company gets £80,000 by the July mail, and another £70,000. Most of this is engaged 'to arrive,' and all the ingenuity of borrowers is exerted to make sure of money still on the way, and to arrive in August. The truth is that the banks wore far to liberal in their fashion of lending last year, and are now as extreme in their desire to get the money in. It is impossible to conceal that the commercial position is one of peril, and though I think I am justified in saying that things have already got a little better, svud are likely still to improve, the next two months will be trying ones for all. Any courageous individual on your side, who would bring some money for investment with him, might easily get 10 per cent, on first-rate freehold security, for tho next seven years." A decision given by Mr Mansford, E.M., at Wellington, under the Masters and Servants Act, is of considerable importance to masters and apprentices. The apprentice of a hairdresser absented himself from work, and when his master prosecuted him set up tho plea that he had reached tho ago of nineteen years, which, according to "Tho Masters and Servants Act, 1865," entitled him to leave. On reference, it was found that special exemptions from the operation of this Act could bo made, and that such a clause had been inserted in the deed. Tho decision of the Court was, therofore, that defendant would bo bound to fulfil his term of seven years, unless he was previously released bj attaining his majority. Six hundred gallons of wine, from grapos grown on three and a-hal£ acres of land, were produced by Mr Buchanan, of (Jolao, Victoria, this year. No wonder that the English capitalist is afraid to lend money on the security of land in Now Zealand, if ho pins his faith on journals no lietter informed on colonial topics than tho Colonies and India. | 111 that paper for May 2-ith avo find it stated, in answer to an inquiry, that " the new land tax is intended more for j

large estates than small ones. Thoneh not yet settled, five per cent, on the supposed annual value was contemplated." As a matter of #tct, the tax was settled more than six. months previously, and it /ciocsnot amount to much moro than two per cent, on the annual valuo, while, as our readers know, an exemption to the extent of £500 is allowed. The tide of emigration in the North of England continues to increase." TeW" many miners and agriculturists are going toAustraba. Ten N o rth-country fafmerf . have sailed with their famines -YoT^th?" settlement of Manitoba] in the Dominion ;of Canada, and more Northumberland • l farmers have taken-: berths to follow. : r > Steamers aro bringing , a - considerable ■number of Swedes with.their f amilies to Newcastle^qn-Tyne this season ; they are forwarded% the agents of the American steamers in that town to Liverpool They proceed thence to Now York! and" aregoing West.— Times.; . , ;