Hawke's Bay Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1885. EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7228, 30 July 1885, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1885. EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Our Wellington correspondent has more than once alluded to rumored differences in the Cabinet on the South Island East and West Coast railway question. It is said that while a majority of Ministers are in favor of making the matter a Government question, Messrs Ballance, Lirnach, and Tole take an opposite stand, and even go so far as to demand liberty to vote against the proposals of Sir Julius Yogel. " Straws show the way the wind blows," and there is evidence to show that in the oase of Mr Ballance, at least, the rumor is eorreot. Mr Ba'lanee, as most of otir readers know, controls the WandaMiA UetalS,, and though now a Minister his "fine Roman hand '' can often be detected by readers of his paper. Taken, therefore, as a reflex of Mr Ballance's opinions, the following extract from an article in our contemporary is significant : — " We do not Bee why the Brogden fiasco should be re-enacted because Messrs Meiggs and Sons are anxious to secure a fat contract, and a heavy half-yearly payment from Government for twenty years ; indeed we think the Government, or rather the people of the reat of the colony, will be doing all they should be asked to do in giving the necessary grants of land, without tying £97,000 a year around their Decks for a generation to come. The railway in question is not a trunk line, and is in only favor with a small but powerful party of Oanterbury and Nelson capitalists, who want the line built for the purpose of having between three and four millions of money expended in their part of the colony i during the next few yeara. In the present state of the country > the Government cannot seriously entertain the proposals made by Messrs Meiggs and Sons, as the question of ways and means has yet to be settled before any further loan obligations are incurred. With respect to the proposal to charge half the cost to the provincial districts of Oanterbury north of the Rangitata and of Nelson and Westland, we have had quite warning enough in the failure of somewhat similar powers undei' the District Kailways Act, and had to propose to take over the bulk of the lines because the rates on property had either not been collected, or had driven settlers off their holdings. If the Oanterbury, Nelson, and Westland people want the East and West Coast Railway, and are prepared to pay the required guarantee, we have nothing to say against their doing so, but past experience warns ua that, however ready people may be to incur liabilities of this kind, they are readier to cast them on to the Government the moment the time for payment comes round."

CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES.

Replying to a resolution of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, Mr Stout wrote: — "As to the resolution with respect to the East and West Coasts railway, unless the Chamber is to be transformed into a political society, I doubt if Buch a question comes within its sphere. If it desires to acquit itself of political bias in the future it will wait for the Government proposals before proceeding to condemn what it believes they are." This ia nothing less than cool impertinence. Mr Stout ia not noted for the suaviter 'in modo, but in this instance he has surpassed himself. What right haa he to dictate to the merchants of Dunedin how and where they shall or shall not express their opinions on important publio questions? The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce is representative of a class which must contribute heavily to any further taxation levied on an already over-taxed colony, yet Mr Stout coolly tells it that proposals involving enormous public expenditure and consequent taxation "do not come within its sphere." The Premier accuses the Chamber of forming itself into a " political society." There is no question of "politics" in I the construction of the East and West Coaats railway — it is a finanoial question, pure and simple, and has no more connection with political principles than with the price of sugar. Mr Stout poses as a great friend of liberty of speech, yet by impertinent satire seeks to olose the mouths of an important seotion of the community of Dunedin. His aotion would not be so objectionable if it were consistent, and if he wrote to the Christohuroh Chamber in the same strain. But the Christchurch Chamber expressed approval of the proposals, and that was regarded as quite right and proper and patriotic, and a courteous reply was forwarded. .Mr Stout's ethics are that when a Chamber of Commerce condemns any proposal of the StoutYogel Ministry it is travelling outside its proper sphere, but when it supports the Government it is travelling quite within its sphere, and that the more of such travelling it does the better. Out upon suoh " Liberalism !"

On the fourth page will be found articles entitled "In Terror of Their Lives," " A Ludicrous Situation," aud "Telegraphic Blunders."

We have received from tho publishers, Edinburgh, a copy of a new sixpenny atlas issued by them, entitled "The Australasian's Atlas." It is a wonderful production for the money.

With this day's issue is circulated a

»Lan of the Woodville town sections to

be sold by Messrs O. B. Hoadley and Co. on Wednesday next, at their wool stores, Napier.

A meeting of the committee of the Working Men's Club was held last evening, at which it was decided to inaugurate a series of whist, cribbage, and billiard tournaments, for members of the club.

Tho officials of the Court cannot complain of dull times, things being rather brisk in tho judicial line. The oases dealt with from January Jsfc to July 29th of last year amounted to 259, while for the corresponding period this year 353 oases have been heard.

The three" Napier Volunteer companies paraded for drill last evening in Browning- street, Lieutenant King in command. Oonsideriug the state of the weather there ■ was a good muster of each company, The corps were put

through manual drill by Lieutenant King.

At the Eesident Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr G. A. Preeee, R.M., Peter Martin was charged with disorderly conduct whilst drunk. Defendant pleaded guilty, and was fined £1 and costs, or seven days' hard labor in default of payment, but was allowed till Saturday to find the money.

Our Waipawa, correspondent writes to the effect that ' ' The attendance at the Waipukurau sohool is progressing, to use a Vogelian simile, ' by leaps and bounds.' There are now 129 children attending, and the committee are somewhat puzzled over the problem of how to find accommodation for them. It is said that some of the scholars are quartered in the master's residence."

An official report en the land through which the proposed railway from Ohristchurch to the West Coast will pass does not show up that undertaking in a good light. There is no arable land, but there are 170,000 acres fitted for pastoral occupation, 20,000 aores of forest and 580,000 of land actually barren. A nice piece of country to spend seven millions upon !

Considerable dissatisfaction exists among parents of children attending the district school, in consequence of the home lessons not being written on the blackboard for the children to copy, but ■imply read out. The children do their best to follow the teacher as he reads out the lessons, but not being shorthand writers make but a sorry job of it, and the result is that the home work is nearly always incorrect. This is a matter that the chairman of the committee might enquire into with advantage.

On Tuesday the employe's of Messrs Murray, Roberts and Co. presented Mr N. Kettle with a yaluable service -of plate, to commemorate Mr Kettle's eight years' connection with the firm. Mr Kettle leaves Messrs Murray, Roberts and 00. to enter into partnership witb Mr F. W. Williams, and the firm will henceforth be known under the style of Messrs Williams and Kettle. We understand that it is the intention of the new firm to extend largely the business hitherto carried on by Mr Williams, and that they will in future undertake the whole range of agenoy business in oonneotion with station property, in which both partners have had exceptional experience.

Yesterday afternoon the ironmongery and jewellery establishments in town kept open, the attempt to establish a weekly half holiday in these trades having collapsed. * We cannot help regretting that a movement so promisingly begun should have failed so soon, but it was inevitable, seeing that the other trades would not follow the example set by the ironmongers and jewellers. Country people continued to come to town, and were put to considerable inconvenience by finding part of the business places closed, and in consequence of many complaints Messrs Hardy and Sidey last week notified that they would withdraw from the agreements

. Some dastardly scoundrel or scoundrels committed an outrage on Tuesday night that would be fittingly punished by a full dose of cat-o'-nine-tails. Mr J. Waterworth, of the Diokens-street marble works, erected a handsome brick and stone fence wall in front of his premises, preparatory to placing an ornamental iron fence in position. The wall was surmounted by a carved coping of Oamaru stone, set in cement. • On the night named a considerable portion of this coping was torn up, at both ends of the wall, and some of the pieces broken. The parties who did the mischief must have used considerable force in tearing up the coping. It is to be hoped that the reward offered in another column will lead to the detection of the authors of the outrage. "Once upon a time," as the story books say, a party of enthusiastic citizens formed themselves into a Fire Police Company, to aid in preserving order and protecting property at fires. Some of the inquisitive among the public want to know " Where is dot barty now," for the fire police as a body seem defunct. Captain Balfour resigned, the seoretary went to live at Hastings, and the majority of the members went no one knows where. Another captain was elected (Mr H. P. Cohen), and he has shown that he still

thinks a little of the usefulness of fire protective services, for he has given £5 5s for a trophy to be competed for at the intercolonial demonstration, but it can hardly be said that he is still captain of the fire police until it is actually proved that the latter body is still in existence. Considering how useful the fire police would be in case of a fire, it is to be hoped that Mr Cohen will try to infuse a little life into a movement that should not bave been allowed to praotioally pass out of existence.

The Duke of Sutherland has decided to break up his famous sheep farm of Armadale, whioh extends to 20,000 aores, into small farms, whioh are to be offered at low rents to the Farr crofters.

Mr E. Hardcastle, late B.M. at Wanganui and Wellington, has petitioned Parliament for the sum of £68 Is, balance due to him on leaving the service. It appears that he was entitled to £2±2 16s per annum retiring allowance, but he preferred to exchange it for a lump sum of £1110 Us 6d. Of this sum he only received £1042 10s 6d, and now prays for the balance.

Mr Pinero's " Magistrate," whioh has been so favorably received at the Court , Theatre, recalls a good if doubtful story of Mr Justice Hogan, of the Tombs, New York — a dignitary whose functions are analogous to those of the Ohief Magistrate at Bow-street. One morning there was brought before him a gang of " down town " ruffians, charged with a general stabbing and shooting affray in a gambling hell in Bowery. Eaoh of the witnesses told his own partioular pack of lies, until Mr Justice Hogan fairly lost patience, and addressing a witness who was evidently a bigger liar than his predecessors, asked sternly, "Does the Oourt understand you to say that Murphy did not draw his knife until Dwyer had drawn his revolver ?" " Right you are, Judge," was the answer. '• Then you had better be careful," solemnly observed Mr Justice Hogan, "and so had all the other witnesses ; for the Oourt was there itself the whole time, and the Oourt saw the business through with its own eyes from start to finish." — St. James' Gtaette.

I Sir Lyon Playfair has forcibly illustrated the assertion that we are far behind other nations in educational matters (says an English paper). Speaking at Bristol, he said that against oar four teaching Universities and 5500 students, the Fatherland can show no fewer than twenty-one Universities, with 24,000 students and 1800 professors. As an instance of the seal and munificence with which the German Government is ever ready to meet educational necessities, Sir Lyon Playfair mentioned the oase of Strasbourg University, whioh, when the city passed out pf the hands of the French, was in a sad condition of . decay. While strengthening the physical fortifications of the town as a frontier stronghold, the conquerors did not lose sight of its intellectual requirements. The University buildings were rebuilt at a cost of £700,000, and numerous laboratories for scientific research were provided at. an additional gross cost of nearly £100,000. Even Scotland beats us altogether in the provision for University education j for with less,

than one-sixth of the population of England, she has as many teaching Universities and 500 more students.

The tenor, Stagno, according to the Pans Figaro, was recently performing in the opera of , "Lohengrin," at the Reggio Theatre in Turin', wi-ch, in the recitative which is accompanied by the organ, he began to sing too fasL Perceiving his error, he stopped to give the poor organist a chance to catch the time. But tenors are not always sweettempered, and Stagno, angry with himself, took satisfaction out of the professor by saying to him, in a voice loud enough to be heard all over the theatre, "Sir, you are a donkey 1" To prove how much the tenor was in the wrong, the professor brought him before a magistrate, who, if learned in the IftWj was ignorant of music. " What is all this trouble about, and how did it originate 1 " said the magistrate. The com- ' plainant asserted that the trouble was in regard to the time. "Very good," said the judge, " how much time ? " 1 " It was in four time," replied the witness. "Four time!" exclaimed the magistrate, " I can't imagine what that means." Then one of the party tried to explain it to the court by executing the movement with his hand. The judge looked at his watoh, and the moment the witness had stopped beating the time he exclaimed, in astonish* ment, " And is that all ? Why, that is only two Beconds, and what does that signify in such a long opera as 'Lohengrin?'" Case dismissed in a roar of laughter, and the tenor and the organist shake hands.