FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 176, 27 July 1907, Page 5

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.

THE FREE CRITIC'S COLUMN

(By J. Nib.)

Muddy streets and City Fathers occur to the distressed thought "in one think," so to speak. Never in the experience of the oldest inhabitant have the main thoroughfares, outside the inner area, been in such, a frightful condition of slush and slither as they were early in the present week. Little wonder that Borough by-laws were tacitly suspended, and that the constables looked ■■ fixedly the other way. Hundreds of wheelmarks on the footpaths meant nothing, for the nonce. Probably made by ' dismounted cyclists j labourously trundling their mud- | covered machines along at their sides! I Thinking over the matter seriously, as one' does who has suffered, Nib came to .j.the conclusion that the Borough Council ,o\i'glit(earnestly to set themselves about a comprehensive scheme of asphalting. None would say them nay, and if one so critically captious did raise, a voice .of dissent, the rest have only t$ point to the patches of Market Street North, opposite the National Bank and the Fir© Brigade I Station respectively^ that have been ■ treated with tar and sand, and are nowthings of joy for ever. The surrounding slush was relieved by said patches with striking agreeableness. Surely the finances are improving by this time! * •» # The railway meeting was an event, potentially and immediately of the greatest importance. Its tone was the nearest approach to a unanimous demand ever heard from a Marlborough meeting. The Amuri veteran's wobbling was promptly nipped in the bud, and even he came round and joined in the unison chant. No "voice crying in the wilderness" about the President's speech. It was brim full of history, with < a few suggestions thrown in for spicing. Reminded one of Bill Adams's account of Waterloo, and the reason advanced for Boney's defeat. The President has stuck pretty well, considering. Managed to shake off-'nearly e^ery member of the League of ten years ago, even the historic twain that made, with himself, the powerful, far-seeing triumvirate. Csezar 's a ghost—and so is Richard! • • * •

It is good business to join hands with Canterbury in the agitation for the South Island Trunk Line. They have some fifteen members, to our one, .and sixteen is a good four-ply quartette to chorus in the House if the Estimates are not favourable. If we dropped the East Coast line and cried for a Tophouse line to meet the Nelson railway in the Buller Valley, we should only get the support of two or three members at most. Things are different now to what they were in the ■'seventies,- when the Picton and Wairau members, five or six in all, log-: rolled with comparatively populous Nelson to get little railways built. We must be tacticians before we're statesmen, or we'll get very little for our pains. Then, again, there is just the possibility that the Canterbury members Jwon't twig the naivete contained in our proffered assistance in the South Island Trunk movement. You recollect how it fell out between Jack and the Giant: the big fellow, struglging along in front, carried the whole weight of the log, while diminutive Jack stepped lightly along behind with his fingers to his nose in derisive appreciation of the Giant's simplicity. We're doing well! An argument in favour of the Tophouse connection, advanced in conversation the other night, was that tlie line, after it got out of the Wairau- Valley, would pass through Crown land, whereas the East Coast route lay through valuable freeholds, compensation for the purchase of which would give the Government pause. Again, it was contended that there are 200,----000 acres of Crown land within easy reach of the Tophouse-BulJer route, that can be purchased for 2s 6d per acre; whereas the price for the freeholds along the East Coast would average out at £7 or £8. The point was that the man with freehold at 2s 6d could make more wealth for himself than the other-fellow with land at £7 10s, although the, quality of the country was much poorer. Mr Neville holds much the same opinion. . *■■■*■■*' It is only fair to the League "to point out that its policy has all along been to urge the resumption of estates along the coast before the extension of the line. If this were done—and no one will deny that the East Coast may yet support ten times its present population—the compensation argument, as applied to railway construction pure and simple, would disappear. The fish-ing-grounds of Kaikoura, taken alone, are an asset equal in value to all the firewood and doubtful coal of the Upper Buller; and the day will probably come when-the; Scarborough of the South will export agricultural manures (made from l'mestone products and surplus fish) to every part of Australasia. As for electrification of railways the Clarence is capable of giving more power in one minute than the Wairau in five. * * • * . Football Arm&gedcbns somewhat obscured the great doings of Australian marksmen at Bisley. The King's Prize has been brought "down under" ] at last. Never before has it crossed i the Equator. And the honour of the win is as nothing to the great popularity of Lt. Addison's achievement. He appears to be a true sport. The great teams niatch, the Kolapore Cup contest, was also nearly coming to the antipodes, Australia tieing with the Motherland, but losing it in the shootoff. Not content with these honours, Australians annexed the second highest individual plum, the Prince of Wales's Prize, and also the Highest Aggregate. The Australians will be honoured in their own country as they so thoroughly deserve. But they have some hard work before them shortly to uphold Australia's prestige with the rifle, for in October next the Mother Country's team will meet' teams from Australasia at Sydneyy where-the greatest rifle meeting ever t held in the colonies will take-place. -New"Zealand will require he? best. marksmen to make a good show in that great shooting contest. This reminds me that Colour-Sergt. Hadfield, who has easily earned a place in New Zealand's team, has not yet received any communication from Colonel Collins. * •» * The Rugby Union gets deeper and deeper into the niire, and unless it treads warily, it will scon be complete-

!ly bogged. Some there are who, if you I give them a little authority,, even the I very least as is, require-'* largely hat; ! but a big head doesn't signify bulky I brains. The; most rudimentary ideas orfairness demanded that the two men who, after a now historic footballmatch, were stigmatised an the, leaders of a gang of hoodlums, should receive a fair hearing; they got snubs. It is all very Avell for the Union to; ride the 'igh 'orse, and put on a judicial air; but characters are easier marred than made. One at least of the proscribed "ringleaders" saw the match last Sat-.--.-. urday, despite the Union's efforts, and it is whispered that more will be heard of the matter. Nib is of opinion that the case should be re-opened and, thoroughly thrashed out; then we'll see what we shall see.