THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1873.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 3722, 15 October 1873, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1873.

Whbk the history of our great railwajr movement comes to be written, the historian will find nothing in it more striking than the boldness with which we have disregarded all the precautions which ordinary men take before proceeding to great undertakings. "Wo have hea,rd in other colonies of minute enquiries made by special commissions into estimated cost, probable traffic, and probable return for the outlay. Careful surveys, detailed plans and specifications, statistics actually collected at wharves or toll-bars, are usually brought into play. But ours is the more royal road, and anyone curious on the subject will, in this light, find much to interest him in a report of the Engineer-in-Chief, laid before Parliament last session.

. The report covers just: a sheet and a-half of printed foolscap ; yet in that space no less than eleven lines of railways are disposed of, their prospects considered, their probable returns calculated, and the decision given as to whether they should or should not form part of the Public "Works scheme of the colony. No. 1 is a report on the Nelson and Foxhill railway. It covers nearly the whole of. one side of the foolscap sheet, and is by many degrees the most complete and voluminous of the series. In that space Mr. Carruthers, the Engineerin- Chief, " has the honor "to report" on the 10th December, 1872, that Be has examined the line of the proposed railway, and " collected such information as I have been able to, regarding the probable revenue to be expected." Mr. Carruthers is careful not to commit himself without qualifying his report in a similar way throughout. The cost of the proposed line would be so great that he thinks it desirable to try an inland line crossing the range, -but as this new line will have a steep gradient, "and will pass through treacherous, slippery clay, it is by no means certain that it will prove a better line." Then, again, at another spot, "it will be -required to avoid danger from the "Waiiti River, which is here cutting away its banks, and threatening to change its course." After this preamble there is a statement that the country through which the railway will pass is " principally agricultural, and contains a population of about 11,000, including Nelson." " It is very difficult," adds Mr. Carruthers, "to estimate the passenger arid general traffic, but the following will," he thinks, "be found a very moderate estimate:—[Revenue, £8,000, and working expenses, including renewals, about £7,000." The rule laid down by Government being that no railway shall be made unless there is a reasonable prospect of paying working expenses, the Nelson and Foxhill line is, of course, eligible and to be constructed. No. 2 is the Oxford Branch Railway: working expenses £7,000 a-year and passenger traffic estimated at £2,000, leaving £5,000 to be paid by timber traffic, which is "so far within the power of the bußh to supply, and of the market to absorb, that it may be looked upon as certain the line will pay working expenses." This railway is disposed of in just five lines of print. The Racecourse and Southbridge Branch Railway is disposed of in eight lines. The Rakaia and Ashburton line will also pay working expenses, but, adds Mr. Carruthers, "it is nearly impossible to give trustworthy figures" about it. The Ashburtori arid Tiinaru railway Bbews, in less than twenty lines of print, a profit of £15,000 per annum, equal to 5-J- per cent, on cost of construction; and bo on through the remaining seven or eight lines, of which only one is condemned. This unfortunate line on which the engineer considers it quite hopeless to look for sufficient traffic to pay working expenses is the Kaiapoi and Eyreton branch, running through districts which contain between them a population of about nine hundred to one thousand people" —a population not however very much less than that of some dish-ictsin which lines are boing constructed, although the land through which they pass has long been alienated by tho Crown, and passed into privato hands.

There is something Imperial in this | style of railway enterprise, and New Zealand should bo very proud of tho boldness wliich it evinces. Grovelling calculations, and delay in preparing plans or specifications may be all \"oi'y well in old-fashioned countries, whero common sense and common prudenco are still allowed a little of their ancient sway in tho conduct of public affairs. But when wo reflect that at least one half of the millions borrowed are spent on works avowedly not dircctly productive, or in tho Native Dcfenco Office, whence no return can bo expected at all, it bccomes a rather serious question to know whether the other half is likely to be also a burden on the revenue instead of paying its own interest from the works on which it is expended. "We should like to have Mr. Carruthers quietly in a corner for half an hour, some evening, and' hear his privato opinion of the process in which lie is .engaged. As an official, his only duty is to say whether he thinks such or such a line will pay working expenses, and to give a general estimate of cost. 110 can only do this from a hasty glance, or from the best information to bo gained i at second-hand, by enquiries among

those whose interest it is to procure the railways at any price for their particular district. He is careful to guard himself by stating this, and relieving himself- of direct responsibility in almost every case. His duty is done when the report is made-but it will be for the public to Bay if the process is a satisfactory basiii on which great works, involving enormous outlay, should be undertaken. 3?or our (fwn parts, wo confess to a very Btrong belief that it -would be infinitely preferable if a longer period, and more care were devoted to preliminary enquiries, and greater promptitude exhibited in the execution of the works when they are undertaken. As it now. stands, the most masterly vigour is shewn in coming to a decision that railways shall be made, but the most irritating and ruinous delay is experienced—in our own province especially—in carrying them out when the works have really begun.

PnoviNOiAE Agricultural Sociotioa in Now Zealand have not proved so successful as could liavo boon desired, in spite of the efforts made by their promoters. Tho reason is.obvious. They receive no oncourngemont from the Contral Government. Wo notice the same complaint is made in Victoria. Most governments have inado tho administration of tho land a leading feature in their policy, but up to the prosont time those of Victoria and Now Zealand have ignored its development by means of agricultural and horticultural societies. The consequence is, these societies have no filed incomes, and eo havo to Btudy wayß and means to maintain them in existence, instead of being in a position to offer a liberal prize list, irrespective of tho receipts derived from admissions. The awards to be made afc-tho forthcoming Auckland Agricultural Society's Show are, we have no doubt, as largo as tho funds will admit of, but we ask, what encouragement is given to breeders and purchasers of first-class stock by a £5 prize for the best stallion, bull, or ram,, with a paltry fifty shillings for the second prize, often times scarcely distinguishable for quality from the first ? Who will care to risk travelling a ".beat" cow in fall milk, with the prospect of getting a money award of £3, with a probability of double the injury being dono to the cow ? A like sum is offered for tho best pair of agricultural horses, —a pleasant sight at a cattle Bhow, but not ea3y to get together as » good match. It will bo urged that exhibitors look more to tho honor of carrying off a prize than they do to its intrinsic value. This, with a fevr, may be the case. But men prefer the substantial reward in addition to tho honor; and of tho two, most give the preference to the former. The prizes at the forthcoming show are insignificantly Bmall. This, wo ropeat,. is no fault of the society. Agriculture, aa an institution, has been utterly uncared for by the Colonial Government, which is somewhat strange, ns it would have admitted of tho creation of a new portfolio, with tho concomitant appointments.

It is very seldom tlic? columns of a newspaper are devoted to what concerns the gentler half of humanity. We hope, howeror, to see Homo colonial obampion spring up on behalf of tho ladies, who will advocate their social rights as ably as has been done by tho Chancellor of tho Exchequer. At tho Mansion-house banquet, Mr. Lowo, in proposing "The lady Mayoress," said that, " as a firm believor in the perfectibility of the human raco," he apprehended that in tho time of that perfection, which ho hoped to seo shortly realised, such banquets as tho present would be conducted upon different principles to those which now prevail. r Xho spoeches at present go on hour oftor hour, and everything that is said relates only to ono half, and that by far tho worst and least attractive half, of our species. Wo talk of the army and navy, of tho Houso of Lords, and tho Houso of Commons, as if thero was nothing in tho world but tho men to bo spoken of," until tho fng-ond of the evening. " But," Mr. Lowo continued, "in tho lime of perfection I anticipato, the toast of tho Houso of Lords will no doubt be mot by somebody rising to givo tho corresponding toast of tho Houso of Ladies ; and when tho Houso of Commons is proposed, it will probably altcrnato with anothor Assembly designated by an equally euphonious nameWhile the orator extols tho army, you will also have eomo ladies praised for tho admirable manner in which they manago tho domestic commissariat, and when tho navy has been eulogised, thero will bo thoso who will say how much finer a eight a handsomo and richly decked woman, with tsvo or three beautiful daughters, sailing into a ball-room is than your best ironclads." Would it be out of place on our part to suggest that suoh an innovation as allowing ladies to bo placed on an equality with tho stonier sex may bo tolerated at tho noxt public banquet which may bo given in this city ?

The sanitary state of Auckland 19 in a meat j unsatisfactory condition, though porhaps 1 thoro is no other town in tho colony where ■with Icsb expenso a good sanitary condition could bo enforced or obtained. It is true that regulations tiro made, requiring holders and occupicrs of proporty to maintain their premises in a cleanly condition, but they remain a dead letter, from the fact that thoso whoso duly it ia to hold inspection thoreinto and to euforco such regulations, only procoed about their labours in a perfunctory manner, and only in solitary instancos bring offenders to account. It morely requires an inspection of back yards throughout tho city to learn how much fevor seed is awaiting but a few days of tho muggy, -warm -weather wo experience hero in summer to bring it into aotivo life. Tho lalo firo plainly disclosed tho largo amount of /cecal and decaying vegetable mattor which had been allowed to accumulato in tho crowded back premises of tho block destroyed. "What by this moans was exposed will bo found hiddon elsowhoro. If wo aro not to havo fever plagues visiling us during tho ensuing summer, it i 3 necessary that strict sanitary regulations should bo onforced. TIIO publio should bo taught, sinco thoy will not voluntarily loarn tho lesson, that it is cheaper to havo rubbish-carts visiting their houses than doctors* carriages.

The Provincial Government of Wellington lives a hnppy lifo alternating between itnpccuuiosi!v and a flush of borrowed money, Ono v.-hilo it ia in debt, uttiiblo even to meet tho cabrirs of policemen and Government officers ; tho nest, through the kindness of

either the Government or the vote of Parliament, it ia enabled to clear off its liabilities, start afresh with a surplus in hand and on its road to future indebtedness, whioh will be erased in a similar manner. On Monday night the wires informed us that the provin-' cial authorities had secured a loan of £50,000 from the General Government, and £100,000 from another source. Last' night we were told that the province had paid up all it owed to tho Colonial Treasurer. Having borrowed off Peter to pay Paul, it is now evidently in a happy frame of mind, and all will go on merrily once again for a while.

A nbw era appears to be opening out for the Thames goldfield. Gold has been come upon at the low level in the Caledonian mine, as told by our own correspondent, who telegraphed yeflterday as follows " Caledonian : About one hundredweight Btono broken out, showing good gold through. Nice show in face." The report at the legal-manager's office was in the following terms : —" Caledonian mine : I have just taken out some very nice gold from No. 4 winze in small seam near tho ;hanging-wall.—S. E. Richabds." Here aro the telegrams as they come before us. We do not desiro to give riso to any undue expectations in tho minds of shareholders, but if the Caledonian mine shews gold at a low level, there is no reason why other mines should not be equally fortunate. Our Thames mining correspondent's letter, to which wo refer our readers, gives a full accouut of tho strike of gold in the two hundred and sixty feet level. A largo quantity of specimens reached Auckland last night by the Golden Crown, which will bo on view to-day.