CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7304, 16 April 1885, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE TRAMWAYS;' -• J ' ' ' TO THE EDITOR. 'i /" ' : Sib, — will now make a few suggestions relative to an. improved service by the cars, 1 1. There should be a double line of rails from the bottom of Queen-street to the Three Lamps. The expense Would not be so very much heavier of doing this, as at present suggested only,'and making a number more sidings. The service would ,be infinitely better performed, and in much quicker time, and there would be much more travelling by the cars. 2. If the company could make a test of paving between thei tails find a distance outside with wooded blocks, making these flush with the rails, I think they Would fled it reallyoheaper than using broken metal, with all the expense attending that, j The Corporation should pay, say, half . the cost of doing this. .In London wooden pavement is now,' being largely ' niiedj' and is said to be cheaper than macadam. 3. The cars should stop only at certain specified placen. A couple of cards in bold type should .be placed in each car stating the stopping places. This would economise time, save the horses, and be altogether better than the present system. , The publio would very soon get. accustomed to the system, and like- it better than the present plan.. These stopping places should, when possible, be at a street crossing, and the car should put down the passengers on the crossing. Thin would be appreciated in oar muddy , streets. 4. The conductors and drivers should have peremptory instructions not to stop the par? and take more inside passengers when the allotted number have been received. Many regular travellers prefer the omnibus,- where this rule is observed, rather than go by a tramcar with an almost certainty, if a man, of being asked to stand up, that more passengers may be taken. 5. A time-table should be hung up in each car.—l am, &0., Ratepayer. TRAINED ARTILLERYMEN. TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Among the many suggestions re defence I have been surprised that the fact has been overlooked that we have in our midst a number of ex-artillerymen who have been thoroughly trained to the use of big guns. I know several such men in Auckland, .and no doubt there are many more scattered abroad over the colony. Many of those men are but little past the prime of life, steady, sober,' intelligent, and reliable; retaining their old skill and ability at the battery, and with reasonable - inducement, they would willingly, I believe, give their best services for the defence of our island home. A few days ago I asked one of them if he could still do his duty as an artilleryman, and his reply was, " I consider myself just as able to lay a gun now as I was twenty years ago." I asked another how long he considered it would take to train men such as our A.C. Force for the proper handling of big guns, and his reply was, " Supposing four hOurs' practice every day, it would take most men twelve months to become efficient artillerists." Kow suppose our Government would call on such a body of men, trained and ready for work, to volunteer for service, offering them at the same time good liberal pay, it would even, on the score of economy, be a muoh cheaper way of getting our batteries properly manned, than by a long course of training unskilled men, who, after perhaps months of poWder-waating, might, 'in the hour of danger, prove unequal to the task entrusted to them. And this, I say, , not doubting their pluck, nor their willingness ; to do their duty, but from the simple fact of their being comparatively raw recruits. Every thoughtful man mast admit how vastly important even a small knot of such trained artillerymen would be, if enrolled among our different batteries. From their habits of discipline, they would be of great assistance to the commanding officer, while their knowledge and experience would eminently fit them for instructing the new men, and, in the presence df an enemy, • they• would, both steady the others and inspire coolness and confidence. The paramount importance of having our ' big guns in thoroughly reliable hands is my only excuse for troubling you with this letter, and more practical men may take up the subject.— am, &c., i ,v. Adam: Layboußn. • Auckland, April 15, : 1885. /;*■ ' FOREST CONSERVATION, TO THE EDITOR, S.. ! ,-r-I find here in New Zealand we oharge an import diity of 23 the 100 ieet; superficial upon timber, sawn and rough. : Npw,.itbaours to me, what is the use of con / serving and protecting /wiir forests, when they require such heavy duties to develop: them? If I have .~y lost my senses alto-; gether, surely I am right in saying that;: every kauri tree in our forests is a source of. expense to seven-eighths of the colonists, and the people generally would be better off I if we had no kauri forests.— Z—, &c,, P.O. I