FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22437, 5 June 1936, Page 8

FIFTY YEARS AGO

TRANSPORT RIVALRY , RAILWAYS AND TRAMS Apparently some degree of rivalry existed between the Auckland Tramway Company and the railways half-s----century ago. Following is an item dealing with the subject which appeared in the New Zealand Hebald of June 5, 1886: — . ' " It looks very much as if the Auckland Tramway authorities intend seriously to enter into competition with the railway authorities for the passenger traffic between Auckland and Onehunga. As a first step it is stated they have taken over Hollis' Onehunga buses. It is proposed to issue quarterly tramcar passes to and from Onehunga for business people, who usually gp by train, at a reduction on the railway fares." Other items in the same issue were .is follows: "F. Truby King, of Taranaki, is. considered as having excellent chahces of being placed Ecclesman for the year at Edinburgh University, this being the highest distinction the school can give." "In an interview. M. de Lesseps states that the building of the Pyramids. which took 30.000 men 10 years, was boys' play to building the Panama Canal. He estimates the power of the machines employed as equal to the labour of 500.000 men." " Jules Verne can stir about now, but only with the aid of crutches.",, " Count Leo Tolstoy, the Russian novelist, has abandoned the literary calling for that of the cobbler, his object being to carry out to the letter the precepts of the Sermon on thp Mount." s