RAILWAY BLOCKS IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Mail, 8 February 1900, Page 40

RAILWAY BLOCKS IN ENGLAND.

THE WAR IN ; SOUTH, AURIGA.

ANOTHER WAR IK'PROSPECT.

Dealing with the prospect of war between Japan and Russia, a Hongkong correspondent, writing under date 29th December, says:—“Japan is very restless, and is keeping a sharp watch on Russia's movements. She being quite ready for an invasion of East Siberia or Manchuria, is' in no mood to put up with any undue encroachment on her special ‘sphere/ Corea, either politically or otherwise, and unless M. Pavloff (who is due ?in Seoul, the capital, at an early date) endeavours to imitate in Corea the example set him by his late chief in Pekin (Count Cassini, now in Washington), he will, in my humble opinion, merely give Japan a cause for drawing the sword, for. which she has been on the qui vive for the last six months. Japan will strike sharp and decisively, know ing that with her it will be practically a life and death struggle.”

The ‘members of St Mary's Convent Ex-Pupils’ Association: held their annual picnic at Tifcahi Day, near Porirua, on Saturday, when a very-pleasant day was spent. . The ’current number of the “Government Insurance Recorder” contains an excellent paper on “Fundamental Principles of Life Insurance.” A “new table” of the Government office is •nnouribed under -which; j^remiumsjcMß©''^>s; i on the 'age of eighty -b@mg - attainfed. ; -- Humorous anecdotes and illustrations are also features of this number,-which. lT contains, by the way, an ’eifcrfleiit' J |>6r- * trait of Mr Normaa L. Gurr.

■’. ' ** . i Considerable light on the extent which tne railway traffic is being. Block!! in 'England is thrown by an W-V which appears in “ Industries ancldwt ’ of December 22nd. Under the head' 1 ’ “Railway Block,” that journal axy!/ 8 ' “ Owing to the practical the railway arrangements for the // veyance of minerals and other'wiio-rS* -and from Birmingham and the- rfvr .lands, a conference of coal-owneW "chants and other traders is being dt!" urge.ith’c/companies to increase s tv-, rou.ng-stock accommodation;/ It ted that. 1000 waggons eont^ninL-3 ' and iron are blocked at Bescot' JubrS and that sixty-goods.trains are the Midland and other railways hetwJ’K ' Birmingham and Sheffield, unab]djo^' . moved; and Messrs'John Broym r aHd(v^ of. Sheffie.d, are suspending the oufi ' ot their collieries three days a weot the companies cannot convey.eral. This state of things is certS a disgrace to our railways, and we scarcely understand how it arose] ' v only is rolling-stock necessary on o nr railways, but the brain to keep it mor ing is also desirable in these busy times" ' Unfortunately, this state of things / not confined to the Midlands, but similar congestion of traffic exists on j many bf/the j.railw’ay lines, and the effect is likely to be very serious upon the maustries of south-west Yorkshire, k . fact, several blast furnaces have already been damped dowii for want of fhgl and material; and- it is high time thatcompanies increased their stock of was- - gons,; etc.” We wonder what the opponerits "of State-managed railways/'here, w would say if suich a.state of things, exist* : , ed in this colony'. , The want of roflinrfi stock is felt at times by sawmillers, and by farmers at the end of haryest, bnt the disadvantages assume no proportions equal to those existing in Great Britain ; besides, .'the Railway Deportment of New Zealand makes an effort- to meetthe requirements of the colony, and, it must be admitted, does so satisfactorily. ' '