TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4103, 16 July 1900, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

THE RAILWAY DEPUTATION

The deputation from :tne North Island Railway .'League, which is to wait upon the Premier this-afternoon, is expectedl to be the largest, and most influential ever organised in the Wellington district.’ If tli'o .response' from country .districts is at all commensurate with the interests involved, some scores of Mayors, chairmen of local bodies and leading people' generally will come down from the country towns and outlying ;districts, to unite with tho city men in urging upon the Government the rapid completion of .-the important work '.of connecting Wellington . q-nd Auckland by rail. ‘ The Special Commissioner sent orit by the league to report upon mb Central line has traversed the whole route, and his reports, so far as publisheid, disclose the urgent need for tho' extension' of the line in, ■the interests, of settlers. It has been suggested that probably the deputation would have something .to say on the subject of the Branavvatp railway, owing to the recent declaration of Ministers against the compulsory acquisition of that line by tho Government; hilt, while individual .members •of the deputation, may raise this question, it is improbable that the executive of. tho Railway League will desire the introduction of a subject that would only lend to confuse tho direct issue l of the early completion of the North Island Trunk railway.

INSPECTION uf ! VESSELS.' “The medical inspection arrangements .at Wellington arc .a disgrace to the colony,” said a-well-known .representative of a powerful steamship company trading to New Zealand 1 to a “Times” reporter on Saturday. The remark was apropos of the manner in which the Tyser liner Mimiro had been delayed in the stream for. health inspection. The vessel reached the stream at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, and it was three hours after her arrival that this large vessel was able to berth at the Queen’s wharf. Not only did the Tyser Company lose a full day, but, coming to the wharf on, Saturday afternoon, : overtime: Lad to be paid for labour both on. the, Mimiro and the ."teamcr Kennedy, which was awaiting a transhipment of kerosene from the Tyser liner. If the vessel had been inspected before leaving Auckland, there would have been no occasion for delay at this port, although that does not absolve the local authorities from blame in'the vessel’s detention. However, now that Auckland has been declared to bp free of plague, the necessity for the inspection of vessels leaving that port is obviated. As there have been several complaints made recently concerning the inspection of vessels at this port, it would be well that an inquiry, should be made into the cause of delay, and if, as has been stated,, the Health Officer is nob always ready to go on board ships -as they arrive,, the appointment of am extra Health Officer might be considered by the department.