The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1194, 13 February 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1880.

That there will be a deficiency in the colonial revenue has long been pretty fully recognised. Anyone who lias given the matter the slightest attention must ' have come to that conclusion long ere this, and it needs not a very wise man to ascertain the cause of the falling off. The financial crisis that the Colony has been passing through during the past year could not have had any other effect than to cause a deficiency in the revenue of the Colony. People have not possessed the means wherewith to purchase Government lands, and many branches of industry have been so seriously affected as to cause deficiencies in the revenue in other directions. Few persons, we venture to think, however, were prepared to believe that the falling off of revenue would be so serious as it would appear to be, judging from statements that have lately appeared 'in newspapers which should be well-in-formed. Some of these statements are, we believe, overdrawn, as we shall presently show in one case, but still there can be no gainsaying the fact that the Ministry will meet Parliament with a serious deficiency. The Wellington correspodent of the Daily Times telegraphs to that journal that there will be a deficiency in I the land revenue of fully one half the ! amount estimated to be received from that ! source, and then goes on to say :—" It is feared also that the railway revenue will not reach the estimate by nearly LBO,OOO, ; judging from present appearances. This | has been sought to be accounted for by | the best part of the grain Beason falling outside of the present limits of the finans ctal year; but lam informed that this is I.a mistake, for the conveyance of grain really makes very little difference, the extra working expenses involved running away with the additional profits. The ' passenger traffic is found to pay best, and and tht3 is largest during the summer, so ! that increased returns during the coming I "rain season are not expected to make up for the present falling off." : Now, with reference to thi3 we desire to make a few remarks, for if ail thi3 correspondent's calculations are no more correct than that with reference to the railways, the state of the finances are by no means as gloomy as they are made out to be. "We are in a position to | assert positively that there is not the ! slightest truth in the statement that " the [ conveyance of grain really make 3 very > little difference " to the revenue, and can f »3sure the writer of the telegram that he knows little or nothing of the working of railways when he says that the extra working expenses run away with the additional profits. Situated as we are, in the very centre of one of the largest graingrowing districts, we may be permitted to write with some amount of authority upon the subject. We have given no little at- ' tention to the working of the railways I during the grain season, and we unhesij tatingly assert that, while the traffic ion the line 3 during the busy period i amounts to treble that of ordinary 1 periods, the expenses are not increased by one-third. The only increases that take place are for fuel, extra labor for handling the grain, and additional pay to the men engaged in running special grain trains at night. If anyone i 3 sceptical upon these pomt3, he can, we think, I obtain convincing proof by perusing the ! railway returns. There is an amount of absurdity about the statement we have quoted tiiat is somewhat amusing, especially when we consider that the writer ! would lead us to believe that he possesses the ability of half-a-dozen Colonial Treasurers rolled into one. That additional traffic on the railways in any part of the colony does not mean additional profits is a stateniennt too absurd for even the most easily gulled of newspaper readers to swallow, and we need not enter into calculations io show the fallacy of such an assumption ; bnt we may point out the fact that the Xgapara line in this district is "enerally admitted to be one of the very best paying lines in the colony, and that the greater amount of the receipts on the line are for grain carrying during the season that this correspondent would make it appear that the railways are run at next to a loss. It is gratifying to be assured, however that, despite the commercial depression, the customs duties will very nearly reach the estimated sum. With a return of prosperity, of which there are alreuly some indications, the revenue from ail sources will be increased, :ifd there is, we think, a prospect of the lUjiiuieney nut leaching the terrible sum that it is asserted it will do.

At tlia monthly inspection of Volunteers this evening, the fortunate winners of district urizca will be presented with their several amounts,

Messrs. Grant and Foster, the Lincolnshire farmers' delegates, will arrive in Oamarn by this evening's train from the north, and will be received at the station by members -of the North Otago Agricultural anil Pastoral Association. So far as we are aware nothing definite has been arranged with reference to the movements of the delegates beyond the fact that they will become the guests of Mr. John Reid, of Elderslie. The first of the new season's grain will, we believe, reach town on Monday, and within ten days the railways will be fully engaged in the work of bringing grain to Oamaru. The department ha 3 this year made better provision for the transport of produce, but the additional amount of grain to be carried will tax the railways to the utmost extent. The first instalment of the fund being raised in the district for the relief of the famine-stricken people of Ireland has by this time reached the Lord Mayor of Dublin. The amount, we may mention, was transmitted Home by the National Bank free of exchange. _ _ ... We have received a unique communication from some unknown person signing himself " Justice," but who3e claim to that title does not appear to be a very good one. The writer says, with reference to' a paragraph which appeared in our Monday's issue, that lie, and not the lad alluded to by us, was guilty of spreading the report concerning an accident that occurred to a young lady at the time of the late fire. Our correspondent insists that it is only just for us to insert his apology, but as lie lias failed to append his proper name to the letter, and so give the public an opportunity of recognising the blackguard who lias been guilty of spreading untruthful reports, .we must decline to comply with his request. " A cricket match will be played between the Oamaru Club and 15 of the High School,' play commencing at 2 o'clock. The following are the players chosen :—Oamaru Club— Messrs. 11. Moore, Coates, Walls, A. 0. Hardy, A. E. Hardy, Lintott, E. Booth, Jones, Anderson, Bull, and A. Thompson ; emergencies—R. Balmsr, A. G. Hardy, and M'Leod. High School—Messrs. D. Hewatt, ■J. Todd, J. Bee, Robertson, Stemson, Ham, Ferens, Gilchrist, King, Milmine, Buick, Rice, E. Hewatt, Heskcth, and Kite; emergencies—Crawford, M'Lymont, Moody, and Ronayne. Coursing men, and indeed all dog-fanciers, shonkl not omit to attend the sale of greyhounds to be held at noon to-morrow by Mr. A. H. Maude. The full list of the dogs to be sold appears in our advertisement columns, and we need scarcely say that a finer lot of greyhounds have never been brought to the hammer. Amongst the number are several well-known performers, including Hock, who ran well into last year's Waterloo Cup, and Tamo' Shanter, a winner in Christchurch. The young dogs are all well bred, and as many of them are already entered for the Oamaru Derby, they should meet with ready sale. A meeting of the Committee of the Oamaru Jockey Club was held last evening in the Empire Hotel, when there were present—Messrs. Moss (chair), Greenfield. Grant, M'Corkindale, Hardy, and Southan (Hon. Secretary). The minutes of the previous meeting were read confirmed. Letters were read from Messrs. Lyons and Hart and Corbett and Eaton, proprietors of totalisatora, asking for permission to use their machines at the forthcoming March meeting. .After some discussion it was decided to grant the sole right to Messrs Lyons and llart, they agreeing to give 20 guineas for the privilege. Messrs. Humphries, Duncan, Moss, and Southan were appointed a deputation to wait upon the Racecourse Trust to apply for such assistance as in their power co give in aid of the race fund. It was resolved that the Southland and Palmer ston Clubs be written to thanking them for altering their dates of races so as not to clash with the Oamaru meeting. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the business.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court today, before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M., Daniel Toohey was charged with committing a breach of the Employment of Females Act on the 31st January, by permitting certain females to remain at work in his dressmaking room on a Saturday afternoon after two o'clock. Inspector Thompson prosecuted, and Mr O'Meagher appeared for the defence. The evidence of Sergt. Beattie and several of the young ladies was taken, and showed that the young ladies were kept at work until half-past three o'clock. The Sergeant stated that he had previously spoken to Mr. Toohey and Mrs. Leslie on the subject. Mr. O'Meagher for the defence nrged that the offence was a very trivial one, and that evidence showed that Mrs. Leslie had intimated to the young ladies that they might leave. His Worship said that the Act appeared to. be one which left him no option but to inflict a penalty. With reference to the statement that the defendant was not aware of the fact that a breach of the Act was being committed, his Worship held that it was the duty of every employer of females to see that they were not kept at work after the specified time. He would indict a fine of L 5. Thomas Webster, for having been drunk and disorderly, was fined os, with the alternative of going to prison for 21 hours.