TOURISTS' FARES.

Southland Times, Issue 14800, 17 November 1900, Page 2

TOURISTS' FARES.

Ok Wednesday morning wo drew attentiou to some features of the tourist fares arrangements published by the Railway Department, that were at once ludicrous ana inconsistent with the announced policy of the Minister. We were persuaded that Mr Ward never could have deliberately consented to such a scheme of petty confiscation as the time-table disclosed, and we said so »t the time. For the benefit of readers who may not have seen our former article, we may explain that, according to the posters scattered over the country and the monthly time-table, the Department, after forcing the Wakatipu Steamship Company to reduce their fares by half-a-crowu, intercepted the said half-crown on its way to the pocket of the tourist, appropriated a shilling, and passed over the odd eighteeupence. The sums varied a little in particular cases, but practically that was precisely the character of the transaction resultant from the adjustment of tourist fares for this season. However, we have now the satisfaction of informing our readers that the " adjustment " commented upon has been a bungle on, the part of some official entrusted with the drafting of the scale. Our article of Wednesday procured an authoritative information that the whole table was a blunder ; that the posters had been withdrawn, and that the table of tourists' rates was in process of reconstruction. We do not know whether it is also under reconsideration, but whether it is or not, we hope that when it issues once more from departmental manipulation, the concessions may be seen to be something worth mentioning. The railways should certainly compete in liberality with the lake steamboats ; indeed they should surpass them in reductions, inasmuch as the former are the property of the people while the steamers belong to a' private company, who have a purely commercial object in view in running then steamers But a considerable reduction will be made if the railway fare is cut down in the same proportion as the steamboat fare The steamer company struck 2s 6d off 10s, if the railway people do the same the fare for the round trip from Chrisichurch, first class, will be £4 3s, instead of £5 11s as formerly. It would be good policy, however, we believe, to make the ticket less even than that, or at least, to give a very liberal discount to family parties. By the way, we fancy the railway time-table itself would be none the worse of a little careful revision. We had considerable trouble in finding the tourist fares in it. We wished to see whether the book and posters agreed. For "tourist" information the index — itself buried amongst advertising sheets— directed us to page 50, and page 50 was found filled with the Lyttol ton •Christchurch time-table, a leaf of "ads." intervenes and then oomes a yellow page, not numbered, headed " Tourist Tickets," but not a word thereon about the particular tourist tickets we were in search of. It was only by dint of going through the whole book that we discovered, opposite page 82, another unnumbered yellow page " Tours to the Cold Lakes and the Glacial District of Otago."' We failed to find aiiv reference to this important page in the index, although it contains information that it i» most important tourists and others should be a v >le to find easily.

I The Colchester Mystery. —A Bluff resident named Attwood has gone to Wellington to try to identify Lilly white with Blatch, the man who is supposed to have murdered Welch, in Coloheater, England, in 1893. Attwood, it is understood, states that Blatch was in his father's employ in England and that he is familiar with his personal appearance. Branch™ o Out. — The Dresden Pianoforte Company have -further extended the field of their operations by opening a branch in Winton under the control of Mr James Gilniour, whose spacious showrooms are already stocked with an excellent selection of pianos and organs, which are open for inspection by intending purchasers. A choice stock will be kept and there will be no necessity for buyers to deal with the chief depot in Dunedin. From date all i moneys due to the company must be paid to Mr Gilniour, whose receipt only will be a sufficient discharge. The Messiah. — There was a most encouraging attendance at last night's rehearsal, nearly a hundred singers being present. The music went surprisingly well and was manifestly much enjoyed by the performers. The chorus is likely to be better balanced than usual, and is so numerous that those wishing to take part had better notify the conductor at once in order to secure places. It is much to be desired that the number of those who know every note of the grand old oratorio will so increase that there will be no occasion for a single Christmas to pass without a public performance of Handel's masterpiece. Every repetition reveals fresh beauties, and greater familiarity with the score means a more intelligent and soulful rendering. Technical Education.—" Going to school by mail " is an outgrowth of the advanced educational ideas of the closing days of the century. Thefoundersof the American School of Correspondence realised that thousands of people, either from lack of earlier advantages or from neceßmtyiggfßtewd into the various trades and professions of life without a thorough preparation for their work. The school now makes it possible for all such to secure that trainiug, as well as to master the theory that is as necessary as practice, and thus place themselves on a par with those who have greater advantages for study. The American School of Correspondence, Boston, was chartered in 1897 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an institution of learning. The first year's enrolmeut was over 7000 students, and it has since progressed by leaps and bounds, securing the endorsement ox .the National Association of Stationary Engineers. It gives technical instruction tnirough the mails in every branch of engineering science and mechanical drawing-^electrical, mechanical, stationary, marine and locomotive — where technical schools are not available, or the obtaining of a scientific engineering education in a University. The instructors are specialists in their several departments, University men and on its Advisory Board are such names as Robert Grimshaw, M.E., Ph. D., author " Steam Engine Catechism," etc ; Charles Thoiu, Chief of Quadruplex Department, Western Union Telegraph Company. The local representative of this school is Mr Hensley, Eak* street, from whom fu ther information can be obtained. Time kor a Laugh?— A characteristic and hitherto unpublished incident of the famous " The Mackintosh," who married Margaret Grahame, Queen of Beauty at the Eglinton tournament, has Just been related by the Baronet of Netherby, nephew of the noted Scottish beauty. It happened when they were on their wedding journey to Loudon. "The Mackintosh insisted on closing the window of the railway carriage in which they were riding, while an old Scotch fanner was equally determined to keep the window open. A war of words ensued, during which " The Mackintosh " shouted: "Do you know who I am? I'm ' The Mackintosh !' " To which the farmer replied : " I dinna care a dell if ye be the ' Umbrella.' The Window s'all stay up !" And it did. North Invkbcargill. — The monthly meeting of the Borough Council on 1 hursday night was attended by the Mayor (Mr A. J. Garmson), Councillors Anderson, Morgan, Callaghan, Cox and Blomfield. The Auditor-General returned the halfyearly balance sheet; duly certified. The Mayor was appointed the Council's delegate for the election of members on the S. H. and C.A. Board and the Southland Trust. It was resolved that the ratepayers be publicly notified that all rat s unpaid on 31st December will be sued for and charged the additional 10 per cent. Only Coal Tab. — Some one hundred and I fifty colours are now obtained from coal tar, i ana these have almost entirely supplanted ■ vegetable and animal dyes. Iv fact only two of the vegetable class, indigo and logwood, are still of any considerable importance. Coal yields a, large amount of colouring matter, the magenta obtained from a ton being sufficient to dye 500 yards of flannel ; the aurinc, 120 yards ; the vermillion scarlet, 2500 yards, and the aligarine 355 yards. Their Markets Made Probably.— Judging from the information gleaned by the Express smoking is steadily on the increase amongst women in England. When questioned on the subject, the manager of a large West End firm replied : -" Cigarette smoking is certainly becoming more popular among women. We have upwards of twenty well-known members of society — countesses aud commoners — on our books, and the number is increasing every season. Of course other firms have their own custome 8, too, so that tho number of women who smoke cigarettes must be very large. We find the average to run to about fifty a week for each person. They are chiefly Egyptian or mild Russian. Most of the smokers are over thirty years old, though." * 'jOrk. — The Bowling Club have arranged a handicap singles match of 16 heads ; players to draw for opponents and the winner to be presented with a cup. The first round is fixed for Monday. Following this will be a rink competition, the winners to be presented with gold bar medals, upou which will be inscribed the club's monogram. The committee also ' selected six rinks to wage war against the Invercargill club on Wednesday first. Negotiations arc going on between the Caledonian Society and the Cycliug Club, the latter body being desirous of obtaining the former's ground. The society's committee have agreed to offer the ground, builJiiig and fences to the club, provided that the latter body releases the former's bank account. As this is an item of £100 odd it is not safe to predict what will eventually happen. Certainly at present the ground is of little use to the Cycling Club, the track being so poor. On v\ eduesday Messrs-J. Mac Gibbon and J. Beattie, J's.P., gave judgment by default in Tothill, Watson v. P. Hanlyfor £1 12s 6tland costs; Thomas .Spear v. James Trussler, for £2 12s, josts 10s ; J. Duncan v. A. McNeish, for £2, josts 10s. There was a fair attendance iv A\e Congregational Church on Wednesday when the Rev. Mr Brough, of the London Missionary Society, gave a graphic description of the famine-stricken region, and, Iwelt on what Christianity had dove for [ndia. He received a very attentive hearng. Mr J. Beattie presided, and a collec.ion was taken in aid of the funds. — Owji correspondent. What Slkkf Do We Nuei> ?— Natural ileep is something that cau't be- regulated >y any formula. The body takes what it leeds, be it much or little, and the necessary amount varies 1 with the individual. In a general way four hours form the minimum md ten hours the maximum for people in air health. Says a physician :" I have wo patients who sleep only four hours, and teep in tolerably good condition. Both are niddle-agcd men, and neither of them works cry hard. Nature can repair its losses in our hours of unconsciousness. In many ther people three times as long will be reuired. The nerve cells work more slowly -why, nobody knows. The queerest case hat ever came under my personal obserVaton was that of a book-keeper who used to leep two or three hours a night through the reek, and on Sunday would catch Up with a 1 -hour nap. That is no exaggeration, but'an ctiial fact well known to afi his intimates. [c seemed to be able to store nervous lergy as a camel stores water. His general ealth during the 12 or 15 years I knew him as excellent." A Great Boon to the South Island. — onkjng's Linseed Emulsion will cure you old when all others fail. Sold everywhere . bottles, Is 6d and 2s Qd.

A Pbecious Language. — The Milan police believe that they have secured the key to the secret cipher alphabet used by European anarchists for intercommunication both in writing and speakinr. An Anarchist was overheard speaking jargon that was unintel ligble untilhe himeelf, in conseqnenoe of inducements held out to him, consented to furnish the key. With this key the police have tested all the telegrams passing through Milan betvireen suspected persons for some time. the results have been submittfd to the Minister of Justice. Invebcakgill Rowing Clcb.— Following are the crews selected for double sculling races to be pulled in a few weeks : — A. McGavock, F. Traill; R. Todd, Hubbard ; A. Grenfell, F. A. Thomson ; F. Instone, G. Wilkin ; A. Linds«iy, St. Paul ; O. Joyce, Brownlie; D. Campbell, W. Mair ; J. Thomson, J. Mair ; R. Christophers, D. Thornton ; T. Wilkin, H. Brown ; P Macdonald, A. Spence - n D. Thornton, N. Mcßae; G. Howes, Tennent ; H. Cook, Walker ; H Fleming, Barron ; W. Thomson, Philp ; J. Christophers, G. Deschler. The regatta crews have been picked as follows : — Maiden four : D. Morton, B. Basstian, J. Hay, E. Carter ; No. I Juiiior four : A. Thompson, Rodie, W. Pratt, F. Sand ford ; .No. 2 Junior : J. Willett, C. Purdue, J. Oliver, H. Hay. As the capabilities of several new members from other clubs are unknown, these crews are subject to revision.