A RAILWAY REQUIREMENT.

Colonist, Volume L, Issue 12161, 8 February 1908, Page 4

A RAILWAY REQUIREMENT.

To the Editor. Sir,— Surely it behoves this community if ifc desires that Nelson shall retain its pre-eminence as a health resort and otherwise as a de« sirablo place of residence to be on the alert to seize every opportunity of security for it the maximum of all-round attractiveness. It has already been styled, and deservedly so, a cii.y of sunshine, and 1 think, sir, 1 have heard it spoken of as the ' ' Athens of New Zealand. ' 1 Certainly its educational institutions are second to none in the Dominion. But, sir, it cannot be claimed that Nelson has advanced as it should have done, considering it wag founded before any other considerable centre of population in the South Island. It is common knowledge that in the past it contributed quite a distinguished list of eminent political leaders to tne councils ol the Doniin.ion, arid wa3 able to exercise rionsiderbls political influence. Alas! How is our greatness fallen in this respect. Atone time Nelsor had a monopoly of the West Ooasi trade; but where is it now? Bui cannot something be done to materially advance Nelson. Our back blocks are being more energetically opened up, and when opened arc eagerly seized upon. Our port anc its shipping facilities are being improved, and our poor little railway ■ is -gradually creeping towards the West Coast, and proving as it goes £ valuable means of adtancing kittlemerit, apart from what it is to advance when it becomes linked on in that future so devoutly wished for— to a main trunk system. Meanwhile, and this is the purpose of my troubling you, are we to put up with oui present mean Nelson terminal railway station? Can we too soon begin to look out ler and n> a mure suitable site for thS iitation. . 'V\e nave recently got a new Post Office, such as it is, certainly not before it was neoded. and certainly not in advance of present requirements. The supplyiug of a post office on its present 9ite appears to have sujjgpsted the suitability of a neighbouring site for ii new custom house. I cannot help tbiaking that while we need not quarrel with the Government for giving us a new custom house, h new railway station in a more suit: able situation is much more needed, and could a better site be found than the vacant space next to the Post Office, with a frontagy to Trafalgar street. It is easy of approach, either from the Port or tbo Bisbop dale side through the ?■'. ilton A--.ro. I venture to think, though I clai.n to originality for the thought, that s c'h site is best from the point of vi^.v of public convenience, of being worthy of the important effective architectural building which sboul.l be erected as the terminal station of a main trunk i;ne; and of "econciny, i'or the site to-day could doubtless -be acquired. for much less than when in the dim future the line is completed. A recent paper announced that. every small city aiid towii in the United States is now demanding thai; its railway stations be fine monumental structures with park-like settings. While Wellington, like New York, will ever maintain its position as tLe commercial capital, is it beyond Nelson to yet aim as it once did, at becoming the political capital of the Dominion, the place in which to build the new Parliamentary Buildings, the Washington of the Dominion. In this connection it may be mentioned that Washington has ]ust oovnjijotod a rail way station in white marble at a cost 'of 15,000,000 dollars. 1 am, etc. , ADVANCE xNELSON.

A novel feature of tlio Karnstaple Cat Stock show recently wag a side show of a pen of seven Egyptian sheep. The sheep, '. which look like a cros3. bfitweon a door and a goat, were impmt-d to Northam a,s a curiosity. In colour they are red. white and black, and have long tails. Doth males and female? hav6 horns, the male£, however, having' scimitar like branches. They haveJine silky hair. A pretly story is in circulation among those in touch with the Spanish Uoilrt-. What took the King and Queen to. Spain specially to see the ex-Empress Eugenie'was to witness the formalities necessary to comclote a deed of gift in favour in the youthful heir apparent to the Spanish Throne The gift (so itjis said) is to accumulate until the young prince shall become of age, and by that time in will have become a very con siderabie fortune The anxiety of. the Venerable ex-Empress, it in declared, is to render the son of her favorite god child independent of any possible dynastic changes or revolutionary upheaval. /