The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1880.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3493, 22 July 1880, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1880.

The railway traffic returns for the four weekly periods ending 29th May last, show a most eccentric and inexplicable change in the "paying" qualities of the various lines as compared with the previous four weeks. The great Christchurch-Invercargill railway shows a considerable falling off, the tour weekly takings amounting to £53,770, against £67,G1S the previous month. The Greymouth line of eight miles is paying well, the per ccntage of receipts being 4G*yi, which is very different to t-»c Was^oTt section, which is 112*91. In

Nelson the return shows somewhat favourably, being 06*96 per cent, on the receipts ; but the Picton line is very much to the leeward, the per centage being 115*13. la the North Island, Auckland, according to this fourweekly return, was the best paying line, the per centage of receipts to expenditure being G'.MO. Wanganui comes next, with 75 f 3O ; New Plymouth follows with 81*74 ; Napier. S3- 12; Wellington, 84*64; and Kaipara, 102-06. These returns show very clearly which are the best paying lines ; and although the one in Tnranaki has been much nbnsed by the Southern Island, and called a " political railway." yet it is paying far better than some of the lines there, where the expenses are a third move than the receipts.

The education of the youth of the Colony is an expensive item ; and it is a question whether it is not more costly and elaborate tlian is warranted by the state of the Colonial exchequers. From a return called for by Mr. Waterhouse of a list of all persons in official positions drawing salaries under the Education Act, with a statement of the amount of salary paid to each, also the cost of Education Boards, we learn that the Education Department consists of five officers, who draw £IS9O per annum. The Auckland Education Board, with ten officer?, draws ■C 2015 ; Taranaki, three officers, £430; Wanganui. two officers, 7so ; Wellington, two officers, £750 ; the secretary receives £54 for forage allowance, with £1 per day travelling expenses, also a messenger at £20 ; Hawke's Bay, has two officers at £700, with £150 travelling allowance, and a cadet at £50 ; Marlborough. three, £232 ; Nelson, two at £62."i : Westland. two. £740. with £50 for forarre ; North Canterbury, eleven, £4100, with £50 for.-ige and actual travelling expenses for three ; South Canterbury, two, at £057, with allowance for actual travelling expenses ; Southland, two. at £SOO, travelling expenses included ; Otago, nineteen, who receive £45,880. The incomes of the education boards for 1879 were : — Auckland, £77,522 ; T.irannki, £8149 ; Wanganui, £22,744 ; Wellington, £31,000 ; Hawke's Bay. £35,743; Marlborough, £7318 ; Nelson, £21,970 ; North Canterbury, £90,260 ; South Canterbury. £2(5,790; Westland, £18,202 ; Otago. £112,318; Southland, -825,011. The total of this received, from the Government is £308,457. The expenditure for 1878 was : — Boards, £11.109 ; inspections and other expenses, £7735; teachers' allowances, £187,703; committee and schools, £20,920; scholarships, £2834 : total maintainance with insurance, £221.053 ; new buildings, additions, &c, £100,301 ; provisional services, £5900 ; sundry Boards, £1051; libraries, £6074; balances, £43,275. The number of schools in the colony in 1879 was 817 ; number of teachers, 1773 : average attendance, 58,729. From the above it will be seen that tho total expenditure on education is over £477,000, or about £2 per quarter for every child attending the public schools in New Zealand.

Tho s.s. Wanaka leaves Nelson to-night's tide, is due iv the roadstead at 11 a.m. tomorrow, and sails for Manukau at 4 p.m. It was reported in town to-day that ten additional natives had been arrested at the camp by the Codstabulary. The report, how ever, has not yet been confirmed, as no com munication has been received from the camp. The s.s. Taiaroa, Captain Malcolm, Jeft Onc'.iunga wharf at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday, and a ichorod at the Heads two hours later. She crossed the Manukau Bar at 8.30 yesterday morning, and arrived in the roadstead shortly before 9 o'clock last night. Landed mails and passengers, and proceeded South at 10 p.m. The following is a list of the tenders sent in to Mr. Younger for removing a quantity of earth from the section recently purchased by Mr. R. Cock in Devon-street West: — Albert Bishop, £19 17s 6d (accepted) ; W. H. Bailey, C.E., £20 12s (id ; H. T. Manning, £21 16s ; W. H. Warehouse, £22 3s : G. D. Thomas, £24 2s 7d ; C. Evitt, £2(> 10s ; W. Stanley, £28 ; George Thrnsh, £2 B(ss 8d : H. James, £29 10s ; A. Stott, £30 ; E. Moore, £39 ; Smith, Hassell, & Church, £40. A serious accident happened yesterday, near Waipuku, to a Pole named Rojuseka. He was working in a bush falling contract six miles from Waipuku, and, when in the act of falling a tree, it '•' gave " sooner than : was expected, and fell on Rojuseka, knocking him down ami inflicting serious injuries. His mates carried him into Waipuku and he was then conveyed in a truck to Ingle wood. Dr. Rawson went out 'to Inglewood early this morning, and examined the injuries, but, although several severe bruises were found on the man's body the doctor did not find any bones broken. There being a possibilitj 1 " of some internal injuries having been sustained he was ordered to be removed to the Colonial Hospital.

Mr. G. W. Griffin, United States Consul to New Zealand, reports a notable increase in the manufacturing interests of the Colony, and a growing trade with this country. He thinks (says the Scientific American), the furniture made in New Zealand the most beautiful he has ever seen. It is made of the mottled kauri wood, and is artistically designed. New Zealand produces the finest wood in the world, and manufactures some of it. Ihe chief imports from this country are hardware, edge tools, and agricutural implements ; tobacco, canned fruits, and wooden ware, including wagons and carriages. The inhabitants have a partiality for American watches, but do nob take to American whiskey." A private letter received from a former resident of Timaru, who is now iv Sydney (says the South Canterbury Times) represents the state of the labour market there as something deplorable. The writer, who left New Zealand twelve months ago with a moderate amount of money, states that he has tried almost every kind of occupation, but has found it almost impossible to obtain a living. In one passage he writes : -" Many here are starving ; in fact, I have gone for two days myself without food." With regard to the exhibition just closed, he remarks :—Shopkeepers say it has hurt them. It certainly has shown that they get 1000 per cent, on their goods."