The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 7, 1882.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 4061, 7 June 1882, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 7, 1882.

Thb Avcklkst> a>jd Taranaki Members are moving in the matter of getting the railways connected in the North Island. They have held one meeting at which !l long, practical, and business-like disonssisn took place, and the feeling was almost unanimous in having the connection made from Te Awamntn, via Mokau and Waitara. At this meeting Sir George Grey said it was quite possible, in the face of what had been said, to induce the Kingites to come into the project enthusiastically, if proposals were made that in'return for certain lands to be given by them for the construction of the line, they should have a certain amount of interest in it as a commercial speculation. He believed that very many of the principal chiefs would at once be found prepared to asrree to the line being made. Major Te Wheoro said it wns idle to talk'abont the difficulties of taking the line down from Alexandra, and that if the line were taken from Rnnui to Knti. and thence ilong the Mokan River to the point where it bends to the West Coast, thence down the valley of the Waitara River, that the road was one presenting no great engineering difficulties, .and the cost would not exceed that which has on the average been paid for the construction of railways in the North Island. Mr. Sheehan said that he at one time was under the impression that there were very crreat ensrineerins: difficulties in the Mokan country, but he was in possession of information of a most authentic kind, that the difficulty has bppn very mnch over-esti-mated, and that the country heretofore described as poor was equal to the great bulk of the pastoral country of the North Ifland. The result of this meeting was the appointmpnt of a Committee to prepare the necessary information for another meeting, prior to a formal demand being made to the Government to take practical steps for carrying out the work. As far as wo can learn there is no difficulty — native or engineering — in the way of the formation of this line ; and we, therefore, have every reason tnjexpect that the route will be the one fixed upon by the House.

Te Whitf and Tohu are expected in Wellington towards the end of the week» in order to inspect the warship Nelson.

It is rumoured that Mr. E. G. Wright, of Canterbury, will take the portfolio of Public Works.

Mr. Macdonald, the hon. member for the East Coast, has the credit of bringing in one of the shortest Bills, if not the shortest on record. His "Gaming and Lotteries Act Repeal Bill" runs thus :— "The Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881, is hereby repealed."

Beer drinkers will be glad to hear that the Colonial Treasnrer has given Mr. Seddon hopes that when the Financial Statement comes down it will he found that the duty imposed upon colonial beer in the hard times has been removed.

Wo have seen in the premises of Mr. Furlong an "Archer's Patent Barber's Chair," which Mr. Furlong has procured for the convenience of his patrons. The chair 18 of the best workmanship, and is a marvel in design, as it can be altered so that a person can rest in it in any posture from reclining at full length to sitting upright. The chair ia indeed quite a lnxnrions affair, and Mr. Furlong deserves public support for having his hairdressing establishment fitted up with the latest inventions.