The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1889.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8586, 25 September 1889, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1889.

The " Railway Reform League " is tha title of a new , Association which has rscently been formed in Auckland, whose object is to obtain euch a rectification of the system of railway management as "will effectually knit the country producing district with the centres of industry and population, and both with the outlet of trade." The league leems to bt we'l supported, for on its committee are the names of the principal men of Auoklnnd ; and amongst those most familiar to tbo publio are Dr J. L. Campbell, Captain Daldy, Messrs L. D. Nathan, A. Bell, S. Jogger, Russell, S. Taile, J. Fisher, P. G. EwingUm, W. McCailough, R. Laisbley, and W. Wildtnan. There are others, but these are the best known to outsiders. Mr C. D. Whitcombe is the secretary of the league, and Mr N. R. Moody treasurer. The chief objects of this Railway League are, as far as possible, embodied in the following points: — (a) The total abolition of differential rating ; (b) the abolition of mileage rating, and the substitution ot a stage system ; (c) the stage system adopted must be of such a nature as to give special facilities to districts and settlers far removed from a market ; (d) a reduction in the charge for the conveyance of passengers and goods ; (c) a simplification in the classification of goods; if) a simplification and amalgamation of terminal, weigbing,cranaze, and other charges. The League is trying to enlist amongst its supporters the member? of Municipal Councils and Road Boards throughout the colony, to whom circulars have been sent inviting their co-operation in the cause. In the circular sent to us by the Secretary is the following paragraph: "The cost of the railways constitutes v burden under which the whole colony is weighed down and depressed; it will continue to languish from this cause until measures are devised for working the railways on such a system as will lend effectual aid to the task of developing to the utmost attainable extent the products and industries of the country. The railways exist ; they must be so utilised as to convert them from a burden into an active co-operative power in the extention of production and promotion of settlement, ».«,, the development of our resources, and increase of our national wealth." With a view to carry out their reform in the railway system the Committee of the League are also endeavouring to get branches formed in every settled district of the colony, the chairmen of such branch Leagues being ex offieio members of the General Committee in Auckland. The object is a good one, no doubt, bat now that the railways are under the control of a Board of Commissioners, we fear the League will be powerless to effect the reforms which are so desirable, and for which the Association has been started.

A Welliagton lady, says the Weekly Herald,\ the other day remarked that she "believed the Countess of Onslow wan of Scottish construction." As will be seen by advertisement in another column, St. Mary's choir, assisted by friends, intend to give an organ recital to-morrow (Thursday) night. The Payne Family bad a crowded house at Waitara on Tuesday night, sitting room being at ft premium. The talented family appear at Inglewood to-night; and on Thursday night they perform at Stratford. A great deal of interest is being manifested in tbe football match between Manganui and New Plymouth, whioh takes place at Inglewood on Saturday next. The former has scored 9 points, and the latter 8, for the cup, so that a win will make either club the premier for the season.

Henry Ford, eldest son of Mr Herbert Ford, got his left collar bone brokea while playing football on Poverty Flat on Monday evening. This is the second time he has had the same bone broken whilo footballing. Dr Gault attended the sufferer. A well-known Wellington dude, Bays the Weehly Herald, who is well up in the art of getting into his tailor's ribH, lounged into a new tailor's shop in this oity recently and ordered a suit of clothes. The suit was sent to the young man, but thb tailor oould get no money for it. A few days ago, as Master Dude was passing the tailor's shop the bland proprietor hailed him with a smile. "Well, sir," he said, "that coat is horribly wrinkled ; come in and N we will press it for you." Unsuspectingly he entered and surrendered the coat. Then something was wrong with the vest, and that, too, was taken downstairs for treatment and the youth accommodated with a seat|in the dressingroom. " Now," said the wily tailor, " you will have to send a messenger 10 your house for your other clothes, for I am atraid we cannot let you have this suit again unless you liquidate the bill in full." Young Master Dude begged hard tor his clothes, but the tailor was inexorable, and muoh to hia disgust he had to wait until the money was brought. It is claimed that two professors conneoled with the Pasteur Institute have discovered the generative microbe of diphtheiia, and that a preventive of this disease by means of vaccine viruß is expected to follow. Should this expectation be realised, says the Scientific American, the disoovery and its succesmul upplication will certainly take rank among the moßt important triumph's in the realm ot medical science. The prevalence of diphtheria, especially in the principal cities, and the very large proportion of fatal cases, is little dreamed of excepting by thoßo who are giving special attention to the subjeot. In Brooklyn, N.Y., for instance, there were, in 1888, 984 deaths from diphtheria which prgbabjy repraleatßiSUQOQttiea,