THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 12817, 27 March 1905, Page 4

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

; A donferenlce • is, to| take palace at Cilristdtjurch on Wednesday, for the pjui(poise ofi urging upon tihe Govjertnlihe completion of ihe 3Uidlata!d .Railway,' to connect ) thie , east anki Wst / eoiasts of the r Soluth IslanfcL is a very large 'oofcter, intvoJ/ving lesSceedingly heavy, formatioii work, aiwl incluiding a tunnel some five or six miles in length. ,At the present rate of pnogress the -line will nlot be finished for a great many years, pernapjs a qwurter of a century, bfcst before the colony agrees to. more rapid |oMs!tk.utation it dugiht to be sa^sfied that tlfe line is one wMchi Semialnid^ inmue-diate anld sptecial attention;. Oiur bwjtt opinion of it- is that the.Millanld Jlailwiay; plans might be pigeonHholed for at ■ few years without - any hatfm beingi *d,one. The Staircase 3 Gjully and Arfchjur's Bass sections will be enormotusly Ciostly pieces of jwock anjd the line for miany " niiles will /;p|alss! tihr,ofujg|il cotuntry ahn'ost 'barren of everything except scenery, ajnH goenery will not grease the wheels. When qomjpletoS, the line, will be expensive to world ans it will' not earn mjuch,-< of local traffic for many miles there will be none, anid, coal and merchjanfdise will always Tote darfiefd beiween Lyttelton an!d the IWest Qoast mimdhj mlore cheaply by siteamiei* than by nail. A few tourists anid' trippers will tralvel overland, but suejh traffic 4s that\may develop into in^tifafc nest fifty years will not warrant the. heavy expieiidituire necessary to BroMLde for tl'. Therfe might be some littiie" excuse ioir j^uislhing on> wit!h th^ lite if tihte Clolomy ha r d plenty of aalotney-for tfailwayi ootostructioai, anfd if there .Iwere no athor woriks urgently, 'demainciHig com|piletion. ,WMle^ h'owelVer, sarcih a line asf tjiat to \ connect Stratfor<d' witlbi, Ojigaruhe, on.the Main Tnunk linle, languishes for wamt'^oi'mibkey it is little khort of a icrime to) speto'd £60,000 a year onj a line tih'rioiulgh coAUnitty s'udhi 'as ' that at Satir-case Giujly and Ai-fchiir's Vassj The trduHble pjresrumayy is: £rtihat Public WioMks ©3qpen{ditui-e has to be 'divided u=p between tlie two IsJanfds, and the different . oonstitiuen'cies mfiteij have ttferr share, , witiho'urtJ' fegaiW to the real ncceslsities... This^ is one of the curses of New Zealand pblitiofe, and 3k<r SeSdi'd'on iis the on3y man tihe jolony h;as ftad/iat any rate, for a great Wumiber of y^aw, / will thb sttrcttigitK, if }m dhose to oxert it; to that the most necesSaU-y workfe JiioHuldJ be , "proceeide'd, witK first, rejaiipffiess of party atiid local consiiderabioivs. lif he would mafe itp'tis nund lo sudK a cdurse of action the colony is a; w>hole would snzpport him,_aiiid t in not d^ficiult to predict 't'wftat would bo tno answer .to the Mfdlanfct Railway, donfereiMce. ;,■ h i \j » ■ \

The temperature -this niovnuig 51 deg. in th« shade, aixd barometrial reading 30.37. Tho Duiie'din Oily Council will this year contribute £200 to the maintenance df the local tcditaical scfoool. Tho Japanese are still buying largely of Australian horses for oavalry work. Another shipment will be sent away shortly. My J. C. "Williamson's -Repertoire Opera Company will give a season in Sew Plymouth on April 13th and 14th. A-hen "The Pirates- of Penzance" and 'IHJkI.S. Pinafore" will be produced. We understand that hares have found their way right tip as far as the moss line on Mount Egmont, and that even in winter their tracks are t,o be seen in the snow where iiave crossed from one scrub patch to another in the lower, gorges. The Eltham School picnic will be held in the Recreation Grounds on Thursday. About four hundred childv :en and* two hundred adults will arrive by special train, and will do t .he town and baths ? using the Recreation Grounds as a base. 'MrR. E. Bannister, denies that a syndicate, including the Premier, is associated with him in 'his recent pur-" chase of 3SIr Martin Kennedy's and au- ' other's inierests in' 1 the New Zealand Times. It is, he says, his own investment, and the paper will not ad- ' opt, as has been suggested, a strongly Seddonite tone. Tie nrost coninion form of colour bliwiness is an inability to jdistingniisti :red. Last' year ; tlqirtyrioWr offioerfe anjd'would-bfe officers of the BriHigh mercantile-marine service failed? colour testte, twenty-'tnareej being refri blisnid, anjd) -t&et remasn£terj aitnalble to distinguish green. ' T?h© 4600 candidates for ( certificates were also sub- 1 mitteid' to form the vtLsiou. . tests, and twenty -two of thtem failed to. distmgiijLsJ* ihe form of Uhe I oT^ecft su*b- ' mitted. , 'Mr Johnson's gee-gee, which we j£ mentioned the other day, will have to take a back seat so far as mdun1 tain climbing is concerned, as recently s Mr Morris took a party up the mound tain and Mr Morris' cat followed them Uj and succeeded in getting right up to , the crater:.' >We understand the Com- " mittee have- ' ■ lio objections to pussy; <£ going* lip. above the horse paddock, aa r- her weigiht does not break away, thel narrow track on the ridges as Mr _, Johnson's or any other moke would h It is stated in the Greymouth "Argus" that a Kumara storekeeper, jj;assDl ing a miner's ihut near a dredge, wad is attracted by a large stone lying near 1> the hu£ \which he believed to be .1, greenstone. On chipping a few pieces !(J off the boulder, he found it to mC pure a _ greenstone, , and on being weighed it £ turned the, scale at three tons; and ' as the commodity is r worth 6d to 2s per pound, according to quality, the ,c, c find was a valuable one. It was afterwards split, in two and foiinti to ' be of very good quality. "For some *' time past the dredge h,ad one of her t mooring Hues fastened'to this stone, i yet those on the dredge and others 3 passing the^stone day after day never ; suspected that "the barren-looking 1 j boulder Vas of any.valu«. Owing to some very sad cases during! several years past, the Hong-kong Go- i vernment recently communicated with tlie FeSeraT Government" 'of Australia giving particulars., of several, cases in t, which the Australian wives of Chinese i_ hay ej^ been deserted or otherwise ill- - treated by their husbands on return I- .to China ; « asking the Australian Go-: f vernment to warn young women a-< • gainst such- marriages, as tho husband > has usually already a wife living in 1 China. We, understand that this warn- [ ing is also, necessary in New Zealand* ' Women wE^b have inWricii Chinese in the colony ami have lived happily with them for years have accompanied their ' husbands on 'their return to [ China, to discover that they had to I choose desertion at Hong- : kong or living as secondary wife in the 1 interior- i Nathaniel Grimes, an eld age peni sioner, who left the Old People's Home some Jew weeks ago in prefer* ; ence. to consenting to a prohibition j order being issued against himself, •■ was informed on Monday morning by the S.M. that his pension would bo continued. At the time the Old Peoi pie's Home authorities made applioa4 tion for a prohibition order against • Grimes it was disclosed' that the latter had been drinking, and the S.M. said, he would have to' consider tho question of cancelling; the pension granted to him. The case was adjourned for a month to allow Grimes to return to the Home, and on his behaviour depended the ccaitinuance of tlie pension.^ 7t A faVoqrabW :,report was Karicfed £tb tlie S.M. on Monday, and he tteereiißon decided to allow the pension to be continued. William Ridley Hodge pleaded guilty at Perth to having stolen, as a «fcrk £3000, the property of the Western Australian Bank. Mr Barshen, solicitor, said Hodge> fall was due to gambling, which'- was -very rife in the community, and which the Government appeared to sanction. Mr Justice Burnsido, in passing sentence of five years' imprisonment, r said :— "Hodge--Many men ' nave ' been brought to trial tor. giving way to temptation. IJiave no ; doubt 'maiiy niore will be- brq^g^t before the Court unless something is done to check the gambling/vnflnence. [ can say nothing as to the policy of the Government, but I can say that Ihoift who stand in alpq^gpn of trust must realise that breach of that trust will result, in "dire consequences. U is my.duty"nol"to pass over an offence like this. I regard it as a grave offence. You must look elsewhere for r-htaKinoy. As UoHg 'as J a-m cfn, the bench I'will Jo my duty." His Honor also*, «ritiofap<*&* nm^ate lot admitting Hodge to bail after he had pleaded ggUJ^^

.Admiral Sir Jehu Fisher has determined, to stop the- waste involved incondemnmg- stores that are really fit to be used again. If British taxpay-ers-only, knew what the system just vncted has cost tixeni) the economic' ally imoded would stand aghast. Thousands of pounds (says the Pall Mall Oazette) have been literally wasted for years. , • : The fortnightly consignment of but-! tor' and cheese from this port, which was dispatched by the s.s. Coruina on Monday afternoon, consisted of i) 510 boxes of butter and 260 cases of cheese. v Owing- to the dry weather cxperionced' tho shipments sho.w a falling- off in comparison with previous seiisohs, but the diminution in the quantities frotu this port is not so considerable as that experienced by some of the l- shipping ports. T,he Frankley Road Board met at the office of the secretary ((Mr M, Flectwopd) on Saturday. Mr C. Billing was' (in the absence uf' the chairman) voted to the chair, and there were also profit 3lossr» F. INcwell and Allen. ' Three weeks' extension of time was allowed .the contractor for thft Frankley Park Road. . The returning'officer will take steps for the election ot two members. Messrs H. Okfty arid C. Billing- are tho retiring memibers. The poll was fixed for Saturdny, l\ray Gfcli. Tho second progress paywient of-Clso'was granted to the contractor for the Frankley Park. v?ojne consternation has been caused with tlje Old People's Home authorities through the disappearance from the institution of one of the inmates, named William O'Neill., It >was discovered by the manager on Sunday night that -the man was massing, and the police were i,mjnediately communicated with. A couple of constables and others lost no time in making a thorough search of the grounds attached to the institution and also the immediate locality, it being thought that as the man was subject to Jit seizures >he had not 'wtanciered far away but was probably lying in a helpl«ss condition somewhere in the vicinity of the > Home. The Search however, proved futile. On- Monday morning mfbririation was received that-*a mian similar in. appearance to O'Neill <had hoen seen along the Frankley Road on Sunday night, and thither Constable Woods and Mr C. Lepper (secretary of the Board) proceeded early in the morning. - They found him at the Frankley Road factory, where he was giving the manager a lesson iiL^bu^tgr-makijig,^ - , -j-. • ChristcEureh"'^TrutK reports:—Wirth's Circus went aiway at the* "beginning oi this week. As the suij-editors'.of -the morning paper were going home to bed about 4f o^lock on Wednesday morning, they heard the firebell, and naturally went round by. t the "Fir**Brigade station to see what «vas up. Suddenly they came upon .a^, huge elephant, taking- the night air, wandering tlioughtfuljv along, the street, no doubt, thinking - 'of home. The Pressmen were .paralysed wjth astonishment, but they seized ihe situation, and avoided the "indi%rubber Vnill," which meantime strolled albng' towards town. & little further? on they, met a polieemftji* and told him That there was an elephant wandering^ about and trespassing. "T saw^ntm/" said tlie policeman, with a fine Tarbgue. " Faiih it wasn't me that we'r* goin' t' interfai'e wid> him. I saw him leaning over the railing iv the band rotunda, and puljing the shrtrbs, * but- I didn't interfare'Wid^him' at all at aH. He wer behaving* peaceable/ Just then the animai came along with one of the keepers thumping out a. ragtime march on his hide with a polo, and he was rounded up In the enclosure from which he had strayed. At the toonthly meeting ct the Omata lload Board, held.at the djOice of the secretary CMr D. McAllum) there were, present:.—Messrs A. Oe6rge (chairman), >W. P. Bishop, C. Itiley, and R. C. Ckmow, Mr A. Simpson will fee informed that either the owner or oc-cupier-is liable under "the Act for rates on lot 81, Spolswood. The Taranaki County Council offered to put down a culvert on Waireka lioad conditionally on the Board paying half cost, but the Board decided that'it was the duty of the Council to put the culvert down a I its own expense. It was decided to object to the Valuer-General's charge of £% tis 10d for revising the valuation roll, the secretary stating that he Himself had done all the revision. Mrs Ann Bawling notified that she had exchanged her farm of 40 acres to W. 1). Webster for two cottages in town. The secretary was Instructed to alter the roll accordingly. Accfrnnts amounting to £25 15s lid were passed for payment, including £5 13s spent on Waireka Rbad. ia regard to £3f> rates outstanding, tho secretary^ was instructed to add 10 per cent. aW ter April 29, mid $o suo all defaulters after that dale. A resolution wag passed permitting "Mr Skinner's pro-" porty, block 4, Paritufru, to be in^ eluded in the special loan area, in connection with tho loan to be raised by tho Barrett Road Board for the purpose of forming and grading the Devon line extension. Tenders will too called for the carting and spreading of HO yards of gravel on Hurford Road. Tt was decided to oxpend the £20 subsidy for Barrett ~m&&'m repairing tho portion at present gravelled, and to. ploncfh and form tho hill portion. „, The A.B.C. Boot and Shoe Co. rnport a great run on their football boot, and intending purchasers should maU". it thoir business to get in rarly.

To-morrow will be th^ fo'rty-fift/h anniversary df the" Battle of iWaireka. The Garrison Band will give thoir fourth municipal concert- to-morrow evening, at " THe Pines." The Omata Road Board notifies t-toat 10 per oent. will be adjded to all rates unpaid after 29th Aj»ril, 1905. Tenders are , invited >by the Omata Road Board: for carting 50 yaricls gravel on Hurford Roaid. . Morey, anjdl Soli axtHQuntte they are taking orders for Kaiappi tailor-made costumes. In another column Mr R. Colejnan advertises for private sale the balance, of timber in connection with the late [ Exhibition Building. A correspondent wants to Isaow why the Herald proprietary sent its ru»ner boys to 'dSiie a 6 a ■ reetalupantt on Wednesday last when there was so nrudh "pi* on our own premises;. 'A meeting of members of the New Plymouth Association Football Club, and all interested in the game, is call:* cd for to-night at S o'clock at Messrs S. Clark & Co^s premises. Obtain Edwin wired at 12.30 p.m. : — Strong winds to gale from between jnonfcheast and north ami west after 20 ho*u»si from now. Glass fall, .tides high, sea hefcvy, rain pfroifcfcsble. • Mr D. iMioAllum, District Agent for the United Insurance Comp|&ny and the Norwich' and London Adddent Insurance Association, notifies that the offices of the companies have b^en removed to the Coffee Palace Btuilfclings, Egmont-street. The wife of Lioutenanjt fWjelalb, of tihe XJinitadl States Army, is suing at Baltimore! for a (divorce, "because lieu- r tenant Welsflb, , ., who is a njat{ujralisit, collected centipedes, btigs, an^d toads, wMch he persisted in keeping in Ms bedjfoom. There was a large following at the^ funeral. of the late Mrs Drake, whose remains were interred in tho local cemetery on Sunday afternoon. Thebu-' rial service was conducted by the Rev. F. G. Evans. A large number of floral emblems were placed on the coffin and at the graveside. The Secretary of the Exhibition Committee has received from those not already on the guarantee list the following subscriptions towards the deficiency on the late Exhibition :— <N" . X, MacDiarjnicl £2 2s, D. Berry & Co. £2 2s, Joseph Mackay £1 Is, Joseph Hooker £5." >* £Mr E. Griffiths, who has just re«. turned from a visit to Feilding, says very short of water. Many peopld,~take their, iftvash^ag^to^the riyCT^^fcnSc, while pedple 4wn&ihave anywb&njf lijip permanent•supplies^|are helping theiK less fortu- \ Mle Crespin, merchant, before itii? Fe9eialf rtf Taßff Conapssiom that 'thVStates^&e^axed £aQ,OOO for the (^tfeebglaaM-^oftee^industry-tt wliicjh' produced otoly 38 tons in 1953. The wit»"asS 'ftf&fther vstatedi -that' the pe6pk oi Syiiiney T^e^t^eT *x&tf§r class of cfoffee, anfd that hi ckwAsikth sell any of his gboti'taoffee in this city. ;?• Tj^e^'pas^ngers on boa^ tho New iZeamna pipping Compaiy's steamer ' had a fine v^jew of the eclip^Vof the sun during \fthe run out from iqndojD. .^^e eelips^)was threequarter, and t CQmmencedr^at 12.8 on March ! 6tA,. las^g until.^.l2 p.m. the game day. Tne vessel- was ia lat. "46%'$P. 129 E. at the time> , THe^B&vr^i Star saysr-^A mfcst/ extraordinary A a|t^rA in Hawera ' this morning) wrneb. resulije^l in the almost instant death of a dab-horse. It "appears ''"thai?' "pVisSßag^ : ltlong Glovcrroati the animal was suddenly brought into close proximity to one of the elephants belonging to Wirth's circus, and at the sight of it the, horse kjuivereld violently anjdjdropped dead. TJie horse was the big grey one that Mr G. 'Gibson usually had in the hansom. ' ? ■ The despatch of the steamer AucJhienblae ' from Fiji, . Suva, to , New York with' a cargo of 5000 tons, of sugar ■is of "more ,than fleeting interest. It is significant in several 'respects (says a Sydney paper), and" indicates that Fiji ' . has other markets open for its products than immediate British colonies. Jhe value of the sugar . taken r.fcy „ the Auchenblac is worth! something like £70,000, and ar.ist be regarded as a creditable shipment for the colony, alike in bulk and value. Mr Rl.R 1 . Coclv, who 'was accompanied on a trip through the Opunake • and surrounding districts by Messrs Newton King and J. C. George, reports that tho country has a very uninviting and desolf uj appearance. The gras-; .has been virtually dried up, and has a decided khaki tinge, and turnip crops are puny and want rain badly. , A &BgKU.TiS«S feMMMv.tt attack crops/ , „SFbe ; : farm ( eo' will be affected seriously by the drought, but some have taken the precaution to jnako provision for' winter Jeed By reserving jhay, oats, and oaten sheaf. Mr J. M.. Hignett, Waitara, writes : j-JJust a few lines to contradict an erjror which appeared iiuvour paper oi iFriday last. A paragraph states tnat r< Mf R v . Johnston ..has I.*1 .* the honour of jeingHne 5 first "to* 'take * a quadruped as s^\£s'^^c>yx(& OEgmont as H^umphri" ICastle/j' This is incorrect ; as a matter *6f fact/ Mr H.* B. Curtis, in company with myself and party, took a horse, about- 12 years ago, past BQumphries' Castle, and after negotiating all the scoria travelled some distance up the rocks. Mr Curtis's intention was to put the horse on the top of his "Royal Highness," but owing to tho jagged nature and steepness the gee-gee began to cut his fetlocks, and the attempt waff- abandoned. Our estimate at the time of the distance was from 800 to 1000 feet from . the summit. I only write you these few lines knowing your willingness to rectify any mistakes that may occur and give what kudos, if there is any, to the one who deserves it.