Commercial Intelligence. THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1885.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3275, 26 March 1885, Page 2

Commercial Intelligence. THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1885.

When some three or four years ago Parliament declined to make the Wellington and Manawatu Railway, the people were woefully disappointed. The great drawback to the town is that it is so shut m by hills on all sides, that, like matrimony, wben once you are m there is no getting out again. At least there is not much opportunity of doing so with any great pleasure and profit. If you are a good sailor you can of course go anywhere from Wellington via Cook Strait ; or if you desire to see what engineers can do m tbe way of sending a railway over and through apparently impassable hills you can take train for the Wairarapa, over tbe famous Pell Incline, where tbe engine crawls up a gradient of 1 m 15, and spins round terrifying curves of five cbains' radius which make you feel as if you were on a merry-go-round at a fair. It is no wonder that tbe Wellington folks sighed for anotber outlet, and cast longing eyes at the fertile lands on the West Coast, from which they were practically isolated by tbe absence of railway communication. Parliament, howevei", refused to sanction tbe scheme for the Manawatu line, and all tbe castles m tbe air which had been built on the project were suddenly dissipated. Although discouraged, tbe citizens were not altogether cast down, and with a good deal of pluck determined to form a company to construct the line themselves. They were enabled to do this on somewbat favorable terms under the Railway Construction and Land Act of 1881, whicb provided, that Crown lands to the value of one-third of tbe cost of construction sbould be granted to any joint-stock company undertaking tbe making of a railway connecting with a Government railway. In spite of the concessions obtained under this Act, however, the effort to float the enterprise was sufficient to severely tax the ardour even of the enthusiastic promoters. Shares were fully taken up locally, not so much with the idea of their being a good investment as with tbe object of securing the railway for the benefit of the town. Only a small proportion of the large capital required for such a work could possibly be secured m a town of a little over 20,000 inhabitants, and it became necessaiy to raise money further afield. Here tbe difficulties of the company commenced m earnest. The Chairman of Directors went to Australia, but the moneyed men m Sydney and Melbourne turned a deaf ear to his blandishments. Things were beginning to look unpleasant when, fortunately for tbe company, Sir Julius Yogel arrived m the colony on tbe short" visit which he paid New Zealand some two or three years ago ia connection with electric lighting. Through his assistance the Directors were enabled to place debentures on the London market, and, it is rumored, were duly and properly grateful for the assistance. Thenceforward their work was pretty plain sailing. The Company has an admirable Engineer m Mr Higginson, C.E., and it is generally admitted tbat m regard to rapidity and excellence of construction an example has been set which the Public Works Department would do well to follow. This is the line which the Government have entered into a provisional agreement to acquire. It may be stated that from tbe first there was a fixed belief m the minds of the shareholders that this undertaking would sooner or later have to be purchased by Parliament. That impression became a positive certainty as soon as the central route for the North Island Trunk Railway between Marton and Te Awamutu was decided upon. That at once made the Manawatu Railway virtually part of the Trunk Railway between Wellington and Auckland. This being the case the undertaking could not possibly have been allowed to remain m private hands. The position, with the Trunk Railway completed, would have been very much as if the line between Cbristcburch and Timaru were at the present time m tbe bands of a joint stock company. The Wellington people deserve credit for 'their astuteness m having seen through the situation from the first, and acted accordingly. The result is that they will have their railway completed at a time when it would probably not have been begun if it had been left to tbe colony to undertake. The shareholders also, we fancy, will find that their money has not been badly invested m the meantime. In regard to the nature of the arrangement provisionally arrived at, it is difficult, m the absence of further information, to say whether it is equitable or not as regards the colony. The telegram states that it is expected it will return to the shareholders all their money with a little more than tbe interest thereon. This, of course, is a mere expression of opinion, and it is a somewhat elastic mode of putting the matter. First of all it appears the company is to have refunded the amount of the actual expenditure on the line, without interest or cost of financing, etc. The work, as we have pointed out, haß been wellexecuted under tbe supervision of the Government Engineers, as well as of Mr Higginson, and to this extent tbe colony will get good value for its money. Then the Company is to surrender the land-grants for which, of course, it paid nothing, and for this it receives about 10s per acre — less, no doubt, than the market value of the land, but a good round sum m the aggregate. Laßtly, the Company retains some acres of land which have been reclaimed at Thorndon, during the progress of the work. This is likely to become a very valuable property as the city grows. It is situated on the shore of the bay, with the railway running through it, and will be especially adapted for manufacturing works, stores, etc. This and the cash for the land grants, we fancy, will prove a by no means insignificant solatium to the shareholders for lying out of their money for

three or four years, and for in' curring the anxieties and responsibilitief inseparable from such an undertaking On the other hand, it must be remem bered that the Company is under nc compulsion to sell, while it is indis putable that sooner or later the Go vernment would be bound to take ovei the property. We fancy that th< Directors would have held out foi much higher terms but for the facl that the first of their land sales, belc the other day, proved a failure owing tc the cheapness of the Government lands m the same neighborhood, and othei causes. As it is, the shareholders will probably act wisely m selling out to the Government, while the latter, seeing that the line must be acquired soonei or later, iB no doubt right m securing if as early as possible. Such a ■ course ia preferable to waiting until the railway is completed, and the value both of the line, and the endowments correspondingly increased. We assume, however, that before sanctioning the transfer Parliament will insist on the fullest information as to the value of the concessions made to the Company, so that it may know what it is doing. The affair shows very clearly that if the colony instead of constructing a railway with its own funds, leaves the matter to a company, it is sure to cost it considerably more m the end. Such we have no doubt will be the case with the East and "West Coast (Middle Island) Railway if it is constructed by a syndicate, and such it is clear will be the case m regard to the various dis« trict railways now under negotiation. If a railway is worth making at all it should be made by the Government, who have the command of cheap money, and the actual possession of the necessary facilities. If it is handed over to a company, obviously large concessions must be made, and so the colony has to " pay through' the nose " m the long run. « The despatch recently given to the s.s. Glaucus m this harbor has, we are glad to learn, attracted favorable attention outside the district. Mr. C. W. Turner, the well-kuown merchant and shipping owner of Christchurch, m a letter to Mr McGlashan, Managing Director of Bruce and Co.'s flour mills, expresses the opinion that the rapid unloading and loading of Buch a steamer is very creditable to the port, and that the fact should be made known as widely as possible. It ought, he considers, to induce the insurance companies to lower their premiums for this port. There is no doubt that the feat referred to reflects credit not only on the port and the harbor authorities, but also on the railway officials and their appliances. The steamer arrived alongside the wharf on Friday morning at 6 a.m., and was worked until 10.30 p.m. On Saturday she was worked until 4 p.m. On Sunday nothing, of courße, was done, but on Monday the cargo of a thousand tons of coal was all discharged by about 6 p.m. By 8 p.m. she had taken 824 sacks of oats on board and was on her way .to the Bluff. We have no hesitation m saying that such despatch would have reflected credit on any port m the colony, and there is the strongest possible ground for expecting, as Mr Turner suggests, that the Insurance Companies shall recognise these and other proofs of the perfect safety and convenience of the port which are now being almost daily brought under their notice. Mr Turner himself, as the residents m this district know, has long shown his faith m the Harbor works by unhesitatingly sending his vessels here on all occasions, and his intimate and favorable experience of the port invests his opinion on the subject with the greatest authority.

Drunkenness. — Theonly person m custodj at the Police Station last evening was a mat arrested for drunkenness. That well-known and Popular Front Bai of tho Ship Hotel is now Selling Marshall and Copeland's Ales at 3d per Glass and 9d pei Quart. — [Advt.] Timaed Chess Club. — The annual genera meeting of this Club will bo held m th< Timaru Assembly Room at 7.30 p.m. or Monday. Intending members are requested to send m their names to the Hon. Secretary Mr E. H. Lough, junr., at once. The Easier Holidays. — The N.M. anc A. Company, as agents for the Union S.S Company, advertise that saloon passenger* leaving by the Wanaka for Lyttelton vie Akaroa on Saturday, April 4th, will be booked at 20s, the tickets to bo available for return by the s.s. Taiaroa on Tuesday 7th, or by the Wanaka a week later. U.A.O.D.— Past Arch Bro. Keith of tin Timaru Lodge bos received an intimatiot from the Board of Directors m Melbourne that he has been appointed District Presidenl of District No. 30, which extends from (anc includes) Oamaru on tho South to Methver on tho North. There are at present flv< Druidical Lodges m the district. C Battbby N.Z.A. — According to t special Order, this Battery paraded at Head' quarters at 7.30 o'clock last evening m march' ing order, and were encamped m a paddocl adjoining the Immigration Barracks. About 28 men and officers mustered, and it is ex pected that by to-night fully 50 will be undei canvas, where they will remain till Thursday when they will proceed to Winchester. The Artillery Band will be at the camp to-night. Misa Gekeyieve Wabd. — As might have been anticipated seats m the dress circle foi Miss Ward's opening performance m the Theatre Royal to-morrow evening are being rapidly secured, and yesterday by far the greater bulk had been taken up. Those whe desire to witness this lady's high class acting should lose no time m engaging seats, as there promises to be a rush for them every night Tho box plan is at Mr Friedlander's. Band of Hope. — A Service of Song, "John Ploughman," by the Rev. Mr Spurgeon, win given by tho choir of St. Paul's (Wesleyan) Church, Waimate, on the 24th instant, m aid of tho Band of Hope. Mr Stevens led the choir, and Miss Gray accompanied on the organ. Tho choir was assisted by members of the choirs of Bt. Augustine's (Episcopal) and Knox (Presbyterian) churches. Mi Georgo Manchester road the portions of the servico adapted for reading. The singing oi the choirs was excellent. There was a large attendance, and tho collection at the close of the service was well responded to. The Rev. J, McKeo moved a vote of thanks to the choir. Sale of Wobk. — A sale of work m aid ol the funds of the Primitive Methodist Church was held m tho Oddfellows' Hall, Barnard street, yesterday. At the top end of the room was placed a stall on which was neatly displayed a collection of useful and fancj articles composed of needlework, pictures, and the great many etceteras that attract the feminine mind. This stall was presided over by Mcsdames Sharp, Toneycliff, Peacock and Sando. A refreshment stall was also provided, at which Mesdames Powell and William* presided. Tho attendance m the afternoon was very fair, and during the evening there was quite a large attendance of the public. The City Band, under the loodership of Mi Dickenßon, played a number of selections outside the Hall, the oxccllent mueic thej discoursed considerably enlivening the proceedings. Judging by tho small number oi articles unsold at tho close of the sole, there will be a very fair Bum to add to the church funds.

Defence of TiUAßtT.— One of the moat 5 representative meetings ever held m Tiraaru took place m Messrs Maclean and Stewart's • Buildings last ovening to consider wliat steps " should be taken to provide adequate ) measures to protect the town and port. The . room was crowded to excess, fully three _ hundred persons being inside, -whilst a very large number were unable to obtain admitr tanco. Among those present we noticed 3 several people who had come from some disr tanee. On the whole the promoters of the t meeting have every reason to congratulate > themselves on the success which has so far attended their efforts. } Resident Magistrate's CotrßT, Timabu. 3 — Captain Woollcombe, R.N., and H. J. r LeCren, Esq., J.P., presided at this Court J. yesterday, and fined a first offender for , drunkenness ss. Joseph Fleming, who had ' been twice before the Court this year for > lunacy from drink was also charged with r drunkenness. At his own request a prohibits tion order was issued against him, the order , to apply to the Mount Cook licensing district, r where he generally resides. Tli is was all the business, and the Court rose. — A special 1 sitting of this Court will beheld this morning, • commencing at half-pa9t ton, with the civil , case Thyne v. Mucdonald, which was ad- . journed from Tuesday's sitting. Resident Magistbatb's Coubt, Tempka. — At this Court yesterday 8. D. Barker and • J. Talbot, Esqs., J.P.s presided. H. Coulter, ; against whom a charge was laid for wilfully > kicking at the doors of the Tciuuka Hotel on , the morning of the 18th insfc., did not appear, ' but forwarded a letter acknowledging the offence. MrChamberlin and Constable Morton 1 having given evidence, a fine of 20s was m;- ; flicted. Wm. Dyson, for disturbing the Sali vation Army m their Hall on Sunday lost, was fined 6s, and severely cautioned. Judgment was given for amount claimed by default ' m the civil case Terauka Town Board v. R. '. Hornbrook, claim 7s 6d for rates. The case '■ J. H. Jackson v. H. Goodwin, claim £1 4s, . was adjourned for 14 days on the application ! of defendant to enable him to file a set-off. Cubious Suggestion. — A pamphlet has just been published m England recoinmend--1 ing that all parents who have more than three • children be fined. Obafb Stone Jewemeby. — A new, use- . ful and unique style of jewellery has come . into fashionable wear called English crape , stone, on account of itß having the light and wavy appearance of crape. It 'is now the most popular (says an exchange) , being largely worn by people m mourning m place of jet, , as it is both elegant and inexpensive. [ The Labgest Emebaxd m the Wobld. —An emerald has been extracted from the Muzo mines, m Colombia (South America), i which weighs a pound. The largest speci- ', men of the gem heretofore known to lapi- • claries is m the collection of the Duke of s Devonshire, and weighs between eight and nine ounces. It came from a mine m the 1 same neighborhood. ' A Pbodigious Bond.— Hitherto the two ■ £100,000 Bank of England notes have ; always been considered the largest notes I extant. The princely family of the Starhembergs are the posßeßsors of a single bond of much greater value — namely, of the > face value of 1,500,000 _ florins (ahout £150,000 sterling) at which figure ; they bo me years - ago sold their ; m.- . terest m the vast estate m the Wieden, at Vienna. The bond, which nominally yields an annual interest of 75,000 florins (silver), is ' deposited with the Vienna District Court, i Feminine Extravagance. — A bride a I week or two since (says an English paper) I astonished the feminine world by wearing on her wedding day a chemise ' worth £120. But she Beemß likely ' to bo outdone m extravagance by anl other bride — the fiancee of an English baronet I resident m Paris— the fur for one of whose winter gowns cost the pretty figure of £1250, '. while tho lace which trims the various ' toilettes comprising her trousseau is estimated • at no less than £5000. Both the lace and l the fur are presents from the baronet to his . bride-elect, and form part of the corbeille, or , wedding present, the rest consisting of various ' artistic gowns. ' Ameeican Audiences. — In the Fortnightly Mr Irving has an article on American audiences, dissecting its qualities. Mr [ Irving keenly says : — " The dominent characteristic of an American audience is impartiality. They do not sit m judgment, resenting as positive offences lack of power to convey meanings or a divergence m the inter- • prctation of a particular character or scene. , When they do not like a performance they \ simply go away. And here is a kindly feeling toward the actor. An individual | part of that recognition of individuality, so i strikingly characteristic m American life i and customs, is that thorough enjoyment. ; Another point : they are not only quick to understand and appreciate, but they take a genuine pleasure m the expression of app roval. They are not surpassed m quickness r and completeness of comprehension by any l audience I have yet seen." Dying fboji Glanders. — The San Franr cisco correspondent of the New Zealand I Herald says : — A fearful tragedy :1s being r enacted a few miles away. A very rich settler up country, with his wife, had two 1 splendid and valuable horses who were b smitten with that awful disease glanders. i Instead of shooting them, as advised, I the pair went to work to cure the , animals. They tended them diy and night, only to lose them after all. A j few weeks elapsed, when it was found that both husband and wife had become inoculated j with the dread disease. They came into the j city to consult the faculty, who all declared 3 they would die m two weeks without fail. . They are already turning blue at the finger tips, though feeling quite well, and now are ' getting everything ready for their awful death by setting their affairs m order. 9 A Modbbn Towbr of Babel.— The great 1 attraction of the next Paris Exhibition, if M. ' Bourdais haß his way, will be a tower, casting j into the shade any that has been made or *■ imagined since the days of Babel. The 1 height is to be more than I,looft, which is 9 considerably more than double that of Rouen Cathedral and of the great Pyramid of i. Cheops, and nearly three times that of Bt. - Peter's at Rome. Bourdais believes that • with porphyry for a foundation, a building c could be carried up to a height of 7000 ft, t while tho latter might form the foundation of - a pile fully 10001't higher. p An TJnbeheabsed Incident. — There was , a bit of unrehearsed pantomime at the 3 Theatre Royal, Oldham, England, a few nights since. A jolly sailor was figuring on 3 the stage, rolling the goggle eyes of his huge p mask and doing his best to please the audl--5 once, but had not calculated how many paces , he might with safety take to the front. There was a thrill of expectant excitement when he , was seen to advance to the footlights 5 a still , greater thrill when he was seen . to tumble I over them ; a burst of applause when ho pitched over into the orchestra upon the conductor and the first flute player, breaking one of the musio stands m his unlucky' descent. , Gbeat Mbn. — The ten greatest living I Englishmen have been ascertained by means I of a ballot taken by the Pall Mall Gazette. , It offered twenty guineas for the solution of 3 two problems. The second, denominated as , " B," was for the ten greatest living English--1 men. Coupons were isßuod upon which t persons who chose to compete for the prize of 5 ten guineas wrote the names of such persons p as they considered the greatest m their callings. Out of a poll of 1450 votes only two s coupons were correct m every particular m containing the names recoiving the highest number of votes. Miss Anna Bateson and Mrs Chambers, being the two lucky guessers, i will, therefore, have to divide the prize. The ' analysis of the ballots shows the following 1 results : — } English statesman : Lord Salisbury 888 ' Journalist: Qeorgu Augustus Sala 888 , Painter : J. A. Millais 814 Soldier: Lord Wolseley 101G 1 Man of science: Professor Huxley 866 i Writer: John Ruskin... ... SGB 1 Novelist: Wilkle Collins 348 . Preacher : Cannon Liddow 659 [ Actor: Henry Irving... 1337 • Humbug: Tho Clflimnnt 453 » It was understood that Mr Gladstone was 1 not to be voted for, it being implied that he ; was the greatest statesman from the fact of . his boing the Premier. Some of tho ballots f were rather numerous. One appeared witli 1 nine names correctly filled, but left the tenth r —the statesman— blank. Henry George re- • ceived four votes as the greatest humbug ; E Oscar Wilde, 230 ; General Booth, 245 ; and 3 Gladstone, 44. Wilson Barrett got 53 votes 1 as being the greatest actor. For journalists the vote itood ;— Seventy-five for the editor |

of the Pall Mall Gazette, 10 for A. Forbes, 54 for Labouchero, 51 for Edmund Yateß, and eight for Levy Lawson, of the London Telegraph. In the soldier class General Gordon received 214 votes ; Sir P. Roberts, 142 ; Lord Napier, 5 ; Sir|E. Wood, 4 ; and Lord Strathearn, 2. A Fkiiaxk " Tab." — An extraordinary incident (says the Sydney Morning Herald) which has hitherto escaped notice came under the ken of the water police recently. A constable whilo on duty on Friday night discovered a young man-of -war's-man m uniform crea'ing a disturbance m the Domain, and at once arrested the culprit, who was lodged m the lock-up, as an inebriate, with several other male prisoners. The arrival of the new comer appeared to bo the signal for an extraordinary uproar m the cell, and the sergeant m charge of the watchhouse upon entering it to discover the cause of the disturbance was astonished to find that the snpposed " tar " was m reality a young woman, who hod been masquerading through the Domain dressed as a mon-of-wnr's-mnn. She was at once removed to another cell, and on the following morning was dealt with simply as an inebriate. Her borrowed plumes were hidden beneath the voluminous folds of a large cloak which covered her from head to foot. A Wise Dbacon.—" Deacon Wilder, I want you to tell me how you kept yourself and family so well the past season, when all the rest of us have been sick so much, and have had the doctors running to us so often." " Brother Taylor, the answer is very easy. I used Hop Bitters m time, and kept my family well, and saved large doctor's bills. Four shillings' worth of it kept us all well and able to work all the time, and I will warrant it has cost you and most of the neighbors £10 to £100 apiece to keep sick the same time. I fancy you'll take my medicine hereafter." See [Advt.] We believe that if every one would use American Co.'s Hop Bitters freely there would be much less sickness and misery m the world, and people are fast finding this out, whole families keeping well at a trifling cost by its use. We advise you to try it. Bead [Advt.] Easily Bemembebid. — The latest medicine for horses' legs is called. "Neurasthenipponskelesteriao." One of the big beasts at a cattle show was called " Llanfair Pwllgwyngyllgogerchwyrwyd Eobw Llandisiliogogogoch." Farmers will easily remember this. In Consumption, " Baxter's Lung Preerver " has been signally successful. BYNOPSIB OF NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. Maclean and Stewart— Sell horses, harness, etc., on Saturday ; notify that an express will leavu their office this morning (or the sale at Totara Valley. R. Tumbull and Son— Hold a sale of freehold property on Saturday. K. F. Gray — Will sell greyhounds to-morrow. J. Bennett— Business notice. Moody and Ziesler — Have the Grand View Farm for sale. ■ ■ ; . Timaru Chess Club— Hold annual meeting on Monday night. Miss Genevievo Ward— Opens m the- Theatre Royal to-morrow night. New Zealand Shipping Company - Notice re barque Deva. N.M. and A. Company— Notice re return tares to Lyttelton by the Wanaka during the Easter holidays.