Railway Reform.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1878, 1 September 1886, Page 2

Railway Reform.

Ii appears that, after all, the Government do not intend to try Mr Yaile’s Railway Reform Scheme. They intend instead, to carry out the views thus expressed in a resolution proposed before the Railway Committee by Mr Richardson to the following effect:— That the Government should appoint some thoroughly ’qualified person, either from within or without the oolony to visit the several railways, giving the fullest notice in each district ol bis movements, in order to bear any complaints with regard to management or charges, and report to tbs Government whether there are any reasonable grounds for the same. When this travelling railway commissioner gets fairly into his duties, he will find that he has a very big piece of work to get through. By the time he has visited all the railway lines in the colony, and heard and taken note of all the existing complaints with respect to the arrangements for passenger traffic and 'the conveyance ol goods, he will have aoonmulated a mass of materials sufficient to make his report on the whole subjeot a balky volume. When the travelling commissioner comes up Wairarapa way, he will certainly hear a whole host of complaints about the management and administration of the railway. Clearly, the railways in this oolony must be badly managed, when the revenue from them is seriously falling off. Approximately the railway revenue for the first four months of the current financial year (April, May, June and July), amounts to L 328.000. This is L 20.000 less than the revenue for the corresponding period of last year, although there were 165 mors miles of railway open. It is also L 55.000 less than the proportionate estimate for the period. The estimate of railway revenue for the current year was L 1,150,000. One third ol that would be L 383,333, But the sum received is only L 328.000, so the deficiency in round numbers is L 55,000, or at the rate of L 165,000 (or the whole year. That is rather an unsatisfactory outcome of Government Railway Management. The “ leaps and bounds,” in the case of the railways, have been in a backward direction.

Messrs Caselber" & Co,, owing to the lata inclement weathe.. have decided to continue rheir clearing salt for eleven days longer, until Saturday, nth September. The secretary of the Greytown Hospital acknowledges with thanka receipt of £3 as a donation .to that institution from Mr A. Anderson, of Woodside. Mr Tancred intends sending The Premier to the Rangitikei district this season. At a ’meeting of shearers held in the Masterton Temperance Hall on Saturday, it was decided to demand 20s per hundred, as the price of shearing sheep this season. At a meeting of shearers bold at Hastings on August 11th it was resolved to shear for not less than 20s per one hundred and to notify this decision to shearers in the South Island, Mr H. A. Stratford, R.M., we learn, has beeu transferred to the Thames where he will occupy the poeiiion of Resident Magistrate and Warden. The tender of Messrs Jor.es and Peters of Timaru, for the Manawatu Gorge Contract at L 7 3,000 has been accepted. The usual meeting of the Town Board was held on Monday. Present.—Messrs Fairbrother (Chairman), Campbell, Callister, Gardener and Allen. The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. The Treasurer reported a credit balance at the bank of £29 s*. A long discussion ensued as to the most urgent works required to be done and the following was the result: Belvedere, £iq ; Brookly Road, £ls ; Dalefield, £2 ; Richmond Road, £3 10s ; Hilton Road, £B. Tenders for the following works were accepted Drain and culvert Portland Road, R. Butler, /18 18s, footpath •tc., main'street. E. Butler £2 is per chain and 7 chains formation ; culvert, Rutland road, Mr Boyle for £6 12s. Mr Conradson applied for permission to put a sign at the corner of Library street. The application was not entertained. Some discussion arose about the local Fire Brigade, when it was moved by Mr Callister seconded by Mr. Gardener that a donation of £5 a year ha given so long as the brigade continues to work in a satisfactory manner. The motion was carried.

A fire broke out in Mr H. Fielder’s furniture repository on Monday afternoon and did damage to the extent of £ISO. The firo was put out before it got a good hold on the building. The railway authorities have promised to run special trains on Monday next to enable the public to witness the football match at Masterton. Particulars on Friday. Mr F. H. Wood will hold a large sale at Greytown oh Saturday and Monday next. It comprises, Salvage Goods from the late fire at Mr T. E. Kemplon’s; balance of Mr W. Burt’s stock of general merchandise and stores removed from Featherston ; a large quantity of new and second hand furniture ; several sections of land at Featherston, &o. This is a genuine unreserved sale, and all studying economy should attendThe Greytown Rifle Volunteer Soiree takes place to-night. There will be a large attendance from all parts of the district. Every arrangement has been made that will conduce to the comfort of those who will be present. Mr L. Wilson of Carterton, has resolved to settle in Woodville. The football'matcVi at Martinborough, between tbe Greytown Fire Brigade and the Lower Valley Footbad team, will take place on Saturday week tbe 1 J *h September. Our old f.iend Mr William Hutchison bag had his familiar name brought into prominence once more. Some of iris still faithful admirers in Wellington have sent to Mr Hutchison in Dunedin, a requisition asking him to put up for Wellington South at the next general election. Cut Mr Hutchison replies in a “canny” and nom-committal way. He won’t say whether he means to stand or not. He wants to wait to see “ how the cat jumps," and by and bye ho is coming up to Wellington to find out how the land lays. The caso Wellington export Company v, the Shaw Savill and Albion jShipping Co., which has been before the Wellington Court for several days ended in a verdict for the defendants. Skinny Men. “ Wells’ Health Renewer” restores health and vigor, cures. Dyspepsia' impotence, Debility. At druggists. Kemp, thorne, Prosser &■ Go., Agents. Christchurch. Don’t Die In The House. “Bench on rats ” clears out rats, mice, beetles, roaches, bed bugs, flies, ants, moles, jack-rabbits, insects, gophers. Kempthorne, Prosser and Co., Agent*,

The baiqiit: tine May, with 47 passe riper? left Wellington for Kimberley on Monday. Over 600 wen have been registered at tlie Melbourne Labour Bureau as out of work. The Timaru poisoning case has caused first excitement in that town. The Court v. . crowded during the hearing of the case the evidonco adduced showed that Hall .had insured his wife's lifa for £6,000 ; that he had purchased poison, and that ice water with antimony in it had been adminis» tered to his wife. At Hall’s arrest there was a scuffle over a phial bottle which the detectives secured. There was also evidence of a design to set the house on fire ; a large quantity of rags soaked with kerosene were found in an upstair room. On Saturday and Monday next, September 4 and 6, Mr F. H. Wood will hold a monster sale at bis Greytown glooms, comprising the salvage goods from the late fire at Mr T. B, Kempton’s, also the balance of Mr Burt's stock of general merchandise, removed from Featherston for the convenience of sale. This will be the best ohanoe yet offered in the district for purchasing bargains. The sale is entirely unreserved and the stock is of a large and varied nature. The following team from the Wanderers’ Football Club will play the Rivals (Carterton) next Saturday, at Carterton. A brake will leave the Greytown Post Office at half past one sharp ; —W Humphries, G Humphries, E Humphries, J. Ryan, R Grigg, J Maguire, A Smith, R Terry, P Hawke, A Boley, 0 Yarn ham, J Hobman, W Tully, W Lucena, C Goldsmith, M Jacobs. Emergencies—J Hawke, G Hawke, G Rowe, At the Greytown Magistrate’s Court this morning, before J. Tully and Dr Spratt, J.P.’s, John Loder was charged with being drank in the public street* last night, and after hearing the evidence of Constable Ecoleton, was - sentenced to 3 day’s imprisonment with bard labour. 8. Jackson was charged with being drunk and disorderly on Angust 27. Accused sent in a doctor’s certificate of ill health and the ease was adjourned until next sitting of the Court. There were no civil cases of any importance. One delinquent was fined, for allowing his chimney to catch fire. A cheap excursion train will run between Wellington and Wairarapa on Saturday. The reduced rates ol fare are published in another column.

We learn that Mr T. £l. Kempton, whose premises were burned down in Greytown lately, has gone to try bis fortunes at Kim* berley. The following fifteen bare been chosen to represent Wellington in the football match next Saturday against the {New South Wales team : —Fall back, L Dixon; three quarter backs, Fairbrother, G Pearce, Stock; half backs, Roberts and Merlet; forwards, Cooper, Conoal, Bilison, King, Mclntyre, Storey, Smith, Taiaroa and Williams.

The concert at the Town Hall next Monday evening, and five others to follow, will be to obtain funds for the purchase of uniforms for the Grevtown Rifle Cadets. We should like to see the lads well dressed and we jhave no doubt the public will continue their patronage in order that Mr Porritt, the captain of the corps, maybe able to attain that object. We believe some lads are practising a character song for next Monday evening. Several persons have also promised to take part, and by request, Mr Hebley has promised to give an exhibition of what his dog “ Topsy ” can do. # The animaljis a most intelligent one, and obeys his master like a child. Out of 14,545,801 sheep in the colony, the Hon W. Robinson, Cheviot Hills, heads the list with 93,000, Mr. G. H. Moore of Glenmark 82,060; Messrs Mallock and Lance 74,061.*

At the meeting of the Works Committee of the Wairarapa West County Connell, hold last Saturday, Mr Joseph Dawson’s tender (£232) for the erection of the Martiuborongh. Pahaua bridge, was accepted. Mr King, the engineer, was requested to report on the Kahwata Bridie Track.

At the sitting of the Masterton R.M. Court yesterday some very complimentary remarks were passed between the Bench alid the Bar, on the occasion of the farewell to Mr Stratford, R.M., who is being transferred to another district. Mr Frceth also gracefully acknowledged the compliment paid by Mr Stratford to the officers of the Court. The adjourned meeting of the Lower Valley Jockey Club takes place next Saturday even* ing. Yesterday’s daily speaks in high terms of the Gogill Ministrels. “ Wo have to thank the Cogill Minstrels for having amused and brightened up the residents of Masterton. There was a decided freshness and novelty in their entertainment; their music was really good, and their fun refined and unobjectionable. The Cogill Bros were a surprise and delight to the large audience. The Company is numerically a strong one, the leading members of it being Messrs Cbas. W, Cogill, and Harry P. Cogill. This talented pair were a surprise and delight to the large audience assembled to bear them, and they obtained right through the evening a most enthusiastic reception. Harry F. Cogill is remarkable for a splendid physique, a beautiful tenor voice and a rare gift of expression. To listen to him is a decided musical treat, and to take him all round it would be difficult to find in the colony a professional who makes a more pleasing impression on an audience. His brother, Cbas. W. Cogill, is simply an original in whom is stored an inexhaustible supply of quaint, dry humor. It matters not whether he sings, dances, tells a yarn, or walks across the stagej each sound or movement on his part evokes a ripple of laughter, which at pleasure he can convert into a roar. He is quite at home either as a vocalist, actor, or contortionist, and it is impossible to be dull while he is on the stage.” The other members of the Company are also spoken of in very oompli* mentary terms. The Company play at Grey* town to-morrow evening.

“ Rough on Corns.” Ask for Wells’ ‘ 1 Rough on Corns.” Quick relief, complete, permanent care. Corns, warts, bunions. Kempthorne, Prosser & Co., Agents, Christchurch Ten thousand pounds is the estimated cost of the dresses worn at the Mayor’s ball recently in Sydney. Yet it is hard times. Three candidates for ihe Greytown Borough Council must be nominated to-morrow.