A Holiday Record.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 2, 11 January 1911, Page 4

A Holiday Record.

The train and tramway traffic in Auckland during the Christinas holidays was phenomenally heavy, and easily constitutes a record, when compared to the traffic of previous years. A “Star” reporter on making inquiries at the railway traffic manager’s office last week, was informed, that this year's holiday traffic had been 50 per cent heavier than in previous years. The difference has been particularly marked in the business to Auckland from the Wellington end. Likewise, in regard to Rotorua the traffic from Wellington has been greater during the recent holidays than ever before. This is partly due to the fact that the extra expresses running from Wellington have obviated the long delay of nine hour's at Frankton which takes place when passengers from the South have to leave the ordinary express at 4 p.m., and wait till 1 p.m. for tho Rotorua train. In Wellington, while the extra express has been running, the railway officials refused to issue tickets to Rotorua except by that special train. Another feature which no doubt had some bearing on this year's holiday traffic is the fact that the excursion fares meant a greater concession this year than last. In January last the ordinary fares between Auckland and Wellington were considerably increased, and those who could manage to arrange their travelling to fit in with that period when excursion rates were offering did so. On the Auckland railways in particular the traffic has been very heavy, and on December 26 and January 2nd great crowds visited the Thames races and the gala at Te Aroha. Likewise between Auckland and Henderson the conveyance of picnic parties was very large, and would no doubt have been even larger had the weather not been so satisfactory for water excursions. The tramways traffic in Auckland constitutes a very big holiday record. The full figures are not yet available, but the returns for the traffic on Christmas Eve, show that a total of 165,511 people paid fares on the Auckland cars on that day. This number is greatly in excess of any previous one day’s record, ami is 15,074 better than the year before, when 148,447 people used the cars on Christmas Eve. The increased business done by the Tramway Company is attributed to a growing population, tho large number of visitors in town, and the fact that the company now has more cars for coping with the traffic. It is a pleasing matter to record that, despite the stress of the holiday traffic, no accident on tram or train has had to be recorded in the district. Kauri Gum Trade. The past year has been a comparatively quiet one in the kauri gum trade, and the annual returns compiled by Mr. H. Edmonds show that there has been a slight falling-off in the production and the exports. A satisfactory point about the year’s operations, however, has been the fact that practically tho whole of the shipments have gone on order, and the amount sent to London for a speculative market was almost nil. One of tho factors in the quietness of the demand for gum has been the high price ruling for turpentine and other oils used in conjunction with the gum

in the various manufactures for which it is employed. An interesting feature) of the return is the diminuition of th® amount of gum taken by America, th® difference being nearly 1,500 tona against the twelve mouths that have just closed. This may be partly ascribed to tho increased use they are making in America of substitutes which corn*from other countries. Following tables'* give the details of the amount of kauri gum produced and exported: — PRODUCED DURING 1910. January (,72 tons February 682 ~ March 9e7 April 890 „ May .- 635 ~ .Time 543 ~ July 501 „ August 590 ~ September 635 ~ October 075 „ November 675 ~ December 002 „ Total 8079 ~ EXPORTED DURING 1010.

During the year 1909 the amount pro* duced was 8,130 tons, anil tho amount exported was 8,639 tons, of which 5,295 tons went to America, and 3,364 tons to Europe. Gold and Silver Exports. The value of gold and silver shipped from New Zealand for the year 19101 was £1,896,318 and £171,562, as against! £2,006,900 and £180,872 for 1909, a decrease of £110,582 and £9,310 respectively. Westport Coal. The eoal output from the Westland district last year was 831,1141 tons 16ewt, as compared with 719,073 tons Bcwt in 1909, an increase for 1910 of 112,041 tons Bcwt. Towards this total the Westport Coal Co, contributed 616,535 tons 8 cwt, the Westport Stockton Co. 151,950 tons 18cwt., the! Seddonville State mine 62,628 tons lOcwt. Stockton Company’s increase in 1909 amounted to 61089 tons 7 cwt, the Westport Coal Co.'s to 55,724 tons 13 cwt. andi an increase of 3316 tons on the latter company’s previous best year, 1908. The State mine’s output decreased by 4474 tons 7 cwt. . New Defence Scheme. Three vacancies caused by the nonacceptance of positions as adjutants under the new defence scheme by Captains Roache and Blair and Lieutenant Couper have been filled Tiy the selection of Captain King (Nelson), Lieut. Robinson (Petone), and Lieut. Gibb (Auckland). Sergt.-Major Lambert, Wellington, and Sergt. Walker, of Millerton, have been selected., to fill vacancies as non-commissioned officers. Lieut. W. 11. Gibb, who has been selected from Auckland, is in the employ o£ the Education Board. He lias always! taken considerable internet in volunteering. In December, 1908, ho was appointed lieutenant in D Company’ of the First Battalion Auckland Infantry—the No. 2 New Zealand Natives. Wireless Installations. The steamer Maitai, which arrived last week, was fitted with wireloss telegraphy at San Francisco. Communication was maintained for 1200 miles out from the Californian coast. A message was received from the Mariposa 600 miles away, and sent another- 300 miles to Sob Francisco. After leaving Rarotonga, the Maitai picked up an ethergram from the Ulimaroa outside Dunedin, a distance of 1200 miles. She brings wireless instruments fof the Wellington Post Office station. The Bey Immigrants. As fully 250 applications were received from farmers for the services Of the 50 boys who are being brought out to New* Zealand on the Athenic by Mr.

Sedgwick, the Labour Department, to which the work was entrusted, 'has been able to place the lads In situations where they are likely to secure the greatest possible benefit and instruction. Immediately on arrival in the Dominion, the party will scatter over a wide area. Eleven of the boys are to proceed to situations in various parts of the Auckland province. Some are going as far as Helensville in the North, and others to the Thames and Rotorua districts, and several to the Waikato. Ten will be located in Hawke’s Bay and ithe Wairarapa, seven in the Manawatu tind Wanganui districts, eight in North (.Canterbury, four in South Canterbury, Jive in Otago, and three in Southland. The Department, in addition to meeting tire lads on arrival, will, through its Agents, see every one of them safely to Qiis destination. Air. Sedgwick is accompanying the party, which is due to reach Wellington before the end of the month, but will hand them over to the Department here. In addition to a very large demand for these “pioneer” boy immigrants, farmers litre still writing to the Department and asking for the services of lads brought out under similar conditions. The Department, however, prefers to await the result of the present experiment before taking any action in the direction of (bringing out any further parties. The Rhodes Scholars. A graduate of Oxford writes to the ’‘Christchurch Press” taking exception to Sir Robert Stout's remarks as to the pge of Rhodes scholars. He says: “1 was at Oxford in the eighties. I left Christchurch at eighteen years of age, took my degree at twenty-one, nearly two years younger than we are now sending our Rhodes scholars. At that time there were at Oxford and Cambridge seventeen to twenty old Christ's College boys of the same age and numerous others from New Zealand and Australia. Again Others in the Army and Navy have had to go ‘from home’ even earlier, and yet I can only recall one case of any approach to what Sir Robert fears. Sir Robert says that ‘after all Oxford is a University and not a place for promotion of football.’ I would reply that the real question at issue is ‘What did Rhodes say?’ He took the wide view of Oxford, namely, that it was not only, a place at ,which men took high degrees, but a place where men's characters are formed, whether in the schools or ton the river, at cricket, football, or athletics. He wanted Oxford to have some share in shaping the man's character. Sir ■Robert wants the character shaped before he goes. The ‘smug’—a man who can only take high degrees and be no good at sports and does not in any way become a leader of men, was surely not the man Rhodes wanted. Yet Sir Robert is, contrary to Rhodes’ wish, inclined to put scholarship first and the other qualifications nowhere.” The Year’s Revenue. The Minister for Finance gives the following revenue returns for the Dominion for the nine months ended December 31: Total revenue for all sources £7,148,583, ■being an increase of £703,272 over the corresponding period of 1909. The decrease in the land and income tax was Only £5OOO, while Customs shows an increase of £216,000. stamps £209,000, railways £183,000. The revenue for the 12 months ended December 31 last shows an increase of £848,923 over the corresponding period of 1909. In explanation of the year’s revenue figures, Sir Joseph Ward said: “There is an increase in all departments except that of land and income tax, which exhibits a decrease, but only of £5OOO. The general position of revenue is exceedingly satisfactory. The fact that the only department showing a shrinkage is land and income indicates that the revival ■which set in 12 months ago has permeated the whole of the Dominion. The decrease in this department is attributable to the operation of the Government’s policy' in inducing large landowners to cut up their estates. This has already been done, and has had a most marked effect, and in every way is satisfactory, because the excesses of land sold owing' to the operation of the progressive land laws are now occupied by men with Small families on small holdings which are unaffected by the Act. I would be glad to find this feature of the revenue returns goes on increasing from the same causes. Increased settlement means a larger increase per head for a greater number' of people, and tho various departments are fed to a larger extent on

account of the greater productiveness of the country. “It is too soon (continued the Prime Minister) to make a comparison of revenue against expenditure. This can only be done when the year's accounts come in. Of course a number of new items of expenditure have been provided this year, such as defence, interest on the cost of providing the ‘Dreadnought,’ and the creation of a sinking fund for the repayment of the Dreadnought, as well as the cost of inaugurating the Territorials, also sinking funds for the general-redemption of loans; but I am confident that at the close of the year’s operations we shall again have a handsome surplus augmenting the public works fund. “There is nothing abnormal in the returns, nor anything in the shape of boom in any part of the Dominion. There is no reason why, with ordinary seasons, these satisfactory conditions should be disturbed. lam not surprised at the buoyancy of the revenue, because, wherever I have been, I have found only one sentiment, both by wholesalers and retailers, and that is, they find business remarksbly good; and especially towards the new year it has proved a business record for the Dominion. The financial results should inspire people, both within and beyond the Dominion, with renewed confidence in the future of the Dominion.” After a happy respite from heavy official duties, the Prime Minister added, ■we felt very happy at the outcome of itho financial operations of tho country in the period under review.

America. Europe. Totar. January . .. 271 tons 291 tons 502 ton* February .. 202 „ 270 „ 502 „ Marell ... .. 203 „ 191 301 „ April .... .. CM-3 ,, 324 ,. 827 „ May .. 373 „ 380 „ 753 „ June .. 384 .. 429 „ 813 „ July .. 430 „ 389 ,, 825 ,, -August .. 437 „ 552 „ 080 September . . 231 „ 328 „ 059 „ October .. 105 ,, 258 ,, 423 November .. 383 267 „ 550 „ December .. 261 „ 471 „ 733 „ Totals .. 3.830 „ 4150 „ 7080 „