The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 28, 1901. OUR RAILWAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 198, 28 August 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 28, 1901. OUR RAILWAYS.

With practically but one exception, that of the Wellington and Manawatn railway, the whole of the railways of the colony are now owned and managed by the Government. The mileage completed up to 30th June, 1001, was 2223 miles, and there were then various extonsioas in course of construction, such for instance as the connection of the East and West Coasts of the South Island and with Nelson, and a branch line from Hurunui to Cheviot, while in the North Island the connection ox Auckland with Wellington by the North Island Main Trunk Line is progressing, although but slowly, aud a line which may ultimately connect Napier via Gisborne with Eotorua, and so with Auckland, and a branch to the Bay oi Plenty, has its small beginnings at Gisborne. lii ISB3 some 1443 miles of lino had been opened at an average cost per mile of about £7270. Or June 30, 1901, 2223 miles had beer opened at a total cost of £17,207,328, giving an average cost per mile foi the whole of £7S4O. The average cost however for the lines constructed between 1883 and 1901 is aboul £BOOO. Thus the construction of what may be termed political lines in the early days is counterbalanced by ths higher rate of wages and other causes in these days. The further sum oi £1,022,729 had been expended, up tc June 30, 1901, on lines in course oi construction. The revonue for the year ended March 31, 1900, was £1,028,59L tlie expenditure for the same period being £1,052,355. Thf passengers carried wore 5,468,284. exclusive of season-ticket holders. The goods carried were 3,251,716 tons The returns have steadily increased, so that at this time, irrespective oi depreciation, they about pay the interest on the loans raised for their construction. This must bo considered highly satisfactory in view of the facts that no small proportion of the opened lines do not, and are not likely to, contribute their due share, and thai in the earlier stages of railway construction. the interests of the community were not infrequently sacrificed Lo local jealousies aud even, it has been said, to the interests of individuals. Whatever may be the exact explanation the colony did not always obtain fair value for its money. A gain, when the returns are considered, t should be remembered that there is m indirect but very appreciable idvantage to the colony as a whole by he management of the railways in ;uch a way as will promote bona fide md beneficial occupation of the land. This appears to be the present policy, ,nd it should be successful. On the [uostion of depreciation, which must ie a very important one, the Depart, aent purports to expend out of evenuo a sum considered by it d equate for keeping the lines, rolling lock, buildings, etc., in an efficient ondition. There appears to be a rowing conviction that from an sonomical point of view, the sooner le main lines are completed the better ill be the result, directly aud iu-

directly, for the colony, Negotiations are pending between the Government and the Mauawntu Railway Company for the acquisition by the former of that private railway, and, at nc distant date, it may be anticipated and hoped that that line may pass into the hands of the Government, for, wiiile the management of this line has been admirable, it is manifestly in the public interest that the whole of the railways in the colony should bo owned and managed by the Government. It is very unlikely that any Government will in future sanction tiio construction of private railways. It may be mentioned that large workshops are erected at convenient positions on the lines of railway where engiues, carriages, and trucks are constructed, and all necessary repairs are effected in an efficient manner. These works iind employment for a large and increasing number of men. For the year 185)9-1900 the average number of persons employed by the Railway Department was 7‘286. A few words on tho early days of railways may not be out of place. Many of tho early railways were commenced during the existence of Provincial Governments, in fact the provinces were not abolished for 15 years after the first railway was sanctioned. It will therefore bo readily understood that as these Governments wore independent of each other, and not always in full accord, the various railways they commenced, and which are now being gradually, merged into a homogeneous whole, were comi menced iu a very disconnected mauuer.

To mention a Jow of tiio more mipet. ant liuos, the Lyttelton ami Christchurch lino was authorised, in I 860; the Auckland and Drury line in 1800 ; the Bluff and Invercargill line in 1863 ; Canterbury Great Northern and Great Southern in 180-1; Picton and Blenheim in 1865 ; Nelson, Westport and Cobden in 1566: (this was not commenced till May, 1873); Otago and Balclutka line in 1866. On the abolition of the provinces, 1875, these railways passed into the hands of the General Government. The East and West Coast railway, to connect Canterbury with Westland and Nelson, was undertaken by a private English Company, which received large concessions of laud as part of the arrangement. Some littlo progress was made with the line, but the Company failed to fulfil its part of the contract with the Government, and eventually the latter took possession of the line, plant and property, aud is steadily continuing the construction of the railway.

The Town Clerk notifies that all rates outstanding after Saturday next will be sued for.

There are vacancies for two or three gentlemen boarders at Montrose House, Haiti. The monthly meeting of the Hospital Trustees will be hold at tho hospital this evening at 7.80.

The pio business has boon taken up b,y Mr Moore, who is about town each evening, and is making a first-class article. At Mrs East’s registry office thoro arc vacancies for good cooks, general servants, and for a lady help and laundry maid.

The last week of the Royal Celebration sale at Mark Way House is announced, aud a number of special bargains are offering.

The Waikare left Auckland at 8 o'clock yesterday afternoon for Gisborne, and should arrive here shortly after one o’clock to day.

The stock sale advertised by Messrs Common, Shelton, and Co., and Wyllie and Mason, to be held at Waorenga-a-hika yards, to-morrow, will not bo hold. A sacred cantata, “ Cloud and Sunshine,” will be given in Wesley Church to-morrow evening. The music is firstclass, and will be rendered by a full choir and orchestra. It is expected that thoro will be a large attendance. Tho annual report of the Taratabi Dairy Company shows that the season’s output of cheese, totalling 113 tons, was an increase of five tons. During tho year T 4165 16s lid was paid,to suppliers, being equa l to 4jcl for each gallon of milk; .£4l Ids 2d waLreserved for an 8 per cent dividend on the subscribed capital. Sisters Ruth and Jamieson, the lady evangelists who are to conduct a special mission in Wesley Church, are passengers by tho To Anau arriving this morning. The mission is to commence on Sunday next, when Sister Ruth will occupy the pulpit morning and evening. These talented ladies being excellent credentials, and have been eminently successful elsewhere.

To essay to force the “ unimproved value ” of land system upon the ratepayers of any city, county council, road board, or other public body, says a correspondent to the Auckland Herald, is for a Government to forfeit every consideration of respect. To attempt to force the many thousands of landowners to submit to the single tax in any form would be to raise a hurricane, whose devastation none could foretell, for it is impossible to believe that the farmers and other landowners of Now Zealand would tamely bond their necks to such a yoke of spoliation and oppression at the hands of any Government.

Dr. James N. McLaren furnishes an example to the youth of New Zealand, says the Wellington Free Lance, inasmuch as at an early age he has gained enviable distinction in the old world. At an early age Mr McLaren showed signs of budding genius, and wandered wistfully over the hills of the ILauraki Peninsula with a geologist’s hammer, in search of knowledge. That he gained the knowledge at a youthful ago is evidenced by his appointment to the directorship of the Coromandel School of Minos. Still thirsting for knowledge, he persistently pursued it, with the result that, still in the pride of early manhood, lie has obtained, the degree of doctor of science, " j

There was a large attendance at the Druids' social at Ormond last evening, and the function proved a great success. Being a fine night, visitors arrived in large numbers from all parts of the district, whilst- two brake-loads of townspeople arrived early in the evening. The arrangements for the social were exceedingly wall cariieU out, and reflected credit upon the committee, which consisted of the foliowing gentlemen :—Messrs Maher, Sawyer, Franklin. Spiers, Griffon, Greaves, Wade. Bean. Eat.or,, Miller, Walls, McKenzie, Neonan, Thomson, Ferguson, and Lough or. First-class music was provided by Mrs Fernandez. The catering, which was in'the hands of Mr C. Neenan, was splendidly carried out. The duties of secretary were discharged by Mr H. Burns, who proved himself the right man for the position. Dancing was continued with spirit uutii an early hour this morning.

Mr Sheridan's appearance at the Theatre Eoyal on Monday and Tuesday next, is no doubt being looked forward tc by threatre-goers with a good deal ol pleasure. It is seldom we are fortunate enough to have a visit from an artiste with such a world-wide reputation as Mr Sheridan has built up throughout Englishspeaking world. Mr Sheridan is supported by a special!"-selected company of 22 people, including several English comedy artistes, and also many well-known favorites from Australia. The opening piece, “ When The Lamps Are Lighted,'’ was specially written for Mr Sheridan, and has been a decided success throughout Australia. It is a musical coinedv-drama, containing many exciting scenes and stirring episodes, while the comedy element is Loth quaint and humorous, the rehearsal scene being especially clever, and screamingly funny. Incidental to the bill, a number of bright and tuneful songs and dances from the latest productions will be introduced, and we understand the music is quite a feature of the production. The box plan of reserved seats is now open at Mr Miller's,

Where the people have been thoroughly educated up to the wiles and pitfalls of the system of rating on unimproved values, they have certainly shown a disposition to avoid them. The apathetic public who merely look upon the proposed legislation as another experiment, which they hope will not affect them seriously, are ready to e" -t their vote in the balance to which i y arc led by the voice of the politic-',, charmer. —Free Lance.

On Friday last, the world's billiard champion, Mr .l-'un Roberts, met and defeated another .cadiitg Auckland amateur (Mr Jackson). The game was one of 1750 points up, and Mr Roberts, who conceded his opponent the long start of 1150 points, ran out with an unfinished break of 15, while the local player was still in his 15th hundred. The champion's principal break during the afternoon was 199, nod in the evening 191, while other runs embraced 150, (30, (id, aud several breaks ranging between -10 and 60. The onlookers were throughout treated to a delightful exhibition, as Mr Roberts varied his play in a manner that rivet-tod the attention of those present from beginning to end, and here and there ho put in shots that only the great cueist himself is the absolute master of. Mr R. Smith, of Pahiatua, writes in regard to the Compensation for Accidents Act“ That the Act is a most pernicious and vicious one as far as concerns the ratepayers there can be no two opinions, j We will take the ease of a farmer who employs labor largely, lie has first to insure to the amount- which he pays out yearly for wages. Then, as unfortunately happens often, the farmer ha- to raise a loan. The lender says, ‘ All right; but I must add a little more on to your interest, to ensure myself against any trouble with your laborers.’ Then the local authority has to insure up to the amount which they pay out in wages to their own permanent and casual laborers, and also the contractor’s men, where special loans, Government grants and subsidies arc expended. So up goes the poor farmer three times running.”

An address, delivered in various parts of the colony by Miss Sherrill Bain, of Auckland, has been printed in neat pamphlet form at the Tunis office under the title “ Human Betterment.” Ir is an earnest and eloquent appeal to mothers to realize more and more fully their almost infinite power in the character-building of the race: to take up their God-given responsibility, and, from the moment each woman knows sho is about to become a mother, to consecrate her child, and her own body as tho home, her own spirit as the guide, of the child, to the duties of a life of soilless love and quiet persistence in the right. In order to the regeneration of tho race the criminal ignorance and carelessness which to such a large extent prevails in the present must be replaced by the watchful, constant, unselfish, instructed care of devoted love. “ When the world-wide revelation of a mother’s power does come,” says Miss Bain, “it will give ideals very different from those of to-day. We shall learn that moral worth is the only real excellence, and that unselfishness is the key to open tho gates of Paradise. We shall learn that tho body must not be master of tho spirit, but must be its minister. We shall learn that motherhood is the sublimest privilege of humanity; that it has potencies unimagined to-day by the great bulk of tho race ; we shall learn that motherhood decides tho character of the unborn. . . . Therefore tho woman should choose tho man for tho great love-worthiness that impels reciprocity between them, and for no other reason. The marriage of spiritual kinship is the only guarantee of wedded happiness, and tho only rightful authenticity of parenthood.” \Ve strongly recommend the booklet. It is surely one of tho little seods referred to in tho following passago from the pen of B. A. Flower in the August number of the Arena : “ While tho champions of egoism are running their spectacular and empirical courses, and the multitude is gaping in wonder or sycophantly grovelling before them, aud, while many who assume to direct the aims of tho young and to mould tho character of tho rising generation are pointing to these representatives of the night as types of success, tho real leaders, the truly successful men and women, are silently aud tirelessly sowing the seeds of the kingdom of God.” Copies of “ Human Betterment ” may bo had from Mrs Somervell, Gladstone Road ; price, fid.