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Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 810, 27 January 1903, Page 4

Mr O'Began did not overstate the ease in Wellington the other day when he said that the expenditure of public money on tho Waipara-Cheviot line was making millionaires of men who had no more right to the increased value of the land than had every man and woman in the colony. Their estates ought to be purchased at their prosent value at once, and special facilities given to the men who are at presont engaged in the construction of the line to take up suitable blocks. — Lyttelton Times.

At any rate, we have now every reason to supposo that the time foretold by the prophets of science, when the world would over populate its wheat supply, has been indefinitely adjourned. Presumably, wheat is most unlikely to return to the unprofitable prico it reached in the early 90’s, but who would wish it to '! If it is well to have cheap bread, it is no less good that the agriculturist should have generous reward for his arduous work. For if great cities are necessary in order to attain the fulness of civilisation, none the less does the strength of a nation depend upon the prosperity of its countryside.— N.Z. Herald. At least one English firm has taken alarm at the effects of the New Zealand labor laws (says the Observer). Its commercial traveller has been accustomed to do business with a Waihi dealer of unquestioned solidity, and lately sent Home an order that most business houses would jump at. But the firm jibs. “Wo learn,” it writes, “ that Waihi is a goldfield, and it is stated that trade there is in a very bad state, and has been injured by labor unions and the Conciliation and Arbitration Act.” Consequently it declines to execute any order from Waihi unless it be accompanied either by payment in advance or a substantial guarantee. All of which we know to be superfluous precaution. But it is understood to have been taken on the advioe of an influential tradeenquiry concern at Home, which will probably counsel other firms in like manner, and so cause further restriction of credit. Anyhow, the incident goes to show with what nervousness business men at a distance view our much-vaunted laborinstitutions.

Christehchurch Truth states:—Even a statesman of Sir J. G. Ward’s ability can be too accommodating. A Presbyterian bie>'CYl»an and ISO Queenstown residents arose in their and petitionally protested against Sunday excursions Oil Lake Wakatipu, Sir Joseph accordingly reckoned tiiat ISO narrow-minded residents can record 1 :U) narrow-minded votes at elections, and otherwise attain the dignity of being a circumstance. So ho transformed the Sunday excursions into Monday excursions. Yesterday 175 excursionists petitioned the harassed Sir Joseph to continue the Sunday trips, pointing out that many people cannot stay away from work over Monday. Now | it will be perfectly logical if Sir Joseph reverts to the old order of things. Personally wo sympathise with the 175 excursionists. We have on other occasions expressed our detestation of the profanation of holy days, but we have equally upheld Sunday labor of a necessary nature, and Sunday excursions that ars properly managed. So long as the excursionists do not get drunk and play two-up and bellow profanity and otherwise convert the Sunday trips into howling circuses, we approve of them. The question for Sir Joseph to solve seems to be whether 130 narrow-minded people who don’t want excursions are greater than 175 liberal-minded people who do. We know, of course, that the Government does not want to make money out of the service, but that i 3 by the way. And the lesson for Sir Joseph to learn is the necessity for pondering a little before acceding to the petition of any number of people with loud shocked voices.

The most sensitive part of the human body is the tip of the tongue. Next come the lips, and then the tips of the fingers. A curious butterfly exists in India. The male has the left wing yellow and the right one red; the female has these colors reversed,