THE Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1879. THE HUNDRED THOUSAND SLEEPERS.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 36, 19 April 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1879. THE HUNDRED THOUSAND SLEEPERS.

"Word* are thing*, and a drop nf ink falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which make* thousand*, ptrhap* million! think."

» ■ ■ — Wb are pleased to find that ourriews upon the sleeper question are not only generally endorsed, but from unexpected - sources testimony is coming forward to support our statements. From one of the most respected settlers m the district we hare received the following : — " Dear Sir, — I was glad to see that m your yesterday's paper you note the extraordinary restrictions placed by Government on sleeper splitting. It may strengthen your bands m pleading our cause if you could say that you positively know those who would tender if the conditions were at all straightforward and fair. I, for one, would, only fet'nie have to deliver them at Foxton, there to be finally passed by Mr. J. T. Stewart," — The written assertions of our correspondent are exactly those which have been made to us by other settlers who under circumstances would have become tenderers. The suggestion which we made m our leader is one so easily adopted by the Government, that certainly if they wish the tenders accepted they will at once adopt. We are led to believe by the fact that cou tracts for a.« small a number as five thousaud will be accepted, that the Public Works are really anxious to have the want supplied m the colony, by thus giving struggling set. tiers a chance of competing ; but it just as well that they should know that if the objectionable practice hitherto insisted upon be still adhered to, the condition is nothing more nor less than prohibitory. As we pointed out before, there can be no possible disadvantage to the Government m taking over the sleeper* on the grounds of the contractors. Our correspondent would be satisfied that the place of inspection should be Foxton, but we should go beyond that, and advocate that instead of the Mountain going to Mahomet, MAHOMEt should go to the Mountain. Let the contract be that the sleepers be placed alongside the line, and after the inspector has passed them all further responsibility ends, and we stake our reputation there would be no < i.ficulty m getting one million, instead of one hundred thousand. The double or treble inspection is so supremely unjust and preposterous, that we cannot even . imagine how it came into existence, let alone bo tolerated for an instant. What would be thought of a firm who sent out a buyer to purchase goods for it, and after the seller had forwarded them to their destination delivery was refused to be accepted, and the action of the firm's represtative flatly repudiated. Why they would not only be laughed at, but the breach of agreement would be settled m a oourt of law. We do not know who i« responsible for the arrangement, • or to whom the questionable honor of originality belongs, but we pledge ourselves to never cease until the obnoxioirt restriction is removed. We oertainly .thank the Government for hating already taken our advice m appealing to Manawatu, but we roust protest against the fixing of prohibitory restrictions, which certainly nullify their other action. If the work of stacking upon the final ground be made a separate tender, contractors for sleepers to be received alongside the line would reduce the tenders considerably ; so that m reality while the Government would lose no* thing by the transaction, all chance of injustice to tenderers would he removed. There is plenty of time to remedy the evil, and it m much better to withdraw and amend the specification*, than run the certainty of having no tenders. We have written strongly upon the subject, and we shall watch with interest the action of the T^epartment m the matter. A mistake was orginally made m sending' out of the country for the sleepers, but tp their credit be it said that when the Government were made aware that a mistake 'was being committed, the stop was retraced, and what ji more* (he Minister of the Department had the manly courage not only to admit the error, but to publicly aoknow^ lege the good fruits of\the change. From this we are led , to augur a favorable consideration of the question at is -me, and by such action Mr. MaoanpßßW will for the second time claim the gratitude of the people of Mana-