Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1881.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 22, 26 January 1881, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1881.

The railway traffic returns for the four weeks ending the 11th December are published, and from these we find that with two exceptions there ie an appreciable increase in the receipts m t eoaiparcd with tfce

| "-*-*■" ' corresponding period of 1879. These exceptions include the Nelson line, which returned £592 as against £642. The figures Bhow a falling off of 859 first-elm??, and 892 second class passengers, of 10 tons of wool, 32 tons of timber, 10 tons of grain, 166 tons of merchandise, and 30 tons of firewood. How this is to be accounted for we are at a loss to understand, but there ia no getting over the fact. The other exception is the Auckland line, which yielded some £200 less, the falling off in passengers being about 4000. The Wellington section shows an increase of nearly £1300, Napier over £500, Wanganui £200, New Plymouth £270, the Great South line about £4000, Greymouth over £300, Westport £130, and Picton about £90. The total from weekly receipts of all the lines are £62,107, the total expendituro having been £37,481. The total receipts for the current financial year from the 31st March have been £555,267 against an expenditure for the same period of £367,694, making the per centage of expenditure to receipts on the lines for the year 6G"22. The receipts on the Nelson line for the year have been £5437, the expenditure being £4334, making the percentage 79'93. The average receipts per mile on this line for a twelve monthly period are £352 13s, while the average expenditure ia £313 Is 7d. The inhabitants of New Zealand are evidently a travelling community, as the returns show that, during the four weeks ending December 11, the railways carried not less than 201,452 passengers. Messrs. Curtis, Barnicoat, and Wells, the Board of Reviewer* of Property Ta-r Assesments, met at the Court House at ten a.m. to-day to hear and determine any objeotions which might come before them. Up to our going to press 21 cases had been called, but the objectors in four only uppenred, and after their caies had been gone into the Board intimated that they ..would reiervfi their decision until the ewe* coming before thnm had been heard They »lao intimated that with regard to tb« cases in which the objectors bad not appeared they would place them Rt the bottom of the list, and would advertise a future day on which the Board would meet to hear auy such cases* The Board will sit again at 10 o'clock to morrow I morning to hear objections in the Waim'ea Road Board Districts and Borough of Nelson. Wk are advised that the Suez mail steamed are now timed to leave Melbourne on the 2nd and 16th February and March, being two days earlier lu each case than stited in the Postal Guide time table. The in nil to connect with steamers leaving Melbourne on the 16th will be despatched from the Bluff on Thursday the 10th, and Wellington on the 7th February. We understand that the Defence Office has declined to undertake any more the expense of. tile monthly train which conveys the country Volunteers into town and back on the occasion of the inspection parades. It is very cleav that the Government intend getting rid of the Volunteers by the slow process of starvation, possibly with a view to reorganising the force, but there can be no doubt that the present system is doomed. Attention is directed to the advertisement of the Sickness and Accident Mutual Association of New Zealand, in which the advantages it offers are fully set forth. Any information that may be required can be obtained *rbm Mr. Stauton, the Nelson agent. Orni readers are reminded of the Wesleyan Conference Soiree to bo held at the Theatre this evening. The City Rifles, the oldest corps in the district, have made arrangements for an entertainment to be given in the Theatre Royal on Friday evening in aid of their fund3, which, now that the Government subsidy has ceased, require replenishing from other sources. They purpose, however, giving full value for the money they receive, as may be gathered from a glance at the programme that appears in our advertising columns, by which it will be seen that some of the leading musical amateurs in the town are to take part in the concert. This attraction, combined with the cause which the public are invited to assist, should ensure a iuU house. A lecture which should be full of interest will be delivered at the Theatre to-mor-row evening by the Rev J. Buller, author of the well known work "Forty years in New Zealand," on hi3 reminisceuces of a visit. to the old country from which he has recently returned.