Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 1881.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 140, 14 June 1881, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 1881.

Tub railway returns for the year ending 313t March last bear out the predictions of those who, from the first, stated that the estimate of receipts for that period was set down at altogether too high a figure, .£950,000 being the anticipated amount. The actual sum received i* £836,454 The expenses were £r21.951. Tue Post states that thn actual cost of construction was £9,223,000, so that the net proGt of £314,503 represents very close upon 3£ per cent. The mileage of railways in the North Island ia 432, nnd the total revenue derived thence was £176,971. In this Island there are 845 miles, which have yielded £059.482, the Amberley-Kings-ton line, which with its variou3 branches extends over 7SB miles, contributing to that amount £630,5 < .>5. The revenue per mile on that line was £818, and the expenditure £488. The Grey mouth line of eight miles continues lo bo the best paying in the colony, the revenue per mile being £1340, acd the expenditure xGI2. The Nelson Hue, for the four weeks ending 31st March, showed a falling off of £108 as compared with the previous year, the receipts being £713 against £821. The priuciptl falling off was in passengers, of whom 1300 lesa travelled than in the corresponding four weeka of 1880, making a dii'feieuce of £120 in the receipts. Tue to'.al receipts on this line for the year were £8453, or £422 per mile, and tha total expenses £6180, or £3'.;9 per mile, thus mak the expenditure 73 12 percent of the reveuue The proportion of expenditure to revenue averaged in Ihe Nonh Island 71 36, and in the South 62.40 per cant. In the South tha following biwueh Hues do not pay workiog expends:— Kyreton branch, 21 miles, which loses £14 10.! ou every £100 received ; Waimate branch, four miles, which pnys £110 8* for every £100 received; Walton l J Hrk bianch, three miles, whose per ceutiige of expenditure to revenue is 115.89; Outraru branch, nine miles, 117.45, and Lawrence branch, 22 miles, 103.81. These surely are entitled to be called political railways. On the whole, however, the returns for the year may be regarded as very satisfactory. The total mileage of railways in i the colony is 1^79, of wbich 104 were opened during the yjur. The working expenses have beeu cut doi\ n from 74 to G2 per cent. A sitting of the Supreme Court is announced lor Tiiursday next, but we understand that thc;rc is no case, either civil or criminal, to be tried, so it ia to be hoped ihat the solemn but inconvenient, farce of summoning a little army of jurors to do nothing will on this occasion be dispensed with, and that the country will be saved the needless expense of transferring the Judge and his Sscrttary hither from Wellington. Mr William Dixon Habkn*ss is gazetted as Sub Lieu;e.nant of the Stoke Rifbs. Messiis Pitt and Lkvestam, M.HE,, left for Wellington by the Charles Edward last night, and arrived at noon to-day, in time for the afiernoon sitting of the House. Tub ordinary monthly meeting of the Southern Star Lodge of Freemasons will be held in the Masonic Hall this evening. The annual meeting of the members of the Trinity Church congregation will be held in the Temperance Hall this evening A sale of work, accompanied by a Christmas Tree, will be held in the Wood Sunday schoolroom this evening A siiuvicE cf song will be held at the Congregational Church tomorrow evening, wheu the subject will be "The Great Teacher." Mk. W. Jahiks advertises that he i 3 about to open the Masonic Hall as a skating rink on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and evenings. Tha season ff.ll commance tomorrow afternoon at half pa3t two. A telegram to the Nupier Herald states that ou Monday nighr, the Gthinst., eleven distinct shock-a of earthquake were felt at Taupo. The oscillation was from southeast to north west. There was a distant rumbliDg of the ground accompanying each shock. There was drizz'ing rain and a cloudy atmosphere during each of the events. The Sydney tramways, which are' in the hands of the Governmant, earn a net profit at the rate of 17 per cent on their cost of construction and maintenance. On the twelve miles of tramway in that city over 7,500,000 people travel in the year. In its report of the opening of Parliament the N.Z. Times says:-Hiß Excellency's appearance was expected with some degree of curiosity, thi3 being his firßt Parliamentary appearance iv this colony. To say that Sir Arthur took everybody by surprise is hardly sufficiently strong to describe the sensation his entry to the Legislative Council occasioned. In addition to the usual Windsor uniform of the first class of Civil Servants assumed by Her Majesty's representatives on Stite occasions, His Excellency wore the blue or purple robe lined with scarlet, together with the massive, gold collar and star appertaining \ to the Order of St Michael and St George. The entrat,ce of the Governor, and his subsequent walk through the length of the Chamber, was highly dramatic, while hid utterance of the Speech was sonorouF, studied and solemn to a degree. It is understood (says the Post of last night) that Messrs. Brogden and Sons are about to petition Parliament for a re-bearing of their claims for compensation on account of losses sustained by their firm through certaiu action on the part of the Government, which is alleged to have been contrary to the agreement between the Government and that firm, in respect to the introduction of immigrants into this colony. Messrs. Brogden. we believe, estimate their original loss under this head, at £18,240, and the interest added, since 1875, now brings up their claim to £20,739. A further claim is being preferred by Messrs. Brogden and Sons on account of the alleged nonpayment of mms due under contracts between the Government and the firm, amounting to about £230,000, to which interest has to be added. A petition of right has, we understand, been filed in the Supreme Court with the view of bringing the case to trial. The entire claim made by Messrs. Brogden against this colony is understood to amount to £256,764. The following notices appear on the Order Paper of the House of Representatives :— The Hon. Mr. Gisborne has given notice that, during the present sittings of the Conference of delegates representing various local governing bodies in New Zealand he will move the following motions : — (1) That Crown lands should be rated, and the proceeds equitably distributed among local governing bodies ; (2) that County Councils be subsidised by the colony at per mile of main roads maintained by such Councils ; (3) that the County Council chairman be, ex officio, a member of the Waste Lands Board having jurisdiction over the county ; (4) that the 20 per cent, of land revenue taken away by the Einanciul Arrangements Act, 1880, shouid be restored to County Councils. — Mr. Bunny has given notice to move as follows— *< That a return be laid before this House giving the names of those members of the Civil Service whose services have been dispensed with since the Ist January, 1880 ; stating the departments they severally belonged to, the salary ' paid to each, also the compensation received by each. Also a return giving theTianies of all persons ap* pointed to tbo Public Service from the game

date, showing the department to which each is appointed and ths salary payable to each, and if the services of any so appointed hail previously been dispensed with. This return to show whether the compensation received was repaid to the Treasury, or in what manner the same was dealt with "