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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4577, 20 November 1875, Page 2

A deputation recently interviewed the Deputy-Superintendent of Otago, for the purpose of impressing upon the Government the propriety of permitting clergymen, when on duty, to travel by railway free of charge. To this request Mr. Turnbull turned a deaf ear. Free passes had been given to members of the Otago Provincial Council over all the Otago railways ; but the .line of liberality must Be drawn somewhere, and the Deputy-Superinten-dent of Otago thought it should be drawn at ministers of religion when on duty. Politicians might travel at the' public charge ; but an illpaid and overworked order of men, engaged on errands of mercy must pay. r The distinction is a nice one, and it-reflects credit upon tfle public spirit and judgment of the Otago Provincial Council and Government. May their shadows never grow less. It is a moot question, however, how far the General Government will be bound to recognise the free tickets held by the members of the Otago Provincial Council, in session and out of session, when the Otago railways revert to the colonv. However, that is a question which does not presently concern us. We have no doubt that the privilege of using the State railways free of charge will be largely used by the gentlemen in question while the privilege lasts; - but we would suggest tb the Minister for Public Works whether religion might not be properly recognised to the extent of making all clergymen free of the railways. which are, immediately under his control. It is useless to put in the proviso, “ when on duty,” because a minister of religion is always presumed to be on duty. If he is not, he .is not “a good soldier of the Cross.” A similar question has arisen nearer home, than Otago, to which we desire to direct the attention of the. Superintendent of Wellington and his Executive, as we believe they have the power tb remove .the igrievance.’ Tolls on the highways of the province may be necessary, but they really press .heavily on clergymen' in country districts. ' They are compelled to travel a great deal, and they cannot travel without paying tribute at the tollgates. In one case, we have been informed that the tax at a single toll-bar amounts to £i a year on - a very worthy minister ;bf religion,: whose stipend is too small to admit of such: attenuation. Now, is it not possible to make" clergymen free of tolls in Wellington province? We are satisfied that this remission would not lessen the sum for . which the tolls would be let, and it would be a. great boon to the clergy. If the Provincial Government can do anything in this matter wo trust they will take prompt action, and thus ensure the prayers'of the Church for them during the dark hours of approaching dissolution.

The Otago Daily Times of November 16 has some remarks on the condition of the Deborah Bay railway tunnel, which, if founded on fact (and • they have not ’been contradicted), point to great waste of time and money in connection with our national railway works. Our Dunedin contemporary says :—“ It is not to be expected that the carrying out of so vast an I undertaking as that of intersecting the colony with railways ’ will be unattended by mistakes, and the loss incidental to them. Already some have been made, and will aid in materially swelling the estimate of supplementary expenditure. Notably, one of these mistakes is in connection with that costly job the drifting; of the Deborah Bay tunnel of ‘the Dunedin and Moeraki railway. Our attention was drawn, to the condition of the tunnel some time ago, and upon the representations made to us we took action that has thoroughly instructed us in the matter, and enables us to pronounce authoritatively that a very grave errdr was committed in permitting the tunnel to degenerate to such a pitch of dilapidation as | that complained of, and with good reason;' by the contractors. The old axiom of “ a stitch ' in time,” &c., is very applicable indeed to the case before us ; and, if practical effect had but been given to it, not only would the work have been materially advanced, but the colony would have been saved unnecessary expense that in the aggregate will amount to thousands of pounds sterling. Latest advices from the tunnel state that, owing to the insecurity of the ground, operations in one section of it have been suspended. A pretty state of things truly, and moat discreditable to the: Government. Hundreds of miles of railway are in Course of construction in the colony, and it is therefore most unlikely that the mismanageinent in connection with the Deborah Bay tunnel is an exceptional case, and .we would therefore advocate' the : exercise of the closest supervision, on the part of the Government, and the, avoidance of that.rock upon which so many promising undertakings have come to grief—false economy.

The Wairarapa Standard in its last issue has a long leader,' in which it says that the New Zealand Times is wretchedly conducted, and has none but haahed-up paragraphs “ written by the Itinerant Showman, alias' the Intelligent Vagrant, who has been brought from an up-country district in Otago to write subleaders for the Times.” The Standard considers his blissful ignorance a misfortune to the proprietary, and thinks the Times is conducted by men “who are not conversant with the views and requirements of the province.” It would be a pity if all this wrath should merely receive the trivial publicity that the circulation of the Standard would afford it. To prevent this it is republished here. Indeed we should have given the Standard’s leader in full, only that its spelling differs from that of the accepted authorities (“ comparitively” for instance), and the trouble to put this right would he too much. . .

The position of a member of a Waste Lands Board in Otago is not an enviable one. For the past few months the Otago and the Southland Boards have been continually in the law courts, and at one time there was a prospect ofjthe members of the former getting into gaol. However, they managed to keep clear of the latter little difficulty, but the lawyers had no intention of allowing them to clear out of the courts so easily. Two or three cases have been brought to the Court of Appeal this session; In . one, that of Mackenzie v. the Southland Board, the defendants were cast in costs, to pay which, according to Mr. Stout, there was no fund beyond what the Provincial Coimcil in its generosity might choose to grant. But as the Provincial Council itself has lost its opportunity for being generous, it is quite on the cards that the gentlemen whose patriotism has led them to take upon themselves honorary officer will have to pay costs out of their private purses. Mr. Justice Johnston,

when he heard Mr. Stout’s appeal for the persecuted parties, commended their cause to public sympathy, but Mr. Stout sighed in answer that he'did* not think this would turn much money in. Yesterday another case came before the Court,' and in this the members of the Otago Board were the defendants. The facts will be found in our low report; but it may be mentioned that, unless some amicable arrangement be come to by the parties, so that the matter may be disposed of at the present sittings,, it, is, yery likely. the injunction - from selling lauds on deferred payments will remain in for,ce T for .another six months, and; ;the lands pf Ithe Otago Board will be completely tied up.