The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1193, 12 February 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1880.

Tnr. Wansbeck-street jester is at it again, tie has once more put on the cap aud bells, unci this morning treats his readers to another specimen of his foolery. Tins time the Hon. Mr. Oliver, his Worship the Mayor, and the railway passenger station site 3 are subjects upon which the Editor of the North Otago Times bases an article, the foolishness of which is only cqualled by rs untruthfulness and its capacity for injury to the town. Mr. Oliver is taken to task for coming to a decision upon the matter after having heard only one side of the question, and the Mayor is treated to some banter of questionable application for the share lie took in the matter. Now, we have not the slightest desire to champion either of the gentlemen named, and we carc not where the railway passenger station is erected, but we cannot allow the article in tliis morning's Times to go unchallenged. The Hon. Mr. Oliver has not been guilty of the enormity which our contemporary attempts to prove against him, and the Editor of the Times must have known this when he penned his untruthful article. Mr. Oliver inspected all the proposed sites for the station, and his decision upon the matter was not given after hearing one side of the question. . For the information of our erring and misguided contemporary, we may mention that, while inspecting the Esplanade site, Mr. Oliver expressed his belief that it was the one best suited for a passenger station. Thi3 was before the Mayor mentioned anything with reference to the feelings of the public. And here let us state that his Worship's remarks with reference to the public meetings were called for by a question from the Minister for Public Works, and that there was no desire on the part of Mr. Oliver to determine upon the site for a railway station npon the ex parte statements of one side. On the contrary, Mr. Oliver declared very plainly that he would be guided solely by the recommendations of the department, no matter what the feelings of the public might be as to where the station should be erected. If the department fixes upon the Esplanade site so much the better for those who urge the claims of that position, and if another position for the railway station is chosen they will have to bow gracefully to the decision of men who are at any rate supposed to be competent judges. For ourselves we can fearlessly assert that we have no predelictions in favor of any of the proposed sites, but we must certainly say that it is somewhat late in the day to attempt to renew the opposition to the erection of the station according to the recommendations of the responsible officers of the department. We saw what the effect of the opposition was last year. The matter was postponed until the vote of the House lapsed, and the money originally set aside for a railway station at Oamaru once more became an object for a scramble amongst members. Then the advocates of all the different sites began to cry out that the Government had allowed the vote to lapse purposely because the public exchequer was in an impoverished state, utterly unmindful of the fact that they had played deliberately into the hands of the Minister for Public Works. It seems to us that only two plans are open for adoption in regard to the railway station. The first of these, and by far the most important, is the piercing of a tunnel through the hill and the location of the station on the present site ; but against this the cost of the work would prove a fatal argument. It is scarcely likely that a majority of tho House of Representatives would be found willing to vote a sum necessary to construct a tunnel and alter the course of the south line. Members would very naturally say that a line of railway had already been constructed at a large cost; that although it had been taken in the wrong direction, it had so far done its work ; that there were other portions of the Colony that had not been blessed with railways of any kind ; that our power of borrowing had nearly reached its limit; that there remained only a small amount of funds available for works; and that until railways were made in other places they would not consent to expensive alterations in existing lines unless it could bo shown that they were imperatively necesssary. However much we might desire to see an obvious mistake rectified, we cannot lose sight of the answer that would assuredly be given to any demand for funds to defray the cost of the alteration. We venture to assert that no Ministry, however powerful, would carry a vote through the House for the purpose, and those who ihope to see a tunnel carried through the ! hill are hoping without reason. Thi3 being ! our unbiassed opinion, we can see no I reason for any longer delaying a decision as to the site for the railway passenger station. Indeed, delay would be dangerous. The financial year is fast drawing to a close, and unless something i 3 done, and that quickly, the vote will again lapse. What will be the result then I Why, the prospect of Oamaru ever getting a station in keeping with the importance o£ the town and suited to the requirements of the travelling public will become very remote indeed. Wo care not where the station i 3, but we object to unnecessary delay.

His Excellency the Governor did not come as fas as Oaraaru this afternoon. He came as far as the Pnkenri Junction (formerly known as Awainoko Junction) by the expre33 train from Christchureli, and was there met by a special train, which conveyed him to Duntroon. il is Excellency will from thence proceed to the Hon. Robert Campbell's estate, where he will remain until .Monday. He will then proceed to Dunedin and the BlnfT, and at the latter place he will embark on board the Hiiicmoa and go on a trip

to the West Coast Sounds, returning to Dunedin by the end of the week. He will remain there for a short time, visiting the races, and will then proceed to Wellington. The Waste Lands Board, at its meeting yesterday, agreed to comply with the Oamaru Harbor Board's • suggestion to increase the upset prices of the runs on the Board's endowment, the leases of which are to be sold shortly. It was resolved that Run ICO be offered for sale at L 725 ; 160b, at L 525 ; IGOc, at LlslO. A meeting of the Committee of the North Otago Horticultural Society was held last evening for the purpose of making the necessary arrageinents for the autumn show. Mr. Montagu occupied the chair, and it was resolved that the show should be held on the 13th March in the Volunteer Hall. Mr. - I ley wood announced his intention of giving at the next show a special prize of twelve named varieties of fruit trees, for the best collection ot vegetables exhibited by a cottage gardener. The head-quarters companies' monthly inspection parade will take place in the Volunteer Hall to-morrow evening, at 8 o'clock. Mails will close for Australia, per Arawata, at tlje Bluff at 4 p.m. on Friday. Mr. James B. Elder has been appointed ranger for the Otepopo Hundred, under section:; 0, appendix H, of the Land Act, 1877. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, this morning, before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M., Frank Hanson, for bathing on the beach within prohibited hours, was sentenced to 24 hours' imprisonment. James Lamont, the lad charged with aiding and abetting in the theft of apples from the garden of Mr. C. G. Moore, was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment. At yesterday's meeting of the Waste Lands Board a report was read from Banger Valpy on the application of Thomas Chalmers to purchase section 52, block 111., Oamaru, with immigrants' cottages thereon. It was decided that the section should be offered for sale, with L4O valuation for the house ; the sale to take place in Dunedin. The annual meeting of the Philharmonic Society will be held at the Volunteer Hall this evening, at half-past seven o'clock, and a practice of " Maritana" will take place afterwards. A match will be played on Saturday be. tween the Excelsior and Tradesmen's Cricket Clubs, commencing at 2 o'clock. The teams chosen' are as follow : —Excelsior Club : Messrs. Cooke, Denton, Fenwick, Finch, T. He'.vat, Marshall, C. Moore, D. Moore, Spcnce, Snow, and Terawhiti. Emergencies —Ham, F. Little, and Bannerman. Trades Club : J. Hartley, A. Hartley, D. Sinclair, R. Crawford, J. Steel, William Hendry, W. Ridsdale, W. J. Maddern, H. Kite. Emergency—W. Thompson, and Sellar.