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Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 410, 22 March 1879, Page 2

New Zealand, in proportion to her population, is distinguished above other country in the world for the length oi her railways. This, of course, m y-iry

t iiitalising to the inhabitant of Patea Oounty, and gives him an micontf >rtable sense of being Uniterm ted or overreached. Still the fact remains, that in 1877 there was in this colony a mile of railway open for ev<Ty 484 persons. Queensland has only a mile for f>s6 ; Victoria, a mile to 924; ,<J3pp'tjh.\ Wales, a mile to 1,1U8; the United States, a mile to f>80; Great Britain, a mile to 1,961. We believe that even in Britain railways, are..by,- no v pw*,nns success- hardly* be expected, then, thaV they will pay at presentin' $eW, : that ,isj-; that '• theywill .pay . wording;. ; ,espetghv? - A-nd interest oh - the' Cost of construction. When we ,spehk.:nf ratJwAya -paying;. ;we of course refer to the ordinary income of railways —their earnings. We do not mean to say the money spent on railways is banly invested as far as this colony is concerned ; for if land-owners had only to pay 2 per cent, on the amount by which the market value of their property has been raised' by. railways, the colony would scarcely require any more loans. After onr main trunk • linos are completed, the mileage, wjll not increase 50..., fast, while ovring to the opening up of the.country, the population will increase more rapidly ; so that in a few years time we may expect to see the population gaining on the railways. When it has so far gained as to give about 1,000 persons per mile, the lines will have a .far bettor chance-of paying; and if they 'do hot quite clear their way, there will bo' more shoulders to bear the burden. In the meantime the land fund does duty in the room of taxpayers. The ordinary expenditure of New Zealand (including- the interest on the public debt) is almost £600,000 more than the ordinary revenue. This £600,000 just about represents the interest on the debt of the colony, and is met out of the land fund. The great debt under which we are supposed to be struggling, is practically costing the taxpayers nothing. It is true that paying ordinary expenditure out of the land fund 'ih asense, living on onr capital. The land fund will not last fur ever; in a few years it will be at its best, and will then slack off gradually until it is exhausted. But just as the land fund slacks off, so will the public works come nearer and naan rto self-support; so that even when the land fund is no more, the people of New Zealand may possibly be taxed less heavily than at present. Let not the present generation plume itself on bearing a burden that posterity will not bear, or claim credit for sacrifices and self-denial in 'constructing public works for the good of posterity ; for this generation does not nay for them—the land does it. And let not posterity complain that they have to pay for works that we built without paying for. Posterity will not pay for them—they will pay for themselves.

The Hon. J. Sheehan- 1 arrived in Carlyle on Tuesday night. last, and proceeded to Haweraon Wednesday morning. A Press Agency telegram, dated Opunake, 20th March, says—“ The Hon Mr Sheehan left at 'nine.o’clock this morning, to see To Whiti and other chiefs at Parihaka.” The Carlyle Harmonic Society’s quarterly concrct takes place on the 2nd April. Programme will be found elsewhere. Patea Light Horse rifle match—married v single—comes off on the racecourse this morning. ' Hawera Acclimatisation Soctiety meet at Owen’s Hotel to-day. Messrs McLean and Co will hold their Hawera stock sale on Thnrsday next. Cricket match—married v single—takes place this afternoon. • ' . • We have had so much calm weather of late, that the storm of Thursday night took the town quite by surprise, as everyone seemed to have forgotten that it blows m Patea. The wind sprung up suddenly, and some few who had not relieved their clothes-lines, were saved that trouble. We cannot vouch for correctness of the statement, but some people assert that they had horses blown clean out of their paddocks. Constable Shields looking for these animals, and intends, if he gets hold of them, to prevent such a thing happening again. A real live barber has commenced business at Hawera. Professor Joseph announces in another column, that he is prepared to take off spare wool from any who pay him a visit. Advance Hawera ! Mr James Bridge, of Wanganui, advertises as follows (so says the Chronicle) — The whole of the goods are new, and have been personally selected by the advertiser, who guarantees satisfaction to kis customers. Mr W. Cowom' wili.holdan important sale at Manutahi, on Tuesday next—of leasehold and freehold land, wool-shed and appliances, cattle, sheep, horses, farm implements, wheat,, barley, oats, &c.—the property of Messrs Corrigan & Steuart, who are about dissolving partnership. The leasehold land contains 232 acres, and has 12£ years uriexpired term.. The freehold adjoins the above, and contains 48 acres, with wool-shod and sheep-yards erected thereon. This sale will afford a good opportunity for anyone wishing to go into the fellraongery business, as all requisite appliances are on the ground. Sale commences at 12 o’clock sharp. Mr J. S. Dobbin announces in another column that the lease of the Railway Hotel, Inglewood, is for sale. We would direct attention to Mr A. Broadbeht-’s advertisement in first page.Professor Fraser again drew a good house on Wednesday night last, when he delivered his lecture-oh-Love, Courtship, and Marriage.” The liveliest interest was manifest In the Professor’s remarks, which 'were both amusing and instructive, and several' bachelors who were present have determined to enter into ihe holy bonds of matrimony, so impressed were they with the plain truth laid down by the lecturer. Professor Fraser seems to have that happy knack of carrying his audience with him, and the interest in his lectures do not seem to flag a moment. After the lecture, several. Pateaites had ..their bumps felt, and very correct characters were given in each case. Lectures are announced for Manutahi, on Tuesday next; and Hawera, on Thursday and Friday. >~

What a nice place Wellington most be to live in. There is an old saying, that cleanliness is next to godliness, and yet in tin; Empire cipv, .they, do not appear to have snffieh'ht water’ to keep themselves clean. In the Resident Magistrates Court, on Tuesday last, • two- residents of Wellington were summoned by the Corporation for haying vised water to wash the front' of thcir’ buildings/Tbo,. cases • were din imssecTwith the R.M.. remarking that ih fhtiVre^Svateivwasters would be dealt \vltll - iriorii' 'Setfjw e'ly: .is certainly hard-to ;; heft <?ve“ t *UbV?n 1 iff 'New Zealand is so short' o£ wa’tferj:that-;ad man cannot use ajlittje.tp.wash But it would appear* that Wellington, the .favored town iVffl'll other' respieetS, is not Messed., ftjViafbnndancp Qf We t hank our stnrsdhat are placed upon ns, and would recommend those in the Empire city, whose taste is for cold watar, to travel this way-—their wants can; be supplied. 1 ; The fpjlosving weights have been declared for. the. forthcoming Taranaki Autumn M ceting Aut it niii Hand Tea p:’ Resof nt ion, 9st; Olawa, Bst 61b; Isaac Walton, Bst 31b; Expectation, 7st 7(h; Peep of Day, ; 7st 51b; Venus Transit, 7st SlblSpeculalion 7st3lb; Confident, 6st 101b-; -.Glad)s;> 6st' 7lb ; Maid of Honor,. ,6st 61b. Steeplechase : Grey Mmnus, list If 1b.,; Uira, IQstlOll); Victor, lOst 318 ; Awahou, lOst ; Gaze|le, 9st 10li)Billy, -Bst 121b ; Tawera. Bat 121 b. General entries for the above close at New Plymouth tbrday.

The following programme was gone through at the concert held at.llawera on Monday last, in aid of the Catholic Church ,—First part: Overture on the piano, by a lady of Hawera ; glee, “ Hail smiling morn,” Harmonic members; song,; “ White Squall,” Carlyle gentleman ; duett, “ The Lily and the Rose,” Hawera ladies ; song, “ Strangers yet,” Hawera gentleman ; glee, “ Lightly tread,” -Harmonic members ; song, 41 Doctor says I must not be. worried, 1 ’ Hawera gentleman ; song, “Moll}’ Asthore,” Carlyle gentleman ; r Violin And Aide duett, Harmonic members 1 ; kong, “ When the corn,” &c, Hawera Indy; song, “ Her bright smije,” Hawera gentleman. Second part : Glee, ‘‘bee onroars,” <S’C, Harmonic members ; song, “ I’m sitting on the stile, Mary,” Hawera lady;. duett, “ A voice from the waves,” liawefa ladies ; violin and flute duett, Harmonic members ; glee, “The bells of St. Michael’s Tower,” Har-monic-members ; song,-:* The nightingale’s trill,” Carlyle lady ; .duett, “ The Gipsy Coqntess,’' Hawera lady and gentleman; song, “ Constance,” Hawera lady; glee, “ Beautiful Isle of the Sea,” Hawera ladies ; song, “ Patrick Molloy,” Hawera gentleman. After the programme was finished, Mr McGuire, on behalf of Father Uyan, who was unavoidably absent, thanked those who had so kindly come from Carlyle to assist at the concert, and said they had certainly done all in their power to make the entertainment a sncces. Mr Hirst replied’in suitable woids.

The Taranaki News, of Saturday las* says—“ We trust that. ..the telegraphic department will receive a thorough investigation when Parliament _ met'js. Complains of its- inefficiency are imivefsally rife. Telegrams stent.to b« from Wellington at 5.5 p.m. do not reach ns till after midnight, and we are but light sufferers compared with,/some . of•.purVcontemporarios. The inducements to young men to enter the department are so small, and” the treatment they receive after joining is frequently so had, that all the best hands arc driven away in disgust, so that the department is left in a deplorable state of ..inefficiency. We make no complaint of, the local office, but somewhere between here and Wellington there is a screw loose.

The London correspondent of the Morning News, writing on the ruiiior that hopes were entertained of Sir Julius Vogel’s appointment as successor to Lord Normanby, sayssuch an appointment would bo regarded by the great bulk of New Zealand colonists as a deliberate insult, and says Sir Julius Vogel is comparatively unknown except in New Zealand, where.he is.anything but popular, and insinuates that the rumour originated in the office of the AgentGeneral of New Zealand. ..