WANGANUI RACES.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 499, 13 March 1880, Page 2

WANGANUI RACES.

rSnrwifil tn ~\T \ FT..I

First Dav. Hurdle Race of 50 sovs ; miles; weight for age. Te Wiietu ... ... ... 1 Matau ... ... ... ... 2 Abolition ... ... ... 3 Good finish. Grey Mourns and Clarence fell. Wanganui Derby of 100 sovs—added to a sweepstake of 10 sovs eaeh ; distance, 11 miles. Rocket... ... ... ... 1 Sannterer ... ... ... 2 .My Dream ... ... ... 3 Sapling Stakes of GO sovs ; for two-year-olds ; Sincerity ... ... ... 1 Lothair ... ... ... 2 Falcon... ... ... ... 3 Wanganui Stakes Handicap of 100 sovs ; distance, 2 miles. Vampire ... ... ... 1 Nnma ... ... ... ... 2 Libeller ... ... ... 3 Town Plate of 30 sovs ; welter weights for age ; one mile and a distance. Hornby ... ... ... 1 Billingsgate ... ... ... 2 Randwick ... ... ... 3 Flying Handicap of 75 sovs ; one mile and a distance. Vampire ... .. ... 1 Sonkar... ... ... .. 2 Billingsgate ... ... ... 3 Second Day. Wanganui Cup Handicap of 1,000 sovs ; second horse to receive 200 sovs ; third horse 100 sovs from the stakes ; distance, 2 : [ miles. Betrayer ... ... ... 1 Hornby ... ... ... 2 Sutikar... ... .. ... 3

TII E R AIL WAY Q UIIS TlO N T . The Carlyle Correspondent of the Taranaki Herald replies as follows to a letter which recently appeared in the above journal, signed “ Fair Play ” : To the Editor Taranaki Herald. Sin, —“ Fair Play,” in a letter on the 2Sth February, and reprinted in the Patea Mail, lakes exception to what lie terms my perverted statement” on the railway sides question. The letter, as a whole, may he safely left to speak for itself. An odd leather plucked even from an arena no-el's wing would in some hands be pronounced faulty. As to the “ forty-eight hours’ survey’’ —seeing that one specially-sent engineer (at first carefully shepherded in the town side interest by the County Chairman) •was here over a fortnight, not to mention the gratuitous service of some, and service lor pay of other local engineering talent; and the forty-eight hours’’’ petition-hawking—seeing that said petition was in circulation in the early part of one week, and was still in hand in town on the following Saturday morning; or the “ scvciuy-feet” sinking and no bottom —these all being minor matters, may be left.

According to my view, ilio qucstioi*?-, is not one which should be decided hjfi the “ feeding of the people/’ but rather* bv the light of knowledge gained alter careful exploration and survey by qualified engineers, such as are generally supposed to be in the employ ol Government. On whichever side the balance of advantage lies—whether on the town or the “ other side”—all the circumstances being taken into consideration—cost, present and prospective requirements, public convenience, and so forth—on that side should the railway terminus ho placed. Personally, 1 am totally indifferent about sides, and, " Fair Play’s’’ opinion to (ho contrary notwithstanding, so are very many others, as a little inquiry as to why people signed the petition would shown Had “ the people ” come voluntarily forward to sign the petition, the 10G who signed out of the ’lO7 asked, might have counted nmdi as shewing “ iecling,’" bin nothing as to ability to decide the merits of the case from an engineering or practical point of view.

The fate of the petition first got up is known only to fjw. Best so. It is, however, better known who actively moved, and at first, to get a start, personally solicited names to the ‘‘ fortyeight hours” petition, and how lew of - the people” had strength of with

whatever their opinions migSit be, t a refuse a name or solicitation from such a quarter; and how, one and another, influence being used up, the concern was afterwards passed to other, if not paid hands, and literally hawked rouir 1 . If there are grounds; as was fmdy insinuated whilst the petition was in motion, of “ certain Government officials and land speculators” having tampered with or brought.pressure to bear on other officials, to their (the interested officials) personal gun, that then should have been the subject matter of the petition, in order (o have insured a straight issue, instead of trailing off on a false scent, and thus causing delay, it not risking tile total stoppage of the contemplated work. That was, an.i still is, my opinion. Sueli a course would have been honorable as compared with the action taken, and the dago-like aspersions and insinuations levelled at certain Government officials and anyone happening to be remotely acquainted or happening to be seen occasionally within hail. Recollecting but too well the sqqjof bling in New Plymouth about the prison, harbour schemes, harbour site, iron sand, Sunday trains, and other lesser matters, and having fell the ill effects thereof, I have a wholesome dread of site squabbles, and deprecate any here. Remembering, 100, something about the sums voted by the Assembly for railway works from Taranaki towards Patea in the past, secured chiefly through the good generalship of Mr T. Kelly, and how, year after year (Major Atkinson being in power) the votes were allowed to lapse through lus failure to appreciate the power of roads and railways as civilizing agents, or being more anxious to please- the House, by dilating on his “savings” from this and other politically weak districts, than for progress, and through whose laxity in the matter of spending money voted in the past the present ua ive trouble became possible ; remem boring something of these matters, and the great financial gloom will; win di dm Colonial Treasurer is at present afflicted, there are but too good grounds to fear licit the temptation to save- from votes will be groat, and, as Taranaki was victimised in the past, it will not lie wonderful if Patea dots not similarly suffer now. “ What is to binder tenders being called for all the earthwork between bore and liawera ?” asks “ Fair Play.” Wha*, indeed, bin the want of inclination and determination on the part of oun t;i t■ RKsitxt,\Tivu, and ill -site squabble— to him a veqv Cffid-seiid. The former military ink; here as not, been without its ill effects. To ho ordered, and, as a coiisequ-moe, to do, or to woik an interest for secret pay, having been common in the past, it. is no wonder that such as have been so long used to scarcely any oilier ‘‘guide to conduct,'’ should be incapable of conceiving of other persons fr ing inllnon j.-.l l.y other ami more d-Lil motives, and lienee the insinuation a* ■> my working t• • order is ii:t!•» to he surprised at, and so may be dmad-yd.— I. am, live., Yogi’. OWN CoRREf-PO.NDEXT.