Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. 'This above all—to thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man.' Shakespeare. WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1889. THE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 364, 1 May 1889, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. ' This above all — to thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man.' Shakespeare. WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1889. THE RAILWAY TIME-T A B LE .

We believe it will be readilj an 1 yenerally acknowledged tliat since their appointment the Railway Commissioners have shown a commendable desire to, f»s far as possible, meet the wants and wishes of settlers, and make the railway more popular. Of course it will require time to bring into operation many further alterations that will suggest themselves te the Commissioners, or that will be suggested to them. Already very important alterations and concessions suggested by deputations to Mr Commissioner Maxwell, on the occasion of his visit to Waikato a short time back, have been granted, and that with a promptness and willingness that could not fail to be heartily appreciated. We re for more particularly to the arrangements for special c-Xbt\& and goods trains, shortening the time allowed for the journey between Auckland and Hamilton, and the very great boon of

reduced rates for the carriage) of small i lots of farm produce, fruit, etc. The 1 liitter concession was especially needed, 1 and without doubt it is a wise policy to 1 in this way assist settlers and encourage i them to make use of the railway as much as possible, by enabling 1 them to forward the products oF their labour to Auckland or other markets at a reasonable cast. But whilst \ve were very pleased to see the concessions referred to result from representations made to Mr Maxwell, we cortainly thought at the time, and have bad no reason for altering that opinion since that, so far as the now time table was concerned, everything was made Far too subservient to the wishes of Hamilton people, and without •hie regard as to how the districts still further inland would be affected thereby. Before rais ; ng any protest, however, or making any complaint a.3 regards the unsnit.ibleness of the new train arrangements, with respect more especially to the Tp A roh a end of the ljne. we preferred I allowing a reasonable time to elapse, jso that the new time table might j have a fair trial, This we are certain of, i Mad Wai ka to folk, suffered anything like the inconvenience tliose at this end of the line have done under the new arrangements, there would have been a howl of discontent raised long since. True, when Mr Maxwell visited Te A roh a he was not waited upon by any deputations having grievances to, ventilate, but that surely would be a poor reason for overlooking the requirements of these districts ; and so altering the time-table that was then in vogue to their great disadvantage. As a matter o,f fact the present time-table is the worst, so far as Te Aroha and all the out districts of which it is the terminus is concerned, that has ever been in force, owing to the late arrival of the train, which is not now even due at Te Aroha till 4.35 p.m. In 1885, before the line was opened to Te Aroha, the train from Auckland was timed to arrive at Morrinsville at 2.15 p.m. In 1886 it was timed to reach Morrinsrille at 2.20 p.m., and ie Aroha at 3.10 p.m. In 1887 it was altered to Morrinsville 2.40 p.m., Te Aroha, 3.40 p.m. ; and in 1888 to Movrinsville, arrive 2.45 p.m., Te Aroha, 3.40. Now it has been altered to Morrinsville, 3.35 p.m., Te Aroha, 4.35 p.m. The hour of starting from Auckland being 8 a.m. throughout, until thkye.ir. Wehaveheard many and loud complaints with respect to the great inconvenience occasioned by the present late arrival of the train ; in fact, we daily witness the very great discomfort occasioned thereby, The train arriving at Te Aroha a few minutes before five, as at present, does not permit of country settlers reaching their homes before dark during the winter munths ; nor admit of the mails bein<? sorted before the hour for closing the post ofPoe, viz , 5 o'cluck (after ; which it does not now re-open), and consequently very serious inconvenience is } ! occasioned to a great many visitor?, as j well as to local residents generally who are not box holders, in not being able to obtain their letters till nine o'clock the j following day. We have much pleasure in stating that our present post master, ' whilst withal a most efficient public officer, £ is also a most obliging one, and as far as it i is possible for him to do so, endeavours to ] give out letters to those awaiting for them. But on the three days a week on which 3 the train does not come past Morrinsville } it is nearly six o'clock before the coach with mails and passengers arrives at Te ' Aroha, and all the inconveniences refeired to are intensified, and also added to ; seeing that on these off tiain days, viz., Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the mails for Auckland close 3 overnight at 9 p.m. It is scarcely s necessary to further dilate on the inconvenience residents at Te Aroha, Waiorongomai, and in the adjacent distiiots i suffer, both when travelling them- . selves, and diiily as regards the mail s service, under the present time table. The inconvenience occasioned through not being able to obtain and reply to j their letters until the diy after they arrive, is of course experienced to even a still greater extent by Wniorongomai residents. These disadvantages can be, how- - ever,so easily remedied that we balieve they only lequire pointing out to receive consideration by the Commissioners. By simply reverting to the old hour of starting from Auckland, viz., 8 a.m., they would be entirely done away with, and y that without inconvenience to the resi0 dents of any other district. And we may state here, that although we have heard the new time table, whereby the train starts from Auckland at 9.35 a.m., in- '» stead of 8 a.m. as formerly, frequently 1 discussed both by country settlers, Auckland residents, and visitors and travellers - generally, we have not heard one who approved of it or asserted the extra hour and a half in Auckland on the morning of starting was any advantage to them. I Nor do we see in what possible way it r cm prove a convenience, beyond allow- ,, ing those so inclined an hour longer in bed. 1 No one travelling by the 9.35 a.m. train could possibly leave the transaction of any business of importance till the morning he was leaving town, and hope to get through it in time to catch the j. 9.35 a.m. train. . By returning to the old hour of staiting fiom Auckland, and using a _ little more despatch after leaving Hamilton, the train could reach Te Aroha at say 2.30 p. m., and Morrinsville the other three day's a week nt 1 .10 p.m. Such an alteration as that suggested q would prove an immense boon, enabling c settlers from Paeroa and the vaiious out districts to reach their homes by daylight, instead of struggling along at night or^r bud roa 1" ; everyone j could get their letters in good time f and be able to reply thereto by the return

mail, and the Commissioners would earn the thanks of a very large section of the travelling public, to whom the present late hour at which the train, and mails arrive is most unsatisfactory. We refer to the matter more especially at the present time, seeing that the Chief Commissioner of Railways, Mr McKorrow, accompanied by the district traffic manager, Mr Hudson,, are paw at Te Aroha. There was no business *vlmtever for transaction in the Resident Magistrates Conit, Te Aroha, yesterday. Mr Melville, accompanied by Mr Macintyre, of the (Jassel Gold Extracting Co., are a.t present staying at To Aroha, and 3'esterday visited Waiorongomai, and the Ferguson Syndicate's battery and plant. For Thames mining ne>vs see page four. Mr Warden Novthcroft, and the Mining Inspector, Mr Geo, Wilson, have- been visiting various mining centres in Ohineinuri County within the past few days ; and yesterday afternoon visited Waiorongomai and the Fciguscm Syndicates plant. In the onse of J, Whitehead v. A. Shepherd, heard in the Pacioa Resident Magistrates Court on Monday hist, judgment was £,iven f° r defendant, with costs £7 lOs, Agricultural statistics just completed with iespect to Piako, Oliinemnri, Coromandel, Thames, and other counties, will bo found on our fourth page. Tenders close at noon to-morrow, with Mr P. Ferguson, Wiioronuomai, for carting for the Ferguson Syndicate for ensuing six months. At the Board of Education, meeting, Auckland, on Friday last, it wasdecided to close the Mackaytown school, and opon one at Kar.mgahake. Particulars to be obtained as to suitable building, and the Inspector to report. The Board of Reviewers appointed under the provisions of u The Rating Act, 1882, and its Amendments," will meet in the Public Ha)l, Paeioa, at 10 am, on Monday next, 6th inst,, for the purpose of hearing and determining objections in respect of propei ty rated under said Acts within the County of Ohinemuri, Our Angla-Colonial letter, just leceived by the San Francisco mail, appears on our fifth page to-d.iy, and will be found most inteiesting. Amongst other topics dealt with, very interesting paiticulars respecting the collapse of the Quayle G. M. Co, aie given, in connection with which Mr Parkes' opinion is quoted. Piako County Council invite tenders for four or five miles of road foimntfon on the new Lichfield-Te Aroha road, Specifications may be soen at the office of the Engineer, Mr T. G. Sandes, Hamilton, or at Mr Geo. Walkers residence, Tuararparaharahara, Mr Geo, Walker, junr, will point out the ground to intending contractors. Tenders close at noon on Monday next, 6th inst, with Cloik. Phko County Council, Cambiidge ; and are to be endorsed, " Tender for No. 7 contract." The Chairman's report read at the annual meeting of bouseholders, held at Waiorongomai, for election of a School Committee contains the following remarks :—: — " In order to maintain the efficiency of the school we would strongly impress upon parents the absolute importance of regular attendance by the children, The following are the statistics for the past year : Average attendance, first quarter, 56.5 ; second quarter, 57.2 ; third quarter, G6 3 ; fourth quarter, 72." Inspector Goodwin in his report (which was also read), says ? " The school is conducted in a satisfactory 1 manner ; both teachers show zeal, energy, i and diligence " ° * * l< Discipline, behaviour, and tone of school, good." The Inspector's report on the Standard examina- [ tion (November 26th, 1889), states that the numbeis piesentcd were ns follows : Standard 1,10; standard 2, 19 ; standard ! 3, 12 ; standaid 4, 11 ; standard 5, 3 ; ■ standard 6, 1 ; total in standards, 56. Result: absent, 1 ; excepted, 5 ; failed, , 6 ; passed, 44, Number in pieparatory . classes, 39, making total number on roll , 95,