CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 283, 22 April 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

DEATH TRAPS. | It would be interesting to know the number of mishaps, fatal and otherwise, that have occurred to motors and vehicles at railway crossings during the past twelve months. It would, we imagine, make a tolerably lengthy list. The latest fatality occurred at Murton last week. The frequency of the accidents cannot he caused altogether by the carelessness of travellers. They are, in our I opinion, due to the lack of necessary safeguards. The responsibility therefore rests with the Government, which should take immediate steps to stop the wholesale slaughter that is going on. There are many dangerous crossings in Taranaki that would, with the expenditure of very little money, he made tolerably safe. But more than cutting away the hanks to get a view of the approaching trains is required. Automatic gates to block crossings on the approach of a train should be introduced. How effective this can be done has been shown by an Tnglewood inventor. If the latter's contrivance is as successful in actual working as it has been proved to be on a model scale, its employment would save the lives of dozens of valuable citizens.

"HURDLES" FOR MOTORS. The Petone Borough Council, unable to limit the speed of motor cars through its boundaries, has hit upon a rough-and-ready way of dealing with the trouble. It is by placing a series of obstructions across the road, to negotiate which it is necessary for motorists to "pull up." The motorists have tried their persuasive powers upon the memhers of the Council to have them removed, hut the Council so far has sat tight and defied the motorists to do their hest, or their worst. This thing they are about to attempt. The Wellington motorists, the offenders, have formed an association, and at a meeting the other evening decided to take immediate steps to test the validity of the Council's action. Unless the motorists mend their ways it is suggested that even more drastic measures than obstructions will be taken in the Hutt Valley against the motorists.

THE RAILWAYS MANAGER,

The new Geneval Manager of Railways is at present Divisional Goods Manager at Newcastle on the North-Eastern Railway in England. Hs has had a wide experience on the Great Northern Railway and in his present employment. The North-Eastern Railway Company operates one of the biggest British systems. It was established in 1854, and owns 1680 miles of track, and controls a total of 1734 miles. The main line runs from Doneastcr to Berwick, and forms part of the East Coast route to Scotland. The company owns 50 miles of canal, large docks at Hull, Middlesborough, Hartlepool and the Tyne Dock, and conducts a steamship service from Hull to the Continent. The capital of the company amounts to £80,589,532, which is at the rate of £47,070 per mile. The chairman of directors is Lofd Knarcsborougli, and the General Manager is Mr. A. K. Butterworth. The offices of the company are at York. The magnitude of the North-Eastern system may be gauged by the fact that the New Zealand Government railways (lines open and under construction) were valued as at March, 1011, at £31,509,060. The new General Manager is to receive £3OOO per annum. The salary of the present General Manager is £1250 per annum. Following are the annual salaries paid to the Commissioners controlling the railways in the States of the Australian Commonwealth:— Victoria: Chief Commissioner, £2750; two Assistant Commissioners, each £ISOO. The previous Victorian Chief Commissioner (Mr. Tait) received £3500 a year. New South Wales: Chief Commissioner, £3000; one Assistant Commissioner, £ISOO. Queensland: Chief Commissioner, £2000; one assistant. £1250. South Australia: Commissioner, £1250. West Australian: Commissioner. £ISOO. Tasmania: General Manager, £IOOO.

THEN AND NOW. It is interesting to note that one hears no word of all the criticism that raged on the gift of this great ship (H.M.S. New Zealand) to the Empire a year or two ago. Not only that. The' people who were most emphatic in their criticism now talk and behave as if they had always and enthusiastically approved of the gift.. I dare say that this is very funny: it is also very mean. Sir Joseph Ward was derided all over the country for making the offer of the Dreadnought. Now that gift is heartilv endorsed by everybody, Sir Joseph Ward's part in it is being "pushed as far as possible into the background. I don't suppose that he'll worry his head about that; but it is curious, none the lessFrank Morton. AN APPRECIATION. Canon Garland last evening paid a nice tribute to our beautiful Pukckura Park. It was a pleasure, he said, to come to what he would call both here an d elsewhere "New Plymouth—the Garden of New Zealand," and he added, "I must congratulate the people of New Plymouth on the possession of those '■wonderful gardens, which I visited on Saturday." He had taken an interest in public gardens elsewhere, and so it was saying a good deal, he continued, when ho said that they were the finest gardens lie had seen anywhere. New Plymouth was certainly one of the prettiest towns he had visited in this Dominion. The Mayor, in his concluding remarks, informed Canon Garland that he lad touched on a tender spot when he mentioned the gardens, and assured him that that was only one of the many beauty spots with which the district abounded, of which perhaps Mount Egmont was the chief.