The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1889. TEE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1897, 28 May 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1889. TEE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

' We are glad to find that the Lyttelton Times has awakened to the fearful absurdity of the recent changes in the railway time-table. In its issue of the 24th inafc. it says: " As the local Temuka paper very properly points out, the expense of the new arrangement is so much greater to the colony than that of the old, that the public might well expect much more convenience for the money." The Times also agrees with us as to the extraordinary hardships it has inflicted on South Canterbury, and goes on to say that •'when Mr Maxwell paid his last flying visit to Christehurch he remarked rather airily that as he had heard nothing lately from the southern parts

of the"-province he presumed that the settlers down there were satisfied." How often have we called upon our public bodies to enter a protest against the change. From the remark made by Mr Maxwell it is quite evident that the change is an experiment, but that so long as people do not let it be known that they are dissatisfied thfr Commissioners will take it for granted that the change is working all right. This being obvious, the course which people must adopt is to show that they are thoroughly dissatisfied, and if they will do so they will have their grievances redressed. The change has not given satisfaction anywhere; even in Christchurch the people are disgusted with it, and the through passengers do not like it because of the fact that they are kept without luncheon until nearly 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The district between the Rangitata and Ashburton is the worst served of all. On three days of the week any one living in this district who goes to Ashburton or Christchi'rch cannot return home the same evening. Thus wherever one turns the cry is the same; the change is most inconvenient, and the people will not be satisfied until some alteration is made. —„—«, -.—' ENGLISH CABLEGRAMS.

The Christchurch Press, which has never distinguished itself by showing any sympathy with any movement of a Liberal tendency, has been very much disturbed in its mind over the fact that Mr John Dillon, M.P., in his speech in Melbourne denied the accuracy of certain cablegrams received recently from Home. The Press jumps to the conclusion that Mr Dillon's utterances reflect on the New Zealand papers as well as those of Yictoria, and throws itself into the breach to do battle for its contemporaries. It argues laboriously that such a thing as misrepresentation in impossible, and that the cablegrams must be trae without a doubt, yet, while urging this view of the case, the Press misrepresents the cablegrams in a most barefaced manner. The cablegram to which Mr Dillon took exception, waa one which stated that Mr Parnell swore he had misled the House of Commons with regard to secret societies ia 1880. The inference which could be drawn from the cablegram was that in 1880, there were secret societies at work in Ireland, hut that Mr Pariiell said that the Land League had destroyed them, while at the same time he was cognisant of their existence. The cablegram stated that Mr Parnell admitted he had thus "misled the House," but in reproducing this the Press says Mr Parnell admitted he told the House " a deliberate lie." The Press has thus exhibited animus towards Mr Parnell,' but that is not the point to which we wish to direct attention. The disposition of the Press towards all Liberal reforms is well known, and whatever it may say can have very • little ' effect on the Parnell movements' What we wish to point out is the'fact that efforts were made to damage the Redmonds when they visited Australia some years ago. It will-be remembered that then a cablegram appeared in all the papers stating that at a place called New Boss, in Wexford, some 30 or 40 men had had their food poisoned because they worked on a boycotted farm. New Ross was the district which Mr J. E. Redmond then represented in Parliament; in the same ' neighborhood he was born and reared, and the people of these colonies were horror-stricken at the idea that there could be found within the British Empire people so cruel as to poison a whole harvest-field full of men for political reasons. . This- statement was an absolute lie. What happened was this: A wealthy man iD New Ross gave the men whom he had working for him, to eat, the flesh of a cow which had died of what is called dry murrain. The meat was poisonous, and three men died through, eating it, while seven others barely, recovered. Inquests were, held ; the question was discussed for weeks at Home, but the Press, agent who first cabled the false report took care not to send a con- ! tradiction. It nay he said that he waß misled in the matter, but such an argument.is untenable when we find that he'did not contradict so scandalous a report. The plain, common-sense view of the case is that the cablegram was sent for the deliberate purpose of damaging the Redmonds, and, bearing this in mind, how can anyone undertake to say that similar agencies are not now at work ? There can be no doubt about it, and consequently cablegrams sent out to the colonies just now ought to be received with a grain of salt.