The Evening Star. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2551, 10 March 1877, Page 2

The Evening Star. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1877.

We understand that the letter forwarded by the Thames County Council to the Waste Lands Board, applying to have endowments of land set apart within the County for hospitals, charitable institutes, public libraries, education, &c, has been received, and will be considered at the meeting cf the Waste Lands Board'to be held on Tuesday next, and probably the result of the deliberations will be communicated in time for the County Council's meeting on Wednesday morning. If the Board entertains the application favorably they will communicate with the Government on the matter, recommending the steps to be taken and pointing out tho lands available. We trust this matter will not be lest sight of until the necessary reserves have been obtained. A few judiciously chosen reserves now may become a prolific source of revenue to the County in a few years, and enable the County to provide for the wants of the inhabitants in the directions above indicated without . recurring to taxation. Now that land is abundant and cheap is the time to make reserves for endowments, and the CounLy Council have in this respect shown an example to other local bodies which might be copied.with advantage. The courteous reception which the Waste Lands Board have to this application of the County viCouncil bears out the remarks of the. County Chairman made at a recent meeting, deprecar ting the uce of strong and intemperate language in addressinge-a public body for the first time ; and that it would be time enough for resorting to strong measures when they found that their representations did not meet with that attention which the importance of the question deserved. : '•-■■■•

The railway commissioners have sent in their report based' on the evidence.tliey have been enabled to collect about the present state of the Auckland railways. We commented on that evidence, which really consisted of a number of complaints brought by various: persons, the main point aimed at being the reduction of the charges made for the conveyance of animals and parcels, and goods in bulk. Those who complained stated Tacts, and their complaints were certainly well grounded. On this evidence the commissioners have reported, and if—judging from a digest of it—their report be adopted, the travellers by rail in the Auckland district, as well as those who are in the habit of using the rail as a means of transport for live stock or goods, will be much better off than they are at present. The suggestion that the station should be placed nearer the Queen street wharf, is a very good one, and will benefit those who have little time to spare? so as to enable them to catch trains. The idea also is good of giving increased facilities of getting special trains for picnics, excursions, &c, and also that cheap trains should run on Saturdays : this too the commissioners recommend. The, running of trains on Sutidays vwill doubtless have its opponents as well as supporters. It is a question on which much may be said. For the present suffice it to say that the commissioners recommend it. The charge for small parcels, wiil, it is to be hoped, be reduced on the recommendation of the commissioners, as also that the fares and charges be lowered, and in: the pase of cattle brought to town for sale that they should, if not sold, be returned to the station from whence they came free of a second charge. One suggestion we cannot approve of, that is that tickets for any place on the -line should be sold in shops. It seems tb'us that this would cause a good,deal of confusion and do very little good. In the first place it would complicate the keeping of accounts, and then it would lessen the revenue of the railway, as the shopkeepers'would require a percentage oi the sale. A much better plan, would be, we think, to issue season-tickets at very-reasonable rates, either weekly monthly, quarterly or yearly; this, we believe, would induce many more people not only to use the lines but reside in the vicinity of them.