The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1889. RAILWAY REFORM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3305, 10 September 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1889. RAILWAY REFORM.

A Railway Reform League lias been organised in Aijclclaiit], Tbjs city is the habitat of Mr S. Vaile, an , inveterate agitator for progressive railway ideas. The following resoluI tion which was unanimously carried oxpresses tho lines upon which the new organisation is constituted:— That a railway relorra league be 1 formed having for its object an alteration in the system of administering ' the railways of the colony, such alter- , ation to embrace the following points , as fir as possible: (a) The total abolition of differential rating; (b) the abolition of mileage rating and tho substitution of a stage system; I'eJ the stage systom ndoptod must be of such a nature as to give special facilities to districts and settlers far removed from a market; (d) a reduction in the charge for the conveyance of passengers and goods; (c) a simpli--1 fication in the classification of goods; (f) a simplification aud amalgamation of terminal, weighing, cranage, and other charges." The new ideas cmbodied in this motion have been practippejwith some measure of success on the Oontinont of Europe and in America, but their adaptation to a sparsely populated colony like this might bo attended with unsatisfactory results. The stage system for example will in a populous country multiply traffic by cheapening and simplifying passenger transit but in Now Zealand tho number of people in the community which trayoj is limited and the only way to make a lino pay is to charge a remunerative fare. Under the stage system it is probable that Site post of a jotimoy from Masterton to Wellington would be about one-half tho present charge but to make such on alteration pay three times the number of peoplo would liavo to travel, Perhaps a dozen persons per diem now go from Masterton to Wellington but we question wheth°r a reduction in fares would tempt three dozen persons to visit the Empire city each day, Travelling costs time as well as money and it also involves, over long distances a considerable amount of fatigue. These considerations tend to limit the number of passengers. We recollect a few years back wo possessed in common with all journalists in the colony a free pass on our local railway but the privilege of travelling free of cost was not alone a sufficient inducement to tempt ue to make frequent joumies. No doubt in the Auckland Province as in many other parts of the Uolouy, tho railway servicers in advance of '. the renuirements of the population, and empty passenger carriages as '. nU us %l)tty Mm goods trucks

aro very noticeable. The evil .of constructing unnecessary', -railway lines cannot however be cured by' : a reduction of charges, The natural growth, of population, and .the expansion of sottlement will in -time convert non-paying lines into reirunerafcivcones, but it would be folly to adopt methods of attracting trallic used in other communities, where thousands of persons travel daily, in a colony where on some lines the passengers can counted by tens. Oti very many railwajs in New Zealand tho only possible chance of making interest on their cost is to keep up the rate of charges, and keep down the oxpensa of running passengers and produce. Thero may lie some minor points upon which.the Auckland Railway Reform League may do good service, but common sense suggests that the first duty of i the Railway Commissioners should be to make the receipts upon] unsatisfactory lines balance, the expenditure, and this can only be done by keeping down expenditure, and only giving the communities j interested in them 6uch facilities as they are in a position to pay for.

Mr (t. Langton advprtisos grazing for horses at Knripuni. Tho Hon W. Robinson. M.L.C, died at Christchnrch yesterday. His lifo had been despaired ot for two clays.

The Alameda arrived iu Wellington from Sydney on Sunday night, having been detained by bad weather. Syduoy papers by her stato that Dunceld has been backed to win tho Victorian Derby down to 100 to 12;

During last year the rabbit skins exported from Wow Zealand were valued at i 07,632. '\ ' Messrs Lowes and I urns remind our readeru of tho fortnightly stock sale tomorrow at their yards, Mastorton. The Ciituluguu comprises fat and store sheep, fat cattle, store steors, and cows; also daily cattle, horses, buggy, harness, pigs etc. Tho annunl monthly meeting of the Masterton Thistle Lodge of Masons will be hold to-morrow evening. The Secretary of tho Agricultural and Pastoral Association reminds owners of ontiro horses that tliii annual parade | takes place to-moirow at Messrs Lowes I and loins salo yards'nt 2 o'clock.

Eketahuna presented an unusually lively appearance last Saturday, a littlo excitomeut being caused by the polling for the No 1 Wellington settlement, and the Parkvillo-Ekctahuna brigade loans. Both loans wore carried, tho Special Settlement peoplo coming out strong with a good majority, Tho sum asked for is £3500 to bo expended on roads into tho Block. Tin's will bo a benefit to the district as it will open up some valuablo country at present unable to bo got at. Tho bridgo loan (£500) was also carried by one vote, this was vory nearly lost, as one of the ratepayers resident in Eketahuna refused to vote, but that gontloman's brother, (also a ratepayer), came up from Wellington and recording his vote m favor of tho loan just managed things nicely, Mr J. a. Wood adds to his catalogue for iiejct Thursday's stock salo a line of 1200 hoggets,

Thi benefit entortainmsiit at Carterton in aid of the Cornwall family, lias been post poned until 14th October, in consequence of the sad death of Mr James Cornwall.

Tho Diilofield Dairy Company has decided to '• run" the pigs itself this season, and Messrs ,1. Hart and Geo. Fairbrother (tho Secretary) havo been deputed to purchase a stock of young pigs on its behalf, wo remind those who are in want of a couple of hours hearty laughter of tho visit of Mr Lincoln, who makes his appearenco at tho Thoatro Boyal Masterton this evening, The following appointments as Registrars of Marriages, Births, and Deaths, and Ynccination Inspectors rirc.ga'isottod Heeso,' Paliita) William Alfred Harding, Onstlepolnt, The reputed disaovory of antimony near Gladstono is in tho region of doubt and it is asserted that tho discoverer lias been " had" by the far from original and very senseless joke of a "plant." It is said that a piece of Endeavour Inlet antimony ore was panned off on the un : piisnepting npfi, |t js certain, however, if there wcro rosily any mineral deposit of .value in the locality reforrod to, definite information would not be lung in coming to hand.

Fertile benefit of tho nnglei's in the Greytown and South Wairarapa District generally, wo aro glad to be in a position to be ablo to inform (hem that no loss than ten thousand fish have been liberated within a period of three years jn the Waiohine river and its. tributaries, Last pw Mr Ayson put in fiOOQ trout at the junction «f tho Maungataroro with the Waiohine and wo know that 5000 is the number down for tho samo stream this yeor. Tho new Society should start therefore with every contidonco of having a good season. The Dalefield Dairy Company yestorday dealt with tho following tenders.— Cartago of cheese from factory to station:—Accepted—James ' Hodder's (jffor at oue and ft (on, fljs was flio'dhly ten'dec.'" Mrs Butlor'a quotation d tourpenco a dozen for making and providing choesobags, beiiipt tho lowost offer was accepted, The successful tender for chocso boxes was that of Hans Cnnradsen, at one pound per one hundred cases, aud two othors were declined, at threepence halfpenny, and threepence a box respectively. The tenders for firewood wero left in the hands ol Mr Watcrson with power to api Twenty new Bharos in tho Company wqro applied for and plotted. A young man, resident liearEk'etahiina had a rather unpleasant expenenco on Saturday night, Ho was peacefully sleeping—(jroanrlpg pf homp, ctp—when he was rudely awakened by a most unaccountable sensation in the head, and 6oon discovered his face, and tho pillow on which ho was lying to be covered with blood. At first ho thought someono had tiken his lifo, but aftor more mature consideration ho concluded ho only broken a blood vessel or two. This was comforting, so getting up ho proceeded to wash tho gore from head and face, when horrihlo to relate ho tound about two thirds of his right car missing! It appears rats an numerous round that way, and the sight of this young youth's shell jjke car peepjng from, under tho bod clothes must have beon 100 much for the obnoxious rodent, and ho went for it. The youth still lives, but tho rat's fate is doubtful. Thero are fourteen pieces of bread thickly buttered with "Rough on 'em" lying about that room now,

These consist principally of tho latest styles in millineryandall milliueryinateriuls, and arc so varied, so elegant, sp really .attractive aud oharii|in»,thatwo feel assured that they will meet with the warmest approval from all our lady friends at Te Aro House, Wellington. It is impossible for us to enumerate or particularise, so great is the profusion and number of exhibits. We prefer to give our patrons a most delightful surprise, a surprise that shall be brimful of delight-aud sitisfactioii.when the they visit the «/ioicroom at Te Aro House, Wellington, To-morrow wo shall make our first display of this new spring milli ncry iu our showroom, and we invite a very largo aittone dance on the oocasion at le Aro House Wellington. We might mention that in addition to tliecrcitions of our milliner's artistic skill, whavo some very elegant Parisian models, which we have received direct from Paris at the Wholesale Family Drapery Warehouse, Tc Aro Bouse, Wellington, ltemcmber-Oar first display of new spring fashions in millinery will take place to-morrow, in the showroom, at To Aro House, Wellington,—Advt.