Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 1892. "OH, IT'S A MILE AWAY I"

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4138, 14 June 1892, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878]

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 1892. "OH, IT'S A MILE AWAY I"

Being the extended tiim of the Wairarafa Daily, with which it is IDENTICAL.

The railway station at Masterton is most unfortunately placed: that at Greytown is in a more inoonvenient position still, Either tor passenger or for goods traffic their distance from the centre of the townships they serve makes them disadvantageous

and expensive. The latter, indeed, with its vexatious branch line is especially irksome, and the additional mileage caused by its extraordinary course is an imposition of eccentric engineering wbioh it is impossible to condone. Between Greytown and Mnnterton the fares, are, in fast, almost prohibitive; so much so,. that coach competition has-for'some time past stepped in to'cater for the victims of wild railway surveying; Why the stations were placed where they are no one knows; and, per* i haps, why they remain there is just as puzzling. And this brings us to the contemplation of an inestimable boon wbioh at the present stage is practicable, but which in ten years' time may be out of the question altogether,' when our towns are large and their areas are more closely occupied. It is the deviation of the railway line at both Greytown and Masterton, whereby the railway stations at those places shall be brought within a reasonable and less hampering distance of the main thoroughfares of their respective towns, Greytown, possibly, has the more to gain by such achange, for we would propose to divert, the main line between Featherston and the present Woodside Junction and let it take a sweep right into that township, and out again through Matarawa, the branch line being abolished altogether and the cost of its working 'being done away with, Greytown, as remarked, would benefit the greater, for us a main line station, although it might lose its character of being a "pretty little village," it would gain most appreciably in commercial prosperity and attain an importance it will never achieve while it remains the obscure" jterminus of a mean branch lino, jeading, as through passengers often wonder, go,odriesfl ; |inosys where. Besides the 'convenience and lpwer cost of local passenger and goods traffic, much Lower Valley trade would reach Greytown which never goes near it now at all; and both imports and exports would come through thatiowVjngreatly increased volume. •';>■■■■:'>'■

Masterton, by a divergence of the i railway line north of the Waingawa River and its gradualcurye to a point I say on the inhabited side of the Masterton Tennis Groaned or even closer still to, the ..town's centre, would secure most substantial benefit, and one wbioh- would bo ns lasting an advantage, as the existing condition of things is a burden of irksome inconvenience;..; : ,. :; ';!;;,-;..-..-

The expense pf removal in. each case is possibly the moot detppent feature of the prospect; 'and we m aware thatjn this conneotton; the pecpssity of new bridges ovor the Waihdine River at Greytown and toe Waipoua,.Biver at Mns(tiriP u would prove almost of as much consequence as the acquisition of land for the new line the ex pertae' of shining the permanent way. Asjn.o.ff-'sott'o thiSj' jyou Id 'be the ground set'ttt 1 liberty which, is now in use, the very rnaterjal decrease in the expeoeeof every Binglethingaad person needing" to pass from stStj'oh to town or from town to station for .evermore, ana the Jess wear And tear; andfinallyl at Greytown, tb|ere would be the saying effected by tjj,e abolition of a branch line traf§o staff, and lOngine. I That the Department' will aot

spontaneously in the direction we have indicated is very unlikely, for it has nothing to ' gain by any ohauge, It matters little to the Department where a railway station is, for if people require to travel, they ate bound to get to it. If it means a mile's journey, well that is their trouble, Reducing the distance may save the public money in fares and freight by coaph and dray, but it will not increase the number who travel by rail or the quantity of goods to be oarried to any appreciable extent, and so the Railway Department does not care. The townspeople who are so vitally interested must agitate for this most important improvement in. a matter of so much conoern to the place they live in; and they must, if called upon to do so, be prepared to bear some portion of the initial expense, safe in the reflection that their outlay will come baok to them with certainty every time they travel and on every pound of merchandise whioh comes into the place, People—through passengers - travel past Maßterton and never see ■ it: possibly—but there's little comfort in that—they may on the same journey have come beyond Greytown , in blissful ignorance oi the, very ex- ' istence of the place, for dreary Woodside Junction lends no clue to the life which lies beyond it I Still, • though we may reflect that they know not wßat they have missed and so in ignorance they are happy, yet it would have been better to have given them , a glimpse of us as tbey passed by, if only to tell others in the expanse ) beyond that we are here, and that they have seen us. We hope, though we have con. eluded our remarks in lighter strain, that some determined endeavour to • secure this important projection pub* . lie consideration will be the result of our introduction of the subject at a period when it is susceptible of being dealt with.

Anexohange says that .oxtail soup is thecorreot thing for men training to take part in tugs of war. It is also not bad for people who are not A large party of Wairarapa chiefs and their familieshave proceeded to Hastings, Hawke's Bay, where a Native meeting ib 1 to be held.

The headmaster of the Norsewood school has adopted a capital system for the comfort of his children. Tie youngutars each contribute a penny a month, and in return are provided with a hot cup of tea ac noon daily as an accompaniment to their meal,

Abnormally heavy weather tm been experienced in the Forty-Mile Bush the last few days. At Pabiatua it rained almost incessantly from Saturday even ng at 8 o'clock until Sunday midnight. The rain wai accompanied, orrather preceded by heavy thunder and lightning, A ha'l« storm was also experienced on Sunday, . Twenty Una to the acre 1b the return of potatoes from about fifteen acres of landintheOamarud'stnot, .'

A correspondent writing from Eketahuna yesterday says-" Tho weather up here has been very wet: I never saw so much rain in three days before," During the past week the Government Industrial Bureau has found work for fifty-five men, The New Zealand Shipping Company and Shaw, Savill and Albion Company have leduced their rates of freight for wool during the winter months by oneoighth of a penny per pound. An unusua'ly large jury panel was 'drawn yesterday morning in connection with the rehearing of, the Eketahuna murder case, the number of personß summoned being nearly fifty. The weekly dance of the Maaterton Private Quadrille Assombly will be held in the Temperanoo Hall as usual this (Tuetday) evening. A tug- of-war between the two printing establishments in Mastorton has been suggested. We have submitted the proposal to our foreman printer, but he assures us his men are out ef forme. He says that to mah up. anything like a team be would require a sfoiw a man more than he has got. His chaps are a proper set of stidm, but without further pro/of a bettor dtoWioiwf strength he does not feel judged m pulling.

Mr Joseph Payton's friends in the Wairarapa will ho glad to hear that there is every prospect of his visit to Englend resulting satisfactorily as far as improvement of health is concerned, although complete restoration is not yet an absolute certainty. In a letter from Birmingham, written on 24th April, Mr Pay ton reports progress, and hopes soon to make a rapid recovery. He also speaks of returning by the June or July steamer, but his decision on that point will bo ruled by his condition at the time (The weather in England at the time he wrote was spring-like; but people seemed to be not without anticipation of a snow storm or two as a seasonable interlude.

Uiu, the well-known Maori wrectler, who is well-known in the Wairarapa, was on Wednesday laat married at Raiapoi pah to Miss Martha Australia Sarah Barrett, A Mafltorton resident has Bhown us a London paper, in which it is stated that " prime New Zealand mutton" is now included in the bill of fare at the House of Commons. It is gratifying to find that the prejudice which at first existed against our mutton is being removed. Settlers are reminded of the (mooting to be held in the Temperance Hall, Masterton, tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon to endeavour to form a Farmers' Club, It is to be hoped that there will he a large attendance, as a Club of the character indicated has lone; been required.

A man named Alexander Gillies was arrested at Timarn yesterday, charged with horse stealing near Masterton in July, IS9O, The accused was remanded to Masterton, Tho horse stolen was the property of .Frederick Budd, and was valued at ±'ll. It was missed from Teny's olearicg,. Wangaehu, ion July 13thj'18!)p, s add on' tho 27fch'tif the'same m'ontlf was sold td'John" ftevbnstiire, of Pahiatua, The animal js \\6yj in the possession of the police at Masterton.

The following fetter, appeared;in;the Nelson faolonist of Thursday last under the heading " A Malicious Libel" :- I see a Wairarapa paper has been libell* ipg Sjr Rober|;..Stout.'; ( lt ; sajs: "We remember lion - ', spme'years a?o,'he (Sir Robert Stout) used to tickle tho ears of the groundlings when the Freetbought fever was. raging amongst them j we have not forgotten 'low lie kugty ntctypJ itofim to giggle at Qqs— admission jjd." Now,- anyone who kpows anything of Sir Robert Stout know this is deliberately false, I bave had several conversations with Sir Robert, whom I have known for years, and I havealways found him very considerate of other poople's feeling and beliefs. ,Tbe statement is evidently a base! attempt to vilify a political flppbjiept.-yours, &0., Riwoii,

: The following conversat!qnwS9 oyerfteard in the street the other day, bat for .obvious reasons we shall omit tho name of one of the parties; tho other was tho well known draper, Mr L. J, Hooper., Mr Spot Cash! that you Intend is k true ~. . „»„„,„ 03 opening the shop next your u.i.j,..; tablishment as- a grocery and, provision warehouse?'' MrL-.J. :•" That is so, Mr Cash, and in about a week I shall be able to'.quote to you tho.. lowest prices for al kinds ol general merchandise," Mr Spot Ca*h; " Good 1 I suppose you will keep only good goods and'sell as cheap as anyone elep ? "Jjtr L. J.: ■' You bet I The best arid | nothing but tye b?sti and'every" article' at M rock prices I 'Those are the foundation stones upon'whioh we intend (ij'erect our business," Mr Spot .Cash: " Your hand my bojr, My with so»and«so'a'wi)fin three pounds aweeki'aud I pay cash. I am not Batlsljed lately!'l fanoy Ipay Snore than f should do.' So dpily voir o'jp your business look upon mess a regular cub tomer"—Advi •

Mr W. B. Perceval, Aqent>General for New Zealand, has forwarded to the Government a report on manllla and sisal production.Arbor Day in Greytown has been fuc' this year for the Ist July. A "drunk" received the usual treatment in the Masterton B.M. Court this morning, The Native Land Court will not conclude its sitting in Maaterton for several days. The town is still fu'l of Maoris. Mr Alexander Fraser, the popular manaper for the Mastei'ton Blacksmith and Wheelwright Manufacturing Company, haß severed his connection with that firm, and intends proceeding on a trip to the Old Country. It is, we under, stand, the intention of Hr Fraser to visit must of the large manufacturing cities at Borne and in the United States, with a v.ew to procuring ideas which would he of use in this Colony, Be leaves Masterlon in about bis weeks' time, and will be absent for about twelve months. Bis many friends will, we are buro, wish him a happy voyage, A cable message to the Sydney Morning Herald states that a fight between Billy Murphy, the featherweight champion of the world, and John Murphy, of Boston, took place at the Paciflo Athletic Clnb, at tian Francisoo. The ountest was for a purse ot 8000 dollars, THo fight was a very even one throughout, and at the end of the thirty-second round, both the men being exhausted, the referee was obliged to declare it a draw..