THE AUCKLAND AND MERCER RAILWAY.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 25, 27 June 1872, Page 2

THE AUCKLAND AND MERCER RAILWAY.

Wβ learn that intelligence'was last even-ing-received of the; acceptance of the tender of Messrs Brogden for the Newmarket and Merper line ot railway. The contract for this line—a distance of 41 miles, is for a sum of £166,000, exclusive of rails and rolling-stock* which ! are to be purchased at home by the Agent-General and the contractors, the latter receiving 5 per cent, on the outlay. Should iron maintain its present high price, it is anticipated that the cost of the railway will, to a considerable extent, exceed the Parliamentary estimate. We are also informed that tenders are expected to be furnished in a few days for the Auckland and Newmarket line, and for that from Penrose to Onehunga. It will be seen from this that the insinuations which 1 have been thrown out in certain quarters, to the effect that the Government had no iatention of entering into a s contract for this line at present, were wholly without foundation. As with most of the other charges made by the ultra-opposition press against the Government, the wish was father to the thought. We are sure, however, that?, notwithstanding the opinions expressed to the contrary, the great majority of Auckland settlers look upon the construction of the* Waikato line as a work the value of which ; cannot be orer-esti mated, and which will do more to* advance'the interests of this province than any other work that could have been undertaken. Now that the contract has keen finally arranged, men will no doubt be at once set to work upon varions parts of the line, and rapid progress be made.—"DailySouthern Cross."

The following, from the Melbonrne " Argus," may be worthy of the attention of our agriculturalists:—" It is a custom when sowing down grasses to put a pound of rape and a bushel of rye-grass to the acre. The rape supplies abundant feed at once* so that for months together during the flush of the spring and summer, land thus cropped will carry 16 sheep to the acre. The rape usually disappears the next year, by which time the grass has got a firm and close sole, but a few plants sometimes linger another year. „ This is a capital, because a cheap and effective, manner of getting land into order again, but, like many other remedies, it is most in vogue where it is least Teqnired. Rape is not so subject to blight as turnips, and may, therefore, without much risk, be sown by itself at any time, but we are inclined to think that the flock wonld do better upon rape and grasses than upon rape alone. . 57th Regiment.—-Colonel Bowen's retire-will-be regretted, fbr ; he had made himself rery popular during the time he had held command, and. had brought the regiment to a high state of efficiency. Colonel Bowen was one of the few Staff College officers who have never yet realised the fruits of their labours. Colonel Logan succeeds to the charge of the regiment, Major Stewart obtaining the majority.—" Army and Navy Gazette."

LETTER FROM THE PREMIER OP NEW ZEALAND. The following , letter, says the " Allianoe News" of March 2, has just been received by the Secretary of the Unitod Kingdom Alliance, from the Prime Minister of New Zealand:— ; " Dear Sir, —I enclose yon a cutting from a local p»ptr which, will show you the fate of our Permissive Bill at the close of the late session of our Parliamont. I hare already sent you a copy of the Bill, and of my own speech, (not very well reported) on the second reading. I hope next year we may have better luck. The public feeling is daily growing stronger in the right direotion ;.but, as with you at home, we hare to combat the vested interests of the liquor trade. All our merchants, many of whom are members of our Parliament, are large importers of alcoholic liquor*;-many more of onr. membors are interested in public-houses One way or another, and already the compensation cry has been raised, and will really be the only impediment in the way of carrying such a Bill as we tried this year, If the measure were a Government measure it Wonld have a better chance ; but unfortunately, though we have agreed to make it an open question, and my colleagues begin to see the necessity of a chango in the licensing law, they cannot see their way to the Permiisive principle without compensation. The progress of public intelligence on the question out of the House, has, however, been most encouraging. I know by personal experience that two years ago, beyond the few total abstainers, not ten persons in the whole Colony knew what the Permieseive Veto wan. Wow it is w6ll understood anywhere, and we had petitions with 50,000 signatures in favour of the principle presented last session-—-at least twice the number that ever were presented before on any one subject. A better effect, however, of the agitation is that the people are really becoming alive to the evils of their drinking habits, and there is less drinking than there was. After all, the Permissive Veto will be a dead letter unless the people are educated to exercise it. This, I hope, is really progressing, and by the time we get it, it will not be a mere dead letter in the Statute Book. I am sorry to say that the Victorian Bill seems to have come to a similar end with ours. After a triumphant second reading, two to one, it passed the Lower House, but in the Upper, I hear, it has been mutilated to such an extent as not to be worth having. The Ministry there, I am told, comprises four or five total abstainers, but they do not seem (with one exception) to have been very zealous. We ■hall continue anxiously to watch the progress of the movement at home. What we shall do will much depend on what you do. I anticipate a great national struggle before you carry the day, but I have no fear of ultimate success wheii moral right is arrayed against selfishness and vice.—Believe me, dear sir, yours very sincerely, William Fox. Wellington New Zealand, 29th November, 1871.

THE SCANDINAVIANS IN WELLINGTON, i The Wairarapa correspondent of the "Even- } ing Post" furnishes the following , particulars . regarding the last-formed Scandinavian . settlement in the province of Wellington :— f " Adjutant Cleland, Mr Arnot, and Mr Perry i hare just returned from a trip to the newlyf formed Scandinavian settlement in the Forty- ( mile Bush. They were both surprised and i gratified at the progress which had been j made at the settlement, considering the short j time it had been formed. Jt comprises ; between eighty and ninety persons, all told, f of whom some five' or six are Englishmen, and r. the remainder Norwegians and Danes. The cottages built by the latter have been; made very comfortable, each having a fireplace, and someiof them having mats on the J floors which the women nave plaited very * neatly out of New Zealand hemp. An apl paratus for baking scones, brought by one > of the Norwegian families from their native i home, much attracted the visitors , attention, ; being eo much more handy and suitable for ! the purpose than anything which has been in use amongst ns for similar purposes. The women and children appeared contented and happy, and the men were employed in felling bush on the main line of road. They have i taken the work by contract at 25s per chain, for which small sum they undertake to fell the timber a chain in width as well as length, and stump a portion of it level with the ground. This price is much lower than it could be done for in: any other part of the province. Of the three nationalities fche pre ferenoe is given ip the Norwegians, as the men and women who hail from Norway appear to be more at home, more handy, and better suitedfor the position than eifcher the, Danes or the English; but probably this may . be owing to the former having been selected from the country districts, and the latter from the sea-port towns. It is to be regretted, for the sake of these immigrants, and also as a bar to the success of the settlement, that the land which is to be allotted to them is distant six miles from where they are located. But there was heard none of that grumbling'which is

supposed to bo a characteristic of the English' and whioh would certainly prevail in an English settlement under similar circumstances. It is perhaps too soon to pronounce any positive opinion as to the success of the present experiment, but, from the reliable reports of visitors, I infer that there is every prospect of its proving successful."