COMMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1941, 13 December 1884, Page 2

COMMENTS.

Thk Government, like most other Governments, is very much giveu to doing things by halves. If a bridge or a road is asked for, costing a thousand pounds, the Government in order to show at one and the same time that it has a generous heart and a due regard for economy, olfers five hundred. It does not occur to the politico-official intellect that the proverb about half a loaf (Joes not apply with equal force to the case of a local body and that of a starving beggar. However this may be, the vicious pnuc pie to which reference has been made seems to claim a wider acceptance day by day. It is bad, inasmuch as it implies rather an anxious wish to make friends with everybody, or with everybody's representative, rather than <m honest desire to open up the country and develop its resources. To dole the revenue out in dribblets, stopping a murmur here and a growl there, <:an never give satisfaction even to the hungry souls who aie, never tired of crying for moie, while the effect on thr country cannot but be disastrous. Such a thing as a comprehensive scheme of local public woiks js not thought of, and so long as there are members to be propitiat.d, no system of the kind can be expected to Hud much favour with a certain class of politicians. It is not our puipose just now to go into the subject of local government. The Government have promised that a bill dealing with the question shall be brought down next session, and we can perhaps afford to wait until the provisions are make known. The particular instance of the policy of doing things by halves to which attention is diawu is the Raglan mail sen ice. Some prominence was given to the service in a late issue, and the lemaiks then made elicited the information that Mr Sntton, of Waitetuna, had undertaken to continue the coach service at considerable direct loss in the hope that he would benefit indirectly. Mr Sutton keeps a public house half-way to Raghn, and he expects to make his profit out of the pockets of the additional travellers whom a conch will induce to travel to the West Coast. It is not doubted that Mr Sutton will do his best to make visitors comfortable, not only on the journey, but also at Ms hostelry, though whether the new teivice will be as efficient as the old may \ory f.iitly he argued. But this, after all, is not the question. The coach it seems is only to run half the year ; for the icmainmg six months the mails are to be caniedon horseback. The roads are not well adapted for wheelled tiaffic in the winter, certainly, and of late years they have been particularly bad, but it does not follow that they .ire to remain so always. This year a considerable sum of money is to be spent, and if some little care be exercised there is no reason in the world why vehicles should not be able to cross the mountain during a longer period than six months. Yet under the intelligent arrangement which the department has just made, wet or dry, good road or bad, the settlers and visitors will have no coach to accommodate them. For this precious service the Government will pay very little less than the sum demanded by Mr Johnson for running a coach whenever practicable, while the loss to the revenue in many indirect ways will not be a trifle. But officials are eccentric and the taxpayer must pay for eccentricity as lie pays for everything else.

What is " primage ?" Since, by the establishments ot dairy factories, farmers have come to tako some interest in the ins and outs of commercial concerns, this question lias been frequently asked. We have often hazarded it ourselves, but we confess that to this day we have never received a satisfactory answer. What is known about " primage" is that it is a charge of a certain percentage, generally five per cent, on the total amount charged for freight, but why it is levied, and who gets it when it is> levied, aud why lie or they get it at all, are matters as much involved in mystery as the voice that sounded in Memnon's statue at sunrise. A person largely interested in our cheese export trade recently interviewed the Wellington agent of one of the shipping companies upon the subject, and the reply he received in answer to his enquiry was that the five pel' cent went to the agency company, and that it was, in fact, some Bort of bonus paid for the privilege of doiDg the trade. If such were the case,_the charge, seeing that it has to come out of the pockets of the unfortunate producer, were a most unrighteous one. The agents charge the dairy companies a certain sum for doing their business, which is either enough or not enough. If it is sufficient to pay them for their trouble it is dishonest to take this " primage," and if, on the other hand, the emolument is too small, they should say so, and no sensible man would object to pay them what is reasonable. Nobody likes to pay for servics of which he knows nothing. But the agency coinpauLs stoutly deny that they get the primage. All they know about it is that they have to pay it, aud of course they look to the producer to recoup the outlay. They profess to be ignorant of the ultimate use to which the primage is applied, and we have no reason to doubt them. There is a tradition that the captain of the ship gets the primage in addition to his salary, and this is by no means unreasonable. The institution of " primage" is an old one, and like many equally old and equally stupid institutions if has been. suffered to outlive its usefulness. Assuming , that tradition is cprrect, it is easy to comprehend that in 4*y? gone by, whip ,$e

electric girdle which now clasps the earth was still in the womb of the future, when there were no regular mail services, no direct steamers when slow ships sailed away into foreign dimes in search of trade, a system of* payment by remits wa^ highly necessary. The captain of a ship in the days before direct trade was established, when such things as agencies in foreign ports were rare, was a very important personage. He had a great deal more to do than merely to navigate his vessel safely across the ocean ; he had to be something of .1 business man as well, and a smart skipper was well looked after. The smarter the skipper, the bigger the wage asked for. So this practice of giving him a commission on the amount of freight secured was hit upon, and a very good practice it undoubtedly was for the owners and captain both. Insurance companies and commercial houses follow the same practice to this day. But the ship's captain is no longer required to be a business man. Provided he knows ho*v to keep up the maximum of speed with the minim im of expense, and to keep his keel of!" the rocks and sand banks, that is about all his owners ask him to do. With the work of filling up the ship, and consequently with " primage" he has nothing to do. and we shrewdly suspect that his real connection with the latter lias long since ceased. Why, then, in the name of «tll that is just and reasonable, should this absurd impost continue to be levied ? It belongs to the romantic days of the past, it is wrapped up in legends of far away spice islands, coral reefs, pirates, and sea-serpents, and with these it should have gone to its rest in honour. It has no place in the business world of today. If freight is too low let it be raised. Ships cannot carry cargo for the love of the thing, but shippers should know what they are paying.

The full programme of the sports to be held at Hamilton East, mi Boxing Day, will be found in another column. A special meeting of the Hamilton Road Board, will be held on Satmday, Decomber 20th, at 1 p.m. A grand concert is advertised to take place in the schoolroom, Ngaiuawahia. on Thursday evening, January the Ist. A concert and dance will be held in the Public Hall, Alexandra, on Boxing night, in aid of the library funds. Particulars will appear in a future issue. We are requested to state that the first meeting of the committee of the newly formed Waikato Horticultural Society will be held at The Waikato Times Buildings on Monday morning at 11.30 o'clock. At the RM. Court, Cambridge, yesterday, on the application of Mr It. W Dyer, the next sitting of tho comt was fixed for January 9th, owing to tho court that day fortnight coming between the holidays. Mr Mackelvie, to whom Auckland owe-i so many valuable works of art, has ju-,t sent out three life-size pieces of sculpture. They are at present lying in a storeroom, awaiting tho erection of the 1-mg-promtied Free Library and Att Gallery. The annual gathering of the pupils of all the Sunday Schools in the Te Awamutu district will be held m S. John\ parsonage ground* on Monday ne\t. The fea tival will conclude with a service in the church, when his Lordship the Bishop of Auckland will deliver an address. The contractors are busily engaged cat ting the sleepos for the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway, and already many th<>iwind*> have been accumulated on tho ground at Morrinsville. The contract price for delivering the posts on the ground is fivepence each. The settlers along the line anxiously look forward to the time when the permanent way shall bepioceeded with. Our Kihikihi correspondent writes : I have not boon able to get the scores of the cricket match as promised, as on application to the secretary of this club, I found he had only the scores of the Kihikihi team, the Cambridge men having taken their own. The total for the two innings is Cambridge <>!•, Kihikihi (58. — Major Minnett's sale was well attended, and everything sold exceedingly well. The children's entertainment at Cambridge, on Monday evening, promise* to \ery .successful. The pcrfonners have been leheaising their respective parts very diligently, and may be said to have achieved perfection. The entertainment cannot fail to be of a most enjoyable character, and the attendance, if the weather keeps fine, should be pretty large. The following special message to the Press Association dated London December 11th says : — To-monow the Agents-Geneial will receive a copy of the amendments proposed to be inserted in the Federation Enabling Bill. The->e are believed to be of a triHing character, and provide for additional consulates for the colonies, and also that an increased display of strength amongst the Polynesian Group of islands is imperative. A large native meeting will be held at Wanganm ne\t month to discuss the land question and the Tiunk Railway. Mr Ballance will be present by invitation. Touching the railway, the Wellington correspondent of the Herald telegraphs : — Mr Ballance h.is leceived a letter from Taoiiui, a very influential Ngatiinaniap >to chief, stating that he lecognisos the importance of the work, and will be "strong" to urge it forward. Taonui is a chief possessing almo>t, if not quite, as much influence as Wahanui, and owns even a larger evteut of land. The Thames Valley and Rotorua railway passes through some of tho finest land of the Matamata estate. Mo-»t of the country passed through has nut yet been under cultivation. About a thousand acres of this land was recently ploughed and harrowed by contract, and is now being put in turnip*. If all the land along the line were put under cultivation instead of being allowed to lie waste like the land along the Waikato line, what a different effect it would have upon the minds of intending settlers passing though the country ! The bridge on the Roborangi swamp road completely collapsed on Thursday night. Several tons of earth in the vicinity of the bridge have fallen into tho drain, and where the bridge stood there is now a gap of over a chain wide. There is no duplicate road, so traffic of all descriptions is completely stopped until the new bridge has been erected. The contract for the new structure has been let, and judging from the plans it promises to be a permanent work. The contractors should bo urged to get the work otnpleted as soon as possible, as the interruption is very inconvenient to settlers. The supply of milk at the Waikato Cheese Factory, Hamilton, is steadily on the increase. At present it amounts to nearly 800 gallons, and very soon it ia evpected that the factory will be working up to its full capacity. We understand that the directors have made it a rule not to take milk from any but shareholders, as they rightly consider this course is only fair to those who came forward with money and milk in the struggling infancy of the of the concern. As it costs only a small sum of money to become a shareholder, this determination need not, however, deter any intending supplier thoroughly convinced of the stability of the enterprise. The anniversary services in connection with the Hamilton Wesleyan Sunday School will be held in Trinity Wesleyan Church to-morrow. The services, morning and evening, will be conducted by the Rev. S. Lawry, of Pukekohe, who will also deliver an address to parents and children in the afternoon at 3 o'clock. Special hymns will be sung at each service by the children, and collections made in aid of the Sunday School. On Tuesday evening following a meeting will bo held, in which the children will take part, contributing appropriate readings, lecitationa, &c. Addresses will also be delivered, and vocal selections rendered by teachers and riends. Settlement is at last about to proceed on Fatetere, and some of , tho bright anticipations formed respecting that district will, it appears, be realised before very long. ' Mr Bar ugh, of Wartle, who has done k great deal in one way or another to forward the interests of the' Waikato and bring it prominently before intending settlers in the old country as a field for the safe inrentment of their capital, has been enmtnissionedibya number of gentlemen in England to> select a suitable piece of > country where f* apitlempnt -might f be f<>mie,d, fifr tiarugfa, W Kwh I ,' w4 v $ J;

Walker, proceed to Patetero on Monday, and will tuake a tour of inspection of the country. The first session of the Hamilton Legislative Association will close on Tuesday evening next, when the Governor is expected to attend and formally proroguo Piuliament. During the short session just closing, the association, it may fairly be claimed, has done much good in many ways. Its debate 1 ? have boon instrumental in " bringing out" more than one pronging younsf speaker, while they have also afforded rational enjoyment to members and visitors "alike. It is honed that when Parliament re-assembles the attendance will be as large as it has been. The number of members on the roll now is OU, and the average attendance has been over 'thirty. In consequence of the objection raised in the Wai pa County Council at Last meeting to tenders being called for gravelling that portion of the Hamilton-Whata-whata swamp road lately fascined, and now in such a dangerous state, Mr Corboy interviewed Mr Sandes (late engineer to the council), and ascertained that not only where the fascines are now laid, but the whole of the 40 chains of road was. included in the gravel scheduleintheapplication under the Roads and Biidges Act, which was fmwardod to the Government. As no valid objection can be fmther urged against the speedy completion of this most necessary work, it is to be hoped thta the county chairman will instruct the engineer to call for tenders, and have the work in question commenced immediately, before any serious accident occurs. The usual monthly meeting of the Tamahere Road Board was held yesterday, at Tamahere. Present : Captain Runciman (chairman), Messrs Wheeler anil Rhodes. The business was pnncip.Uly routine. The Engineer reported that the centieb had been taken out of tho culveit at Crawfords Gully, and tli* structure was quite stable, the quality of the concrete being good, and none of the cracks of a really serious nature. It \v,\> resolved to form the main road from Ci.n\ • ford's Gully to Ryans formation, and th : road from Mr Barugh's to the T.unahei c Railway Station. The board resolved to back up the Piako County Council in their endeavour to get back the lost timetable. The engineer reported th.it In 1 could not pass the formation lately done o i the central road near Cowley's ami B.irugh'tf. We learn from the Aucklanl Herald that Mr Samuel Vailu will probably, as a result of the railway agitatio 1 in the Waikato and the formation of a Rail way Reform League, go South on a lectuting tour in connection with railway lmtters. It is understood that the incident il expenses of the lectures, etc., will be defrayed by associated effort, but Mr V.ulis declines to accept any personal remnner ation for his own services in lecturing. Speaking in reference to the present coutroveri y over the new Waikato railway time table, Mr Vaile states so long .is tho present piactice exists of making up mixed trains, combining both freight and passenger traffic, it will be impossible to roinelv the complaints now made. The exiting traffic is not hea\y enough t'> admit of mnning passenger and good-, trains .singly, consequently no manager, however, able or obliging, even if he changed the hours of departure or arrival ovei the whole 21 hour* could hope to disarm public criticism and witisfy eteiybody. He believe* tint his scheme of railway reform in fates would so increase the railway traffic as to admit of goods and passenger trains being m \de up separately— when it would then be possible to meet tho wants of the Waikato settleis as to time-table.