Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-11-20
special Correspondent.
By H. C. WILLARD

and was a colonial possession of Great
Britain up TO September 26 when she
celebrated her promotion to the dig
nifty of a dominion, and is therefore
now entitled to rank with Canada and
Australia
The total area is 100000 square
miles, = about exactlys the same as
Montana With the exception of
Stewart island, embracing 665 square
miles and situated 20 miles south Of
the mainland, this country consists OF
two islsnds The north island ex-
tends nearly north and south and is
440 miles long, with its greatest
breadth about $50 miles, and contains
44,468 square miles. 1t is separated
from the south island by Cooks
strait, about 20 miles wide at its mar
rowest point At the extreme south
part of the north island, on the strait,
is the capital, Wellington. The south
island extends nearly southwest and
northeast with an extreme length OF
$50 miles and greatest breadth of 100
miles, and contains 5S,52S square
miles. The census of 1906 gives the
total population. including natives, at
S36,30s. The city of Auckland, $4,000
inhabitants, is the largest city in the
country. It is situated on the Hauraki
gulf 20 miles west of the first land
seen, and about one-third the way
south of the extreme north point of
the Island. Tidewater extends farther
west till It is separated by only about
two miles from gulf on the west
shore. If this people had little bit
of yankee git there" canal aYould
have been put through that narrow,
low strip of land long since. Then
all shipping to and from Australia
would save the long journey to this
city around Cape Maria Van Diemen,
the extreme northern part of this
island-a run of IL to Is hours. Ports
on the east coast of this island are
connected with this city by steamers
Of all sizes maintaining service as fre
quent as daily in some instances.
The docks always present busy scenes.
Nearly all the labor now has to be
done by hand owing to lack CT
machinery. but they have began
scheme of rebuilding all docks, and
when done they will be supplied with
all the latest appliances for loading
and discharging ships. Some idea of
the extent of the shipping at this port
is shown by the size of the wharf
laborers' union, which numbers 500
men. Only one wharf is connected
with the railway and So vast amount
Of freight has to be carted to and from
the depot That brings me to the sub
5ect Of railways.
State-owned Railways.
AS all the mileage in this country,
save one line of "a miles, is owned
and operated by the government, its
construction, management and opera
ton have interested me greatly. will
frankly say that before / came here
was not in favor of governments go
ing into the railway business; and
have seen nothing since / began to
study the subject here in favor of it,
but have seen much against 1t. A few
of the objections to government own
ership that exist here will try to
describe. Ali the figures I quote are
from the last annual railway report
for the year ending March 81 last.
The pound sterling | figure in every
instance at SIS.
The total mileage operated is 2,427
capital invested. $127, 1872 $40; average
cost per mile, $52,405. AS the roaos
are all narToJ gauge, viz, 8 feet 6
inches, with corresponding lessening
cost to construct, as compared with
standard-guage roads, it strikes me
the cost is excessive. One system of
1888 miles in the south island cost
only 1880 per mile This is mostly
over level plains But line of 4S4
miles In the north island cost $61. $50
per mile. This is through section
very rough and difictIl making many
high bridges and numerous tunnels
done by hand labor, hence all appli-
ances, save the wheelbarrow, are con
spicuous by their absence A young
man from Canada who operated a saw
mill on the main trunk line which is
ultimately intended to connect Auck-
land with Wellington, and that has
been under construction for ten years
told me he offered to do the amount of
excavating in 60 days with modern ap
pliances using only 35 men, that now
is being done in a year by large
army OF men (from 1900 to 10000
but they would not entertain the prop
ositicn fer a moment. | endeavored
to ftn& out why As near as could
discover. in the first place they did
not believe it was possible; and sec
ond'y. If 1t was he would make a big
sum of money out OF it and that was
not TO be thought of for rank out
slider. Again, any work done in short
order cannot be good. Take the
bridges fol instance They figure on
two years. A yankee firm offers to
take the contract for % to so per cent
less and do the work in a year. That
bridge is not SO good as the English
bridge and all the evidence in the
world would not convince the majority
OF men here that it Isl Hence, it being
understood that that is the settled
policy, there has developed what is
called the government stroke" That