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Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 861, 8 April 1903, Page 1

“ The Premier,” writes the New Zealand Times, “ at one point of his recent travels, took credit for his Government because it had built a thousand bridges of over thirty feet span. May it quickly build another thousand, for nothing pays better than bridges, unless it may be roads.” We differ from our contemporary—not as to the value of bridges, but as to the expediency of the Government building them. It should be the privilege of local bodies to construct bridges ; and, it may be said, that these bodies build them bettor aud more economically than the Government. When the Premier claims that his Government has built over a thousand, we know that he has spent money which, in the hands of local bodies, would have erected thirteen or fourteen hundred equally good structures. —Wairarapa Times. New Zealand meat still holds the pride of place in matters of quality and preparation for market : but this alone does not suffice to maintain the trade, There is wanting evidence that Argentine, by superior organisation, is on the eve of ousting us from the premier position. Concentration of the trade in the hands of those best able to cope with it, " standardising ” the system of grading for quahty aud weight, and specialising the work of those interested in the business—the farmer to provide the fat stock and the Freezing Companies to attend to the marketing—arc the elements of successful organisation. When this is realised we may hope for better results. Farmers must turn a deaf ear to political agitators and place seekers’ and study the matter in light of common sense ; above all, they must rid themselves of the unwarranted prejudice against the Freezing Companies, which some designing agitators have endeavoured to foster. The Freezing I Companies are as much interested in the success of the trade as aDy farmer.—Wairarapa Daily Times. No fewer than seven twin-screw steamships of from 10,000 to 10,500 tons are at present in course of construction for the Peninsular aud Oriental Company, and when completed the ffeet of the company (including steam tenders and tugs) will number 92 vessels, representing a total tonnage of 374,(314. Four of the new vessels are intended for the mail service, and their advent in Australian waters may be looked for at no distant date. The names selected for tho new mail steamships are Moldavia and Mongolia of 10,000 tons and 14,000 effective horse-power aud Marmora and Macedonia of 10,500 tons and 15,000 effective horse-power. In addition to these mail steamers three cargo carriers, each of 10,000 tons and 6500 effective horsepower, are being built. The names selected for the cargo steamers are Pera, Palmo, and Palmers,