Says the jTe Aroha News:—"We have heard officials describe, with the usual official caution, our station as the most inadequate in the colony for the purposes for which it is intended. A scene which occurred there recently simply beggars description. The dimensions of the platform are some thing like 100 ft by 12ft. On this tiny platform excursionists were poured by the thousand, many on account oi the trains' length hiving to descend far beyond the platform where ther,e is an immediate fall in the embankment of thirty or forty feet. A terrible accident will occur there some day. The tiny station for some time after the arrival of the train, on the occasion we refer to, was a struggling, pushing, seething mass of perspiring humanity fighting to get out at the narrow gateway. Such a scene of confusion and disorder is seldom witnessed in a law abiding community. But if the srowd ex« perienced discomfort on their arrival it became ten times worse as the hour of departure drew near, and the rain began to fall. There was absolutely no accommodation for a tithe of the people swarming around the enclosure overwhelming with abuse the want of foresight displayed by the railway de partment in not making provision for such contingency. Everything that was ro3sible was done of course. The lock was wrenched off the goods shed, and hundreds found a welcome shelter there, while many more were accom modated with seats in covered trucks. The Prime Minister observed when here last that if Te Aroha fulfilled her then promise, and went ahead, one of the first thing to be done would be the enlargement of the station. We think if the right honorable gentleman had seen the New Year crowds arriv ing and departing at Te Aroha recently he would have been in favour of an immediate vote for the purpose of extending and deepening the platform, which also requires raising to the standard height, and providing more suitable exits."

Assault Case at Paeroa.
