The Akaroa Mail, TUESDAY, JANUARY 2,1883. A HAPPY NEW YEAH.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 675, 2 January 1883, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail, TUESDAY, JANUARY 2,1883. A HAPPY NEW YEAH.

It is again our welcome task to wish our read rs, who, we are glad to say, are far more numerous than last year, a very haovj and prosperous New Year. The past twelvemonth has been an eventful one, and will be remembered in the future as having more marked features than many of its predecessor . The first tiling to note is the commercial aspect, and all will agree that, financially speaking, 1882 was a' great success. After a long period of depression in the cheese market, and the failure of the Orari shipment, by which so many of the Peninsula farmers suffered, a new order of things arose. Drought prevented our Australian friends from making sufficient cheese and butter for their wants, and the market rose to a pitch that it has not attained for a long time past. The successful establishment of the frozm meat trade has been another great event, and has had a great effect upon the price of meat, and has consequently raised the value of land. Of crossbred wool we cannot say so mucli, but cocksfoot has been very remunerative, and now that a market for it has been found in Europe, it promises to continue to rise. We may therefore fairly congratulate ourselves on the past year, as far as money matters go, and we think there are few Peninsula farmers flho are not able to say on this 2nd of January, 1883, that they are better off than they were at the beginning of 1882.

Other matters have not, however, been so satisfactory. Amongst other things, 1882 will always be remembered as the year of incendiarism. The crimes of this nature that were perpetrated were of a peculiarly atrocious character, showing such an entiue disregard of life, as well as property, that all New Zealand was shocked, anl, to quote the Times, " the remote Borough of Akaroa woke one morning, and found itself famous." That the perpetrators of the offences are still at large, we look on as a serious calamity, and hope that the present year will not close without their detection and punishment. In another w.iy, also, we have been unfortunate. The years since the first \ settlement of Akaroa, and the subsequent arrival of the famous four ships with the Canterbury Pilgrims, are growing many in number, aud we must expect now, tb.at as each year passes

away, it will gather on its course some of those pioneers who sturdily built up a home in this beautiful Peninsula. The past year has taken many with it whose names will ever bo associated with tli<? early history of Akaroa. To speak in the order of arrival, M de Malmanche, one of the most respected of the early French settlers, has been gathered to his fathers at a ripe old age. A more recent loss is Dr. Watkins, whose descendants form no small portion of our population He, too, went "over to the majority" when his work was fully done, when his interest in mundane events had almost ceased, and, like the patriarch, he was "full of years." Mrs Munns, too, who has done much good in her generation, has left us, but .not .till some time after the allotted " three score years and ten " hud passed. Mr Shadbolt has also gone, but in his case death came whilst he was fully occupied in public matters, as well as private. He was very useful in his genei ation, and we miss him sadiy at the Head of the Bay, where he was certainly the leading spirit. But regret is useless ; they are gone, and " may they sleep well." But it is not death alone who has taken from us valuable friends.; absence also has done us an ill turn. Mr Stoeker's leaving us was a misfortune, that day by day we more fully realise. Re had so entaugled himself with our daily life, and our every enterprise, that his kindly aid and ever encouragement is terribly missed, and in this small community we can ill spare any one who t inks of his fellow creatures first and himself afterwards. However, lie is gone, and may all good go with him. To turn, however, from the past and look to the future. The year has l<e:>un well. A wonderful spring has clothed our hills with an exceptional midsummer verdure. The markets for our produce are good, and the quantity of produce being produced is largely in excess of the average. All seems clear ahead, and as we all know a good start is halj the battle. That we may be able to write as cheerfully next i\ew Year's Day is our last desire, before wishing all of you A very Happy and Prospeuous New Year.