The Evening Star. SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1871.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 386, 5 April 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1871.

"What on earth has happened to the Evening News? Q-looomy, erstwhile, as a November fog, dismal as tho wail of the wind howling through a churchyard, he has become absolutely buoyant, nay, frisky. What power has galvanised him into supernatural life? Is this biological, mesmeric, galvanic, or < alcoholic ; or has he gotten him shares! in the Caledonian claim ? Spirig of Vogel come hither! Gaze and wonder, and then go on your way rejoicing.. Pause not in your noble -fgrj-e. Pile million upon million ; oup .hills; are all green now, the clouds --b'ave all vanished from the face of the -fey, and there is joy and gladness in the land;

Such must havo been the mental ejaculation of many a reader of yestei> day* leader in the Evening News. VVe almost.think it must have been in* tended for the Evening Stae; but iij

our most exhilarated mood, we have never dared so boldly. We should gladly reach out the hand of cordial congratulation, but that we fear our contemporary lias been hysterical, and has been laughing the wild laugh of incipient mania. Our contemporary's exordium is as the utterance of a man awakening out of a deep sleep,-. and in which nightmare had been heavy upon him: —"It may now be considered certain that the American mail route will be established," says our contemporary ; and after a yawn, he reiterates his waking thoughts, " The San Francisco and Australian mail service is certain to be continued." And yet there is nothing strange in this, for it has been the conviction of all others who have not had their eyes closed in the troubled slumber of our contemporary. But then anon he is affected with the "golden dreams" of Auckland, and contemplates the prospect of " Auckland becoming the centre of steam navigation in the South Pacific." Fired at the thought, he glances scornful at the " Queen-street wharf, a structure very useful in its way," and tliß " breakwater obstruction," and the " Wyuyard Pier," and rising to the magnitude of the conception with which he is labouring, he dismisses them all with the contempt they deserve, saying, " Practically we are without harbour accommodation." He assumes, aud it is an assumption not strange, save for him, that " the Colonial Treasurer lias succeeded in

negotiating a contract on equitable terms with an American company," and his spirit is moved within him at theinadequateaccommodation which we have provided for the " large increase of shipping frequenting the port which the new mail service as projected j would most certainly result in." And , what are we to do in prospect of this euormoua access of shipping to our ' port? An imaginary objector urges, " Wait until the Harbour Board has been constituted." The soul of our contemporary- is -moved to wrath al such a thought. Wait, indeed ! ask tho Evening- News to wait! Nay, nay, tho objector did not know with whom he had to do. "Wait, indeed! "To this we entirely object," says our contemporary. " The ' wait-a-bit' policy has all but ruined Auckland politically; if persisted in it will ruin it commercially. There is no ' wait-a-bit' in commerce. There is no chance for the community which fails to keep abreast of the times." Noble words ! noble words ! Would that our contemporary had always felt their value, or should feel them again in lucid moments. But what is the suggested means for thus keeping " abreast of the time 3;" and what is Auckland to do in lieu, of the " wait a-bit" policy which has been our political and well nigh our commercial ruin? Let us hear our contemporary, for any words of ours would mar his pointed statement of the case. " Our suggestion is this : —let a requisition be presented to the Superintendent, requesting him to call a special meeting of the Provincial Council without delay, to pass an Act empowering the raising of a loan of half a million !" What ! a loan!—half a million! Ossa upon Pelion !—What! tho Evening News ! In the attitude of our bleeding country, prostrate-at, the foot pf Vogel's statue, we look; reproachfully., yet tenderly, and cry "Et tv Brute !" " The Auckland vote," says our contemporary, " would no doubt be unanimous in its favour. At all events it is a matter of such vital importance to all parts of the province that we cannot conceive there would be the least opposition to a bill for this purpose, if submitted to the Council." Plear this, ye people of Auckland! Hear it, ye dwellers afar off! Hearken, ye boors of Cambridge and Hamilton that dwell beneath the shadow of Tawhiao ; and you that sojourn at the Bay of Islands " be unanimous in its favour " ; it is "of vital importance to all parts of the province." And you, the dwellers upon the bleak hill sides of Hauraki, that deke with pick and spade to bring up nuggets from the vasty deep, lend us your " unanimous " aid to pass a bill to supplement the Vogel millions with half a million of our own, to make accommodation for the ships about to crowd the Waitemata. Behold the prophet of retrenchment andjeconoiny ! But yesterday, borrowing was but national suicide; to day it is the panacea for our ills; and to-morrow we shall sing paeans to the name of Vogel, as that of the-saviour of his country. ~ . ~,; ;'ig , |