The Evening Star. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1871.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 596, 7 December 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1871.

" For the causo that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do."

TO OUR JiKADKIIS

We have no doubt that the friends an.i supporters of the KvENING Stxh will feel pleasure in learning that the proprietors of this journal have acquired the prV'ny plant ami copyright oi' the Eveniiuj Ss'ews and the Morning News. J t has been often said that the conduct of the Sta« would be more satisfac rory if this journal was issued from a press disconnected: from either of the morning papers, and for some time past the .proprietors of this' Journal had in. contemplation the procuring of plant enabling them to gratify this natural feeling among their supporters. The plant and copyright of the News having been advertised for sale, it appeared that the proper opportunity was presented, and accordingly this properly has been pufchased, and the printing plant will be employed, after a few days, iv issuing the STAR. The Morning News has not been published this morning, and the last issue of the Evening News in its separate stale is made this afternoon. On to-morrow the Evening Stab will appear with the additional title, "with which are incorporated the Evening News and the Mommy News." It is desirable also to state that the proprietors of this journal have taken the very large and commodious premises in Wyndham-street, recently erected, nearly opposite the Herald office, and next to the establishment of Messrs. Harrison and Co., in which the printing and all the principal business in connoction with the MaR will be carried oh. The present office of the Star, in Queen street, will also be retained as a publishing-office, and for the receipt of advertisements. Alterations are being made in the new premises, and the plant of the News will be removed in the course of a few days, so that it is expected that, on Monday next, the Evening Stab will be issued from its own press. The proprietors of this journal feel that they are called on to return their cordial and very sincere thanks to the people of Auckland. It seems but a very few months since it was the day of very small things with the Auckland " Evening stab." Less than fcwoyrars have elapsed since it essayed to compote with an evening journal which had secured a firm hold in the district. Since that time various journals have lived and died in the city, but, through the kindness of our fellowcitizens, the Stab luis steadily advanced until it has now taken the place occupied by its )ate opponent. The proprietors of this journal feel themselves under a debt of gratitude for this kindness, and will try to repay it by presenting an evening paper worthy of the commercial metropolis of New Zealand. It is quite unnecessary to s»y that there have been various disabilities in the past that have tended to operate against the influence of the Htak ; and «yen if, in the days of its minority, it may have exhibited an undue tendency to ■assert itself and make its presence ac- ' knowledgcd, it does mot necessarily follow that the channel eristics of childhood should attend adolescence. In the conduct or the Star the aim will, bo the most complete independence from clique and patty, and the distinct expression ol opinion ; but the proprietors would have it clearly known that, except in so far as the exigencies of public duty will demand, 'the object of criticism will be " measures, not men."

We have received the following letter from Dr. Nicholson, with reference to our article of yesterday, on Vaccination :—" To the Editor of the Evening- Stab. —Sir, —You have made the report of the Public Vaccinator for the district of Auckland, laid on the table of the Provincial Council, the subject of your leader in yesterday's issue. Portions of the report are professedly extracted, and made texts for sermons on the duties of the officer. Your iirsfc " quotation" is totally at variance with anything which appears in. the report; words aro altered, the meaning perverted, yet on your version you have not refrained from attributing to the officer motives which would not have suggested themsplres to any one actuated by feelings ot gentlemanly courtesy, and desire for the public good, which should prevail with the Press when discussing questions of public interest, and the conduct of public officials. Members of Council have certainly good reason to complain of the way in which their proceedings have been reported by the Press during thia session, though that might be excused ; but it is quite inexcusable that a public document should have been misquoted, and for the purposes which would seem to have influenced thia ; and that by dislocation of paragraphs and jumbling of sentences its tenor and intention have been practically falsified. I hare considerable doubt as to wher.h-T you have ever seen the document from which you profesa to give fcruo extracts. The effect — whether it is the intention or not —of such articles as that of yesterday is to bring vaccination into unmerited disrepute, because the genera] public which roads them doesaoi

tho same time know the incompetoncy

writers, who deliver themselves in theii/i you have done, to discuss or evenosimin questions of the nature dealt with in tha article ; and at the lime when everything is being done to remove possible grounds of objectijn, without cost to the public or the province, it is surely slepping outside the iunctions of a public censor to stir up old prejudices against the operation which can have no possible application, under existing circumstances. Acs..redly, if the day come that an epidemic of small-pox slnill prevail in this province, it will not bo with satisfaction that the public will relor to this mid such like articles by which they have been consciously, or unconsciously, inJluenecd to withhold (h-ir children from the protective influence of vneoination. —I am, &c, John ii. Nicholson, M.D."— Dv. Nicholson is very severe on us, but it was not our intention to do him injustice. In the professed copy of his report which wo had seen, it appears there was a typographical error which gave a totally different aspect to his statement. By the substitution ot' ' inattention" for " alteration" the pn sent I'ublic Vaccinutoi' was made to appear as reflecting severely on his predecessor; and on tha! n-ror a portion of our remarks was based. \Va aiv, however, charged i>y him with " stirring up old prejudices that can have no possible application to present circumstances." But we did not urgo the possibility of loathsome disease bom;/ concealed in the pure virus of cow-pox, but in the blood or other foreign matter which is so frequently conveyed by amateur va:cinnfors. liiat danger would arise from ar.n-to-uriu inoculation at the hands of Dr. Nicholson, or any other equally careful and skilful practitioner, we never imagined, but that danger attends arm to-arm inoculation in the manner in-

dicated, wo do ra assert. And so long as such danger esisis, and tho fear o( it ]>crvadcs I lie community, we feel not. • >nly warranted in referring to it, and seeking its removal, but we should look back with satisfaction to having done so, though smallpox were devastating the ijountiy around us. We hold that Ihia natural 'four of 110- cominanity ia the greatest obstacle to general vaccination, and shutting our eyes to it >md to its consequences is the very way to prof are for the devastation of variola-.

The City Council have la'i-ly been in the habit of holding special meetings, of which no one, with the exception of Councillors, is even made aware ; consequently the Pivss are not always present, uutil sent for. If ilr. Brodie, in sending the usual letters round to the trcmborsof the Council, would also forward similar documents to the Press, it would prevent a deal of trouble at the last: moment, and ensure correct reports of their proceedings.

Now that the hot weather has fairly set in, it might reasonably be supposed that the authorities would give every facility to thirsty souls to quench their internal lire without being compelled to imbibe strong drink at the bar of a public-house, and that the waterfouutuins would bo rut into working order. It seems otherwise, however, for all thut wo passed this morning were without drinking cups. As it is not everyone who likes to apply his nozzle to that of a public fountain in his search for liquid, we trust, the deficiency may be supplied without 10.-s of time.

Wynyard-street lias recently been supplied with ii good coating of (.ravel, and the eulbankinont completed. Tradesmen's carts will now be able to traverse it without the danger of either being bogged, or toppling over iuto the gully below.

The Volunteer Cadets have now been supplied with a good kind o r earbino, and were to be seen yesterday strutting about the streets in fill the pomp and circumstance of war, and evidently faking immense pride in their new acquisitions. Two things, howevor, suggest themselves. One is,—Would it not have been better to have issued these new weapons to the adults in the Artillery Corps, and give the old ones to tho youngsters, who could learn their j drill quite as well by unrig them ? The other j ßj —Could not some bettor arrangement bo j made than suffering these lads to lug along . with them the immensely heavy sword bayonets, which hang from their waistbelts and drag heavily upon the right side of the waist ? It is not at all unlikely that the pressure on that region may sow the seeds of future liver complaints. Possi ly some contrivance, iv shape of a cross-belt or baldrick, might be substituted for the waist-belt. Tho high reputation Olson s tomato sauce as obtained as a household condiment, has brought many inferior articles into the market The public are therefore warned not to be imposed upon with rubbish, but ask for Olson's genuine tomato sauce, and see that hi* name is on the bottle. "To Mr. Hans Olson.— Dear Sir,—By some mistake a bottle of your tomato sauce was put away in my house, and remained uncorked for upwards of fcwelvo 'months. The same bottle of sauce was afterwards used at my own table, and I found it was equally as good as when first made. —T. W. Doonin, wholesale and retail grocer, 218, Queen-streefcj Auckland."—[Abvt.] The transfer books of tho Thames Q-old Mining Company will be closed from noon ou Saturday until noon on Wednesday, when a dividend will bo payable to the shareholders. A programme of the various events to be competed for at the Caledonian G-ames to take place iv the Albert .Barracks on the Ist ami 2nd of January, appears in our advertising columns, nnd, judging from the names of the patrons and management, tlie gathering promises to be a great success. Tho usual weekly pavaele of the Engineer Volunteers took place last evening. There was a capital attendance, and a number, of evolutions were gone through very creditably.