OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 25, 4 May 1870, Page 5

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

(From our own Correspondent.) Dunedin April 28th, 1870. We have had more winterly weather daring the past week than we have this year experienced in Dunedin. The first three days of the-week we were favoured with an undue proportion of sleet, rain, and boisterous winds in the town, and the surrounding hills have put on thenwinter overcoat of snow. To-day has been a clear, fine, frosty day, a decided improvement on its predecessors. I see by the hone papers that the winter there Ins been unusually severe : from the last few days experience I should not be surprised if we had a similar one here. The ensuing season-will, I fear, be a bitter one for the people of Dunedin in more ways than one. In the commercial world I anticipate many failures. A goodly number have already headed the list, and as I heard a tradesman remark the other day, “ He will be a strong man who stands next winter-.” Flax reports from home are not encouraging. There are doubtless good causes for the dull state of the markets. A large quantity of the flax submitted at last sales was, I am informed, of a very inferior character—in fart, so poor as hardly to have deserved a bid at all. New Zealand flax, moreover, in my opinion, is not yet thoroughly appreciated at home. What sane man resident in the colonies, who had seen the purposes to which it is applied by the natives, could imagine for one moment that rope-making was the only manufacture to which it was adapted. But home put chasers are unaware of the real value of the fibre ; they have yet to discover what its real province is, and, in the meantime, colonial flax dressers must labour under the disadvantage of unremunerative prices. Brighter days are, I

believe, in store for this industry. They may be long in corning, but it is my firm impression that the time will arrive when really well got-up samples will realize higher prices than they have ever done heretofore. For some time to come, no man need hope to make large profits out of this manufacture, and, taking into consideration the depressed state of the markets, he must be possessed of great capital or great energy to enable him to keep his head above water at all. Yesterday Mr Fox, the Premier, held a meeting in the Theatre for the purpose of enlightening the Dunedin world on the political affairs of New Zealand. Tie gave as his princip d reason for addressing an Otago public, his desire to defend himself agiinstthe virulent attacks of the Daily Times. The building was crowded, there

being literally no standing room. The Premier’s speech was an able one, and he : carried his audience with him, insomuch that at the conclusion of the meeting, vhen a vote of thanks was proposed, almost every 1 one present held up an assenting hand. 1 Mr Fox simply explained the political con-

duct of tiio present Government, ami the mooting was not allowed to assume an argumentative character. Ho was interrupted, however, with one question, which ho was obliged to answer, though ho did so with extremely bad grace. With regard to tho recent victory of Rop ita, Kemp, and Topia over Te Kooti, Mr Fox was at some pains to demonstrate that tho advantage gained by the Friendlies was by no means so in significant as represented in the Times. 1* rom the tenor of his speech he led his hearers to suppose that the greater number of the 300 captives were “ young men," “splendid fellows,” “able for any mischief," “ iible-hodied, stalwart, fighting men.” At this stags ol his high flown description, a surly voice was heard asking “ How many 1 ’ I fancied that the Premier’s cheeks flushed, and his manner was rather confused, as he was constrained to admit that only 30 of the prisoners belonged to this class. I confess, however, that I have not often heard a more clear, collected, and comprehensive speech. Nevertheless, £ fancy that I was not the only one of Mr Fox’s hearers who entertained a higher opinion of him last night than they did this morning. Words often acquire undue influence over feelings, but this influence is seldom or never retained, unless, on calm consideration, we can discover that those words are founded on facts, and facts only.