OLD DAYS-AND NOW.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1456, 3 June 1912, Page 3

OLD DAYS-AND NOW.

THE CpfJTRWSf. ADDRESS BY SIR ROBERT STOUT, : PRESENT DJ.Y DEFECTS, Sir Epbert Stout dreiy spm.o interesting ; , comparisons between Tifp 'in N'eiy Zeal.a'na fifty years agp and tp-d.a.y,.ip an address which he delivered, iii. .the X.biv- Theatre ; ■, yesterdav, under the auspices p.f (]&■'■ Central Mission Brothcrhoofl. Mr.: , E. Arnold, J.P., presided;; snd. tlicVe was; i a large attendance;. ■; The Old ; ' At the outset the ■'Chief: fetjc?e described.' ' his first voyage put. tp: Xew Kealaiid' It' ; occupied 128 days, and, the coiidi'tions were extremely uncomfortable. AVatpT . and- coal bath rani .shoyfi and proyisiq.iiiwere poor in quality si'jid limited in quan- ■ tity. The vessel ca.i'rie'd only twelve sear:. men, and eleven ol' sv'brp oh t'hs . ■ sick-list at one time. 'Th.'e steerage paSr sengers had to work' the ship. She; leaked rather badly, and '.the' ■pu.iii'p's liad t.b be' constantly kept gojn'ff; The speaker r:e- ' lated that another lad. and l himself had to ■ go aloft, in a gaits 'oi : wind, off Madiera,; and take in the mizzfl'n .tp'p-galloht sail. Reminiscences of Eaiily Byne'din. AVhen he arrived at; Diiriedi'it, JSyears■ ago, he thought Otagairarbpiiri. with .Sts.'--surrounding hills, bii's.h.-c.rad to the Valor's,; edge, the prettiest pla'f.e lie h';i:d, ever .speii' in his life. The p'irgyi'ncc pf ; Otago..lini!; then been founded,"fbr li?' years .ftiid C'ii.n-■ terbury for 14 yeaf's>. 'The total iiop.ula ■: tion of the Colony.'at ;that date wpi iG§;p.o(l : people, l'rovisionj- 'wire... Stilt being -Jim ■' ported in large ■quantities, .''aiid,. 'wh'e'ii ■ ■ Mr. J. Bathgate, aiv early Pimetj'iii cplbi,,. ist, prophesied,., .at. '. a ipepti.iig,. that in time in- .comb., 'the '.i3b'lo.n.y' wpuld export wheat; thp prediction.' was received with' ■f'par's' . iii laughtei.. When Mr. BatligatovbdHed; tliat. flp.iif. also . would be c.xpprted/.'inlltirne'l'tho laughter/ was renewed, and;.'.idieiil::.hs.';.faikpd abbjit.'■ exporting hams andibu'tte'r; tliey thqugli't,' : . said the speaker, "that.'tlie. old ljfa'n- was. mad." ~II.V-i.'.'• In thpsc days mbst.''of':,:fh'e.'''w'prkirig: people lived in tents,7.healthy;.-:ha'b'itati,b'h;s in good weather, but uncpnifortab.lp,. •ivhcii it: rained. Foßtpaths'.ivere.aliii'pst ■unknowji:': in Dunedin half and for;, some years the colonists llia'd ffl plough ' 'daily through randAinJgb.in^'.-aijoijt'-^fiipW; ; business. He had-se.eiiVaivl'e'ni'pty fuiilbcU' dray bogged in the'iin'a.irissitrest of ■Dii.'n'edin on a summer 'day: Has the Cost of .Living: Gone Up? A good deal was.heard'; nbw'adßys..'.ißbi'it'-'. the increased cosLb'fviiying) 'Wijl.li lie;, would tell them wteat;.:'p'rice.s'w.er.<; current ; during the early days': , i.n';.p'une<(i!i> ■ The., four-pound loaf, ■.'i'nk(!b:' : :ffphi,; the.' worst'; ■ Hour, cost Is., andrniade; : " : :frbni thb. b'e'st'' flour, Is. Od. Elbu'i'::,-.'cpst sQd', "Rbr? .lb,:;: : beef, Is. per lb.;'iiiuttb'a;'..:lod : ,.'lo -Is/-per- ■ lb.; ham, Is. Gd. IBS lamb;, .10s, . to 11s. per qiiarfer.";;?rporl£', r : , l.s.! , .tti,'' , lsv.jd. .: per lb.; milk, {even in summer) 2s 3di , :.;ftin'd'..2s:.-.Gd. :p'e'r 1b,..; salt, Is. 4d. to ls.:lod:'.''.per.'lb,.;: cheese, sis.. 6d. to Is. Bd. per;slb : ; : ;;'eggSi-35:, ; 6(L. fovis, per dozen; fowls, ■ios;''tbvl2s':;'per«-pair;:;-fea,'■ about 4s. per Jus? ; tice stated, were ing a fair comparis6hV ; bctiyp,civt]ie:'libiise's ■' of then and the hoiiseslbtVtp'-.day, People had to "payiischppl. fees- Tor' thb:. education of thpir;childre;n:;.thpve; was .no-; freo education, therbi'iYere :iio- free.. lil'-rar. ries, evcrytliing liadZ-tp; "s>&' paid for-' Wages were Bs. and; 48 hours per week)''fbrllb;r'di'narjllab;b.urets; ■ Carpenters earnedgios;:..fbVi2s.. ; per .(|ay, ■, and other mechaii'ic's' s *ab,but. the ..saniei' With these conditibns,J..Sir;.Hpb; e 'rj .;Sf;'o.ut.; stated, there hadSbebh'' ...less gruiiibiing..' than there was -to-'day).'''fPebnlc'ivpfked'' hard, and were carefiilv ' waste, althpugh thbrci r ".iyas, : perhaps;.moire.drinking than npiy; :Brahdy: jand" riinV were consumed in'^largevfliiaiifit.ie.s,.' : hut;,... even then, a strong- party. existed. Cigarettes'; '.cif; ■wJiichUl.'n.-t. :n'i.ilV lions were sold in^Uie. , ;TJ'priiinibi^ I .;itrv : i9.|o;'' were unknown iii* jOfagp',: w.Jipii hpi Sfefc; arrived as a colonist:'' .."■.. <■'' . But, so far os:h|s,;m.'oii'!'oi'.y served, tlie. Doople of thosp ,/ar;i>a'pk-./lays were ,ashappy and as,.the..y did' to-day. ' The. young:':.pe'bplb :iii piirtjciilav were* full of hope. ..ajic.Vi-al) vtyicd: fp- (lb: what they could to,..niake ; 'th'e;:'pb!.oiiy g'veati' Newcomers were ;\yip\lpompd^and f ; !n'lccjii. care; of. Wlien a scttler.'vlaiidf'dO.iij thpse. ■ days: lie did not demahd? : Wjbb:iri , town., ITe: took the first iobtlaya'ilable. and.'Mid. -li'ot'■ object if it lay .al'hiinclred'.miliis anla'iidi. The Old Milita^^imng^Nbifuss., Tho fact that tKrfi:irer.e} : iyars tK,the' Maoris in the earlyV.'.d.aysven'a.bled'.v'tli.e'. speaker to institute.,'.;'a'noth'er '.cp'mpafi's.pii ■' between the Trouble broke ouKt'iii'fthe'' 'Jy'o'iit.li.'-Isljii.di'-he stated, soon after s hbf!aiidbd: ■j'n-'.-'Q.fagp.. The Governmenpyeniahde'!!:.'t!i;tt:.bypi;'yb.i!'e'.;. between the fiO . *!i:piil(l': either register aspiiiil.itiameiii ,6y volunteers. Thefe:.M;as;'.hp' fi.i'ss ; .:a'l;qiif■ it, ; and na onr> raispd.iplijyctib'ns,. .MiViiy iji.pii' volunteered for a.cti.yp.se'ryic.e: in. the'jibrfb,; As showing theUspi.i'it'. -o'f 'thjfr t.i'.me, i'liff 1 Chief Justice nientioiied; that - the: .Ot'njtp'' High Schopl Cadetsl "then, lately, e'lirblled', 1 petitioned, nskiiig;'ip;be :, ;r:p.cbgiiised as a' portion of the ve.'ii'nte.cr'' force. The Thrif,t!ess;. : G;ener,ati.on, Having described;'' the' ..conditions that: obtained in .century 1 ' ago, Sir Ecbert Stbu'.t...went■ b.ii. ,^.:i'iidic''a.t;e'. what, in. his opinion;, iwere" 'the. :bbliga' ?/ tions resting upon the;■'p.cpple.'bf :ttb.Vj)o-' minion to-day. 'plae'b"th'erb would have tolibjs, ''nipro''~thrif.t'in...thecolony. He never'pa's'scill.ayday. in-. Tyclr lington without Only ■ a day pr two preyiously ; hb ; liad ; ..se'en"; heaps of good fireTO i 6 , d : 'jMiii'g s,'bVrnM.-ihi-tho Governmentelinpuso'-'grp.uhds. : i'riiat-. ■ firewood might n , ayf' :^ , rve(l^fb■ , ke.cp^m , it.liy; , poor peoplo It', was impossible ,tb;.;':g'b'lthrbu^li : .a::' stjeept without seeing .waStp.■■pf.;;'.food;' ivasto.-bf.: clothing, and all' ; Vspr,ts.;'bfNthing^' v gping;.to'.. waste. In tho cpun.try ; :hi'agmficerit.bii's'li.. had been cut clowrKin.'oriler^^^^ turage far a feiy:sheet);..'vlh'.'sbme.places' the clearing of tlie....hills', had led. j fp tlie. ■ soil boing sweptjapyfji-iiittb the gullies; 1 lpaving tho slopes; .'.harp, ''useless,: and: ■ rocky. Probably;,in; %outd : ha,ve to be restpreil; &''such places' by - making plantations, izk -'gr'pa'fc ;6dsE'."'. ■ ; "We have wa's}ie'::.'ih'!:every direcKbnv" : continued the Chief/Justices:; "iyb iyast'e! 1 our lives. LooKat:bur,^yptingifelloWwlio. ■ walk about theistreets/prbiiaiy:Opuffirig; :at: 1 cigarettps. . . y 'We .ajb'sppniiiiig'npai-.' ; ly a millipn pbiinds: a/lypar.-lin tbtiaccp, ■■ three to four niillioh'p'b'uhds.'.a veaf oii: liquor, . . , TlieVJpaySlay' will' i.ebine ' round, when soinel3bdy,'wi!V'h:ayo : f>o.-^iifTer ■ for it. You can?t ; ..violate' 'these Ikws.— whiph aTs really-:.Tawsi 6£: '.Nati.irHw.i'tho.ut.. 1 somebody having; tflr's'u'fl'er .for.it,"' 1 We Want .Mbre.'.Bro.therho.od, Another thing wantpf!,. Sjr lib"b.e;rt..Stou't , went on to remark, was/ liioro trap b'ro- : [ thprhood. Siicltbrother.liop.d wasriSt'-cbii-' fined to friends,,'biit'iw.a.'.s.'iii.ii.Vflr'sal:. Bu'vn^- . sang it: "When;jiii'ah'.'tb' !il.a'ii. ilie- .wanlil :, o'er, shall britliersi' lie/for £ tliatv" ~1/rt-1 1 less that, idea ■'.ivprp.'l'gr.asii'e.ci,. a'jl. tiiifc o:(' . brotherhood w-as'',iv;ihei:i> Sluiiir. 'flip pb.p'r :' man who ca]lpcl;..the ; Y;icli/ni'nii his yi.eniy \ did not know anything abqnt biotlie'V- ■ hood. People niu'.st '.iepi'iv fp lovp. -their 1 , enemies, and unless, stiie Ipebplp. pf jseiy . Zealand got this/lo'ye -iii flieir heart* i.liey , would never be.- <i-.,-g'ri;a't nafibii, Tlipi'S I must: be more br.d.f.herliflß.d'. a'n'd nipro kj'nd- . ness than ivere.dfs'plny>d : .:ii.t. prp.-iint 1 -. K : <> I thing was easier 1 tliaiv fb go. V.i.t'i .file > 'crowd and eheej'-ifc till.- .lii! t the cpji.ro'geI ous man was tlie-ina'.ii wTibcbillil'Say: (ha't r the crowd was wrpngl- ,';T,ha'f." cpnciiideit' . tho Chief .Tuslic'e.'- ; "if; jliP class, o'f man ■ that we need in)' Jv'ew ..Zpnlanil now:/ 1 ' A hearty vofevpf tliaiiks was.a.c.ep'i'd.ed to > the Chief .lusticei-fbivhis. address, > Miss Mucllnr.pbhfri.ljutPil a sh'io- ■d'l'ir.i.ng i the afternoon. .IThft -sppa'lcpr at -the Br.b----r thprhood mpeting'.l : nexfcl'.Siihd'a.v will Ire' Mr.; : ,T. T. M. nornsb'y,-. .bk-M.;i'„ tt'ho iv:iii lak.e - a- his subject '-.r'ahniii'."