The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1873.

Dunstan Times, Issue 607, 5 December 1873, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1873.

Beneath the Rule of Men entirely jcst the pen is mightier than the* word.

Thu news to hand from England of money being worth nine per cent, with the probability of a still further rise, and a monetary crisis in the bargain, is unpleasant intelligence for New Zealand, and will interfere con- j siderably with the prosecution of our public works scheme. We must hope ! however, that this commercial depression will only prove of temporary duration, and that its causes, the disorganisation of the American money market, and the drain of gold consequent thereon, will speedily be rectified. Without desiring robe alarmists, we should deem it imperative on the part of the Government in the event of a succeeding mail bringing confirmatory newsof this most unfortunate panic to “ draw in their hums a little ” in respect to the Public Works scheme, by not letting any more contracts for works than there is money to complete. It is very dear that we must borrow still further and to a considerable extent to Hni.-h what has been projected, while the chances of doing so at the present high rates of interest are remote in the extreme. We could never hope to construct .railways upon borrowed money at an increased value, and it would therefore be wiser to confine ourselves to the completion of such works as are in a state of forwardness, and which would give some return foi the outlay upon becoming available for traffic. Coming as it would in the most busy season of the year when the demand for labor in the prosecution of private enterprises usually exceeds the supply, a temporaly suspension of some of our railway works would prove of considerable public benefit It must be quite dear to everyone that unless something of this sort takes place the harvest cannot be gathered. Already numerous native industries are at a stand-still, owing to the scarcity of workmen, while the gold-fields are also suffering from the same cause ; no amount of immigration can effect much improvement within the next twelve m nths, while the loss that will be entailed upon the producing classes during that time thr ugh the great scarcity of labor, will not only prove ruinous to many hue. will s>tc.-tinp ■’h 1 ’ opera'i m.- of o hers that the re d producers of wealth will oe on the verge of bt i ng

extinguished. Wo have always cou- j demned the Public Works and Immi- i gration scheme of Mr, Vogel as being | too elaborate and costly for the means und capabilities of the CVony, j while we could see from the first that ; the up oouiitiy districts must suffer; th's has proved to be the case, and its effects uppn the mining com rn unity aie most disastrous. Mining Companies find it impossible to carry on operations effectively, having to dispense with a large amount of necessary labor, while many new works would have been undertaken and in full progress that have now no existence whatever. The drain upon the population, or rather the attraction to the railway works of those, who were making but small wages, cou pi d with the desire for change, has considerably i iterfeied with the operations of the business man so that trade has diminished to a largo extent, in fact, we may say that the gold fi-lds, by the withdrawal of so much labor, are suffering similarly to what w«s experienced upon the great rush of people to the West Coast, when Hokitika formed such an attr ction. In the present in lance, (his depression not only affects (he go d fields, but every ocher industry not connected with the railroads, or removed from their vicinity. Where the borrowed money is bt ing expended, things are exceedingly brisk, but the very reverse is the case in those districts where real wealth is produced, and where the means must come from to pay interest upon the loans, and provide trufiic for the railways. This abnormal state of affairs cannot last long; it will never do for the wl ole of our population to set. themselves to the business of railway making upon borrowed money nor can it pay the Colony to provide so many thousands as is iutemved with free passages from Europe to assist the labor marked. It is useless to argue that because wo ; are at the antipodes such a course is necessary, or population would choose 1 the United Stat sof America—people are attracted to America, < ecause there i- plenty of scope for them ; a passage there costs them as much as ■ an assisted passage to New Zealand, and we feel assured th it were immigrants convinced that to come out hither was pr< finable to elsewhere, they would soon find their way to these shores. The monetary panic in London let us hope may not prove so disastrous in its effects after all, especially as regards future public loans. Perhaps, were greater difficulty expelienced in obtaining them, there would be less reckless expendi'ure. less for (he t»x payer to pay, and less publi-- works constructed, th>‘ probabilities of the reproductiveness of' which are exceed! gly remote. The panic wi ) be injurious inasmuch as it wi 1 reduce the value of our exports of raw produce, and with the wool j season hefoie us, it becomes a most unfortunate occurrence, however, we must hope for the best and what so to itigl v forbodes harm, may be the forerunner of much good. The General Governmeu. Gazette of the 2 'th ultimo contains the names of the sue- j cessful t nderera and the amount of contracts or the conveyance of the Mails for tiio year 1871 the following are those more particularly affecting our readers : Naseby and Clyde, G. A Moore £lOl 0 0 Palmerston and Nasehy.G. A. Moore 400 0 0 Clyde and Cromwell, R. Ross 45 0 0 Kawarau an 1 Queenstown, A. Eichanlt 173 0 0 Lawrence and Clyde, W. Freeman 2SO 0 0 Black’s, Drybread and Tinkers, J. Mellon 29 0 0 Cromwell and Nevis via Carrickton, R. Kidd 132 10 0 Cromwell and Cardrona, via B-ndigo, Pembroke, &c., R. Kidd 137 10 0 The charge Police v, Lichfield, for discharging fire-arms in a public place at Black’s, heard in the Black’s Police Court on Tuesday last to our mind was a most frivolous one at the same time a most un called for and vexatious interference with the rights and privileges of the subject, and we regret it was not in the power of the presiding Magistrate to have administered a rebuke to the prosecutor for his officiousness. That it is an offence against the Statute, (as the lawyers would say) in that case made and provide 1 to discharge fire-arms in a public place, is no excuse for the prosecution, and wo contend it was never intended by the framers of the law, that Black’s or plan s so situate, should come within the meaning of public place. ! There is a reasonable height to which the fancy of ev> n the conservators of law and order can soar without fear of comment, but if in tliei■ Hi.-lit they allow th unselvcs to reach tun pure an atmosphere, they richly merit t e tall ihat-awaits them. Our comm nta are ; n no uu ri nby towards Ibe pros -cation, we ire merely speaking our in nd, and wo hope it will have due effect.

Mr. Strode, R.M., Dunedin, will shortly retire from the Civil service. New insolvent, Robert Inglis, Cromwell, Contractor. Liabilities, 145/. 14s. ; Assets 21/. Us. The fourth and last part of Wild Will Euderby . Mr., Fyke's novel.is published—the title is the Blue Eyed Mai leu. Mr John Alves, of Dunedin, is the sue. cessful tenderer for the Court-house, Clyde the contract price we believe to bo 596/. 0 0. (: We have seen the prospectus of a new paper to be printed in Dunedin under the cmiductor-ship of Mr. Vincent Pyke—the tile is the Southern Mercury. Mr. Fache. Auctioneer, desires us to draw attention to bis Advertisement, announcing Side by Auction, by order of the Provisional Trustee in Bankruptcy, of the Soring Vale Farm, Dunedin Road, cron, fanning implement, kc. Mwtincs of subscribers to the Dnnstan District Hospital will bo hob! on Saturday, the Utli of January, 1*574. to elect a Resident Surgeon, vice Dr. S’irlin'. resigned, and to ele"t a new Committee for the onsuing year.—See advcrtis»n’.pnt. Mr Taylor, of Oomw-11, is *he successful tenderer for the erection of new school house at. Cromwell. We und rstand it will he a very fian'some building, and will bo finished in February next. Mr F. Burwell, of Queens'own, is the architect. The Dunedin Times says th-' half-holiday mow meat continues f n make head-way i" Div edin. Messrs. Watson and Cow. atrrieultural imidement makers, have resolved to give their emnloyi s the benefit of a weekly half-holiday. They commenced on Saturday last. We have to record, with feelings of a very painful nature, the den b of Mrs. William Jackson Barry, a r ‘er a sh>rt hut painful illness. We are assured that many will join with us in expressing our sincere condolence with our old friend Mr. Barry in his bereavement. The following is from tlm Fiji Times of the Istb of October :—“His Majesty the King left Levuka on Thursday last, by canoe. He dut not exactly 1 paddle bis own canoe,’ but we noticed that Hia Majesty ‘ pole !’ it. Who w ill not say that there is dignity in labor, when even royalty condescends to it.” The Dnnstan district has been honored with a visit of Captain Hutton, the Provincial Government Geologist, he inspected the quartz claims at Bendigo and Carrick, also, the coal mines of Cromwell and Bannockburn. He journeyed to a cave in the Alexandra division of the district, from ; which many Moa bones were taken, and has departed Scion ;e will doubtless benefit by the visit. Subscribers to theDunstan Jo key Club are reminded that a meeting will be held on Tuesday uex r , the 9.h inst., to draw up | propramme of General Meeting. We would j recommend all win feel an interest to put in an appearance. It i» no uncommon thing to hear, after the programme has appeared, | a great deal of grumbling. As this sort of thing is anything hut pleasant, and can lie avoided by the attendance of those who are apt to complain, wo repeat our recommenda- I tiou to all to attend who have tlie privilege 1 so to do. , Acain and again we have had to draw i attention to the i- ci case of the growth of tiiistles from one end of the district to the j other, and have urged up< n all classes to | do something towards era deating them. I The present time, when the plant is in full j growth, but has not flowered, is the best time to attack them. It is held by a good ma.-.y that the thistle is an excellent feed for donkeys. Is it iuieuded to introduce a herd into ihe district; or are they being reared for local use ? We wonder which. From Bendigo there is little to report. The manager of the Lucknow Company hj .s found it necessaiy to improve the ve tilation ol the mine ny means of oiping. Uu y two o. three hands areas, work n iw, Into it is intended to employ others as soon as they c..n bo obtained. The Cromwell Compa y’s battery is in full work, and will he cleaue! up in afswdays when a satisfactory re uit in Coiifi lently looked fouvard to. The Reliance at e still •'sinking, and are making improvements in their shaft in the way of putting down a ladder for the convenience of the workmen. cEgles, in the Australasian, says ;— 11 A wick or two ago a Melbourne auctioneer, upon whom is supposed to have descended the mantle of George Robins, of Macaulay, of Walter Th- ibury, and of a few other distinguished authors, sold a largo amount of landed property in the city. The sale was an important one, ami the ,üblic bought what was offered. Now, the uncertainty of value of colonial property is notorious. Estimates are not usually worth much ;out m this instance there is au cxexample of how correct a valuation may sometimes be. I saw a va nation of the property made by this auctioneering veteran six months ago, anticipating that it would realise 47,500/. Under the hammer ho sold it in detail for sums which in the aggregate amounted to within a hundred or two of 47,000/. Exception has been taken by several residents of Black’s and neighborhood to the letter of our Black’s correspondent, published in last week’s issue, they averring there is plenty of laud on the Matakauui run fit for settlement, "nil that the agitation foe land is not the result of the lale.impounding raid. We desire to impress upon the minds of subscribers and nnn-.-.ul iscribers to our journal that by grumbling and growling among themselves , is in no way fair to us or the right course for them to pursue to obtain a redress of their grievances. To obtain the ear and sympathy of the public and the powers that be the press must be re-o-te.l to, and ao Iniig is tile columns of tile : n*« are open for the free discussion of all legitimate subjects, and that malia.n is not used, to n we say—so long should the EUli'erc s suffer.

The Wokatip Mail is to appear a< a biweekly from the fust Tuesday in 1874. The pneumatic dredge is being warped up the Molyncux, ami it ia anticipated work will ho commenced the end of this week or the beginning of next. j The first' wool of the season passed I through pjyde ' during thp week three, waggon loads from M ‘Loan's Ardgour Station. We were informed the price of carriage was V- 10s. per ton to Dunedin. On Weis ‘S'lay nex 1 : tlio of tlis Masonic Order are remiu led that the Annual Installation of Officers takes p!ace in the Town Hull, Clyde, at 11 a.m. Immediately after, severa 1 pigeon and trotting matches v ill take place, and in the evening the Masonic Installation Bali wi.l take place. We would draw attention to Mr. Clapeott’s advertisement intimating his intention of lecturing at Black's No. 1 this Fri day evening, and at Tinker’s on Saturday at. 8)> m. We w> uld strongly advise our friends in the neighborhood to hear what the Lecturer has to say about the Government Life Assurance scheme. The subject is not uninteresting, and the fact that Mr. C'apcott proud-' s to linish the evening with selections from his "Popular Readings ” should ba sufficient to draw a large alt 1 ndance. We understand that Mr. Olapcott hopes'to be at Nase’ y a''out Monday the loth, hut will lecture at St. lia'ha ’s and elsewhere an his road The admissi- u to lecture ami readings is free The Clyde Town Council at its meeting on Wednesday eve-, iug last resolved—«hat the Public Works Committee should obtain au est’mate of cost of laying out the road throu, hj the Municipality and report to tlie next meeting. Now as this next meeting is a month hence, and in the way of all probability the report will be referred hack to the Committee for fresh particulars, it looks very like to us that the intent is to quietly shelve the matter uutil the money voted for the work is frittered away, and then to say the road cannot be improved as there arc no funds. This we are assured ia not the desire of the majority of the ratepayers. Independently of a share in Ihe leaves and fishes that must result from the expenditure that each seek, the wish is to have each vote of money scent in its special direction. By the expenditure "f the money on the road, the approaches to the Town could bo so improved, that Clyde might fairly claim to be as presentable a Town as any in the interior of the Province. The ratepayers have done much to raise Clyde to its present proud position; it is the Council’s turn now they have the means at their disposal to do something towards strengthening it.