The Dunstan Time. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1880.

Dunstan Times, Issue 940, 23 April 1880, Page 2

The Dunstan Time. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1880.

'encat-hlherule of men entirely just tl PEN is mightier Ilian the sword .

In our last issue wo took occasion to express our opinion on the unseemly manner in which the “ Royal ” Railway Commissioners scampered through the County, actuated apparently more with the desire to get through a disagreeable piece of business rather than to make themselves acquainted with the country through which the Otago Central Line is to be constructed. That they could have obtained any knowledge of the land, and its adaptability for settlement, during their hurried flight no man can be insane enough to believe. If their report is favourable to the line under such circumstances, how much more so would it have been if they had carefully inspected the country, and by visiting the few firms, which despite the niggardly policy of Governments past and present, have somehow struggled into existence, had satisfied themselves of the almost boundless capacity of the soil for producing grain, root cops, and fruit in great abundance and of unsurpassed quality. Of none of these have they taken note. The few despairing deputationists who went out of their way to wait upon the Commissioners uninvited, and seemingly unwelcomcd, were coldly, received and autocratically treated. Not a single spark of sympathy was elicited, nor was

there evinced the slightest desire to obtain information on the subject regarding which they were presumed to have visited the district. The Daily Times states that they have traversed the greater portion of the route of the Central Railway. So far as tliis County is concerned we are in a position to give the statement an unqualified denial. As if ox deliberate intent and malice aforethought the Commissioners avoided all the most fertile portions of the County, and confined their researches to galloping, in a close coach, over the driest, most gravelly, and most desolate regions. Even when they started to seethe Upper Clutha Valley they went no further than to the borders of the best land, and then, frightened by a trifling Scotch mist, they hurried back to Cromwell, whence they travelled to Clyde in befitting darkness. From Clyde they journeyed far away, for the most part, from the railway route. They did not visit Alexandra —they never went near Spottis Hundred or the Ida Valley, which even now can boast of neai-ly half the cultivation cf the County, and which present facilities for settlement on a large scale, veiy tittle, if at all, inferior to those of the Taieri Plains. A more useless, purposeless, and silly pretence of enquiring into the value of a great national work never surely was made.

But what else could have been expected 3 Take the members of this trumpery Commission, one by one, and what do we find First, there was Mr McCosh Clarke, who is notoriously afflicted with Otagophobia —who is always raving about the millions Otago has had spent upon it and averring that Auckland has never had its fair share of Loans and public revenue. Next we have Mr Curtis, whose hobby it is to have railways constructed m the wilds of Nelson, where there is neither population, nor land to settle them on. Then there is Mr, or as he pleases to dub himself, “Colonel” Pearce —his colonelcy being of the paper collar order, by the way—who thinks no Government worthy of confidence which does not promote a railway through the mountain ravines of Wairarapa to the West Coast of the North Island These three, be it observed, are rejected candidates, but Government supporters Hence proI bably their appointment to this im- ' posture of a " Royal ” Commission, i Another Royal Commissioner is Mr Reid, of Ehlerslie, whose interests lie, not at all in the direction of constructing a railway through the interior of Otago, but do very much lie in the construction of railways, leading to nowhere, in the Waitaki Valley. Sir Wright, the member for Coleridge, is the only one of the lot who holds a sear, in Parliament, and, unless we err, he is interested in ' one of the “ District Railways,” iniqnitously sought to be imposed upon the country, and is also concerned lest the money be would fain i see devoted to constructing the Midj land Canterbury Line should be 1 diverted to opening up the interior jof Otago. If ever there was a packed j jury this is one.

Truly we fear that the people of this district have a hard battle to light. The welfare of the interior depends upon the speedy formation of the Otago Central Railway. Against us are arrayed the ravenous localists of other Provincial Districts, typically represented on this “Royal" Commission, not one man of whom can be held to be a true representative of Otago. Against us—the people of Central Otago—are arrayed Provincial jealousies, runholding and banking interests, (both of which last would lie best furthered by hindering the railway) and last and worst of all a scheming, false-and treacherous Government, wherein not Otago but Dunedin only is represented. Rightly consideied the interests of Dunedin and the interior are identical, but no recognition of such identification has ever been shewn by Dunedin. We advise our City friends to remember the old fable of the belly and its members, and to reflect that its converse holds true—aye, and yet move true. The country could not well do wi limit Dunedin, but Dunedin could still less afford to do without the Country, The prosperity of the country is Dunedin’s strength. Here in the district where we write, there are millions of aeres inviting settlement, and a hos! of people desir ms of settling thereon, but by the wicked policy ot corrupt Governments, supported by unscrupulous “ rings” of land-sharks and speculators, the conditions of settlement have purposely been made so hard, that sheep-dogs and tussocks reign paramount, where under better and more honest management ihore would have been thousands of smiling homesteads. We are exposed to the taunt that we live in a wilderness, and we cannot gainsay it. But whose is the fault 1 } Not surely that of the men who having reap 'd a golden harvest in our creeks and rivers would fain have made for the.maclves a homo in our midst, but have been forced bv bad laws, badly administered, to go to oilier parts of the Colony—indeed only too often to other Colonies and to foreign shores. This farce of “ Royal ” Commissions is only an old foe with a new face, and the sooner we recognise the fact a el gird n our armour to fight the enemy tiie better will it be for us and for our children. The true question before the count ry

is not one of theoretical opinion. It is in so many words, shall we compel the throwing openof onr land for settlement ? And as a material portion of this issue it behoves us to insist upon the immediate, construction of the mil way winch will bring with it the necessity of settling the land.—This must bo done, and done it will be if only the people are true to themselves—Governments and “ Royal ” Railway Commissioners to the contrary notwithstanding Our advice is brief—“ Agitate, Agitate, Agitate !”

We notice that the price paid for rabbit skins on tbe whole of the stations in this loolity is two pence per skin. Mr Rees, of Galloway, intimates that in future that it is the price that will be paid by him.—See advertisement.

The Rev. Mr Ash last evening (Monday), delivered a lecture to an appreciative audience in the Athenreum Hall. The subieot was “ London, ” and tho lecturer handled it in a masterly fashion, affording his hearers a fund of interesting information as well as many amusing anecdotes, Dr Dr Corse occupied tho chair. Cromwell Argus. Instancing the wonderful knowledge some of the Dunedin firms have of the geography of the country, the following is a copy of a weigh-bill shown us duung the week.—To Mr , Alexandra, 2 Cases per rail to Bluff, thence by waggon. The export of gold from New Zealand during tho quarter ended 31st Msrch, 1880, was as follows : —West Coast, 33,615, oz.— L 134.425 ; Otago. 32,5090z -L131.400 ; Auckland, 11,787 0z.—L47.403 ; Nelson, 1090 oz -4129 ; Marlborough, 215 oz.— LSSO. T0ta1—79,302 oz , of the value of of L 315.208. The corresponding quarter in 1879 produced 74,700 oz., value, L 297.493. Increase on quarter—4oo2 oz , or 1,20,715.

At tbe sitting'.of the Waste Lands Board held at Dunedin on Wednesday the 14 th instant the following business of leal importance was transacted ; —Catherine Mellon applied to purchase four acres on Run 223, Matakanui, runliolders consent being obtained. Deferred until necessary advertising done.—The following applications for agricultural leases were approved -John Towan, sections 34 and 39, block HI, Cromwell district ; Thomas Towan, sections 30 and 45, block 111, Cromwell ; David Murphy, sections 30 and 4'3, block 111, Cromwell —The application by William Brady to purchase under deferred payment license section 6. block IX, Tiger Hill, was granted, Tbe Sydney Exhibition Commissioners have further awarded Mr Jean D. Feraud

for his exhibits, as follows Peppermint and lemon syrup, first degree of merit. Ginger wane, lemon juice, cherry brandy : second. Cherry brandy, ami aniseed liqueur; foiarth degree. Burgundy, third aegre, and Constautia, first degree of merit. We (Daily Times) understand that Captaaiu AV. J. Barry intends to lecture in Dunedin before leaving tor Cromwell, giving an account of his proceedings while in the Old Country. We have no doubt ho will attract a large audience. The International Exhibition, which has been open for seven months, Was formally closed to-day, April 20th by Governor Lord Augustus Loftus, in accordance with tho programme which was issued, and in presence of a large number of people. The Executive Commissioner’s address to his Excellency, which was read at tho closing ceremony, stated that tho exhibits had numbered 14,000, to which 7070 awards had been given, including 2753 first class and 2052 second. The admissions during the seven months had reached a total of 1,022,000. The receipts had been under L 50.000, but itwas hoped that the sum would pay working expenses. We (Mataura Ensign) have hoard many stories of remarkable verdicts, hut one comes to us from a town in Southland that eclipses most of them. It seems that several stacks, of wheat we believe, had been burned either in or near this particular town, and it was thought accessary to hold a Coroner’s inquiry into tho circumstances of tbe fire. After hearing evidence and giving the matter careful and long consideration tho facetious jury brought in this verdict: “ That tho stacks were burned by some person unknown, and served the stacks right ” It is always an advantage for a farmer to obtain bis seed corn from a crop he has seen growing, as by so doing he can better satisfy himself that there is a mixture of varieties The use of sound, well filled seed is in every way advisable. A good seed gives the plant a vigorous start, and it consequently grows away rapidly from the first, instead of barely keeping alive until tho roots are sulficiently developed to draw nourishment from the soil.

The Scrota, which arrived at Melbonre from London on morning of Friday, tho Ist inst., has accomplished ono of the quickest passages ever yet ma le to that port. Tho run out to Adelaide, including stoppages cn route, was ma le in 38 days four hours, hut tho actual steaming time was only 36 days 8 hours. A couple of days ago, a man was brought before the R. M. Court, at Wanganui, ou a charge of having sttrlcn a watch. It appears that the time had been insufficient to hunt up the necessary evidence by the police authorities, ami therefore an adjournment was requested. On tho prisoner being asked if he had any objection, ho uereplied “ Oh, yes, 1 object; the police have taken me from good steady work, and want to go back to it.” Tho Sub-Inspector—- “ Your Worship, that statement requires explanation ; the prisoner was arrested yesterday on Iris having Wanganui Gaol, where, he bad jut t completed a sentence of throe months for buc> ny, and that is tho good steady woik he has l>ecu deprived of.”

Some idea of the magnitude of tho rabbi t nuisance in South Australia may be imagined when it is stated that thirty-two Government parties are engaged in their destruction.

Poaching on tho hares, which are now increasing very considerably in the vicinity of Invercargill (says tho News), is going on at such a rate, and being carried out in such a barefaced way. that coursers are asking each other ‘‘Where is the Acclimatisation Society ?’’ “ Where are the Rangers?” and “ Where are tho Police ?" It is certainly the duty of any one awaro of breaches of the law taking or having taken place, to give a hint to the proper authorities at once.

Some men arc easily ruined, at least so it would appear from tho remarks that fell from a witness in a case at the Police Court Invercargill recently. The individual in question is a butcher named Joseph Phillips, who charged one Thomas Coulston. another butcher, who leased his premises, with stealing a saw, valued at 2s 6J. Tho plaintiff became very excited while giving his evidence, and asserted that he was a ruined man because defendant had taken away a saw. The ease was a most trumpery one, and, as llis Worship justly remarked, ought never to ho brought into Court. Case dismissed.—Weekly Times.

The Australian cricketers who arrive in Britain shortly are likely to meet with an unpleasatly warm reception. The English press is up iu arms against them, and has said some bitter things. A recent issue of Life has a scathing article, headed “Commercial Cricketers,” in which the public is warned against the “ ill bred curs who-kjl to Lord Harris being mobbed," and is urged to look on the Eleven merely' as moneygrubbing strollers. Figaro has published many paragraphs of much the same character.