The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2753, 13 December 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1871.

Some men very clovev in the common affairs of life, reason very oddly when principles, acknowledged true in regard to individuals, are applied to the concerns of a country. They then become bewildered, and seem to think human nature, wants, and progress differ in the aggregate from like attributes in man as a unit. Thus everybody can see that, if a man by a judicious application of machinery cheapens labor, there is every likelihood of extending his trade : that this extension of trade employs more men : that the employment of a greater number of hands gives work to others of whom they buy supplies: and that thus, instead of its being a drawback to the prosperity of the working-classes, it is their greatest help. Thus the rapidity and certainty secured by the application of machinery to the manufacture of textile materials is at once seen to be necessary, if success is to be attained. It places almost all countries on an equality, or, at least, tends to equalise conditions of production ; and [daces within the reach of the humblest, fabrics that could not have been obtained for the wealth of a kingdom before mankind availed themselves of its aid. Charles Knight, in his exexcellent treatise on capital and labor, affirms that “ the great blessing of the “ civilized state is its inci’ease of the u powers of production.” But when this increase was first attempted by means of machinery, not only the work-ing-men immediately affected by its invention, but a vast multitude of the class of clever men to whom we have alluded foresaw only a transient prosperity, which, according to their forebodings, was to be followed by stagnation and distress. The editor of the Wellington Independent appears to be of this desponding order, and our morning contemporary has evidently caught the infection, as he calls the jeremiad over sorrows that may never happen “ letting the cat out of the “ bag.” The character of the “ cat ” is worth a moment’s consideration, for like puss, there is a specious smoothness in the style of thought put forward, calculated to throw the inexperienced off their guard. This is the Wellington Independent's “ cat— For the next three or four years there need he but little apprehension of any want of employment by working men ; any want of a market for surplus dairy, agricultural, and pastoral produce ; or any want of customers by storekeepers and others. . . . But we cannot reasonably expect good times to last always, any more than we can to have constant summer weather. The time will arrive when imports will fall off, when money will become scarce, and when the revenue will not increase proportionately with the increase in the wealth of_ the country. There is every reason to anticipate that, when the chief lines of railway have been constructed, thousands of workmen will be thrown out of employment, if other means of obtaining a living are not at the same time thrown open to them. It will be seen the above is a prediction, something in the style of Joseph on Pharaoh : so many years plenty ; so many years scarcity. Fortunately for the world, it is based upon a dream, which, unlike Pharaoh’s, has no claim to unerring prescience. It may be fairly admitted that “ good times ” will not “ last “ always,” but the fallacy that lies at the bottom of this reasoning is two-fold: it presumes that thousands of workmen are to finish their work at one and the same time, and that there will be no move work to be done. Precisely the same sort of reasoning preceded the application of machinery to manufactures. It was predicted that since one machine could do the work of ten in one quarter of the time, forty men would be thrown out of employment ; that one factory would turn out more stockings or more cloth than could be consumed in a large district ; that as soon as the market was supplied there would be no demand, and that thus thousands would be out of work, starving, and it would bo the ruin of society. If any doubt, let them turn to the speeches and literature of the day. All this has proved false ; yet it was gravely held to be an inevitable consequence by statesmen, capitalists, workmen, and philanthropists. And just so must the forebodings of the Independent prove false, for the following reasons : —lst. The workmen will not be thrown out of employment by thousands at a time, but gradually as the works become finished. 2ndly. As they become finished, others must of necessity be opened up, in order to give to districts the benefits derivable from rail communication. As an instance, we may point to the projected line connecting the rich agricultural district round Oamaru with the proposed main line. 3rd. That improved modes of commu-' nication render a vast extent of country, otherwise useless, available for cultivation, mining and manufacturing purposes ; so that capital can be profitably invested, and consequently labor

employed. 4thly. That settlement in the interior being thus encouraged, towns as centres of population spring up, requiring the labor of artisans and others in building and conducting the various trades applicable to the district. We need not stop to enumerate many other very obvious advantages, such as extension of agriculture, stability of wages, &c. The ghost that has terrified the editor of the Wellington Independent, and that has cast its shadow as a “ cat ” out of a bag in the columns of the Dodlg Times, is one raised by the imagination of the Northern writer. It has no real existence. Depressed times are as sure to come as bills of exchange to arrive at maturity j but they will not be the result of the causes specified. Imports may fall off through many causes ; palpably the production of articles in the Colony rendering importation unpiofitable; but this is rather to be desired than regretted. Our wish is to make New Zealand an exporting country, for then we know production exceeds consumption, and the difference is profit. We seek to do this by cheapening production through the application of machinery. By this means alone can good wages be secured to artizans, and the Colony advance in wealth and prosperity. Those countries are the poorest where machinery is unknown.

Oamaiiu Dock Trust. —It is notified in to-day’s Gazelle that Dr Webster aud Mr W. J. Steward, M.H.E., have been appointed members of this Board. Supreme Court. — There was a sitting in banco to-day, when the motion for a trial in Bathgate v. the Bank of Otago, was part heard. At the rising of the Court his Honor intimated he would sit to-morrow. An Economical Parliament,—The honorarium paid for the session of 1860 was L 7.346 ; in 1867, LG,141 ; in 1868, L 7,349 ; and in 1869, LC,949. The return for 1870 has not yet been made public; but the cost of the past session, each member receiving LlO5 for the session, will be L 12,915. An Acknowledgment. — We beg to thunk the llcturniug Officer, Mr A. C. Strode, for copies received of the rolls of the Province. The arrangements apt ears much improved, and there seems to be no difficulty whatever in ascertaining the district in which the voter resides. The Chinese. —The proverbial industry of the Chinese finds scope for profitable employment iu many ways unknown or disregarded by Europeans. Throughout the Dunstau goldfield, remarks the local journal, Chinamen cafefujly gather every scrap of iron and sell to their countrymen in Dunedin, by whom it is carefully packed and forwarded to China, where it commands a ready sale. Princess Theatre.—There was another good house last evening, all parts being well attended. We only saw the second part, iu which Mr Clark sang “ The Death of Nelson” in a very pleasb.g manner, aud being encored, substituted “Happy be thy Dreams.” Messrs Kelly and O’Brien were as amusing as ever iu their dual dances, “Morning Clones” being particularly funny. Mr Herman’s solo on the violin, introducing the bagpipes, was also well received. Tonight the opera burlesque of “The Bohemian Girl” will be produced, Patal Accident at the Raikaia, —Our Christchurch telegrams the other day conveyed to us the intimation of the accidental death of Captain M‘Lean, brother of the Defence Minister. From the local papers we learn that the accident occurred on Thursday last. Captain M ‘Lean was returning in a gig from a visit to his partner, Mr Middleton, at the south bank of the Eakaia, where he had left his wife, and, on nearly his own property, his horse shied into a ditch. When assistance arrived immediately afterwards, there was no signs of life, and a subsequent examination showed that death must have been instantaneous. The deceased was well known in Wellington and Dunedin. Death of a Maori Prisoner.— This morning, at two o’clock, oue of the Maori prisoners, named Wiremu Tupito, aged 32, died in the hospital, where he was removed on the 1 Gth ultimo. Deceased was under a sentence of three years’ pen 1 servitude, and was consumptive on his ai rival in gaol on the Gth November, 18G9. In accordance with the Gaol Act, an inquest was held at the Hospital to-day, at noon, by Dr. Hockeii, coroner, and a jury, when after hearing the evidence of Mr Caldwell, governor of the gaol, and Dr. Yates, resident surgeon, the jury returned a verdict of “ Died of consumption.” Deceased was a member of the Komau Catholic Church, apd was attended daily by the Lev. Father Carden. Peat. — A piece of the pure was discovered iu the bed of the Hutt Elver, by the workmen engaged iu making the excavations for the bridge, which presented some note-worthy and interesting peculiarities. The peaty mass is tightly squeezed together, almost as if it had been subjected to the operation of a hydraulic press, but yet, on dissecting it a little, the materials of which it is composed, consisting of llax leaves and sticks, toi-toi, and fern leaves, can be severally and distinctly identified. The form and shape of the leaves and stalks of these different plants arc perfectly preserved though they now exist only in entirely new material; that is to say, have become peat, as in in the present ease, and so this little discovery set the local savaus talking, aud many weighty and learned opinions have already been pronounced by sonic of those who have been inspecting this semi-botanical, semi geological curiosity, The “ specimen” will be submitted to Dr Hector for inspection. Acclimatisation. The Lyttelton Thtic* is opposed to any further expenditure at present with the object of endeavouring to acclimatise salmon, holding the opinion that all previous attempts in Australasia have resulted in failure. It suggests that “if the LSOO voted by the Assembly were laid out in the prosecution of systematic inquiries about the varieties, habits, and qualities of the fish which are known and believed to frequent the shores of New Zealand, the Colony would undoubtedly derive

seme advantage. As it is, the vote will only have the effect of encouraging a few enthusiasts to repeat, partly at their own, but chiefly at the public expense, an experiment which is almost certain to end in another failure.” The Oamaru Times is informed that certain persons residing near the Kakanui are in the habit of netting in that river with a small seine, to the danger of the trout ther ■. Trout of 11b to 1 4 lb weight were seen in the Island stream a few days ago. The Acclimatisation Society, or the police should look into the matter. Another Lola Montez. Three American actresses —a mother and two daughters —calling themselves the Zavistowski sisters, have been obtaining a little cheap notoriety by assaulting a sharebroker, named Murphy, at Sandhurst. The latter seems to have spoken in reprehensible disparaging terms of one of the young ladies across a tea-table at a lodging-house in which another was residing. The mischievous tittle-tattle was eagerly conveyed to tho ears of the person whose reputation was compromised by it, and “ Zavistowski” me e, accompanied byherdaugbters, sallied out one fine morning in search of the calumnious sharebroker. Him they discovered in the midst of a crowd of brokers, in the busiest part of Sandhurst, at the busiest hour of the day, and over his devoted head the elder lady broke her parasol, while one of the younger ones gently chastised him with her fan. Of course, the real punishment consisted in the ridiculous position in which Murphy was placed. He could not retaliate. He could only fly. However, he summoned the belligerent trio to the police court, where the magistrate inflicted on them the nominal fine of Is only, considering that the provocation bad been great. Government Officers on the Gold-Fields. Mrs Partington received from her son, who is somewhere in Otago, a copy of the Lake, Wakatip Mail, which contained an article on “ Water supply for the gold-fields.” She reads:—“ The price of water in Ross is L 5 per Government head per week for eighs hours per diem. We certainly cannot overstep the mark if we calculate a Government sluice-head of water worth L2 10s per week of twenty-four hours each day. Thus we have—fifty Government heads, at L2 10s per week, L 6,500 ; less interest and repairs, L 2,200 ; sinking fund, L 4,300. We thus provide for redemption of capital in four years, and leave our race to benefiit the district free of change afterwards.” “ Well, I’m sure,” soliloquised the good old lady, “ I always did think them Government heads a parcel of scamps, but for them to try and run down one’s throat that they have to pay L 5 per head per week for water on them goldfields is all a deceit and a lie, and I’ll not believe it. In my opinion its what the French call hoe-dc-we that puts their heads out of repair and the sluice is required to sober ’em. The brazenfaced monkeys to—to say they would leave their race to benefit the district free of charge after four pears ! Why, if I was there I’d flog every slut of a girl out of the place, that I would. Leave their race, indeed!” Knox Church. — The announcement w r as made a few weeks ago that the building committee of Knox Church had selected from among the numerous designs sent in for their proposed new church, five, which were greatly approved of. Since then advertisements were called for tenders for the construction of the church ; and waiting ou the architect (Mr E. J. Sanders), we were informed that the committee had instructedhim to call for bona fide tenders, &c., for building the church according to his plans, and to furnish detailed specifications. From the plans that were shown us, we were able to glean the following brief particulars of the design. The proposed church will be of bluestone, and will be built in the Gothic style, with a massive tower. The form of the interior is with transepts, the length of the building being 90 feet by 49 feet within. There are galleries supported with ornamental iron columns 12 feet high ; and the sittings will accommodate a thousand persons, with a space of 33 inches by 22 inches for each. The height of the building from the floor to the foot of the rafters is 37 feet, and the walls are spanned with an open hammer beam trussed roof. The tower is 108 feet high, and provision is made for a steeple of 72 feet, but the latter is not likely to be carried out at present, as to do so would take it beyond the amount it is proposed to spend. The tower will, however, be carried a convenient height, and will cover in a clock. The buttresses are surmounted with crocketted canopy, and the windows have Gothic heads with labelled mouldings and tracery. There is also a minister’s room and vestry room at the rear. The design contemplates an expenditure of LSOOO. Should it be accepted, we have no doubt that tho massive tower will be found to be well adapted to the heavy back ground, and the whole church well suited to the piece of ground on which it is proposed to build it. Taxes. —The New Zealand Mail (Wellington) says : —The additional taxes imposed on cereals, chequ s, orders, and receipts, though trifling in amount, will have the effect of opening the eyes of the people on a subject which they have not hitherto taken much interest. An absurd statement has been going the round of the Opposition Press to the effect, that the people of New Zealand are the most heavily taxed people under the sun. If this is the case, it speaks volumes with regard to their material prosperity : for more than half the revenue is derived from taxes which may be deemed to be voluntary, and self-imposed, seeing that they are levied op commodities which the people could produce fqr themselves, or dispense with altogether, But the statement is not true, and if it were founded on fact, it is put in a form calculated to make a most erroneous impression ; less sum is contributed by the property, money, aud professional classes of New Zealand to the general revenue than is contributed by the same classes in either Europe or America. These classes, in this Colony, have hitherto escaped taxation almost entirely. The indirect taxes, from which the general revenue is derived, are chiefiy contributed by two classes. One of these consists of those who indulge in deep potations and tobacco ; and tho other consists of those who have the largest families. There are very few persons of large means included in either of these classes. And the astonishing faet that the largp revenue obtained by the Colonial Government is not only derived chiefly from the consumption of articles that we could produce ourselves or do without, but is contributed principally by the industrious classes, is itself the strongest proof of the general prosperity

which prevails in the country. It also affords evidence of the necessity of the incidence of taxation being more equitably adjusted, with the object of making the absentee and monied classes, mortgages and money-lenders, contribute a fair quota to the burdens of a country from which the greater portion of their incomes are derived. Wanganui Bridge. —The following description of this structure, which was opened the other day by the Governor with great eclat is from the Wanganui Chronicle : —The bridge is of iron, formed of two lattice gilders, each of which is T2ft. high. It is divided into five spans, the first of which is 14ft. long, thesecond 113 ft., and the remaining three 113 ft. each. The river is navigable above the. bridge, and hence it required that provision should be made for the passage of vessels. Whether, in consideration of this fact, the bridge would have served its purpose better by being farther up the river or where it now stands, is a question which gave rise to much discussion in the past, and may possibly be revived in the future. For the present, it is definitely tettled, and there is no use of going into it. We therefore go on to mention that the second span is fitted with a turn-table, which opens it for vessels requiring to pass up and down the river. The span when opened in this way gives two passages, each 40ft. wide. On the up river side of the bridge is the footpath 4ft, Sin. wide, carried along by cantilevers, which are all let into the cross-girders and rivetted to them ; and at some future period, should it be found necessary, as we do not doubt it will, a similar path can be constructed on the other or. down-river side of the bridge, as provision has been made for that purpose. The roadway, securely fenced by a parapet on both sides, is 17ft. 7in. wide in the clear for traffic. The bridge is supported on cast-iron cylinders, which are placed in lays of two, except under the turn-table span, where four are so placed, to form a base of sufficient width to hold tho machinery necessary to work the turn-table. These four cylinders are braced together with sheet-iron bracing, whilst the other cylinders are secured with iron web bracing. The cylinders are seven feet in diameter, making splendid pillars. The shortest, we learn, was sunk 18ft., and the longest 35ft. into the bed of the river. They are all filled solid with concrete, for which over 1000 casks of cement alone were used. The planking of the roadway or decking of the bridge, so to speak, and the approaches are of totara planking, 4in. thick, spiked down to Australian iron-bark joists. The following further particulars, kindly furnished to us, will be interesting:—The total length of the bridge is 609 ft. The north approach from the breastwork to the iron bridge is 103 ft. long, and is divided into four lays with six piles in each; the whole structure is constructed of iron bark; the breastwork and wings are constructed of totara, and the breastwork and wing of the south approach is constructed of iron bark. About 90,000 superficial feet of totara and 98,000 superficial feet of Australian iron bark timber have been used. The weight of the cylinders is 230 tons. The weight of the iron bridge is 425 tons. The contract for its erection was taken by Air M'Ncil, and under his superintendence, ami that of his engineer, Mr D. E. Macdonald, it has been brought to a most happy and successful termination. These gentleman have deservedly earned for themselves a high name for professional skill, and for the readiness with which they at all times endeavored to meat the public convenience in the course of their operations. The cost of the bridge wifi be (well, we are almost afraid to say how much it has cost; there were delays and misunderstandings, interest on money, &c.), but we shall probably not exceed the mark if we put it down in round numbers at L 35,000. The attention of members of the Artillery Company is directed to an advertisement appearing in our advertising columns.