The Globe. MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 1876.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 665, 7 August 1876, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 1876.

“ The biddings at the wool sales were “ dull. Prices were without recovery, “ and the fall is estimated at 30 per “ cent on the June rates of last year.” Such was the unwelcome intelligence published by us on Saturday. It is only confirmatory of information previously received, and points to no mere fluctuation of a temporary character. To all appearance, the depression is the result of a combination of circumstances which lead those best able to judge, to the conclusion that no immediate recovery is to be hoped for. At least two years must elapse before we can expect a very perceptible rise in prices. As wool forms a very large item in our exports, the prosperity of the colony will be seriously affected by this fall. Last year New Zealand exported 54,401,5401bs of wool, valued at £3,898,155. To this amount Canterbury and Otago contribued by far the largest sum, the wool shipped from Canterbury being valued at £1,001,404, and that from Otago at £1,431,471. The loss therefore to this province alone will amount to a very large sum. If the fall averages 30 per cent all round, it means a loss to our wool producers of about £300,000, and to those of the whole colony of about one million sterling. AVe need not say that such a result will seriously affect all classes. AVe are happily now not so completely dependent upon this single commodity as we were a few years ago. Our producing power has been largely stimulated since 1870, as an examination of the list of our principal exports will show. But wool is nevertheless the most valuable commodity shipped from the colony, forming more than half our entire production, gold included. This large reduction of the means at our disposal will not only affect nearly every individual in the community, but must seriously affect the revenue. What this means in the present condition of our finances we leave it to our readers to imagine.

The member for Coleridge, Mr Wason, is evidently desirous of distinguishing himself. He has announced his intention of supporting separation. If he thinks that, by so doing, he will best fulfil the trust imposed in him by the electors, he is at perfect liberty to do so, though we venture to assert that he is mistaken, and in thus separating himself from the other Canterbury members, he is playing into the hands of the designing politicians from Otago, who, after the severe castigation lately administo the member for Coleridge by Mr Stafford, may have found Mr Wason more easily convinced of the reasonableness of their proposals, than he would otherwise have been. Be this as it may, it is to some remarks made by Mr Wason regarding the Provincial Government and Christchurch to which we wish to direct attention at present. Speaking of Abolition, he said that it was hailed with joy by the outlying districts, mainly, if not entirely, on account of the loss of confidence in the Provincial Government in having drawn large sums of money from the outlying districts to be spent in and about Christchurch to which enormous subsidies were paid. Now as far as Christchurch is concerned, a more unfounded statement was never made in the House. This city has always been neglected by the Provincial Government. While money was being squandered right and left by Eoad Boards, all appeals from the city to a fair share ot the revenues of the province were treated with contempt by the Provincial Council, or were answered by the occasional grant of a

few paltry hundreds. It was the very unfair and unjust treatment of the towns by the Provincial authorities of Canterbury, that has made those centres of population to a man almost, Abolitionist. Mr Wason is evidently sorely puzzled for an excuse, when he has to resort to such unfounded statements in support of his position. ♦ The Civic Fathers of Lyttelton seem determined to do their duty. Uninfluenced by the example of Christchurch, where they have come to the conclusion that meetings once a fortnight are sufficient, they nobly devote every Monday evening to passing resolutions for the benefit of their town. When we come, however, to consider what is done at these gatherings, we begin to wonder how they succeed in passing away the time. As a rule, half of the resolutions refer the business on hand to certain committees to bring up reports, and the other half instruct the foreman of works to carry out certain much-needed improvements.

As most of the present members are men of good sense and sound judgraemt, outsiders fancy that the business could be accomplished quite as successfully if the committees were a little more trusted, and took the immense responsibility on their shoulders of ordering, say £5 worth of what they know is absolutely necessary work to be done, without having to bring the matter before the Council, where of course every member has to show that he has the interests of the town at heart by asking all sorts of questions, many of which are irrelevant, and making a speech before he votes. Many a weary hour would be saved if a little discretionary power were exercised by his Worship the Mayor and the various committees. The worthy member for Dampier’e Bay might possibly be confused if fortnightly meetings were held, as there would then be probably three or four things to discuss, but then he would reap one great advantage, for if a matter were deferred till next meeting he would have fourteen days instead of seven, in which to consider it and perhaps by the end of the longer period (we do not certify to this with any confidence) some dim glimmering of what it was all about might begin to be realised by him. We are quite sure that if Christchurch can do with a fortnightly meeting Lyttelton can, and no one can read an account of the proceedings of the Council without being satisfied that at least half the business done might be arranged between the Mayor and foreman of works, and reported as having been accomplished at the next assemblage of councillors. Ratepayers anxious to get £2 or £3 worth of work done would then seek a personal interview with the Mayor and the matter could be done at once. As it is now, long petitions are drawn up and dreary discussions take place, the principal part of the talking being done by those councillors who know nothing about the matter, they being of course most anxious to gain information. If any gentlemen is worthy of being elected Mayor of Lyttelton he is quite capable of judging of the necessity of any trifling work that may be required from time to time, and it is our opinion that the saving in candles and fuel alone would quite compensate the ratepayers of Lyttelton for the loss of every alternate weekly deliberation"of her councillors.