THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1335, 8 November 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1872.

The example given to Greymouth by the sister town of Hokitika, in establishing on a liberal footing a local literary and Bcienti6c institute, and in occasionally holding exhibitions of the production of nature or of art, is an example well worthy of imitation. While Greymouth might afford to Bpare to Hokitika a little of the sporting spirit which characterises the community, it might, in exchange, endeavor to acquire the finer tastes which, in Hokitika, have been cultivated with more or less assiduity ever since the disorder and excitement attending its early settlement had subsided. Here, for instance, while pluming ourselves upon the prevalence of a taste for " events" equine

and pedestrian, while much given to dancing and its accompanying delights, and while fairly patronising such dramatic entertainments as are produced, the subscribers to the literary institute are more select than ; there is never an effort made either to give or listen to a lecture ; and, though some fresh societies have recently been created, their existence is due more to the action and activity of a few enthusiastic gentlemen than to any general sympathy with the objects for which the said societies have been formed. In Hokitika, on the other hand, while there have recently been symptoms of slight degeneracy of the public taste in regard to evening amusements, there have been occasional lectures given by competent men, the Literary Society's rooms have, as a rule, been popularly patronised, an effort more amiable than ambitious has been made to establish a museum, and in the shape of a horticultural and floricultural exhibition there has been, at least, one very pleasing and interesting display. Now, apparently, another and a greater effort is to be made in the direction of organising a public exhibition of a mixed character, and, although the interval between the present time and the date of opening is somewhat brief, the experience gainedby past experiments will, no doubt, enable the promoters^to achieve something like a fair success. According to theclassification of contemplated exhibits, and with anything like a lively interest taken in the project by the public, there should be an attractive show both of the natural products of Westland and of the works of local artists and artizans. Minerals, paintings, flowers and fruit, jewelry, machinery and models, articles of l^cal manufacture, natural history curiosities, and articles of Maori manufacture make up the melange which committees have been appointed to collect, and there is no doubt that, to these, articles which have not been specified can with propriety and approval be added. In some of these classes — such, for instance, as fruit and flower culture — Greymouth cannot be expected successfully to compete, both on account of the perishable nature of the exhibits and of the undoubted superiority of the cultivates, in point of numbers and otherwise, who are located in aud about Hokitika. There are classes of exhibits,~however, in which it would be satisfactory to see the Greymouth district represented, and aa the Committee appointed in Hokitika are, by the name they adopt, meant by others or of themselves desirous to make the exhibition thoroughly representative of the County as a whole, they will, no doubt, be glad to find anyone willing to cooperate with them here, either as an exhibitor or as the procurer of exhibits from others. Whether they have yet communicated with anyone in Greymouth we are not aware, but, for the success of their scheme, they might with propriety do so, and probably they could not select any better correspondents and agents than some of the members of our local Literary Society, whose tastes and sympathies may be supposed to bo identical, and who, imitating the effort thus made, may at another time, and in a similar cause, desire or require the assistance of the^members_pf__the_Hokitika Institute. The object is exactly one ot those wnicli can bo only promoted by men of kindred tastes and spirit throughout the County combining their action, however far removed they may be from each other geographically, and the present is an excellent opportunity for people exhibiting their affinities in regard to matters which, apart from auy sesthetical considerations, tend directly to foster the development of the resources of the country and the industries of a community.