Extravagance.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 193, 12 July 1884, Page 2

Extravagance.

Far be it from us to seek to limit unduly the pleasures of the public ; but either people are not so badly on? as the cry of stagnation would imply, or they 'are improperly indulging m luxurious expenditure which punishes their butchers, bakers and grocers. In the matter of races alone, it is not satisfactory to find that nearly every little township must have its racecourse, its jookey club, aud its evor recurring race meeting, spring, sum-niei-j and autumn ; with their bettings, their bookmakers,, their totalisators, and their numerous sweeps; and the inducement to idleness, dissatisfaction and extravagance which these everrecurring gatherings all over the colony almost continually ofier, to say nothing of the spirit of gambling which is thus fostered m old and young. Undoubtedly we are too luxurious; and the indulgence m such luxury even m times of plenty is a social error, and m times of commercial depression and alleged want of work and money is worse than an error. People must learn to cut their coat according to their cloth; they must save their money and limit their luxuries. These very sensible and shrewd remarks are made by the JPoat t | and it is to he hoped that they will bear good fruit. They are peculiarly applicable to this coast.