The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1873.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 218, 10 September 1873, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1873.

The Exhibition to be held in November next, although at first it aspired to nothing more pretentious than a mere horticultural show, is gradually assuming larger and far more important dimensions. The matter bas been taken up in a thoroughly practical manner, and the object that (he general and various subcommittees have in view has passed beyond the point of merely desiring to efford a day's pleasant recreation to the public, and is now professedly aB well as in reality the advancement of tbe interests of the province by making known what and bow great are its resources. We are taunted on all sides with being a nonproducing and non-progressive district. Tbat such at present is the case to a certain extent we admit, but at the same time assert that we have no desire to remain in that condition, but are ambitious of rising into a higher sphere of activity, usefulness, and prosperity, and the proposed exhibition is viewed, by those who look beyond the mere pretty show that will then be arranged, as the first step in the ladder by means of which we are to extricate ourselves from what twelve months ago was really a slough of despond, but from which the element of despondency seems to be disappearing before the energy, activity, and determination that have of ißte been displayed by a people who at last show nnmistakeable signs of having resolved to bestir themselves. For sometime Nelson has been agitating for railway communication with the West Coast, and after many months of hoping and fearing, but never of despairing, we have at last succeeded in obtaining a promise from those in power that the work upon which we have set our hearts shall really be entered upon. In the prosecution of our endeavors to obtain this line, without which we may look in vain for any improvement in our condition, we very nearly met with defeat on tbe grouud that the agricultural lands in the distsicfc through which the railway would pass were not sufficiently extensive to warrant its construction. The tour of inspection upon which this report was founded was, as is well known, carried out under circumstances the most disadvantageous, and it was by some thought that finer weather and a greater length of time devoted to the examination would probably have conduced to a more favorable account, but, be this as it may, we must not allow ourselves or others to be misled by a discouraging report of the value of onr provincial territory as an agricultural district. Our mainstay is our mineral wealth, and as well might a valuator enter a jeweller's shop and pronounce disparagingly upon its contents because the shelves were not laden with sacks of vegetables and grain, as an assessor give an opinion tbat the country between Foxhill and Brunnerton is worthless because there are not so many hundreds of thousands of acres fit for the plough. Those who are resident in the Province of Nelson, who have taken tbe trouble to make themselves acquainted with tbe numbers and character of the coal deposits, and who know something of the amount of gold that is being obtained from the alluvial diggings, and from tbe quartz reefs, are satisfied as to the enormous wealth of the country, but this is not sufficient. We must not rest satisfied with possessing such knowledge ourselves, but if we desire to progress and to derive the full benefit of nature's bountiful provision for our welfare, we must take care to give every publicity to the quantity and variety of our resources. We are not ourselves in a position to turn them to account. We want others to come and help us. In Australia there is said to be an enormous amount of capital seeking investment. In Nelson there is a magnificent, and if properly worked, a most fertile field for investment, which at present is lying barren for the want of capital. And this brings us back to the subject from which we started, but have to some extent digressed. The coming Exhibition will be one at which such a collection of mineral productions, obtained within our own boundaries, can be dis-played-as is not to be found in any other part of the Australasian Colonies. So excellent an opportunity of exhibiting oor wealth in all its variety may never occur again, and therefore we should make the best use of it. The Committee will no doubt place themselves in communication with the Wardens and others who may be in a position to forward samples of gold and other metals, but we look upon it that to the Government should be relegated the task of procuring specimens of coal from every seam that iB known to exist in the Province, and if it be properly arranged, nnd each block of the "black diamond " be accompanied by a description of the class of country in wbich it was found, and a report of an analysis of samples from tbe same locality, the coal department will form one of the most

interesting and most attractive to capitalists in the whole exhibition. If such a course be determined upon, and we have no doubt that the Government will at once recognise the importance of showing what Nelson can produce of this particular class of mineral, no time should be lost in procuring the exhibits, and forwarding portions of them to Wellington for analysis. Summer excursions from Melbourne to New Zealand have of late years become fashionable, and by letting our Australian neighbors know what we have to show, and when we shall be prepared to submit those articles to their inspection, we may secure the attendance of some of those who are seeking an investment for their spare capital. At all events it is well worth trying, for if we succeed in inducing them to pay us a visit on that occasion, we may fairly expect to derive some permanent advantages from their presence; if we fail, we shall have tbe satisfaction of knowing that we have done what lay in our power in the direction of giving publicity to the value and extentof our vast resources. We hope too to see many visitors from the other provinces, and trust that the proprietors of steamers will offer every inducement in lbe way of cheap excursion trips. What Nelson wants is to let others.know that she is not the poor, barren, worthless province that is only too generally believed.

Concert. — The concert that was to have been given at Stoke on Monday, but was postponed on account of the unfavorable state of the weather, will take place this evening. Lunatic Asylum. — The tender of Mr John Scott for building the new Lunatic Asylum for £4,987 10s has been accepted. There were five other tenders which will be published when the contract is signed. National Bank op New Zealand. — It will be seen by advertisement that a branch of this bank is to be opened in Trafalgar-street on or about the Ist of October next. Petition for a Municipality.— The petition praying that Nelson may be created a Municipality, bas been largely signed in the town, and was forwarded by Mr Burn to his Honor the Superintendent this morning, for presentation to the Governor. Para Para Iron.— There is to be seen at Mr Webster's store a fine black of iron weighing some 15lbs, which was received from Melbourne by the Albion on Sunday, being the product of a parcel of hematite ore from Para Para, which had been sent there for smelting. The yield was about 50 per cent., which is considered a most aatisfactory result. The prospectus of the new Company will be published shortly.' Magistrate's Court.— Tho weekly Magistrate's Court was held this morning, but there was little business. An information had been laid by Inspector Shallcrass against George Eden, George Castle, Alfred Webby, Robert Webby, and Frederick Coleman of Hope, for assaulting and beating Esmy Brown. The matter, however, was arranged out of Court by defendants compensating the complainant for the injuries inflicted upon him, and paying all costs, those of the Court alone amounting to £3 17s. Football. — A challenge to play a game of football was recently sent by the "Country Bumpkins" to their fellowplayers in town, whom for the sake of distinction they have dubbed the " Town Aristocrats." The challenge has been accepted, and the match will take place on Saturday. The " Bumpkins " consist of A. Barnett, D. Barnett, Gundry, J. Barnicoat, E. Biundell, W. Colt, G. Jenkins, R. Jenkins, W. Jennings, Gilbert, W. Nicholson, T. Nicholson, J. Wells, S. Wells, and J. Warnock. The " Aristocrats " comprise Barnicoat, Blackburn, Campbell, Clouston, Cross, Fearon, Harvey, Home, Morse, Otterson, Roy, Scaife, Speed, R. C. Tennenr, and D. C. Tennent. National Insurance Company. — We call attention to tbe prospectus issued by this Company which appears in our advertising columns. The names of the provisional directors, comprising as they do those of the leading merchants and business men of Dunedin, should be accepted as a guarantee of the soundness of the undertaking. The Company being a purely colonial one will no doubt meet with the support of residents in New Zealand, and that it is favorably received may be inferred from the numerous applications for shares that have already been made, no less than 12,000 having been applied for in Wellington alone. Those who purpose investiug in this institution should lose no time in doing so as the share list closes on the 22nd instant. We learn from Mr Stavert, tbe local agent, that up to noon to-day 2000 shares had been applied for in Nelson. ■■■— — Itmmm,1 tmmm, m — mm.