THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 205, 29 August 1874, Page 2

THE WEEK.

One of the shortest yet most important sessions of the New Zealand Parliament has been, or is just about to be, brought to a close. Important, because, although Ministers through the medium of the Governor, told the couotry that there was no matter of momect requiring immediate legislation, a thorough constitutional change baa been proposed and agreed to, aud the death-knell of Provincial institutions has been unexpectedly, but unmistakeably, sounded. Oo this sida of Cook's Straits its vibrations have as yet struck but faintly on our ears, but we may r,est satisfied that ere long we shall become better acquainted with its tonee, and that the time is not far distant when the grave that has. this session been dug for the Northern Provinces will be re-opened for the reception of their sisters of the South. Aud I doubt very much whether the whole of the attendants at the funeral will deem it an .occasion for attiring themselves in sables, but am disposed to think that the procession will present a somewhat motley appearance. Some few true and sincere mourners there certainly will be, but it is questionable whether the majority of those who follow the remains to the tomb not consider gormeots more suitable \o a festive than a mournful assemblage^ the proper costume to wear. To such as these the tolling of the bell will sound more like a merry peal than a funeral knell. Mr Yogel took ,the earliest opportunity of expressing astonishment a^ the largeness of the majority by which bis resolutions were carried. That majority, we may depend upon it, indicates something more than tbe abolition of tbe Northern Provinces alone. • Those in the South may t well take warning by it, and begin to .put their houses in order, for their last hour is approaching with such strides as none would have ventured to anticipate two short months ago. And when it does come there will be other sounds heard in Nelaon than those of lamentation and mourning and woe.

Nelson has not farett we'll of late, and has no reason to be Watified by the events of the last few wWk&; She thought to secure a new wharf and other much-needed improvements at the Port, but her Harbor Loan Act has been disallowed. She was in hope's that some proposal would be made for the extension of the Foxhill line, now being leisurely proceeded with, into tbe interior, but not only has she been disappointed in that particular, but she is threatened with being deprived of it altogether, another route that will damqge, as much as the one she wanted wouft have benefited, her being proposed. The Waterworks Loan Act which was to have enabled the City Cotfncil to pay cash for tha property (hey* are about to take over from the Provincial Government has been shaved, so that even that clever little schpme for obtaining money for public wdrks bes been reudered of no avail. And the final blow at the. hopes that had been entertained of our being able to do sometbiog to improve our condition was struck when the House refused to grant evea the very small sum that was asked for by the Para Para Company to enable them to commence operations. The Industrial Committee recommended it, but they were Nelson's interests that were to be advanced by the appropriation, and so — well, and so tbe proposition fared just as baa every other one that has been Brought forward for our benefit. If theextensive iron deposits at Para Para could only be removed into the province of Otago or of Canterbury, would a small bonus —would a big bonus be refused if applied for? lam not going to take the trouble to answer the question. Mr Yogel said the other day that he was convinced that a great and prosperous future was in store for Nelson. Most of us hold a similar conviction, but it would be far more gratifying to us if those who have the power would exercise it in tbe direction of exhuming the much talked of prosperity from the great storehouse of the future by way of encouraging and cheering those who do not care to live entirely on anticipation.

I wonder what Mr Rout, the .acting Provincial Secretary and Treasurer^ thinks of the remarks that are telegraphed as having been made by Mr O'Conor, the actual holder of these appointments, in reference to the honorariums to be paid to provincial officers. Somebody eaid in the House the other day when the question was under discussion — by the -way the session has not been so short as to prevent the representatives of the people/ voting themselves an additional £52 ids per annum— that the Speaker, £hairman of Conimittes, and Ministers should not receive extra, payment for attending to their legislative duties, whereupon Mr Fox expressed his opinion that if this were agreed to, the same rule should be made. applicable, to members holding office in Provincial Governments. Mr O'Cbnor's reply was that many of the latter class had to pay others to do their work in their absence, of course intending to include himself in that class. The natural inference is that Mr Q'Conor regards Mr Boat simply as a temporary clerk, who w to ,do his bidding during his absence, and to sink into a mere nonentity upon ihe return of his great chief. I don't know if this

is really what he meant, but it looks very like it, and I ehoald'od think that Mr Rout would ba very much pleased at the argument made use of by the head of our Responsible Government to secure his honorarium as a member of the Assembly. A good many of my country friends have of late complained to me that they have a great grievance. They have taken to growing bops, some in large, some in small quantities; they have exercised every possible care in rearing, picking, and drying them, and they assert that they are able to show/ 1 as good samples as could be desired b/ •the most particular of brewers, b/t they find it impossible to get rid pf them at even the most moderate price. Their mouths fairly water, they say\ when they read the quotations from the Melbourne papers of the prices obtainable for the produce of Tasmanian gardens which, it is said, is in no way superior to that of Nelson, and they want to know why, with an equally good article, they caunot find as ready a sale as those engaged in a similar occupation in another colony. I have heard it said that the reason is that Nelson hops are not known in the market, if so, surely some of our mercbarajs, to whose interest if; must be to enhance the value of all kinds of local produce-, could remedy this evil. Here are men with many hundreds of pounds worth of hops lying on their hands who could and would, did they meet with a little encouragement, very speedily be producers of the article to the value of thousands instead of hundreds sterling, and yet they are compelled to abandon an industry the pursuit of which would be remunerative to them as well as profitable to the colony, because they cannot find business men to assist them J>y; pushing their produce into the world'sTnarkels. The climate of Nelson appears to fe peculiarly well adapted to the growt\ of the hop, and our settlers are beginning to thoroughly understand its cultivation, but they cannot afford to have their crops on their hands for months, if not yeara. Are there none of our merchants who will interest themselves in the matter, and turn their attention to what might, with a little fostering, develope itself into a, large and important export trade ? / F.