New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1871. THE WEEK.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 49, 30 December 1871, Page 8

New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1871. THE WEEK.

This has been truly a holiday week. Steam excursions, picnics, fetes, rural sports, horse j races, and cattle shows, have accompanied, or followed each other in rapid succession, and consequently political, and all other serious subjects have for once been driven into the background. We have been surfeited with work, care, and anxiety, and we are now bidding fair to be surfeited with enjoyment. From one extreme we rush into the other, and the " happy mean" appears to be as difficult of attainment by the Englishman at the antipodes as by the Athenian in the days of Euripides. " To laugh and get fat" is probably no impossible achievement; but then it must be genuine laughter ; such as that referred to by Lord Neaves which is to save the consumption of a vast amount of alcohol; and we hardly think that the laughter of the present week has been of this character, or has been accompanied by any such results; But, the wisest of men has said, "there is a time for all things," and Christmas week from time immemorial has been se'; aside by all Christians as a time not only for good eating and drinking, but for good fellowship and practical benevolence, and we can only trust that the latter have accompanied the former. " It is a poor heart that never rejoices." The Wairarapa Pastoral and Agricultural Association held its first show at Masterton on Thursday last, and it consequently took place too late in the week to enable us to give a report of the proceedings in our present issue. This Association was constituted in August last; but owing probably to the fact of the secretary not being a practical agriculturist, or even indirectly interested in pastoral pursuits, it has not made so much headway as could be desired. One of the principal objects of the association, as set forth in the prospectus, was to initiate a correspondence with kindred societies, and to select from such correspondence all information likely to lead to practical benefit in the cultivation of the soil and the improvement of stock ; but we have not heard that so much as an ettempt has been made to carry out this important object, or indeed, any of the others set forth in the prospectus, with the single exception of holding a

cattle show at Masterton at the very worst possible period of the year for such a purpose. To render such an association a success the first show of the season should have been held in the most convenient place, and not have been confined to a simple exhibition of stock ; bub should have included agricultural and dairy produce, poultry, fruits, and flowers, so that the sympathies of the ladies might have been enlisted in the work. The association ought also to have been inaugurated by a public meeting, a public address, or a public dinner, as we at first suggested ; and which probably, for this reason, received no attention at the hands of the committee. But "it is never too late to mend," and possibly at the next show, which by the rules of the association must be held at Grreytown, these suggestions will be attended to. We would also suggest that, in order to give encouragement to industrious and painstaking farmers, prizes should be awarded, not only for the best stock ! and produce, but for the best managed farms. We throw out this suggestion for the consideration of the Farmers' Clubs on the West Coast, as well as for that of the Wairarapa Association. It is to be hoped that the report of the inquest which was held at Masterton last week, and which will be found fully reported in another part of our present issue, will answer a somewhat similar purpose at this festive season to the death's head and cross-bones which were placed on the walls of the banqueting hall of some proud baron in the days of our forefathers, when human brotherhood and responsibility were not altogether banished from the world. A new licensing law is much needed. The question as to the best railway line is one to which we early called attention, aud we find it is occupying much attention in other provinces besides Wellington. At a recent election iu Canterbury the lino best suited for a railway between Christcliurch and Timaru was the prominent subject of discussion. One of the caudidat.es observed " that there was no doubt that the railway between Timaru and Christchurch would have, when completed, the effect of doubling the value of their land. As to the actual line to be taken by this railway the chief thing to be borne in mind was which line vtould be of the most benefit to the public. It would be absurd to say that the line should be a bird line between Christchurch and Timaru, and in his opinion the line should be so constructed as to benefit the largest number of people." In our opinion the railway line in a new country should be taken in that direction that will best meet not only the present but the future requirements of the people ; and that to secure these objects any small additional outlay should not be permitted to have any weight. Neither have been attended to in laying down the line through the Wairarapa. If railways in England do not run through or close to towns, the reason can be found in the large additional cost they would entail if such a course had been adopted ; and if the same thing would be likely to occur here it would be equally entitled to as much consideration ; but not otherwise.