OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4482, 31 July 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

(fKOM OUIt OWN COMUEarONDENT.) Duneoin, July 27. During tho last week our interest has been centred upon the sayings and doings of Parliament. Our little Provincial Council, so recently prorogued, has sunk into utter insignificance, and in its place rises tho great question of Abolition v. Provincialism. There is not the slightest fear expressed hero as to the way things will go. If the entire city and suburbs were polled, it would bo found that five to one would vote for abolition. Of the other parts of the provinco I am not able to speak personally, though judging from the upcountry papers tho feeling is quite as strong on the subject iu the country as iu the town. To talk of allowing tho whole matter to stand over, in order that the opinion of tho country may be taken, is sheer nonsense. It has been taken, and was well known long ago. It is quite true that there are at the present time members of the House who, while they aver they are in favor of abolition, still Bay they would not support such a measnro this session. Why ? " Because," say they, "wo ought to have an opportunity of going to our constituents." But is this really the reason ? No ;it is tho veriest subterfuge, simply advanced to servo then- own personal ends. Havo these gentlemen been so tremendously busy since the prorogation last session, that they have not had time to meet the electors and obtain their views on tho subject, so as to havo enabled them to have gone down to the House this time fully prepared what action to take? But these gentlemen arc too wise for this sort of thing. They want to know how the wind is going to blow before they set their sails, which, when trimmed, may be altered to suit tho times and chances of promotion. These are the men who " sit upon a rail," and who with their eyes peering first over one side and then over tho other, "will quickly leap down into that field on which the golden bait is dropped, altogether independent of principles or prior resolutions. And such members there are, I fear, who represent Otago, but who, if they do not keep a sharp look out, will between two stools fall heavily to the ground. Tho most exciting topic hero during tho early part of last week was the mayoral elections. There were only two candidates, Mr. H. W. Walter aud Mr. Charles Hooves, sodawater manufacturer. Now large numbers of people set up their pious and Templar hands in horror at the thought of a publican and shiner being elected. It was felt that tho cold water element would vote in a body against him. _ But why Mr. Reeves should have such a decided preference because ho was a sodawater maker, is beyond my comprehension. Surely sodawater has as much to do with a public-house as brandy. Brandy is often taken by itself — sodawater seldom. It is nearly always mixed with its stronger brother, and being mixed, why they two twain are one, and tho man who makes and sells sodawater, knowing as ho does that it is to be, and must be, mixed with brandy to make it palatable, has no more right to expect tho Templar votes than has Mr. Walter. For all this, there was a very strong feeling in favor of Walter, and had he not been a publican, it is not likely ho would have been opposed at all, because last year on being defeated by Mr. Kanisay by a majority of thirty-four, after polling over a thousand votes, he there and then announced his intention of coming forward at the following election. One reason advanced against his standing for the mayoral chair was because if elected he could not occupy a seat on tho Bench at the City Police-court, as tho Government had decided not to make publicans J.P.'s. It was felt that this would bo rather an insult to Dunedin —tho first city iu the colony—if her " Chief Magistrate," as some people are proud of calling the Mayor, were debarred from talcing his seat upon a bench which by right belonged to him. Well, the election took place, Mr. Walter polled over a thousand votes, and beat his opponent by nearly 400. This being so, coupled with the fact that Mr. Walter is the senior member of the Council —that his private life is beyond reproach, that he is one of tho most respectable, intelligent, and advanced men of Dunedin—these things I say should cause tho General Government to pause ere they decido upon keeping from him that title which is undoubtedly his; and which, to withhold from him would bo to cast a stigma and a slur upon the people of Dunedin. We have had rows between tho lawyers, between the Bench and Bar, between certain people in banking circles ; and now wo have a row, a regular roarer, or as Mark Twain would call it, a "screamer," among tho Press, for all the weekly papers and one of tho up-country journals—tho Bruce Herald—are by the cars. And the row commenced in this way. The Bruce Herald appropriated some telegrams without acknowledgment from the Guardian. The Guardian mildly remonstrated. The Herald repeated tho offence, when the Guardian threatened all sorts of pains and penalties. Upon this tho "funny man" of tho Herald begged the question of the telegrams, put poked great fun at the Guardian about the "immense expense," and "their special telegrams," &c. Upon this a new writerin the Mercury, stylinghimself " The Man in tho Street," " went" for the Bruce Herald man, called him a now-fledged editor, spoke about his rubbing his face with a brass candlestick, and other little eccentricities of a like nature. To this the Herald replied—was decidedly hot and personal, and completely "jumped" upon "The Man in tho Street," who replied in about as personal, abusive, aud scurrilous- a paragraph as it is possible to conceive, following tho example set him. Then tho newlystarted paper, the Saturday Advertiser pitched into the Witness; tho Witness retaliated again, and the Advertiser in its next issuo was moro personal than over. And the end is not yet, for they are all still hard at it. To say tho least of it, the tone of the whole of the articles about which I have written is decidedly unjourualistic, and will lead to something more serious if not stopped. There has been a beautiful little row going on among tho printers. Tho Auckland Star fell foul of tho Typographical Association hero for its action in sending a delegate to Ohristchurch to "reorganise" tho printers of that city. To this article tho secretary hero replied in tho Dunedin Evening Star. This answer was telegraphed to tho Auckland Star, which immediately " sat upon" poor Logrovo (tho secretary.) About tho same time an Auckland printer on the Guardian wrote to tho Auckland Star, and said ho and other printers had no sympathy with tho secretary or his letter, and defended tho Auckland printers from the charges made against them. So J Legrovo then wrote to the Auckland Echo, and a number of letters havo been in tho papers hero on the subject, so that altogether tho men of the " ink" trade avo in a bit of a tornado just at present. The paragraph iu one of tho Wellington journals about the time-ball that refused to " come down" and allow the gallant sailorinen to put right their chronometers, reminds mo of a good thing which appeared in one of our local journals about o«i* town clock. This local stated that exactly at one o'clock the telegraph wire would bo touched at Wellington, and the time instantly flashed down here, in order that Dunedin might also bo correct in her timekeeping. Now, as in the middle of tho day it takes about three hours to wiro a messago through from Dunedin to Wellington, or vice versa, I suppose when it was one o'clock with you it would bo four with us. Tho idea of wiring down is doubtlcsfs a very good ono, but iu order that wo should set our watches at noon you would havo to commence very early iu llw morning at your cud of thy wire.

On Mr. Justice Johnston leaving Dunedin, tho Guardian said his departure would bo deeply regretted. AVas tho Guardian speaking satirically ? I think it must have been. Of one tiling I am quite sure—that the lawyers at least won't go into mourning about him. Aud speaking of mourning reminds mo of a very influential meeting of ladies that was hold yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of taking steps to discourage the present expensive stylo of funeral trappings. There wcro about fifty ladies present, Bishop Neville, three clergymen, aud two reporters. A society was formed, to be called the Dunedin Reform Association. Mrs. Strode was elected president. Tho meeting was characterised by an amount of common sense and practical suggestion that few people would havo given our ladies of Dunedin credit for.

I had several other subjects to write about, but as I know you are in the thick of the political strife, and that your columns are sure to bo crowded, I will reserve them for a future letter.