The Oamaru Mail WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1266, 28 April 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1880.

White elephants are not always the sweetest of boons, and though, like monster diamonds, the rarity of the article increases the theoretical value, yet, unless the actual possessor happens to .be almost a millionaire, his sweet boon is too, apt to become as ruinous to him as his greatest enemy could desire. It is true that in civilised countries a bitter enemy cannot force upon ns the care and responsibility of a white elephant, yet it is patent that many of the sweet boons whieh from time to time have been graciously foisted upon the colonists hare proved almost as ruinous as the Eastern potentate's gift. Some of the white elephants of the eolonies have histories which as Sairey Ganjpliasit, are " duberous," and their name is legion. Witness

many of the railway lilies which, leading nowhere, tarrying nobody, and producing nothing, are worked by our paternal Government, apparently for no other purpose than that of exhausting our resources, and this in the face of a constantly increasing debt which now, in round numbers, stands at about thirty millions sterling. The time will sooner or later come when we must face the stem reality of an exhausted Treasuiy, and an exhausted credit—when we can no longer repay Peter with money borrowed- from Paul, and when our creditors will exact to the uttermost the huge sums of money they from time to time have entrusted to our keeping. We have already suffered the pangs of an impending crisis, with what dire results our fellow colonists only too well know, and, if the credit of the Colony had reached that limit which is rapidly approaching, we must have been overwhelmed by an avalanche of ruin. For a time, however, the evil day has been arrested by another loan; but with the additional liability comes the increased necessity for every colonist to insist ujKm a cessation of the system of political patronage to which we are indebted for such a ponderous liability. We hear with feelings of surprise that it is intended to emulate the example set by New South Wales and Victoria, and organise an International Exhibition in New Zealand. Surely the projectors have some private ends to serve, or they are altogether ignorant of the huge expense this white elephant would entail. If we were a manufacturing people, some excuse would exist for such an Exhibition, but as we would simply be incurring an enormous liability merely to gratify the vanity of the projectors, and to issue valueless certificates of merit to foreign producers, we must protest against this ruthless extravagance. That New South Wales and Victoria have led the way is not any x*eason why New Zealand should follow. What are the histories of these gigantic international peep-shows in the Colonies 1 As, perhaps, some of our readers know, an annual exhibition has for some years been held in New South Wales, under the auspices of the Australian Agricultural Society. These exhibitions became so flat, stale, and unprofitable, that for the last few years the receipts from all sources barely met the expenses, and consequently the Society was compelled to request successful exhibitors to forego all rewards of an intrinsic nature. Certificates were of course issued, and winners of medals could obtain them by paying the Society an amount in excess of their actual cost that would give the society a profit of about 50 per cent. Foreign exhibitors fared better, for the society, in order to protect its reputation abroad, acted towards them more expediently. To such a low stage had the society gravitated, that the desirableness of closing its career had been freely discussed, when at a verv humdrum meeting of the council of " the society, the President, Sir Hercules Robinson, the then Governor of New South .Wales, suddenly, and as if moved by inspiration, suggested the institution of an international exhibition, apparently believing that, although intercolonial exhibitions were played out, an international exhibition might pay. This brilliant logic gave such renewed life to the almost moribund society that, without exception, the members lost their heads in enthusiasm, and were absorbed by this one idea. Subscription lists were issued, and great exertions were made to procure the estimated requisite funds. During this time the Victorians grew jealous of the mother colony, apprehensive that she might gain honors, and as the total subscriptions received amounted to less than a quarter of the amount required, being under L7OOO, instead of L 30,000, the Victorians believed that the affair would prove abortive, and the Government of that Colony determined to hold | in Melbourne such an international exhibition as would quite throw New South Wales into the shade. No soonei* did this become known in Sydney, than the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Fitzpatrick, a pensioned officer of the very department then ruled by him, issued a circular to the European and American Governments, inviting their co-operation in the projected Sydney International Exhibition. This having been done, the committee who had initiated the project, coolly informed the Colonial Secretary that as the concern was now a public one the Government was bound in honor to see it carried out. The Executive Council, with Sir Hercules Robinson at its head, accepted this view, and to the great chagrin of the Victorians, immediately authorised the expenditure of L 30,000 in erecting the buildings. This amount, however, proved a mere drop in the bucket, and up to the present time the outlay has exceeded a quarter of a million sterling, the total receipts being about 40 per cent, short of the mere working expenses. So that this white elephant has up to the present moment saddled the Treasury of new South Wales with a total debt of upwards of 1.285,000, To such an extent does rivalry exist between the colonies of New South Wales and Victoria that, despite this experience, Victoria has determined to expend, we believe, L-500,000 on its international exhibition. Of course the question of whether the game is worth the candle is not taken into consideration. Oh, dear, no; that is only a aecondary concern. The honor and dignity of the Colony are at stake, and, come what will, cost what it may, ruinous as the contest may prove, Victoria must outshine its neighbour. Whether the people of Victoria will or can much longer submit to the strain on the public purse caused by this deplorable spirit of jealousy remains to be seen, but, of a certainty, New Zealand can have no such motive, and we are sure that it has not the means, to warrant the draining of the public purse in order to provide for the exhibition of foreign manufactures. We would earnestly impress upon the minds of Colonists the necessity of well considering the subject before countenancing any attempt to saddle the Colony with the expense of such a white elephant.