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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 14 December 1880, Page 2

The good folk of Milton (says the Morning Herald) are indignant at the proprietor of the Mammoth Circus intending to give it the go-by, and have requisitioned Mr. Cole to select that town for a performance in preference to Balclutha. Business in Milton must be looking up when its inhabitants evince such anxiety to spend their money with such prodigality. It may be that the Miltonians are incensed at the slight implied by the preference given to Balclutha by Mr. Cole. If they act wisely, however, they will pocket the affront, let Balclutha have the honor, and keep their money in their pockets. They will be the better off by several hundreds of pounds when the circus has gone. The proprietors of Cooper and Bailey's circus took many thousands of New Zealand's hard cash with them when they left our shores and there is every likelihood that Mr. Cole's circus wijl do the same. Little Oamaru turned out, we wejre going to say, to a man, but it would be more correct to say man, woman, and child, and it was said that it contributed the largest audience that this circus had had in the Colony. However that may be, it is a fajt that money was expended in seeing this show that should have been devoted to the payment of just debts. In writing thus, we are not actuated by any desire to interfere with the liberty of the subject. We may fill our pages with protests against this phase of public immorality, but people may and will, after all, do as they like. It is our duty to point out the evil of spending money ip supporting public amusements that leave nothing behind but reminiscences of stale jokes and risky performances, and emptier purses, It is the same old tale. Strangers, in whose flaming posters consists more merit than in their performances, beguile the public into spending money badly required for more legitimate purposes, whilst local efforts to instruct as well as please the public, and the proceeds derivable from which are retained in the community, are noted for empty benches,