OURSELVES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15, 2 December 1861, Page 2

OURSELVES.

Ik our first number w<* stated ih at we boned -we would -never again require to make- a pervinwd appeal for support. We minted that the 'first commencement started, we wouid rind ro difficulty in obtaining that encouragement wh'ieh ■would enable r.s to make the Daily Times a first class journal. We need scarcely te)l our renders that our hopes were fully realised. The support accorded us was more ihan we had dared to expect, more, we are i-tiraid, than we deserved. Onedav last week our circulation reached the enormous number jjl' :i,700, and the crowded state of our columns has shewn no lack of advertisements. As we have said, we hardly deserved the support -we i-eceivcd. fjr-the facilities at our coaimind did 3iot enable us to enlarge the pnper as soon as we desired. In the present number we had designed to ask our subscribers' and advertisers 1 consideration far many shortcomings, T-artly due to the want of facilities mentioned, <mti partly to the difficulties that always attend the commencement, of any enterprise. "We had proposed also to mention'that, as soon ;is the material ordered from Melbourne arrived (and which we confidently rely on by the Oucar) we should double the size of the paper. This intention we will still fulfil, hut iv the present number, instead of excusing ourselves for past peeadiltoes, we have to apologize for more. We come before our reader;; in a mutilated state, by reason of.the destruction by lire of our office. 'Portions of the type forms were saved, and most of the type in the office v/as also rescued, but jvc Vi»(l neither presses, machine, nor paper left to us on the premises. To l-icssi's. Jones and Temperley we are indebted for hnmedi.'itely placing at our disposal suitable premises. The proprietor of ■the " Colonist.' 1 with equal kindness, lias struck off this issue for us on one of hb own presses.

But we have still to apologise coining cut, shorn of our fair proportions, with many advertisements omitted, and mam' corrections not made. We have only to say that it. wan impossible for us to do more. But for the determination not: to allow a lapse in the publication of the daily paper, we would not have appeared at all this issue ; indeed we may say we have done so in the teeth of the greatest difficulties. We have only to ask our Headers'indulgence for a short while. The arrival of the steamer v Oscar" will pnt us in possession of fresh material, when we will come out I double oar present size. In n lew days the presses and machine will be repaired, and the material arranged. We cannot but suppose ' that our Headers will generously accord us that forbearance. We are sufferers not •through any fault of our own, but what might have occurred to any of onr fellow-townsmen, and we c tin not but anticipate that we idiall receive the sympathy that we would have been ready to accord. Within a week or ten' days our Readers will have no evidence of the loss we have sustained, although we ourselves are not likely to soon lose remembrance of it.

Out of fourteen numbers of the " Daily Times" three or four of them have contained repeals to the inhabitants to take precautionary measures against the dangers of lire. Our prophesy lhat they would have to snruer ibr their careless indifference has come to pa??, only we did not calculate to be ourselves amongst the first victims to the result we foreboded. Truly with ijs "'coming events east their shadows before. 1' Had we not feared to bore our readers we would have entered on the subject of precautions against fire every day, and now we afford practical evidence in ourselves that our fears were not overrated. "We presume the inhabitants of Dunedin will no longer want urging in the matter. One such event as occurred yesterday, and uhich but ibr mere chance, would have eventuated in a nnich rcorj serious catastrophe, supplies a horuily more ibrcible than a ticzen newspaper articles A public meeting uiuzt at once be held (o take steps to produce an efficient iire-e:i£hie and Fire Brigade. Mr. Jones of Jones, Bird, r.nd Co. has placed fit our disposal a cheque ibr £100, as a subscription towards the ibvnmilon of a Tire -Brigade. We trust other men of business will nor be behindhand in lending their assistance to an object which, so directly afreets themselves. We will receive names of those who are willing to subscribe Ibr the same purpose, ana hope that by tho time the pubiie meeting is held a goodly subscription list will have been mado lip.