The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 1884. PROVINCIAL JEALOUSY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 51, 28 January 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 1884. PROVINCIAL JEALOUSY.

It any proof were needed of the jealousy that exists between the people of Otago and those of Canterbury, we have only to turn to recent public events for confirmation of the ridiculous, childish feeling that permeates the ranks of the business people of the parts of the Middle Island separated by the river Waitaki. Each of those great business centres—Dunedin and Christchurch—or, at least, many of the leading merchants aud tradesmen of the two places—have striven, of late years, to decry the merits or natural advantages of the other, which has been the means of creating a pitiable jealous feeling between the residents of the two places. When mishaps occurred in the Port Chalmers or Dunedin harbor, the Press of the ” City of the Plains” took the earliest opportunity of casting ridicule on the Southern port, and when work connected with the main line of railway was first undertaken in Christchurch, the Southerners were nearly rampant. Some few there are in the Southern city who have endeavored to “ throw oil on the troubled waters, and we must compliment the Otago Daily Times on its repeated efforts, of late, to create friendly feeling between the people of the rival ports. In a late issue, our respected contemporary discourses thus :—“ The Christchurch Exhibition is highly creditable to the Canterbury Province. To a large extent, of course, it is a repetition of the Canterbury portion of the New Zealand Court of the International Exhibition of 1882. But in several departments there are signs of progress during the eighteen months which have intervened. Especially is this noticeable in the exhibits of the Canterbury School of Art. These show a remarkable degree of proficiency considering the short time that has elapsed since the establishment of the school." Now, this tone is very different, and a vast improvement on the rabid, clannish utterances that formerly graced the columns of the leading Dunedin journal, and we hope that its truly liberal opinions will be appreciated and given publicity to by the press of the " City of the plains.” There is one feature of our contemporary’s remarks, however, that we must take exception to, which reads as follows s—“ It is a pity that the promoters of the Exhibition did not take more trouble to obtain exhibits from Otago. Without appointing an agent to make the holding of the Exhibition known amongst Otago manufacturers, and to urge upon them the advisability of exhibiting, they could not expect this province to be well represented. The few exhibits which have been sent here do not shame us, but to all intents and purposes the Exhibition is purely a Canterbury one.” This Exhibition, we take it, cannot be considered more exclusive than the one held, some time since, in Dunedin, and it will be admitted, by many people in Otago that much publicity had been given to the fact that an exhibition was to be opened in Christchurch; consequently, no cause exists for imagining that exhibits from other parts of the world would not be welcome in Christchurch. The deficiency complained of—that few exhibits had been sent from Dunedin—is attributable, we think, to disinclinatien on the part of some Dunedin producers to countenance an Exhibition which must be considered infinitely superior to the one held in the Southern city. However, through the

commendable action of our contemporary; the silly feeling of jealousy that holds sway in some Dunedin circles will, it is to be hoped, be eradicated, and We shall, probably, find North and South alike entering into friendly rivalry in the exhibition of their productions. There can be no question about the great amount of good that Industrial Exhibitions effect, and it should be the aim of every good colonist to foster them as much as possible. Previous to this movement claiming attention, there were many clever add skilful colonial artisans who could not bring their handiwork under the notice of the general public, and it must have been a great pleasure to thoughtful visitors to the first Exhibition to see within the attractive building such a fine array of works of art and articles of Various kinds, which had been manufactured in the Colony, displayed to the best advantage. The exhibition movement is a grand one, and all persona interested in the welfare of their fellow-colonists should give it their most energetic support.