COOL AS A CUCUMBER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2141, 31 January 1880, Page 3

COOL AS A CUCUMBER.

The meeting 'of the New Zealand Agricultural Company has passed without outside comment the circle of shareholders. To many people it bad more a personal than a financial interest. "Would Sir Julius Vogel see it to he bis duty to resign bis connection with the Company? Would be make any plausible statement of the reason which kept him in the concern, though it had been indicated over and over again that, as land merchant and Agent - General, be might inevitably be called upon to sacrilicc colonial to com 2piy interests. Sir Julius, however, told the audience at the City Terminus Hotel, with exemplary coolness, “ that it had been stated in several newspapers that the Government required him to resign his seat at the Board. The Government had indicated such a desire, as they did not think it desirable that the Agent-general should be connected with a public company.” The sequel raised, I believe, a small smile of approval. “ I have replied,” said Sir Julius, “ that I do not think it desirable at present even to entertain the question.” ‘ Yet the spectacle to a Home observer is ,rather odd, of a returned official contemptuously defying his employers, and those employers the Government of New Zealand, As lor the affairs of the Company, the Chairman made a sufficiently hopeful statement. There would be no necessity to raise more capital. Sales of land bad been going on satisfactorily and reports ol slock were favorable. Above all, too, general colonisation would bo assisted through the attraction offered to settlers. Next May, in fact, a ship-load of settlers would leave Belfast destined for the estates. Thus, it is, I (correspondent of the New Zealand ‘ Herald ’) pm urn c, that the Agcut-genral reconciles private interest with public duty.