South Canterbury Times. MONDAY, FEB. 23, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2163, 23 February 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. MONDAY, FEB. 23, 1880.

Auckland would seem to be most unfortunate as regards scares. Within the past few weeks it lias been subjected to a variety of terrors. No sooner have the peacefully disposed community commenced to settle down quietly than some new surprise has exerted a terrifying influence. A few days ago a consignment of fresh epidemics from the old country on board of an immigrant ship, made the unhappy people of Auckland grow pale and tremble all over. This was followed the other day by a still more striking terror —the landing of a number of French ex-convicts from New Caledonia. No raw-head and bloody bones could have produced more dismay than this novel consignment, fudging from the article which announced the arrival of the Communists, in the “ New Zealand Herald,” the hair of the journalist must have stood on end, while the alarmed and awe-struck populace became petrified with terror. One woi’ild have thought that measles and tickct-of-leavc men would have satiated the vengeance that an all-wise Providence is dealing out so unmercifully on the people of the North, but it has not. Yet another phial of wrath has been emptied on Auckland. This time it is the 1 limed -cattle, not the trembling bipeds that are threatened. Pleuropneumonia has broken out, and if the farmers are not in convulsions they are trembling. It seems as if Auckland has been specially selected for the wrath of an insulted arch fiend, and if so, the sooner the inhabitants of that unlucky spot betake themselves to propitiating the offended one in a sensible manner the better.

In dealing with the human plague, the Aucklanders displayed a fair amount of shrewdness. Like sagacious mortals they placed the infected ones in quarintinc and kept them isolated till all possibility of contagion had been got rid of. But the French Communists appear to have frightened them out of all sense of propriety. Possibly it was

the second terror coming so rapidly on the heels of the first that inspired the maddening fear. Be that as it may the goblin of disease has been completely dwarfed by the terror inspired by the criminal scarecrow. Although the latter like the former had been in quarantine for a season and was liberated with a clean bill of health, the fact failed to appease the pure, simpleminded people of Auckland. With pallid faces and knocking knees, and hair erect, and creeping skin, they called on the Government for protection. And we arc told that the Government intend taking prompt action. In conjunction with the Governments of the other Colonics, they intend sending home a united remonstrance. That this will have its intended effect, we have not the slightest doubt, and we hasten to applaud their action.

The pleura-pneumonia scare has also excited an appeal to the Government and in this instance instead of “ prompt action” stringent measures, arc recommended. What these stringent measures arc to be, is left to conjecture. We would submit, however, that the people of Auckland should display a little selfreliance and attack this cattle-plague in the rear by inoculating the tails of the curable and destroying the others. This habit of calling upon the Government whenever a danger threatens is a per. nicious one. It is said that “ Providence helps those who help themselves ” and in this respect the Government very much resembles providence. The attitude of our Northern friends appealing to the Government because a few' expatriated political agitators prefer the free atmosphere of New Zealand' to that of their native land is neither generous nor ehilvalrous, although a little timidity is, under the circumstances, excusable. But in dealing with the cattle plague, the local authorities should be able to act decisively without any assistance from the Government. A display of pussilanimity now may do intense mischief, not only to Auckland but to the colony. The ravages of an epidemic like pleuropneumonia arc like the ravages of lire. If they arc to be overtaken, they must he checked by prompt steps at once and on the spot. While the farmers of Auckland are complaining to the Government, and the latter arc considering what is to be done, the mischief may be sown. If the disease is only confined to a few head of cattle let them be destroyed, and let the losers be compensated, if not by the Government, by public subscription. After the evil has been extirpated the good people of Auckland can discuss at their leizurc the occult causes of the succession of plagues which they have lately experienced, and the advisability of eschewing linking and dancing in consecrated buildings with the view of avoiding future alarms and the conversion of the community into a Society of Quakers.