South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2667, 7 October 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1881.

Our correspondent “ Wai-iti,” whose letter appeared in yesterday’s second edition, in the Concluding paragraph of his letter shows himself to be of the same opinion as ourselves as to the steps which should be taken as a preliminary to any action of a direct kind for obtaining the incorporation of any portion of the suburbs into the Borough. This must have struck those who read both our leading article and “ Wai-iti’s ” letter, and we are pleased to find that our views are shared by others, and at their receiving, by a co-incidence, a double expression in the same issue.

As to the subject which is treated of in the chief part of his letter, we express entire concurrence in his condemnation ©f the system pursued at the Assessment Courts. Persons who have no experience in matters of the kind, no knowledge whatever of legal technicalities in general, are expected to conform to particular rules of procedure of which they have no knowledge, and the result is, as our correspondent says, that those who do appeal against their assessment, “ get very little satisfaction,” and for that reason make up their mind to suffer wrong rather than waste time in vainly trying to have it rectified. The working of these Assessment Courts furnishes an excellent example of the common failure of legislative means to fulfil the ends they are intended to fulfil. They were intended as a means whereby unjust assessments might be corrected; but, as a matter of fact, they quite as frequently serve to make injustice irremediable. The limited time allowed for the hearing of objections permits of no re-hearing, no restatement of objections, which certainly should be permitted if a first hearing is denied on account of mere technical informality, as a great many, perhaps the majority, are. The objector goes to Court for amendment of an error, and is brought up standing by rules of procedure that seem contrived almost on purpose to prevent his obtaining a hearing unless he chooses to employ a professional man, not to state his case, but to clear away the impediments that are strewn in his path. We are not in a position to say how far our correspondent is in the right in saying that the peddle of Timaru are sufferers to the extent of 20 per cent, through the difficulty of getting a hearing at the Assessment Court, but that the tendency of that difficulty is in the direction indicated is undoubtedly true.

Among the cable news from England published throughout the colony yesterday was an item recording the arrival Horae of the steamship Orient, from Australia, with the important addition, “The frozen meat shipped by her is reported to be in admirable condition.” This is good news, and the best of it is that it is form of announcement that promises to become stereotyped. Several of the large steamers trading between England and Australia are now fitted up with a special storage room and apparatus for keeping meat frozen on the voyage Home, and so far the results of such shipments have been encouraging. One shipment recently arrived Home in the Protos was reported unfavorably upon, the meat whs said to be unsound, but the most fault was found with the original quality and with the dressing of the meat. One very erroneous idea seems to be prevalent respecting the preparation of the meat, namely, that it should be “set” before being subjected to freezing. The setting of meat, if it means anything, means the stiffening which ensues upon its cooling, and therefore it is on the face of it absurd to require that the meat should be cooled before it is put into the cooling chamber, where it must be made to set the quicker. Mr W. D. Sutherland, whose name is well known in connection with pastoral matters in the South, and who is taking much interest in the frozen meat trade, attributes the comparative failure of the Protos shipment to this error. Mr Davidson says “ freeze it at once after it is dressed.” “ Freeze at once at or as near the ship as possible, and if the freezing is perfect the meat can be kept sound and good for any length of time,” We have not the slightest doubt of it, and that being the case we do not see why some of our wheat ships next year should not take Home in a fresh and frozen state some of the splendid beef and mutton that we grow in South Canterbury. It is nonsense to say that fast 4000 ton steamers like the Orient are absolutely necessary for the carryon of the frozen meat trade.