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Southland Times, Issue 1289, 5 August 1870, Page 2

| The Canterbury correspondent of an Otagopa- ! per says :— lt is very satisfactory to hear that I daring the winter there hare been no complaints of want of work; in former yean there has always been seen a crowd of idle men about the streets — such is not the case now, even that genus* the " loafer," is seldom met with ; tradesmen of course grumble, and complain of dullness in trade, i but we hear of 'very few failures, which is a retry | good sign of prosperity. It may be interesting to note the quantity and value of coals imported into the colony of New Zealand during the last two years. In 1868 no less than 87,854} tons were imported, rained at £164,628. In 1869 the quantity was 92,586* tons, rained at £131,941* This shows an increase in 1869 of 4,732 tons orer 1868 r bat the value is placed at a less figure for 2869 than for 1868. It will thus be seen that for the two years we imported 180,441 tons of coal, valued at £294,569. The question arises whether we . cannot Bare this annual expenditure with other countries by turning attention to our own' ooijfibeds. i ih&Lxfttelton limes remarks— "Are there no | local societies for the promotion of science in Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Maryborough, and" 1 1 Southland? It can hardly be that these I 1 Provinces are so far behind their neighbors in [this respect, as is implied by their conspicuous 5 absence from the records of th> New Zealand Institute," "

The Howie's Bay Herald hears that the agent i of a large monetary establishment in Naw South Wales is already in the colony, ready to take up part of the loan proposed in the Financial Statement of the Colonial Treasarer. The Danedin Evening Star says : — Tt ia most probable that the Provincial Council will be called together for the despatch of business immediately after the rising of the General Assembly. . Mr T. S. Pratt, of Waikouaiti, has been elected Mayor. The numbers polled were — Pratt, 33; Ancell, 32. The contest was a most exciting one. The Fiji Times issues the following notice of warning : — From time to time it becomes our duty to warn people at a distance, whose means are limited, not to come to Fiji, or thiy will assuredly be disappointed ; the only emigrants who can possibly prosper here are those who are possessed of any sum over £300, which will enable them to I start cotton planting, when they will stand a good | chance of making, with industry, a competency in a few yean. The only demand for white labor in Fiji is for carpenters, of whom we already possess a sufficient quantity for our wants. Clerks, storemen, and others, who may come here expecting to find employment, will regret having done so, especially if they do not possess the where*, withal to pay their return passage. At a meeting of the Council of the University of Otago, held on Monday, the following resolutions were passed :— l. v That the Council of the University of Otago cordially approves of the 'proposal to erect a Colonial University at Dunedin on the basis of the University of Otago."2. " That the Council expresses its desire to negotiate with the Council of the University of New Zealand, when established, for the amalgamation of the two institutions upon such terms and conditions as may appear equitable." 3. "That the Council is of opinion that it would be undesirable for a time to increase the number of professional chairs beyond the four -already determined upon, but would respectfully urge upon the Legislature while providing farther endowments, the importance of early provision being made for the establishment of a limited number of scholarships open for competition to the whole Colony." His Excellency the Governor has directed it to be notified that, from and after the Ist September next, no signals will be made or answered from any signal stations in this Colony except by means of the international code of signals. Green fruits to the value of £17,000 are annually imported into New Zealand from the neighboring colonies. There is perhaps nothing (says the Oamaru Herald) that more fully illustrates the inconvenience arising from < Provincial legislation, than the restrictions which are from time to time put upon the transport of. stock from one Province to another. As evidence of this, we quote' the price of meat in Canterbury as compared with what it is in Otago; as given by the Lyttelton Times. It says: — "Prime beef may soon be expected to realise forty shillings a hundred, while in the neighboring province of Otago prime beef is worth little more than half what it is here. In fact,, a strong sense of dissatisfaction will certainly be realised when it is known that Otago stock owners are anxious to supply our people with beef at reduced rates, and that our paternal Government alone interferes to prevent the ruddy sirloin and the juicy steak being sold for a third less than it now costs. If we are rightly informed, the oonduct of our Government in this matter is not only short* sighted, but amenable to another and more serious charge. The Otago Provincial authorities say that when they withdrew all restrictions upon the free passage of sheep from one province to another, it -was understood that the freedom of trade would apply to cattle as well as sheep. At that time it was greatly to the advantage of Canterbury sheep owners to send their sheep down south ; just as it now is for Otago cattle owners to. send their cattle up north. We are not in a position to say whether the Otago Government is correct in its interpretation of the agreement. But, if so, it would seem that our Government has committed a breach of faith— for what ? to raise the price of food upon its own people. Whether such a breach has been committed or no, it is clear that the continuance of the prohibition can only tend to bolster up the interests of a few cattle proprietors at the expense of the public^ ', ♦