The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1882.

Temuka Leader, Issue 9427, 6 July 1882, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1882.

One of the employees of a local store was near creating a sensation a few days ago by the excited way in which he went about telling people how the Ashburton Guardian had cut up the Temuka Leader. As we have no doubt he excited the curiosity of some people who may not have an opportunity of seeing our excellent Ashburton contemporary, we reproduce the item over which our friend gloated so extravagantly :

Thankful for Small Mercies.—The Temuka Leader is so jubilant over haring procured a six-inch “ ad,” that it gives rent to its gratitude in its last issue by rushing into a two-column leader on the subject. The six-inchcr is, it appears, “ the first piece of substantial support” the Leader has received “ from any of the storekeepers of the town.” Hence its excitement.

There is nothing very cutting in this. It merely points out that “ we are thankful for small mercies,” and that we spare no labor in giving as good a return for the money we receive as lies in our power. Thus our contemporary gives us credit for possessing two excellent characteristics: Gratitude, and a desire to give our customers the best value we have at our disposal for their money. Do rich men of thi« town exhibit similar characteristics in their dealings ? As regards the assertion that we wrote a two-column leader for the sake of an advertisement, we have to reply that it is a very stupid conclusion for anyone who has read that article to come to. Reference to it will show that its aims and objects tended in the direction of pointing out to the people of this town that owing to the trade of the place having been driven away by the exorbitant pricces storekeepers charged for their goods house property would soon be quite worthless. That was the whole drift of the article referred to by our contemporary, but it happened that towards the close of it we pointed out that Messrs Siegert and Fauvel advertised that they were disposing of their goods at a cheaper rate than they could bo bought in Timaru, and recommended our readers to support them, on the ground that anyone who tried to keep the trade of this district in the town was a public benefactor deserving of support. It needs very little acumen to show th&t this is very sound advice. It is an admitted fact that the business that used to be done in this town is being done elsewhere now, and that the high prices which storekeepers charged for their goods are the principle cause of it. It must also be admitted that owing to the trade of the town having been driven away the population instead of increasing is decreasing, the life and energy which once characterised the place are departed, and the value of house property is lessening every day. If these things are admitted it cannot be denied that whoever makes an effort to keep the business in the. place is a benefactor to the town, and as high prices have been the primary cause of the town’s ruin, whoever brings down, those prices must bo that benefactor. If high prices ruined the town, low prices must be the only way cf remedying the evil, and whoever lowers them must be the person who remedies that evil. Persons who own house property in this town ought to bear this in mind, if they do not want them to bo only valuable for firewood. They ought not to forget that when they are supporting anyone who is trying to bring the trade back to Temuka they are enhancing the value of their own property, because if business gets brisker the population of the town will increase, and it will be easier for them to get tenants for their houses. But house proprietors in Temuka are not the only persons who would be benefited. How much more valuable would land be if this town were a thriving busy place where farmers could get what they want than it is in being distant about 12 to 18 miles from a centre of population which can supply them at ;

reasonable rates. What a great convenience to farmers it would be to get everything they want here instead of having to go elsewhere, and would it not add to the value of their land ? For their own sakes we think farmers ought to leave as much of their money in this town as they can, as well as those who have house property in it, as if it grows to any importance it will add to the value of their land. It would be‘ to everyone’s interest that the town should grow, and, therefore, we all should; put our shoulders to the wheel, and do our best for its advancement. Now, this was the whole drift of the article commented upon by the Ashburton Guardian, and we must say that it very little discernment on the part of our contemporary to mistake it for a puff article. It is true we commended the advertisement of Messrs Siegert and Fauvel to the attention of our readers. We found they had reduced theirprices—exactly what we felt was wanted to save the town ; they had played no dirty or deceitful tricks on people ; they were before the public with clean hands, and we ask now, why should they not be supported? If Brown, Jones and Robinson bring their cash to Messrs Siegert and Fauvel they can sell much cheaper than if they were dependant on credit customers, and if their business increases, and commercial travellers can tell persons in other places how trade is flourishing in Temuka, other storekeepers will start, and the town will go ahead. This is the way to do it. To support local institutions is to advance the town, We do not mean by this that the octopus species of local institutions should be supported. The octopus is a queer fish tint clutches everything that in can get within its grasp and never lets it go. Storekeepers of the octopus type, who grabbed everything they could got and stuck to it have hitherto been the ruin of this town, but a new era is setting in, the, octopus storekeeper will soon be forgotten, and then Temuka will go ahead. It is our duty and the duty of everyone else to try to bring about the advancement of the town as soon as possible, and that we can do by discouraging the growth of the octopus species of storekeepers, and patronising the liberal kind. Owners of house properly above all ought to keep this in mind when they have money to spend. These were the things we pointed out in the article which was mistaken as a puff for Messrs Siegert and Fauvel. But we are not surprised at our Ashburton contemporary laughing at us. It can afford it. The issue of that paper in which the above paragraph appears has 90 inches of its space taken up by standing advertisements of auctioneers and commission agents ; 47 inches by auction sales ; 59 inches by drapers ; 138 inches bv general storekeepers ; 24 inches by blacksmiths and coachbuilders ; 8 inches double-column by a tent maker; 10 inches by 2 tailors; 10 inches by 2 jewellers, and so on. Even 2 hairdressers and tabacconists have 7 inches. Orr and Co have 85 inches ; Friedlander Bros. 24, and A. Orr 16 inches. Tinwald is a little place at this side of As hburton, containing one hotel and a few little stores, and the advertisements from Tinwald in the Guardian occupy nearly a column space. Those are the sort of people our Ashburton contemporary has to deal with, and therefore can afford to laugh at our expense. There is another paper in Ashburton, and it is equally well advertised, What is the result ? Ashburton, in which there are enterprising advertising people, is going with ahead rapidity that surprises everybody; Temuka, which the octopus storekeeper has ruined, is going backwards, Temuka has all the advantages that any town could have ; Ashburton is situated in the midst of a barren waste. These are the things for the people to reflect upon. Are they to let their properties become valueless ? We know that in pointing out the desirability of advertising we lay ourselves Open to the charge of trying to push our own business. We do not think we would be doing our duty if the fear of being taunted with such a charge would make us shrink.from trying to do our best to advance the town. We prefer being thus accused than feel ourselves guilty of such weakness. Some people may accuse of this, but we make a great mistake if the Rey Mr Gordon —whose excellent lecture tended in the direction of stimulating the people to be more enterprising —would not call it “ push and courage and energy ”—characteristics indespensible to going ahead in this world. The case of this town is desperate, and if it ever comes to be of

any importance, it will be men of push and energy and courage who will make it so-men who will not blush at what the stupid and the slothful will say of them. So far as wo are concerned we care not one str iw what is said of us, so long as we feel we are doing our duty to the public. That duty consists in using every means in our power t® advance this town, and to that we will stick until we accomplish it, or perish in attempt. The Wist and the Holy may say what they like, they shall not make us depart one inch from the course we have mapped out for this journal, and if people take our advice, and concentrate their energies as much as possible on fostering and encouraging local institutions, a day will come when wo shall be gratefully remembered.