The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1382. THE TIMARU HERALD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1030, 14 November 1882, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1382. THE TIMARU HERALD.

We are very glad lo find that the Timaru Herald has at last thought it worth while to lend its advocacy to the starting of the linseed industry. When the Butter and Cheese Factory Company was about to ho floated, the Timaru Herald offered to advocate the matter in its columns if it should get the prospectus to print, but on the proposition of Mr Twomey the Provisional Directors had resolved to give the printing to whoever would do it the cheapest. Accordingly, the two Timaru and the one Temuka papers were invited to tender, with the result that the Temuka paper was the cheapest, and so the Herald did not get the prospectus to print and so it did not give any advocacy to the starting of the industry . In the case of the linseed industry the Timaru Herald got a very liberal price for printing the propectus, and the result is that it has actually given a sub-leader on the subject. It did not give it a leading article. To do that would be too great a ' come down ;' it would not be in keeping with the dignity, tone, and general high-and-mightiness of the Herald to refer in its leading column to such a petty insignificant thing as an industry that will benefit this district only, That column had to be reserved for politics that very few believe in, and the local industry, though the Herald got the printing ot the prospectus, was dealt with in an off hand sort of way in a sub-leader. We all ought to feel very thankful to the Herald for its kindness, but still we

think that after getting the printing of the prospectus, it might have let politics alone for one issue and given the linseed industry the leading place in the paper. The linseed industry will, if started, do more good to this district than all the politics the Herald ever discussed, and if it properly understood its duty to its readers, and the obligations of a public journal, it would have given more attention to local institutions. But the great misfortune is that the Timaru Herald suffers under the insane delusion that high class politics alone should be discussed in its leading articles. We have no quarrel with the Timaru Herald, neither do we object to its getting the printing of the prospectus—in fact we would be glad to see it get anything if it would help us to stir up industries, and try to advance the district. It can have any political views it likes, it may abuse whoever it likes foi all we care, if it will open its eyes to the fact that the establishment of industries is the only thing that can make this colony great and prosperous. We would belts sincerest friend if it would point out to the people—as it is its duty as a public journal to do—that money expended in the development of the industrial resources of the district, is money expended on increasing the value of their own properties. But we are afraid the Herald will never do this. The sub-leader it published on the linseed industry was as bald and bare an affair as ever we read. The prospectus of the proposed company was certainly very inadequate, but it was better than the article of the Timaru Herald. There were neither facts nor figures nor arguments in It that could convince any one that the linseed industry was a safe investment ; in fact it might as well not have been written for all the good it could do. It consisted of a fine array of words strung together in very elaborate English, and was more of a disquisition on social economy than an article intended to persuade people to take up shares in the company under discussion. The Timaru Herald could have done better than this ; it has means at its disposal to acquire information, and brains enough to put it forcibly before the public if it only wished to do so. But it seems to have no aptitude for such labors ; its hobby is politics, and a pretty mess it generally makes of them. Wot 1 ; the Herald to think the matter over -gain, and see whether it would not be worth its while to devote some little attention to so important an enterprise. It has been long enough neglecting the interests of the district—or in fact antagonistic to the interests of the district—and itis time it changed its tactics now. When Mr John Hayhurst was sued a few months ago for liabilities incurred in the effort to start the Kakahu Coal Company the Herald did not think it beneath its dignity to sneer at the failure of that, and other projects that had not succeeded in this district. The way it spoke of this district then was calculated to do a gre d deal of harm with legard to starting new industries. It might as well turn over a new leaf now, and try to do good instead of harm. We know its capabilities for criticising. It has established its character in that respect, so it need not pursue its studies in that direction any longer. What it wants to study now is not to he critical, not to point out the weak features of things, but to find out what is good and meritorious, and try to develope a capability for appreciating and encouraging them. If it takes our advice it will do this, and then it will be of some service to the district. We do not wish that it should be inferred from our remarks that we feel aggrieved because we did not get the printing of the prospectus ourselves. On the contrary, we quite agreed with Mr Sando, that it would be better to give the printing to the Herald if that would enlist its influence. We have nothing to complain of in that respect, because we have been dealt with more liberally than we expected, and this article has not been prompted by any other feeling than disgust at the off-handed way in which the Herald treated the subject. The remarks of the Herald appeared to us very much like those made by one who had pledged to support the thing, but who did not care one straw whether it succeeded or not.