The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1833. TIMARU INDUSTRIES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1155, 2 October 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1833. TIMARU INDUSTRIES.

After years of inaction Timaru : is awakening to the necessity of establishing local industries. As we predicted at the time it was started, the Local Industries Association in that town has done good, inasmuch as that it has stirred the people up to the importance of developing their own resources. The good example set it by this district also had a beneficial influence. The Timaru people felt ashamed that Temuka and Geraldine had succeeded in floating companies, whilst their own town was languishing for want of industries. AH thcs* influences worked beneficially, with the result that during the last four months four projects have been set on foot. The Royal Flouring Mill Company came first, the Fish Company, the Refrigerating Company, and last, but not least, the "Woollen Factory. It has been decided to float the three last named, but the share list of the Flour Mill Company has not yet been closed. It is a remarkable fact thatvery little has been peon about all these Companies in the Timaru papers. The Timaru Herald gave some little assistance to the Refrigerating Company. It

was a big thing, the bigwigs of the' district were concerned in it, and hence the reason. As for the Fish Company and the Woollen Factory Compsny, the readers of the Herald barely knew that these - projects are before the public at all. Their meetings hare been reported in the shortest possible form and no reference has been made to them in leading articles, yet the Woollen Factory at all events has had vicissitudes which a newspapers might well comment upon. The project was first set on foot by Mr Herbert Claphara—a man who has a practical knowledge of woollen factories. Ho conceived the notion that he would get up monster entertainments if all other means failed, and raise LISOO, with which &uui he intended to make a start. He took some friends into his confidence, and gave them all the information he possessed respecting Woollen Factories, and at -last it was decided to call a private meeting to discuss the subject. There were not manv present, but most of them knew sompthing about woollen factories, and so the matter was fully discussed, resulting in a very iavorable .conclusion being arrived at. There was, however, a traitor in the camp. The friend in whom Mr Clapham confided most, after having obtained all the facts and figures took it into his head that if he could promote a company ' on his own hook" he would win immortal fame, and so he set about it. He told the original promoters nothing about this, and it was with no small share of surprise that they found themselves face to face with a rival scheme. Of course the idea of raising money by means of entertainments was abandoned, and it was decided to float a Company. Mr Stubbs was appointed secretary pro tern, and he with some others commenced an energetic canvass. They found then that the rival scheme was in existence, and that many had put their names down on that list, believing it to be the, original one, but nothing daunted they stuck to it with the result that about LSOOO has already been subscribed. Thus there was—and perhaps there is at present—two woollen factory project! on foot in Timaru, yet none of the papers took the trouble to point out to the people the absolute mischievousness of) splitting up into parties like this. There is no other way in which the whole thing could be so effectually destroyed, and yet the papers would allow it to perish before their eyes without making the slightest effort to save it. The indomitable energy with which the original promoters pushed their own scheme forward, however, rescued it from becoming a failure, and there is every hope now that the thing will eventually be u a success. It is to be hoped that those who promoted the rival scheme will desist from the mischievous ; course they have adopted. All the assistance that can be mustered is necessary to float one company successfully, and it is to. be hoped that the people of Timaru will not make fools of themselves by, attempting to start two.

THE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE We are tired of calling attention to the extraordinary way in which, the Resident Magistrate treats the public of TeraukaYesterday, being his regnlar day; ( he arrived by the first train, polished off, a larceny case long before the usual hour for opening the Court, Jbustled about until he got a Bench of Justices of the Peace to hear the remainder of the cases, and then cleared off to Winchester or somewhere else on a fishing excursion. We aro quite ready to | admit that the Justices were as competent, if not more so, to deal with the cases as he was; in fact, if we ,bad a caße in Court we would much rather rely on their good judgment than on the Resident Magistrate's but that is not the point. The Resident Magistrate is paid for administering justice, and he certainly ought not to depute others to do his work for him whenever he can avoid it. The administration of justice is a very important matter, and should not be placed in the bands of anyone who does not duly appreciate the seriousness of the responsibility. The way in which our Resident Magistrate conducts himself, shows that he does not care one straw for anything except his own convenience. Half his time he does not come at all, and when he does come be betrays indecent haste in disposing of the business so as to get away by the express train; while yesterday he rushed away, leaving the work in the hands of the Justices. There were set down for hearing two criminal cases, one of which was rathpi serious, an affiliation case, and a civil case which was beyond the jurisdiction of the Justices.! The civil case, Craig v. Daily, which was i

beyond the jurisdiction of the Justices, had- to i be adjourned, and one of the criminal cases he dealt with before the Court was opened at all. All the rest of the business he left in the hands of the Justices. Now is not this a nice state of affairs, that because the Magistrate wants to go fishing the business of the Court is to be adjourned for his convenience ? It will be a fortnight now before the case Craig v. Daily can be heard. Supposing the defendant loft the colony in the meantime the plaintiff would lose £3B by the transaction. It is on absolute disgrace to the Government to ' allow such things to go on, and if they were honest in their desire to see the law property administered, they would insist upon those entrusted with that important function doing their duties.