A Gossip from Canterbury.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3588, 26 June 1880, Page 4

A Gossip from Canterbury.

(BY AN OCCASIONAL COBBESPONKENT.)

I was present at Sir George Grey's meeting. It so happened that I have not seen him since 1863, when I was his guest at Government House, Auckland.' I should have known him anywhere, of the most simple and unpretending appearance, and yet so thoroughly distinguished looking. The brave old man wears well, and is a wonderful favorite here; it is of no use trying to mince matters or disguise that fact. The Oddfellows Hall was crowded in every oorncr by a most enthusiastic and admiring audience. I was much amused by an old man in the ladies gallery. He vehemently declared " That the brave old man deserved to bs cased in gold, that he ought to be carried shoulder high and that he would make one to do it, and that when he was dead his worth would be found out, and a high monument would be built with Sir George Grey on the top of it." Some laughed and poked a little fun at the enthusiastic partizan, but there was a pretty general agreement with his sentiments. It was a little refreshing to meet with so much enthusiasm in Christchurcb. We are very high bred here (?); we have all a very high bred air without any well bred ease, and so envious people (who do not belong to the " Upper Ten ") are cruel enough to say it is not the real thing or it would, sit more easily. Envy and spite of course ! Yet the best friends of the beautiful city of the plains, rich in gardens and pretty girls, must allow that society is slow, lifeless and uninteresting <aB compared with Auckland or Dunedin ; these two cities have so much more intercourse with the outside world that they do not so much resemble little provincial towns in England. I declare some of our pretty little homes strongly recall to mind the old " Chronicles of Cranford" in Household Words. But life here has its pleasures, especially as many of the leading people have immense wealth. Last week one of our plutocracy gave a grand fancy ball for children. Those who went with their little ones say the sight was magnificent, dancing being in the conservatory which is as large as yonr Academy of Music, and was lit with gas and Chinese lanterns. As the conservatory is not disproportionate to the house, and the house, standing on grounds keeping five gardeners employed is not the largest in Christchurcb, you may guess that we have some really splendid mansions here.

Our public buildings are daily becoming more and more excellent^ ones. Schools are something to look at, but the profession, like every other branch of the public service, is becoming injured by the immense amount of favoritism and patronage employed.

The whole public service in Canterbury is paralysed by this dreadful evil. There is no attempt at putting the best man in the best place in any department. The reverse is done with the most unblushing effrontery, and woe be to the unfortunate official in any branch of the public service who may-even dare to remonstrate at the injustice, however .much cause he may have to feel .'aggrieved. He is a marked man doomed to godown still further from that hour, if he dare protest! Well it is only people from Auckland, &c.,who venture to do such a ruinous thing, and they only do it once,. you may believe.

The result in the scholastic profession is that a large number of teachers, in very important positions, belong to the lower grades of class E, teachers of higher grades and longer standing not being servile enough to suit their superiors, and it is said that in the Railway Department and other branches of the public service there is the same putting of. incompetent or barely competent people into the place of better men, because they are founds more subservient.

We have a new little paper called the Echo which is taking up all these things very warmly, but I doubt if the heads of departments will read it or pay any'attention to it if they do. All the papers made a great onset on the Board of Education for doing all their business in committee, and an improvement has been made, but though the little Echo is ardently hopeful of doing some good aloue fdoubt it. Host are you getting your weather? We are getting ours "well iced," but I don't grumble; cold is Canterbury's great charm to me.

If you care to put this in I will write again some day.—Yours, &c , C. A. M.