The Puapeka Times. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 1868. "Measures, not Men."

Tuapeka Times, Volume 1, Issue 41, 21 November 1868, Page 2

The Tuapeka Times. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 1868. " Measures, not Men."

There is everywhere a complaint of the dullness of trade. Men of all trades and professions, however their opinions may differ or interests may clash, are unanimous in complaining of the "slack times." The cause is not far to seek, and is indeed characteristic of the present transition state of the colony. Mining has ceased to yield large returns to solitary adventurers, and has taken its proper rank as separate profession. " Piles " are not now to be made in a few months, and if by steady industry and careful saving a man does collect a little money, he does not knock it down in one wild burst. A good deal of the present depression of trade is owing to this, but it is aggravated by the blind and infatuated policy of our Provincial Executive. There are at present numbers of men in Otago possessed of a small capital, and desirous of settling down in life, whom the slightest encouragement would induce to remain. We fear that they may wait for a century, and still receive nothing but insult and injury from the Yogel ministry. If men like these are permitted to leave us without an effort being made to retain them, we fear the present dulness of trade will prove comparative briskness contrasted with the utter stagnation of business a twelvemonth hence. Each emigrant will decrease the general stock by the removal of hisactual and potential earnings, and increase the burden of taxation on those remaining by leaving his share of the public debt to be divided among the rest of the community. The squatocracy may import in place of the experienced colonists they are driving away, as number of ignorant hinds, incapable of rising from the state of servitude, or rather slavery, in which their importers desire to place them, but such a policy will in the end prove fatal to themselves. Debarred from an immediate market, they will be forced to export their wool and tallow at a small price, and be compelled to import numerous commodities! at present supplied by the rest op the community. Bankruptcy must follow, and the colonization of Otago will have to begin anew. This gloomy future might be averted by the present Government initiating a liberal land policy, but such a step on their pas is past praying for. It is to the people an appeal must be made, and if that prove unsuccessful, we advise all our friends to leave the doomed country as speedily as possible. But such an appeal cannot fail to elicit a suitable response, for it only asks every man to defend his own interests. Let us be up then and doing, and discarding all petitioning, all cringing and fawning, let the people make the miserable place-hunters and pensioned loafers who are robbing the colony know that a new state of things must be inaugurated at once, or a revolution will be the result.

In another column we print a letter from Peter Piper, in which our venerable contributor raises the cry of "Protection for Native Industries." We might have felt inclined to pass over with a smile the vagaries of a person whom advanced years renders a praiser of by-gone times, but as he only re-echoes several of our leading pilblic,rnen~ the matter is well worthy our attention. Were the demand for the " encouragement of native industries," no true patriot woulcl hesitate in giving it his support ; but wh,en we are requested to sacrifice the [i^te^st^ploiiiert&iiths; of the comm-

unity for the sake of a few^ speculators, we are impelled by- a se^tia^ of duty fo^ti^e unblioyto enter our protest. It wouM 'unquestionably be highly beneficial to the Province if we could manufacture our own cloth, pottery, cutlery, ' &c, but if that result can only be attained at' the expense of the consuming portion of the community, we must leave the matter to its natural the miners mor,g| ijiaif wyjjp^jpr^ portion of the community, and gratitude to a body of men who have raised tne .Province -to -lts-preserrtr proud position requires a careful attention to their interests.- Sup.-:, posing a prohibitive tariff prevented the importation of woollen "goo'ds^" what would be "the" result"? . We" should have an industry propped qd crutches, hot-house" reared as it we'rS, and a premium -.offered- for bad workmanship. The '.manufacturer here would find it most profitable to inundate the market with an inferior article, and consumers would be reduced to Hobspn^s choice, that or none. Smuggling would cometo be regarded as an honourable calling, and its large profits would tempt many to embark in "it as a speculation. The true policy of a young country is "id direct all its energies to the production ~o£ the raw material, and thereby attract sufficient population to ;: reduce the rate of wages to an amount which would render manufacturing profit- | able. Thus an indirect and valuable encouragement would be given to local industries "by liberal" and properly administered , lan 4 L laws. Although this policy might not prove so effective as an electioneer* ing cry, might inconvenience the squattocracy, it would tend to advance the Province in a legitimate manner. We have the example of Victoria before us as a warning of the baneful effects of protection, and with us who have not equal natural advantages to counteract the injurious effects of such a measure, the result of a protective policy would be still more disastrous. As soon as we are in a position to manufacture woollens, &c, at a profit, no, bonus will be needed to attract capital to the Province. This happy consummation is not, we trust, far distant, and in the meantime we must study patience, and not by ill-advised haste tend to rob the working portion of the community for the benefit of a few millionaires.

We have great pleasure in stating that Mr. Jas. Stevenson has remitted £15 6s. to the Treasurer of the Tuapeka Hospital, the result of the collection at Horse Shoe Bend. This amount reflects the highest credit on the residents of so thinly populated a district, and we trust that all the other subscription lists may prove to be half as well filled.

A successful meeting of the Land League was held at Waitahuna on Wednesday. Our readers will find a report in another column. We have received several numbers of the new daily paper, v The Sun," and although we are not as yet very much dazzled by its brilliance, we have great pleasure in bearing testimony to the enterprise displayed by its promoters. Mrs. Partington, however, was not a whit less absurd in her efforts to repel the inroads of the Atlantio Ocean with broom and slop-pail than is this attempt of the squatters to alter the tone of public opinion. What the people will have they mvst have, in spite of any number of columns of ingenious special pleading and epigrammatic abuse. A paper which starts with the avowed intention of competing for the position of " leading journal in Otago " should, we think, be above using so undignified and paltry a method as abuse of a contemporary. The ball in aid of l';he Athenaeum came off on Tuesday evening. Although the attendance was not so numerous as milhfchave been expected, a considerable-'-imme^H^kpresent. The most singulai^cireumL, ladies were far more numerous men, a state of things probabr^^ 0 .s&' *^ki the annals of the Junction. 'It^ oS &\^Mp) however, to have too much of a got A-^^^BJm this case, and a very happy evening wt^^^^H by all present. The musicians perforfl^^^H part with grj& ability ; and Mr. Bc^^^^^H rangementsWor the refreshmentsjun^^^^^H man -werJJ^H^admirable. Dancin^|^^^^H up toloHtwy|fiour ; indeed, most of th^^^^| of the " light' fantastic " only rcturraj^^^f the milk of. the morning. ' I^s^^^^k Re Edwakd Oroker.— Mr. B. CffElai^M appeared on behalf of Mr. Walsh and o^H creditors, and applied by petition for adjudica^ tion in bankruptcy. Mr. Harris appeared to oppose the application. 'It seemed that on the 15th October, Major Croker filed a declaration of insolvency, but no further proceedings were taken therein until the 6th November instant, when one of the creditors filed a petition for adjudication. On the 3rd November, Major Croker filed a deed of arrangement. Mr. Haggitt argued that- the deed must be set aside and adjudication obtained under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act, 1867, unless £ho Court was. of opinion that the sth section of the Act of 1868 interfered. His Honor held that the question of the validity of the deed, was 'not before the Court, and deoided that "the sth section of the new Act alone .was sufficient, tou.preoltt.dehis granting the petition for adjudicatjon-xthe, petition not having Veen f)led within' thVre-^ quiaita. .time.- Th»,jnatter.-ihaQ, droppacUr.

irljiai Superintendent was expected to visit .Waipori yesterday, and preparations were being -made by his friends to receive him with an '^eremony. The author of the "comedietta" preprint in our supplement seems to be possessed of some prophetic insight. A meeting of persons desirous of forming a court of the Ancient Order of Forresters was held in the Athenaeum on Thursday evening, Mr. Titchener in the chair. It was agreed to apply to the District Court for a dispensation to open a court in Lawrence, to be called " The Star of Tuapeka." All the-gentlemen present I expressed their intention to join the order, and we understand over thirty names have been already obtained. Mr. Morrison was appointed secretes,, and Mr. Titchener treasurer, mnd it wa^AsartsolVed to open the court on /Thursday, $£ Wm Htoxiino. A meeting will be held next Thursday, when we trust a large number will come forward and join this infiuenof each issue of any newspaper published in New Zealand may be sent post free from its publisher iW^nyvotbit newspaper office^ if- -addressed to the editor, propnetor, publisher, or manager. L This will b^&xgreafrbqqfor to^eWspaper, proprietors, and' through" tb.em to'the public. " ' ' J — THE-dfaw<ißg-of-Mr.-H«y's artunion-of -valu^ able furniture and books cange gff.as announced, inlhe Commercial HoieL There was a numerous attendance, and general satisfaction was expressed -mth r Mjv Hay's admynbler-arrange- , for"fche-dhlwrng. Owing* tS th(Hatenes» • of the hour at which the drawing took place, we are compelled to postpone the publication of the ,luoky winners antifcnexfc wf^kj; ~: j^ ; The notorious Garrett was brought up before the Dunedin Magistrates on three separate charges— namely, unlawfuTpossession of skeleton keys, and other burglar's implements, theft, .and- burglary. , He was found guilty, on two of the charges, and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment,. t Qq the third, he was committed to trial. Ac'uribus instance of honour among thieves occurred during his trial After his landlady s hid' been 1 examined/ he 'expressed' a desire that £2 he owed for board should be paid out of the funds found on him when he was arrested. It is a singular-trait in this man's character that he who never hesitated to commit a robbery should be unwilling to defraud a, creditor. The Tuapeka Land' League has;" whatever its other results may be, directed the attention of every thinking"" man to v th'e "land question. Several of. the outlying districts have already formed associations on 1 its model,- and many others will undoubtedly follow this example. At a public, meeting held in Tapanui, on the 17th inst., resolutions' were passed to the effect that, the Government should be memorialized to declare 30,000 acres into hundreds, and that the Tuapeka Land League shouldJbe requested to establish a branch in Tapanui. A committee of .five weraappqinted to carry out these resolutions, whioh. were unanimously agreed to. Some time ago we called the attention of our readers^ to the .state of the deep shaft at Wetherstones, and mentioned that the Government, =itf a - K generous" fit, had furnished the sum of £100 to proceed with the work. ' This donation was, however, conditional on £20 being raised by the Committee. It appears the people <^taTetherstones are of opinion that they have BpeJ T* tfu'te enough money on an undertaking, in^fie success of whioh the whole community is interested, and accordingly decline to subscribe. They have done their share, and they think it high time the' Government did theirs. " Plenty of money flows out of the provincial treasury when the convenience or benefit of a squatter demands the expenditure, but a work beneficial to the whole mining community is either overlooked altogether, or has a miserable pittance doled out for its support. We 'trust prompt measures 'may be taken to' coerce the Executive into an act of common justice before the shaft h again filled with water. We have had the pleasure of inspecting the premises of Mr. E. Kiokford, brewer, who lately arrived from Victoria. This gentleman has only been about three weeks in the possession of the brewery lately oocupied by Mr. Coverlid, and, notwithstanding drawbacks with which he has had to contend, he has produced as good a I glass of beer as was ever brewed in the oolony. We had the pleasure yesterday- of tasting Mr. Kokf ord's first and second brews, and we can guarantee thein^o be-of such a quality as will defy Dunedin competition. From the fact of Mr. Kokford having the skill to produce a firstclass article, and knowing" that some of the leading gentlemen in the district are taking a warm interest in the success of the brewery, we i are confident that he will receive a recompense i well worthy of his enterprise. The 15 or 20 hogsheads which Mr. Kokford has turned out are already bespoken, and we expect there will be a similar demand for future brews. ' We desire to draw special notice to the fact that the Church of England tea meeting at the Blue Spur has been postponed for one day— namely, to Thursday next, the 26th instant— on account of other meetings taking place on the Wednesday. Those who have obtained tickets will therefore tlo well to keep this in mind. , Mb. Coverlid, of Wetherstones, has just constructed a breast-water wheel to aid him in his lemonade and ginger beer manufactory. Besides the saving of manual labour effected there, he will be thus enabled to turn out a much larger quantity of the superior artiole for which he has become justly celebrated. Otm readers will not forget that the grand entertainment of the Tuapeka Dramatic Club will come off at the Sportsman's Arms Hotel, Wetherstones, on Wednesday next. The Club is so well and favourably known, that it requires nothing to recommend it to public support, and the object in view being of such a charitable description— namely, the benefit of the Hospital — no comment is necessary. An entertainment by the Waitahuna Dramatic Corps will be given on Monday, the 30th, in the Assembly Boom, Waitahuna. A meeting of ratepayers was held last evening to consider the Town Hall question. Mr. Beatings occupied the chair, and the meeting was numerously attended. Mr. Donovan moved, in a speech of considerable length, that the ratepayers disapproved of the scheme, and Mr. Keen seconded. Mr. Mears replied in a lengthy speech, and laid a statement before the meeting by which it appeared that after all necessary works had been done, a surplus of £620 18s. 6d. would remain to the credit of the town. Messrs. Walker and Toloher spoke in support of Mr. i Donovan's motion, and Mr. Hay replied at considerable length. An amendment proposing to I jL&^vethe matter in 'the lands of the' Council ■l£?V ""' v by Mr. Anderson, and seconded by ML i" I**1 ** a^show of hands- being called, was earned by a conMr. Hay protesting that voted. our sporting readers, we t ae two principal events at miles. 9st 111 b 1 7st Mb %„.". 2 m Shenandoah, 7st 61b 3 b h Tim Whiffler, 10st 41b 4 J^^^^^^^ndeverly by a short length. Plate, three miles. Mr. Tait's eh h Glencoe, 9st 31b J Mrr De Mestre's b h Tim Whiffler, lOst 41b... 2 Won by less than a head. We have received a most interesting letter on the 'currency question from " A.H.," which want of space reluctantly -compels us to leave over for a week. We regret to jsay^that Mr, Richard Barret^ lately.a olaknhoHer in -the Blue Spur) fell in the Commercial billiard room and broke his leg last evenings P What make* this accident all the more painful is* that Mr.' Barret was to leave for England next week. , Christmas time draws— near with all its festivities and rejoicings, and some of our storekeepers have already begun' to' make their' preparations. — We-inspeotod-ihe-otaer day-a-aam— ber jof ladies' kid-dancing .boats, whiob ]Mr. • Henderson has" recently added to his stock, and* can heartily recommend them to all in need of such] an artiole. ,-•". „-->.-- ■»,•.-• -••-», -MB. Matthew Etay^soHs number 1 of vstyatilfe' sections in the township of Lawrence by public •auction on Tuesday, forty-three sections were xdispjwed of, the highest prfcer givcnHoeing £10 46a. pnd £3 155., the greater proportion going at