OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 306, 22 November 1873, Page 3

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

We " North Otago Times " belie re the cost of the District Court machinery has "been twenty-fold saved by the prevention of those trade swindles whi'-h used to be only too frequent when bankrupts knew that their I hearing would be in Dunedin, and that the J odds were ten to one that creditors would not I sacriGee the time to go down to oppose, Mr. J. C. Firth, in a letter to the " Argus " (Melbourne) says • — The European harvests of 18W, 18^72, and 18^3 have been deficient — not, perhaps absolutely bad harvests, but still involving the necessity of importing during these years, into the United Kingdom, a yearly quantity of 10, 12, and, probably, for 1853 and 1874, 15 millions of quarters of wheat. Importations like these, to make up deficiencies in harvests, have the effect of teadering the nation poorer by upwards of 110 millions sterling ; and represent by more than half that amount the diminished power of purchase, by the working classes of the United | Kingdom, of manufactured' goods. Und* ! these circumstances we may expect the buyers of our wool to experience a steadily diminishing demand for their goods. The Wakatip Correspondent of the Naseby paper -writes as follows :—": — " Oar social rela-" tions have become rather disturbed, ■ in consequence of the notified intention o* the Provincial Government to «ell leases of the Wakatip Commonage for sheep-farming purposes, in blocks of from 5,000 to 10,000 acres in extent, for a period of seven years.; Tbi* intention has been declared, without the slightest intimation as to oonditioas, 6« jealousy and suspicion stalk, like spirits of evil in our midst ; and will not probably bo exorcised until the seeds of discontent, are, sown broadcast. ' Experience proves that the public or the Government cannot be to» careful in preserving twisting pewajegeg. Intending lessees are generally kind people, but established ones' are often very arbitrary. Population is- rapidly increasing here : the mineral wealth of .the district — which is scarcely touched, — the healthy clii mate, the prolific soil, are a snffieient guarantee that this popntation will increase to aa I almost incalculable extent,— so the evils nris- ! ing from the creation of a batch, of squatto- : crate in the centre of such a district can bo ! seen at a glance, and 'tis no wonder that the ; present inhabitants should be agitated at tho prospect. It is to be hoped that the Govern* inent will hot commit the district to- an arrangement of circumstances that" will be certain to set class again* class. The Auckland: "Star" thus writes of Mrs. Walter Hill, an actress :—" We would also place upon record a tribute to the bentJidaire of last night in her unassumed character as a woman and a lady. In tbe midst of a community unhappily prone to slander, aud in an atmosphere so teeming with slander at that of the stage, she has -ewer kept a fair fame and a spotless name. 77 The "Otago Times" writes^— u< Punch* in his cartoon describes «n^ Irishman as sighing, not for an upright judge, ' but for one who weald lane -a little. Without for a moment asserting that Justices of the Peace would satisfy the desire of.- this character, it is ]Otx indubitable' fact that the suspicion of such toning ia strong, as against Justices in rural districts in England, and would arise with two fold force in a country like this, where the Judge would again and again be engaged is something Kke the very difficulties and differences upon which he weald' be called to giv« an unbiassed decision. The " Guardian " writes as follows on that subject of the habits of colonial young men: — "We venture to say that if our young men would go in mare £«r cricketing, Athletic sports, gymnastics, and abase «n for swim* ming, and less *f drinking-, billiard-playing, aud dissipation, they would be a finer -set of men, and would g© fresher to the-counter-and. the office than they do at present.** A recent accident, caused by the fell of * portion «f abuiLiingin course -of erection at DuneJin, elicits from the "Guardian" the remark -that an Inspector of Public Buildings should be -appointed for Dunedin. The 'theatrical critic of the DunexHa " Guardian " believes that- jwnien are mac*' . intellectual Hhaxi reeu. . This is wbtit he s&vo= — " And this jKHwnda me of how znttch th? average woman exceeds the -average man ia anything wluch requires the exercise of brains. No woman has as yet perhaps written as weft as seme particular men, hot *ho Average women's books are, I am pnepacad (statistically if, you will) to prove, far above the «fsiv age of those of meu, who can write njusby* pamby-neas also* So on the stage wheaa.4 see women as a rule contriving to look graceful, and to' move gracefully, .even from the outset, and quickly to act well, I blush, for-nf-sext in tho words of Sickens, <srh» eenfljadjp display An fijephaatine '♦wj^uidittty.-

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