OUR AUCKLAND LETTER. (From our own Correspondent.)

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 673, 5 October 1876, Page 3

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER. (From our own Correspondent.)

Tiihib s mu"h ex-- i*>me .t in Auck'and ; inu li st. n lint nt t li<* corn is u «(uo s, aksAdt i vei y on > dis uiasig the groi.t jj^rioil di m mutrat on at Dunedin Kuiiiou-j of the w Idt'ii, fl at through tI«J iiig'iwats and b^-wutt tf the t itj as to what Mr Mue.ndrew an 1 Sir G O'ge srt> gniig, or nut % iui; to bout ; as to what will be the upthot of thing* ; and what it wi 1 alt le*d to and «nd in. 1 Lara been asked by mjr friend, the Growler, what are things coming to . and. I »»y to him, let 'em, come -what •re the odd* ? What do things come to in all new Colonies and countries, when thnigi go a little crooked.? Why, they come straight aga a, when it ii found that wetj little it broken, or, hu< been spilled. Orowler says that u not fha way to tiow ma (era or lake things. I ask him how would he new tiioni, or take them ; but, he merely strikes his head, and tells me, as he tol I me bt-f >re, that there is going to be a crisis. Grower is not altogether , a bad fellow, lie is tolerably well informsd on nnny subjects, aid can be soumble at times. I ask whether he will co ne oTer with mo to tk# Occidental, «:id he comes and selects his particular pa, son. Tliea his spirits appear to revire lie dMid tli* Auckland Province was now nathing more than a dead lion, and he supposed the rest of the Colony would be a^we Ito kick the carca**. I tell him tWk Auckland is not dead, but, only just a httle a -otched, and will come to by and i -bye. 1 hit neither the expenditurs of S»ir Julius Vogel nor the political turmoil some of our political agitator* arc trying to introduce can seriously hurt us. It is not one agitator, nor any number of them, or the acts of any minister, or any ' aneber of ministers that can do our Colony any great or lasting misohief. Attend tten, 0, Mr Growlsr, and listen to the woids of the bage. Youcomplani fiat the Province is in a depressed oondition ; that there is much embarrassment, and that traders and merchants are not paying their way. Now, look at the number of parties whioh are giren erery night in this city; look at the many private balls and social re-unions, all of which cost much, money. Look at the card plnying for high stakes. Wot ice the crowded hotels at night ; the billiard rooms ; the theatres, concerts and other -convivial gatherings. Do these things spetk of bad times ; I see young mci in faat hotels, betting and gambling to an •extent which their means will not in any way justify ; and which leads to the falsifying of accounts and tampering with tployers c&ih boxes. I see extravagance the midst of much impcuuiouty, and who shall wonder at it ? I am not sur« pnaed when I see m«n riding m buggies, or daslnng about on horseback, during business hjurs, when I hear of them going wrong. What astonishment can bo f«lt when men commit suindv, or abscond across seas with flashy women, knowing ai we do tie Jive* they hare been leading. I tee Ministers voting themselves enormous salaries, and living gorgeously. I see ciril servants of the higher grades with costly- establishments. I see those lower down making ruinous efforts, to keep up with them. 1 see public contractors resorting to all sorts of scheme* and dances to evade both the letter and the spirit of their contract, that they may ensure large and unearned profit*. I see fathers, anxioui lor their daughters to make high marriages, spending more than they can all^rd, keeping their girls in idle elegance, who, wlieu they may happen to marry, are unable to direct a household. And I see, too, the bitterness of disappointment at unfu. filled expectation. I see wild speculation* on all sides ending in ruin a d mioWenry. Now, my dear afr Growl*. r, come with me to-morrow morning, and walk through the side streets and back thoroughfare* of Auckland, whore the working man, the sruzan, and the labor, r take up their abode. We will go to tho rear of these tenements, and take a peep nboui v«, when we shall find yards strewed thickly with tins, j*rs, bottles and oases which .h»ve contained expensive sauces, | jams, preserves and pickles, with potted meats and other luxuries which only the inch in the home country indulge them selvM with. We will pass over the profusion o! emptied wine and spirit bottles ; for, we should be unable to count them.' Now, Growler, >f things are bad, cannot you allow yourself to see how much of it comes to pass. Why New Zealand, last y«ar, spent close upon £64,000 in pickle* and sauces. We also imported fi»b to the extent of £30,000. Now, here m this fine climste and rich soil, we can grow eferj eioalent that can be grown in England, .with many other* that cannot. Our sea boards and coast lines abound with the moit delicious of edible fish. Yet, do we commit these extravagance?. Go to, theo, and have done with your complaints. We live in a splendid country, and, thsre is no fear for anything beyond, at the outside, a temporary suspension of Then, we two had another drink, and, as Growler warmed up, he bag^. to think that things were as they were for tht reasons I have mentioned. " Still," said Growler, " I think, if Sir Julins had not been so extravagant " Now, look hert, Growler. Dont you blame Sir Julius for what he has done. Didn't we allow him to enttr upon these gigantic works P Didn't we praise him up to tho Heavens for his far-seeing policy, bir Julius has more good points in him than most o( as can boast of. If be had cared about money for himself, he would have cared more for us. We gave him the reins to ride wheresoever his talents might direct him, and, I for one, shall not have a kick at him, even should he prove to be a dead lion. Now, we will have one more " smile," and then trot. And, so it was, we had it and trotted.