THURSDAY, JANUARYS, 1884.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1793, 3 January 1884, Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARYS, 1884.

It has been claimed that New Zealand owes much of her prosperity to the circumstance of her having been, as it were, divided into several separate little colonies. Such a contention has much to support it. It is clear, for one thing, that the lands of this country would not ha 1 , c bi en colonised so rapidly had settlement been directed from one centre ; nor, to take anothet aspect of the case, would there have been so much emulation, so much competition — which are the life and soul of commerce. 13nt it was not, we think, contemplated that this friendly spirit of rivalry would ever degenerate into a quality of petty jealouay, such as, it is much to be regretted, has been exhibited by what are now called the provincial districts of New Zealand, in their relations with one another. Otago is never tired of asserting that she is the top sawyer in this community, while Auckland talks of what she will be hy-and-bye; Canterbury sneers at Wellington, and the capital province retorts with peculiar gusto. We cai-efully jot down for future use the exp-nditure of every penny of public money in our neighbours' territory, and grudge them the barrst necessaries. This is reall) what provincialism has come to Formerly it meant a system of small quasi-indopendent states, each anxious in an honourable way to outshine its fellows ; now the term is understood to menn the divisions of one state, each desirous of blackening the others' character for honesty and straightforward dealing. Tli is narrow spirit of provincialism enters into almost every concern of our daily life ; it has long governed the formation of Cabinets, and operated in the direction of defeating much useful legislation. But we think the time has now arrived when porochhlism, as ex hibifced in its most objectionable forms in this country, is to receive, if not its death blow, at least a very needful chock. The people of New Zealand are beginning to see that if we are to be strong commercially, if we are to lie a potential element in the aggregate of Australasian nations, wo must drop our own little ideas of the value of provincial superiority and labour to attain to the higher ideal. But the change of sentiment which it were no easy matter for us voluntarily to effect, is happily being carried out by circumstances over which we have very little control. In short, it is to the expansion of the foreign trade of New Zealand that the obliteration of local jealousy will have to be traced. In the new industries that have been created within the last few years not only is there room for us all, but it is necessary to the full success of these industries that we should all embark ii? them. The frozen meat trade is one which, if it benefit any one part of the colony, must exert a beneficial influence on the whole. Individuals have done much to hasten the new order of things ; the enterprise of the New Zealand Shipping Company, for instance, has afforded cheaper and more efficient means of communication than we could reasonably have looked for. For this let us give them the fullest credit Without depriving them of one pennyworth of the praise and giatitude which is their clue, we may yet be allowed to feel grateful that our trade rests upon a basis much firmer than any laid down by human intelligence.

Mr S. B. Biss, Chief Postmaster, was a pssenger to To Aroha by yesteidays coach. The members of the church of and congiegation of S. AndiewVi, Cambutlge, ,ue invited to attend the annual meeting to be held in the hchool-iooni on ii(j\t Monday evening. At Raglan, on the Ist instant, before Messus Wallis and Duncan. J.P., John Clement Cotton wasj chaiged by the Rev. Mr fcilade with a broach of the Vagi ancy Act. The evidence for the prosecution was howe\ or, insufficient to support the chaige, and the ]>iibouer was dischaigedi In reply to the invitation to visit this colony, signed by most of the New Zealand legislators, last session, and forwaidedto Mr Gladstone, tlie Right Hon. gentleman hah intimated that the prevnne of business will not admit of \m leaving England at present. At 4 p.m. yesterday, Commander Edw m telegraphed to Mr Logic the Postmaster at Hamilton :—" Expect bad weather between North and West, Glass further fall, but rising after 10 hours and weather very cold. " It commenced to rain in Hamilton at about half past six and a hinait downpour was expeiienced, which cannot but do a gieat amount of harm. On New Year's night the Cambridge Band played the old year out and the new one in, contributing a number of excellent and appiopiiate selections, in front of the Public Hall. The bells of S. Andrew's wereiung m honour of the occasion, and the lingingwas kept up well into the fir^t hour. A few boys enjoyed themselves by placing a number of boxes across the footpaths of the town, for passeis-by to fall over, and beyond this the l<ui ikin performances were, we are glad to say, veiy limited. The watch night service at the Presbyterian Church, Hamilton, on Monday night was preceded by a conversazione. The church had been tastefully decorated by Mrs McLernon, and the Misses Cawkwell, Teas, and Thomas, and at 9.30 p.m. a large number of the congregation gathered and partook of refreshments, after which a programme of sacred songs and concerted pieces was gone through, the performers being Mrs Home, Misses Trewheellar, Campbell, Bishop and Mr Trewheellar. The refreshments were provided by the ladies of the congregation. At 11.15 p.m. the watch service commenced and at midnight the bell rang the old year out and the new one in. To the Editor.— Sir,— Your Te Awamutu correspondent, in mentioning the arrival of Captain Bridge on a visit to the district, either forgot or purposely omitted,

to mention Major'tfacksoh's" name in con* nection with the 1 nifttter.. It was he who met Captain Bridge, iuui, introduced Dr. Buller to* him, and also drove/him to his house, and from 'there trt Orakau. Tin major is always pleased to show any politeness io visitors to our rising town. -I am, &c, Truth. Kihikihi, Decernbsr 31st, 1883. In reference to the native meeting aiid feast held at LL f j Quesno's Hall on Christmas Day, we are l-jque^d to state that, the meeting was c m vened and conducted by the following chiefs, acting on behalf of their respective hapus, who defrayed all expenses in connection with the meeting, amounting to about £47 : — Wi Waaka, Ngatihouia ; Te Paeranfri, Ngatitahmga; Pouwhare, Ngatitainui; Wi W.\iti, Ng.itimahanga. The orderly behaviour oi the natives on this occasion was in a great measure due to the judicious management of the above mentioned chiefs. The dinner, which comprised all the delicacies of the season, was partaken of by a large number of guests, both European and Maori, the former expressing their surprise and pleasure at the excellence of the viands, and the completeness oi the arrangements The New York Morning Journal gives some curious details of what may be called the theatrical department of the photographic business. 1< oreign theatrical celebrities, it seems, will not sit for their photographs now in New York unless they .lie paid for it. Sarah Bernhardt was first among them to make payment a sine qua non. She was besieged at her hotel by lepresentatives of the various photographic firms, but she pssitively refused to he taken unless she were paid ISOOdols for the day the operation would cost her, Sarony, the leading New York photographer, gave the price demauded, and made a large profit by tile transaction. He was so much encouraged by this .success that he offeied Madame Patti a thousand dollars for a sitting when she arrived in New Yoik, and the prima donna accepted it. The result was not, however, so satisfactory as in the other case. There was a clause in the the agreement that the sitter should have the privilege of rejecting any of the negatives that did not please her, and she broke them all but one. Mrs Langtry received nothing from the photographers, and was always willing to sit when requested, Pictures of her were in fact already so numerous that any oonsidereble addition to the number would have made a glut in the maiket. Sarony has aheady offeied Mi Irving a thousand dollars for his pictme : and it is .said that the offer has been accepted. A Broadway retailer told the wiiter of the notice that Madame Nilsson'u portrait was the one most in demmd at present. '"Oscar Wilde," he addi'l, sold hr.st-class when first he came over ; but there is nothing doing in him now. living will sell big ; and I guess Ellen Teiry will be a big go. We'ie badly in want of something new." Tke following special tele?rams to the Press Association, dated London, December 30th and 31st have been published :— The Observer thinks it would be wiso of English statesmen to in every way assist the Australian colonies to the attainment of their national aspirations in the Pacific— The session of the Fieuch Chainbeis has cloaoe 1 . They will re-as-semble on the 13th January. — The Orange leaders in Ulstei pioposetoemoll an armed Oicinge militia.— The KnjjHsh (4.n eminent proposes spending £100,000 on defensive woiks at Aden.— A pilgrimage is to be made to the Tomb of Victor Emmanuel on the Ist of JiinUiU y by 100,000 Fieeniasons. — The garrison at Sontay suffeied a loss of (iOOO men, and the Fiench captmed 1,000,000 doll.us.— lt is reported that acting on the advice of the Powers the Chinese have letued to Bacninh. — M. Tricon proceeds to Hue to compel the new king to sign a treaty with Fiance. It is stated that the Tmkos assaulted Sontay m a most lecklcss manner, and one company was almost totally destroyed. —Chma appeals disposed to make further concessions to France. M. Comdett has returned to Hanoi. Our correspondent, "St. Mungo," writes : -We have had a number of iiies lately, and the reason why we cannot tell. It is a cm ions fact that fires usually occur when times arc hard and the building trade is slack, but the present epidemic is the exception that proves the rule. Despite the circumstances, to which I have alieady alluded, that much time and money has been lost through the recent unseasonable weather, it cannot be said that the times are hard, and certainly there is no slackness in the building trade. On the contrary, that particular branch of business is very brisk. Stores, shops, hotels, factories, and houses ate going up on all sides ; the Harbour Board office have just been commenced ; and the new railway station and Free Public Libary and Art Gallery will soon be begun. Then what causes the fires ? Are they all the result of accidents, or have the insurance companies something to answer for 1 1 believe that they have. I am not going to risk an action for libel, so will mention no names, but I am quite sure that some, at least, of the recent fires would not have occuired, had the property burnt been uninsured. As I have said, I am not going to risk an action for libel, for though the law holds that it is a good and valid defence to such an action that the alleged libel is true and was published for the public good, it would be a most difficult matter to piove the truth of the statement. Besides which, litigation is very costly, despite, or in consequence of (I do not know which, but think the latter) the immense number of lawyers we now have.