OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2563, 13 December 1888, Page 2

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

(from our own correspondent). APOLOGY. I must apologise, on the indefeasible grounds of illness, for having disappointed tny readers last week, but will endeavour to make up for lost time. APPOINTMENT Of GOVERNORS. In the meantime the makers ot history have not been idle. Perhaps the most important event has been tho almost unanimous stand taken by the Assembly in defence of the claim put forward by Queensland to be allowed tho privilege of rejecting a distasteful governor. Probably the declaration made by this colony has had more than anything else to do with the abandonment by tho Colonial Office of the " offensive" policy on which it had embarked. At first sight tho nomination «f Sir Henry Blake seems a mere exercise of patronage and nothing mprty;. Lord Knutsford had an influontially supported candidate fur whom he wishep to find a billet, and he claimed the right to send him to Queensland, whether the Quceenslanders liked it or not. Seeing that tho most important essentialof miccessful administration is the cordial co-operation and goodwill of the governed, this would be bad enough. But there is room to surmise that worse remained behind. Queensland was the only colony which rejected tho Naval Defence Bill," and it would be quite in accord with the general tenor of Tory traditions to inflict a severe Bnub in return for this insubordination on the (irat opportunity. The sudden death of the lato governor furnished the opportunity. Tho appointment of an ox-police magistrate in place of the real " live lord," dear to colonial " society " was the snub. Hence it fell out that conscientious democrats and thorough-going radicals found themselves fighting the battle of the tuft lmnting circles whoso be —all and end—all is found in the festivities of Government House. Apparently, these oddly allied forccs havo gained an unequivocal victory. Instead of administering a snub, tho Colonial Office finds itself snubbed by being compelled to withdraw its candidate. The next scene in the

comedy—the announcement of Sir Henrys successor—ia lot.lced for with a grout deal of interest. the "suuri.rs. The Treasurer's surplus 1 >:»been so pulled to pieces by "candid friends'' and hostile critics that it is now pretty evident it is no surplus at all, but simply an amiable fallacy of figures, conjured up by one-sided bookkeeping. Meanwhile precious time is Lioinp wasted in the re-stutemont in contradiction of this very patent fact, ami it appears very evident tlmt if the estimates are pasted before Christmas it can only be by the usual unseemlv haste and pressure, m ben the Government trv to expedite matters they are met by the Opposition with threats of obstruction. It would be much more to the credit of both parties if they would combine their forces to get the necessary business transacted. Th» re is no reasonable piobability of effecting any great change m piiliJio opinion, or of obtaining any decisive ifcM'ty victory before the end of the, biief fisii>n, so that the delay which is now being caused, from whatever (joint of view it t-> regarded, is inexcusable. rOUTIL'AI. I'KOKI.IC.ACY. Powerful (Jovernments inevitably tend to political profligacy. When the inner history of the present administration comes to be written wo shall Imd out how far it has illustrated the time-honoured axiom, meanwhile its outer history furnishes food for comment. We have the unemployed making roads through lands purchased by Ministers; we see the Assembly making a desperate effort, without any mandate from its constituents, to vote itself money from the public funds ; we have the Premier proposing payment to the Public Works Cominittee, which contains several members of tho Assembly, lint, perhaps the biggest | 11 job " of all is the proposal to send Air Gnodchap on a roving tour _ throughout Europe, Asia and America, to inspect railways, whoso operations are already perfectly well known, and thoroughly detailed in the professional journals. This is looked on almost universally as a "sop 5 to the powerful Goodchap faction in the House, who deeply resent tho suppression of that gentleman by our newly-imported Commissioner. Air Eddy, When Air Goodchap was at the head of the Department, such a transparently useless expenditure as this appears to bo was never even hinted at. But now the expense of supervision has been raised from &?,L'so to £(>.OOO, it is suddenly declared that it is absolutely necessary to spend four or fivo thousand pounds more. Aid that is urgently needed by municipalities for instance, is sternly refused. Yet there is plenty of money for making "ducks and drakes" in this irresponsible manner. Some people hint at a hidden compact; others, more given to romancing, declare thattheex-Commissioner intended to enter Parliament, and push the Premier from his perch. I don't see that there is any need to resort to any farfetched hypotheses. -The weakness and want of principle which are involved are very patent on the face of the transaction — vso patent that they ought to secure its rejection, THB DROUGHT. It is disheartening to learn that wliile we have been comforting ourselves with hopes of a gradual return to prosperity, the absencc of the usual spring rains is causing hardship and loss nearly all over the colony. There was a very fair lambing, lint now the lambs are dying. Except in a few favoured cases in a few favoured loedities tho wheat crops will be nil. The rnin still holds off. and the outlook is gloomy in the extreme. An idea is gaining ground that the salvation of agriculturists is to lie found in water trusts and irrigation, and that of pastoralists ill the storage of ensilage. Jjotli of these, expedients have been found successful in practice, but this colony is veiy backward in adopting them. One cause of this is to found in tho chaotic state of the laws relating to water conservation which puts an effectual veto on the employment of capital. NATUR.-H OAS. Tlio latest indu.-tiial sensation in the metropolis is tiie discovery of natural gas at Narrabeen, near Manby. While boring for coal at a depth of some 3IJOO feet, the gas began to foice its way up the bore, ami the workmen do their cooking and lighting by it. Of course, it is quite possible that it may prove to be merely a small reservoir which will soon be exhausted. At present, however, the pressure is sniheient to overcome a column of water estimated at S'OO.bs to the square inch. It is in the hands of a syndicate, who intend appealing to the public for capital to test and develop their discovery. They state that the gas is identical in composition with that of Pittsburg, (U.S.), which ha . almost entirely displaced coal for manufacturing purposes, being found adequate even to the smelting of metals and the melting and forging of iron. Should the Narrabecn discovery turn out to be on the same scale, it is predicted that the North Shore will promptly become the most important manufacturing centre in Australia. The expense of utilising natural (fas being very much less than that of raising coal. The Pittsburg reservoirs have been tapped, I believe, for about 25 years, and show no signs _of exhaustion. It is, therefore, finite within the bounds of possibility that the Nurrabeen discovery may turn out iv very " big thing." On the other hand, extended operations may cause it to "filter out" with inglorious promptitude. Meanwhile the fact which is most prominent in the minds of the investing puhiic is that they are likely to be asked for money, and their first impulse is to button up their pockets accordingly. FIRE. Tho destruction by fire of the new offices of the Evening News last Sunday night, though a terrible calamity, has its bright side. It revealed the strength of the resources of metropolitan journalism, and the esprit sle corps by which its directors areactuated. The proprietors of the Herald placed their machinery at the disposal of the News ; and two rival evening papers aie now amicably set up and printed side by side. Half the Town and Country Journal will be printed at the Daily Telegraph office, and the Government Printer will lend his wonderful aid to bring out the remainder.