Dunedin.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 802, 12 May 1876, Page 6

Dunedin.

(From our own Correspondent.)

The ucw l'rincess Theatre was opened on Tuesday evening, on which occasion a concert was given in the theatre by Mdlle. De Murska and company. The building in its internal appearance is elegant, is well ventilated (though there is room for improvement), and on that always exceedingly doubtful point, acoustic properties, it is a success. A feature of the theatre is its broad and spacious passages, which give the audience facility to enter and leave without the unpleasant crowding and crushing to which Dunedin audiences have had so long to accustom themselves. There was £300 in the house on the first night. In this context I may refer to the wonderful, and I may say unexampled, success of Mdlle. De Murska. here. With the exception of a single performance on a Saturday night, the takings at her concerts have never been less than £2-50, and arc generally about £,275. People say money is tight, and they say so, too, with a great deal of truth. Money is tight in the ordinary course of business, but it flows freely wherever amusement or display is concerned. It is to be feared, however, that the retail tradespeople, whose accounts have to stand over while this expenditure is going on, are pretty often the sufferers. On Monday the Princess Theatre was lighted up prior to its formal opening, on which occasion a lunch took place. Among the guests was his Honor the Snpcrintcndent, and he in the course of his speech narrated an incident of old Dunedin, disclosing what looks very like the story of the foundation of Mr Sibbald's fortune. "It is now," said his Honor, " 23 or 24 years; ago since Mr Sibbald anil I stood upon this very spot. At that time it was a kind of swamp, covered with flax bushes higher than our heads. I remembar that I was descanting with Mr Sibbald about the future value of this particular piece of property, and it was only by great persuasion on my part that he was induced to purchase the freehold of it at a price which was considered high in those times. I think that he will bear me out when I say that it was after a good deal of fear and trembling that he purchased the property." ll is Honor then further went on to profess the faith that he had at that time in the ultimate rise ot what he called the Athens of the South. "Why, it may be asked, did his Honor not buy that particular property himself, on the value of which he so descanted ? "Why did he not secure a few stray quarteracres in the vicinity of Princes-street? And the correct answer to this is, in all probability, what is to be observed from the study of him as a politician — that w bile he churnis others

for good or ill, he has no faith in his own charming. Free railway passes for children attending the Roman Catholic schools in Dunedin, was the prayer of a deputation which waited on the Superintendent this week. The application did not look much ; but in the opinion of his Honor, while apparently insignificant, it involved the question of national and denomiuational education. The usual stereotyped reply was made, that the matter would be brought before the Executive. The bringing up of this matter has caused discussion which is not so much the question whether free passes shall be given to children attending public schools, and not given to children attending other schools, as it is upon the point of giving passes to school children at all. There is a feeling now prevailing, and which would, no doubt, become much stronger were there direct taxation for the support of schools, that education is being overdone. That is the feeling in Dunedin, which, with its five school buildings and well paid teachers, is a perfect paradise for schoolmasters, though it is a feeling which is not likely to be shared in by the country districts while comfortless school buildings prevail, and pedagogues pass rich on £G0 per year. The Otago Institute has met, and Dr Coughtrey has told the world, through the Institute, with much high sounding language aud affection of scientific expression, what we common folks knew long ago. Divested of a tremendous mass of the foggiest verbiage, what he said was to the effect that the failures of the salmon ova shipments were due not to faults and mismanagement after arrival, but rather to faulty methods of transmission. And to be told this a number of geutlemen assembled to spend what was anything but what a reporter of "tea fights" would call " a pleasant evening." Without insinuating that Mr Isaac, after his late correspondence, in which an explanation was demanded of him for a certain offensive term used, has a down on the Fire Brigade ; without impeaching his impartiality, or placing faith in coincidences, it docs strike one as a little strange that he should have chosen the present time to bring forward a motion that Dunedin should have a " responsible paid fire brigade." Such was the Council's opinion of his motion that it found no seconder, and like many other things of Mr Isaac's — -lapsed. For the Brigade to take notice of Mr Isaac showed they were very silly and very thin skinned. They would have shown respect for themselves by quietly ignoring him. But having been so foolish, Mr Isaac finds the}' should be dispensed with, and that they are not " responsible." Responsible to whom ? Of course to Mr Isaac. Mr Walter, evidently not impressed with the opinion that the office of mayor should be what a former occupant of the mayoral chair termed it, " a rolling one," is endeavoring to have another 3'ear ; and Mr Reeves, full of determination to be elected this year, has commenced what promises to be a vigorous contest. Only let each side get up an excitement, and let them spend money, and printers, publicans, and cabmen will be satisfied. Competition is the soul of trade, and applying the proverb in a somewhat distorted sense, it is in this case, as an election competition sends much coin of the realm into general circulation. The Fire Brigade has, after a great deal of trouble in raising the wherewithal, sent a detachment of eight men to the forthcoming firemen's competition at Ballarat. It is to be hoped that their visit to Victoria will be productive of good to the Brigade, and that, if they do not succeed in taking trophies, they will come back with practical knowledge acquired during their trip. If they do this expenditure will be of benefit, as there is no gainsaying the fact that the present Brigade has a great deal to learn. In concluding, I may make reference to some allusions in a leader in the 'Daily Times,' which will be well understood at least in Dunedin, the Oamaru district, and the AVcstcrn district. The ' Times,' referring to Sir Julius's last letter, saj's that the Provincial railway lines have been " most shamefully scamped," and makes no plea in extenuation. Certainly it says that the same remark is applicable to the Colonial lines, but it adds — " This is, indeed, the weak spot in Provincialism, aud some people will think it will be a fit punishment if it fails, simply owinsj to [ this. The gentlemen of the ring will know to what we refer." What a deplorable state of things is here hinted at — political corruption, contractors and politicians playing into each others hands, business demoralised, the country swindled out of its public money — no other term can be used Avhen no sufficient value is returned — and the only point to be urged in extenuation is, "The General Government is as bad." It needs some one not afraid of facing an unsavory task to clean out the political stable.