The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 4000, 17 June 1870, Page 3

The Daily Southern Cross.

t.tjc&6; fto>r into. If 1 h*Te beott extinguished, yet there ilie A thoiumd be»cons from the ipark I bore.

FRIDAY, SPITE 17, 1870.

Auckland is not the only province in New Zealand suffering 'from '"' depression." Nelson hasbeen forced to economise. Itsgoldfield revenue has fallen off; and in several 'directions tlikre'aWiftv dilations that this 1 is not -or contemporary, but a permanent failure of revenue.- There is" nothing to be hoped for from its waste lands ; and unless £he negotiations for the Nelson^ and Cobden, railway succeed in England,'

I tlio prospects of the province will not be bright, v 2 Canterbury has been going through the mill of adversity for several years ; and although we conceive it possible, with a wise administration of the provincial estate and income, to establish the prosperity of that province on a permanent basis, we fear the love of " speculative improvements " is too great to admit of such a policy getting a fair trial. Canterbury progressed too rapidly for several years ; and it would be difficult to convince the population now that a like period of prosperity may not be again within their grasp. But the prosperity of Canterbury was in reality caused by the. s.ile ol its waste lanus, and expenditure of the proceeds by the Provincial Government. The population were simply living upon capital ; and they now feel the pinch, because, the lands once sold aud the money spent, it is impossible to repeat the operation. What remains of the public estate does not command a ready sale ; and, indeed, we do not wonder at this, for we do not believe there is an acre of waste land in the colony worth £2 to cultivate. Canterbury is likewise " depressed ;" and aloau/public works, and immigration, are spoken of lin the same breath by men of all parties, as the only practicable means for saving the province. Otago, the most populous, aud without doubt the most prosperous province in the colony, is " in difficul- " ties " also. The Otago Dtrdl// Times, of the 18th ult., devotes a 'leading article to this subject. In a former issue we published an extract from this article, which affirmed that " depression is more or less visible in " al! directions." The farmers cry out for cheap labour, and 1 abourers demand work. The pastoral interest is depressed ; miners do not earn temptingly high wages ; and, says the Times, " commercially , we are in the " throes of a crisis, from which we " cannot hope to emerge without " ruinous suffering " This is very much to be reo-re^ted indeed ; but we cannot help thinking that a good deal of the stagnation complained of is the faulb of the people themselves. Our Dunedin contemporary censures the Provincial Government, and we dare say not without reason. When the General Government of the colony — the type of all tbat is perfect in the eyes of our contemporary — may be guilty of extravagance, and may also occasionally make an administrative blunder, it is not to be supposed that the less perfect type of government should be free from blemish Hence Aye are prepared to find the Daily Times lecturing the Provincial Executive for its sins of omission and commission, The provincial administration is too costly in Otago, —so our contemporary says, and it doubtless knows very much more about it than we do. But we hardly think that any practicable reduction of the Provincial Government expenses in Otago would remove the depression whieffour contemporary deplores. The Times stays :— . "A more unsatisfactory state of " affairs could scarcely be imagined. " The resources of the province aro -coitamly hoc to be doubted, but " comparatively little is being done to "develop them, and consequently "there arc no counteracting influences " at work." Herein lies the real secret of the depression in Otago, aud als:> of the ( stagnation complained of in other provinces. "The resources of the "province are certainly not to be " doubted, but comparatively little is " being done to develop them." This is as true of Auckland as it is of Otago ; it is as true of Welliugton, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki, as it is of Canterbury, Nelson, Southland, and Ma^lborough. And so long as this continues to be true of any or all the provinces of the colony, shall we hear -the cry of " depression " from time to time. We say, unhesitatingly, that considering the age of the colony, the quantity of available land, its admirable climate, vast mineral resources, and facilities for successful occupation, less has been done towards the settlement of this country, as a whole, than in any' other country, with anything like equal natural advantages, on the face of the globe. The waste lands of the Crown have been alienated without ensuring their beneficial occupation. Vested interests have been created, which are inimical to agricultural settlement ; and the system of expenditure devised by those who have bad the conduct of public affairs has gone far towards encouraging recklessness in private life. The consequence of all these causes combined is stagnation from one end of the colony to the otnerj dissatisfaction with existing institutions • and a disbelief in the future of the country. These things ought not to be. The remedy is simple enough, if it is only applied. Let our fellow settlers learn to practise the virtue of self-denial, and pursue economy in their private affairs ; and then they can insist upon ari economical system of government Lbt them set manfully to work io " develop the resources of the pro- " yince" in which they reside, endeavour by patient industry to make their land produce as much as possible, and they will soon find the difficulties and discouragements which now beseb them yajrish. But at the present time there is jio systematic effort made to reclaim the waste lands, and develop the latent resources' of the country. Settlers are ankious to make money by fanning 1 ; rt make it pay," we believe, is the phrase. Bub a moment's reflection oujjht to convince settlers in a newcountry that to " make money" out of agricultural pursuits, in t_he shape of a credit balance at the bank, is' out of th^ question. ' If they can support themselves and their families, and, year byjytar add acre to acre of cultivated. Taud from Ihe waste; iftliey can multiply their _„c attle, .'ancT, 'sheep;-' and hotses, and r stock :tliei'r "poultf^ yard, an| build houses and' barns, they are , laying the foundations ~ "of " a future of I independence" and' cornforfc^ sil'tiaoxigh. the^r may have^no .balance at

the -bant, and - cannot claim, to be capitalists. This can only be accomplished, however, by attempting small things at first. The great' error of settlement in this country is that the settlers attempt too much. They try to "farm on a large scale," and break down, because wild land in NewZealand is very different from arable land in the United Kingdom. But by clearing and cultivating a small quantity of land well, it is in the power of nearly everyone to succeed. However, we have often noticed that settlers here begin at the wrong end. In America, the settler's home is the last eonsidera tion ; his bam, dairy, cewshed, and stable are his first. In New Zealand, all the available cash is often spent in building a sung family residence, and the cattle, if any have been bought, are turned adrift " on the run," to pick up a scanty and precarious living, whilst the land is left for years almost in a state of nature. Until this system, or rather "want of system, conies to an end, we have no hope of any great improvement in the circumstances of the colony. Retrenchment in public expenditure is veiy good and desirable in its way; but private retrenchment, personal economy, and patient industry are better, and will be found much more potent agencies in the successful : development of the resources of the colony.

[ His Honor the Clref Justice sat id the ' Supreme Court in its ?crimlnal jurisdiction f yesterday. Matthew h.. Frost was brought up charged with having stolen a watch and c"iain from a fellow- volunteer at Shortland • but, a'ter a long investigation, the juy ' brought in a verdict ol No guilty, when the prisoner was discharged. The cane against William Fagg, for selling arms to the natives, I was next takca, but was adjourned until today. After a portion ol the ev'dence had I been adduced, Mr. MacCormick took a technical objection to 'Me appointment Inspec jor Thompsonlproduced, the consideration ol which was reserved by Irs Honor. | An interesting fact was brought out in the examinat.on of a native, wbo stahed that the money paid by the Government for native land was expended in the purchase of arms. An adjourned rneeling of the committee of the AucLland Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday m the hall of the Mechanics' Jnsi/tute, when the report of the Dock Committee was adopted. The report of the commiu'u&e on the storage of gunpowder and kerosine was also read and adopted ; and a motion was adopted, appointing a committee io draw up a petifon to the General Assembly, praying that the restriction upon the lardiug of kerosine at the wharf be removed. The report will be found in another column. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a large parcel of illustrated papers from Mrs, Hamley for the use of the inmates of the Lunatic Asylum ; also, two small parcels of papers, for the Provincial Hospital and the Lunatic Asylum, from Mr. P. A. Philips. According to the established rota Messrs. W. T. Buckland and W. C. Dalcly should be the presiding magistrates at the Police Court; this morning. At a special meeting of the City Board of Commissioners held yesterday, the salary of the Chairman was fixed at c 125, and Ml. P. A. Philips was re-elected. The Board passed a resolution affirming the desirability pf passing a Municipal Corporations Bill in the present session of the General Assembly. Other business of importance was transacted. A deputation from the Kauwaeranga Highway Board waited upon Dr. Nicholson, Provincial Secretary, on Wednesday, to solicit « ""^"iw*;^ ~r J3xoo num ime iunas voted for the assistance of District Highway Boards at last session of the Council. The deputation represented that the money was required to supplement the contributions of the Board and the inhabitants of Willoughbystreet towards the formation of the latter thoroughfare from the beach to the road leading to the Hape Creek. The Provincial Secretary replied that he would lay the matter before the Deputy-Superintendent, and if the funds would permit he had no doubt the request would be complied with, or as much assistance afforded the Board as the state of the finances allowed. There was quite a flutter amongst the fair sex in Wellington- and Hobson-streets on Wednesday last. Old and young, they were to be seen at the windows and doors shortly before eleven -o'clock. Prom certain wellknown indications which cannot escape the argus eyes of the ladies, they had instinctively divined that a wedding was on the tapis, and they were gratified towards eleven o'clock with the sight of a train of carriages drawn by the orthodox grey horse 3 which came dashing along Hobson-street at arattlingpace. It soon became generally known that a double marriage was about to be celebrated, and the .ivenne leading to." the church was soon thronged. The gaily dressed bridesmaids., and other accessories, mustered in full force on the occasion, and the two couples, Mr. Yates and Miss R. Mahon, and Mr. Armstrong and Miss Sutherland, were shortly afterwards united in the bonds of Hymen by theßev, D. Jones; and, being members of the choir of the churoh, the latter gave their services on the occasion under their conductor, Mr. J. Browne. A Provincial Government Gazette was published yesterday, containing the boundaries of the town of G-rahamstown under tb.6 Slaughter-house Act ; list of abandoned mining leases ; notice of election of Messrs. James George, John Sceats, and F. Bugden as City Commissioners ; appointment of Henry Shillito as ferryman at Port Waikafcoj copies of tenders for public works ; notice of appointment o£ Richard James Moore as secretary and collector to the Waipipi Highway Board. Statements , of the affairs of the following goldmining companies are published : — Providence, Una, Springfield, Royal Charter, Royal Standard Extended, Macdonald, Pride of Karaka, Cape of Good Hope, Blue Jacket, Fearnaught, Golden Calf, Clydesdale, .Lone Star, Alburnia and Pride of the West, Kuranui Spur, Nil Desperandttm, Tokatea, Dixon's No. 1, Shofcover No. 1, Kellys, Cornwallis, El Dorado, Southern Cross, and Waitemata. The accounts for the province during the quarter ended 31st March are published ; also, the names of eight persons to whom licenses to kill game have been issued. The inquest on the body of John Roskill was held j esterday afternoon at" the Railway Terminus Hotel, before Dr. Philson and a jury, of whom Jamea Chaplain was foreman. After the witne ses had been examined, a verdict was returned that "deceased was found drowned with a weight attached to his body ; but by what means there was no evidence to show." Yesterday afternoon a, man named John-B. Carey was given in charge to Constable Harriett by Joha Leodck, on a charge of having destroying ships' stores. The prisoner will be brought up at the Police Court thia morning. - ? ' The proceedings of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce are" not I often enlivened by anecdotes of so- highly interesting a character as one that was related , yesterday. One of, the speakers, in .referring to the Dangerous. Goo/ls^ct,' remarked^hat the danger in r conjhection with gunpowder storage had been increased, rather' th.j,a._diminished by its removal to Mount Eden, , In support of his statement he <said it wag well known thab the* majority of, gunpowder' accidents occurred I while "it was In process of being jfeifcovedfrom* one plqce^ta another. As an ins'ance of° that, he^might state that, on one occasion, j-a wagonr goaded • with gunpowder ■ was! Ijtrave^ng. r jfr<MaT><-,9pe«r place to.'mnotheiy

but that, "owing to leakage, a quantity of jthe powder was spilt. A man followed the wagon at a distance of ten miles. He lighted Ilia pipe thoughtlessly, a spark fell upon the road, ignited the powder, and the flame rapidly flashed along to the train, and, communicating itself to the leaking barrel, blew up the whole wagonload I What would be the effect had the wagon reached the magazine ? We gladly welcome anything that is likely to make these meetings of the Chamber attractive, and we have no doubt that a few such anecdotes as the one noticed above, and which bears evident marks of having been I imported direct from America by the ' City of Melbourne. 3 would ensure a larger attendance of merchants. This evening, at half-past seven o'clock, Mr. J. J. Neave will deliver a lecture on "A Trip n the Missionary Ship 'John. Williams, ' " in place of the one formerly advertised to be delivered by Dr. Hectoi*, who is triable to be present on this occasion. A. Beetham, Esq., andß. F. Porter, Esq.' J.P.s, sat at the Police Conrt yesterday. The latter-named gentleman was sent for after some delay, the second J.P. on the iota not making his appearance. Mr. Samuel Brown pleaded ignorance of the stringent provisions of the Dangerous Goods Act ; and, it being the first prosecution under that Act, a nominal penalty of £1 was imposed : the 24 cases of kerosine were forfeited, the Bench having no alternative in the matter. For having a shelf Projecting over the footpath, W. J. Messen§er was fined £1 and costs. A deep gloom is admitted to have settled for the time upon the mining prospects of Victoria. The voice of speculators under the Verandah at Melbourne, and at the Corner at Ballarat, is well nigh hushed More significant still, the returns of gold exported for the year 1869 show a deficiency, compared with the return of 1868, of 316,659 ounces. The average earnings of each miner would appear to be a little under £1 11s. 6d. per week. It is not surprising to find that these circumstances should have led to an agitation at Ballarat for the reduction of the rent of auriferous lands held under mining leases, from £1 to ss. per acre. A man named Edwin Glover yesterday evening narrowly escaped drowning. It appears that about eight o'clock he went down the Queen-sLreet Wharr wLh the indention of go ; iig on board the p.s. ' Coineraug,' and fell over the whari in the harboar. He was, however, obcsrved by a woman, who gave the alarm, and Constable Karnett and others about at once rendered ass'sbance in getting him out. He had been but a *ew minutes in the water, but durirg that time he was almost drowned. He was at once conveyed to the Police stauion, and Dr. Nicholson sent for, who upon his arrival supplemented the efforts of the police in restoring animation. By eleven o'clock he had sufficiently recovered to tell his name, although far from being well. The following is a fair sample of the vicissitudes of life experienced upon some of the Queenslandgold-fields. A correspondent writing from the Gilbert on the 25 Ih of March mentions that the latest date from Townsville was on the Ist of January, and the most recent intelligence from Sydney was contained in a paper of the 4th of December. The inhabitants had been teetotallers for a. fortnight,' owing to the stocks of liquors having been all exhausted, and flour was selling at £10 per bag. Far worse, however, was the plight of the diggers at an outlying gold-field known as Western Creek. There every ounce of flour and every pound of meat had been consumed, and fresh supplies could not be obtained, as the district was hemmed in by flooded rivers and large ti'acts of inundated country. At first the diggers made war upon the crows some thousands of which were shot and eaten. Ocasionally a parrot or two were shot, and a meal of split peas and vinegar constituted an agreeable variety. Ultimately the crows became so scarce and shy that a digger tells a story of himself and two companions dogging the flight of a cunning old carrion for three miles popping at him 11 times during the excursion, and ultimately bringing him down. In default, of, wnwcL+.lie. miner «i WIIaA tko juuug iioises~ then, the old ones, and finally the working bullocks, which must have proved very tough eating, Without tea, sugar, or fermented liquors, the diggers became compulsory converts to the doctrines of Father Mathew. Thecharacter of the youngmenof a comma nity depends much on the character of the young womeD. If the latter are polished, intelligent, and accomplished, the young men w±ll feel the requirement that they themselves should be upright, and gentlemanly, and refined ; but if the female friends are frivolous and silly, the young men will be found to be dissipated and worthless. Bntremember, always, that a sister is the besb guardian of a brother's integrity. She is tbe surest inculcator of a faith in female purity. As a daughter, she is the light of home. The pride of a fathei is Oitenest centered in his daughter. She should, therefore, be the sun and centre of all.