The Daily Southern Cross

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4197, 26 January 1871, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross

LUOKO, NON tliO. If I ha\e been extinguished, yet theie rise A Umhwukl beaoons tiumtlie s>pirlc I bore

TiCVittiiJdr, JAXVAXY 2S, 187 i.

The report of the Local Industries Com matte, submitted to the I'rovmeial G'jua cil, embodies suggestions and recommedaLiona of the most valuable kind. And some system m accordance with, ibe principles therein contained muat, sooner or liUcr, be adopted oil an extensive scale, it' the province or the colony is lo advance m the path of beUieuiend and general progress. One of the earliest impulses >> it en to settlement and agricultural advancement in Victoria was caused by the adoption of the same principle on the reDuffy. And to the offer of grants of land (or the trial and establishment of " new " and untried " productions in fcko colony, Victoria 13 indebted, not only lor the knowledge of many valuable pi'oducts that otherwise might have been unknown ior years, but very largely for that spirit that has, since that time, characterised all Victorian enterprise. The recommendations of the committee are at the same .time not exempt from danger. The indiscriminate and general granting of areas of country on the faith of the expressed intentions of applicants to devote the land lo special purposes would inevitably result in abuse ; while the many subterfuges by winch imposed conditions can be evaded should make the utmost caution be used in alienating extensive tracts of land. Should the principle recommended be at any time put into practical effect, the laud intended to be given should not be alienated in the first tuafcatifle, no matter how valid the guarantee ior the fulfilment of coadUious, i3ut beiug held in possession by the Government, it should be given on lease at a nominal rental, subject to express conditions of resumption, in case the specified graduated stages of prepa ration and production were not at tamed ; while the fee simple should be given only when success had been practically proved by a marketable article in specified quantity passing the test of impartial judges. There is at all times a tendency in such conditional grants t attempt the evasion of conditions, and an equal tendency on the part of the authorities, underpressure, to torego them. And should a very large number of persons have acquired possession of country under conditional terms, the cancellation of portion of the conditions will eventually become a hustings cry, which will tell ou the divisions in the Legislature, and in consequence on the policy of the lixecutive. This is the great uanger of such «HvivtWao»l axcaugemyuts between a Guvernmen u and a peopije and inmost cases the reward ot bonus lor proved results, as also recommended in the report of the committee, has prored the most effective means to quicken production. ' At the same time, if due caution is used, and progressive stages are from time to time iequired in the conditions, the chances are that at no one time will the neglect of conditions have so culminated as to produce an effective election cry. It was such a system of conditional leases that originated and ultimately established the growth of the sugar-cane and the manufacture of sugar aud rum in a neighbouring colony ; and there is no reason to be conceived why it should not be productive of a like result in the province of Auckland in establishing the growth of the products enumerated m the report of the committee. Of all these there ia nono more deserving of consideration than the beetroot. If our climate yGVcaititivdL the dS Vqb sngscs--uane, tkeve are many reasons why that means of producing sugar would be preferred. But just as Canada, with its maple trees, is in some measure independent of the tropical production, so JNew Zealand, in common with all other countries in the temperate zones, has in the beet root a pi&fifc capable of producing ia unlimited abundance all the sugar required for local consumption. It caunot be said that the sugar from the beet root is equal in every respect to that from fcUo caae, aad with travellers on the Continent of .Europe it requires a little time to acquire the taste for appreciates (he beet-root sugar, there so generally used. But, the taste once acquired, it answers all the purposes of the tropical production. And considering the enormous field of industry to be opened up by our local consumption, and the large sums of money which the local production of sugar would retain in the country, the encouragement of the growth of the beetroot, and the manufacture of sugar, are deserving of the deepest interest, Next ia importance comes the quUiYatioa of •

the vine, and the production of wine, on the value of which the Council had already expressed a marked opinion in adapting the resolutions of Dr. Stratford. "Wine does not, indeed, enter into our consumption at present as & necessary of life, and its production may therefore, not be deemed so important as that of sugar. But, observing the position which light and wholesome wines take in the ordinary dietary scale of the population of winegrowing countries, the unmistakably moral effect which their consumption has on the habits of the people, and the health and harmless refreshment of which their consumption is productive, we cannot but admit that the growth of the Vine is one of the most interesting of all the industrial occupations craving the fostering care of the Legislature. Sericulture is perhaps the product of a denser populatioa than the colonies can boaat. That ifc could be success fu\\y carried out, so far as climate and soil are concerned, cannot be questioned. New Zealand possesses a similar climate in all respects to Japan, from which the best class of silkworms in the world are derived ; while for the mulberry, most suited to the taste of the little spinners, the climate and soil have already proved their fitness. This is an industry specially fitted for families, and as such might become exceedingly valuable, even though it should not nfford employment to large numbers of adults at the rate of wages current in sparse populations. These and many other industries of a new and to us comparatively untried character might receive a strong impulse by the judicious use of the principle of encouragement recommended. But perhaps the mosfc valuable suj/psfcion of all" isr "that " for the establishment of sinaU colotues of Swiss, French, German, Italian, or other populations accustomed from infancy to the industries desired. Such a suggestion could readily be carried out in connection with the immigration scheme of the General Government. And the consequences of the exile of the Huguenot refugees to England might be reproduced in the establishment of various industries in New Zealand, tbat would yef. eclipse fclie success that his attended them in the places from which they were derived.

In the Provincial Council, yesterday afternoon, various matters were discussed. Many indications are not wanting that members are now anxious to get away to their horaeg after their tbree months' labour at legislating for the province. The Appropriation Bill passed through committee, and the third reading fixed for to-day. The Mount Sfc. John Rescivcs Bill was advanced a stage, and the [ bill amending the Licensing Act passed ) bhi ougt2 }Ys 2-s2»sj»j»^ stages. A»w TEiducation BiU was brought down by ih.e Government, and the Hauraki Town Boavd Bill stmck. off the notice paper. At the Native Lands Court the inquiry into the ownership of the Te Aroha case was continued. An old man was examined at considerable length. The Court will sit again this forenoon. We publish elsewhere a full account of the visit of the Ifon. D. McLean to the East Coast on board the Government p.s. 'Luna.' One important result of Mr. MsLean's visit . has been the prevention of hostilities between two hapus of the Arawas who had Quarrelled about a piece of land. By tho arrival of the ' "Merlin % h-om ~Wrp } on Tuesday evening we are in Teceipt of files of the Fiji Times to the 7th. They have, however, been anticipated by a prior arrival. Messrs. Turton and Dargaville -were the presiding magistrates at the Police Court yesterday. The chief part of th« business was of the ordinary character. An old offender was sent for four months to crack stones at Mount Eden, for taking a fancy to two pairs of trousers for which he had not paid. Bobert Leary, another old offender, was committed for trial upon a charge of having broken into, and stolen a quantity of clothing from, the house of H. Schumacker, in Mount-street. Amongst the business in the Council today, Mr. Lusk ia to move, "That this Council recommends that the following railway works should be undertaken by the Colonial Government in pursuance of clause 6 of the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870 :—(1): — (1) A continuation of the line from Auckland to Waikato, by the valley of the Waikato to the frontier settlements of the Wovtato delta. {2\ &. branch, line to connect Waiufcu and the adjacent settlements with the line from .Auckland to the Waikato. (3) A railway from Mahurangi to Port Albert. And that when practicable they should be carried out under the guarantee by the colony of six per cent, upon the outlay." A special service was held at St. Paul's Church last evening, when the service was read by the Jttev. Mr. Nelson, and a sermon preached by the Jbtev. E. Otway, from Philippians, i., 21: "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." At the conclusion of the service a collection was made in aid of the organ fund. The annual soiree in aid of the Sunday School takes place this evening, at half-past 6 o'clock, when the proceedings will be interspersed with singing and addresses. Some of the American papers fear that, "At the present rate of appointments by the American Senate, nine-tenths of the people will soon live off the other tenth." This puts the New Zealand Civil Service in the shade altogether. We notice that, in the formation of Ylncenh-atreeb, a precipice »Wafc Sifc, in depth, has been cut across the footpath in Cook-street. There is neither lamp nor hand-rail on the spot, and the place is therefore, in its present state, dangerous. We trust steps will be taken to guard against accident. Dr. Stratford is to move in the Council today, " That the Board of Education should require that every teacher in any boys' school shall possess a knowledge of the elements of military drill, and that all youths taught in any public school shall be instructed in the rudiments of the same at least twice in every week, according to their age and ability, and that a certificate of the attendance and the obedience of each pupil shall be required by the Board." We regret to learn of the death of Mrs. Bell, wife of William Bell, of the firm of Williams and Co., of this city. Mrs. Bell died in giving birth to twins, which are also dead. A correspondent, signing himself "Pro<g:esta./ J writes :— " Mr. Bafchgaia h&S been I returned for Danedin. ffis strong protection i views having gained him the support of the people, ia a sign of the times, and evidence fche intelligence of the working people of that city." As a specimen of the kind of "shaves' which get afloat amongst the natives now in town, we may mention the following, which was sent to us yesterday for publication :•— " Sir, you may not be awaw that fche Maoris have got hold of a story to the effect that the reason of there being no money in Auckland i 3 that the Prince took it all away when- he left. The Maoris firmly believe the story, and are curiouß to hear lrhat it tow that ca«3ed the Prince to take the money." The annual Sunday-school feast in connection with All Saints' Parish will take place this day at 1 p.m., near Shelly Beach. TJne teachers and parishioners have been exerting themselves for some time past to provide efficiently for the amusement of the child* ren; and, should the weather keep fin©, we have no doubt our young-friends will spend • very agreeable afternoon. The annual gener*! meeting of the subscribers to the Auckland Dispensary ia .anribunoed to be hejd'thisuftornbon "witho'

It is rumoured that the Provincial Government do not intend appointing a successor to Mr. Mitchell, reoigned. The Hon. D. McLean was a passenger to . Auckland yesterday by the Government ' p.B. 'Luna. Creditors in the estate of Joseph Wilkins are desired to prove their claims with Mr. James Coupland, trustee in the estate, on or before the 13th February. A soiree in connection with St. Paul's Sunday-school is announced to be held this evening in the Muaie Hall, at half-past six o'clock. A meeting of the trustees of the Auckland ' Savings Bank is to be held this afternoon, at four o'clock. It may not be generally known that ice creams can be obtained at any Ivouc up to midnight at the shop recently opened by Mr. Chirton,near the Theatre Royal, Queenstreet. We notice that Mr. C. Fletcher, Albertstreet, Grahamstown, has been, appointed agent at the Thames for the Auatialiau Mutual Provident Society. "We notice that our suggestion with regard to postponing the swimming matches has been adopted by the committee, it being notified that the matches have been postponed till Tuesday, the 31st instaut— the day after the Regatta. The singing class of the Auckland Educational Society will be resumed on Thursday evening, the 2nd- February, at half-past seven o'olock. The annual ball in connection with the A.O.F. and 1.0.0. F. is announced to be celebrated in the hall of the Mechanics' Institute on th« evening of Regatta-day, Monday next. The p.s. ' Golden Crown ' is announced to make a special excursion trip from Auckland to the Thames on Monday next. She will leave tkd Que<sn-si c <j e fc Wkiitf at half-past aix o'olock. An emergency mating of theWaiteuiata Lodge is announced to be] held this evening in the Masonic Hotel. The fourth call of 2d. per scrip has been made payable by shareholders in the Golden Horn Goldmining Company. An application has been made by the legal manager to register the Vulcan Goldminiug " Company, Tararu Creek.