The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, 27th JULY, 1866

Dunstan Times, Issue 222, 27 July 1866, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, 27th JULY, 1866

* Beneath the rule of entirely just, the pen Is m-yshtier than the sword!”

The Municipal Elections have now terminated, and in a manner, we believe, satisfactory to the majority of those interested in their result. At both Clyde and Cromwell there was great excitement, far more than has ever been the case in any election for members of either of the branches of legislature—in the one instance the result was not of purely local interest, but rather concerned the community at large; but in the election of a mayor and councillors the actual voters are the persons immediately interested, for however apathetic people may be in recording their votes with respect to matters connected with the general public, wKcu, as in the present insjap.oe, they are individ-v*uly effected—every voter comes freely forward to record his vote and -will also use any influence he may possess to win over ottiers to his way of thinking. The excitement consequent upon the late elections is a most convincing proof that the citizens of Clyde and Cromwell have great confidence in the future prosperity of their townships ; and that having made these places their homes | they, one and all, are determined to do their utmost to advance their especial interests. Had the government not neglected to sell the land at Alexandra and so have permit' ted the people there to become their own freeholders, there would have been a third municipal town on the banks of the Molyneux, the inhabitants of Alexandra being equally fully alive to the advantages of a municipality, but were, through the apathy of the government, unable to avail themselves of the opportunity. Now, however, that the town allotments there are so shortly to be sold, the residents will not be slow in putting! themselves in as equally prominent a position as their neighbours at! Clyde and Cromwell. Tho advantages of a munici-! pality over the old system of im-j provement-committees have been! too frequently commented upon' to need any reference here; the residents in each of the three towns are sufficiently alive to the fact that the employment of gold mining has now become a settled industry—the migratory habits of the miners have, in a measure, ceased —the workings themselves ate of a more permanent character, and instead of claims being worked

out in a week or a month as heretofore, years must hence elapse before they can be exhausted. Agricultural pursuits will be entered into onamuch more extensive scale, and gradually as time wears on, other branches of industry will spring into existence. Society will be more self-containing, and the present exhaustive system of sending away to remote places for the purchase of goods which should be manufactared on the spot by local artizans, will become a thing of the past —the purchase-money will be thus retained in the district and circulated from one to the other. In many instances the up-county towns of j Otago have shown a spirit of go-a-headism, highly commendable, but in respect to local productions they are not sufficiently advanced, and goods are imported from elsewhere which should be manufactured on the spot—-we have heard people obiect to local manufactures or productions on the score of expense, but when the costs of carriage, trouble, delay, and perhaps the article itself not being exactly what was required, are taken into account, the homemade ones will be found to have been preferable; or supposing that even the cost was somewhat more the cash representative of the article is retained in the place of ' its production, and Jirorrrthe variof trade some - portion of it is sure to find its way back into the pocket of the original disburser. The mayor and councillors, as representatives of the citizens, will perceive it their duty to forward the interests of their respective townships to the utmost in their power; upon their actions will depend, not only the success of the municipalities, but that of the townships themselves. With judicious management the system may be considerably extended, and from a small beginning very important results may follow. The present may be said to be our first step in local self-government Shire councils and road-boards will, here as in Victoria, follow in ' the wakeof theruralnumicipalh' :s, eventually all and each • endowed with curtail , of the local revenue ; ijioy will be thus self-supporting, and in a position tcrUold their own without resorting to the undignified proceeding of supplicating the government for special “grants in aid” or for sums I of money to make good deficiencies. With a competent and intelligent body of men, comprising our municipal councils, there is no fear but that the best results will follow, for it must be very clear to every one, that dull as things are now, the condition of the residents on the f goldfields of this province is far in advance of those in other places. In no country in the world is labor so high or employment so easily obtainable as in Otago, and even, should any one not choose to labor for others, he can, at an insignificant outlay of capital, sot up on his own account; any change must be for the bettor and we can only arrive at the one conclusion, that an increase of population is all that is necessary to ensure an uninterrupted course of prosperity. The subject of emigration is now becoming a prominent one, and immense efforts will be made to attract population to our shores, from Europe and other places; so, if our councillors are wise and take time by the forejlock, and do all in their power to j provide employment for the comiing multitude. Plenty will find it |to their interest to settle amongst j us, and thus, will add to the gcuc!ral welfare. An intelligent and judicious municipal body will not bo slow in looking after these matters, and will quickly find that, by advancing the interests of the community at large, they will at the same time advance their own individual interests. We have now arrived at that stage of things, when the prosperity of the individual is in a great measure bound up with that of his neighbour, andj

having an enlightened body of men at the head of affairs, there is no doubt but that the future career of our municipal towns will he attended with the happiest results.