The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1867.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 1889, 9 January 1867, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1867.

The province of Canterbury has ; hitherto been supposed to maintain a character somewhat above the colonial average for the intelligence and education of it's population. The educational .arrangements of the. province ■have,' from the first, been highly liberal and successful; and have pointed to the development and establishment of a complete system, from elementary schools up to a university. In common with; the neighbouring province, Canterbury secured to itself. ! the services:6f a, gentleman of scientific attainments who might examine into the physical nature ;of the : ; province, and give method and permanenceto the numerous discoveries which were. sure to be made in a very peculiar and newly inhabited country. . While Dr., Hector has been advanced to the position of Geologist under the General 'tJoyermnent the ; natural ; and; becoming, reward of his successful labours in Otago, tlie Provincial Geologist of Canterbury, whose appointment was more recent,, has continued to prosecute his labours among us. It seems that .something: like. ; eighteen months must still elapse before his labours, can be completed. But, to the surprise of every one, the Provincial Council has stept in, ■ and by a majority of one declared that these labours shall terminate at a certain

immediate date whether they ..are .com- • pleted or not. . We confess that the ;■ Provincial Council of Canterbury is ■; about the last place in which we should ..: have expected such a motion to be made and carried. It is entirely out of keeping with the antecedents of the settlement, or . with the aims which its ; founders were supposed to have in view. : , No well-substantiated charge of incompetence, error, or neglect, has ; been brought against the gentleman . holding the appointment to which we . refer. ■' It seems that DrHaast has been ; getting' up a European reputationit the expense of the province. Such is one of the most serious charges brought against; him by one of his most energetic detractors. Now, if this were the case, we should .be among the very foremost to denounce him. If he Has indeed been ; sacrificing the credit and name of , Canterbury in order to make' a name for himself, let the gentleman who has. made the accusation come forward and substantiate it. But if the gentleman who'brought this serious charge really meant to say-that Dr Haast was getting to himselt a European reputation aB a geologist,- as a • scientific observer - and discoverer, then our only inference can be that he is gaining a European reputation, for the province as woll. Now it ■ must be clear to any man that to draw the widest possible attention to; the colony, by making ; and ■ publishing interesting discoveries in connection with its physical characteristicsidtq plants and animals, is about .. the greatest benefit that could be conferred upon it. Let it be known that we have goldfields and coalfields, limestone and copper, large agricultural and ; pastoral districts, a healthy climate of ' moderate but not too moderate range; that; we have liberal yet stable political : institutions; that we;. have: a. population; containing many members who ■ cad^e/.;interested; in the pursuits of

science, and the toils; of literature, and we may calculate upon results being produced by such /knowledge. : that would gratify the most single-minded lover i'v of merely material' interests. What greater inducements .could:, be held,out to capitalists and settlers ? Surely . the worthy member who complained of a European .reputation being built up by discoveries , and researches made in this settlement must; have been talking in the style which a distinguished American calls sorter ■ironical." With an almost inexplicable inconsistency, the game members who complained of the unsatisfactory nature of Dr. Haast's labours showed themselves so pressingly alive to the value of the results of these labours as to protest against his collection of .natural objects being housed in any building which was not. made of brick or sfcone. We hope reflection will induce these gentlemen to re-consider their : decision, regarding < the completion of■ the Geological Survey, and .the arrangement of the objects for the Museum. It iB simply. impossible for any one. to: arrange and name .the specimens;who does not possess the same amount of scientific information ;• as Dr Haaat himself. And it will require four times; the. amount of labour from any other man that is required: of him. He is already familiar with all the specimens, whether of animals, plants, or mineral; and he knows the localities where they have been obtained. Much of the information which he is possessed of with regard to them; and which would appear upon their labels, would be lost by his retirement from the task. Let us hope to see a : sum placed upon the estimates at the ear-. ■ liest possible date, making such an : allowance to Dr Haast for. his labours in connection with the museum as may ensure the successful completion of his work. The three hundred and : twenty-five pounds which haye been struck off from his annual allowance would thus bo restored for the specific purpose of providing, preparing, and arranging the materials destined for preservation in the Museum.