TIMARU.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LII, Issue 5804, 2 October 1879, Page 6

TIMARU.

[fkojc oxm owar coßßiiFOirnxHx.] Wednesday, Oct, 1. • ' Although we have been treated this week to the first public demonstration of the unemployed that bae been witnessed in South Canterbury for a good many years, business is Msuming a much firmer tone, and there is more money in the market for investment; but investor* are; exercising great caution as to. the ! nature of . the investments they embark, their money in, and as iar as mortgages are concerned, freehold agricultural the. only description of property upon which - advances will be made. Capitalists and their agents are far more anxious to have a large,margin of security to cover advances made on property than to obtain unusually - high rates of interest, and as.they seem anxious to lend money for periods of not less than fire years, the natural presumption is that money will be cheaper after next harvest. The three Building tiooieties doing business in Ximsru have been compelled to discontinue advancing money. op mortgage for a time, and.,so great has been the withdrawal of shares and deposits from the local Society that it cannot meet the demand! upon it, Very much to the disgust of shareholders who gave notice of withdrawal of shares five or six months ago,. According, to the rules of the Society, deposits must be repaid when due as they are a first claim upon the funds oi the Society. The deposits are repaid religiously, but the withdrawing shareholders hare to suffer., Aa soon as the Building Societies are again in a position to advance money on town properties the prospects of tradesmen will improve, and thCreis indeed much room for improvement. The financial pressure during the past winter has caused nearly one-third Of the business men in Timaru (publicans excepted) to seek the protection of the Bankruptcy Court. Those who have been able to pull through—and I know several who have- only been able to do so by the “skin of their teeth,” to use a common but well understood expression—have lost most of the capital' they possessed through bad debts. However, there is a reverse to every picture. We have undoubtedly broken the neck of the “ bad times,I'* 1 '* and the glance which has already been obtained of the picture of the future is most reassuring. Smith Canterbury is exclusively a grain' and wool growing district, but the latter industry is now kobprdinateto the first. So far as the bulk of the people and their prosperity are concerned, they must look, to the success of agricultural pursuits—principally grain growing; and One of the chief elements in the success of grain-growing is a good genial Spring, with sufficient moisture and warmth to germinate the seed and 1 push along the growth of the plant until it Burly covers the ground, and protects the moisture 1 in it from absorption by scorching summer Beat and parching north-west winds. Such a spring we are having at present, and it can be said without the slightest exaggeration, that in no previous year in the history of Canterbury have we had such a grand harvest prospect up to October 1. The crops in all parts of the Geraldine and Waimate Counties are looking, splendid—the autumn sown wheat especially. In a former letter I strongly urged upon the farmers the necessity for patting in as mtich spring wheat he they could, when the wheat market began to show signs , of hardening, and I was plea»«d to observe in my travel* through the country that large tracts of land have been put under spring sown wheat, Mostof the latter is well up and looking remarkably healthy. The total area in wheat in South Canterbury this year will be equal, if not slightly- in excess, of last year; out, so far as can be judged at present, there will not be one-third the quantity of oats. A good many farmershave n6t, yet sown their oats, bat, they will be nearly all in by the end of next week. Grass is growing most luxuriantly, and there is already abundance of feed for sheep and cattle. The labouring classes in and around Timaru have had a very rough time of it during the past winter, Owing to the stoppage of public works in South vJantt rhury and the unusual dulness in the' building trade. They did their best to find employments, bat a great many of them were unsuccessful. They madeearnest and respectful appeals to the local authorities foir work, but the latter wereunable to assist, them. Government was. communicated with, and the Minister for Public Works authorised the cutting, away of the cliff:' near the railway line, a few chains south, of the residence of Mr Turnbull. The work of excavation to the who had just finished l , removing the' cliff behind the railway station, and as they only continued to employ the workmen engaged on the previous contract the unemployed obtained no relieff whatever. To add to their disappointment in- not obtaining work at the excavations fftr the new engine shed site, the Timaru Herald. in its usual unscrupulous style, characterised the working men generally as “suckers ofjthe blood of the farmer*, and other employers of labour in the shape of Wage* which : no one could afford to pay ” alio that in work Jbhey, the working man, “now wanted their master's very flesh and substance.” N These' are only very mildsamples'[of the opinions of : the journal which derives its inspiration and virulence of language from the member for Geraldine who 1 laboured eo- industriously daring the lateelections to. prove that he was a “ true working man’s friend ” But the eleotione are now over, and so is the Herald's sympathy for the working; chutes. Having been thus unjustly treated by the journu that does not, I ain happy to sar, ropresent public opinion in South (Canterbury, the unemployed, numbering about 300, held a mass meeting id the Market. Place on Monday-last and passed a serin of resolutions which were duly published in the Lyttelton lime* on the' following morning. Tho speeches made on the occasion were ohainotensed by a degree of moderation and fairness, which the Timaru llermld would do well to adopt, atad the requests made were sf the simplest doeoription, Tho men affirmed that they wanted day labour of any sort till times Improved, add they pointed, out to the Government the desirability ol having railway work in the district carried out by day labour for a time in order to relieve the-distress existing among a good many of the working classes. In aa countries in the world, and among all classes there ii a certain percentage of unworthy Characters, and I do not for one moment iuppose that Ttmaru is any exception to tho rulc, but it is unfair to punish a whole dais, or hold them up to ridicule for the eins of a email portion ol that class. That there dre among the working classes a number of “loafers ” and persons who deserve to be despised: rather' than supported, any person possessing ordinary, knowledge of the world must admit, Mit that there are a great many honest - deserving labourers and artixone out of employment in the Timara. district, at the Eresenttime is also a fact, and many of them ave large families depending upon them :for their daOy bread. It xs for the latter section of the industrial classes that I appeal for an 'Englishman’s prerogative fair-

play and aleo for the mZTJT' •Utance of which they sUacT™ ** need. I hare no doubt but that the ff c “ “> ment will find edme temporary Übowf 11 ' unemployed, and I am certain that m!?. 1 * 1 * them -will be only too glad to acceu? 9 V f until the eurplne labour is employed mL° lt mg and harresting operations. *“««• t The contractor* for the flrat eection of breakwater are making fair prone., Ul ? their work, and for the present, asL t hare got ahead of the ehifting shingle tzH latfon on the eouth aide. The breSLS h!* •team crane caused three day*’ delay h,,i • now at work again. The section of' the 7** tract which le being flniihed to-day mat,. ??' breakwater 252 feet long. ThecontS f* SOO feet, and Mr Stumbles expect* to hi if to complete it in another month. Plan, ? 9 the n«zt lection bare been prepared hv Harbour Board’s Engineer. They submitted to the Board for approval i morrow, and tender* for the work win f invited in the couree of a fortnight n excavation at the rear of the railway'.mhas blen completed, and Mr MacandteW h premised that the work of erecting the « Wttlwar etation whl be undertaken atoSj Xnd fidwij »ttfchonti«» contemplate reinnvi* * a portion of the hill behind Ballam’s batti 8 and erecting a country goods shed on the The engine sheds will be removed a«W distance eonth of Bruce’s mill, and there *ni then be ample room at the site of the nit passenger station. The improvements now intended to be effected are very much» qniied, oe the preeent paesenger accommodi tion at the railway station is of the most miserable description, and the station yard so cramped that it is almost impossible to carry on ordinal/ shunting work without accident.