The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1891.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9488, 10 August 1891, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1891 .

G-eeat indignation, was expressed in the House of Representatives the other day .at the Premier’s advice to take the warnings and jeremiads of the Chambers of Commerce cum grano sails. Mr Buckland administered a rebuke to the Minister in the style which ho has made so famous. What is to become of the country, wondered Mr Buckland, if the gentlemen who take such a deep interest in commercial matters are not to have a voice in the management of the country. We have no objection to the development of patriotism by the Chambers of Commerce, and we will not offend the members by saying they much require some development of the kind. The occasion only warrants the statement that if the Chambers of Commerce want to have any effect upon the counsels of the country they must first condescend to understand the subjects on which they undertake to lead public opinion. If they wish to be accepted as guides themselves they must first of ail select their own guides with some regard to their fitness for the position. The commercial mind has no sort of patent of infallibility, no monopoly of Royal short cuts to knowledge, and no freedom from the ordinary human weaknesses. These facts were made very apparent at the last meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce. Mr Stead surprised us very much by the ordinary form of human weakness which he displayed, and the Chamber of Commerce surprised us still more by the further weakness of mistaking Mr Stead’s prosaic weakness for strength. Mr Stead, at the cost of much labour and trouble, constructed a prophetic table of figures to show the effect of the financial proposals of the Government. The result was the conviction of Mr Stead of inability to understand plain English, and of financial stolidity which would scarcely be excused iu a school-boy. In this misfortune Mr Stead has a companion iu Mr Scobie Mackenzie. The latter gentleman’s enormous table of prophetic figures was apparently an amplification of the one prepared by Mr Stead. Both these high authorities, the commercial expert and the dictionary of phrases, left out of theircalculations the improvements and the stock upon the properties they marshalled into line. According to them New Zealand is divided into a large number of estates, without a house or a yard of fencing, or a drain pipe or an agricultural implement amongst them; still less a single hoof of any hind of live stock ; and what is even more extraordinary, every one of these properties manages to make 5 per cent on the unimproved value of the bare land. The problem may be explained by the ravens who ministered to Elijah, but we confess that at present it is beyondour comprehension. The only thing we know quite clearly about the problem is, that if the Chambers of Commerce are in the habit of setting up such blind leaders of their blind selves, the problem of imposing their resolutions upon public opinion will he even harder than the problem understood only by the ravens of Scripture and the two tabular prophets of New Zealand. We should not be surprised to learn that the mere sight of a table of figures n’ow has a depressing effect upon these prophets. In that case, we advise the Chamber of Commerce to confine itself to a resolution of sympathy. If it should pass a resolution complaining of another injustice to commercial interests, it would have no more force than the complaint about the neglect to which the Chamhers of Commerce are sometimes treated in another chamber. If the Chamber of Commerce were to relying upon other people’s brains and take to trusting its own, it would be a more useful body. It could not, of course, be a more respectable institution than it is, but it might be more respected.

At an extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, held in Dunedin last week, the negotiations now proceeding betiveen the Directors of the Company and Messrs Nelson Bros, were discussed at some length. The nature of the negotiations were not fully disclosed, but it appears from remarks which were made during the discussion that Messrs Nelson Brothers are anxious to take over the Company’s works and practically acquire a monopoly of the freezing business in the southern district. It is very natural, of course, that Messrs Nelson Brothers, who have displayed commendable enterprise in developing this new industry, should wish to strengthen their . ;.*• tion by the acquisition of this im-

portant property; but it is just as natural that the farmers of Otago should be alarmed by the prospect of the business falling into the bauds of a powerful English Company. Hitherto the frozen meat trade has been conducted more or less as a patriotic movement. Investors have not generally looked for largo dividends, but have been content to accept the substantial advantages conferred upon themselves and the country by the improvement in the value of stock, Under these conditions the trade has grown and prospered. But if an English Company should acquire a monopoly of the trade—and the purchase of the Eew Zealand Bifrigerating Company’s business may be the first step in some such scheme—a widely different policy would, it is fair to assume, be followed. Messrs Nelson Brothers’ first concern would be for themselves. They would practically regulate and control the stock markets and much of the shipping of the Colony. They would do the business thoroughly well. That much we may say from past experience, but good management from their point of view would mean small prices to the farmer and large profits to themselves. No one can reasonably find fault with Messrs Nelson Brothers’ proposal, which may not he so far-reaching as we have suggeated; hut it is just as well that the farmers should understand at this early stage of the negotiations that a large part of the advantages they now derive from the frozen meat trade would certainly be lost if a monopoly were established.

The petition of Mr 0. T. O’Connor, asking for tins modest sum of <£2300 as compensation for bis loss of office, is an excellent example of the spirit winch has brought the Civil Service in this Colony into disrepute with the taxpayers. Mr O’Connor was one of fortune’s favourites in New Zealand. For a number of years he held highly lucrative appointments on the engineering staff of the Colony. From time to time there were retrenchments and reoganisations, but Mr O’Connor always occupied a fortunate position. When one office was abolished another always appeared mysteriously to be awaiting his acceptance. But with the virtual abolition of the Public Works Department, and the almost complete cessation of the expenditure of loan moneys, all excuse for retaining Mr O’Connor’s services disappeared. Mr O’Connor recognised this, and, taking time by the forelock, secured an appointment in Western Australia. 'We do nob undervalue Mr O’Connor’s services to the Colony. He was admittedly an excellent officer, hut his resignation disposed of the question of compensation. Generosity is a quality which may be as much admired in a State as in an individual. But the condition of this Colony will not admit of the generosity which Mr O’Connor’s petition suggests. Probably when Mr O’Connor asks for a year’s salary (£800) on retirement, with leave of absence for that term, and £ISOO compensation for loss of office, be applies for more than he expects to receive. Otherwise he is doomed to bitter disappointment. No doubt there was, as ho alleges, “ some indecision ” on the part of the Government about the retention of his services and his status; indeed, his forecast, which led him to seek an appointment elsewhere, was probably a strictly correct one; but there are times when men are compelled to choose a path for themselves, and Mr O’Connor took the Western Australian appointment. By that act he surrendered any claim he would have bad for compensation had he been deprived of his office by the process ol retrenchment.