North Otago Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1879.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2371, 11 December 1879, Page 2

North Otago Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1879.

The Public Works Statemont which tho Honorable Mr Oliver delivered in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night does not contain much on which a critic can base his comments. Unlike the Financial Statement, it puts forth no atartingly original proposals which bear directly upon the pockets of the people, for regarded in its entirety it is little more than an official expression of commonplace facts with which we have all for a considerable timo been more or less familiar. It is therefore unnecessary to enter upon an elaborate review of its contents, but at the same time some of these are not altogether undeserving of careful attention. Mr Olivku gives what is tantamount to an assurance that the floating of the livo million loan is a certainty, but ho accompanies this declaration with the announcement that the conditions of the transaction will preclude the colony from asking any further assistance from the English money market for three years. He also states that after providing for engagements already entered upon and finishing works whose early completion is necessary to their usefulness all that will remain of tho loan will be £1,872,046. Speaking of our being debarred from borrowing more money for three years, we cannot regard the inhibition at an evil, as a thing to be deplored by the permanent settlers of the colony. On the contrary we think that it will act as a most timely brake on our somewhat headlong career, and conipol our politicians to be more prudent, more fruitful in self-re-source, and be the means of causing the poople to become more self-reliant, and less given to looking abroad for assistance, than they have been in the past. The two facts thnt — after meeting immediate liabilities undertaken on account ci it—* barely two-fifths of the five million Joan will remain in hand, and that wewiH be unable

to become national borrowers again for three yean, inform us very plainly that the country must abandon the indiscriminate prosecution of publio works, and let to with a resolute determination to develop its resources as best it may with the works already constructed or in course of construction. There are many people, of course, who, so long ai publio money is being freely expended, never think of ultimato results, and somo who think of these do not care for them, but it has for a very considerable time been thought by observant men in the colony and in Britain that a modification ol our energy and enterprise in this department of progress would be beneficial to the durable interests of the colony. Publio works need not cease, but we must for a time cease to construct them by means of borrowed money. Our inability to borrow will cause us to be content with fewer publio works than otherwise we might see going on throughout the colony, but it should also cause — nay, compel us to root out extravagancies from our departmental administration, to insist upon receiving full value for tho leaseholds of our pastoral estate, to devise means for causing the Maoris to contribute substantially to the publio revenue, and to enrioh the country by inducing to Com* to it in noteworthy numbers agricultural settlers with capital. It ia noticeable that by far tho greater number of the works projeoted by the Government are in tho North Island, but at this wo in the South need neither wonder nor complain, for in this respect the North Island has hitherto been com* paratively negleoted on account of its Maori difficulties and contingent drawbacks, while the South 'having been free from such troubles has fared fairly well in the matter of publio works. Mr Oliver observes that upon the Government is placed the duty of considering " how to make our railways pay a larger contribution towards their cost, by skilful and economical management, and by submitting all future proposals for new railways to the same rigid scrutiny as private investors would mako, and firmly rejecting them unless a strong probability can be shown that they will provo re* munerative. " With a sonse of this duty strong upon them ho says that they intend to ask Parliament u for authority to appoint a Royal Commission to make ■ more full and complete investigation into the cost and economical value of the sevoral works commenced and proposed than would bo possible for the Government unaided to complete before next session of Parliament." There is perhaps not much to bo urged in objection to the appointment of this Commission, although we do not see what there is to hinder the Government from carrying out a rigid scrutiny without'this extraneous aid, which will cost the country money. One advantago will be that, strengthened by the report of tho Commission, tho Government may be able to ignore many local demands without endangering its existence as a Government so much as it would were it to ignore them on its own solo rosponsibility. But this advantage would be confined entirely to the occupants of thoGovernment benches, and it is doubtful whether it is worth the expense of a Royal Commission to do work which the Government could and should do itself. In conclusion, however, we willingly admit that some of Mr Oliver's closing remarks are admirably put, sensible in themselves, and gratifying on account of what they show us of tho Government's determination to advance the interests of the country by such plain and practical means as must commend themselves to the common |sonso of tho people. Very pertinently does Mr Oliver say that " unless wo steadily pursue a policy of progress, by opening up tho country with roads leading to our main lines of railway, as well as in parts of tho country where we are not likely to be able to establish railway communication, we can have little hopo of a revival of tho prosperity of past years. This will only be obtained by enlarging the area of our cultivation, and affording every facility for tho occupation of our lands by a far larger population than is now settled upon them. To the revival of immigration and the encouragement of an influx of small capitalists, coupled with the active administration of our land laws, we must look under existing circumstances for a re-establishment of confidence and a healthy pursuit of our industries, moro perhaps then to the extension of works of ! a costly character, for which the funds may not bo immediately available." It is sincerely to be hoped that the Government may carry out the wise policy indicated in these oentonces.

A horae that was yoked to a bread cart belonging to Messrs Bailie and Humphrey bolted in tho streets yesterday evening, and the driver, Malcolm Bell, was thrown, run over, and bruised badly about tho face and chest. He was attended by Drs Garland and do Lautour. Tho tr»p was smashed. Dr Menzies has succeeded in carrying a motion in the Legislative Council to tho effect that travellers be allowed to retain the seat first taken by them all through the journoy. Tho snug corners of railway carriages are now safe to those who first get seated in them, and tho necessity for forcibly dragging out interlopers will no longer exist. May Dr Menzios live long, and always enjoy a comfortable corner. In his Public Works Statement, Mr Oliver says that amongst other works to be attended to during the year, new railway uta. ttona will be erected where necessary at tho principal centres on the Bluff- Waitaki line. It is to be hoped that Oamaru is inoluded in this description, and that we will soon rejoice in a decent substitute for the shanty which at present docs service m a railway station in this populous centre. Tho members of the Oamatu-Naseby Railway Committee aro to be complimented on thn energy thoy are now displaying in the matter of getting that portion of the line now in hand laid out aa part of a work intended to be carried on to Kyeburn. Their assiduity, too, in endeavoring to secure a small vote to test the practicability of taking the lino through the Pass is deserving of hearty commendation, but it is sincef«Jy to be hoped that if the survey is to be prosecuted, as wo hopo it may bo, it will bo er' tristed to none but thoroughly experienced professional hands. A defective, an abortive survey would fatally prejudice the whol£

project, and it U of tho gretest publio itn« portanoo that the Railway Committee should exercise tho utmott ciroumipeotion io this matter. We have no doubt that they will do this, out of regard for their own reputation for iound judgment, and the interest! of the community. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr G. Sump tor, J.P., Henry Fell was brought up, charged with having forged the name of James Wilson, of Dunodin, to a cheque on the Bank of New Zealand, for the sum of L 7 10s. The prisoner wm remanded till the 17th inst. During the discussion on the Waitaki •hargo at the Presbytery meeting yesterday, considerable amusement was caused by tho Rev. Mr Todd relating what an old shepherd had told him. Speaking of the necessity for an ordained ministsr in the district, the worthy Scot had remarked warmly, " You should send us a minister, not a missionary. You send your missionaries to the heathen." The shephord evidently thought that Bonding a missionary to the distriot was tantamount to viewing tho resldonts as so many heathens. The annual installation of the R.W.M. and officers of the Lodgo Oamaru Kilwinning, No. 537, S.C., took place in the Masonic Hall last evening, P.M. Bro. Fairloy officiated as Installing Master, and installed the following brethren in their respective offices, via : R.W.M., Bro. Wm. Bee; W.P.M., Bro. E. Rowland; W.D.M., Bro. L. Morton; W.S.M., Br,o. M'Corkiudale; S.W., Bro. T. Kennedy; J.W., Bro. Gledhill j Treasurer, Bro. Esther; Secretary, Bro. J. Walls; S.D., Bro. Yorke ; J.D., Bro. Bunting ; 1.G., Bro. W. Ferguson ; Tyler, Bro. J. Calderwood. After the lodge was closed a largo number of the brethren present (including visiting brethren from Waimate), adjourned to the Star and Garter Hotel, where a capital evening wai spent. The programme consisted of the usual toasts, which woro heaitily responded to, and a number of excellent songs. The proceedings were brought to a close about 1.30 a.m., by all present singing " Auld Lang Syne " The groat tun of Hoidelberg, which was made in 1751 by order of tho Elector Carl Theodore, was estimated to contain 09,067 gallons. The next largest vessol as far as is known, in tho world, has just been mtnufacturod by Work and Co., in Cincinnati. It will hold about 18.CD0 gallons (therefore about 5J times smaller than the Heidelberg tun,) is 15ft high and 15ft in diameter. Tho staves are of oak, siu. thick, and the total amount of wood employed in making it was t, 125 ft. It weighs about six tons. The chief centre of the Gorman tobaccopipe manufactory is Ruhla, in Thringia. In that tow a and the neighboring villages the annual production for tho past fow years has averaged 540,003 genuine- meerschaum bowls or heads, and 5,403,009 artificial or imitation meerschaum bowls. Tho number of polished, lacquered, and variously mounted wooden pipe-heads annually producod was 4,800,000. Of the common porcelain bowls, the favorite pipes of the German peasantry, there woro manufactured every year 0,600,003, and of fine clay or lava bowls, 2,700,C03. At Foxton, in default of a population to work upon, the local storekeepers " go" for one another. The paper there relates the following story : A smart piece of work was performed by one of our looal retailers, who is kiown for his ready money propensities. On a recent Tuesd»y morning, having received a telegram from Wellington the first thing on that day, apprising him of tho increased duty on certain goods, ho, with a smile that was " childlike and bland," visited the establishment of a wholesale dealer, and bought largely of goods affected by tho new tariff. In these hard times, the wholesale man was only too glad to avail himself of such a good customer, and treated him very liberally, not having, of course, received any intimation of the change. Shot ely after the sale, the wholesale man also received word of the now impost, and with a seraphic smi'e endeavored to buy from his recent customer, hoping he had not hoard of tho altored charg«s. The disgust of tho merchant may bo imagined (it cannot be described) when the thoughtful man informed hi* would-be customer that he would bo most happy to servo him, only he must charge the increase in tho pi ices necessitated by tho new duty. The usual angelic smile depicted on his countenance was replaced by one of the most undisguised chagrin, as he appreciated the situation, and quickly left the shop, feeling that, for once, he was ha d. It Is unnecessary to remark that no goods changed hands on the latter occasion.