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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 12 October 1880, Page 2

We acknowledge with thanks the receipt from the and Executive Commissioner of the New Zealand exhibits at the Melbourne Exhibition—Dr. James Hector —a copy of the catalogue of the exhibits in the New Zealand Court. It i 3 quite a large volume : and, not only doe 3 it give evidence of careful compilation, but it is replete with information of a nature not only acpjjrate but creditable to the Colony. There are np less than G3l exhibits in the .New Zealand Coijrt, representative of the industrial interests of theCColor.m r . Whilst this catalogue brines to our mind the somewhat singular circumstancs that Oamaru does not figure under the heading "Cereals, &c.," at all, we observe that its exhibits in other plasses are notably meagre. The Oamaru Stone and Export Company are again to the fore, their industry being represented by five exhibits, with the nature of which our readera have already been made familiar through the local papers ; Mr. E. A. Gifford, G.M.R.A., has sanfc a watercolor painting, the subject of which is "Milford Sound at Sunrise;" and the Chamber of' Commerce exhibits photographic view 3of Oamaru. Messrs. Wilson, Harraway and Co. show samples of sour made from wheat grown in this district, but there is not a single exhibit of this or a kindred kind hailing from a Oamaru exhibitor, This is nearly the sum total from this district. The Bydn§ v Exhibition seemed to arouse the representatives of the industries o£ this district into activity. The display of our cereals at that exposition drew forth favorable comments from all sides, and, as we had the pleasure of reminding our readers the other day, secured the highest testimonials from the judges as to their super-excellence. It would appear that those whose endeavors to bring the produce of this district into prominence was crowned with such unqualified auscess. are content to rest on their laurels. We question the wisdom of such contentment. Theadvantageg accruing from these exhibitions are undoubted. So anxious are Dunedin and Christchurch to keep the produce of the Colony before the world that they recommend that New Zealand should follow the example set by New South Wales and Victoria. But why should the Colony spend LgOQ,OQO on such a scheme when it can make free use of the facilities for exhibiting our produce afforded by other Colonies without incurring such a large outlay. That a New Zealand International Exhibition would cost the sum we have mentioned there can be no doubt. We had better hold no exhibition at all, rather than hold one inferior to those air£a4y held in the sister colonies, and to expend ao much money in emulating the example of other colonies in such times as these would be adding another act of insanity to that eztrayagant policy which has brought us to the verge of financial desperation. A New Zealand International Exhibition is too ambitious a scheme for us, and will be so for years to come. We ought not to even think about it whilst we are smarting under the lash of retrenchment. The Colony as a whole has acted with exquisite wisdom in so freely taking advantage of the liberality of New South Wales and Victoria, and we only wish that Oamaru had sjjown its accustomed alertness in connection with the Victorian Exhibition. What is to be desired is that those interested in all parts of the world in our produce and manufactures should be placed in a position to compare them with those "of other countries. Wo have nothing to fear from such a comparison, and if we can enable them to ha made without any appreciable cost to ourselves, we are chargeable with neglecting put, best interests if we fail to do so.

There is news by cablegram that another j rise has taken place in wheat, and that this i time it is substantial. The extent of the the advance is not giv-. n, nor reasons for the advance apparent. This is about English harvest time, and the yield, it is said, ■will be good. In addition to this the American harvest i j as plentiful as it was last year, and we know only too well how the more than ample supplies from that country then reduced the prices below zero The inward Suez mail arrived by the express train to-day from the South, and was delivered shortly afterwards. The concert to be given to-morrow evening in aid of the funds of the Fire Brigade promises to he one of the most successful ever given in Oamaru. So freely have the tiokets gone off that little doubt is entertained that the Volunteer Hall will be orowded at the comparatively high figure of 3s to all parta of the hall, A capital programme has been put forth, so that musically as well as financially .the. concert will probably be a success. After the concert there will be a dance. The headquarters companies of Volunteers are notified by Major Sumptcr that the monthly inspection parade will be held on Friday evening at half-past seven o'clock sharp. After the inspection, the corps will march from the Post Office to the head of Severn-street, where a sham fight—a mimic battle, with all the din, clash of arms, and glory of a battle field, bjit ii}ini}S the killed and wounded—will take place at the windmill, which has been kindly lent by Mr. Hassell. In addition to the sham fight, the Volunteers will be exercised in advance and rear guards, and altogether the movements, in addition to being useful, will be very Interesting. The exhibits from Oamaru at the Melbourne Exhibition as given in the official catalogue comprise the following only Oamaru Stone Cpmpany, five exhibits ; Mr. A. E. Gifford, painting "Milford at Sunrise;" Mrs. Powell, picture in wool and silk, " Huguenotand Messrs. Thomson, and Co., two dozen old Otago ale. The only other exhibjt Ijavipg any reference to this district is that of flour made from wheat grown here and shown by Messrs. Wilson, and Co. Captain Edwin forppastes that bad weather is approaching from any direction between north-east and north and west, and that the glass will further fall. Mr. Proctor, the eminent astronomer, has resolved that he will not come to Oamaru without a guarantee. Much as the public would have enjoyed, and probably profited by, the learned gentleman's lectures, had he elecrr.d to take his chances of success here as elsewhere, we fear that, if he holds fast to his resolve we shall be compelled to remain in astronomioal darkness. So far as we know, in these days, there is no man, nor body of men, in this community who would unde:take the responsibility of indemnifying the evidently cute philosopher from financial loss. The following members of the Oamaru pricket Club have beejj ehosop tp practise i'or the match against the Excelsior Club, the days set apart for practice being Weddays and Fridays Balmer, sen., Balmer, juu., Chtiroh, Coatea, Denton, de Lautour, A. E. Hardy, A. G. Hardy, Lintott, G. Millingtou, J. Millington, Macdonald, Newton, Nicholls, Kice, Sumpter, Sinclair, Tate, Walls, Will, and Warren. The Lakes County Council have addressed a "letter tp J. p. Bfown, Esq., Chairman Tuape'ka Comity Council, agreeing to join with Vincent and Tuapeka Councils in the expense of testing the legality of the action of Parliament re stoppage of subs.dies. Under the heading of " Religion and I Board Schools, 1 ' the London ffraphic has the following pice of information, which wi J in? terest most of your readers, especially as Sir C. Reed is a good Congregatioualist: —" On Saturday, the prizes founded by Mr. F. Peek for proficiency in Scriptural knowledge were distributed at the Crystal Palace, Out of 125.000 competitors from the London School Board Schools, there were 4000 successful scholars. Sir C. Reed, who presided, remarked that the 'once much talked of religious difficulty ' was a thing unknown in the Board ."rehools. Simple Bible reading, with explanations suited tp thn children's capacity, he said, was liked by the scholars and approved by tho parents, who rarely declined to allow their children to attend." An Italian correspondent of the Lancet calls attention to an insidious and frightfully fatal disease called "pellaga," of which no less than 97,000 Italians are said to be dying at the present time, the number of victims representing '3:62 per IQQO of the whole population, and in the infeeted de: partments, especially Lombardy and Venice, a higher proportion than ever occurred during the worst cholera epidemic in France, disease usually runs a slow coiirse, like consumption. Its' cause is t)P»ieyed to be the exclusive consumption of maige in a deteriorated condition, and the unhealthy state of the hovels in which the rustics live.