THE Otago Daily Times. FRIDAY, MAY 19,1876

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4446, 19 May 1876, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. FRIDAY, MAY 19,1876

i We are not even now without bope I thiifc some of those few in Oiago who still profess to believe in Centralism will reconsider their position. Ehcli of these political manifestatos makes l lie illogicality of the position of an Otagiin Abolitionist more evident. Only the most perverse and determined blindness can now refuse to recognise the way things are going. Let us consider the position for n minute, and see what is the real condition of a/Fairs. It is the misfortune of the Colony that it has not progressed in precisely equal measure throughout its length and breadth. The two ends, and more specially the South end, have advanced a great deal quicker tliiiu the rest. Winced not noAv enquire why this is. The fact will be admitted at once. Political representation lias not, however, followed the population—thanks to the stupid system under which our members are elected to the Assembly. It ia possible for Taranaki to have as much power- as Dunedin. This, again, wiil be admitted, though we are of course aware that (here is something to be said iv favour of giving more power to the country and proportionately less to the towns. We are only concerned just now, however, with the fact, and not with the reasons good or bad that may be given for the fact. To remedy this inequality of settlement — this irregularity of development in the COIOII3 —has seemed to no small number of statesmen the highest task to which they can set tht>mselves. They have conceived in their own doctrinaire way that a country ought to develop in an equable and staid fashion, and that it is best and healthiest when it grows and prospers in every little , corner the same. Now, while we hold that all experience is against this theory, which is after all, only another way of sayiDg that men are born equal, and moreover, ought to be kept equal all their lives, we could have no right to grumble if it were not for the stupid way in which they do always try to remedy these inequalities that are found to grow up, an.) make it the whole aim of their statesmanship to cause an equality in the ralw of progression throughout the whole Colony. Tins is, we need hardly point out, done in dsfiance of the method of nature, and does reaily contain within itself the same fundamental error that rendered the essay at Government under the revolution of 1796 so ludicrous. It is gravely defended, however, by men who ought to know better under such phrases as " that which is to the advantage of one part of the community is to the advantage of the whole." "Ib will pay Otago to have an increased prosperity in Nelson or Tar.inaki—are we not all portions of thu one Colony1?" We answer to this remarkable fallacy that on the same principles it is obviously good for the whole of—say Ofcago—that there should be no one who is not making money fast. It is undeniable that this is the case. But the question arises, what step is it well to take to remedy inequalities in social life, and push on the laggards % Would it be for the good of the Province that

our wealthy meu should denude them-

selves of their property, share and share alike, and create a temporary,, a matiieatary prosperity, at the price of their all. That there have been those who thought this plant a good one, we all know. There are some, no doubt, among those who are poor, who think so still; but it may be accepted as a generally received view • that the best informed men do not now recommend such a method for redressing the social inequalities that meet us every day. We ask, then, why it should be accepted as utterly mistaken the policy of redistributing property among the members of a town or Province, and not as equally ridiculous as the attempt to redistribute property among the various parts of a Colony. Such a design, though it has commended itself, as it seems, to our statesmen, is bo entirely at variance with the plan of nature, and is indeed so exactly contrary to that plan, as to meet with the least possible approval from all those who are not governed by political exigencies. That is, the proposal to attempt to equalise the progress of the Colony in all its parts is j forced upon statesmen by the absurdities of our representative system, and is in effect a mere consequence of constitutional wrongs, and not in any true sense a remedy for them. If it were not, for instance, that the inhabitants of Taranaki had equal voting power with the inhabitants of Dunedin, is it conceivable that any sensible man would attempt to redress their wrougs by spending the property of Ofcago in creating a temporary prosperity in Taranaki 1 Is it not morally certain that we should have heard a greit deal of talk about the impossibility of interfering with the order of nature, aud producing an equality of resources all over a Colony so obviously created unequal in resource 'I This is the auswer readily given to a demand for a redistribution of private property, aud it holds just as good, and- neither more nor less good, as concerns the property of a State. The communising of the Land Fund in respect to t rie railway lines, or anything els", is defensible on precisely the same grounds as the communising of private property, and on no others. It is put forward on the same basis as the communistic theories, of the latter end of the last century, though it is thrust upon us here, thanks to the exigencies of an ill-amu.gcd representation. Our large landi.o'dors would not for a moment listen co the demand that they should share their property with all the small landowners ia Dunedin; and yet we have never heard from any one any > ' argument that would not hold equally ' for both cis.S'S. We except, of ' course, ihe ar^uuieiifc that the Coii-pact of lfi'>i> \\n-> rut binding or not legal, ', or—wi; rci;!iv Jo no':, know how it is be.-fc put; our iugumeia is us against those Southern Abohtioi.i.sts who hold - ihiti in ,s(-m<: mysterious way it would be well iVir Ocigo to denude herself of ( :i!l hoc propi's-tv in cider thai the impe.- ~ omiinus Nv.irth"m Provinces might g>'t a liilie I'l.rwiii'l. This methml of cur- ,

ing l:in; jiiu!ii>'!!i ct i.wrrly i.s one v.-i: (".inv.oi ivc ii;:;i. ml to PmfW.sor Mao cuKGon ; iL i.< iitiiii; ivadiiiii,' iv it.-, e;::i-c< 1 i,!ciH.'>:'s t!.:ui its siu>[;. ■i-i.ors }rt)i,;].i.s ilii::k. ;ii!-t we Kii.ili !i"t !><■ >.tirpil;iei"i ii liiuy make :;o ihucii of it it it

be some day turned to purposes they little think of now. The disclosures regarding tho Titanic Steel Company demand the attention of the Press of the Colony, not merely bocause shareholders in that particular undertaking have been fleeced, btifc because Jit is a sample of a systeiu that is sproad- ! ing, and unless checked must proa ace roI suits far from desii'able. In a new country like ours there are many industries that can only be entered into and carried on by combination of capitalists, small and large, and repeated failures, either through mismanagement or worse, to achieve a reasonable success, will undoubtedly came men to abstain from investing money, even in tho moat promising companies. It therefore becomes a matter not merely adbcting confiding shareholders but also the entire community. The Titanic Steel Company was sfarted in Wellington by an enterprising secretary and a man who had been for some time employed as Government armourer, and whw had made certain so-called experiments in smelting the Taranuki iron sand. On the repreaenttaioi.s of tlwwe two —both of whom obtained lucrative situations in the concern—a certain number of business men ah I otheis in Wellington put their names down for shares. From the first there waa misrepresentation, and as far back as two years ago a large section oi the Wellington shareholders endeavoured to resist tho payment of calls on that ground. Their Secretary, however, was too much for them, and backed up by the Directors, who, even then, could scarcely have hoped to pull f hings through, he succeeded in having the payment enforced. On the faith of the names of that Directory, shares to the amount of nearly one-third of the capital were taken up here ; and yet we learn that at least one of the body, standing high in commercial circles in the Empire City, expected nothing but failure, and made no secret of looking forward to paying his calls and losing the money. This is a state of things that should not be, but it is not J the worst. The armourer, a journeyman at perhaps £3 a week wages, not only obtained ik good situation—for which he appears to have been incompetent—but was also allocated paid-up shares to tho value of £5000, which are said to have passed, somehow, into the hands of the enterprising Secretary. Were we to characterise the entire transaction, we might use strong language. £20,000 has been frittered away ; the original directors, having helped to float the concern, have wauhed their hands of it; the only parties benefited appear to be the Secretary and the Armourer, who by some means havo obtained large salaries for two or three years, and 500 shares for nothing between them ; audthe poor shareholders who found the funds have only a few acres of almost valueless land and some utterly useless buildings to show for their money. The fact is that people in this Colony are too ready to float companies by means of shares, and then leave their interests to the caro of individuals possessing no qualifications for the work. Wellington, Greymouth, and Dunedin have lately given examples that must bo in the memory of our readers, and the result has been failure and loss. Merchants, bankers, and shopkeepers know how entirely does the su cess of their businesses depend upon management, aud yet tliey will follow a course with regard to companies which they would not entertain for a moment in connection with their own individual concerns. Mismanagement, has brought to a standstill more than one undertaking started in Dunedin under favourable auspices. Mismanagement has made the Greymouth coal venture so far a los 3. Mismanagement and extravagance will, unless we are mistaken, being to grief at least one large colonial venture. More than one of the companies fallen, or shaking, if controlled by men who know their business, would have been commercial successes, but without this simple care on the part of shareholders the best laid schemes must come to grief, a-3 surely as would the best-found ship at sea if commanded and worked by a set of landsmen.

Our Arrowtown correspondent telegraphs that the result; of the trial crushing ot five tons oi quirtz from the Maryborough Mine was 250z. 3dwts. I2grs., and not soz. 3d;vcs.

12gr0., as stated in our isauo of Saturday last.

The first case under the Stamp Act, 1875, was heard at thG Diinedln Resident Magis trate's Court yesterday, when the unfortu nate William Jenkins, who has boen continually figuring in the Courts since his committal on a charge of incendiaiism by the Coroner's Jury, made hi 3 appearance as the defendant. He had givea a receipt withoat the required stamp, and though he did not sign it, he was, according to the 95th section of the Act, liable to a penalty not exceeding £10. He pleaded ignorance of tho provisions of the Stamp Act, and stated that merchants here bad informed him that stamps were unnecessary in cases similar to the present. The defendant's solicitor (Mr Mouat) said that hundreds of these receipts without stamps were used here daily. His Worship fined the defendant £2, with costs (£2 2s 6d), and intimated that in future any frauds on the public would be severely dealt with. A report of the proceedings appears elsewhere.

The Harbour Board Committee, consisting of Messrs M'Kinuon. Reeves, and Ritchie, appointed on Tuesday last to take evidence in regard to Mr Houghton's proposals, has already held two sittings—one on Wednesday, aud another yesterday. The following is a summary of the applications which are to come before the Licensing Bench at its annual meeting on the 6th of next month: — Publicans' Licenses.—Bell Ward, 21; goutli Ward, 25; Eigh Ward, 28; Leith Ward, 14. Bottle Licenses.— Bell Ward, 11; South Ward, 6; Higli Ward, 14 ; Leith Ward, 10. Green Island: Publicans' license?, 5; bottle license, I. Caversham District: Public ins'licenses, 10; bottle licenses, 2. Blue&kin: Publicans' licenses, 6. Suburban Districts : Publicans' licenses, 15: bottle licenses, G. It is said that there is a probabi'ity of several hotelkeepers being refused night liccnsca iv consequence of their having omitted to apply for them.

The New Zealand Insurance Company purpose adding another storey to their present building, in order that *he of lice accommodation upon tln.ir site may be increased. This will not only have the effect of enhancing the .:puearauuc of their present building but will render it more in keeping with the fine structures around it.

A uiccliuf; of the Committee o? tlic Dan edin Jockey Oiiib wan held in tha ]'2uipirc ifotcl Jast night, iir John Stt-phenfoa in the chair. The goi.orai entries ;m;l accoptuncoii I k>r the Tradesnjca's Rue;s, to be run un tbr--1 Queen's Birthday, wera <3oolwr--d» iiutl p.jipear in another eoh;m;i -\ letter w;vj rc.ul from Mr Digby, ';ocr:inry of tlu Cjnterbury Jockey Cicb, from which it ti.pp-.ar-d thai Mr ilullouli's eh f Trcs I)u::o tiad b ur hv colt foul I'iK.y L;v!, )>y a clorieiil -jrror, been tutored for tin; Dei'hy of 1377 instead of that for IS7S. Tlio Committee rtsolvtd that the error should be rectilkd in the Secretary's booka and the correction a'ao published iv the 1 ivss. A% a inciting ■if l-.it-'ji.'iy.-.-sj ju the muuioip.'ility of 1-iouii- Uiiiiui.ii, hrld at Maluucy's Ocean Vnsxv Hi}iA lai-'t t'v<iiiiig, it was asj'CCiL it, tiio im..tion (/f Mr ii;it.ly, riecou(k-il t>V Mr vi^^;l', thai. CijUiiiillur IvnuncUi't; r- yii/iisti'ji.l uciucpccd. '1 he tioatiiiatiim of caiv'i'iav::-; fjf U:;: V;iC.'.acy Vv.n ii.vu.] fur tile ; lab pros.

According to a case heard at tho Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, tho affairs of the Dunedin Tercperanco Hall Company (Limited) have been in a very muddled condition. An accountant named 'i homas Henry Woodcock claimed £74 16s from the Company, as the balance due for G25 hours' work at 3s per hour. Sevei al professional accountants were called to prove the value of tho work done, and their estimates diflered as materially as doctors' opinions are said to do. In giving judgment, His Worship again took the opportunity to warn .ill Directors of Joint Stock Companies to keep within the four corners of the Act. He did not consider £1 a-day as anything like reasonable remuneration for an accountant's work. Judgment went for the plaintiff for £63 and costs, jEI2 13s 6d.

There was no meeting of iho St. Kilda Municipal Council kit evening, through want of a quorum.

Mr J. P. Armstrong, M.P.C., redelivercd his lecture on "An Irishman's Pilgrim's Progress tlirouj/h America," iv the Temperance Hall last evening. The llev. I!. L. Stanford presided. The weather was very unfavourable, and only about 35 persons were present. Mr W. J. M. Larnach, in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer, trusted that Mr Armstrong would long remain amongst us and give other lectures. The motion was enthusiastically car. ried by acclamation. Mr Armstrong happily returned thanks. He regretted that there had not been a larger audience, as the object of the lecture was to supplement the Building Fund of All Saints' School. He did not think the people liked lectures. There must be something elso to induce people to come. If the entertainment con* sistad of an exhibition of "dogs and monkeys," tbero would probably have been a more numerous audience. The usual compliment to the Chairman terminated an enjoyable evening's intellectual amusement. A football match will take place to-morrow afternoon, on the Southern Recreation Ground, between teams cliosen from the exHigh. School pupils- and members of the Danedin Football Club. As there are many well-known players on both sides, a close game may be anticipated. The following are tho names of the players :—Ex-High School: G. M. Thomson (captain), F. E. Smith, Murray, Austin, Brown. Mills, Craw»haw, M'Lean, Beal, Little, Treseder, Barber, Wt'stou W. Emergency: Finch,

M'Grutr, Hunter. Logan. D.F. Cxub :J. C. Thomson (captain), Rjse, Dixon, Fulton, Cargill W., Cargill A., Smith A. X., Macfarlan, M'Laron, Campbell, Denniston, M'Waughton, Holland. Emergency : Fulton G., Whitson, Blackburn, Tf.ifc, Dench. Players are requested to bs on the ground at 2.30 sharp. The first practice of the vocalists and instramentalists who are to perform ab the Benevolent Asylum concerts took place in St. Paul's Schoolroom last evening. Taking into account the state of the weather, there was a remarkably good attendance. There were present—Band, 18; tenor 3, 13 ; basses, 11 j altos, 5; sopranos, 10. Mr West, con ductor. Selections from the " Messiah" and " Creation," and the singing of God Save the Queen, constituted the rehearsal. The next practice takes place on Saturday afternoon at lialf-past threo, in the same place, when it is hoped there will bo a good a',teudance. Mr Bright, it ia understood, lias, at the request of a cammittee of gentlemen, consented to lecture on free thought in Caristchurcli. We have received the report of the Education Board of the Piovince of Wellington, for the Board's financial year ended 31st March, IB7G. We have also received tho Anatraliau Mutual Provideutßeneu'iSociety's report for presentation to the twenty-seventh aunual meeting g£ members.

It may, says the Evening Argus, be in. terestiug to some of our old identities, who have known Wellington from its infancy, when an acre of land on Lamb';on Quay was worth £5, to learn that the grcund occupied by tbe Empire Hotel was sold at the rate of £28,146 9s 2Jd per acre. The Empire City, though it can produce bigger pumpkins than Otago, is not yet quite equal in the value of its land to Dunedin, wheio a sale has been made at the rate of £90,000 per acre.

We (Press of 17th inst.) learn that the whole of the West Coast mails, while en route to Christchurch, were lost in the River Taipo on Wednesday, at mid-day. It appears that Mr Maaer, the driver of the mail coach, was dining at the stopping place about noon, leaving the coach by the bank of the river, together with mails, passengers' luggage, &c. On comiag out of the hotel in about a quarter of an hour, what was Mr Maker's astonishment to find that the river had risen fifteen feet, and that his coach had been swept away and was out of sight, and apparently past all hope of recovery. For. tunately the horses had been taken ouj and were safe in the stable, or the animals would in all probability have been drowned. It also appears that another coach was standing on the bank of the river, and that it shared the same fate as the mail coach. The loss on the two, including passengers' luggage, is estimated at about ±'500.

While people are talking about silver and its production, it will (remarks the Southern Gross) be interesting to Auckland people to learn that when Mr Thomas Russell was on his way home, and passing through California, he asked Mr Ralston, the well-known banker, to invest £2000 for him in the famous Comstock lode. Mr llalston dis. suaded Mr Russell from buying at that time, as there was fear of the lode running out J and that he as well as others were selling stock on that account, and he should trauster the books of the concern in proof of his assertion. Acting on his advice, Mr Russell did not purchase, unfortunately for himself, for soon after the silver ore was found in far greater abundance and richness, and had he then invested, his £2000 would now, we are informed, have been worth £50,000. I Ifc will be retneinb red (s;iyj the Wellington Argus) that last session a vote of £10,000 ■was taken for procuring a new cable for Cook Strait. This was done before the o.'d one broke, and the ordtr for the construction of the new cable was also sect home before j that event occurred. The specifications of the cable wanted were prepared wiih great care by Dv LdtnoD, and the information subsequently obtained, in sounding for the old cable, ss to the nature of the bottom, showed that Dr Lemon had correctly specified the kind of cable required. His specification provided for 10 tnilus of heavy cable for the northern shore end, and the si mrlinirs t.iker. subsequently by the Luna showed that, for nearly seven mik.-j from shore, the bottom was rugged, rocky, and broken. The 10 iirie.j oi strong e^blo ware, therefore, just enough to g'.'ii over this dangerous bottom. Tlic icniaicdcr of the cabk; having to lie on a sandy even, shelving bottom, vi:\s ordered of a light description. Jlid Dr Lemon's i-u-j'-'ilivici'.wm bt'iMi ieut to tlio iiuniut'aeturer, •jua/.tly the sort of cable required would h;<.ve been made, but by some ill-fortune l>r Hector happened to be ia L"ii urn whoa they arrived, and the Agent General consulted him. Now, it is l)r Hector's role to pretend to know everything, ami to pooh-pooh the knowledge of everybody else nbuit everything. Fancying he know iroro Chan l.>r Li'Lu</n about tin; bottom of tLu .Strait, he had the prisurii|ii.iuti ti> aitcr thy s\n ■eiiicaU'.ns, aud so alivro-i they hwe Inset! ;tui.cd on, ami ihe cubic iii.-iijiif.-w-t'.ncl. lirct.nil of

ti r; ixiili.'S ol ht'fivy sihdi-u o!i<i it;ore arc oi;sy two miius, ;iud tu<; result i-i pretty certain i

bo that the new cable will not last moro than a couple of years at the outside. The very weakest part will bo over the chasm where the old cable broke, and the portion whero the bottom is smooth is ordered thicker than is at all necessary. This is a very pretty little muddle.

The classical drama of "Damon and Pythias" was produced at the Queen's Theatre last night, and as it is an excellent piece, if it had been well put upon the stage, the management would be entitled to the thanks of the patrons of the Theatre. Some of tho members were not very well acquainted with tho text, consequently tho prompter's voice was ofttu heard, and in an unnecessarily loud toue also. It would be far better that the samu play, especially when it is one of considerable merit, should be repeated than thatit should give way on the succeeding night to another presented without duo care. Mr Byers took the yavi, of Damon, and created a much moro favourable impression in that character this he did as Richelieu on tho previous evening, though perhaps it. w> uld be better had he been kss boisterous. His acting oc tho whole was very good, and evinced a careful study of tho part. Mrs Byers was Cakathe, and achieved a fair degree of success. Mra Hill, as Hermion, played with her usual care and ability. Mr Stoneham as Pythias, and Mr Clinton as Dionysius, made the most of their respective parts. The evening's entertainment concluded with "Painless Dentistry. Tonight, Mr Byers will appear as Richard 111.

The competition for the Dunedin Artillery Battery Bolt will take place at the Anderson's Bay Range on Saturday next.

The Witness of this we«k contains an account, by the Key. I)r Gopiand, of a viait to the Ballarat goldtield, an essay on Edmund Spenser, a report of a trip to Catlin'b Itiver, Professor Saltnond on Uhristiau Evidences, Mr Macandrew's third letter, splendid mining prospects at Macetown, Weston's seventy-five hours' walk, the Winton Farmers' Club Show, Mark Twain's Steamboat Race, Answers to Correspondents, Stones, Odds and Ends, Round the Sanctums, Passing Notes, Flotsam and Jetsam, Chess, Riddles, &c, &o.