THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 15, 1861.] DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1868.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23857, 11 July 1939, Page 15

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 15, 1861.] DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1868.

SEVENTY-ONE YEARS AGO

The Governor, by proclamation dated the 6th instant, declares th«t "the Port of Molyneux, in the Province of Otago,/shall be no longer a Port of Entry for; the-, purposes .of the Customs Regulation Act, 1858." . Notice is given in. the "New Zealand • Gazette" of the 7th instant, that Joha Alves, of Dunedin,.: has . applied fo# letters patent for ** a new invention -or improvement for washing wool thoi* oughly clean, while growing on -the back of a sheep, by a different and more effectual process than any other process at present in use-or propose* to be introduced." The result of the effort* of tb* friends of Stafford-Centralism throughout the! Colony is thus canvassed by the "Lyttelton Times":—Considerable .exertions have been made to ensure the success of the first -experiment- in County Government, and to recommend the scheme to the favorable consideration of the electors throughout the Colony. Mr Hall, than whom the Colony possesses no more active or able administrator, was entrusted with the inauguration of the Westland County Council. But even Mr Hall was not altogether successful. He could not blind the members to. a fact which they were not slow to discover—that they possessed no power, apart from the General Government, to deal with the revenues of the County. Difficulties were smoothed over for a time, but only to recur in a more aggravated form at the next session of the County Council. So far, then, the County Scheme has failed to realise the' hopes that were formed regarding it. The outlying districts of Westland are as clamorous for their rights as they were when they had to look to the Canterbury Provincial Council for justice. In' Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago the advocates of the County System have done their utmost to create a feeling in its favor Have they succeeded ? Auckland, through its Superintendent, declines most emphatically to be split up into counties. »Mr Carleton's crusade against Provincial institutions, and in favor Of counties, in the outlying districts of the Auckland Province, has not produced any very decided opinion in its favor. Mr Stafford will not, we predict, receive many petitions, in favor of the County system front Auckland. ... Major Richardson, as we had occasion to show a few days ago, tried to inoculate the Clutha settlers with the County disease, and other advocates have been busy in the Oamaru, Waikouaiti. and Taieri. districts. But, notwithstanding the most active exertions, Otago is still' the stronghold of Provincialism. Nelson, financially sound, and bent on coristructirg a railway at a cost, of over L 1.000.000, will not respond, to the Premier's invitation by sending petitions in favor of the County scheme. , . ' ■ '