The Otago Witness. (WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1910.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 63

The Otago Witness.

(WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1910.) THE WEEK.

WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY.

“ Nunquam aliu-d natura, aliud Bapientia dixit.”— JtTVBSAL. “ Good nature and good sense must ever join.”— Pope. ; Town and country alike have every reason I to be satisfied with the result of the winter show. To quote the words of the I president (Mr W. J. Chari ters) :—“ I think there is no doubt at all that this has been- the • most successful show ever held under the auspices of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society, j We have had record entries and also a ! record for attendance.” And despite the fact that the floor space has been so largely increased by the addition of the new hall, yet so great has been the expansion of the show that the existing accommodation proved all too limited both for exhibitors and for the public. The fact that the takings totalled the • substantial sum of £1314 speaks volumes j for the merit and popularity of the show, ; as well as testifying eloquently to the 1 prosperity of the peoiple. Indeed, no one could w r alk the crowded thoroughfares. of the city—for since the Royal visit nine years ago the streets of Dunedin have hardly been so congested with traffic — without being struck by the general air j of well-being which everywhere prevailed, j For the winter show was not the only I attraction of the week. With commend(able- enterprise the Dunedin Fanciers’ j Club arranged their annual event for the j same week, and th§ promoters were also rewarded by a record attendance. Seeing that the occasion affords reason for I universal congratulation-, it is to be regretted that the Minister for Agriculture should have seen fit to impart into his otherwise admirable speech at the | opening of the winter show an altogether unnecessary political animus and flavour. Following Mr Mackenzie’s somewhat flambouyant description of the various activities of the department of which he is the official head, it was somewhat in the nature of an anti-climax that he should be reminded by a previous occupant of the same office of the failure of the Government to establish an experimental farm in the South Island. Wo, have times without number emphasised the undenij able fact that if aariculfn-al onernfiona I in the fUnt.b Island are to pvb-n’-r.ss on

1 Record Show.

1 modern scientific lines, an experimental farm is an absolute necessity And if Jir Mackenzie can succeed in converting the Cabinet to this point of view, he will do more to justify Ink seat in the Co.b.'net than any amount of eloquence can possibly do.

One aspect of tne winter show siioula not be lost sight of—namely, the unanswerable evidence which so succcesfnl an exhibition offers of the need of increased railway facilities for the marketing of pioduce. The attitude of the Government in regard tr railway extension in Ctc.go and Southland practically amounts to the insinuation that the country has reached its limit, and that money sunk in rail wav ext:ns ion cannot t be expected to make a sufficient return to | justify the expenditure. The winter show | eloquently demolishes so specious an argu- | ment. The country and the people who ■ can produce such magnifi- ent samples of fertility and industry—and this despite transport difficulties of an overwhelming nature —can certainly claim the right to have their respective districts traversed by railways. .And the aggravation is intensified when a line to which the present Government practically stands pledged, and upon which a large sum of money has already been spent, is robbed of its usefulness bv being abandoned before it has been carried to completion. This exactly describes the case of the Lawrence-Rox-burgh railway, and it is no wonder that the presence of so many country settlers in Dunedin during show week should have been made the occasion of an indignation meeting, at which strong language was indulged m. Mr Mackenzie, by bis speech at the winter show, stands practically pledged to support the continuation of the line, since he highly eulogised the exhibit of fruit from Roxburgh. And the fruit industry above all other industries demands proper transit facilities if it. is to be made a financial, success. The last pretext of evasion adopted by the Government was a demand for a guarantee from the settlers, but the demand is manifestly so ineouitahle that little more is likely to be heard of it. And with the disappearance of the guarantee demand, practically the last vestige of a flimsy pretext for escaping from obligation vanishes. Yet the fact remains that the LawrenceRoxburgh railway stops at Big Hill, with no apparent intention on the part of the Government of resuming the construction of the line. And the righteous indignation of the settlers finds voice in meetings such as the one held during show week.

The law re a ceISoxbnrtrli Bail way.

It is scarcely to be wondered at that the dairy factories should be indisposed to forego their present system of disposing of the season’s output t« London merchants at a. fixed price in favour of the proposed monthly auction sales. For although the existing arrangement has certain disadvantages, and contains a. speculative element distasteful to the frugal farmer, yet on the whole it has proved advantageous to the seller. Experience shows that the competition for' the Dominion output of hatter and cheese on the part of buyers in the Old Land through their accredited agents is exceedingly keen, with the result that the highest prices are commonly realised. And if at times- the market goes against the buyer and heavy losses result, on the other hand the market is sometimes in their favour, and over an average of years the result seems - to have been fairly satisfactory. Merchants at Home prefer to deal in large parcels, and it is a decided advantage from theif point of view to ho able to negotiate for the product of certain well-known factories at a fixed price for the season rather than have to depend upon the varying results of monthly sales. And the weak point of the proposed monthlysale system is that no guarantee can ha given" of the competition; thus prices might fall considerably at some sales and be proportionately high at others. It is therefore doubtful whether the price realised for the season’s output would be any better under the suggested new system than under the old. And inasmuch as factories appear indisposed to forego their right to dispose of their season’s output before the butter or cheese is actually manufactured, there is the additional objection that buyers will have no guarantee that the amount of butter and cheese to be offered at the succeeding monthly auction sales would be such an to make their attendance worth while. It is probable, therefore, that matters in regard to the disposal of dairy produce will remain much as they are at present.

The Marketing of Batter and Cheese.

A proposal is on foot to celebrate the jubilee of Gabriel’s Gully in commemoration of the first gold rush in New Zealand and of the initial dis-. covery of the presence in the soil of the precious metal. There is every reason to believe that the suggestion will take practical shape and be an occasion of a unique and instructive character. With a view of adding to the enthusiasm which already prevails on the subject, we will quote from Dr Hocken’s “ Contribution to the Early History of New Zealand ” a description of the scene, with the pathetic reflection that Dr Hocken would have been delighted, had his life been spared, to have taken part in the jubilee celebration : “ But the great discovery was at hand which was first to empty the little settlement, and afterwards fill it with thousands of newcomers, and then change it to a; bustling, rapidly-growing town. In May. 1861, William Gabriel Read, an old Californian and Australian digger, travelled 35 miles inldtid wit.li liis digg«er 5 6 ©cjjiripment, examining the ravines and tribu-' taries of the Tuapeka and Waitahuna! Rivers. Wherever the .experienced miner wandered, whatever he touched, turned to. With rare judgment and discrimination he disclosed the results of his search to the superintendent. Major Hi chard son. who was thus earlv enabled to make such preparations as the magni-

The Jubilee of Gabriel’s Gnlly.

tude of the occasion demanded. Within a month of his communication, depth of winter though it was—July,—people began to flock to Gabriel's Gully. Tokomairiro, the nearest township, was deserted, and at Sunday service the minister and his presenter formed the congregation. Dunediu followed the lead; morning after morning fresh parties left the town : master and man on equal terms, clerks and mechanics, the better class and the shopkeepers, all travelled to the same goal, fcnd the witty Mr Outten said that if the ladies hoped to retain the services of even one man with a wooden leg they must saw that leg off. Prices . rose at >nce—flour to £3O per ton, the loaf to Is. Cartage to the diggings, 55 miles, was E9O per ton, and flour £l5O, all to rise (till higher within a couple of months — lour to £SO, meat Is per lb, butter 2s Sd, the loaf Is 6d, with prices proportionately higher at the diggings. _ Major Richardson executed his plans with military promptitude. An escort of mounted troopers brought in weekly an amount of gold which rapidly rose from 500 to 8000 ounces. It must' have been a sight to see the travel-stained escort dash into town in military order accompanied by 20 or 30 horsemen, who had also ridden in under its protection. An efficient police foroe was organised under Mr Branigan, ■who came down from Melbourne as Chief Commissioner. With the spring months crowded vessels sailed from Victoria for the new golden shores, bringing by December nearly 20,000 people. The revenue, which at December, 1860, amounted to £97,000, advanced in 1862 to £470,000. Such is the marvellous power of gold!"