South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2739, 31 December 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1881.

With this day terminates another of those portions of duration marked off by common consent for convenience’ sake, the beginning and ending of each of which are then recognised as landmarks on the banks of the steady, tideless stream of time, as the traveller looks backward or forward as he goes. We have journeyed down the stream the length of another year, and before we quite pass the mark which indicates the exact distance, and before we enter upon the next similar section of our journey, perhaps it would be well to call to mind what we have done and seen since passing the last landmark of this kind. If our retrospective glance is permitted to fall only upon what has happened in this neighborhood, we shall see but few things that seem to attract special attention. We have plodded along very quietly and steadily, the most striking fact of the year being perhaps the quietness and freedom from great excitements of local origin with which we have pursued our way. We have seen but few wonders, and such as we have seen were of such a character that they are almost forgotten. But we have done a considerable amount of good work in the time, and in consequence of that work the Tirnaru of to-day is not the Tirnaru of a year ago, Th£ town has been much improved by the addition of numerous buildings of a superior class, and the recent completion of the main system of the water works has added immensely to its value, to the comfort of its residents, and the safety of their property. The wailings of a year ago, of “ commercial depression, ’’ hard times, and the like, arc no longer heard, and the rapid growth of the town bears witness that the reason for them no longer exists. That there did exist reason is unfortunately but too true, and a considerable amount of hardship was experienced by many sections of the community. In the first half of the year the laboring classes felt acutely the restriction that the trials of the previous year had forced employers to place upon their business, and relief works had to be provided in the winter. A revived confidence and renewed energy presently removed the necessity for these, and now the whole population appears to be profitably employed. It is to ba hoped that next year will be marked by an absence of such experiences. We have long complained of the insufficient accommodation afforded by our railway station, and of unfulfilled promises to provide us a better. We have now seen a commencement made to fulfil those promises, and next year we shall be able to reckon this work as an accomplished fact. Within the past year the working of the port has been completely transformed, by a long extension of the Breakwater and wharf; and the desire of last December, that our coasting steamers and other vessels should load and discharge at the wharf, has now been realised. This great transformation of the shipping business has gone on steadily, surely, and fortunately without a serious mishap. There have been difficulties and delays, some due to natmal, and some to political causes, but the former were to be expected, and both have been got over, and we can afford to forget them, seeing that they are wholly past, and the work cf improving our shipping facilities is steadily progressing. A few losses have detracted from the su? : a

total of the general increase of prosperity and advancement, but not to a very serious extent. Only one small vessel was lost while in this port during the year, and among destructions by fire, tho great enemy of towns, there was but one that involved any serious loss. This was the destruction of the Waitangi mills on the 21st May. Great regret was expressed at our finest industrial building being destroyed, but the regrets are now being surpassed by the pleasure of seeing a yet finer building rising from its ruins. If we look beyond our immediate neighborhood, and cast our glance over the whole colony, ,wae shall see signs of general progress and successful effort far exceeding the work of stagnation, retrogression, and loss. A very prominent and pleasing feature of the year is the marked attention that has been directed in nearly all parts of the colony to tho establishment of local industries. Many projects have been mooted, many prospectuses issued, and though many of the projects were still-born, or died in their infancy, some survive, and the resultant benefit to the colony must be great. Perhaps the most important of these projects is one that if successful will add considerably to our foreign trade, —the supply of “ frozen meat.” The possibility of making this trade a success has been widely discussed, and before another year has rolled over our heads the question will probably have been settled, a vessel specially fitted up being now on her way - out to take Home an experimental cargo. In several quarters the establishment of woollen factories has been proposed, and preliminary steps taken, these may come to nothing, hot the industry has been extended independently of these efforts, several of the existing factories having been considerably enlarged during the year. One most important event has occurred during the year, which will have no small influence upon the future of the North Island at least. This was the breaking up of the centre of Maori disaffection, and the dispersion of the disaffected to their respective homes. It is believed that the Native difficulty, which has obstructed settlement, Las hampered the Government, and caused serious expense to the colonists for years, has thereby been completely put an end to, and it is to be devoutly hoped that the belief will be justified by the history of the past two years. The measures taken to bring about this result were of extraordinary character, and the progress of the operations caused absorbing interest throughout the colony, and by no means the least in South Canterbury, whence a respectable quota of volunteer soldiers proceeded to the scene of operations to render snch assistance as was required. Glancing at the work done by the Legislature during the year we note prominent above all the rest, the passing of laws extending the franchise, redistributing the representation, and regulating the election of members, the passing of a new licensing law, and next to these, —and even more important than these, if it were insisted on, and fully carried into operation, which it cannot be—a law to put down all gambling. This year’s session was remarkable also for a determined { * stonewalling” performance by a few members of the Lower House, which was put an end to in almost an ignominious manner, as soon as the Speaker chose to exert his authority. Then there was a general election, the incidents of which are so recent that interesting, as many of them undoubtedly were, it is needless to particulary refer to any of them. We must now close this imperfect sketch of the history of the past year with an expression of conviction that on the whole we may congratulate ourselves upon the advance made during that time, and of the hope that the year .1882 will see the good promise of the present moment fulfilled in a further decided increase in colonial and local prosperity. We see no reason to doubt that that hope will be realised, and therefore without any mentally reserved fear that it is in vain, we wish our readers “ A Haity New Year.”