South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1883.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3308, 8 November 1883, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1883.

The shareholders of the Woollen Factory Company have no reason to grumble at their choice of directors. The list of those elected last night comprises some of our most energetic and capable business men, and citizens of commercial repute. The office to which these gentlemen has been elected is no sinecure. On the contrary, it will require a great deal of care and caution, and attention. The first matter calling for their consideration, is the commencing of active operations. Our correspondent “Shareholder ” laat night sounded a note of warning which deserve to be attended to. We do not take quite the same view as “ Shareholder,” but we recognise the necessity for careful enquiry before entering upon active operations. It is useless to begin without a fair amount of paid-up capital in hand ; and we must believe that the directors are not likely to err on this important point. The prospects of the company are reassurring ; it is a fact that a considerable number of persons, disposed to take up a large number of shares, have abstained from doing so, pending the formation of the permanent directory, and a little energy and publicity now will soon bring in the sinews of war. Those who hold shares in the concern now,are in earnest about it, as the numbers present last night abundantly testified ; and when a nucleus of earnest men have incorporated themselves,and set to work upon the matter in hand, it will not be long before they attract to them a large number of more cautious outsiders. The directors have cast upon them a very grave responsibility ; the capital is limited, and the success or failure of the enterprise will mainly depend upon the management of the concern when it is started. A thoroughly capable manager is the great desideratum, and when the time arrives to make that appointment, we trust the Board will, to use a vulgar phrase, “have their wits about them.”

The lapsing of the Kev. Mr Gillies’ motion re exclusion of the Press from meetings of the High School Board, has given general satisfaction ; and we are in hopes that the rev. gentleman, on mature consideration, will abandon the idea of proceeding any further. There are many strong reasons why he should not proceed, as we shall endeavor to show. In the first place, if the Press were excluded—supposing Mr Gillies’ motion were carried—the public would know absolutely nothing of what the Board was doing ; since, speaking for ourselves, we should certainly refuse to publish any report handed to us from the Board ; and we feel confident that our morning contemporary would act in a similar manner. Further, Mr Gillies forgets that he is a life member of the Board, and does not hold his position at the will of any constituency ; and that, therefore, ho should be the very last man in the world to exclude the Press from the meetings—such a proposal comes with no good grace from him. Again, the fact that Mr Gillies has figured so prominently in the history, has taken so exceedingly active a part in the proceedings, of the Board all through, and has exhibited so masterful and contentious a spirit, should not be forgotten by him, for these matters are not forgotten by the public. The Press at which he rails, has “ held the mirror up_to Nature,” only too faithfully in his case ; and, smarting under its strictures, he seeks to forcibly prevent its

exercising its undoubted right. These are the things which are freely and widely said about this ill-advised motion. To these we may add our own opinion, viz., that Mr Gillies is, to say the least of it, very indiscreet in thns running foul of the Press, which has never failed to do justice to his usefulness and energy. We have never maligned Mr Gillies or abused him, and where he has conducted himself reasonably we have gladly, even eagerly, done him justice. Anything better than his conduct at the last meeting we cannot conceive ; he there displayed the best side of himself—he showed anxiety and energy in the cause of education, and spirit of justice. In pointing out that Mr Manchester’s motion re the Rector ought to be brought on at once, and not kept hanging like a sword over his head, he discharged a plain duty, and every right-thinking man must cordially support him. The motion ought to have been disposed of—no entreaty or influence of any kind ought to have witheld Mr Manchester from pressing it forward. Itoughtnot to have been left as a sort of legacy to the new Board , and we trust the new Board will not so regard it ; but will divest its mind of all thought of the past, and go to work according to its own lights. This by the way, however, we merely desire to express our appreciation of Mr Gillies’ stand in the matter. Will he do us justice also, and give us credit for being conscientious and disinterested ? We forbear to comment on the extraordinary proceedings at the Board re Mr Clulee’s seat; and the line adopted by the Chairman in regard to the two notices of motion. The report of these speaks for itself; and the public may form their own opinion on the subject. All we can say is that the Board is fast sinking into contempt, and the “new Board,” as it is commonly called, will have to mark out a very different line for itself. That indeed will be its first duty.