The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1889. THE GERALDINE RACES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1951, 3 October 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1889. THE GERALDINE RACES.

“Op all the passions jealousy is that which exacts the hardest service and pays the bitterest wages. Its service is to watch the success of an enemy, its wages to be sure of it.” We quote the above from Colton’s “ Lacon ” as most applicable to the subject we desire to discuss. For years Timaru has been very jealeus of the Temuka and Geraldine districts. It has watched with envy our efforts to establish local industries, and made some feeble attempts to imitate us, without success; it has seen with great regret, evidently, a local spirit developing in our midst; it has seen our auction sales swelling, and becoming more important yearly, whih its own are sinking, and it has seen the Geraldine Races becoming by far the best in South Canterbury, All these things have made Timaru very jealous because it wants all the country to be centred in itself. In its opinion we ought to have no races, no sports, no anything out here; we eught to be contented with what Timaru gives us, and ought always to flock in to its shows and spend our money there. This is exactly what would suit Timaru, and it is jealous because things are not turning eut exactly as it likes. This is shown by the way the raeing meu of Timaru behaved recently. For several years the Timaru races have been held in the same week as the Agricultural and , Pastoral Association’s show, but this year, the programme was' completely changed. The races were held thiei year the week previous to the Geraldine Races, the object evidently being to get the first of the season. There were many advantages to be gained by being first in the field and it was these advantages the Timaru Club sought to secure. By this means Timaru hoped that m time it would be able to bring Geraldine to play second fiddle. It does not believe in having to continue scraping it for ever, but it has so far failed to improve, and it is Tory unlikely that it will succeed in the future. The weather was not favorable to the Geraldine races unfortunately it seldom is—-yet, notwithstanding this, the attendance was better, the racing was superior, and there was more public spirit and enthusiasm manifested than at Timaru. The service of jealousy “is to watch the success of an enemy; its wages to be sure of it.” This was the wages the jealousy of Timaru earned. It watched Geraldine, and it is now sure of Geraldine’s success.

We commend the Timarui people on the vigor and tact with which they have gone to work. Not satisfied with having forestalled Geraldine, they have got the Timaru papers to try to kill Geraldine,not with faint praise, but with no praise at all. The Timaru Herald’s report of the Geraldine Races this year was the most miserable that could possibly have been written, and it is evident that this is but a part of the plot to destroy this meeting. This is not creditable to the Herald. It is not at all right for it to league itself with one portion of the district against another,

but in all probability it is beginning to feel that its subscribers out hero now are so few and far between that it is not worth its while to cater for them. That probably is at the bottom of the Herald’s action, It does not regard Geraldine and Temaka any longer as a part of its district. However, there is a likelihood that the Geraldine Races will survive the blow thus aimed at them, and will still continue to play the first fiddle. The fact is the two clubs are under different managers, and that makes all the difference. All the trickery Timaru resorts to will not change this. Let the Timaru Herald and the Timaru Club do their worst the Geraldine Races will still be a success, as they were last week despite unfavorable weather. Really, there were nearly as many—if not as many—Timaru people at the Geraldine Races as there were at the Timaru Races, and it will take the Timaru Cluh all its time to alter this. It will want first to do something to make itself popular and get the people to attend its meetings, and if it were to attend to this it would do much better than by resorting to the trickery it has adopted with regard to Geraldine.

THE OAMARU ELECTION,

Oamabu has whitewashed Mr Hislop, and thus soiled its own reputation. Oamaru claims to be a Radical constituency, but it lacks one indispeusible element of Radicalism,namely, common sense. It has not the faculty of discernment; it cannot distinguish the real from the sham. Mr Hislop is a sham Liberal, a veritable timeserving Mr Face-both-waya, and Oamaru cannot see it. Apart altogether from the Judge Ward incident he had deserved to lose the confidence of the people, for he has turned the most daring somersaults of any man in Parliament. He was returned as a follower of Sir Robert Stout when Mr Shrimski was translated to the Upper House, but voted against him very shortly afterwards. In his speech at the time ef the ©lection he said Sir Harry Atkinson 1 was not a suitable leader, and he would not follow him, but he followed him the very mopaeut he get a portfolio. He held very Radical views on the laud question, but allied himself with Mr Richardson one of the most obstinate and Conseryative of men as regards land. All his politioal tergiversation, however, shrunk to nothing, beside his treatment of Judge Ward; all his other faults have been overshadowed by the one crying sin, and that sin happened to be. looked upon as very venial in Oamaru. Hence the whitewashing Mr Hislop has received. He will not by any means be raised in public esteem by it; he has been universally condemned; outside Oamaru he has had scarcely one friend, and it is not likely the whitewashing ha has receiyed will improve his position one iota. It is said that Sir Harry Atkinson has offered to reinstate him in his office of Colonial Secretary, and we sincerely trust he will accept it, although it is said ha will not. His presence in the Ministry would undoubtedly be a tower of strength to the Opposition next election, and for that reason we should like Mr Hislop to return to his old post, There is one thing which must be said in favor of Oamaru. Mr Hislop’s opponent was very weak, and apparently Oamaru has had no one better to come forward. AMr Firth offered himself and retired, but he was weaker still. On the ground that Oamaru had no one better to return there is an excuse for it, but it is only an excuse. It has acted discreditably in re-elect-ing Mr Hislop.