CHRISTCHURCH

Timaru Herald, Volume VII, Issue 228, 3 August 1867, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH

[FROM OUR OWN" CORRESPONDENT.] July 30, 18G7. I suppose the topic of the week has been the claims of the unemployed as set forth by those always ready friends of the working classes whenever the shoe is found to pinch, said friends always bargaining to treat the case m their own way, do all the talking, and contrive, if possible, to frighten a Government sufficiently to extort a request that their powerful oratory should not be made bo troublesome, m which case some little inducement may be required before the great men honorably retire from public life. However, a Commission has been appointed and is now at work, to enquire into the matter, and I think it will be found that the evidence when sifted will be remarkable for the large proportion of chaff to the grain. The majority of tho men claiming relief from onr Provincial funds, I am told, often turn out to be visitors on spec from the neighboring provinces or colonies, and with such it is no uncommon rule to represent themselves at the Charitable Aid Office as passengers by some ship direct from England. No one possessing either humanity or common sense can wish otherwise than well to our labouring classes, but it is out of the order of things that they should be exempt from the consequences of hard times, which bear on other classes, although hitherto such junctures have affected them, of all classes, least. In early days the risk was not so much, m a man with a large family, fed as best might be on 10s or 12s per week, at work all daylight, venturing to believe something of what was told him about New Zealand, the risk was rather with the laud purchaser who brought him out and who if things went wrong would be far worse off than he whose trade was labor and who came to a country where as much money was given for a day of 8 hours only as he had probably had often received m England for a week's wages. But through good and bad times wages have risen and maintained this present singulary high rate. I say singulary because m Auckland wages are from 4s to 5s a day with provisions about the same as here, m Wellington there is a movement of dissatisfaction as here, but the standard is there 7s. These seems not much doubt that before Canterbury fanners can afford to hire labor profitably (and unprofitable labor is absurd) either produce must be much higher or wages must be lower. As a sample of local manufacture, some New Zealand rope, made at Kaiapoi, is admirable, and as far as I have means of judging of its texture and clean fibre, equal to Manilla. Another factory is about to be established ~in the Hallswell district. It is a pity we had not' sooner found some good nse for the gro\vth of our flax swamps, that cost us so much labour to burn after clearing. The town has been enlivened during the last few days by the experiments made with the fire goug. It is a hideous erection — a mast on legs, surmounted by a disc like a railway signal. Its discordant note has be. n heard on a calm clay at Sunnier, but as an alarm I should say it is perfectly uselecs, and certainly inferior m rousing effect to the steel bell m the .City-yard. Captain Wilson, late of the White Swan, is the new Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, and a meeting is to be held to-night under the auspices of the City Council, to inaugurate a Volunteer Fire Brigade. The Godley Statue, after doing penance m sackcloth and palings for months, is now at last to be unveiled to vulgar gaze, — a courteous deference on the part of the Provincial Government to the public, who, while from time to time expressing an impatience to see Woolner's fine work, have undergone the privation on the whole with wonderful calmness. Sir George Grey has certainly been ill treated by Lord Carnarvon. The publication of the despatches, however, show that the Governor knew very well how to acquit himself under the circumstances, and induce the reader to transfer some of the • pity he might naturally have for Sir George's wrongs to the Secretary of State, who could be so simply entrapped by an M. A. and J.P. -communicating to him his New Zealand news. In the General Assembly, the Macandrew -discussion is at an end, and the Ministry are by no means well out of it, although they obtained a majority of four, two more votes than were anticipated. The Medical Practitioners Bill is introduced, and provides that' certain conditions shall be exacted of applicants for admission to practice, but again we are nob to expect an Account of medicines charged for m our doctor's bills. Mr Stafford is evidently m earnest m bringing forward the Municipal Bill, among the provisions of which is found a contribution from the ordinary revenue of the colony m the proportion of double the amount raised by rates, as also a contribution from the land fund oi each province. Let us hope this Act may lead to some redress for the grievances of outlying districts as, things are now. The Panama mail suffered some detention at Wellington, and was brought down m the slowest of our steamers, the Egmont. The telegram was a long one, but need not have taken seven hours m transmission. The Lancashire Witch arrived on Sunday evening, and her immigrants came to Christchurch by the 2. 30 p.m. train to-day.