OUR DUNEDIN LETTER

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1119, 14 February 1885, Page 4

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER

f From our own Correspondent .) !.-? Whether it is that the prospect of tlie coning holiday at race-time is inducing «^tw spendthrift portion of the community * Ito^sav^up^or big " spree," or whether there is really no spare cash about, I am unabld to say, but one thing is certain— everything is as doll as ditch water. The merchants lay that they are doing nothing, and the shopkeepers complain that they » cannot .obtain the money for the small .1 aVnounEof' goods they are able to sr 11. For,, my .own part, I think that the majority of Uhe people have learned a wholesome lesson ; for the heavy cloud of depression which is just passing away haa shown not a few that it is always wise to make preparation for a rainy day. Although, as stated above, everyone is . .grumbling, things are not, nearly, as bad as f\f&&fag&i ?ni t9*!fefe»K*iinmon remark, it is astonishing how well amusements an patronised. As an instance that evjerydne- is banjkrjjpVia..." Cheap tack/ who sells in the street every evening, assures one that he averages £5 a night, and on Saturday night last took £14 or £15. Now it is only the working dassesmd^irtTiey*~win excuse the remark — the lowest in thu scale of these who patronise these itinerant dealers, so there is ample proof that there is even amongst the poorest still a few shillings to were is no doubt that it has strengthened] the confidence of most^busiuess men in

our-i future; arid, -several of onr leading

firms are thinking of adding to, if nut v building,, nnet.w t . warehouses, and offices. "''TJtitWs'a^very 'satisfactory sign Hhat Otagohas seen the worst. day for some time to r come, and that prosperity is in store for her. While on this subject, it may be interesting to the credulous to learn that Zadkiel, in his " Prophetic

Almanac for 1885," prophesies five years of prosperity .for New, Zealand, ,com,'jine^cing next September. • i . . ; - ■ " There will .be a big fight over the election of the Licensing Committees, and the two opposite factions are already ranging their forces for the fray. The temperance • .pajtyr-or, to.s*peak more, correctly, the teetotal one — held a meeting at the Coffee Palace during last week, and adopted as their platform — ten o'clock licenses throughout the city, no transfer of licenses toj jiitf fcgiiledl premises, a ; ridi red uction of hotels where possible. They also agreed to support the election of Messrs T. Dick, J. B. Bradshiw, M.H.R., R. Chisholm, A. Rennie, and- A. Cairns as members of the new Committee.' While wishing

Messn Cameron, Jago, and Co. all success

in their efforts to check the prevailing vice -do3s&SisPP eS8 > an< * t0 Have' the liquor traffic Kept under proper control, I fear that they are too intemperate in their notions, and wish to run before they can walk. No right-thinking man will deny that every possible assistance should be

given to those who are trying to ameliorate the Condition of their fellow creatures j «-*>Jftt Itlmustlbe remembered that opposition m the soul of trade. If the .temperance J party' carry out their design, and I think they will, and shut up all hotels at ten o'clock, it is certain that twelve months hence there will be a, strong re-action, and midnight licenses will once

more be granted. A meeting is advertised to be held in t*he Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of forming a Committee H tbTnominate ■men for the new Licensing Bench who. will try, to, fairly hold the balance between 1 the 'publicans and the teetotallers. If it were possible, there is no doubt that it would be more to the interests of all parties if the temperance faction would give an hour, and agree to an eleven o'clock license ; if this were done, it would be fair to all, and, what is more, all the decent, publicans would luppbrt'this 'measure. - No doubt you have heard by this time that the) police made a raid upon a Chinese gambling-house last Sunday evening and succeeded in capturing and getting eighteen .Cbifiajnen.- fined £1 each for playing fan-tan, and two others £5 each for keeping a gambling-house. That these men were doiris' wrong- no one will dispute ; but it seems very hard that these inoffensive Celestials should be finpd and imprisoned " 'for "playing ' their national game, whilst members of various Clubs are allowed 1 to J gamble until all hours, as "Nap," "poker," and "hazard" are played nightly in more than one hotel in this city. The Harbor fioard held a special meeting to take into consideration the shifting of the Uattray street wharf. Numerous witnesses were examined,, butafinnlly it was resolved that no one should be blamed, and tenders were to be called for*to make t g°pdj the L damage done; Jin' connection "wun this inquiry,^ there seems to have been some " hanky-panky " work for the sake of protecting the Board's engineer. No notice of the special meeting was sent to any of the newspapers ; but the " Star" reporter got wind of the meeting and attended it. However, he was not allowed to copy certain evidence that was produced ; but on Saturday evening the "Herald." .had a. full , report.. of the •videhce' taken. • To^sa^ 'the least, it looks very black; ao^ only for Mr Barr, but for some or the l meinbe'rs of the Board. If, as Mr Barr states, he has too much work to do, he should resign his private practice and give his -whole time to the service of the Board, and Mr Elder has tabled % motion to the effect that the Harbor Board^ secure the undivided services of an "Engineer. It is to be hoped that this motion will be carried, as S> public body spending as much money as therOtago Harbor Board- does- ea» surely afford!- to -pay -Mr Barr; or someone else, enough to secure -thein whole time. Miss de Grey Vcompa'ny" arb v not drawing such good houses as they deserve, and it appears that Dunedin theatre-goers prefer burlesqueand opera-bouffe to good comedy. Since they have been in Dunedin, the company have, amongst other pieces, played " She Stoops to Conquer," V The School for Scandal," and " As yon like Kit .'" - J AII S -three pieces were : splendidly put upon the stage ; and,, taken as • whole, the company is one of the best that has visited. Dunedin for a lengthened period. ' It is not that Miss de Grey is an extraordinary actress, although her "Lady Teazle" is certainly above the average; but the goodness of the company consists_in_tbere being so many capable performers, InsteadTof a couple of " stars," and a lot of rag-tag and bobtail, such as the majority of the companies that visit us are composed of.

kidnen. general debility, nervousness and neunfe wlntent«>ield re^fly T t^ ; this great disease conqueror, Hop Bitters. It repain.tiie rjougej of diseftse.byißonverting the food into rich blood, and it gives new Ufa and vigor to the aged and infirm. 6§o.