DUNEDIN NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4897, 5 October 1901, Page 2

DUNEDIN NOTES.

[Own Cobrespondent.]

With his face beaming, his eyes daneingi ana his lipa wreathed in smiles oar .oarn specialty created, Dunedin. evoluted, AngloSootch Mayor — or rather ex-Mayor — Mr. Robert Chisholm, J.P., stood up before an assemblage of hi 3 fellow citizens, and a pileof letters of apology for non attendance, to receive a large silver salver (big enough for a mortar board), a tea pot, a coffee pot, a sugar basin, and, I believe, a toddy kettle, a heap of compliments, a round of cheers, and many other things that sound so pleasant and oost so little.

It was a proud day. Seldom has there been a clearer, cleaner case of virtue rewarded than that of Mr Chisholm's. Nay, I am almost persuaded, like the Premier was by Mr CX Fisher, to bolieve that Mi? Chisholm is Virtue herself, in fact I should be absolutely oertain of it did I not know that Virtue has always been looked upon as a lady, and' whatever else Mr Chisholm may or may not be he is certainly not that.

Mr J. Robin, however, has no doubt thai he is something equally as irksome — at times — and important. With this gentleman Mr Chisholm is an instrument of Providence. Of course we all are this in a way, but Mr Robin means that Mr Chisholm was one in an especial way. Providence when taking a survey of the Empire immediately after Mr Kruger had declared war — we forget sometimes, amid the confusion of tongues, who really did this — let his eye fall upon Dunedin. " Now here," ha mused, "is a place tbat may, by its example, produce good fruit. Is there a man I can select to do my work ? " " Certainly," answered Bobby C&is&olm, take me ! " and we took him.

This is Mr J. Robin's interesting way of putting it. You see, it places both Mr Chisholm and Providence in such an attractive position. It enhances our respect for the former and makes us feel a tender oonoern in the latter. Providence may call us forth some day. There is many a man prepared to saonfice his time and temper for £400 a year, an ermine-bound gown, a chance of making a speech, a picture of himself glazed and painted, a service of solid silver, and the cheers of the multitude. The only drawback to their chance of being called forth is the contemptuous indifference of Providence* The latter only calls when there are Cbisholm3 to answer.*

Tbe Labor Party - that is the few gentlemen who meet in secret, pass resolutions, and hand them into the newspapers— are in trouble. They generally are. Tfaey tx^yQ troubled feverytoiJjr lor bo long that trouble has become part of their morning meditations and evening prayers. For a good while, however, they had a capital innings. A Government after their own heart, representatives ditto, ditto, and an Arbitration Court to work for all it is supposed to be worth in their favor, made them proud, resentful of comment, and touchy io the extreme. They got into the way of passing a resolution and never dreaming that any one would doubt its reasonableness, and, for a time, all went merry as a schoolboy on a slide. Then thf-y took to riding the high horse. A when-I-ope-my-lipa let-no-dog-bark sort ff way. Newspapers were threatened with a boyoot ; comments in the press on their autocratic dealings with tramway services and the gold dredging interests were angrily objected to ; resolutions were passed condemning editors, and lastly lhat is up to the present moment -they have taken to sending insolent letters to the Premier and Sir J. G. Ward ! Personally, I am not surprised. I think my letters will bear me out when I say that I have always advocated letting the Labor misleaders have more rope and still more rope nnd, in time, they will be at the end of it. Their attempt to put a ring fence around the colony and ran its industrial conditions irrespective of consideration was, and is, so silly that in about three or four years, if not earlier, the whole thing will collapse. Their latest bit of autocracy, however, is apropos of Labor Day. They wanted the Mioister (Sir J. G. Ward) to do bi3 level best to make this day, co far as Dunedin or Otago was concerned, a close day to all rival attractions and thus compel amusement seekers to patronise their sports. To do thi3 they asked — nay, demanded— that no totalisator permit be granted to the Dunedin Jockey Club for their races anaouaoed for Labor Day! This the Minister did not aooede to. Then the "fat was in the fire." An extraordinary letter was sent from Dunedin, by the Sports Committee, to Sir J. G. Ward. It containf d, among other snappy itc-m3, the information that no Government which included Sir J. G. Ward, and no members who sup» ported such a Government, would in fa tare be supported by them 1 To this effusion no answer was sent, but our autocrats of Labor, nothing daunted, sent a copy of their letters and telegrams to the Premier, pointed out the heinous nature of Sir Joseph's offence agaiost them, hoped that be didn't approve of it, « tommaodea " (like Boyßlty always does) the Premier's presence at their sports and coooert, and reiterated th ir threat of excommunication. So what, do you think of that my worthy brother in affliction? As mine ancient Pistof hath ii.; " Under which King, Benzonian ? Speak Q|

die 1" Although vk 0 now neither Minister has ppoken. They Wer to die. At least I should. \ We shall, I hope, inline pet down to bedrook in Stook Exchange affairs as .distinguished from genuine mitthg investments. The Exchange is purely* Umbling institution. Whether a share gvea tp or goes down the value of a claim is nc* rffeoted one jot, and the fluctuations in the pfte of its shares onght not to be regarded. If (jld ia there all the btlUs ar><3 bears iv Spa« and North America can't alter the fact. If nothing is there but rocks, tussocks, andflrewood, no booming oan boost it into lite\ We should look at our olaims — not at thobrioe.of our shares on 'Change. If a man- liks to speoulate with stock— well, let him i and if he burns his fingers in the transaclon, well so much the better ; it will teach hta a lesson. But don't let us get scared and thrbv up good stook in despair and cry : " The botom is out of the business." \ The bottom \s »6t out of ioefiasiness. There is more solid foundation ti? it now, for the investor, than at any time dteing the past two years. There is gold in tfe rivers and the gold is being got. UnfortuOttely we forget it and point to -the number <? companies going smash. Well we are gtat some of them are. They never ought to h&v been floated. They have done more harm than good. They are purely the outcome oi that rash and outrageous gambling fever tha took us by the throat in 1899, and in stook ittestments, as in nature, what a man sowsjhai must he reap. We had to pay for it ana the Sooner we have doDe so, and start clear \od Honest, the better for mining, the better -or the community and the better ioi an inlividual. Dunedin is, now, oleaning up. We aig gathering the wrecks into one huge heap anil intend to burn it in one big blaze. Duffers and weaklings, claims as innocent as the new-born babe of hiding any gold, have got to oave in. The business will probably press' hardly on many— (my own tears at this june- ' ture I am sure you will' forgive : even I have Ihe feelings of a man)— but after all bad debts are written off and only a fleet of dredges left that are paying handsome retarns (for handsome is as handsome does) over and above wages — then we shall have flaUß<> to be thankful and, guided by past blunders, be able to press forward without breaking our legs, or aims oi libs at Bvery other step.