CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 26, 19 October 1888, Page 27

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own Correspondent.) I Xlf glad to say th»t there seems to be a general opinion among com* mercial men here that New Zealand has seen the worst of its troubles There appears to be a decided impression that a re-action is setting in. Mr. G. G. itead's lait monthly report is very reassuring. Mr. Stead stateß that he hopes that before the end of the hwvest the depression will have entirely passed away. The reasons upon which Mr. Stead bases this hope are that wool maintains a fair price in tbe Home Country, that the frozen meat trade is growing in extent and is becoming more remunerative to the producer in this Colony, and that our wheat is bringing a better price in the markets of tbe world than it has done for same time. These are healthy signs which may be taken as indications that the worst stage of New Zealand's recent attack of financial debility has passed. There was room for improvement in the fortunes of the farmers. They have struggled hard and borne the financial " squeeze" bravely, and they deserva that tha tension of the effort to make ends meet should ba a little slackened. Numbers of people continue leaving hare for Melbourne. Week after week one continually hears of families selling out ani taking their departure for the Australian Babylon. As, for centuries past, the lights of London have had an irresistible attraction for country people, who thought that, could they only reach the great city, their fortunes would be made, so do the people in New Zealand appear to regard Melbourne. They think that by the banks of the Yarra fortune with outstretched arms is waiting to receive them. M«n without money or without any special qualifications to gain their livelihood flock away, believing that somehow or other they will get work "on the other side." They arrive there to find their mistake. Unable to md employment, they become miserable and penniless in Tictoria, and their wives and children are in a similar condition in this Colony It would have been infinitely better in many oases if those who nave takan part in the exodus had remainel in New Zealand aud faced their difficulties. A man without skill and with no capital but his labour can do much better in New Zealand yet than in Melbourne. After the abnormal wave of artificial prosperity which is now sweeping over the colony subsides, there will be in Melbourne abject poverty and misery among the labouring classes such as has never been experienced in New Zealand in the very worgt times through which it has passed. Some of the papers here grow very sarcastic at the expense of the Lunatic Asylum autnorities. There seams to be always a small contingent of escaped lunatics from Sunnyside at large abont the country. Last week two of the runaway?, after an adventurous career, were captured. During Dr. Mac^regor's visit to Tictoria in search of the best method of combining strict economy with the pauper's right to live, he shouid endeavour to discover some means of sharpening the wits cf medical superintendents and th<ur subordinates, in order to make escapes from the asylums under him of less frequent occurrence than is the case at pn-seat. As it is, tha Gove nmen*; must be spending more money just now upon recapturing escapees, than the philosophical doctor is likely to save by his utilitarian plans or by touriDgj in Victoria. The season for athletic sports has fairly set in in Chriatchurch, and every Saturday aft«rnoon Lancaster and Hagley parks are the scenes of spirited contests between athletic teams. Lacrosse, the new Canadian game, appears to be growing rapidly in popular favour. It is trea from the old complaint ot slowness wh>ch used to be made against cricket and is not distinguished by the brutal trials of strength which caused so many people to object to football. The ladies here are all very enthusiastic patrons of out door sports. On fine afternoons numbers of ladies turn out to all kinds of matches and crowd Ihe lawns at the parks. The lacrosse match on Satnrday between Otago and Canterbury teemed to possess unusual attraction for the Veauly and fashion of our pleasure-loving city. The day was most unpleasant. A high north-west wind blew all day and the city was enveloped in dust until towards evening when a light rain fell. Still the ladies tuineu up at Lancaster, probably the fact that the players were to wearfcr the first time the proper lacrosaite dress had something to do with the large attandance of ladies Spectacular effects, bright colours, and any thing new have irresistable attractions for the feminine mind. Beside?, ihere was a kind of vague rumour that one of the great ladies of Chnstchurch, was to dispense tea upon tbe occasion. In the "upper circles" in Christchurch women of the Mrs. Snobby-Snobbery type are by no means rare, and by them tbe chance of getting a cup of tea from the fiir hand cf a member of a famiJy which is supposed to "be rolling in riches." was not to be neglected even though a oor'-wester was bent upon things as unpleasant as possible. I would back the Anglo-Colomal portion of ihis aristocratic community to hold its own against any equal number of persons on this earth— to furnish f.rth the largest percentage ot thorough-going snobs. In nothing does this scobb.fh spuit exhibit itstif more offensively than in what may ba called national snobbishness. They all appear to think that to be Kngh-h is to be heaven-bom. One would think, to hear them talk, that England and the English had copyrighted all the virtues Again and again the expression, '• it is so English,"' i* heard applied to anything which is praiseworthy, while actions which are the reverse ata described as bein* so very '• un-English." Thus they go on blindly, and m the most fatuous manner, worshippiog Iheir national fetish and kissing its feet c f clay. They never seem to realise how thoroughly "English" it is to crush the national life and the hope out of a people, to rob them of their liberty and refuse s to make restitution, and to send to starve and die in vile dungeons every man who has the courage to assert his right to tbe privileges of a free man in what ought to be a free country. The West Coast people are again, as they always are, well to the front when there is an opportunity < £ stretching out a helping hand across the water to Ireland. I see by the daily papers that subscriptions aie to be raised at Westport in aid < f the Parnell Defence Fund. That

is an object ia which all Irish people, out of common gratitude to Oharlea Stuart Parnell, should join. The Irish leader, bravely and unflinchingly, baa fought for the Irish canse. It is because he is what he ifl, a man without a price, true in heart and soul to his country and faithful to the trust reposed in him by its people that the Time* is hii bitter enemy. He could not be bought ; corruption dared not approach bins, and nothing remained but to slander him. The Times has at its back all the wealth and power of wealthy England. Par* nell has nothing to fall back upon but the generosity of the people whose battle for freedom he has so bravely fought. It is because he has upheld their rights that he has been attacked in the cowardly manner in which he has bean attacked. It is because he has been the ablest friend that the Irish nation has ever had in the English Hoaaa of Commons, that the great English journal, the mouthpiece of the enemies of Ireland, has sought in such a dastardly way to ruin him. By all the laws of chivalry, in the observance of whioh tbe Irish people were never yet deficient, Charles Stuart Parnell ought not to be left to bear the brunt of tbe persecution which he has incurred through his devotion to Ireland. Irish people in every portion of tbe world ought to regard it as their bounden duty to aid tbe Irish leader to free his nama from the foal stain which the Tlmet has sought to cast upon it. lam glad to see that the Westport people hare recognised their duty in the matter, and I hope that other places will do the same. I am afraid though, that it would ba a vain hope to- expect that the example of the Westport people will have much effect here. We are very apathetic ia regard to Irish matters. Should T. D. Sullivan and John Dilloa visit us during their proposed Australian tour, lam afraid that we would have some difficulty in establishing a claim to be considered patriots. Certainly, I think our chance of doing so would be small indeed, if we were to be judged by our acts, for it must be admitted that we have not distinguished ourselves by aiding our country in its day of trial. Another duty which I think Irish people all all over the colonies should discharge is to] make some formal and united re* cognition of Cardinal Moran's action in regard to Ireland daring hia recent visit to Borne. Cardinal Moran bas acted a straight out, manly part. He did not disguise his sentiments. He was not one thing in his own diocese, and another thing in Borne. He did not play patriot when and where it suited his own book to do so, and then leave no record r >t his opinions, where professing them openly would be likely to produce good results. He fearlessly joined his voice to the voices of Ireland's friends, and for having done so he deserves the best thanks that the people in these colonies can give him. The grateful feelings with which tha compatriots of the Cardinal must regard his noble action on behalf of their country, should assume some tangible shape to greet him upon his return. Dr. Grimes, I belive, is to be asked tore-deliver his lecture upon Lourdes at an early date. The ladies of the congregation have been very much displeased at having been denied the pleasure of hearing the Bishop's lecture when it was given before the Society. la consequence of this feeling, Mr. Lonergan with kis customary gallantry asked the Bishop to give the ladies an opportunity of hearing the lecture. To this request Dr. Grimes. I think, has courteously promised to accede. The Hibernian Hall is almost completed. The windows are ia and it has received its first coat of paint. The manner of celebrating the opening has not yet been decided upon. Next Sunday, being the third Sunday of the month, the subscriptions in aid of the St. Vincent da Paul Society will, I suppose, be taken up aa usual. It is to be hoped that the people will see tbe wisdom of laying up treasures for tnemselves in heaven by dropping a few stray coins into ihe little boxes for the poor. The people hare are not enthusiastic lenders to the Lord. I was told by a gentleman who collects on a certain " beat " tbe weekly subscriptions towards paying off the debt upon the parish, that the sum which he gleans upon his weekly round amounts to five shillings and one penny. To obtain this he has lo '• do " three streets, each a mile long, and various bye streete. What would Dunedin collectors for St. Joseph's Cathedral have said to that? Some of the weekly subscribers pay three pence a week, others lay down one shilling and a penny as their quarter's subscription. lam afraid that at this rate it will take the pitish a long time to free itself from the financial bond<) which bind it so tightly. There is a decided feeling amon^ a great many people here that tbe '• Archdiocese " should come to the rescue. In times past, when this paii-h foiraed part of the diocesa of Wellington, the people paid generously towaids institutions in Wellington. They did this on the common wealth priuciple. This view of the case has not been shared by the " Archdiocese.' Tnis new diocesa was sent adrift to make its way in the world handicapped with a heavy patrimonial debt. Some people assert that the least that could hive been done for this poor struggling juvenile see. would have been for its debts to have been paid by the parent diocese. With a clean sheet it might have made Head way. As it is, it is quite certain however energetic Father Cummings may be, that he cannot do much to improve the parish without money and with his bands tied with debt. In the report, in my last letter of the Bishop's lecture upon Lourdes, by a typographical error, our Blessed Lady was robbed of the credit cf tbe cureo performed at Lourdes. The word " miraculous water ' was printed •' mineral water." Of course aa we all know the water of Lourdes has been analysed and has been proven to contain no mineral properties which could account for the wonderful effects of the water. Dr. Giimts is at Temuka just now. He gave Confirmation there on Sunday and will return to town on Thursday. It is gratifying to be able to record another brilliant victory for the Catholic Colleges of New South Wales. At tbe recent public examinations held at the Sydney University, 110 Catholic candidates passed. Twenty -one cama from Queensland. Of the remaining eighty-Dine, thirty-six were from the Catholic Colleges of New Soutn Wales. The Manst Brothers' College beads the list with thirteen pupils. This is a very bright feather, indeed, in the scholastic cap of the Little Brothers of Mary. r

Next Sunday Father Camminga will preaoh a charity sermon on behalf of the 6 >ciety of St. Vincent de Paul and a collection will ba made in aid of that object. From the Rev. Father's well known , ability as a speaker and from bis well known charity towards the poor, an unusual treat may be expected.