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Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 370, 11 June 1903, Page 6

■•la lalutrr Rviaei by Snccculal latxodnotloa of Beet Sugar and v Many Abandon the * Island.

' When a region sends its products to an exposition it usually puts its best foot foremost and tries to convince the rest of the world of its great value and desirability. Reunion, formerly one of the great sugarcane raising islands of the Indian ocean, was a conspicuous and perhaps a solitary exception to this rule at the Paris exposition last year. The islanders availed themselves of the great fair for the unusual purpose of advertising their adversity and the duty of France to do something to better the condition of its colony and restore prosperity to the islanders. Most of the officials of the island contributed to the volume compiled by J. Andre, in which the grewsome condition of Reunion was described. All the rags and tatters of the poor little island were flaunted in the hope tc attract public attention. It was not the fault of the island colony that it appeared in the light of a suppliant for alma. Even when the distress of a beggar is genuine his troubles are often the result of his own folly. But Reunion could not help its growing poverty nor smother its sharp cry of distress, says the New York Sun. The visitors to the exposition admired the products of the naturally rich island; they were displayed to the best advantage and were well worth seeing. Then his attention was called by the persons in charge of the exhibits to this printed story of the loss of prosperity and the present era of complete stagnation and suffering. In the first place the triumphal progress of the beet sugar industry and the consequent fall in the price of cane sugar had entirely ruined the main industry of the island. The people had lost faith in their ability to earn a good living in the colony and the result was that a large part of the labor had abandoned the island. "We have not labor enough," said the islanders, "to develop other industries to take the place of the sugar interest which now scarcely exists. Unless steps are taken to bring in a supply of foreign laborers we are irretrievably ruined, for the labor at our command is wholly inadequate for our needs." Next to the scarcity of labor the "yellow danger" was most threatening to the interests of the white colonists. The people of Asia were absorbing the activities of the island. Nearly all the retail trade and a large part of the wholesale trade were in the hands of the Chinese. French planters were raising only one-third of the tobacco, Chinese and Indian planters producing most of the crop. The largest tobacco planter in the colony was a Chinese. So the little book goes on to describe almost complete stagnation in all directions. There are only 80 miles of railroad and not a mile has been added since 1882. Of the 190 miles of telegraph lines only 40 •miles have been built in the past ten years. Forests nominally cover a third of the island, but scarcity of timber suitable for building and other purposes is one of the greatest causes of distress. The forests have been recklessly despoiled by all who desired timber, and the government has made no effort to preserve them. No cable yet unites the island with the outside world, and since the ruin of the sugar industry steam communications have not been adequate.

The fact is that Reunion has joined the list of the smaller colonies of France which have more or les»s reason to complain of the neglect of the mother country. A year before this cry of distress came from the Indian ocean, the French colony of Tahiti in the Pacific drew np a list of grievances and protested against the failure of France to supply them -with sea communication or good roads in the interior. There are other small colonies which think they are Entitled to a •hare of the interest which France bestows upon Algeria, Tunis and Madagascar.

Bis Wardrob*. r A loeal contractor had a faithful Milesian working for him for several years. A few weeks ago the employe announced his intention to pay a Tisit to a brother in the west. He was to be gone a month, and the contractor, being a good-natured fellow, purchased a mlise for "Tim." The night "Tim" was to quit the valise was presented to him with a few kind words. "Tim" looked rather surprised for a moment and. then asked: "And what am I to do withthot?" "Why, put your clothes in it when you go away," answered the boss. "Put me clothes in, is it?" said "Tim." "And what the divil'H Oi wear if I put me clothes in thot?" .Explanations were considered unnecessary.—Albany Journal. Am Interesting; Autoprrnph, Among the interesting tb'ngs on riew with the collection < bo< ks by negro auth-rs at But": . autograph of Webster, d&:*c ».arch 10, 1847: "I have paid $l2O for the freedom of Paul Jennings. Ue agrees to work out the same at eight dollars a month, to be found with board, clothes and trashing. i<; iuuii; when we return touth. lii.i :';-;-..". :i japers 1 give him. They are :.>> rri-. <. in ;his district." This Jennings •. : - .. .-. :; <>f one of President Madison** >:aves. his father bti.ig ?n Englishman of fan:i y. He became a body servant >.f Mad-i-mi and ;i ftt rvrard wrote "A Colored Man's Reminiscences of President Madison.'" .