THE EDITOR'S TABLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 241, 13 October 1886, Page 3

THE EDITOR'S TABLE.

Fowl Disease—"F." writes :—" Perhaps some of your readors could give me a remedy for a disease which affects my fowl, and which I do not myself understand. The following aro the symptoms :—Tho head of tho affected bird becomes swollen to nearly twice its usual size, closing the oyos, and turns ;. blackish colour."

The Totalisatok and Country MeetISC-.. —Mr B. C. New, of Mangawharo, writes:—"The surpri.o which I felt on r.ading of tho proposed rules in regard to country raco meetings will certainly be increased it carried out. Why should we (for an instance) havo our meeting quashod to pleaso somo_ 'fad, simoly because we cannot well raiso tho £ inds which Auckland consider ought to be tie minimum? Mangawhore has had its annual raco meeting before the much-tv.kod-of totalizator was invented. If tin-, rile is carried out, I bog to suggest that a reproeenative of each Club north ot .A tick l.nd meet in somo central town, and thore a id then form .'an association independent of Auckland rules. Can anyone in their sober senses imagine there will bo less sjopo for tho black-leg if the stakes are doubled ? Look at Australia, where races are held under authority for ovau £10 (ten pounds), Let us bestir ourselves beiuro too late."

New South Walks New Patent Act. — Mr W. Greon3hields sends tho following : - "In tho now Patent Act now before tho New South Wales Purli_n_ont the following is the schedule of fees:—Provisional Specification, £1 ;or complete specification f'2 At the ond of tho 2nd, 3rd and 4th years £2 more must bo paid ; at tlio ond of the Oth, 6:h, and 7th years, i'A ; and atthect.d of each subsequent ycir £8, something like £100 in all. Now look at Now Zealand— 10a for 12 months, then £2 ; at tho end of 6th years £7, in all £0 10s. Oi course tho oarly payments will bo ranch lighter than tho present Act, which requires £20 down, e.tclusiveof patent agenta' ices, but tho gross amount of tho payments by tho now Act will bo about fivo times the amount of the prosent t^et. That is reducing fcos with a vengeance, over the loft, and all for the sake of keeping up emoluments For some officials who are already in good fat billets,"

Female Employment .Act. —" Ono of the Workpooplo " writes :—"There uppearod in your issuo of Friday list, in tho Police Court news, an account of several employers of femalo labour failing to have notices ef houra of labour po-ted in their workroom specifyingtho hours of work—ono of the number my employer, Mr Cartwright, one of the kindest and most considerate gentlemen to his workpeople I have ever met with. Mr Cartwright was fined for not having a notice posted in the workroom, whon at the same time there is actually a notice posted upon tho door. 1 saw Mr Cartwright put it up nearly two years ago, and it is thero at the present time. With reference to the case iv which Mr Cartwright was fined for working us a quarter of an hour moro in the forenoon than the law permitted, it was for tho convenience of the employees, and not to get a quarter of an hour more work out of tha girls each day, Taking tho wholo week, we aro actually working less timo than the law allows."

Ban-kkuptcv. —E. J, King, Parnell, writes :—" About a for,n'_.ht ago no less than eight persons in Auckland sought tho protection of that most benevolent institution known a? tho Bankruptcy rouit, and the cry ia ' Still thoy come ;' and come thoy will as long aa the present laws exist. Correspondent, ' J. W. ' suggests tho license system as a remedy, but I have a few suggestions to offer which I think would havo greater effect: —First, at tho noxt general election I would compel every candidate to give this pledge, namely, to use every effort in his power to abolish the existing bankruptcy laws, or elsa make sweeping reforms ; for it must bo confessed that they aro both ruinous and demoralising. Sir, I only wish wo had a law in force similar to that which exists in South America. When a man becomes a bankrupt thoy hand him over to tho tender mercies of tho Government, and mako him work at any trade or labour boat suited to bis strength and ability, at fair wages. Lot the Government deduct say one third weekly to pay his creditors, and in handing over those gentlemen to the Government I would impress on their memory thia precept: ' Thou shalt not cocao nut, thenco until thou bast, paid the list farthing.' Only enact, and enforce this law, and the Official Assignee's occupation is gone."

Local Industries he Ikon-, etc.—G. R. Fellows, Onohunga, writes : " Having read in your valuable paper that a meeting had taken place to consider tho question of fostering local industries, I have taken the liberty to write to you a few Hnea in respect of one, which I may say has been a lifelong experience to me, namely iron, and likewise to a certain extent steel. In regard to the manufacture of iron, throughout the world's history, as far as wo know it, wo find that those nations who had tho materials to work upon, and tho desire to excel and load the van in progress, fostered the said industry, thereby creating an independence and permanent source ot wealth nnd happiness.'for its<peoplo, and need I say it ? if on the other hand they ignored such claims to a nation's prosperity, they havo had to tako a minor placo among the nations of tho earth. Therefore it ia clearly and forcibly true, if the material is possessed by any country, it is the duty of its legislatures to induce and foster its manufacture, instead of buying supplies, thereby employing the labour of other lands and neglecting its own. Tho quest ion therefore arises, Does it apply to New Zealand ? If it applies, to other countries it must do the same to this. The United States of America, a nation that ' like ourselves' ha 3 risen into existence and to-day ranks among the foremost of tha world in prosperity and power, recognised and deemed it her duty to foster the industry, for in tho fivo years from 1871 to 1875 they bought 600,000 tons of iron and steel rails for tho railway system of that country from England, but Eeeing they were paying their gold or its equivalent away which ought to be kept at home and mado use of in tho employment of their own people, thoy placed a protective tariff of £3 par ton upon imports of iron and steel, and thereby fostered their own production -to such an extent that in the following year, 1870, they only imported 12 solitary tona I Consequently without having to borrow money tor relief works for. thoir unemployed, they employed their own population and thereby circulated tho money in their own country, thu3 inducing men of talent and experience to flock thero from all parts of the world, without a State aided emigration but giving to them soetions of land. If young industries required an incentive to stand thero, it must apply to us in the same-manner until thoy got strong enough to compete on a level with outside competition, we have at tho present tima labour crying for work, we have on the West coast cropping out of tho surface a bed of tbe best ironstone in the world. ' Ho-aatite,' capable of making the best iron or steel, with both coal and limestone close by, material for building up and establishing a great industry, likewise there is tbe immense deposits of titanic iron sand, which 1 believe are second to nono in the wcrld for producing both iron aud steel. Undoubtedly there havo been immense beds of hematit. ore which have been melted in the various volcanoes and thereby purified, and ejected during eruptions falling in minute particles, just as tho volcanic dust from Mount Tarawora recently. If such material as the titanic iron sand is not brought into use it will be a disgrace to us ; from past experience on my part I am sure it can be, ond it is undoubtedly the duty of our Government to help in its development either into steel, or directly into malleable iron, by some means which thoy consider is bost for the interest of tho community at largo."

Teade with Brazil,. —Mr A. J. Thomas, who lately visited Brazil.sends.'the following notes on tho above subject: —" Seeing that the British steamers arriving at Rio in 1884 numbered 294, with 445.254 tons of different classes of produce, I am sure a strong and flourishing country like New Zealand could compete with any other country, and I am also sure that if tbe New Zealand farmers could get a fair price for their choose, bacon, wheat, oata, barley, and any kind of produce, it would givo them more inducement to work their farms. Seeing in the last report that flour from New Zealand sold at £16a Hd per sack, and it was tha cheapest flour ever sold in Rio, ■ after all tho expenses wero paid, the exporters toil me that theresult was that it left them a good margin. if the flour w B «itin barr i . and the potntona incases aud-.gu!.d wild ohc-ic, i am eu/o a good trade could be got. In the apple season a good trade could be obtained. I saw apples sold in Rio at 5d each. Tho apples in Rio come chiefly from America. Some people ask me, What

would bo the return cargo ? My reply is : Coffee, tobacco (uncurcd loaf), mahogany timber, and oven a lot of tropical plants unknown to Now Zealand. Oh, but coffee ! Now Zealand could not consume a ship cargo of it. But, I say yes. If people hero could get the roal cofl'eo at about lOd por lb, thoy would consume as much cofl'eo _3 tea. If the Now 'Zoaland merchante would put n cargo of New Zealand produce in Rio market and not stick for a price, I am sure they would i-ain in tho long run, becauso j oven with Hour tho Rio merchants inform me that if thoy could get a big supply of it they would not import any othor. As soon is tho article proves to bo irood, they will havo if, and not bo particular as to tho prico paid. 1 s.m sure Now Zoaland timber would take the lead in preference to tho American pino, and there is no duty on rough timbor. On the 18th October last, I loft Auckland, and arrivod' at Rio November tho 9tb, and I took a cheeso and a few pounds of fresh butter, and my brother gave somo of the butter and cheeso to a doctor, and ho said that it was tho best butter !io ever had scon, and as to tho cheese, he said that if thoy would import that kind of cheese into Ric after it got known amongst tho public thore would be great demand for it. I hope your merchants, shipowners, and ethers will take up this matter. It may be a failure for the first year, but I am sure it will bo a great gain in tho long run."