NEWS OF THE MONTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 143, 18 June 1887, Page 6

NEWS OF THE MONTH.

SUMMARY FOR HOME READERS.

AUCKLAND- N.Z..

18th June, 1887.

Extensive preparations have been made by the people of this and othe r New Zealand cities for. the due observance of Her Majesty's Jubilee,, and the loyal demonstrations throughout the colony will be on a generous scale, although not so lavish or elaborate as those that are to take place in New South Wales and Victoria. The Governments of the latter colonies are spending a liberal amount in illuminations, and fireworks ; but the New Zealand Government, beyond proclaiming three public . holidays — the 20th, 21st and 22nd inst—are doing nothing in the way of celebrating the auspicious- occasion. In the circumstances of the colony their decision is a wise one. Unlike the Australian colonies, each of which has a single large metropolis, New Zealand has four leading cities, besides many other aspiring towns which are " capitals " of distinct districts, and to have illuminated one city would have caused dissatisfaction, while to subsidise the Jubilee Committees everywhere would have entailed an unjustifiably heavy expenditure. Both Houses of Parliament and the leadino- municipalities forward addresses of congratulation to Her Majesty; the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and probably other religious bodies also, follow the same course; the newspapers all publish special Jubilee numbers; and the poets have broken forth in numberless Jubilee Odes. Tuesday, the 21st inst., is fixed for the Jubilee holiday in Auckland, and on that evening there will be a grand illumination of public buildings, merchants' premises, etc. In addition to a religious service in the City Hall, a temperance festival takes place on that day, and an exhibition of local manufactures promoted by the Auckland Industrial Association will on that day be opened by Sir George Grey. His Excellency the Governor opened a similar Exhibition at Whanganui on Friday. A Kindergarten and Creche will be opened in Auckland, and in addition to a "Queen's Fund being formed for the relief of destitute women, a Jubilee Fund will also be -raised for the purpose of purchasing works of art for the Picture Gallery. The Eailway Department have reduced the fares in order to allow people to travel freely during the holidays; balls and other entertainments are being actively organised; and altogether the' rejoicings will be (for a " depressed " population, in the depth of winter, and involved in a political crisis) on a scale of liberality commensurate with the occasion.

The Stout-Vogel Ministry has fallen, Parliament is dis3olved,and the colony is on the eve of a genei'al election. By the cruel irony of Fate, it was their financial policy that proved the downfall of a Government that sailed into office on the strength of confident; promises to restore "commercial prosperity to the c010ny,,,. and send us spinning down the ringing grooves of progress by '' leaps arid bounds. The particular rock upon which the Cabinet ship came to grief was the tariff proposals, which were framed on the basis of protection to colonial manufactures. A direct voteof no-confidence wae moved by Major Atkinson: "That in the opinion of the House, the tariff and other proposals of the House are unsatisfactory," and on Friday evening,27th ult. ,the division-was taken and resulted in the carrying of the motion by 42 votes to 38. On the Tuesday following the Premier'announced to the House of Representatives that Ministers had requested His Excellency to dissolve Parliament, and that their request had been granted. After transacting some necessary business, Parliament was prorogued on 10th' inst., after laving sat for 27 days. ,''' .

Before-the next elections take place,,it is essential that there should be a' redistribution of'seats and readjustment of representation on the population basis. Under a new Representation Act just passed, various changes will be made, and by the shifting of population, some old electoral districts will wiped out, and new districts (Created; The North Island gains three members at the expense of the South. A strenuous effort was made in the House of Representatives jto have the number of members reduced, and a motion to that effect was carried by a substantial majority in Committee on the Representation Bill; but by means familiar to Parliamentary tacticians the number was restored to 91, as formerly, before the measure finally passed. The final fight of the session took place over f this bill, for although the Premier was pledged to pass it through other members of the Cabinet did not favour iV The Hon. P. Buckley, Colonial Treasurer, who had charge , of, the measure in the Upper House, made a motion which might have had the effect of; jeopardssing its passing this session, and on. being defeated refused to take charge of the bill;; but Dr,;Pollen took it up and triumphantly passed it through all stages, at one sitting, the Government party being defeated in every attempt to stay its progress. . . ■..■-•■;

Under this bill the following non--political Commissioners were appointed to act in connection with the Surveyor-General atid Property Tax Commissioner in adjusting the boundaries :—Dr. ,Hislop (Otago), Colonel Haultain (Auckland), and Mr EdwardDobson, C. E. (Canterbury). These gentlemen are now sitting at Wellington mapping out the new districts on the basis of last census, while politicians and electors are preparing for the coming contest. It •will be nearly three . month's before, the elections can be over. The general opinion in* the best-informed circles in Wellington is that the ■ new Parliament will meet about the end of the second week in September. This_ estimate is based upon a very expeditious preparation of the., rolls after the Boundary Commissioners have concluded their labours.

If there should prove to be any important divergence from this programme on the part of the Opposition, it will be ori the question of educational ..expenditure. There is a widespread { opinion that ; a very considerable* saving could be effected in this last item without in any way impairing the efficiency of the,system, and besides reducing the cost of management it- is not improbable that an attempt will be made to cut off all:aid,to secondary schools, and perhaps to introduce fees for the higher standards in- , the elementary > schools. The following is , a ' full return 'presented to the Legislative Council on the Hon. Mr Holmes's motion, showing the cost of education to the colony for the year ending the 31st December last:— University of INew" Zealand..: Expenditure, ■• L 2.990 8s 8d; revenue, L 793 10s 9d; net, L 2,196 17s lid. Auckland University College: Expenditure, 14,315 17s 8d; Canterbury College: L 7,316 7s ; revenue L 1,379. Us. 4d ; net cost, 15,936 16s Bd. Otago University : L 9,645 8s 7d ; revenue, L 1,306 11s 3d ; net cost, L 8.338 i7s 4d. TharnesHigh School, L 1,538 5d ; reveriue, L 337 10s 6d; net cost; LI,2(K) 9s lid. Other■ secondary schools, L 59,958 7s Id; „ revenue, L 25.400 j net cost, L34||BB 7s Id. Native Schools, L 20.890 8d Ifchatham Island L 244 3s; Jndwstril^'chools,

L 16,466 17s 9cl; School for deaf mutes, L3,12816s lOd ; Education Boards L 409,575 6d: Total net cost, L 509,038 3s 3d.

The vexed questions of Free Trade versus Protection, and Land versus Income Tax, will be raised in many districts in connection with the ,forthcpming elections ; but they will have really very little influence on the result. Land Nationalisation versus Small Freeholds will also be fiercely debated along with the question of the abolition of the Nominated Chamber of the Legislature. Sir Geo. Grey will address the electors of Auckland East in the course of a few days, and he thereafter intends to make a political tour of the colony, a course which will also be taken by Major Atkinson, the leader of the Opposition.

Judging by present appearances, the issue to be fought out at the elections will be men rather than measures, for all parties will probably accommodate themselves to the popular wishes, and declare in favour of vigorous retrenchment, modified protection, and encouragement of settlement on the land. The battle-cry of the Ministry may be said to be contained in the Premier's address to the electors of Dunedin East. The. following is platform laid down : — (1) Retrenchment in the public service; (2) any additional taxation that may be necessary to be so arranged as not to increase the burdens of persons of small means ; (3) any inorease of customs duties to be so imposed so as to assist local industries; (4) continuance of the present land settlement scheme ; (5) the strengthening of local government by the decentralisation of all possible Government functions ; (6) the maintenance, at all hazards, of the present educational system. Proceeding to elaborate his : policy Sir Robert Stout says :'—l am adverse to any scheme that would throw the representation of the people into the hands of the few, of the Wealthy ; and unduly "reducing the members of the House of Representatives would do so. I believe retrenchment in our Legislature oan be effected, but this can be carried out without interfering with the number of the members of Parliament. Were-the numbers reduced, several outlying or thinly peopled districts would be practically unrepresented. Even now some districts are too large. It ie passing strange that many of those who increased the number of members in 1881, when the population of the colony was 490,000, should now advocate a reduction of members when we have 505,000 people.

The Roman Catholic clergy of Auckland have made arrangements for an elegant, and appropriate presentation to Pope Leo XIII., on the occasion of the jubilee of his priesthood in December next. It has taken the form of a handsome and most artistic inlaid pedestal writing table, constructed of picked samples of New Zealand woods, and polished throughout. A silver plate bearing a Latin inscription, of which the following is a translation in substance, will be attached to the table :—" To His Holiness Pope Leo XIII., on the celebration of the jubilee of his priesthood, from John Edmund Luck, 0.5.8., Bishop of Auckland, and the clergy and Benedictine monks'of his diocese." '

The steps taken by tho Auckland Chamber of Commerce to open up a trade between this colony and the British possessions in North America appear to have awakened interest amongst the mercantile community of the Dominion. The letter sent by Mr J. Lamb, the President of the Auckland Chamber, to the Quebec Chamber of Commerce, has been published in extetiso in the Canadian,papers, and by last mail the Auckland Chamber received a large number of pamphlets, etc., on the trade and manufaccures of Canada. With the opening of "the Queen's Highway" across our North American empire, the colonies in these seas are brought into close connection with the grand colonies of American

The Customs duties collected in New Zealand for, the month of May amounted to L 101,401 16s 9d as against L 99,527 9s lid for the corresponding month of last .year. . The four principal ports contributed as follows :—Dunedin, L 25,387 6s 10s ; Auckland, L 21.623 17s 3d ; Wellington, L 19,395 16s ; Christchurch, L15.32010s Bd. The total beer duty for the Colony during May was 1.3,870 6s 2d, the'amount collected for the same period last year being L 4,069 3s 7d. The amounts collected at the principal centres were : Christchui-ch, L 846 9s 10d; Auckland, LBO2 12s 10d ; Dunedin, LBO2 5s sd; Wellington, L 430 2siod.- : ; ;. .: : i ;

Affairs in the • South Pacific Islands are hot altogether satisfactory. At Tonga| despite the visit of the High Commissioner, matters are very unsettled, and the feud between the King's party and the Wosleyan Christians shows signs, of breaking out afresh. From Samoa rumours come of intrigue to foment. > a rebellion against, the King—this action being presumably'due to Grrman chagrin at the recent confederation entered into by Malietoa, the King of Hawaii. Sir J. B. Thurston is- now in-Auckland, on his way from Fiji to attend the International Conference. on Samoan affairs to be held at Washington, and at which it is hoped the affairs of that Island Kingdom will be placed upon a permanent and satisfactory basis. The Queen of ' Rarotonga has written to an Auckland gentleman, enclosing a request to Government that Ministers will appoint a British resident ,at Rarotonga. Our Parliamentary reporter in , Wellington is informed that the Governmeritdesire to make such' .' appointment, but cannot do so owing to J the action taken by the English Government, who are anxious to let the' appointment bo in the form, Of a cohsjil, which means that the Home Government will-deal with Raretonga in their own \yay. This the \KT6w Zealand' Government object to, arid though anxious to comply with the Queen of Rarotonga's request they are at present' unable to do so. The Premier has written to Mr Cadmanj who is interesting himself in the matter, informing him, that ; the Queen's letter has been forwarded to His Excellency.