The Evening Star: WITH WHCIH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. MONDAY, MAY 7, 1900. THE IMMENSITY OF BRITISH TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 107, 7 May 1900, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHCIH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

MONDAY, MAY 7, 1900. THE IMMENSITY OF BRITISH TRADE.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the -wrong that neste resistanos, For the Juturo in the distance, And tho (rood that ire can do.

"For the first time in the history of mankind, the external commerce of a single nation in one year has exceeded the enormous sum of eight hundred millions sterling." The exact sum is fifteen millions more, but that, though only about three millions less than the "whole trade value of New Zealand, is neither hei'e nor there. "We majr be snuffed out of consideration by the desire of an able .statistical! —Mulhall —to work with round sums. The paper of Mr Mulha.ll, in the "Contemporary Keview" for March, of which the above quotation is the opening1 sentence, is one for British statesmen to ponder over. Though dry-as-dust to the multitude in its endless array of figures, yet "Forty Years of British Trade" may seem full of fascinating history, and even poetry, to the intelligent citizen who has wit enough and imagination enough to comprehend the meaning of the huge statistics of the vast volume of British trade. The world-wide characteristic alone of this trade is impressive and full of hope for mankind. Nations, like individual merchants, think twice before they fall entirely out with their best customer. This fact is plain enough fox commOnsense. As for poetic imagination, it was powerfully appealed to on a past occasion over the prosaic subject of British trade by the late sage of Hawarden, when he pictured the merchant ships of Great Britain, crossing and recrossing, as swift shuttles, every ocean, weaving a vast web of human, concord. ' '•

We shall select only a few figures from "Forty Years of British Trade," descriptive of the commerce of Great Britain with the larger nations and co}o.nies.

The British trade with the world for forty years amounts to in imports 14,202 millions; in exports > 10,251 million^ making a grand total of 24,723 millions. This is exclusive of bullion —of the precious metals of gold and silver. In forty j'ears Great Britain has imported 1197 millions sterling of gold and silver metal from all countries, and exported to the same 1074 millions. The United States is our chief market for metals as well as for merchandise. The food, supply and cotton of Great Britain came chiefly from North America. Her trade with this nation alone, within thirty years, ha 9 been three times as great as with all her colonies. Germany up to .1888 took more than it gave back. Within ten years this is reversed by the sum of twenty millions. French imports have risen greatly, exports declining. Trade with Spain increased from SO millions in ,1859-68 to 1(59 millions In 1889-98, commerce with Italy declining. Germany is picking up British trade, especially in South America. The increase of trade with Japan does not make up for decrease with China. The trade with British colonies is respectable —6043 millions in forty years, even though Canada is inclined to buy more from foreign traders than from the Mother Country. We had hoped that the old land of the Pharaohs would have been more grateful for British law and order. It is disappointing' to lind a, decrease of trade with Great Britain tinder British occupation. The enmity of the French in Egypt evidently finds :\ sphere of energy in the court and merchant circles of Cairo. A drop of upwards of sixty millions in trnrle with Egypt after redeeming her* from misrule and oppression is 1; to say the least, annoying;- But the magnitude of a single year's trade with the world may be more interesting than that of forty years. Here is the record for 1899:—

' IMPORTS. Pood £205,200,000 Raw materials , 122,400,000 Manufactured goods 91,300,000 Metals 28,300,000 Sundries .... 37,900,000 - ~ ■~ £485,100,000 Increase from 1898, 15 millions. EXPORTS. i Textile goods £109,100,000 Hardware 69,200,000 Raw materials 20,600,000 Colonial products 65,000,000 Sundries 59,800,000 £329,700,000 Increase from 1898, 3G millions.

This authority upon British trade scorns the idea that prevailed a century ago about the relative value to a nation of imports and exports, imports being the measure of decay, and exports of prosperity. The increase of both are a proof of growth and vitality.. That may be perfectly true, and yet it is a serious fact to conttimplate the dependence of. this forty mil Eon a of people oi C-Vo small is-

lands of Great Britain upon distant countries for the necessities of life. The value of the British fleet in a time of European war evidently can|not bo overt-estimated* J.ts ipjrotection, even of the food supply, would be a question of national existence.

Among other interesting conclusions drawn from facts and figures, we find "The ratio of British trade per inhabitant in 1899 was higher than at any previous date." It is cheering to find that though our New Zealand trade, in comparison with the Home Country, might be overlooked as a sum not worth the mentioning, yet the ratio per inhabitant is higher than that of Great Britain. We have not lost, as some fancy, all our Home energy in the British Isles of our Southern Sea. Eighteen millions standing- to the credit of three quarters of a million people in New Zealand shows a higher ratio than twenty millions sterling to each million of the Home population. But, alas! these forty millions of people isx town and country of the Old World, supposed to divide 800 millions among them, feel further from this big sum than our people of New Zealand from their 18 millions. If the people, especially the poor and afflicted, could really "share more in the growing wealth of nations, we should have more satisfaction in writing about it. It is painful to think of how the ideals of Cobden and Bright, and the Manchester School, have not increased, as was expected, the health and happiness of the people of England. Then some grave sage may remind us further to beware of the materialistic spirit, nourished by the Imperial trade and wealth, as well as by the Imperial conquests of Great Britain. Overcome in philosophy, defunct as a system of thought, having only at best a kind of suspended animation when disguised under other names, the materialistic spirit lives, and dominates life too often by means of the sudden development of world-wide commerce and sudden increase of wealth and luxury. But it need not do so. The greater the trial under materialising influences, the grander the victory of the moral and, spiritual nature of the British race./

Captain Edwin advised, for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day: North to east and south-east gale, heavy rain, heavy sea, very hig-h tides, glass further fall, indications favour flooded rivers.

His Excellency the Governor Lord Ranfurly, accompanied by the Hon. Chas. Hill Trevor, A.D.C., left for Wellington via New Plymouth yesterday, sonic brethren placed in the grave ihe usual sprig, of acacia. The late Mr Bold was born in Clitheroe, Lancashire.in 1841, and 18G1 he came out to Victoria. In 1863 he came over to Otago and was for some time engaged in the Scrath as engineer and surveyor. In 1868, at the request of the Government, he superintended the construction of the telegraph line through the interior of the North Island, from Tauranga to Napier.

The funeral of the late Mr Edward H. Bold, Inspector of Telegraphs, took place yesterday afternoon at St. Mark's cemetery, Remuera. The Key. W. Beatty conducted the funeral service. There was a large attendance oi! officials of, the Post and Telegraph Department, and of other branches of the Civil service. Amongst those present were the Hon. T. Thompson, the Hon. W. McCullough, Mr F. La wry, M.H.R.,JIr Biss, Chief Postmaster of Auckland, representing the- Secretary of the Post-oince Department (Mr W. Gray), and Mr W. S. Furby, telegraphic officer in charge, Auckland,.representing the Superintendent of Telegraphs (Mr J. K. Logan). The chief mourners were Mr C. E. Bold (deceased's eldest son), and Mr Francis, A large number of wreaths were forwarded by friends and by various branches of the post and telegraph services. The coffin was borne into the church from the deceased's late residence by a number of men of the telegraph construction staff, and from the church to the grave by the members of Mr Bold's staff. At the conclusion of the burial service the Mii-

On Saturday afternoon Captain A. Farquhar, of the p.s. Wakatere, was presented with an oak tea tray, mounted with silver, Tjy the committee of the Ponsonby llegatta. in commemoration of the regatta of last year, when the Wakatere was flagship. Mr Masefield made the presentation, and Captain Farquhar suitably responded. The tray bears the following' inscription:—"Presented to Captain A. .Farquhar, of the p.s. Wakatere, by the committee of the Ponsonby Begatta, in grateful recognition of valuable services rendered on the occasion of the regatta, December 16, 1899."

Mr Percy Brown, of Karotonga, advertises for all accounts to be sent in to him in the estate of Tepou-ote-Rangi, deceased. The accounts must be supported by affidavit that they are true.

Mr A. E. Glover received a letter from Earatonga to-day stating1 that the natives decline to send any more fruit to Auckland unless the3 r have an assurance that they will be paid for it in British, money. Hitherto, we are informed, payments though made in" Auckland In gold have been transferred to the natives in Chilian coin. Mr Glover proposes to bring the matter tinder the notice of the Chamber of Commerce together with several other things connected with the South Pacifice \;rade.

Sydney of late has many times been spoken of as an unhealthy city, and its supposed lack of proper sanitary arrangements is it is implied, to a large extent responsible for the outbreak of plague there. As a matter of fact Sydney is, and has been for a number of years, the healthiest capital city in the world, with, the exception of the far smaller city of Wellington. Returns recently compiled by the Government statistician show that the death rate in Sydney is 14.98 per 1000; that of Wellington 13.93 per 1000. Some other examples given are:—Melbourne, 17.77 per 1000; New York, 26.20; Paris, 28.60; Christiania, 18.80; St. Petersburg, 5.40 per 1000; etc.

Mr E. Pitts, the popular baritone of the Pollard Opera Company, gave an excellent rendering of "It is Enough," from "Elijah," at St. Peter's Church, Takapuna, yesterday. Mr Fitts was in splendid voice, and his fine singing in oratorio came as a pleasant surprise to those who had previously heard him only in comic opera,. Two other principals of the opera company, Miss May Beattie and Mr Charles Carter, also took part, in the musical part of the service.

The SalwrHqn. Army at Devonport is having j Racial musical meeting on TusEcltty iiighi in the Foresters' Hall.

In an article in a leading English medical journal, just out from England, is given an account of experiments made in Paris recently with rat fleas and human fleas by leading medical men, plague specialists, and dis- I tmg-uished scientists. They proved that the human flea and the rat flea were of a different species; that a rat flea will not bite a human being, and that human fleas will not live on rats, j The doctors and their colleag-ues ex- j perimented with the fleas upon them- | selves, and after much patience • and many tiials, they satisfied themselves that rat fleas would not bite them. They tried bubonic fleas from bubonic rats, and healthy fleas i from healthy rats, but could not get a bite out of any of them. The human fleas would not stay on the rats, but they bit all the experimenters every time they were tried. The fearful nifty, therefore, rest assured, thinks an Australian contemporary, that the bubonic flea has no liking for human blood. On the other hand, Dr. Thompson, president of the Sydney Board of Health, stated the other day that there were four patients in quarantine who had become infected by fleas, and that fact justified him in saying that the infection of the disease resided in rats, and that by means of fleas it was communicated from rats to the people. He therefore urged that uneoasing war should be waged against rats.

At the Thames on Saturday afternoon a lad named Dare, aged 16, was accidentally shot in the arm and ribs by his brother whilst shooting sparrows. The wound is not dangerous, though it necessitates medical treatment.

Recent experiments at Mafekmg in the local manufacture of shell and ball ammunition having- proved successful, ordnance workshops have been constructed and have been for some weeks in operation. The mechanics of the railworks have ingeniously contrived, without any special appliances, to equip a shell factory turning- on 1, 50 rounds a day. A furnace has been Vmade out of a disused water tank lined with fire bricks, while the plant of the railways workshops has been utilised as far as possible. Fragments of the enemy's shells have been collected or purchased at 2d a pound for smelting1, and all scraps of cast iron are also ■used. The foreman of the "home made" shell factory at Mafeking, a man named Conolly, was manager before the war of the shell department of the ordnance factoiy at Pretoria, where he was responsible for the larger shells. In this capacity he supervised the construction of the shells now flung into Mafeking by the 100-pound Creuzot g"un.

The Knox Presbyterian Church bazaar was brought to a close in the Choral Hall on Saturday evening, and was very largely attended. The voting ladies' khaki march, under the supervision of Prof. Carollo, was exceedingly successful, and the limelight effects were greatly admired. Miss Maud Howard sang "Soldiers of the Queen," with a very effective chorus by the young" ladies in khaki. Songs were given by Mrs G. M. Davis and Miss Williams, Rabbi Goldstein played a 'cello solo, and Mr Conley g-ave an exhibition of club swinging. . The waxworks and other side shows did excellent business. The total takings of the bazaar so far as is known at present are over £ 360.

The s.s. Wellington will leave for Whangarei this evening- from Queen Street Wharf and the' s.s. Clansman will leave for Russell, Whang-area, and Mongonui from Quay Street Jetty No. 3. -

Shippers will note that tie s.s. Jvg-u----ng-uru will leave for Wha.ng.arei (town whan'i; at 4 p.m. to-morrow (Tuesday), Bth May, instead of 5 p.m., her 'hour of depai-ture.

A very pleasing contribution to the relief of the terrible distress in India was received by Mr. Geo. Fowlds, ..vI.H.R., Treasurer of the Council of Evangelical Churches of Auckland. The scholars of the Devonport Wesleyan Siinday School spontrjieously gave their prize money, amounting1 to £5 4/6, and this generosity certainly deserves notice, as their prizes represent -ne successful result of a. year's work.

Mr S. W. Entrican, M.A., brother of Mr A.rJ. Entrican, has been appointed junior master at the Auckland College and Grammar School. Mr Entrican, who arrived recently in the colony, is possessed of very high educational qualifications, and should be an acquisition to the staff. His degree was obtained at tiio ""oval University of Ireland.

On Saturday a poll was taken for the election of three members of the Arch Hill Road Board. Mr J. Franklin was returning officer. The result of the voting was: Maurice Casey 95 votes; John Jenkin 91 votes; Joseph Catchpole 73 votes; G. J. Garland 55 Messrs Casey, Jenkin, and Catehpole were therefore elected.

At the Avondale Jockey Club meeting on Saturday W. Satman, the rider of Nereid, got a nasty fall during the race for the Second Hack Handicap. The mare Nereid, who was running on the outside of the field coming* jinto the straight, slipped and came down, dislodging Satman from the saddle. Nereid finished riderless. Mounted Constable Ramsay got a strecher, and along with. Mr S. Pierce had Satman conveyed to a convenient room, where be was attended by Dr. Bevves, of Otahuhu. It was found that no bones were broken, but Satman was severely shaken. He gradually came to, and was kindly taken to his home in a cab by Mr Pierce. To-day Satman is all right again.

A large drapery auction sale is announced for to-morrow at 1 p.m. by Messrs Warren Blyth and Co. The goods are to be sold without reserve.

One of the pupils attending Chapelstreet school picked up a sum of money in the street this moisning. The headmaster wishes us to state that the boy handed in the money, which the loser can have on satisfactorily showing ownership.

The Devonport Literary and Debating Society opens its eighth session to-night, the meeting being- of a social nature..

. -... • . imports. Mill. United States ■.......;• 2.93G Germany ............. 1,-9U. France'................ 1,521 India ....... 1.237 South America 792 Australia 810 Itussla 708 Holland 021 Canada 480 Egypt 454 South Africa lbi) exports, xi. •Mill. Mill. 1/250 4,192 l,52ii 2,825 953 i 2,470 1,040 .2,277 8G4 1,050 780 1,590 347 1,115 411) 940 309 7!W 172 530 220 395