The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1900. 1900: A RETROSPECT.

Auckland Star, Issue 311, 31 December 1900, Page 4

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

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1900. 1900: A RETROSPECT.

For tlie causa that lacks assistance, For the -wrong that noeds rcoistanco, For the future In the distance, And the good that ye oan do.

We entered upon the year 1900 with some misgivings; we leave it behind with the knowledge that its stress and trials have tended towards the strengthening of a new-born national feeling; and with a well-founded hope that from the widespread strife which its months have witnessed the cause of civilisation has not suffered, while the unity of nations has been more firmly founded, and the day when war will no longer be deemed possible brought measureably nearer. !Not that we welcome the drawing century with a clean slate. The horrors of war still darken more than one land. But the gravest crises that these issues presented have been passed, and we confidently look forward to settlements in Africa and China calculated to more firmly establish the peace of the world. Never before have outside questions more nearly monopolised the public attention than has been the case during the past twelve months. Still, either locally or as a colony, we have by no means stagnated.

The year has emptied a fuller measure of material prosperity into the lap ol New Zealanders than even its immediate predecessor. In Auckland all descriptions of trade and industry, with possibly one or two minor exceptions, have done remarkably well. The gold output promises, when the full figures are available, to exceed last year's total, which in its turn showed a marked increase over 189 S. ' Timber mills have been fully and profitably employed, despite early indications that a setback was not unlikely. It is not surprising that kauri gum has hardly maintained the record of last year, but the export has nevertheless been large, and the good prices and brisk demand of the earlier months have compensated for the somewhat less firm tone characterising the market towards the close of the year. The serious drop in the price of wool, hardly properly appreciated by farmers until they came to offer their year's clip, has been an unpleasant surprise to pastoralists, but in other respects those on the land have shared in the general prosperity. Skilled labourers have in many trades enjoyed an increase in pay. Despite an all round rise in prices, the building trades have been exceptionally active, a fact the most casual observer may gather from a glance at the numbers of commercial premises and private residences erected in city and suburbs. We are justified, in regarding in somewhat optimistic vein the commercial prosperity of the past twelve months.

In other directions we can find subject matter for the adoption of a. Congratulatory rather than a condemn* atory view of our local progress. The

schemes of city improvement, which j were the direct outcome of a revival of interest m municipal affairs, tn.oug-n not proceeding as rapidly as we could wish, are unuer weigh. The com-. pletion of a water supply adequate ±ojj the city's needs will, tor example, bo a. consummation of 1001. Drainage and road making questions are likewise receiving additional expenditure and attention.' The protracted electric tramway negotiations-have given place to an assurance that the materials are to arrive early in the .New Year, in a chronicle of the first-year of the century we will have to record the inauguration of eiectric tram services. Auckland, in common with other .New Zealand towns, escaped the plague, from which most, ot the Australian cities, but more especially Sydney, were severe sufferers. The sanitary crusade its threatened visitation was responsible for unquestionably did much good.

Outside local affairs the closing year of the century witnessed many important departures in JNew Zealand* ;\o doubt those involving the most fan reaching consequences were the extension of the colony's boundaries so as to include the Cook Group and certain other islands of the Eastern Pacific, the adoption of resolutions by our Pariiauieut affirming tl^ desirability of a federation with Fiji, and the appointment of a representative! Commission to exhaustively enquire into the question of Australian-New Zealand federation. The legislative endeavour to permanently sen tic the native land question; the decision to adopt a universal penny postage; the placing- of a permanent Old Age Pensions Act on our statute bo.ok, are also of exceeding importance. The .inauguration of a service with San Francisco by 0000 ton steamers every three weeks, and the acceptance by the Imperial Government of a tender for the Pacific cable have a. direct and considerable bearing on our colony's pro-, sperity. As a reminder of our youth us a community, Canterbury, the youngest of the." principal provinces, celebrated its jubilee during the past month.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR. The position of affairs in South Africa was decidedly depressing; at the commencement of 1900. The war had been in progress almost throu months, but British arms had signally failed to achieve any substantial advantage. Methuen's division lay opposite CroujVs army, which blocked the road to beleaguered Kimberley; Culler had made no move since his reverse at Colenso on the 35Ui ol" i.ho preceding'month; French's activity on the route to Colosburg, and the gallant defence presented by our forces in Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking, were the only cheering- features of a.ji oilienvisp gloomy picture. Hut steps had been taken to remedy the blunder made in underestimating: the work and requirements of the campaign. Lords Roberts and Kitchener arrived at Capetown on Ihe 11th of January. It was some three clays later that the war claimed its first colonial victims from abroad when in the charge on .New Zealand Hill, as it afterwards came to be called, Troopers Conncll and Gourlay, of the Auckland section of the First Contingent, fell.

For some three weeks the Field Marshal and his Chief-of-staff. were heard little of. They were engaged in the arduous work of organising the bodies of troops then pouring into South Africa. Just about a month after his arrival Lord .Roberts commenced that successful march, from the south-west corner of the Free State, which, though broken at Bloemfontein and Pretoria by the exigencies of transport and necessity for remounts, was never checked by the enemy till Ivomati Poort, on the border of- Portuguese territory, was reached. As a first result of the movement, which commenced by outflanking Cronje, Kimberley was relieved on February 12th. A fortnight later Cronje's army emerged from the human shambles at Koodoosrand as prisoners. The date of the redoubtable Boers' surrender was curiously enough the anniversary of Majuba, one of the darkest episodes in British army annals. The same day also Bulfer's troops gallantly carried rioter's Hill, and the road to Ladysmith lay open to those w7lio for months had hammered away at the unresponsive chain of barren hills fringing the north bank of the Tugela. Ladysmith was relieved on February 28. It was not till March 13th that Roberts, after several minor engagements subsequent to the affair at .Koodoosrand, occupied Bloemfontein. Almost simultaneously a, Boer peace delegation sailed from Lorenzo Marques for Europe.

The difficulties of transport made a, move* onward from Blcnemiontein impossible for many weary weeks. It was during this interval of comparative maction that we had the jLinfortu'nate Koornspruit and Reddersburg affairs to deplore. The continuation of the march of our main army at the end of April was almost coincident with r the acknowledged failure of the Boer Peace Mission, which on the Continent had entirely failed to obtain any encouragement. The march of os rer ?>0() miles from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, with the enemy •ever retreating, Was a brilliant feat, though in the light of after events there are those who criticise its expediency. Through the Tree State tire fighting was almost entirely confined to the right wing tinder lan Hamilton, which was successful in half a score of engagements. By a forced march, and more as a. cor/cession to sentiment than because of any military requirements, French's column, on the left wing, crossed the Vaal on May 24th, the birthday of our beloved Queen., The twentyi-nintu of the month witnessed tlie unopposed entry into Johannesburg, and tiie fifth, of June the occupation o£ Pretoria.

It was just at this time that we had the first, trouble with the now notorious guerilla cornmandent, De Wet. He descended on the railway line in the north of the Orange River Colony —before this formally annexed—at Rhenoster Eiver and destroyed communication. The British advance a.long the Delagoa railway towards Lydenburg and Portuguese territory was not commenced till July 2nd. This march, though not marked by any great stand on the part of the enemy, Avas an arduous one, and it was not till the middle of September that the British occupied Komati Poort on the Portuguese East African frontier. The Republican army as such no longer existed. la its place

sprang- up a number of guerilla bands always varying- in strength. How difficult these are to deal with experience has shown. Lord Kitchener, the successor of Field Marshal Lord Roberts, who, on his birthday, September ;:orh, was appointed Com-mander-in-Chief of the British Army, has found a bigger proportion of mounted men necessary for the work. Should Boer obstinacy survive the knowledge of the utter failure 6E exPresident Kruger's efforts to secure the faintest hope of intervention Or arbitration, there is no reason for supposing that the limit of the men's endurance in the field has not nearly been reached. The South African situation to-da.y, though vexatious, presents no features that are at all alarming.

In Is Tew Zealand we have had, in common with other colonies, the added interest of ht-rge numbers of onr native-born in the front rank of tlie fighting. The casualties, on the field of battle among our 1700 soldier boys have not been as heavy as? many feared would be the case, but sickness in the infected camps of the veldt 'has left many a family to mourn one who gallantly responded to his country's call, To such, and to those who have lost relatives under the more stirring surroundings of the fight, the sympathy of all instinctively turns.

The patriotism of the more adventurous of our country's sons has established a stronger Imperial tie in New Zealand, as it has in the other units of the Empire. A- striking, and not to be under - estimated, objectlesson has been afforded to the world tit large. And now, when the call comes for additional men, the -willing response of; hundreds demonstrates that it was no transient spasm of patriotism that actuated men from office, workshop, 'or farm to respond to the nation's call. In the last year of the century Xew Zealand has grasped a national existence, and yet in its development of a wider individuality ha.l? come moi-e quickly into an Imperial union oi.' interest and sentiment with Ihc scattered divisions of the British Empire. CHINA. While the flood-tide of Lord Roberts', successful movement was shattering the 'hope-.-; of the modern Canute in South Africa, lowering clouds of rebellion and anarchy were settling down on China. In the earlier months of the year outrages perpetrated by the Boxers of China on outlying- missionary stations presaged a serious, outbreak in that* country. T/o such n pass, had matters come that on May 27th the Powers jointly demanded

from the authorities in Pekin the suppression of the Boxers. Foreign warships quieldy assembled at Taku, till by June 10th no less than 31 vessels of various nationalities were in. tlie roadstead. A state of anarchy, which the Dowager-Etnpress and her satellites were either unable or unwilling to suppress, reigned at this time in Tekin. On the 14th commenced the attack on the foreign legations in the capital. Admiral Seymour, underestimating the seriotLsness of the position, set out from Tientsin for their relief with a composite force c-f fifteen hundred. Three days later the wars-hips were fired on by the Taku forts—^a piece of imprudence quickly ending in the destruction of the Chinese stronghold, and 'which the Chinese Government disclaimed responsibility for. On the following day '20,000 Japanese and Russian troops were landed and occtipied Tientsin. The gravest fears were entertained as to the safety of Seymour's force, about which no reliable information was forthcoming. It'was with a feeling of world-wide relief that the news was received at the end of the month that a relief force from. Tientsin had succeeded in extricating Admiral Seymour and his fifteen hundred nien from an almost hopeless position some distance on the road to th e capital.

The seriousness of the situation, was by this time fully appreciated.' The force which succeeded in extricating Seymour had to retire again to the base, and it was felt that without an [ army of 50,000 it would be madness to attempt to march on Pekin. Throughout this trying time the responsible Chinese officials protested their powerlessness to cope with the outbreak. The endeavours that were beiAg made by Europe to deal with the trouble, were brought home to us in Auckland by the despatch of two warships of the Australian squadron from this port. On July 15th was received the circumstantial account of the fall of the legations and the massacre of every European in Pekin which shocked the whole civilised world. A month later the Allies were in a position to rapidly advance on Pekin. The story of- the massacr e was so circumstantial that it had been unreservedly accepted. Some days before the relief, however, definite assurance was received that the legations were safe, though hard pressed. Never was news more welcome.

Since the occupation of Pekin and the flight of the Emperor, Dowagei'Empress, and Government inland, the Chinese affair has been more a story of rumours than of leading facts. Mor e than once in the unravelling of. the complicated tangle lias the peace of Europe been threatened. Now, at the close of the year, we jye apparently approaching" a definite settlement, one which gives assurance of gTeater safety for Europeans in China than hitherto. A side issue of the rebellion was the Boxer invasion of Siberia. .It provided an unexpected object-lesson. Despite Russia's muchvaunted military preparedness,. and strength in Southern and Eastern Siberia, it was many weeks before she Was able to check the incursion. Then, if stories commonly circulated arc to be believed, it was... crushed with greatest inhumanity, S.oeent and guilty suffering alike-" ' '■* WEST AFtelcL While England was de&ply involves in China and Smith Africa she had on her hands one of the small waors-which are constantly before us as a reminder of the dangers and difficulties of Empire building-. Incensed at the attitude4 of Governor Hodgson, and by a demand for the Golden Stool of'Prempreh, the warlike Ashantis attacked Kumassi. On May 13 it was estimated that 30,000 were besieging the town A plortion of the garrison, after terrible hardships, reached the Gold Coast on July 10th. The relief expedition, under Colonel Wilcocks, arrived just in time to rescue the remainder. When Kumassi came in sight on July 27th the garrison wrere too wasted by hunger and disease to offer further re-

sistanee.; Since that date Ashanti has been more firmly brought under British rule than was formerly the case. FEDERATED AUSTRALIA. It is pleasant, fr,om "glancing at the record.iof war that has darkened the final-p?ges-of the history of the Nineteenth Century, to •■ record a triumph of peace. Last year the work of maoij an able colonial statesman bore fruit. On May 13th the Australian Commom wealth Bill was introduced into the British Parliament, and on the sth ot the followinginonth it passed into law, Lord Hopetouu, at one time Governor iof Victoria, was a fortnight later ap< I pointed the first Governor of the Feeleri ated States. With the commencement j of the century the Commonwealth I celebrates the' consummation of it« birth. To-day in Sydney, and in fact throughout Australia, the inauguration of the federation is beiiig fittingly celebrated. We in New Zealand, while up to the present we have seen bestto stand aloof from the union, rejoice with our Australian cousins in tho achievement of the object for which many have toiled. To alter slightly the words of one who discharged his share of the work, "For the first time infhe world's history there is a continent for a nation, and a nation for a continent." It was once regarded as a great dream, but unlike mosj dreams it has found its realisation. As a step to a greater Empire federation it has its value, and this will be -added to by the opening of the first Parliament of the Commonwealth by the Queen's grandson, a probablo future king of England. CONCLUSION. ;Many events of the past year call for some reference, but the exigencies of space demand that it should be of the briefest. Calamities of various descriptions have been more than usually disastrous. India, stricken by a famina greater than even that land had hitherto experienced, commanded th'j practical sympathy of the world. All jts height no less that 90,000,000 people were affected, and in many districts the distress was intensified •by the double scourge of cholera and plague. Ottawa, the capital of Can•ada, was swept by a terrible fire; tho horror of a fire at Hoboken docks, New York, has rarely been equalled; and a tidal wave in Galveston, in the south of the States, claimed its victims by thousands.

The past year saw the triumphs of peace presented in an Exposition at Paris, which in magnificence and interest has never had a parallel.

The Southern Cross Antarctic Polar expedition returned in April,- after making many valuable additions to scientific knowledge, if no facts of startling public interest; and an Arctic expedition, led by a member of the Royal House of Italy, also returned after explorations of a purelj' scientific character.

In scientific achievements the greatest advance of the year was perhaps in aerial navigation. It was satisfae-toi-ily demonstrated both at Paris and in Denmark that the problem will be solved in the near future.

The world was shocked by a series of Anarchist outrages, The abortive attempt on the life of the Prince of Wales at Brussels was overshadowed about the middle of the year bj' the terrible assassination of King Humbert of Italy, An unsuccessful attempt on the Shah of Persia's life also was made in Paris,

- Among1 prominent personages 'who passed away were a son of the Qiieen, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who visited New Zealand during the sixties, Lord Russell, Chief Justice of lingland, and the Marquis of Buteand Duke of Argyle.

The re-election of President McKinley in November may be regarded as a vindication of the commercial honesty of the United States; and from a British standpoint takes on an added interest because the McKinJey admin* istration is favourable to the preservation of cordial relations with England.

The year has indeed been one crowded Avith events "of the utmost import and the.century dawns with many of the problems which. developed during its mionths still awaiting a solution.