THE MEANING OF HOME RULE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 68, 21 March 1910, Page 4

THE MEANING OF HOME RULE.

It is rather unfortunate that the Gov-ernor-General of the Commonwealth should have laid himself open to misconstruction in his recent remarks about Ireland and its position as a member of the Empire. But Lord Dudley's opinions about Ireland's political prospects and Home Rule are so well known that they are hardly open to misinterpretation. Wihen he was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Dudley frequently expressed strong sympathy for the aspirations of the Irish Nationalists so far as complete local autonomy could go. The special form oi Home Rule which Mr. Asquith described in December last as the maximum thai the Liberals are prepared to concede appears to approximate closely to Lord Dudley's own conception of self-govern nient for Ireland. Indeed, he would go further than the Nationalists demand and would extend the same principle tc Scotland. Lord Dudley's ideal United Kingdom, would consist practically of the three locally autonomous States of England, Scotland, and Ireland, united for Imperial purposes under a Federal Government. The merits of such a scheme are, of course, open to argument. But there is certainly nothing in the opinions that Lord Dudley has previously expressed tc justify the suggestion that his idea of Home Rule includes the separation of Ireland from England, or its complete emancipation from Imperial control; and we are glad that his Australian critics have accepted his assurance to that effect without further demur. And considering that Mr. John Redmond has recently assured the British electors that the Nationalists are not asking for separation—"all we want is to have eonts-ol of our own vital internal concerns"—it is difficult to see how the men and women of these colonies can withhold sympathy from a party which defines Home Rule on terms entirely consistent with the principles of British Imperialism and Democratic liberalism. The following is Mr. D. C. Bates' weather report and forecast for 24 hours from nine a.m. this day: "Moderate "to strong westerly freshening winds; expect unsettled and cloudy weather; rain probable; weather probably colder; glass fall, but rise after twenty hours." A special meeting of the Waihi Miners' Union, held on Saturday night, discussed a notice of motion: "That when a. fatal accident occurs work shall cease in that particular mine or ibattery for 24 hours on the day of the funeral." This motion wns directed against a recent resolution which put the time for cessation of work from the occurrence of the fatality till afteT the funeral, practically three days, while all inenibers of the Union were to cease work on the day of the funeral. After considerable discussion, it was resolved to refer the two issues to a balJo| of members of the Union on Saturday next. There arrived by the Victoria yesterday Mr. Thomas King, whose experiences in the South African war, in which he served as a lieutenant in the South African Light Horse, and in the Matabele campaign, were such as to prompt the suggestion that he bore a charmed life. On sixteen different occasions he has been wounded, while in the South African war General De Wet issued a standing offer of £250 for the capture of Mr. King, dead or alive, the reason boing that the Light Horse lieutenant, having a good knowledge of Dutch, was used by the British authorities as an intelligence officer, in which capacity he lived for days at a time in the Dutch camps undetected. It should be remarked, however, that in the present piping days of peace General De Wet invariably pays a friendly visit to Mr. King's relatives when he is in Pretoria. The Auckland Central Mission Band (under Bandmaster F. C. Ballantine Burnnand) gave a musical programme at the Auckland District Hospital yesterday afternoon. The music was very much appreciated by the inmates ol the Hospital. The efforts of the water-diviner, whose services were recommended to the Hospital Board 'by Mr Walter Blackie, in regard to finding a source of w-ater supply adjacent to the Sanatorium for Consumptives ot Pfllmerston, have been nittended with decided euccess. a splendid supply of clear spring water having been tapped a little beyond 30ft deep. A large ship's boat and a large quantity of wreckage have >been washed ashore on tho West Coast, north of Mongonui.

At times markets in Wellington and dsewihere have been glutted with, fresh fruit this season, but taking the eumnrei md autumn as a whole, says our Weiington correspondent, the growers have lone (well (say observers wiho ihanre 'had jppontunities to study the whole field), [n commercial orchards pests have generally been kept well under controL 3rowers hare como to realise that the inemies which they once dreaded so nuch oa-n be kept in check without diffijulty, and this confidence has given a freat impetus to the industry. The ireas planted with fruit trees are steadiy expanding in the various districts. 3o faT, the orehardists have found their •hief comfort in the returns for fresh ruit on New Zealand markets, tout inTeasing , attention is toeing given to canling. Some extensive tracts of ground ia-ve teen set with special trees to yield rait of a class that has been proved nninently suitaible for preserving. Nelion's large consignment of apples to the jondon market is an experiment which growers in various parts of New Zeaand are watching «irefully. A seven-year-old girl named Eveline de juoca, who resides at Edlington-street, r'arnell, met with a painful accident yes;erday when playing with some other ihildren at the ITresh Food and Ice Com>any's yard. She was running along the turntable used for turning the railway rucks, when her foot became jammed be.ween two rails, with the result that it vas severely lacerated. The sufferer was aken to the Hospital, where her wounds rere attended, to. There were 293 prisoners in the Auckand Gaol at the end of last week: On emand, 8; awaiting trial, 9; life impritonment, 1; hard labour, 272; imprisonnent, 1; default of bail, 2; received durng the week, 34; discharged, 24; total n prison, 271 miles, 23 females. There has been placed in the Dominion Vluseum (Wellington) a framed series of carved wooden tablets, eat<h measuring nbout 9in by Oin, and each bearing a listinct Maori pattern used in can-ing, ;ogether with the name of the pattern. The series has been specially preipared )y Ana/ha, the celebrated carver of Ohinenutu. Anaha was formerly one of the most noted carvers of his race, (bat he is now very old and feeble. The exhibit will be of interest as being from his hand, and also as giving the names of most of the important patterns used in carving in the Rotorua district. There are 15 varieties in the frame. The Thames Borough Council, at its last meeting, considered the objections lodged by the Thames Gas Company to the application for the Council, under the Public Works Act, to take over a section of ground on the foreshore end of Mary-street, the property of the Gas Company. Mr Ensole, the manager ai the Gas Company, stated that the land in question was needed by the company. and had been set aside for its future use in case any extensions of the works became necessary. It is also in' the ■course of the natural drainage fron the works, and the company strongly objected to the land being forcibly taker from them. Mr Ensoll said the land ha-] ■but a small area, and was not suitable for a re-creation ground. If the land was taken toy the Council the company's claim for compensation must be larg« enough to allow of a corresponding area adjoining the works being purchased It was pointed out that the company had offered to lease the eeetion to the Council for a ten years' term at a peppercorn rent, or would agree to fence it and plant trees so as to make it in keeping with the Council's scheme for general improvements. After considering the matter, the Council decided to proceed with the general improvements and to take the land necessary under the Public Works Act, toeing still of opinion that no private injury would 'be done thereby for which due comipensation is not provided under the Act. Friday, the 25th March, is to ibe observed as a close holiday. On Monday., the 2Stb. -March. Po.st Offices are to be open in all branches, except Money Order ■and Savings Bank, from 9 a.m. to 10 ajii. Mails usually dispatched on Fridays will be closed on Thursday, the 24th, at 7.45 p.m. On Monday, 28th March, all mails usually dispatched after 8 a.m. will dose at that hour. Street letter-tooxes will be cleared at midnight on Sunday, the 27th March. No delivery by letter-oarriers wall be made on Easter Monday, 28fch instant, 'but a full delivery will >be made toy carriers on Saturday β-ftornoon, and a delivery of town letters will be made over the counter on Thursday, the 24bh, and Saturday, the 26th, from 7 to S p.m. An Invercargill resident, who recently had occasion to go to Christcbureh, paid a visit to the Sunnyside Asyluni, and (says the "Southland Times") -happened to toe at the institution when there were exceptional opportunities for seeing things that the visitor does not usually see. He did not see Lionel Terry, who is in the asylum, tout he saw that unfortunate man's latest work. Teiry, he was informed, is at the present time assiduously cultivating the simple life, and indulging in the plain -fare, the open-air exercise and the soanty raiment of the pagan days. He has been fascinated by •this pagan life, and deeply impressed with the bonds that havo been fastened on men by the artificial living, dressing and food of these times. As a result lie has written a poem, "The Prison Care," in which the two styles of living are contrasted, to the groat advantage of the simple life. The" visitor had the privilege of seeing the poom, which, he states, possesses considerable literary excellence, and is beautifully embellished with stri-k ing ink drawings and coloured sketches. The work throughout, and particularly the sketching, is unusually clever. He did not see Terry, as the latter has v-ery naturally stated a strong objection to being on exhibition, and the authorities quite properly discourage as much as possible any idly-curious desire in this direction on the port of visitors. The rabbit-trapping industry is now in •full swing (saya the "Otago Daily Times"), operations having started oil the 14tti insrt. Antierpatio-ns as to the market values likely to toe ruling have, however, been somewhat shattered by the cablegrams announcing that the London market was "very flat"—a position which has .been brought about, it is stated, by the heavy quantities pouring in from Australia, where the rabbits arc evidently very numerous this year. The salvation of New Zealand exporters from severe lcuses now i-ests with the trappers, ■who will require to do their very best to keep the quality up, and the rejects as few as possible. As it is, the proportion of rejects, consequent upon warm weather, has been something considerable, toeing in gome instances as high ais 80 per cent of the whole consignment. Improved quality may bring about an improved market. The exporters are giving fivepence per pair on the ground, and some trappers are stated to toe earning up to £2 per day. An indication of the number of men who are this year engaged in the trapping industry may be gained from the fa-ct thpjt practically every ra.bbit trap in the Dominion has (been bought up.