THE The Bay of Plenty Times. AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

Bay of Plenty Times, Issue XX, 20 June 1892, Page 2

THE The Bay of Plenty Times. AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

f'The Spirit of the Tlmes thill teach im spth -tiigJoMctir. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1892.

The proposed re-introdu tion or coloured labour into Queensland has assumed a place in Colonial politics almost analogous with that Held by Home Rule in those of the Mother country ; by it probably a Government will stand or fall. But putting aside mere party politics, there is an ethnological side to the question upon which opinions seem to differ very widely. The facts which give rise to the present heated controversy are briefly these. The northern portion of Queensland is eminently suited for the successful cultivation of the sugarcane, but the necessary labour cannot be safely or remuneratively performed by Europeans. The alternative therefore seems to be either the abandon* meat of the industry or the importation of suitable labourers of the coloured races. We are aware that some of our contemporaries professing to watch over the interests of the working men of our own race, assert that the introduction o£ cheap kanaka labour is taking the bread out of the mouths of Englishmen. This view, however, does not appear to us to be upheld by facts. Since the importation of Polynesian labour was stopped, the sugar industry of Queensland has declined until at present it has almost ceased to exist. The only rational cauge for this decay of a once prosperous industry, appears to us to b& ihe fact that it could no lobger be made remunerative under the changed conditions of the labour market, no marked change having occurred in any other of the conditions under which the trade was once profitable. The champions of white labour however are not content with the reply that the plantations cannot be carried on. profitably with white labour, and return to the charge with the demand that the country be devoted to some other form of production io which white labour cau earn a livelihood, without ruining the employer ; but just what this other form should be does not seem to be very clear to anybody. "We fully concur in the desire to prevent the settlement of an alien and inferior race in these colonies; with the example of America before us we may well b^sitite to encourage strangers to take up their abode with us. In the United States the Negro question is now becoming a very serious and embarrassing one. There is an evident, and apparently unconquerable, racial antipathy, which is still further com plicating the already too complex social problems of the present era, and students of contemporary history in America would be indeed sorry to see Australia over shadowed by such a dark cloud of future trouble as is being formed by the rapidly increasing numbers of the negro race in the former country. The kanaka la tour trade, as previously carried on was certainly a barbarism, being little better than the slave trade which has brought all the trouble upon America. It is true efforts are intended to be made to avoid many of the evils of the earlier days of the traffic, but the system of deporting a large number of men, and after keeping them for a few years in a state of semi- civilisation, sending them back to a state of savagery, cannot becommended, being quite out of harmony with the spirit of the age ; while again the enormous disproportion in the numbers of the" two text* recruit*!, must intritabl/

lead to a moat degrading state of immorality. If the sugar growing zone of Queensland can be profitably turned to account without the introduction of any coloured labour, this would certaioly be the happiest solution of the problem, and to the achievement of this end the Queensland Government and all those who hare the country's welfare at heart, should devote the moat earnest attention.

We learn that H.M.S. Goldinch will probably be staying in harbour till Friday morning, and Commander Floyd has kindly thrown the ship open to visitors during any afternoon of her stay. A report on the condition of the sea wall will be sent to the Naval Authorities and the repairs to the graves will be proceeded with during the stay of the vessel. The Margaret arrived from Mercury Bay, yesterday wrthJtOQ posts for Mr Berndge at Otumoetai. This is the largest cargo of posts that has been brought to this port for many aday. . Mr J. Maxwell has once more come up to tfrnft with a " hurried line" anent his business, which, appears in our advertising columns in boldtytre. His business has been in existence a qi£ir&r of a. century, which speaks well for the quality and cheapness of the goods and the attention paid to the wants of customers by Mr Maxwell and his assistants. Thursday next has been appointed Arbor Day, and a notification to that effect signed by the Mayor, appears in another column. ' The s.s. Chelmsford will leave Auckland at b p.m, to-morrow for Tauranga and Whakatane, ssifing for the latter place shortly after arrival here. The s.s. "Wiaotahi will not put in an appearance on the coast this week as she has to go into dock for cleaning. H.M.S. Goldfinch, Commander Floyd, arrived in harbour this morning at 9.30 a.m., in the midst of a heavy rain squall, and took an anchorage in the man-o'-war ground. Owing to the dirty aspect of the weather only those who had business paid her a visit during the day. To-morrow, will be the anniversary of the storming of the Te Banga pah, which ended in such a disastrous defeat for the Natives. The Secretary of the Domain Board calls for tenders for the right of grazing the Domain, Cricket and High School reserves for 1 year commencing on Sept 1, next.

The poundkeeper notifies an entire horse, a mare and a bull as the happy occupants of the pound, at which institution they will be brought to the hammer to-morrow at noon unless previously claimed and expenses paid. By the s.i. Clansman on Saturday Capt Morris, M.L.C., took his departure to attend fto-hia legislative duties in Wellington. > On/Friday night and Saturday morning there was/one of the/hardest frosts ever known in this district, ey/fn as late as'e ».m on Saturday the thermometer only /stood at 29 degrees Fahrenheit/ During the day the clear bright weather of the previous week ohanged and a Jtegdy dniale set in towards evening. C3t mob/qf 200 sheep wjire shipped; from the Matai sfjatijon to Auckland b^ the s.s /Clansman onSatulrdiy. ( .^W-e-leaW that Mr j. Taylo* who recently took over the management of the Yorkshire Grey hotel, has now given it up, and Mr W Tanner will probably again resume themanagement. The New Zealand Insurance Co, well known for its businesslike and careful management has declared an interim dividend of 12$ pet cent per annum. The demand for rural land in the Taranaki district during the last twelve months has been large, and there now only two sections available but which are only second class. As fast as the Government put blocks into the market they are taken up, and people wanting land go away disappointed. ThsTuapeka County Council are trying the American system of road-making. The new road Tapanui to Kelso is being repaired with straw, and the otherwise impassable track near the Flodden is being kept open with sheaves. In the States the straw is put down before the wet season seta in and becomes impervious to water. The present experiment will be watched with interest by other local bodies. Fair progress is being made on board the cable steamer Terranora. The weather has delayed the progress of the work, but by Saturday it is hoped that everything will be ready to receive the cable on board. Steam will be got up, and the reserve cable taken in by winding machinery during Monday and Tuesday, and it is expected at present that the vessel will go to sea to pick up the broken \vi; us on Wednesday. Charles Cowan Kidd, fanne , \\*in'-»:i was, after two days' trial, convicted at Invercargill, last week, or stealing six lambs, and sentenced to four years' penal servitude, Justice WiUwms saying that it was necessary to inflict sub tantial punishment, the offence being so prevalent and difficult of detection. Further, he was of opinion now, from the fact that the prisoner" had been twice before the Court on similar charges and acquitted, that he was not a new hand at this illegal business. The Temuka Leader says: — "There came into our office a few days ago a young lady who asked us to render her some assistance with regard to acquiring a section of land offered under perpetual lease in Waimate. She was a domestic servant, and determined on securing one of these sections with a view of settling on it, and, when asked if she was going to settle on it herself, she replied naively, ' Perhaps I may get a partner. ' Now, that is the sort of girl for a man to select as a wife. The partner •he gets will make no mistake. Other girls spend all their money in clothes and fineries ; sne has saved it, and now she can offer a home to the man who marries her. Another young woman from this district has secured a section of 40 acres in the Waimate settlement. It is, we are told, the beat section in the lot. With such mothers New Zealand would beat the whole world."

The Herald, (Auckland), in its commercial report last week thus refers to a New Zealand peculiarity: — •' It is curious how the trade in this province follows favourite brands in everything. Visitors say that Auckland has an unique reputation in this respect, and that consumers or users follow one another under some sort of magnetism. Certain brands of tobacco, whisky, tea, or what not, once securing popular favour, are safe for "a run. " It to imagine that buyers her 9 are different from those elsewhere, but it is at least remarkable that in the South Keen's mustard has all the trade, while Colman's is the only brand known here ; that in Canterbury buyers must have brown headed wax vestas, and that Auckland must have blue. In kerosene the favouritism for White Rose in this market cannot be understood in others, and so on. There must bg some rationale for this, but outsiders regard the peculiarity as incomprehensible. It at least secures extreme care on the part of millers, bottlers, canners, manufacturers, and others in the preparation of lines for sale in this district, and we only refer to the matter in this regard."

The Wellington Times, referring to the pro. posed Legislative Council appointments, has the following :— " The membership of the Council has been sadly diminished by death of late, and yet the survivors resign. If the resignation process goes on the time cannot be far off when the Council will settle the question of 'Council or no Council/ without any trouble to the outside world. History will compose the epitaph of that honourable House, by writing on its wall the legend, Tlarikari,' which, being translated, will convey the idea that the Coun • cil committed suicide to save itself from slaughter like certain Japanese noblemen of old. It is in danger of achieving the * happy despatch.' Does aDyone in the colony wish to wait for this consummation ? If so the objections to new appointments must of course be universal, but if the general desire is that the Council ought to flourish the only way to meet that desire is to put new blood iuto the fast depleting veins of that body."

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