SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7866, 18 May 1891, Page 2

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

SOCIAL AND GENERAL — ~— ' i. '--i,i _i.j„; l_u> i-iiura-y (.re-tud a c s>a ue_i >-■ *r_rr.3 for tne consideratKHi oi t-iw> ilou**. !•>■;; Tho country has loo.: tot i-r _*'""«_ t::lltt ih-übtf:..3 wi..;-_-.r t„»y wotii.l vuiiiur,. thcCtbi.-Ktas to-Ld li.iai--e.iuh extent oi wLiL o;:.vej -r.-ere a:;\:./_s t-j Ux_h:n^c t;.,. ia:. i 1... i,- ; ..: i :■■: ..:.i..:.i U- that it h, in- t.._ is '~- ;;.-,i/.e^:ve ; but tho Ki.''.;'ect it ii i:::;- ■..■':■ :li i> i»ay d'-il-itely V,he.: li.c :u.turv.- 'A li.c 1..x "\-.-i:l be, a:.d v.h,.l tin- hr.al decisK.'U oi tho Ce..h:iet ivaiiy _*he Covtrmntiit uli.j ii.C-i.l to with tho various qu-eotious raised by the recent f-trike. Thoy will, it ij said, bring in Bills tuueiiing tkj cl-.jiiiig of shops and the rc_--.ilat!ou of n-j-.jries, industria* conciliau'jn, the Civil Service, b._ik ruptcy aiid Native kr.-ls. As we have E_i-1, however, tiie ;. .oat qtiosti'-n will be that, of direct ta-;a - ion, and until that settled there will i:a:..:rai:y be considerable £_ixioty as to the future. As already stated) them have been all .-orts of announcement-'' made from the pklionn and at public b„n. tjuets which may or may not turn out to bo accurate. M::ri3ti.-io liave in this kst. named rc.--peet been unusually busy during ths recess. They have bec-u all over the colon;.-, ostensibly on public business, and it is not surprising tbat a good deal of irresponsible talk has been indulged in. In administrative matters the members of the Government ha\e succeeded in making a krge number oi changes. CL'he feeling, however, L 3 that these changes have not, in many cases, been judicious. Change for mere changa sake appears to have had charms fo? Miuisters j but whether their work will prove advantageous to the colony hi another matter. The •uncertainty as to the future is telling on th s Civil Service. In one notable ease New Zeaknd ha 3 lost the services of on c of its ablest men in the person of Mr C. Y. O'Connor, who has sacrificed the prospect of a pension, and accepted the appointment of Engineer-in-Chief for Western Australia, after many years' service in Xew Zealand. Another administrative difficulty of some importance has arisen in connection with the Midland Railway. Particulars of the dispute are given in another column, and "we need only add here that there appears to be no excuse whatever for the obstructive tactics of the Minister of Public WorksThat gentfernan has chosen to raise diffi--ulties where none should exist. The result has been a wide-spread demand In Canterbury and Westknd that the Govermnerit should at once give way and sign the necessary sanction for the deviation. The Midland Company are prepared at once to go on with large contracts if the matter is cleared up.

Another troublesome question is now -ccupying the attention of the Court of Appeal—tha position of the last-appointed Judge, Mr Justice Er>w__x>s. The Government declare that he has been illegally appointed, and refuse to recognise him as a Judge at aIL In another column we give gome particulars of the case as far as it has proceeded.

The Government will be able to meet the House with a handsome", surplus. When tbe late Treasurer left office in January last he stated tliat the surplus would amount to about £140,000, and, as far p„s can bs learned, this will in all probability be -ealised. The exports of the country still „eep up their large dimensions. The trade Returns for the year ending March 31st E liow that the exports wore valued at £9,799,140, against £9,705,783 for the List year, while the imports showed £0,234,143, against £6,250,630. The census returns *aken recently have not yet beeu made up as far as the colony as a whole is concerned, but the population of some of the larger cities and suburban districts has been made public