TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9272, 25 November 1895, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The misunderstanding which The has lately arisen between Ashantee • England and Ashantee, and Difficulty, which has resulted in orders beiog given for the despatch of an expedition against the latter, is the outcome of a long standing difference reepeding two or three matters of importance to thoae concerned. The war of 1874 against Aehantee resulted in the breaking up of a confederation of native States of considerable eizj, of which the king of Aahantee was tyrant. With the fall of this confederation the sovereignty of Ashantee dvviudled down to simply that of Caomassie, and some seven years acgo, the throne, or as it is called the "golden stool," of this petty state became vacant. The Coomageie people, with the ooncurreuce of the British Resident on the Gold Coast, selected as king a fourteen year old boy, the individual who as King Pi-ampeh has been figuring rather prominently in the cable messages lately, aud who last year assumed the sovereignty over Aeliaiit.ee, a proceeding whioh was aot countenanced by the British authorities. Kiug Prempeh has proved a serious obstacle to the Government of Cape Coast Colony in their efforts to open up commuuioation with the interior. Not ouly, says a recent writer, is freedom of trade with the coast now forbidden, but in Ashautee itself the condition of affairs is such as to prohibit all peaceful intercourse with it or with the neighbouring States. The traffic in slaves ia actively carried on, human sacrifices are rife, and within the last-two or three years attempts have been made by force of arms to impose the yoke of Aihantee on the neighbouring chiefs and to gain for the young King the control of the whole trade with the interior, or, in other words, to substitute for the present traffic ia European gonde a trade in slaves, cattle, and sheep with the interior in exchange for kola nuts. The, Cape Coast authorities have been en. deavonring for soma time to gee the ambitious young potentate to agree to the abolition of the worst practices of his Government,, and to keep the peace towards neighbouring tribes. He ia bound by the terms of the treaty of 1874 to put an end to the practice of human sacrifice, and to suppress slave raiding. With a view to insisting on a more stringent observance of these provisions, the treaty at present in view provides for the acceptance by the native king of a British Resident, who would ace that they were carried oat, and would watch over the development of trade with the neighbouring British territory. In return, he would uphold the authority of the King with hie people, and would refrain from interference in purely native affairs. The King was also to receive a considerable subsidy from the British Government. These terms the King refused, and hence the orders for the expedition. The defence of the King, who is represented by a solicitor in London, appointed by the Ashantee Native Embassy, is that the terms of the treaty of 1874 have been observed, that England has, through her representative on tbe Gold Coast, not acted straightforwardly, and he also claims, as an independent sovereign, direct representation in London. Litest accounts, however, go to show that King Prempeh has consented to listen to reason, and that it is unlikely that any display of force will be necessary to induce him to fall in with England's wishes. Mock has been said and " Made in written from time to time England." as to the German manufacturer underselling the British manufacturer in the lattor'a own market, and of the manner in whioh articles " made in Germany" are supplanting those

of English make. Ib is refreshing there' fore, to learn that in German shops English goods are even more common than German, goods in English Bhops. This assertion is made by a correspondent of a London contemporary, who gives some particulars of the articles o! British origin which he noticed in strolling one morning through the streets of a German town. They included such things as material for ladies' dresses aod men's coats and trouser?, hats, gloves, neckties, cutlery.'stationery, soap, marmalade, jitn, blacking, tobacco, tea, brushes, shoes, boot laces, gas fittings uud patent medicines in abundance. Tho town, it ia true, possesses a small resident Eoeliah population, and it is at time 3 visited by a good many English men and women, but the writer does not believe that they can consume more than a small proportion of the scuff appearing in the shops, In a much smaller town, rarely vieited by English people, he says, he found numerous examples of English goods and they were not wanting even in German villages. •• The engine of the train by which I travelled from Holland across the frontier, and for some miles into Germany was made in England ; a German barber shaved mc with a razor made in Sheffield, and sold mc a tooth brush bearing the stamp of a London firm. Iα a German restaurant English knives were on the table, and EnglUh biscuits were served with a cup of tea, whioh I aiucerely hope was not made of material obtained through an English firm, though I s»w plenty of small canisters beariqg the name of a well-known London i-nporter in a neighbouring shop. In that shop, too, Scotch and Irish whiskies, port, aud sherry bearing the names of English business houses, aud brandy from a London im» porter, were for sale in considerable quan. tities, from which I assume a large con< sumption. English engravings aud coloured pictures were exhibited in the windows of several stationers and printsellors, and some writing paper and envelopes I bought were of English make." It is decidedly satisfactory to find that English manufactures can compete in Germany with German cheap labour in so many lines, but it is loss flattering to English buyers that England continues to afford such a good market for many articles of the same kind which are " made in Germany." This is the title bestowed The upon the Falkland Islands "Labourer* , by no less an authoritj Paradise." than Captain Halkett, Colonial Secretary to the Government of that little colony. Poverty in those fortunate isles is absolutely unknown, he declares, in its European sense. Those who earn least in the lowliest occupations need not, and we are assured never do, go in want of a sufficiency, while luxury is almost the only word to apply to the condition of those who are in regular employment. The islanders are almost; guiltless of serioui crimes. There is only one gaol in the colony (the whole population of which is less than 1900) and the gaoler has such an easy time of it that he also holds the office of Government punter, the dutiet of which poab are, we should think, scarcely heavier than those of g*oler. The colony has no public debt. But in case there should be any strong desire on the part of the floating population of New Zealand to emigrate in a body to the Falkland Islands, it is just as well thai they should hear Captain Halkett'* eet-ofl to his otherwise eathusiastio remarks. Wages, ib ib true, rule high, but em. ployers are few in number, anl intending immigrants are warned that any triflings addition...to. the labour market would quickly set the balance the other way. Sheep farming is practically the only industry, and under all the ciromnatancea ib is only too apparent that though the colony may be a paradise to the labourer* who are there now, it would very quickly prove something very different to auy whe went there expecting to share the advent tages possessed by the present residents of that cool and windy Eden.