NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 708, 6 January 1910, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

New Zealand,hemp finds an cxcollont market in Australia, and scyeral thousand tons are sold .in tho Commonwealth annually. The product is used mainly for the manufacture of binder twine, for Australia is an important wheat producer. This trade is likely to be very much hampered, if it is not altogether killed by the freight charges' between New Zealand and Australia. Hitherto the freight >was 30s. per.ton, moro recently 25 per cent, was added because of the Newcastle coal ■ strike.' . This latter is presumably a temporary imposition and may bb discarded from consideration. -The Union Company and tho Huddart-Parker Proprietary, howover, have notified shippers that as from January 1 an additional 15s. per ton freight will bb charged on llax and tow uncovered. This will make the freight on hemp £2 ss. per ton. Of course it may bu said that the, shippers can, by having the bales covered with hes,sian, save 15s. per ton, but 'this is not altogether correct. It'costs nearly as much as 15s. per ton to have the bales covered._ The reason for the extra charge is to minimise tho risk of fire, and from this point of view it seems reasonable enough, but the risk appears to bo over-estimated, for, in all the years that hemp has been shipped to Australia, one can only call to mind the. fire on the Warrimoo as having originated from it. The freight on hemp to' Sydney is as high as it is to London with this difference: that the shipowners trading to London pay the dumping charges, storage, and wharfage amounting to. about 12s. 6d. per' ton, whereas the companies trading'to Australia make no such concession. The hemp trade is not so flourishing as to be 1 ablo to view this 'charge with equanimity. Manila hemp, it is claimed, will be able to compete successfully w s ith the New Zealand product in the markets, of the Commonwealth.

' The announcement which appears in another column of this issue that an epidemic of suicide has broken out in Berlin brings to the front once more one of the most painful problems of civilised life. A leading authority on the question 'has pointed out that' different countries have different suicide rates, and that whilo the rate for each may fluctuate from year to year, yet it maintains practically the same relative proportions to the rates of other countries. Another peculiar fact is that the proportion of male to female suicides is practically the same each year, namely, three or four males to one female. In ■ most European countries the suicide rate seems to be increasing, and in England and Wales the death-rate per million from suicide advanced from G5 during the period 1861-65 to 79 for 188G--90, whilo in 1897 the rate per • million had risen to 90. Attenion is drawn by a writer in the Encyclopaedia Britannica to tho increase of self-destruction in relation to the advance of elementary education, and it is said to be more common among the educated than the. illiterate classes. A curious fcaturo in largo towns is sudden - and unaccountable outbreaks which occur from time to timo, and which seem to justify the description of such occurrences as that reported by cablegram to-day from_ the German capital as suicide epidemics. In sucli cases we are told "force of example and imitation undoubtedly play a considerable part, and it is well recognised _ that both these forces oxcrt an influence, not only in causing suicide, but also in suggesting the mothod, time,.and place for the act."

At time of writing details of the' accident to tho excursion steamer Waikare are not available. The warship Pioneer is on her way from Dusky Sound with the oxcursionisls wlio had been safely landed from the disabled steamer, and is expected to arrive at the Bluff in the early hours of the morning. So far as the information available goes it would appear that the accident has been attended with a minimum of inconvenience to the largo number of passoagets on Jhe .Waiiare. .While the '

steamer' would possess, the'advantage of smooth • water irr the Sound where she struck, the '-rock : which caused- the ; damage, Captain New- : ton would -be' placed at;, aserious disadvantage i in ..;"beaching' , . r his.., vessel inasmuch as',there are 'no < beaches there. The /water,: is deep right up,'■ to ..the •■:;' lands" "edge. >:, In the I circumstances- :■ v is; -extremely ; fortunate , ' , 'that : everything passed., off as well- as it appears to have,,done._..: The -Union Steamship Company is; to be commended for the prompt steps, taken "to' provide .against the .passengers suffering any hardships :intheir : unpleasant predicament;; arid- in. this respect Sin' Joseph-Ward,'and the naval'author- ; lties; also,'" appear:, to:have • behaved extremely, well. ,:;We'. 'have:' arranged ' to' secure' a' ful 1 account of' the. : accident.td.the steamer.a'nd the experiences of the:passengers', but whether, it:will;reach' us : in time for pur late' news' page ;'6f to-day's-.issue 'will : . de.pend on 'the hour, at 1 which H!M S Pioneer reaches the Bluff this mornlng.-' >:'-:--'--'-./-.-V:' ;-■-:..•;.; ~;>■ :,:■:.-■..;;-.;;