TOWN EDITION.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7383, 5 June 1895, Page 3

TOWN EDITION.

THE OUTSIDE WOULD

Oan cable messages in connection with the discovery of another vein of kaolin in New South Wales raise an interesting geological question. Geologist-, as most people know who have read anything of their theories, deal with immense lapses of time in seeking to describe the changes which have taken place since tho world became sufficiently cooled down to support life as wo know it. A million of years more or less is not half so important in a " world theory " as is a few months more or less to the unlucky persons whom society compels to study geology with a hammer for tool and a warder for examiner. Kaolin is just tlio substance to set us thinking about these long periods. It is a of hardly more than cheese-like consistency, ranging in color from almost pure white through several degrees_ of murkiness, and it is used in making the fine porcelain for which the world was originally indebted to China. Now kaolin is formed by the decomposition of granite, which in its turn is a mixture of mica, felspar, and quartz.

Most people in the colonies know what quartz is like—_ow exceedingly hard it is, and how unlikely a substance it appears to soften and moulder by the influence oE time. Mica is another very hard mineral. Felspar is 30 hard that it is with difficulty scratched with steel, and extremely hard to fuse by heat. Most of its varieties are insoluble in acids. These three minerals, combined by the action of the intense heat which once kept the constituents of the globe molten, constitute the hardest and most durable stone in the world. The decomposition of this stone into a soft clay, so homogenous as to be buttery in feel, and so utterly unlike its originating elements as to be as bland as meerschaum to the cutting tools used in digging it out, must have taken an immense time to bring about. The human mind staggers before the task of trying to calculate it. Wo may draw inferences, and some of the boldest of them, involving scores of millions of years, may not be too bold, but in any case we can form no idea which in the slightest degree can pass for a conception of what is contained in the rows of figures we write down.

How is it that figures should make us think of the Hon. J. G. Ward ? Probably because he ia tho first New Zealander who has understood them. We make this assertion on the strength of the various eulogies which the Government pay to havo made in their newspapers. These go to prove that we never had a financier before the Boomer of the Southland Twine Company arose in alibis glory, to stagger and confound his petty predecessors. His success has rendered unnecessary the continuance of the Agent-General's office in London, and we confidently look forward to the Government closing it at an early date. This is not based upon any random guess. The Government openly say, through the newspaper they between them own and subsidise, that with regard to the recent loan operations "Mr Ward has secured the results which had proved to be out of the reach of all the men in the civil service of the colony in London." Now that is a very sweeping statement. No doubt it is true, for i 3 not all that the Government say true—more or less ? And therefore it is evident that we aro wasting our money in keeping open the office of the Agent-General.

As the Government show, lie is perfectly useless. So are the colony's loan agents, although the stupid people of. Europe actually believe that those loan agents are experts who could hold their own against the financiers of any country in the world. But they had not heard of Inveroargill when they formed that opinion. They had not taken into their calculations the wisdom of the ornament of that borough which allowed the Southland Twine Factory to steal the borough highpressure water, and to get oil with a line of four pounds and costs when they were convicted. The idea of supposing that the financiers of England knew anything while J. G. Ward was about ! See how he made the Bank of England noodles shake in their shoes —as recorded in the paper which the members of the Government own—by threatening to take from the bank tbe patronage of this colony ! Iv order that it may be seen that Mr Ward's triumph was really due to his genius, and not to the fact that money was phenomenally cheap in England, we append the following facts : —

Mr Ward flo-ted a New Zealand loan at three per cent, and obtained f..r it £94 8a 9d per hundred pounds debenture. Tho Corporation of Newcastle (England) floated a loan at two aud three quarters per cent, aud obtained for every hundred pounds do-b-nturo tho Bum of £98 17s 3d.

The' war in the East has now assumed a peculiar phase, for although conditions of peace have been agreed upon by both China and Japan, the Chinese and Japanese are still pegging away at each other in the island of Formosa. Kelung, the news of the capture of which we publish this evening, is situated in a shallow bay at the extreme north of Formosa. The harbor is a fair one, but is not sheltered from all winds, the conformation of the coast being very similar to that which gives us the depression of Hawke's Bay. The capital of Formosa, and the centre of the present organised resistance to Japan, is Tai Wan. This place, which once boasted of a really magnificent harbor, now through neglect badly silted up, is situated on a large alluvial plain on the south-west coast. Its trade was once very large, principally in sugar, but owing to the present condition of the harbor no European vessels can enter it without danger, and the industries of the district are decaying. In the meanwhile Chinaman and Jap, nominally at peace, continue to carry on the " sport of kings " in their own fashion, and the former continues to go under. Russia and Franco stand by and look on with an eye to the scraps being picked up at a fitting timo.

The Spanish gentleman named Clavijo—by this time probably a disembodied spirit—must have beon peculiarly constituted. His aristocratic soul could not brook tho idea of an objection to bigamy, and to convey an idea of his disapprobation he manipulated his little gun. Nobody will pity him, not oven the ladies, for thoy do not care about sympathising with that form of gallantry which involves one man being married to two women. As for the gentlemen, they will say that any man not satisfied with the bliss of having one wife, and therefore greedy enough to pine for a couple, ought to be killed straight away as an enemy of the human race. Isut wives, like millions in gold or silver, grow upon some people. Jay Gould would no doubt at one timo have thought himself lucky if he had been guaranteed live hundred a year. He secured possession of a million pounds, and then was miserable till he got moro. Probably Clavijo, when he courted his first wife, concluded that he was fortunate enough when she said " 1 will." _ But, no doubt arguing that if one wife is joy two must be paradise, ho naturally looked upon those who do not see it in that light as enemies. However, n squad of riflemen and a " short, sharp shock," will cure his heart ache.

New stock per every direct cargo steamer. New Puporh ;hgings just lar-.led por Star of Victoria. _cri_i, Tacks, ' Ll., Colors, Varniahosi, See, now duo per fctir of England. Largo consignments of Picture f ranio Mouldings, fcjheet Glata, White Lead, Varniihoa, and other goods, to follow per s a. Indramayo and other Btoamers. Ordorod previous to intention of retiring, and muat go with tho rest. Woodoook's Oil aud Color Stores, Dalton attcot.

Captain Edwin wired this afternoon: — " North-oast to north, and west gale, with train, niter ten hour;) from now ; glass fill soon." Tho hearing of thu charge -proforred nyiiuEt J-U_ _:c;i:-ii, of wilfully atremptiiig to uiuivl-r by ..--ni-Ht.-.i-w' ursenio, i- fi__d rV: Mond-'.y, l~rh i>.S- Witae?... in the c_?o need not, tlurei.ro, attend tho -upromo Court till that data

o<i-n_-int_ are made that .oruc of tho men selected at Hastings for the co-opera-tive work at tho Napi.r-Wairoa road aro not deiervin.g, sovoral boing tho owner, of valuable property. Mr (J-i_oll, _I.__.ti. iv maki-g occj/iirisa relative ti> tho matter.

A crowded m.-ti. g fit St James' Mall, Auckland, pssaed tho following resolution on Friday night :—" That this mooting is of opinion th'it Mr Crabb ia deserving of the best thanks of tho publio of Auckland for the v;;ry oxcelk-t ..ddros.-- given diivi-g hi- mis-iinsT), and wo call upou the temperance frit-do of this town to unite and'arrange for a future mission iv this city."

Mr Pitoaithly, P.-.., who lsavoa Napier to-morrow for Waimate. was presauted yesterday by tho girls of the Sixth Standard of tho district school with gold sleevo link..

The general committee for the Caledonian ball met yesterday ; when various sub-com-mittees were appointed as follows :—Catering and Liquor Committee, Messrs Jas McLaan and G S. V. Wenley ; Programme and Music Oommittoe, Me._rs 0. L>. Kennedy, Allan McLean, CI. S V. Wenloy, aad P. 8. McLean; Z.-eeorations Committee, Moaars J. V. Brown, W. K. White, W. F. J. _._der_ou, and E. H. Williams. The arrangements with regard to pipers were left in the hands of Messra A. Mo Hardy and Donald McLean.

Tha trouble in connection with the schooner Orpheus has boeu settled. The crew wero paid <_ to-day by the now master, Captain Christiansen. Captain Smith is taking tho necessary steps to surrender the vessel's register to tho Collector of Customs, who has withdrawn the charge against Smith. The Orpheus proceeds to load scrap iron for Dunedin..

Si_ unemployed selected f.om the nameß on the Labor Bureau registor were yesterday sent to commence work on tho NapierWairoa road. Auother batch of ei_;ht will ba required in tho course of a few days, and those applicants considered to bo the most deserving have been communicated with by Eorgt. Muivitlo. It is a noteworthy fact in connection with this road work that some difficulty in experienced iu's.curiag married men co join tho party, although plenty put their names on the register as unemployed. Tho attraction in the shape of the contemplated erection of tha new police station and Customs-houso ia much stronger than the prosp.ot of "hard graft" at road making, with the attendant difficulties on camp life. Possibly the fact th.t tho Department have deoided th'it men engaged on co-operative works ehail not work moro than eight hours a day, which will prevent any very big cheques being made, has something to do with it.

The steamers Anglian and Rotomahana arrived at Lyttelton last evening from Port Chalmers, and the Tekoa from Lyttelton reaohed Timaru at 11 a.m. to-day. The Rimutaka left Port Ch.lmer. at 11.45 this morning.

A mooting of the Works Committee of the Harbor Board waa hold at tho breakwater office this afternoon.

Writes a London correspondent: — " Suinora of the approaching resignation of tho Duko of Cam bridgo are again put about. A tection of tha Radical press takes an ominous interest in tho Duke, a survival of the old-fashioned jealousy of the Crown's relation with tho army. The Daily Chronicle ia always particularly ssvero ou tho Duke of Cambridge, who doesn't seem to care much. I fancy ko has no intention whatever of reSigning. Ho is stiil able to mount a horse easily and to 'get about.' Tho present Government cannot want inconvenient questions about the ohief commander of the army raised in their timo because while CampbollBaunerman could do exactly whatever the 1 Court party' wanted there might bo some capital mado cut of tbe appointment of the Duke of Conoaught if the Tories were in office. Tho old Duko haa now held tho Grand O.osr of tho Order of Michael and George for fifty years, and a dinner is to ba given soon to celebrate the event."