SOME CABLED TOPICS.

Evening Post, Volume LI, Issue 105, 4 May 1896, Page 2

SOME CABLED TOPICS.

The Shah of Persia was a remarkable personality, who since 1818 has successfully dominated bis race, while at the same time ooming into touch with Western oivilisation. His first famous visit to London, and the many entertaining stories that were ourrent at the time of his social eooentricities, will still be remembered. For an absolute ruler and an Eastern, he was a wise and progressive monaroh, who will be missed. However, the Heir Apparent, Muzaifer-ed-Din, is said to be a worthy successor from the British standpoint, whioh, among other things, will probably mean that he oan be relied npon not to make any pact with Russia that may prove inimical to English interests. The late Shah would seem to have been a good business man in the modern sense, for he died a multimillionaire. His wealth was- recently estimated at from five to six millions sterling, most of it, however, being represented by suoh unproductive assets as diamonds, the largest being of 18G carats and the second 146, these, with other rare and precious Btones that have played an important part in Eastern story, forming part of the Crown jewels. 'Ihe Royal Family of Persia, consequent upon its peculiar domestic arrangements, ib very numerous. There are, we are told, some thousands of princes and princesses, though the official Tear Book only specifically mentions three brothers, two sisters, 140 unoles, great uncles, and oonsins of the bhah. Nasr-ed-Din showed his desire to cultivate closer relations with England by the commercial concessions he granted in a convention obtained in 1891 through the influence of Sir Henry Drummond Wolff. Lord Loch has explained to his peers, and we are told that the newspapers, commenting upon the explanation, admit his Lordship to be "perfectly correct." Correct inwhatp Was it correct oonduot on the part of a British Pro-Consul, then the gaest of a friendly State, to tell a secret deputation of his countrymen that they could not hope to overturn the Government of that State with only 1000 rifles to depend oil ? What, thenit will be asked, and fairly asked, by those opposed to us—would have been his adviae had he reoeived assurance that there were 10,000 rifles, and 10,000 men ready and willing to use them ? Would he have talked then of the " futility" of such an attempt, or encouraged them to proceed P That these men approached Lord Loch at all with such treasonable proposals against the country that had enriched them and proteoted their wealth pre-snpposes their oonviotion—and they should have been well-informed—that he would sympathise with their design, and that in any case he might be relied upon to keep silent as to thoir purpose. And since Lord Loch did not rebnke these men, sinoe he gave no warning to President Kruger of the machinations of these oonspirators, what did he do, under the oironmstances P At leaat he shonld have advised the Colonial Office of the faots at the time. Was this done ? Had the German Government knowlodge of these secret communications between the .Reform Committee and Lord Loch when it permitted its inspired journals to deolare that the Colonial Office in London knew what was going to happen in the Transvaal? These and other things will readily ooonr to those of our readers who interest themselves in the question, and they show how completely we may be worsted in this affair. And the hostility of Boers seems growing, as is in evidence by reported proceedings in the Volksraad of the Orange Free State, where, though an extreme motion levelled at Cecil Rhodes and his company was ruled out of order, the President declared it neoessary to abrogate all treaties with tbe Chartered Company. If this be done, it is hardly neocssary to say that the Transvaal Government will follow the example, the truth probably being that Pretoria inspired this Orange initiative. In Australia, the International Agricultural Conference bos done some good Federal work that this oountry might well have participated in; but we may later see the way to profit by our neighbours' example. More and more it becomes apparent that if the European markets are to be successfully exploited by our producers the State must intervene, and in return for its help obtain partial oontrol. Treasurer Ward has been writing a despatch to Premier Turner to show how just a proceeding it is to repel business with our neighbours by plaoing an obnoxious impost npon their representative business men. Bowever, they are ceasing to como now, and when they come no more and Victoria enters upon some little fiscal reprisals, our ''Wizard of Finance " will find that; ho oannot enclose New Zealand in a ring fence. The coal crisis looks more promising fita settlement to-day, and our oarsmen have had a cordial greeting in Sydney. Let us hope that they will be strangers to any further oordiality until after the raoe.

On the fourth page we give partionlars of the consecration of the new Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, sporting news, football items, and two letters in reference to the Brnnnerton Belief Fund. An English paroel-post mail arrived by the Tainui this afternoon. Amongst the measures to be introduced by the Government next session will be a Bill dealing with baby-farming, and another on the subject of short weight in goods supplied by tradesmen. Ministers have deoided that, pending legislation plaoing olubs under oontrol, no new charters shall be granted. This reply is to be sent in answer to tbe application for a charter made by the Feilding Club. The Premier will deliver a pnblio address at Otaki on Thursday, and at Paraparaumu on Saturday night. At an early date he will also speak at Johnsonvillo. The Postmaster-General is to obtain further information regarding the request of the Dunedin Chambor of Commerce for a subsidy for steamers to Western Australia. Polioe-Inspeotor M'Govern, of Grey mouth, has been appointed to take the late Inspeotor Thomson's plaoe in the New Plymontb district. Inspeotor Emerson, of Anokland, has been promoted to the position of first-class inspeotor. Inspeotor M'Govern's successor h«s not yet been finally deoided on. The case of the Southland Frozen Meat Company v. Nelson Bros, is still proceeding in the Appeal Court. The funeral of Mrs. Allan Ward yesterday was largely attended, among those present being the Premier, the Hon. J. Bigg, M.L.C., and representatives of .all the trade organisations in the oity. Mr. Ward will have the sympathy of a wido circle of friends. Mr. William Lambert, who has for several years represented the Now York Life Insuranco Society in Wellington, has been appointed to the management of the Auokland branob of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia, in succession to Mr. C. J. Owen, and will leave for the North in a few days. Mr. Lambert has made hosts of friends during his residence hero. Tho D.I.C. is the successful tenderer for supplying fnrniture and fittings for the Government Buildings, Wellington. The Amalgamated Sooiety of Engineers, at a meeting held on Saturday night, passes a resolution to the effeot that, while expressing deep sympathy with the movement for the federation of tho unaffiliated Unions, they could not then decide to join, as they considered that their rnles prevented them promising thoir support to any body whioh required payment of over Cd per month. Mr. Jndah Myers, in memory of his daughter the late. Miss Martha Myers, who died last year, has devoted a sum of money for the founding of an annual prize, to be called " The Martha Myers Memorial Prize," whioh is to be given in oonneotion with the Trinity College examinations in instrumental rauaio. The prize is to go to tho New Zealand oandidate obtaining the highest number of marks for pianoforte playing in the junior section. This year Miss Helen Joan Parker, daughter of Mr. Robert Parker, and a pupil of Miss Swainson, is the prize-winner. The prize takes the form of a handsome gold medal, and has been handed by Mr. Myers to the Key. W. J. Habens for presentation. The many frionds of Mr. W. T. Crawshaw, at one time a leading oriaketer in Wellington, will be glad to hoar that he has rooeived the appointment of acoountant in the branch of the Bank of New Zealand at Hawera. At the weekly meeting of St. John's Lodge, 1.0.G.T , on Friday evening, offloers wero elooted as follows; -C.T., Bro. Spiers ; V.T., Sis. Vinoe; Secretary, Bro. Hose; F. 8.., Bro. Cooper; M., Bro. Olark, jun.; D.M., Sis. Devonport; T., Bro. Hare; 0., Sis Rosoj Guard, Bro. M'Nair; Sontinol, Bro. Bott; P.C.T., Bro. Williamson. One oandidato was initiated. A kinderspiel entitled " Old Friends with New Faoes," in aid of St. Paul's Sunday Bohools, will be performed on Tuesday, 19th instant, and about 40 ohildren in oostume will take part. Tho play will inolude several dances by Miss Beere's pupils. Thore will also be a stall of work.

Cabinet has made the following appropriations of local interest, some of them in anticipation of votes by Parliament :—North Island Main Trunk Railway, .£2500; Government Printing Office extension, JJ1250; Upper Makura Valley-road, .£265; Pipiriki-Wairoa-road, JJ2SO; Obingaiti-Tokaano-road, ;6250 ; Te Whiti-Awakino-road, .£500; Ohura-road, .£1250. A capital selection of music was played at the Basin EeEerve yesterday by the Garrison Band. Th»ro was a very large attendance of tbe pnblio, and £& 2s Id waa colleoted in aid of the Band's instrument fund. An attempt to enter Mr C. Smith's drapery establishment, Cuba-street, from a back entrance, waa made late on Saturday night Between 11 o'clock and midnight the night-watchman (Viukerf) discovered that a pieoe of the back door had boon romoved by means of an auger. He communicated his discovery to the police and to Mr. t'mith, on whose arrival the matter was investigated. As nothing had been taken from the premises and the door was not opened, it is certain that the would-be burglar had been interrupted iv his work. Three women and one man were treated as first offenders for drunkenness at the Magistrate's Court to-day. Lena Doreen was sent to prison tor 14 days with hard labour for having importuned passers-by for an immoral purpose. In oonneotion with the burglary at the shop of John Hermann, a man named Kiohar I M Harwood pleaded Not Guilty, and was remanded for a week. David Haining was committed for trial on the charge of having assaulted and robbed the Chinaman Ah Pat in tbe latter's shop in Webb-street. Bail was allowed in two sureties of £25 eaoh. A further charge of having on the same night assaulted a Chinaman named Hong Kee, and stolen two bottles of temperance drinks, waß preferred against Haining, and in this case a remand till 13th May was granted on the application of the polioe. Bail at the same sureties as in the other oase was allowed. Mr. Wilford appeared for the aoousad. A respectablelooking man nimed Thomas Edwards, charged with having used obscene language in Little Taranaki-street, admitted having been drunk, and was sentenced to 48 hours' imprisonment with hard labour. Mr. Greenfield, S.M , presided. The Irish National Federation will hold a social gathering at St. Patriok's Hall this evoning. The programme for the inaugural meeting of the Wellington Branoh of the New Zealand Natives* Association is to appear in tbe Evening Post of Tuesday, the 12th inßt. Allthe members of the Ministry have been invited to attend the gathering. Tho box plan for Mr. Maughan Batnett's Musical Sooiety concert on Friday next is filling up rapidly. THoso who have not yet reserved seats should do so at once. "Boyle's Patent Self-acting Air-Pump Ventilators" is a device much iv favour, and the patentees find that inferior yentilators, somewhat similar in appearance, have been offered for use iv cases where the Boyle invention bas been specified by the architects. They therefore offer through our advertisement columns a reward of £100 to any person who furnishes Buch proof of infringement of their patent rightß as shall secure the conviction of the guilty persons. Mrs. Male, lone and favourably known in Wellington as a dressmaker, has secured the agency in New Zealaud for the French Hust Company, of London, for which, on her return to the city, she will be prepared to rec -ive orders. Tbe models are upon a principle which ladiea will welcome, as there is now no necessity to stand for Hours having a dress fitted, when they can procure their exact model at a moderate price and send ie as deputy to their dressmakers to be fitted. The French Bust Company has supplied models to the order of eleven Eoyal Princesses aud the Empress Frederick of Germany, besides which orders are received continually from foreign Courts. All communications are to be addressed to Mrs. Male, Q.P.0., Wellington, until further notice. Nothing delights tbe feminine mind so much as dainty evening dresses, and never has a finer dieplav of really charming novelties been made by Kirkcaldio and Stains than that which they made on Saturday night. For several hours crowds of admirers viewed the display. The firm advertises its new specialities, also the continuation of tbe display of eveuiug goods throughout tbo mouth. Hoffmann and Son. of Willis-street, have re. ceived a large shipment of piauos, some of whioh are now open for inspection at the firm's warehouse. Tbe Brinsmead instruments are beautifully finished, and are claimed to be equal to any ever brought into tbe colony. A. E. Kernot, wine and spirit merchant, advertises his removal to Victoria-street, next to Messrs. B-iscoe, WacNeil, and Co.'s warehouse. Mr. Kernot controls the New Zealand business of Messrs. Jules Benard and Co., and numbers among bis agencies those for Walker's whisky, Bisquit brandy, Heyde, Todman, and Co., J. Wi Tod and Co. (Limited), Peek, Frean, and Co., tbe Mataura Paper Company, and a number of others. His new offices and warehouse are large and convenient. To-morrow afternoon, at 2.80 o'clock, T. Kennedy Macaonald 4 Co., Ltd., sell a valuable allotment in Ghnznee-street close to Cuba-street, Buitable either for a busiuess or residential purpose, also a valuable property in Eussell-terrace containing seven rooms, which is to be sold on moßt easy terms, viz., 10 per cent, deposit, balance on mortgage. Details appear in our auction column". The Bale of jewellery, &c, in the estate of the late C. Ludwig has been going on since 11 a.m. today at W. F. Shortt's auction mart, Willis-Btreet, and will be resumed at 11 o'clock to-morrow. It' not theu finished, it will be oontinued on Thursday inornin?, at the same hour. Catalogues con be obtained on application. Townsend and Paul will sell to-morrow, chaff. Harconrt and Co. will hold a sule of town country, and suburban properties to-morrow. Lasry and Co. (Limited) will sell to-morrow, fruit. Franois Sidey.ond Co. will sell to-morrow, clothing, furniture, Ac.