YESTERDAY’S CABLES.

Evening Star, Issue 7652, 30 June 1888, Page 1

YESTERDAY’S CABLES.

Home and Foreign. At the wool sales the bidding was steady, superior sorts being very firm. Twelve thousand bales were catalogued. Sir John Pender has had an interview with Lord Knutsford relative to laying an alternative cable to Perth. At the Lambeth Conference the discussion on the doctrinal standard will be opened by Bishop Barry, of Sydney. Bishops Moorhouse and Stanton (North Queensland) will speak on the question of the relation of the church to immigrants. An Australian wheat cargo has been sold at 32s 3d. The weekly returns of the Bank of England, published to-day, show the total reserve in notes and bullion to be LI 4,000,000, and the proportion of reserve to liabilities 43 per cent., being an increase of LI 00,000 on the total reserve. The total quantity of wheat and Hour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,540,000 quarters, and for the Continent 600,000. Tin, L 75 10s, In the House of Commons last night Baron de Worms announced that the Government of New Zealand had agreed to join-the Sugar Bounty Convention. Three thousand, including Lord Knutsford, Mr Chamberlain, and Baron de Worms were present at the Colonial Institute conversazione. Sir F. Dillon Bell has suggested that an Australian Plenipotentiary should visit. Pekin to arrange an amicable settlement of the Chinese difficulty, after an agreement shall have been arrived at- between the colonies and the Imperial Government on the subject. It is understood that the suggestion has been very favorably received in official circles. ‘ The Times ’ has served a notice on Lord Hartington calling upon him to produce all papers with reference tp the National League, for the purpose of defending the O’Donnell libel action. It is announced that a syndicate will take up the balance ; of the Panama Canal loan. A panic has set in in Canal shares owing to the reported failure of the loan. A smart cavalry skirmish took place on the outskirts of Suakin on the morning of the 28thixrst., in which the Mahdi’s principal Emir was killed. NOTES. Those who fancy that the term “blizzard,” which has oconred in- cableNot So Very grams very often of late, is >'e«. a newly coined word by the Yankee journalists are much mistaken. It has been long known and used in some parts of England. A writer in ‘ Notes and Queries ’ says of it; “The word ‘blizzard’ is well known throughout the Midlands, and its cognates are fairly numerous. I have known the word and its kin fully thirty years. Country folk use the word to denote blazing, blasting, dazzling, or stifling. One who has had to face a severe storm of snow, hail, rain, dust, or wind would say, on reaching shelter, that he had ‘faced a blizzer,’or that the storm was *a regular blizzard.’ A blinding flash of lightning would call forth the exclamation ‘ My! that wor a blizzomer!’ or ‘that wor a blizzer !’ ‘ Put tow thry stieks on th’ fire, and let’s have a blizzer ’(a blaze). ‘ A good blizzom ’ —a good blaze. ‘ That tree is blezzarded ’—blasted or withered. As an oath the word is often used, and ‘ May I be blizzarded’ will be readily understood.” And, curiously enough, in a standard American dictionary, published years ago, a blizzard is properly described as “ a sudden, violent, cold snowstorm.” Just as we anticipated, the Fair Rent Bill has been so cut down by the m'wi w Waste Lands Committee that Pricked, there is very little of it left, and that little of no imporj tancc. The limitation of the operation to Crown tenants, and this only for a limited period, almost entirely, to use a vulgar expression, takes the stuffing out of the measure, which, it is no secret, the real promoters intended to make applicable to private lands. The Waste Lands Committee (we really do not recollect who are on it) seem a very enlightened body, and have done the State considerable service this session in putting an effectual stopper on rash legislation and communistic experiment. The people of New Zealand require, not only to be saved from themselves, as the old adage has it, bat from their representatives, many of whom would fain “ rush in ” where finer intellectual organisms “ fear to tread.” Seveeae honorable members of the House are wonderfully anxious in the matter of the appointment of a Why This l Judge of the Supreme Court ia the place of the late Mr Justice Johnston. Mr Seddon actually had the assurance to intercept Supply by an amendment to the effect that the Government should no longer delay the appointment! What has the member for Kumara to do in this matter? may well be asked. The Premier very properly administered a severe snub, and expressed the determination not to be drawn. The question of the appointment ia indeed a very serious one, and should not be subject, directly or indirectly, to political interference. The Cabinet will act, there is no doubt, under a due sense of responsibility to the country, and are hardly likely to favor any nominee of the West Coast representatives, although these honorable gentlemen will be within the jurisdiction of the new Judge, which, in consideration of possible contingencies, may be the reason why so warm an interest is taken. Who knows what might eventuate from disappointed ambition working on not very well-balanced minds ! Soft answers turn away wrath, and gentle rebukes soften the heart of tie Thief 1 ' ev iW° er - That is the expeCoring, rience of the member tor Franklyn North, who as a boy was as much a Dare-devil Dick—they were not called larrikins in his youth—as any of the lads of to-day who appear to have fallen under the ban of Bishop Nevill and others who institute comparisons, unfavorable to the colonial stock, between the New Zealand and English boys. Mr Lawry thinks that far too much is made of occasional eases of youthful exuberance, and disputes with warmth the allegation that the national system of education is responsible for them. Instead of rashingdff for the nearest policeman, and giving the local newspaper an

opportunity of inditing a homily on lamkinism, he would appeal to the_ offender s honor and chivalry, and is satisfied that the appeal would not be in vain. He told the House the other day that he had practically tested his opinion under circumstances that we shall let him tell in his own way i I have a few chains from my house a large plum tree. Last Christmas that tree was covered with rich, ripe plums, and on looking out of the window in the early morning I saw a number of boys in tho tree. I took a circuitous route and was under the tree before they saw me, and they appeared utterly confounded when I wished them “ a merry Christmas.” When they had recovered from their surprise they begged to be let off, and piteously told me that they would never do the like again. I said: ‘ Boys, if you are at all like what I was when a boy, you will; so do not make any promises. Let us make a bargain. Now, you cannot expect to have all the plums. I wish to send a few to my friends, and Mrs Lawry wants a few to make jam, so you must be satisfied with a fair share ; and I think if you get a large bucketful you should be satisfied.’ Tho astonished lads, of course, consented to the bargain. They obtained a bucketful of plums, and promised to share them with some mates, who, it may be inferred, were on the other side of the hedge ; and from that time the orchard of the member for Franklyn North was not molested. He does not, however, say how bis neighbors fared in prospect of a similar bargain. _ Just as Mr Lawry frankly confessed to his fellow legislators that he had not been free from guile when a boy himself, it may happen that in the years to come the constituency will have a representative who will bo ame to point a moral from the talc of magnanimity he will have to tell in which Mr Lawry played so prominent a part. It is a move in tho right direction on the part of those members of the .Something House who are pressing the Sensible. Government to reduce the railway rates for tho carriage of fruit. It may be that these hon. gentlemen, or many of them, are already conscience stricken for the mischief they have wrought in taxing the imports of fruit and fruit pulp, but anyway the present object is commendable. The present rates of freight are in most instances prohibitive, and have, it is well known, induced the abandonment of the industry by many fruit-growers, who might otherwise have kept the market supplied—at all events with sufficient for ordinary table purposes. We hope Ministers will not allow themselves to be led by the nose in this matter by the permanent officials ! His Worship the Mayor, to speak allegorically, clapped his wings and His Worship crowed loudly in the Council Jubilant, on Wednesday evening over the somewhat startling fact that there was a credit balance to the gas department of nearly LIO.OOO. Does not this large balance rather point to the presumption that the citizens who use gas are contributing more than their fair share to the revenues of the Corporation ? We quite admit the_ exigencies of municipal finance under existing circumstances ; but why brandish the fact of their being so mulcted in the face the gas consumers ? It is hardly “ the wisdom of. the serpent,” since reflections may be induced in the minds of a considerable section of tho ratepayers not favorable to the City finance, The Mayor would like, he says, a few more departments like the gas; “they would soon get rid of their overdraft”! This is but the vision of a dream, since no other department is ever likely to be worth its salt financially. The water supply might have been, but an everlasting muddle has settled that possibility for ever, A general impression would seem to be stealing over the minds of the A Word for intelligent public that there the Despised, has been a vast amount of bunkum in the outcry against the Chinese, and that tho Chinkies, after all, are not so bad as they are painted ; but, on the contrary, set an excellent example of many sterling qualities which are unfortunately deficient in many of our own race. They are, for instance, diligent, sober, industrious, and frugal; do not waste their time in jawing politics or in polemical discussions; do not obtrude their religion either with big drums, claptrap advertisements, or startling innovations in doctrine or practice. They neither agitate nor interfere with other people’s business, nor “stand,” as the Psalmist writes, “ lurking in the thievish corners of the streets ” ! Their virtues, therefore, as citizens are both active and passive; and in this Colony they have certainly shown themselves harmless and well disposed. There are, no doubt, grave objections to allowing the country to be overrun by hordes of an alien, and particularly a Mongolian, race ; and we must, in common prudence, protect ourselves from such a contingency. Let this be done in a proper and statesmanlike manner, as recommended by the Conference, “through the diplomatic agency of the Mother Country.” The small number of Chinese in New Zealand is rather an advantage than otherwise, if only on account of the shame they should put on the idle and thriftless among the European colonists, It was nothing else but a bit of bunkum and humbug on the part of the A Bit of Government to advertise for Nonsense, tenders for the printing and stationery work of the Railway Department. The foregone conclusion, of course, was that the Government printer would get the job, which might just as well have been given to him at first without the trouble and cost of advertising. Considering that Mr Didsbuiy has at his disposal the new printing office, admirably designed and equipped, regardless of cost, at the expense of the Colony, he can defy competition in the mere coat of work, and should be able to overtake all that the Government require, either in the legislative or administrative departments. We do not understand the philosophy of this advertising I t tenders, unless it be to show off at the expense of printers and publishers the admirable economy of at least one Government department. The Legislative Council have appointed a Select Committee to inquire Sonic Useful i n t o the working of the totaliW Lflst ,t sator, and have P ut thereon > * n addition to Mr Peter and Mr George M‘Lean, sundry honorary gentlemen who know as much about the turf as they do about ancient Chaldaic, It might be interesting to know on what lines the inquiry is to be conducted, and how it is expected that any new light can be thrown on the use and abuse of this legalised gaming machine. Is this Committee a move of the jockey clubs to get a favorable report, or a device of the “ unco guid ” to show up the wickedness inherent in and adherent to horse-racing? We shall be curious to see the result of the investigation, and would suggest another committee on chuck-farthing—a form of gambling which (played with pennies, however, in this favored clime) is unhappily very prevalent among the rising generation. A very facetious paper has recently been printed by order of the Legislate. lative Council, being the corConnelUors. respondence relative to the payment of certain members, residing within three miles of Parliament Buildinc-a, of L 25 each, under the provisious of the Parliamentary Mtfnorariurn and Privileges Act, 1887, and to the refund of such payments. The Act is exceedingly clear and definite on the point, and declares specifically that “no member of the Legislative Council who resides at a distance not exceeding three miles from the building where the General Assembly is summoned to meet shall be paid any allowance.” It is, however, provided that members of the House of Representatives residing within the same distance shall receive L 25. Four worthy Councillors, however, who reside in Wellington, took advantage of a technical error m the wording of the Act, and solemnly drew and pocketed the L 25 a-pieoe, which they were, when it came to tho Treasurer’s ears, obliged to disgorge. The correspondence relating to this olsSement was laid on the table on the on of Mr Mantell, by way, it may be presumed, of a practical joke, Mr Robert

Pharazyn at once endorsed his cheque with a polite note. Mr Robert Hart evidently required something akin to a surgical operation to get the refund out of him, and wrote a long rigmarole to the Treasurer justifying the draw. Mr Buckley, the late Colonial Secretary, flared up in Hibernian wrath, and almost literally “chucked” his cheque at the Treasurer’s head, Mr John Martin, wise in his generation, did not commit his opinions on the subject to writing, but simply paid the L 25 into the Government account. The member for Dunedin Central, having acted as the bell-wether of the o|icu to Otago Protectionists, and so Ueform. covered himself with glory as to be named as a possible Minister in the coalition suggested by some ingenious inventor, has descended at last to the endeavor to make himself of some use. He has taken up the grievances of the public in respect to railway tickets, but without getting any satisfaction out of the Government, since, in respect to matters of detail, the permanent officials of the department rule the roost. Dr Fitchett asks two very sensible things. First, that tickets should bo obtainable at any time, and at other fixed places besides the railway ticket office; and next, that the amount of fare should be printed on each ticket, as is the practice in most countries. Red tape, however, opposes an insurmountable barrier against railway reforms which would promote tho convenience of the public, and the scramble for tickets a few minutes before the train starts is still to continue. Other highly diverting pieces °f stupidity may be noted without going much further than Dunedin. If a passenger, for instance, wishes to go from Caversham to Lawrence, the Caversham station-master can only give him a ticket as far as Milton, where he has to leave the train and get a ticket for Lawrence ! How annoying and inconvenient this may be it is easy to imagine. The Lawrence line is, indeed, all through, an example of how not to do Nearly five hours are occupied in tho journey from Dunedin, or an average speed of a little over ten miles an hour !