TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 11251, 26 May 1900, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

[Fr'.im Odr Speciad Cohhespondest.]

LONDON, April 15. THE COLONIES AND THE POST OFFICE. The delay and loss of newspapers and magsz nes sent through the Post Office to Australia and New Zealand, coupled with the theft of postage stamps •of high face value on parcels of newspapers sent from the colonies to England, have caused several of the leading newspaper agencies to address very strong remonstrances to St. Martin’e-le-Grand. I am much afraid, however, that these annoyances will not cease. The Post Office is most punctilious in making inquiries into such matters, but as a rule the authorities never seem to manage to find out the real reason for the delays or to trace the perpetrators of the thefts. You post a paper —maybe a valuable illustrated magazine—to Australia or New Zealand, and it either takes eight or nine weeks to get to its destination or fails ontirely to get there. In the former event you may, on complaining, get the good old exouse “ pressure of work ” at the Post Office, in the latter a mere statement to tho effect that the authorities cannot trace your package. t The theft of postage stamps of high face value from packages delivered at this end seems now to have been checked, but tho loss of papers, especially illustrated literature such as the ‘ Graphic,’ ‘Sketch,’ ‘lllustrated,’ etc., en route to the colonies continues to go on, and there can be little doubt that the charge of “wilfal abstraction” made by Messrs Everett, of Salisbury square, London—a firm that sends out tons of periodicals to India and, the colonies every mail—can be substantiated.

The‘Pall Mall Gazette’ said that there was no justification for the charges Messrs Everett brought against the Post Office—namely, those of "pilfering” and intentional concealment of delay—but tho firm stick to their guns. In answer to tho ‘Pall Mall Gazette’s ’ letter of refutation Messrs Everett replied: "You’place a limit on our charge of ‘ pilfering ’ which our letUrs do not warrant. We stated that magazines, etc., posted by us ‘were never received,’ but did not ray where they vanished, which, they having passed from our control, we obviously were unable to do. That our statement is true we have from time to time given you abundant proof. Only to cite two instances—papers on check, stated by you to have been * seen,’ have afterwards been reported to us as failing to arrive ; while in one flagrant case of a valuable magazine, having colored illustration?, which failed to arrive month after month, you sent an official to receive it at our hands, yet still it ‘ vanished.’ The ‘ wilful abstraction ’ must, we think, ba admitted in the face of these facts. With regard to ‘ intentional concealment of delay,’ we think we were fully justified in what we said, having regard to the fact that you have again and again stated that newspapers, raspectmg which we made complaints, had been forwarded, yet you have admitted delay, when we were in a position, through the returned wrappers bearing our dating stamp, to prove ihe date of posting, but where the wrappers were not forthcoming you denied it, and now you admit that such delay* htvve occurred,”

Tuat is the gome of the P.O. Like the Yankee lawyer’s client, the authorities deny everything mid demand proof, and when you produce it, at considerable trouble to yourself and your New World clients, fall tines on the “pressure of business” excuse. The delays in newspaper transmission are now bring provided for by increasing the spac r and stiff to deal with this branch of the Pus; Ollko’s work, and thero is a chance that in future news packets delayed through pressure will bear ou their wrappers a big D.P.8., which will show the recipient that the fault lies with the Post Office and luot with the agent at this end. More serious, however, than delay is the total disappearance of packets, and the prevention of this t-eems quite beyond the powers of the Post Office, in spite of the large detective staff und the boasted system of checking in vogue.

THE HIBERNO COLONIAL BABY.

The lataat arrival in the York family appears likely to have a heavy burden to carry through life in thu shape of a job lot of assorted names. As his earthly debut coincided with the Queen’s visit to Ireland and ihs Impel ialist speech, he is to be named “Patrick” for certain; and it is rumored that he is also to be christened with a series of names representative of the various colonial groups. The ‘Daily Chronicl-.: ’ g ves the following example of the wav in which the idea coaid be worked ou‘ ;—“ Australia might be represented by Yarrumhungel or Kroajingalong, while New Zealand would no doubt bo satisfied with Tiooiwhdorocgomai or Wiremnhekuaraugt. Canada could rend over a name in the most authoritative Indian for the 1 Great White Biter of the Clouds,’ while South Africa might bo represented by Um-lopogaas. Singapore and Hongkong could he settled by the adoption of Ah Sin, Ho Kai, or Chai Ak. So far, then, we should have for the newcomer’s name Albert Victor Chi-whnltkee-Cherokeo-ha-ha (Great White Cloud Biter) Yarrumbungel Tioniwhaiororongomai Umslopogaaa Ho'Kai, with the West and East Indies to ootne in at convenient points.”

ARGENTINE OR AUSTRALASIAN ? The 1 Financier,’ in dealing with Australian trade affairs, mya : “It would certainly bo well if all persons engaged in the Australian frczsn meat trade could be induced to prepare and select the cargoes with the same care as is done in the Argentine, for it is notorious in London that Australian and New Zealand meat is not so reguludy good as that from South America, and that large lotset tvere incurred in those branches of the trade last year owing to good and bad carcasses being mixed in the name c rgo. Aa Australia has to compete at. a disadvantage with the Argentine owing to its greater distance frox our shores, the quality of Australian meat ought, if possible, to be better, as, were it able to acquire a high reputation of quality and reliability, it might, fetch a price that would make up for the extra expense incurred.” BAGS AND BRANDS,

Oa Wednesday last I paid a visit to Smithfield Market tc boo some Sydney sheep which had come over protected by a new wrapper known aa Furlonge’s patent. This new style of carcass envelope consists of a fairlyslout sheeting lined with paper, which has apparently been treated so as to render it more or lees watorpioof. The salesmen at the market were not particularly impressed by the new wrapper, which, though it must bo considerably more expensive than the old style of muslin protection, does not, so far as I can judge, serve any particular purpose, except that it may prevent carcasses getting dirty in their travels after they leave the ship’s cold room. A fairly stout wrapper say, about the same style as Mr Furlonge’s makers havo used, without the paper—is all that is necessary to prevent damage by dirt in the ordinary course. That, at any rate, seems to bo the opinion of the market salesmen, and their views upon subjects of this kind are worth more than that of the casual Government “expert” who may spend six months in the study of the meat trade, at Home.

A point upon which something may be said occurs to me in connection with wrappers. In the course of exchanging views with sundry salesmen this morning I learned that some Antipodean exporters are very heavy-handed with the ink or dye with which they brand their wrappers. Their liberality has no ill effects so long as the carcasses remain bard frozen, but when the thawing process begins the accumulation of moisture on the sheep causes the ink in the clinging sheets to run and disfigure the carcasses; A good many Sydney lambs and New Zealand sheep have been spoiled for shop show through this mania for branding clearly. It is quite unnecessary to use so much ink or dye in branding. * You don’t want marks you can see at a mile, but only brands legible to the casual passer-by who may stop to look at your wares, or easily discernible to those who may be sorting a ship’s cargo of cold meat. ANEW “MISSING WORD" COMPETITION. The ‘ Academy ’ has started a new “ missing word” competition, the missing word being a term that will include alt members of the British Empire—English. Scotch, Irish, and colonial alike. M r Arnold White in a long letter, says that the Canadians are now no more colonists than the inhabitants

6f Kent. In Australia the affected Mtttmption of superior) tyby new ohums over the "colonists” is bitterly resented, and til* stony stare of the British Administrator in dealing with the inhabitants of Britain beyond the sea has been the raw mate* rial of rebellion for 140 yean* The term "colony” implies servitude, inferiority, suzerainty, subordination of letter breeds in a lower state to that of the high mightiness of the Mother Country. If the British people wish to federate the British . Empire, there is no tie more effective than the abolition of the words “ colony ** and “ colonists," and the rank and whole* hearted acoeptanoe of the idea that the man in Ottawa or King William’s Town is no less a Britain or a Britisher than the man who reads His ‘Daily Mail’ on the top of the Peckhatn omnibus nr takes his morning gallop in the Row. The word “ Briton ” excludes the Ganadiui, the South African, or the Australasian, “ Britisher ”is the only word that satisfactorily includes the whole of the Anglo-Saxon race, and even then the Celtic Irish may consider themselves excluded. The need for a ' continuous foreign policy, the necessity for raising the social and educational standard of all classes throughout the Empire, and the certainty that the tendency of British thought is to grow more like that of Canada and Australia than the daughter nations to become like that of England emphasise the importance of discovering a word without farther delay that shall, bo finally accepted as descriptive of Queen's men and women all over the world. Ido not like the term " Britisher.” It smacks too much of the United States and of the contemptuous tone in which the Yankees first used it. What is wrong will}" Briton ”? It is short, comprehensive, and might well be alopted for the whole Empire, every member of which is a “ British ” subject. One wiseacre would have it that the colonies are only colonies because they are not included in the Royal Arms. Neither is India, but the Queen isEmpressnone the leas. Butin these days of Democracy there is too much of the nomenclature of the days of the divine attributes of kings, emperors, princes, and potentates. "Sovereign, emperor, empire, imperial ” are beginning to bo just a trifle medieval, if not for England, for the rest of the Empire at all events? The stately dignity and appropriateness of the term “Commonwealth ” for United Australia is in refreshing contrast to these high-sounding but antiquated and out-of-date expressions.