The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1897. TURKEY.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 176, 28 January 1897, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1897. TURKEY.

♦ Although the philanthropists in Europe have made a »reat out-cry concerning tbe Armenian outrages, vet, until very recently and practically after many evils had been accomplished, very little was done to alleviate the sufferings of the people who had been mercilessly outraged by ehe " unspeakable Turk." Under any >ther system of Government Turkey would have been a prosperous land. Nominally the Empire has an area of I, 7 lo, ooo square miles with 32,500,000 in habitants, but of the vast territories nily 1,145,500 square miles with 22,011,000 inhabitants are under tbe iirect rule of the Turks, the rest payng a tribute or merely acknowledging the suzerainty of the Porte. In 1892 ,« exports were £13,972,773 and mj.)Orts £22 321,763. It is almost j ed.e*t- to »ay the finances of Turkey i.v in anything but a satisfactory uiiclition The revenue for 1893 was . nout £17,000,000, and the expendi ure £19,500,000. Consolidated public debt £180,000,000. Now were it ,ot for the latter, Turkey would have men crushed to atoms long ago, France holds £120,000,000 and Rus sia about £35,000,000 of this debt tnd therefore tbe great financier of ,hese two countries have a controlling ufluence over Turkey which the other :/reafc Powers, also financially inerested tn a greater or lesser extent, ..re not likely to be desirous of contra t'tjniug. It follows that if a great ti'olntion were to take glace in urkey, and the whole present system, ■■■.■id an it doubtless is, changed for chaos, he ujonied men in Europe would mi enormous losers. By deposing the •iiW*n, which apuears to be the only method that has as yet suggested itself capable of meeting the circumstances of tbe case, and appointing a Receiver, who would be supported by representatives of the Great Powers f,o assist in regulating and controlling the expenditure, order would possibly ibe restored, security given to the owners of property and the cultivation of the lands encouraged. The Turkish farmers and peasants love peace and quietness as much as any other people in the world, and under a firm but mild administration they are capable of working wonders as agriculturalists. Uur readers will see from what we have now laid before them that the fear of losing money has done more to prevent active interference on the part of armed Europe, than love for their fellow men has incited the nations to help the suffering and the afflicted. Money is the greatruling power.