Notes and Comments.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 534, 30 March 1908, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

Interest is centred the world over \n the state of the health of the British Premier, Sir Henry Campbell-BaJiner-man. He is battling for Iris life on a bed of sickness, and his political party (the Liberals) is struggling to maintain its supremacy iji England. Soino people foresee a, doublo defeat. The story of .the Prime Minister's family is interesting, and has a. strong touch of romanco in it. Few people are aware that his father was a shop assistant-. James Campbell, Sir Henry's father, who ultimately became Lord Provost of Glasgow, aiul the Premier's uncle, William, were employed in a Glasgow shop, and one night heard a lecture by Dr. Chalmers on "Business Morality." Tho re.sdt of listening to that lecture was that the two brothers .set their faces ouco and for all against tho two-price sysrem, which was then in vogue at evury shop. Tho brothers spoko forcibly about tho matter to their employer, with tho restiJt thai ho offered them a loan of" £500 to start in business on their own account, marking tho goods in tho window at the same price at which they were to be sold. Tho brr;t'l:r:\s started a, dry goods siiop in Glasgow, and it soon began to prosper so amazingly that when the disruption of tho Church camo it was William Campbell who assisted tho movement by giving Dr. Chalmers (tho lecturer who had so in- I fluenced .him) a cheque for £10,000. j An uncle, named Baunerman, lel'fc his fortune to tho present Premier on condition that he adopted the name with the fortune, lienco tho hyphenated Canipboll-Baniißrmaai. The Premier, who -is seventy-one years of age, losthis wife orily ia sihort time ago. Ir is pleasant news to read in cablegrams from London that President Roosevelt has accepted Sir Joseph Ward's invitation to tho Pacific fleet, and that Admiral Evans and his ships will como to New Zealand. W'h-en the Sydney City Council ami Premier Den kin first sent their invitation Io the fleet to visit Australia, tho Ktar expressed the opinion that if New Zealand followed suit New Zealnnders would also 'have tho pi ea.su re of welcoming this great fleet. A miniber of our contemporaries, in Australia as well as in New Zealand, pooh-poohed tho idea, declaring it'hat the order was too big for the fleet to fulfil. Yet •he fleet is coming. In the courso of f.n address to members of the Auckland Stock Exchange at tho end of last week the Premier sa.id ho had not then received a reply to Now Zealand's invitation to the American fleet, "but bo hoped it would be accepted, in which evemt Auckland would probably bo the port visited." Wo think that Auckland is the least convenient port of ca'Jl for tho many Now Zealanders wlio would liko to take part in the wclcomo to tho fleet. Wellington is •tho port of ports, for it is centrally situated, and visitors could reach it from all parts of the dominion at a minimum -expenditure of timo and money. If the fleet went to Auckland only a limited number of pooplo from other provinces coivld mako the trip to see Brother Jonathan's fleet. W'el--I'iiiigton would bo more convenient, too, for the big coaling operations of the fleet. On tho other hand, it may 1)0 necessary to use the Calliope Dock. Still, wo think Wellington should have been tho port of call. Ouk readers will have noticed frequently in . the Stak items of news gleaned from the proceedings of the Canterbury ComciLiation Board during the 'hearing of tho dispivto filed by the Farm Labourers' Union. The hearing of .flu's diispute is tho most remarkable .in the history of tho Industrial Conciliation and ' Arbitration Act. Begun away back in August last, the hearing «f evidence, lms continued, with brief spoils, right down to tlifi present day — and tiro end is not yet. The Board has been wandering over tho length and breadth of Canterbury after "witnesses, of whom hundreds h-avo bean heard, and more mo to lo heard. To-day the Board goes to Rangiora for a three-days' sitting., en Thursday and Friday next it moves on to Leeston, and next Monday the city sittings begin in Ohristchurch. There is a three-fold marvel in this case: (1) the patience of the Board, -ailthough its members a.ro being welt paid, (2) fcho fortitude of the farmers who are. conducting the defence, and (3) tho financial strength of the Labourers' Union under such a severe straiin. What is going to happen when .such a long-winded dispute reaches tho Arbitration Court? The latest news from Raisuji, the Moorish brigand who hold Kakl Sir Harry MncLean so long captive, is that a syndicate is seeking to engage him to appear on the stago in London. Fancy throwing tho -limelight oai the man who held tho Kaid a prisoner ! The idea is as ridiculous as it is remarkable. The rascal Raiisuli would be good material for an experiment : •• Anarchistic explosives should lie evor sob foot in Europe. Unless the reverse happened, "and "ho joined the Brotherhood of Blowers-up.