TOPICS OF THE TIME.

Hastings Standard, Issue 4, 30 April 1896, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE TIME.

The effect of the clerical demonstration in the Opera House Wellington given some months back, has been felt in the School Committee elections of the city. Those who favour the introduction of the Irish Scripture Text-book into the schools have secured a victory, and their victory is a menace to one of the best measures on the statute-books of the colony. When we abandon the secular feature of our Education system, which has stood the test of a prolonged trial, and give religion a footing, we will introduce into the domestic life of the community theological wrangling which of all quarrels is the most bitter and lasting. It is no duty of the State to teach religion, and seeking to fix upon the State this duty, the parsons admit the decadence of pulpit influence. It is impossible to believe that the Seddon government is in favour of the religious element being introduced into our schools, but their silence is ominous. Those who wish to see our Education system remain as it is—free, secular, and compulsory will need to be on the alert, otherwise the dominance of denominationalism will be complete.

Tiik Assets Realisation Board, which assumed control of the estates of the Bank of New Zealand Estates Company, has placed many of the properties under offer to the Land Purchase Board. With regard to the Hunga Hunga property, near Te Aroha, the chairman of the Land Purchase Board has made an adverse report, but the Assets Realisation Board evidently means to tug at the legs of Mr McKenzie, for the Board has written to him asking that the decision bo reconsidered. Of course the chairman of the Land Purchase Board will, under Ministerial direction, swallow his adverse report and bring in another, favourable to the purchasing of the estate. This is really the curse of our Public Service, that public officers are continually being hampered in the exercise of their duties. Either the chairman of the Land Purchase Board is competent to give an opinion or he is not. If he is incompetent, why retain his services ? If he is competent, then liis advice shoiild be accepted. He has advised against the purchase of the Hunga Ilunga Estate, and that advice should be accepted. His opinions are, no doubt, based on full knowledge, and to ask him to reconsider the matter is merely another way of commanding him to change his opinions. The Minister of Lands will probably consult the Premier, but how can Mr Seddcr, advise when he is a memboi of the Assets Realisation Board ? Can he act consistently in his dual capacity of buyer and seller ?

From a statement just issued by the English Board of Trade it appears that in 1894 the United Kingdom produced 188,277,000 tons; Germany, 70,741,000; France, 26,964,000 ; Belgium, 20,534,000 ; Austria, 5,573,000; Japan (1893), 3,371,000; and the United States, 152,448,000 tons of coal. Canada produces between three and four million tons per annum, and, in addition imports about half her total consumption, principally from the United States. New South Wales produces about three and a half million tons, but, unlike Canada, her output has been of late years practically stationary. Now Zealand yields over 500,000 tons per annum, but shows little or no increase. Natal's output rose from 26,000 tons in 1889 to 141,000 in 1894. In British India the production has steadily risen from 1,316,000 tons in 1883 to 2,821,000 tons 'in 1894. The countries which import coal in excess of the amount they export are Russia, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy, and AustriaHungary; and of British possessions, Canada, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, New Zealand, the Cape, and British India, together with all the minor colonies, with the sole exception of Labuan (Borneo). In the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, and the United States most, if not the whole, of the coal consumed is of native production. Of Russia's consumption 79 per cent, is her own coal, 17 per cent, is British coal, and 4 per cent, comes from other countries. In Sweden 88 per cent, of the coal consumed is British, in France 12 percent., in Spain 50 per cent., in Aus-tria-Hungary less than 1 per cent., and in Italy nearly the whole is of British origin. The number of persons employed in coal, production in various countries in 1894 Avas as follows : United Kingdom, 665,747; Germany, 299,627 ; Belgium, 117,103; France, 131,587; Japan (1893), 30,345; the United States (1893), 363,309 ; British India, 43,197 ; Canada, 9,654 ; New South Wales, 9,131 ; New Zealand, 1,899 ; and the Cape 1,601.

In the House of Commons on 9th March Mr J. F. Hogan asked the Secretary for the Colonies ■whether he could give any indication of the proposed future form of government in Norfolk Island ; was the island to be regarded as territorially annexed to New South Wales, and as entitled to a representative in the Parliament of that colony, or was it to be ruled by a Government resident acting under the direct authority of the New South Wales Government; was he aware that when the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island were transferred to Norfolk Island in 1856, at the expense of the Imperial Government, they were guaranteed the continuance of the selfgoverning rights and privileges ; and whether any opportunity would be afforded for an expression of local opinion before the contemplated changes in the government of the

island were carried into effect. Mr Chamberlain's reply was as follows : "In answer to the first part of the hon. member's question, the matter is now the subject of coramunications with New South Wales, and I am not in a position to make any statement on the subject at present. On reference to the papers, and especially the Order-in-Council of 24th June,1856, laid before Parliament in that year, the hon. member will see that the power of legislation for Norfolk Island was conferred on the Governor of New South Wales, who was instructed to preserve as far as possible the laws and usages to which the communitv had been accustomed. As the hon. member had already been informed, the administration of the affairs of the island has been most unsatisfactory, and cannot be allowed to continue ; and under these circumstancer, it does not appear to her Majesty's Government that there would be any advantage in calling for an expression of local opinion on the subject."

Beeeboiiji, of March 13, contains the following interesting observations on the English wheat market : —" The market has sunk into a very dull state, which is surprising when one reflects upon the actual conditions of supply as compared with former years. When, however, supply and demand come to be considered it will perhaps be found that there is sufficient cause for the effect as now seen. In other words, it is evident that, moderate as are the supplies, the demand to be supplied is still more limited. The consumption of flour is, in fact, abnormally small. From inquiries made recently, both personally and otherwise, the writer cannot resist the conclusion that this is what is at the bottom of the prevailing depression in the trade. In London, in the Midlands, and in Lancashire and Yorkshire, the cry is the same—namely, little or no demand for flour. Large flour settlers and flour buyers in London say, in answer to inquiries, that the consumptive demand during the past three months has been actually less than in summer, instead of being 20 to 25 per cent, greater, which is usually the case. A leading Liverpool miller, speaking on the subject, said that the consumption was 30 per cent, less than usual, and Yorkshire millers with whom we have come into contact during the past week express similar views. As for the cause, it is probably threefold. In the first place, there has been no frost to cut off the work and the wages of labouring classes, who have therefore had the wherewithal to obtain luxuries in the shape of meat, which is also very cheap. Then there is the extraordinary abundance and cheapness of potatoes and green vegetables, to which wo have so often referred. Lastly, there is the fact that the edge of the appetite has been dulled by the extremely mild winter. Under these circumstances, therefore, the fact that the weekly shipments to Europe have during" the past months been below what is considered the normal requirements of the importing countries, has failed to have the effects which might have reasonably been expected. Decreasing stocks have no influence in presence of the abnormal conditions prevailing in regard to demand ; but the fact that we are sparsely provided in respect to stocks in the ports and on the high seas (the total quantity is over a million quarters less than last year and 1,100,000 quarters less than in 1894) must render the markets the more susceptible to any strengthening influence which may arise—such, for instance, as crop damage in France or America."

The Morning Leader publishes an interview with Mr Spofforth on the subject of the Australain team. Mr Spofforth said : " They've made the biggest mistake in the world if they're not going to bring Turner over here. I see they say that he has fallen off lately, but on a sticky wicket I look upon Turner as about the best bowler in the world. Of course I'm speaking of Turner as I knew him. He may have fallen off, and a bowler cannot, as a rule, keep up his form for many years. He is not nearly so good on a hard dry wicket, but when it is wet he is simply invaluable. I'm sure Australia lost the last test match through not playing Turner. He was on the selection committee, but would not choose himself, because the ground looked like being hard. If he had done so we should not have won, and that is the opinion of one or two members of Mr Stoddart's team." In Mr Spofforth's opinion the weak point about the Australian team will be the captain. " Australians have not learnt the art of captaining a team like Englishmen. They are more apt to get excited. The players all want to give advice to the captain, and that unsettles a man."