TOPICS OF THE TIME.

Hastings Standard, Issue 5, 1 May 1896, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE TIME.

Mit Cooiit.ax, the New South Wales statistician, in his report dealing with the trade of Australasia for 1895, gives ns a nasty shock when he states that the total trade of New Zealand for the year has decreased 6.2-1 per cent. The worst of it is our export trade of domestic produce shows a painful falling off, being no less than 7 - 57 per cent, and this decrease comes about notwithstanding cheap money to settlers, railway concessions, the establishment of an Agricultural Department, and of a Department for Commerce and Industry. " In spite of the " minute attention " devoted by the Government to the farming interest and the placing of 11,000 settlers on the land as claimed by the Minister of Lands, our export trade in produce has decreased. What has caused this lamentable state of things ?

There is a growing desire that international disputes should be settled byarbitration. The trouble with America over the Venezuela-Guiana boundary has shown the necessity for arbitration between the two great English-speak-ing races. Perhaps, if peace is to be secured for all time, the aid of women will have to be invoked. The ladies themselves evidently think so, for a Women's International Peace Union is in course of formation. Branches have already been formed in England, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Sicily, Denmark, and America. Branches are being formed in other countries, and there is a committee in New Zealand with headquarters at Auckland. The objects of the union, according to Mme. Potonie Pierre, the secretary of the French Committee, are " to put an end to the massacres of war, and to endeavour to bring about mutual disarmament. The sole aim of the movement is to unite all women who are weary of sacrificing their best beloved to the war monster of seeing their fathers, husbands, sons, and lovers offered on the altar of ambition, or for the interest of the few of beholding the wealth of the people squandered in gigantic duels, and of hearing the shedding of blood called glory, and who, realising all these things, demand justice and mercy for humanity. Of course women unite with men as fellow-labourers in this cause of peace. They have the same ideal, the samo hopes ; but the time has come for them' to act as women peacemakers, and to give their unbiassed opinion on this question of banners, bullets, vainglory, brute courage, and false dignity. We ask for a general disarmament. It must come. Men are no longer inspired by a sense-

less hist of slaughter, or by the wild vainglory of bygone days. Whilst the hand is forced to shoot, the mind thinks of the hroJui 1 ocl of man; discouragement sei . ~< oldier, and he feels himself a mi '<k t

In connection with the Australasian export trade in meat, the increasingrivalry of Argentina must not be overlooked. In that country the pastoralists are carefully watching every development of the Australian trade, at the same time sparing no expense in tbo improvement of their flocks and herds. There are no labour difficulties te contend with, and instead of the work of slaughtering and preparing for export being in the hands of a number of small establishments, it is conducted principally by three large organisations, namely, the Sansinena , Company, Las Palmas Produce Company, and the River Plate Fresh Meat Company. These three bodies exported during 1895 about 1,922.892 carcases of frozen mutton and 19,852 quarters of frozen beef, principally to the United Kingdom, and, in view of the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal, are preparing for a largely increased output this year. Of preserved meat 1,2G4,5891b, were exported, also 3,073,212!b of jerked, or sun-dried beef to Cuba, and 1,392,5581b. of the same to Brazil. The Argentine pastorulists do not, however, attach so much importance as formerly to the dried-beef trade, professing to see greater possibilities in that of. frozen meat. It may be mentioned that at a recent, sale of Argentine-bred Lincoln shearing rams in Buenos Ayres, the following average prices per head, of lots from three to less each, were realised : C 55 10s. £lB Bs, £BO Bs, £2B 18s, £22 19s, £22 is, and £22 2s. In tlie first two lots only wer " bests " put forward. These facts point to increasing competition in the export meat trade for which our pastoralists should be prepared.

A recent case, heard in the High Court of tlic South African Republic, again reveals how utterly brutal some Doers are towards nativies who have tho misfortune to come under their power. The action is that of a native named April, a Kaffir of Zebedela's tribe, against Johannes Jacobus Prinsloo, a Doer fanner, residing at Hartobeetspruit, district of Prestoria, for the recovery of certain live stock of their value, and for damages. April's statement of claim alleged that in the year 188!) the defeadant, at his farm, Klipspruit, district of Pretoria, unlawfully and without legal cause, took away from him, and lias since unlawfully retained possession of, six oxen, four cows, and six sheep, the property of April. That the value of the live si'j-'jk, with its increase, is £IOO. That on March (5, 1895, lie illegally arrested oil the farm Fransspoort, on a groundless and false charge made by the defendant before the Fieldcornet, Petrus L. Uys, of the Ward Elands Diver, district of Pretoria-, and conveyed to the defandant's farm, Hartebeesirpruit, where: he was illegally, and against his will, and without any payment by defendant, compelled to work for the defendant until March 17, 1895, on which date he made his escape. That thereafter, on May 20, 1895, he was, at the instance of the defendant-, again illegally arrested, together with his four wives, and taken to Fieldcornet P. L. Uvs, when lie, without trial, received twelve strokes with a strap. That thereafter, he and his four wives were conveyed to the defendant farm, Ilartebeetspruit, and there, against his will, and without payment by defendant, compelled to work for the defendant until June 5, 1895, on which date lie again effected his escape, while his wives were illegally and forcibly detained by the defendant on his farm, Ilartebeetspruit, until June 19, 1895, on which date they were released by order of the High Court. That, by the illegal actions of the defendant, as above set forth, April has suffered damage to the amount of £IOO. That the charges laid by and the acts set forth, were unlawful and malicious, and that the defendant was of intention to cause him damage and injury. After argument, and without calling on April's council, the judges of the Transvaal High Court gave judgment for April, with costs against defendant, the Chief Justice drawing especial attention to a provision in the Transvaal Constitution wherein it was declared that natives were not to be kept in slavery, and they shall be allowed to travel about, provided they carry a proper pass.