TOPICS OF THE TIME.

Hastings Standard, Issue 13, 11 May 1896, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE TIME.

Ax American has made a curious calculation to answor a truly American question, whether the churches are paying dividends'? He finds that in forty of the leading churches in Chicago it cost 4-15 dollars for each convert, whilst the missionary' societies to the heathen are credited with 25,000 converts, at a cost, contrary to the usual idea, of only 19-1 dollars each. Of course, the comparison is vitiated by the fact that the churches do not measure their success at home by converts, but by the congregations they keep together, while the converts abroad are many of them very doubtful. There has been much correspondence and many articles in the papers about the massacre of missionaries in China. Many persons question the right of people to risk not merely their own lives, but those of women and children. Certainly Faul did not do so, and though he speaks of Peter and the brethren of Christ as going about with their wives, they were not exposed to the same dangers. It has been pointed out, too, that Christ enjoined his apostles, when they met with ojjposition in one city, to lice to another. That would appear to forbid their staying where their ministry was not acceptable. With respect to the cry for vengeance, it does not come from missionaries themselves, who are quite ready to take the risk, but we must remember that if we allow English missionaries to be sacrificed, other travellers may meet the same fate, for the hatred is for them as "foreign devils," not merely as preachers.

The Brimner Royal Commissioners have given a singular decision. The public are admitted to hear the evidence but no press reports are allowed to be taken. The meaning of this is that the fortunate few in the locality who can afford the time and patience may hear what is going on, but those outside may get their information as best they can. The disaster at the Brunner mine caused a profound sensation throughout the Colony, and the people elsewhere are anxious to know what caused the disaster. There is considerable interest attached to the sitting of the Commissioners, and to deny to those outside of Greymouth the privilege offollowing the evidence, estimating its value, and drawing conclusions, seems foolishly one-sided.

At the annual meeting of the Eiverina (Victoria) Frozen Meat Company the Chairman in speaking of the future of the trade said Viewing broadly the position of the export meat trade he adhered to the opinion that by growing and exporting prime sheep, properly dressed and frozen, and persistently reducing charges, Australia could compete against the world. Numerous improvements had yet to be affected in the reception and realisation of our meat, such as a better distributing organisation, a limitation in the number of agents, and the exposure and punishment of fraudulent factors and dealers. The numerous efforts now being made in England to supply cheap meat to the public must sooner or latter bear good fruit. The circuuistucue, however, that (.lis-

couragecl him greatly was the knowledge that in some sections of the London trade constant frauds were perpetrated under the guise of custom without any proper steps 1; 'in? taken to expose or amend them, lie was leaving for England next day, and it would be part of his duty to investigate this and other disabilities. Young, nuggety, meaty carcases of medium weights should be exported. Early maturity ought to be the growers' keynote, and we ought to turn out 541b. wethers at a little over two years old. The immediate prospects of export trade were not very cheerful, the year's reduction in the number of sheep in New South Wales being fully 12,000,000, and the not very hopeful lambing just in sight must greatly curtail our exports, besides which the enhanced value of wool would somewhat divert attention from the carcaseproducing aspect. However, given good seasons the recovery would be rapid, and the better prices that cannot fail to be obtained for wool and meat would go a good way towards restoring the equilibrium.

I'xDr.:; the heading of "A warning from New Zealand " the March number of the Investors' lieview says : "A correspondent in Auckland writes to us, to say that it is probable that the Prohibition party may triumph at the coming general election of this colony. Should they do so, the brewers out there will suffer very severe loss. They evidently fear the future, and, in order to protect themselves, are making arrangements to float their properties as Limited Companies on the London market. Arrangements have already been made in the case of more than one of these breweries to turn them into such, and sell them for our money. It need hardly be said that, if this should be successfully done, with the prospects ahead that a policy of stamping out drinking may be adopted in New Zealand, it will lower the value of brewery properties, but the more serious loss will fall upon those British investors who take shares in companies. This correspondent therefore thinks that the public here should be warned against what is contemplated at their expense. He names several firms of brewers, some of them jointstock companies, which are in this plot, but we need not give their names here. It should be sufficient for the investing classes to know that the policy of Prohibition has a prospect of winning at the polls when the elections come off in New Zealand."'