FRIDAY, JULY 3. THE WEEK. The Star.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 7731, 3 July 1903, Page 2

FRIDAY, JULY 3. THE WEEK.

The Star.

Dalirered every tvouiny by 60 ' clock iv Haw M"* Manaia, Uoruumt.y, Okai&wa, Eltham, Manjfatoki. Kaponga, Awatuna, Optuiake, OUkeho, ManStahi, Alton, Burfeyville, Piitea, and "Waverley.

In the Imperial Parliament Loid Hugh Cecil, who may always be depended upon to voice extreme church views, has succeeded, by obstruction with others, in defeating! tho J.Weased' Wife's Sister* Bill. There appears to be a lack of qonusisteKcy in a party which is almost staking 1 its existence in office on 1 its Imperialistic policy continuing to inflict a home penalty on colonists wbo have contracted such marriages— a penalty spoken of as a terrible one. The number of such marriages is immense, arising! from the fact that in nearjy every British colony there is no restriction on them. The National Liberal Federation lately announced that it was » vital matter for Liberalism that the party should be victorious at the next election, and in order to conquer, the immediate repjuiremeMts were stated to bo unity among all sections of the party, and £50,0U0. TJie latter is by this time probably subscribed, and following up his doctrine pf efficiency, Lord Rosebcry adopted the scheme originating iv Mr Haldane, M.P. for HadHingr tonsbjre, for a College of Applied Science, Tbja King approves, the money, apprpacjfcung half a million, is already found, and success assured, with the approval pf all shades of opinion. Ot first importance tp British, industries this is a project which will speak loud to British voters.

The preferential trade question has grown in importance far beyond anything generally expected when at tho London conference, and oven when Mr Chamberlain lately made the first rough model, it was looked upon solely as a measure of reciprocal trade /ar> rangement between Britain and her colonies. Now it is asserted by Mr Chamberlain that it is the only system for keeping the great British, Empire together. And it bids fair to alter the £nj>ire formatiou of British parties, and modify largely the whole scheme of British administration. Whilst expecting to reap a harvo3s pf money from duties imposed on the people's food, the people are not to be injured, but the money applied to assist them in other djreetipns— for instance, old age pensions. It ie pyjdent that, much in earnest as the Gpvernment is, they are absolutely unfettered by any tariff resolution or rigid promise to any. colony. The enquiry instituted into Britain's fiscal position will bo of tbe widest character, and, it is appare&tj will include matters in which foreign countries penalise the colonies, such as the American prohibition to Australasian vessels to trade on the coasts of America's possessions. The programme, if adopted, will result in a total reorganisation of the trade of tho Empire, and of Britain's domestic policy alike in Great as in Greater .Britain. A more detailed programme is promised at the end of jbho session, meanwhile all the estates of the realm, including the fourth, recommend .a wise reticence till the cards are on the tabje, and it is useless for New Zealand tp rjeckpn what she can give till she knows wfcat sfee wjll be given. But, at all events, Mr Se^dpn appears inclined to faJi intg a line with Canada, which is an advance in liberality.

In Squfh Africa, at the Oape, the principle of preferential treatment in Parliament was only rescued from de,st,ructiou by the casting vote of the Spe^kpr, but the Customs convention >vas ultimately agreed to, and Rhodesia has passed the Customs Union Ordinance.. The Cape parts hard with any particle of protection^ a»d is anxious to conserve iibs manufactures. In tbo Transvaal,' on the contrary, under Imperial rulft/ g.ll Krugerian barriers are being broken down. His contracts with monopolistic concessionaries are anulled, and: restrictions on the importation of exipl^sfveg which protected the monopolists- a,r.e rflm.pved, to the great gain of tho mine|; .Suob. assistance should enable tfeem to inal^e better terms with labor bind thiis pbtaJu'^t easior.

It is rather humiliating to have a dsrk nation of Africa complaining, that when allied for service in the field against q, common enemy the British Army cannot 3>ficp its end up. And that is what the Aibyesiniiaji people, whom we beat easily at Ifafgdfi\q,, say oi ua now. And British njewe akow» that, had'oiur 1 force been strong enlougß, the Abyssiniana had so rAan-handled the Mvllph and bis men that what was p retreat WQsdd iiave been a rout. Britain is fighting to preserve the possessions ana prestige of two uatipns besides herself, and yet nerjlhW Italy nor, France has a soldier in. the field, the former is more than suspected of supplying arms through Jibuti to the Mullah, indirectly by her railway to Herrar. But apart from tbe gold min.es, which, might be worked were tbe country safe to travel over, Britain has the eastern frontier of the Egyptian Soudan to protect. The j^jillab/s force contains many old MaWdieta, .and, given victory to him hi Somaliland, neither the Soujdan nor Abyssinia wouldf be sofy.

A corner in the raw . material 5 oCj itiflaii fyfihnrars is as ' bad for the, people as a corner in bread. Capital-; ists in America, ' London, Liverpool, and Antwerp havo assisted s New flrlgans speculator to organise a corner ia cptton, which iff -a short atop .this year, and the whole sgritanine and allied industries of America ana 'fipsat Britain are paralysed, {pawl trafcfo' generally ip- ' Liverpool and Manchester reduced to £ nurumttm. * fihich an i operation will hasten i?h,o" legislation' approved ol by Prasidjenjk Jfio^exeltj for the regulation* of irneik, and fji?tker, it* will .improve the prospects, already «prite ffonrishing, of the ani*rp?is/s for growing ,oottohin British possessions. In any case, tfie time is in sight when America herself will workr'.Jjp laitt the potfon she. girows, ,and eh© has no more eo&ton areas to Uipen. Preferential treatment 'wijlpfip j^wjuaft) by the opportune attack ofigswcsfiv*, p#pfppA on the supply of

Russia hints at some sort of modus vivendi agreed upon between Russia and Japan, and Great Britain has pressed I China to come to a Bettled conclusion about Manchuria. America refused Russia's offer of preferential treatment in I that state, saying Bhe Wanted to go and trade through the open door with all tbe world, but no single Power should cnooopolise that trade. China also declares she is negotiating to preserve tbe sovereign rights of Manchuria, and so, from activity on all sides, it is expected that the question will shortly enter on a more definite phase, and though Russia may go to the verge of war she will not fight. The Powers merely press for tbe open door secured by treaty,^and stipulate that the foreign trade which would feed Russia's railway shall not be penalised in favor of-' Russia, and this Britain, America, and Japan will insist \jan. All that the latter is likely to get at .present Bhe could acquire by straighttorward arrangement with the Powers, but she prefers underground working and tbe most tortuous diplomacy in tbe world. The Daily Telegraph is responsible for the statement' that an Bpreement with Russia was the goal of Lord Salisbury's policy, and until the secret history of our time can be written without reserve, the world will not know the sacrifices he was prepared to make to obtain it. "But everywhere be was brought up against a stonewall of diplomatic duplicity and chicanery. 1 '

The event of the week in tho colony has been tbe opening of Parliament, although the closing of licensed houses in some districts and reduction in others hftve cre^ttecl ix&uch interest. tPHe rigVit to cancel club charters will be tried at Asbburton, and at Newtowu the action of the Licensing Bench in refusing licenses where no poll was legally taken will be tested.

In respect tc the ironsand indus'ry promoted -by Sir Alfred Caduaan, it is distinctly disappointing in all news telegrams and paragraphs to find Parapara named before New Plymouth as a chosen site for the works. The iron ore at Parapara is hematite and not titanic iron sand. An expert might recommend the establishment of works which would leave Taranaki out of it altogether. When Messrs Cadman and Smith returned from the first visit the latter was supposed to have talked too much, and now the former says much too little.