The Star. FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1904. THE WEEK.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 7874, 8 January 1904, Page 2

The Star.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1904. THE WEEK.

x -"-I The sympathy o: the world will go, out to America in her very dreadful disaster this Christmas season in Chicago. It would appear that the most up-to-date nation is behind the v necessities ol humanity in safeguarding thej lives of multitudes confined within walls. Drastic innovations are now ordered in all theatres 'as a preveiitative in

It would appear that the situation in South Africa is intolerable to more than the unemployed. If the wires can be relied on the British regulars aie dissatisfied with the price of necessities, and Sir Percy Fitzgerald expects .starvation and depopulation if the crisis is prolonged. The public would Kke to know whether the labor is insufficient for the working of opened mines, or if the agitation is got up and maintained for a supply to work the low grade ores as yet untouched. The adhesion of Sir Richard Solomon to the party advocating the importation of indentured labor will go far to coi vince the undecided, but there is ? feeling abroad (that the whole is the agitation of a party with peculiarly shaped noses and unpronou t hcable names which owns the mines. The Boers are against it, the white laborers are opposed to it, and we believe the general feeling of the Empire is that it is an anomaly which should not be countenanced, that millions of blacks should -be encouraged to live in idleness, whilst the yellow agony is introduced to fill their places ) especially as it is with those blacks the Empire will have to deal in the future in some way.

In New Zealand, the accident to the electric tram in Auckland, coming about the same time as the greater disaster in Chicago, induces the question whether American mechanical methods are the unmixed advantage they are thought to be. In all the complete fabrics, building or machinery, their artisariship is successful when all parts are working to the standard v of efficiency. But as the strength of a chain is dependent on its weakest link, so in all .mechanical contrivances the efficiency of the whole, and its immunity from inflicting injury where dangerous powers are imprisoned, depends upon the working efficiency of innumerable small or larger details. At Auckland, the safety of the car and the lives of its passengers depended upon the working of an emergency brake, the ordinary one having failed, and the stand-by for ultimate safety proved equally abortive. And apparently we have no guarantee for the non-reourrence of such an accident. But apart, from tin's, there is the danger of some bsr getting out of gear and whirling wildly round among, delicate flesh and blood as was the case in Auckland, to the loss of valuable lives. It would appear that in all this we have some explanation oi the awful loss of life by accident in America.

The main characteristics pi the second' test match were an unsatisfactory wicket and an unmannerly crowd, and the one seems to be as beyond the control of the authorities as the other. For a crowd to jeer eveiv effort oi the Englishmen is exceedingly bad form, and the bulk of the cricketers as well as of the general F utlic w^ keenly regret thc;t there is »o practicable means of ejecting the ujiruly from the cricket grounds. So far as the match itself is concerned, it was anything but a test, except of the patience. The winning pf the toss meant the winning of the game, for had the Australian bowlers had the advantage o* a soddened wicket no doubt they would have done just as Warner's* bowlers did.

Delivnred «»v«r.» nwohing. J y 8 o'clock lii Hawaii ManiUH, Normejiby, Okniana, Elthun Mannatoici, Kujwugu, Awutma, Opnuake Otakoho, SLtDHtAhi, Alton, Qarldyrille Paten, and Wnvorley.

Political news from Home has been' scarce during the holidays. The decision to change the date of the usual season's honors from New Year's Day to Coronation Day is noticeable as another increased appreciation of the Crown factor in the constitution, which, has marked the present reign, not only in the pomp of the position but in the active part taken by Royalty in the affairs of the nation and as in Russia at this moment. Whilst party struggle is so intense few will complain at the prominence of the Royal arbiter, whose intervention has hitherto been so beneficial, especially in foreign affairs.

Much of the cable space taken up by the items on the preferential trade ' question has been occupied by newspaper opinions on the invitation of Australia to Mr Chamberlain to visit the Commonwealth. * That gentleman and his party are grateful, and think it is J quite destructive of their opponents' arguments as to the lukewarmness of the colonies. Those opponents say that, had the agreement been as distinct as intimated ' at the Colonial Conference, no such advocacy as that implied would be nece.ssary now. Ass a. whole tke matter is not treated on its merits, but in a way strongly reminiscent of the senior Mr Weller's advice to those who wished to know hoy/ to spell his son's name.* He left it entirely to the parties, to j the tastes and inclination of the spellers > merely remarking that he spelt it with a " We." Papers spell the, message how they like. The Tariff Commission still grows. \ Mr Chamberlain's success has been so immense that papers are found to expect an immediate change in the direction . he desires. Such, socialistic labor papers a?; the Clarion advocate the continuance in power of the Conservatives, and are severe on the Liberals who oppose the " one ma,n " oratorical efforts ot Mr Chamberlain. They are, says the Clarion, the true descendants of the burgher party of the middle ages who curtailed the pow.er of the feudal chiefs to reap opportunity to oppress the people themselves. However, the colonial factor in the struggle is declining ; Agents-General are frankl}' told to take a back seat, and wait for offers to be made. But retaliation on the foreigner is generall}' applauded, and in that is the germ of preference. •

The cable columns of a colonial paper ars the scale on the political thermometer of the world, and at present the Japanese champion of treaty rights and solemn agreements provides the warmth. For it should not be forgotten that the promise of Russia to evacuate Manchuria last October was made to the Powers of Christendom equally with the Buddhist nation of Japan. America sums up the position when she says she will not interfere if treaty rights are respected in Manchuria. But those rights are in course of destruction. There is apparent in the attitude of Russia an inclination to abstain for the present from further aggression in Korea, but to hold fast to her illegitimate gains in Manchuria, where America's chief commercial (interests lie in the Far East. China is at length aroused, but whilst the leviathan, from her 400,000,000, can provide much to be shot at, she can only furnish 70,000 relatively efficient troops ; for offence and defence. Allied with Japan she could only supply something to be defeated and give a semblance of occasional victory to Russian arms in a war. But the Chinese army would be of inestimable service in destroying the long line of Russian communication clandestinely. The Russians, as Dr Morrison "says, seem determined to provoke China to join Japan. Any victory over the poor Chinese, multitude would be claimed on the subsequent washing up as »a reason for, further annexa-( tions to Russian territory.

It has been Russia's custom to make use of German papery to disseminate the viewp she wishes accepted. l*kvse hay?. lately been engaged in. publishing the might of Russia ia the Far East. But the well-informed Japanese and allied nations know exactly the position of Russia in its weakness and its strength. Russia J*as not advanced to Port Arthur on the demonstration of her strpngtfr, but on the weakness ot China and the culpable indecision of the Western Powers. In the Taeping rebellion in China she successfully claimed the Amur provinces. When China was struggling to the utmost with Btftajn and France she seized the eastern provinces of Manchuria from Korea northwards to Siberia, cutting off Manchuria from the, Sea of Japan* After Japg.n hg.d beaten Chinji and ttj.ken Port Arthur and the pscinstila, she got the help of France and Germany and deprived the exhausted victor of her spoil ipn pretence of adjusting the threatened balance of power, and then acquired* thpse on lease for Herself, together wijth permission to bring in her railway. On the Boxer troubles she massacred all befpre her, and occupied the whole pf Manchuria, . promising , the Powers that she sought no territprial aggrandisement, but would retire on pacification when the others left China. Crime and bloodshed- equal in enormity to the dreadful passage of the Scourge of God from Bast to West have blasted the; ways she trod in the opposite direction, and she met wjith no civilised opposition, till she threatened the. life of the little brpwn man in his hqmp and in the liatibii he protects. And during it <%jM&3&** B . posed as the >