NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9582, 6 August 1894, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Speaking at Wanganui* on Saturday night, Sir Robert Stout, for the first time since the death of Mr Ballance, broke the silence which he has imposed upon himself, in regard to a conversation which he had with the dying statesman, shortly before he passed away. Sir Robert declared that Mr. Ballance, fearing—and not without cause*—that after his death, the leadership of the party might fall into the hands of someone unfitted for the position, asked him to take the post so soon to become vacant. It was Mr. Ballance's dying wish that Sir Robert, his old colleague and companion, should lead the party after he had gone. In all probability, had Sir Robert Scout made that wish known at the time, he would have been elected as leader, but for reasons which all must respect he remained silent, and we know what happened. Mr. Seddon shouldered himself into the position. But he did more. He gave the country to understand that it was Mr. Ballance's wish that he should lead the party. It will be interesting to learn what he has to say now about that in the light- of Sir Robert Stout's statement. The matter, apart from its bearing upon the Ministerial Party, is perhaps not of very great importance, but it explains the open rupture between the Premier and Sir Robert, of which there has been so much evidence of late*

The Sydney Daily Telegraph, which no one supposes to be a Conservative newspaper, characterises the Beddun Ministry's cheap money scheme as "a national fund to corrupt constituencies" The scheme, it; says, cannot be viewed without feelings of the very gravest apprehension. For the State to attempt to artificially cheapen money is just the same as to attempt artificially raising the price of products. In each case the whole difference between the natural and the artificial rate must come out of the pockets of the taxpayers. If the farmers get cheap money from a State Bank or big prises in a State-protected market, it can only be at the expense of the rest of the community. Granting, remarks oar contemporary, that the New Zealand Government is able to get a million and a-half at three and a-half per cent, for the purpose of taking np fire per cent, mortgagee which now bear the open market rate of interest, the project on the paper looks feasible enough. But there are difficulties in the way which will only arise when the practical work begins. With a million and a-half of money to be scrambled for by the constituents of a needy Government, it requires no very vivid imagination to picture what must happen. In the first place, who is to discriminate between those entitled to cheap loans and those who have' no claim ? Of course, we may be told that it will be a matter Of showing adequate eecurity, but in estimating security, a Government, with the votes of intending borrowers to angle for and no other profit to make, would occupy a position essentially different from that of a private corporation, whose one purpose was to make a good cash bargain and fully safeguard its own funds. ■■-•:; '«"'■'..* k ,■ ■ >

* # The chances, continues the Telegraph, ■ are that means would be found to get advances on totally inadequate security ; at any rate the door to unlimited political jobbery in that direction would stand always open, But suppose this initial danger was escaped, and the whole Of the money securely placed, the question would; then arise of collecting the interest. If a further reduction in the price of staple products were to take place, the farmers would be in the same position towards the State creditor; as, it is alleged, ■ that they " now ocoupy towards private mortgagees, j They! could not pay. In any case, the glib-tongued Parliamentary candidate, promised to vote solidly against payment) being pressed for, would always have-'first call upon the farmers' vote. :,. Our own experience is sufficient to prove that; under the circumstances the interest * would be practically irrecoverable. ; The New Zealand Government, however, if its scheme is carried bub, will either have to make the borrowers pay up regularly, seasons and bad, or call upon the taxpayers to do it for them. K lb is When this question has to be faced that the dangers of .the course ■!! upon which that colony la now entering will become ugly realities. The.colony is at present upon! a secure footing ; , it is financially sound and politically clean, bub both these qualities will be jeopardised unless this wild bid for the"! farmers' votes by ; the Government) ' is prudently withdrawn. We commend these wholesome and • sound criticisms of their scheme to Messrs. Seddon and Company, d

'. Apropos of the exhibition btldabEpJ nay, ' several 1 French '■■ authorities, the THM Telegraph's Paris correspondent ex plait have been asked for their candid opinion/ the " Jlerits ;of "■ Champagne." 41. "ZI writes that he has not very much to say J the subject, He .regards ib as a vl agreeable wine, which he likes to dril bub of which .-he. is a little afraid. 1. Richepin cannot -. pronounce himself, I) he declares that he has never taatecjj drop of r the real champagne, by which e means the pure juice of the grape wit! it the introduction of any other ingredi t. As for what, is called " champagne,' it finds ik good or bad according to the < npiny in which he takes it. M. Gee es Ohneb cannot express any view, as he Jy drinks water.. M. Jules Simon, too, nnot venture on, an opinion, as not ha ig touched .wine for a ; long time, he nnob r- hare any *- preference; yet, if he were still able to take wine, he th ks that he would choose champagne. Ie has, •: i however, one grievance /. aga iai the sparkling beverage '[—. that esr year it is responsible for several millioi c toasts, half of which are very dull. He e i the view of M. Vercoasin : " Taken at >r$ intervals and in small quantities, cht> pagne sometimes converts a stupid in? into an homme cFtsprit, bat when drur often in too liberal measure It turns * homme d'tsprit into an imbecile." Thfcs

replies are characteristic. Frenchmen at not, as a rule, great champagne drinker, being much more critical in the matter < burgundies and Bordeaux.

Is "alcoholism" an innate or an acquit! taste? According to M. Moreau, wo gives his studies on the subject in an 1teresting article in the Journal d'Hygite, much of the vice is due to popular aditions. The Scot is first initiated into ie delights of whisky when his mother put a rag steeped in that form of nectar ix) his baby - mouth in order to stop tis lamentations. In the various pits of France they manage these thip differently, and the Seine-Inferieure,' 'or instance, has quite a scientific way of teaching its children that ''wine is god." It would seem that even the offsprinjo! the vin-ordinaircßodden French countyman do not take naturally to the drin of the country, and when first taken forthe Sunday afternoon diversion to a restaurnb, the French infant mostly declines to jartake of the beverage beloved of his parents. Bub when the child ernes to :be four, five, six, or seven ears old—the age . differs with the cental development — the young Rejublican may be seen any Sunday at one ofihese public resorts with his glass of claet v front of him. His sense of honour hasbejg: appealed to. " What 1" cries the pat? parent, " are you so small and Billy thatysg can't even take a glass of wine, like a nan 5 Then ib is time yon learned it 1" Andthe baby yields. This story, says M. Mocau, is, unfortunately, not adulterated like the wine the child is made to drink.

The Powers appear to have come to a mutual understanding respecting the war in Corea. France has agreed to remain neutral, and Russia and England are said to be in perfect accord regarding events in the Far East, All this is highly satisfactory. But we are by no means sure that this concert of the Powers will long remain harmonious. The temptations which the present conflict between China and Japan offer to Russia for instance to strengthen her position in the East are likely to prove irresistible when the psychological moment arrives. And when Russia acts France will follow suit. China is pouring the flower of her army into , Corea, and a decisive battle :s expected to be fought, in the neighbourhood uj of Seoul' The Emperor 'is reported to-have censured his Viceroy for remissness in preparing for war, and to have shown his extreme displeasure by depriving Li Hang Chang of some of his honours. ■ There has been further fighting in Corea, and the Japanese are reported to have been victorious. The thirteen Chinese warships which left Cheefoo for Seoul have returned to port. Santo, the assassin of President Carnot, has been sentenced to death. He showed no remorse for ids crime. According to the evidence he went up to the President, and gazing earnestly into his face without speaking plunged a dagger into his victim's body. The President before he became insensible plucked: it out and. threw it into the street. The Anarchists ha« placarded Lyons with bills threatening the judge' of the court. The proposal to ship Anarchists to America, has led to a Bill being introduced in Congress prohibiting the immigration of Anarchists to the United States. Mr. Gladstone has declined the invitation to Visit America. Sir George Grey, in the course of a speech on the federation of the Empire, urged that Great Britain should abandon her right of appointing Colonial Governors, and also abolish nominee Councils. >