ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11060, 11 May 1899, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London, April 8. NEW ZEALAND FORCES FOR SAMOA. Prominence lias been given to the offer of New Zealand to send forces to Samoa. And while the spirit prompting the offer is commended, those who favour the putting of Imperial defence 011 a thoroughly systematic basis have not lost the chance of again arguing their plea. Thus tie Pall Mall Gazette, though giving every credit to those who came forward, thinks 1 it "would be quite a mistake to suppose that co-operation of this kind, however spirited and well meant, is a serious contribution to the military strength of the Empire." Five hundred men are always acceptable, of course, " but the Empire is not likely to perish just yet for lack of them. Successful war nowadays depends upon intelligent preparation, and 110 plan of effective preparation can be made by the naval and military authorities unless they are able to count beforehand 011 baring a distinct and organised force prepared." It is pointed out that no scheme for the defence of interests in the Pacific, or anywhere else, can he made that depends upon the co-operation of troops who may possibly bo willing to "cut in" at a given moment, but who equally possibly may uot. All this may be quite true, and probably is. But until this elaborate scheme of Imperial defence is an accomplished fact such oilers as were made by New Zealand are very valuable. Meanwhile tlieir moral effect is incalculable. Another London paper says:—"lt is pleasant to turn to New Zealand, where Mr. Scddon, with his accustomed alacrity and up-to-dateness, has cabled to the Imperial Government offering the services of a contingent of the local ' army' to support the British position in Samoa. Nothing may, nor probably will, come of this patriotic proposal, but it is none the less important as showing that the Jubilee enthusiasm was not a mere bubble, and that in cases of necessity we may rely on the loyalty of the colonics to assist with promptitude and fervour in preserving the prestige of the Empire iu distant possessions " like Samoa, which are held quite iis much in the inteiests of the colonies as in those of the Mother Country. Colonial reciprocity has been sometime? questioned, but such action as that taken by Mr. Sed-

don will serve tr dispel the doubts of dis- j integrationists and pessimists." Another newspaper remarks: — " The offer tele-, gtapliecl Home by Mr. Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand, to send a battalion of troops and volunteers to assist the British warship at Apia deserves, and will receive, the most cordial acknowledgments both of Her Majesty's Government and of the people of the Mother Country. It is stated, also, that the volunteers encamped at Auckland for Easter promptly offered their services. Tho fact that, thus," at the shortest notice, our fellow-subjects at the Antipodes are ready to leave their homes and face the perils of savage warfare, of which no men of British blood have more vivid memories

lian our brothers in New Zealand, cannot | fail to make the pulse of national confidence j -cat high. We trust that there will be no I iced to avail ourselves of this generous-and I gallant proposal, but the spirit of loyal self- | sacrifice which it. illustrates is an Imperial i asset of the highest value. This incident is a fresh evidence that the pageant of the Diamond Jubilee Day was but the representation in miniature of a splendid reserve ;>f strength and loyalty on which the Empire can always call at its need." 11l the opinion of the Globe, New Zealand's offer of military help in Samoa is a "proof that Imperial Federation already exists in spirit and sentiment, although the details have to be worked out." The St James' Gazette thinks the offer of the Tntanekai to carry despatches of "real value;" while the Times regards the offer of steamer and Auckland troops as " a welcome proof of the loyalty and Imperial spuit of the great self-governing colony," lor which Mr. Scddon speaks. Columns of space have been devoted daily to Samoa in the English, American, and German papers. OLD AGE PENSIONS. New Zealand's process of securing pensions for the aged is described by the Westminster Gazette (which quotes from the | Review of Reviews of Australia) as " a sort I of secular and human version of the Day of Judgment-." Still, it is thought that Mr. SeJdon, when the general election conies round, will probably reap a political harvest from the Measure. But then it is added, "Mr. Seddon is always lucky in his finance." The picture drawn, or copied, of the processions of " whiteheadeil. semiblind, tottering men and women" who pass before the Stipendiary Magistrates, is not lacking in colour to say the least of it. Of late one can hardly take up a newspaper, or review, without finding the subject of old age pensions discussed. And the New Zealand Act is brought in to prove all sorts of contentions and theories. Sir f-.peneer Wnlpole, in the Nineteenth Century, now devotes a, considerable part of a most interesting article to its working. This " liberal" measure—for he so describes "affords no direct encouragement to thrift, the absolutely destitute person of good moral character being entitled, under it, to the same pension as a claimant with £34 a year, or £50 accumulated capital." The value of the New Zealand scheme, in its application to England, lie thinks, lies in the fact that it shows the colonial Government has surmounted the difficulties connected with settlement and residence by throwing on the claimants the onus of affirming the requirements, and negotiating the disqualifications of the Act. And it is " not clear why similar provision could not ha introduced into the legislation of this country," or "why any such provision beins sufficient in New Zealand should not be adequate here." Nine out of ten writers and speakers on the subject have inclined to the belief that New Zealand's experiment is practically valueless as a guide, so far as (treat Britain and Ireland are concerned. Sir Spencer Walpole, it will bo seen, thinks differently.

COMPULSORY ARBITRATION ACT. Mr. Pierce 0. Freeth, of Wellington, writes In the Spectator a. long letter on the New Zealand Arbitration and Conciliation Act, the operation of which he lias watched with great interest. He deals generally with the cases that have arisen, but. the "reprehensible" verbal encounters which took place at the recent ironmoulders' dispute at Wellington comes in for particular mention. Mr. Freeth's conclusion, after careful consideration, is that " Compulsory Arbitration is justified by results, but that Compulsory Conciliation is a misnomer and a farce." "If 1 had my way," he adds, "I would sweep away (lie garrulous, babbling, injudicious, unjudicial, inconsequential Boards of Conciliaton altogether, and relv alone for the settlement of all industrial disputes upon the Arbitration Court, which, presided over by a judge, securing dignity and consisting of and advised by experts ensuring a right' understanding and equitable dealing, could not fail to have the confidence of the whole community."

COLONIAL LOANS. Referring to the recent colonial loans, the Melbourne correspondent of the Economist thinks the moderate success attending the recent South Australian, New Zealand' and Victorian issues is making Colonial Treasurers rather more thoughtful than usual The New Zealand Loan of £1,000,000 will yield about £950.000, and "this sum will soon be swallowed up by the loan expenditure that is always in progress and which is 111 part necessary in order to keep the electors in good humour with the Government. THE SAMOAN TROUBLE. A correspondent signing himself "P de J.G. _ writes to the St. James' Gazette insisting that the Samoan trouble has arisen thiough white officials having been ove-- ; zealous m pushing the interests of a few ! members of their own nationality, instead oi making the interests of justice, and the protection of the natives, their prime con-' cern. "That," he says, "was the object of the condominium, and it will be a crvin« injustice if these brave, amiable, and most interesting people are sacrificed to the greed of the white man. it should never be forgitten that when six men-of-war wr»? lost on their shores they used their utmost exertions to save (he lives of the hundreds 'of survivors, instead of slaughtering these grasping enemies to their, independence and prosperity, as they might easily have done." All of which seems to be drawing a long bow very taut,

the midland railway. T1l0 „e unfortunate debenture-holders of the Not- Zealand Midland Railway an making one more desperate attempt to "in the New Zealand Government into recognising, in some way, their alleged claims against the colony. Their latest move' is' to present a petition to the Stock Exchange Committee. [This petition we Commenting upon the cirau m stans, the conferred on the Government by a genera Act can override the specific ben conferred on the bond-holders by a special Act, and we have little doubt that when the colonial Government allows the matter to reach the Tjjiw Council the same view will be taken bv the ultimate tribunal. Meantime tie petition to the Stock Exchange Committee sufficiently indicates the view of the New Zealand Midland Railway scandal taken by the investing public—which is a court of appeal 110 Government can afford to ignore. THE AUCKLAND ELECTRIC TRAMWAY COMPANY.

I called yesterday tit the office of the Auckland Electric Tramway Company, Donington House, Norfolk House, Strand, the company having been registered as m offshoot of the British Electric fraction C< rnpanv. a week or so ago. I was informed that necessary preliminaries would take some months, and that it was unlikely that any practical development in electric traction, in Auckland, would take place before tho end of the summer. In his speech at the annual meeting of the British Electrio Traction Company, recently, the chairman fcifcsliadowcd extensive developments in the

colonics. MISCELLANEO US. ( Owin» to the monsoon in the Indian Ocean "tho departure of tlio Lyttelton dredger, City of Manchester, has been delayed, it being considered highly improbable (hit she could hold her course in it. In all likelihood, as one nautical authority, who had been stationed at Aden for five years, put it, she would be blown up to Bombay. For the present, therefore, she is lying at Quo( own, having been passed by Lloyds', the underwriters and the Board of Trade's surveyors, as well as the surveyor appointed In- tlio Agent-General on behalf of the I.vltclton Harbour Board. 'On May 11, the annual dinner of tlio London Colonial Club will be held at the Hotel Cecil, and 011 the same day the opening of the new club-houso at 2, Whitehall Court, will be inaugurated. The lease of the premises has been signed, and tho membership is rapidly extending. From 12 to 15 new members are enrolled every nut, and since Christmas over 200 names have been added to the list. Canadians. I see, arc discussing the very j plain utterances of Major-General Hutton in reference to defence matters, and in some wlnniaJ quarters this straight speaking has been hailed with pleasure. Colonials do i not care to hear themselves praised over much as so many olhcnviso excellent Governors imagine, remarks one representative of dominion opinion.

This is tin; account given in a leading ; evening papei in London of Maori nnrriaga 1 customs: —'" The Maori women of New Zea- 1 land have rightsnourishing ones, Gener- j ally, they have little voice or choice in the , selection of the first husband, but they may, j and they frequently do, change him. CourtI ship is always brief, and does not often pre--1 face mniriage. Tbo Maoris, however, love • 'to repent strange old love tales, and'to sing ' I lave simps delicate and charming of diction ■ j and sound. Maori widows not infrequently | ennmit filicide upon the graves of their I husbands, and are honoured for doing so, as i in China. Divorce is as simple as possible j The husband just turns the wife out of doors, ; and both are free to re-marry. That is all. j Girls 10 "ft™ betrothed irrevocably in ! infancy." Do New /Winders recognise the, picture'! liaiiitonpa's police " want policcing," says I lie Star. Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon liiivill;.* been reported, in a speech, to have disclosed "an extraordinary state of affairs." "Hands Across" is the title of a special colonial number of the. Licensed Victuallers' Gazette, which contains a good picture of the private bar of the Criterion Hotel, Napier. A basket of trout caught in the Lower Selvvvn, on November 7, 1889. forms tie | st.bjecl of an illustration in Land and Wa'ur. Land and Water devotes a column and ahalf to " Explorations ill Fiordland, New , Zealand"--Mr. Thomas Mackenzie's lecture I !at the Imperial Institute of two months f ago. It is announced by the New Zealand Loin and Mercantile Agency Company to holders of an issue of £150.000 first mortgage debentures of the Real Estate Mortgage i.r.d Deposit Hank (of Victoria), that in accordance with an agreement dated November 26, 1896, interest at 3 per cent, per annum for the six months ending 19th -int.. wiil be paid at the National Provincial Hank of England on and after that date, and that the relative coupons must be left there at least three clear days for cxaminathn. A reminiscence of the Diamond Jubilee is just now attracting considerable attention. It. is Mr. John Char l Inn's picture. " God

Save the Queen," the scene being the front of St. Paul's Cathedral, and the time the moment when the Royal carriage 's ; utt drawing up to the step's. A "sturdy New Zealander" has been placed by the artist in the extreme foreground and coiner of the picture.