MAIL SUMMARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13347, 29 November 1906, Page 8

MAIL SUMMARY.

OUR LETTER "HOME; '.'■Vjl:'.. ,"■.:.'. : ' '. ", '..,•".. ' ."".'■"■' The disarrangement of the San Francisco - _." mail service through the vessels getting out . of order has caused a. delay of three weeks in this mail leaving Auckland. The service became disorganised because of the earthquake, and it has not yet got back into routine. However, the. vessels are undergoing overhaul as opportunity offers in Sydney, the contract has been renewed by the New Zealand Government, and the company promises better arrangements in the future. The renewal of the contract for this service for three; years was. carried by resolution. of the Houses on October 26, the new " conditions being: (a) That the payment shall not be less than. £15,000' per annum or more -than £20,000 per annum. (b) That the Postmaster-General shall be authorised to negotiate that all payments by the Commonwealth of Australia to the service shall be paid over to this colony, in which case the maximum, payment to the contractors may be increased to £25,000 per: annum. (e) That a larger and better class of steamers shall be placed in the ser- . vice; by the. contractors within two years from the 'date of the contract, otherwise the Postmaster-General may determine the contract on giving the contractors six months' notice in writing. There is a strong feeling in the colony in favour of a mail service with Canada. There was some criticism from Southern members • of the 'Frisco.contract; but a proposal from '" the Government to arrange; for a threeweekly mail service with Vancouver passed practically without comment. The conditions of this authority are as follows: — (a) That the contract shall be for a term of three years. (b) That the payment shall not exceed £20,000 per annum. (c) That he service shall be performed by vessels of • not less than 6000 tons, having first-class passenger accommodation, and fitted with all modern-.improvements, and also refrigerating chambers and chilled chambers for fruit' and dairy produce. (d) That the time shall not exceed 18 days between Vancouver and a New Zealand port f the selection of which is to be at the contractors' option, v _ (e) That the terms and conditions of contract, as far as they can be supplied, shall be similar to those governing the San Fran- - cisco mail service. " . • Our last letter left here on October 18. At that time the Government was pushing on with the business of the session, in order to complete it by the end of the month, so that members might get away to the opening of the Exhibition. This was managed through the dropping of a number of Bills. Though a short session, as sessions go here, a vast" amount of business was done. .- The. astonishing number of 65 Bills were passed within about two months. . A -number of these were of a non contentions character, but on -'all; speeches.' had to be'made, and the routine had to be gone through. This expedition was no-doubt largely due to the '. business-like methods of the new Government. Sir Joseph Ward seems, bent on winning: the confidence of the House by candour, by fair consideration for. all parties, and by strict attention "to business.' He smooths tilings over, takes- the easier road, and reaches his goal by suavity, where his predecessor got there by force. \ Politics to-day are not so strenuous as- in the days '. .of :Mr.:Seddon, but they are very interest-. '•■ nig—perhaps more interesting than • then,For the reason that each politician feels that, personally he has gained in power now that the dominating mind of the late Premier is no '■ longer thinking * for s everybody. : VJ The '■' Premier finished the session possibly with an accession of influence,^despite/the fact that the "dropping of the Land Bill depressed many of his supporters and elated his' opponents. „v ,; ;..•.;>; ■ '■•■•';■■'.: '!■."■. !; Among the \ more important of the mea-' " sures passed ; during the session ' was the :'.-■ Defence Act Amendment -Bill, under which .■the! office •of commandant, lately so -ably .filled by General ; Babington, is - dropped. : There is to be a Defence Board of five mem-

bers, in accordance with ? the Australian plan.' On this council there are to be three military members . (one of them .an Tm- ; " ' penal officer, and the ' two others command- - " ing districts), a finance member, and secretary." One of the two local officers, is to .' act "as. Inspector-General in turn. •* The ,local officers selected are Colonels Robin and Dairies, both capable » men. ■' Two Imperial - instructors are- to .be imported. Another ! important change in the law is that capita- ■ tion is.to.be given by .individual-"perform-ance; not"'by company average. In an able memorandum, dated August, General. Babington condemned the Board system of control.' and urged the advantages' of single I control, hut admitted that in a democratic I country this view was not likely to be popu- \ lar. : He said, "While lam entirely, of the J opinion that with a fixed policy and given a free band single control; is a 'better system than divided responsibilities, yet . I realise that; neither in New Zealand nor - probably elsewhere are such conditions like- ;., ; ; ly to obtain." ~ . Other measures passed extend the power .:, of .the Government to takeover unused and disputed territory belonging to the natives. -.■'. V This is a small instalment of the legislation necessary for the making of idle native lands, available to industrious settlers, while at . the same time fully guarding the interests of the present owners. .The > majority of .;■-■ the natives favour the throwing open of i their lands, and it is hoped that this mat- :■ ter will occupy;chief attention ,in the ses- . ~ sion of next year. The opening of the lands that the natives do not require, and are certain never to utilise, would give a tremen- ; ■ dous - stimulus to the development of the : North Island. ■ - .- • ' "■ '' >';<| Towards the end of the session Sir Joseph Ward made an announcement as to the Imperial Conference to be held next year in V London., rAmong' thef subject? wliich he ?.-■• said he intended to bring forward or take a special interest in are: The - creating of an Imperial Council preferential trade ; reci- - • procity of barristers; naturalisation; the Australian squadron; the Pacific Islands; -.. reservation of Bills; reciprocity of taxation ; immigration ;, universal penny postage ; survivorship .reciprocity. ■/.",' Regarding the Imperial Council, the Premier said the New Zealand Government proposed to ) bring : forward a resolution on the subject. The 'functions of this body would be merely deliberative, .-'.but what the constitution would be :he was not prepared at present to say: Regarding preferential trade, it was \ advisable to .strive. for uniformity *' within the confines of the Empire, in place of the diversity at present prevailing. As "to the barrister; question, the obstacle to reciprocity was the amalgamation here ■ <•" the two professions, and the aim would be to prevent that remaining an obstacle. "Naturalisation ought to be uniform, whereas it was now of great' Regarding the Australian. squadron, it was very certain • that the contributions : would have to be -raised, but.at- present he was not prepared to say to what extent the Government was; prepared to go. "Regarding the ~. position of.the Pacific Islands, the question would be raised of the right of the colonies to be consulted. In the reservation of Bills, ■ the present practice curtailed the power of the self-governing colonies, and a way would have to be made to avoid that. The power of the self-governing colonies in the matter of reciprocal , trade relations was not sufficiently defined, and a motion would be .'brought forward for that purpose. It would be questioned whether the colonies ought to be bound by commercial treaties in the ■■•■■■' making of which they were not consulted. In 'regard to immigration, various schemes ■'■■.■''■: had /.been;-,suggested, and the colonial Governments approached. They must insist on being ; consulted in every case. . In the matter of: reciprocity of < ; surveyorship, •; it ;-" was time the barriers > were' removed, and .1 motion' would be brought; forward " l . by New Zealand to that effect. Notice had already been? given.in reepect to universal penny postage, the discussion /of which . would be interesting to all the countries of the world. The people of this country " realised the value of the system, and their ' * experience must be of considerable value j .to the principle. ;-; ■' •""• Though 65 Bills were passed in the session, no less than 47 were dropped, and : most •of them will appear, on the agenda ,;;:,- paper next session.; ~ Some of these deal 1 with, interesting subjects," such as the contingent? vote at Parliamentary elections; :-..---■-:■-■ ■•..--■- ' '*. ■ '■''".- "-' ■.' ' •:■ -'.....,-::■." '•■"-. ... -". •..--.- .■-,'-■•;■ . : . ...... : ; '.:: .:, -.- - :.-.-.-.. , ■K'a': : --:^ : ;^--."- v '? ■-.-•,..■'■"■.'■"?■.•'■' -;■-■ ■''• -"'

the election of Cabinet: Ministers; gaming, and lotteries, habitual criminals, Land Act amendment (Mr. McNabs famous measure), election '_' of members of the Legislative Council, national annuities, and trade monopolies prevention. These are all matters likely to attract the greatest' at; tent-ion in a colony ..where, politics are studied with keenness and thoroughness.

A further step was taken in the direction in which all the great colonies are trending—reciprocal trade. The New Zealand and South African Customs Duties Reciprocity Bill was passed. The Premier said the Bill was absolutely necessary to preserve our trade with South Africa/which "by the reciprocity treaties between South Africa and other-countries would be shut out. The matter had been the subject of correspondence between the Governments of the two countries, the outcome of which was this Bill and a suggested schedule of items. The arrangement would be with Natal, Cape Colony, and the Orange Free State.* The Bill proposed to give the Government power to arrange a treaty of reciprocity and give effect to it by making alteration's in the existing New Zealand tariff by Order-in-Coiuicil at its discretion, whatever alteration was made must cease to have force by the 21st day after the commencement of the next session of Parliament, so as to give Parliament command of the position. The main particulars of the new Customs Convention as supplied from Africa were as follows :—Preference extended to butter, , corn, grain, flour, fodder, Quaker oats, fruits, lard, and meats ; general ad valorem rate increased from 10 to 15 per cent, with a ' : preference', rebate at 3 percent, ad valorem ; 2£ per cent, list raised to :3, with a preference rebate of the whole amount; the distinction between refined and nnrefiued sugar eliminated. The intention of the measure "is to give preference here to such articles as New Zealand is likely to take from South Africa. It is suggested that New Zealand grant the following rebates: Feathers, 10 per cent; fish, 3d per lb; fruits, dried and green, whole duty; maize, 3d per cental; lea, Id per lb; tobacco,. Is; wines, 4s • per t gallon ; all other articles, not less than 25 per cent., of any duty which may be leviable. It is understood that no duty will be charged on Angora hair and diamonds, the produce of the South African Customs Union, without reference to the parties thereto.

The finances of the' colony continue buoyant. All trades. are prosperous; there are no unemployed the farmers nave no complaints, and the season is most favourable. Sir Richard Baker, the Commonwealth representative at the Exhibition, on his* return to Australia the other day, told an. interviewer that he had not seen an illdressed person, and not a beggar in New Zealand. Everybody seemed to be prosperous. Speaking on the Loan Bill just before the closing of Parliament, Sir Joseph Ward said prices were high, production plentiful. He was able to state that on September 30, the end: of the half-year, £550,000 had been transferred: from revenue to the Public Works Account, and that there was still a balance in hand of £399.761. .-; All loan renewals had been arranged for, and £900,000 of the loan authorised had been secured, much of it at a premium of two per cent.

3-New Zealand continues to grow in popularity as a resort for tourists. The report of the Department ~ for the, year ended March 31, showed that 7142 oversea tourists had visited the. colony, and assuming that each spent £50 (a moderate figure) they distributed £357.000. Rotorua is still the chief attraction. The work of the acclimatisation societies, however, is likely to result in .a few years in this colony becoming the sportsman's Mecca.

There has been a feeling somewhat akin to irritation in -'the .colony that Uie New Hebrides Convention perpetuated the dual control, instead of dividing the islands. The printed copy of the draft Convention was laid before Parliament by Sir Joseph Ward, who expressed his deep disappointment that: the self-governing colonies had not been given an opportunity of reviewing arrangements in which they, were, so substantially interested. •He was afraid this neglect , was a ,part ,of the policy which had lost Samoa to the Empire, and permitted the Americauisation of the Hawaiian Islands. . * ' "*- 1 • ' New Zealand is happier than most British countries, because of the absence of open between capital and labour. It has been discovered, however, that even the Arbitration Act does not cover every cause of friction. There has been, a strike on . a large scale in' Auckland .';. but fortunately it lasted only a few hours. Two of the tramway men had been dismissed for, (SO their comrades thought, insufficient cause, and without their, being given the right of being heard. The men held meetings, and passed' resolutions demanding, among other things, that the cases of the two men should be reheard, and that in future charges against conductors or motormen should be referred to a board. - The managing director, Mr. Hansen, refused to reopen the cases, and thereupon the men held further meetings, and decided that, until question at issue was settled, they would teach no more learners, as not being part of their proper duties. Mr. Hansen had put on a number*, of learners. On November 14 this decision of the men was put into operation. Several motormen and conductors who refused to coach learners were dismissed in the morning, and in the afternoon practically the whole staff, went on strike. Only a few cars driven by inspectors and other officials were left in the service. _ In the evening Mi*. Hansen agreed to a conference, and he met the .demands of the men so far as to nominally reinstate one of,the two dismissed men, on the condition that he resigned at the end of the month. He also promised that ill future every man should have the right of being heard in reply to any charge against him. All the men dusmissed in the morning were reinstated.. Public feeling was very strongly in favour of the strikers, and there were exciting scenes and demonstrations while the strike lasted.

Two serious accidents have happened in the colony recently. On November 21 the Top Valley coach was capsized at a ford of the Wairau River, hear Blenheim, and the driver and a Mrs. Bennington and her infant in arms were drowned. Then, on November 27, a disaster occurred in Calliope Dock. The steamer Mainari, belonging to the Shaw, Savill, and Albion line, which had been docked for cleaning, moved on the chocks, surged backwards and forwards, and then settled down in position. Her movements caused the water in the dock to rise and fall and swirl, and 50 men who were already at work on the sides of the vessel were ' washed away, and ~ dashed hither and thither in the surging waters. The chocks were afloat/ and these injured no less than 30 of the men, some 20 of them seriously. Three men lost their lives. The steamer was not damaged. V - GREAT FIRE IN WELLINGTON.; A disastrous fire occurred in Wellington early on October 22. The first to discover the fire was Constable Maloney, who was on duty, on Lambton Quay. He found smoke issuing from beneath the door of an old twostorey wooden tenement, owned by Holiday Brothers, and occupied by the Wellington Auctioneering Company as an auction mart. The premises were ' situated on the western side of Lambkin Quay, and faced down Greystreet, being a couple of doors south of the New Zealand Times office. A portion of the; building was occupied by Miss Roach as a fruit shop and Mrs. Stanley as a sen-ants' registry.office.. The flames soon licked up the building in which the tire had originated, and the high wind carried the sparks to the top of : the New Zealand Insurance Company's office, across the road, which also contained the offices of various land and commission agents,. etc. .., This brought the scene of the conflagration on the western side of Lambton Quay up to the brick walls of the substantial premises of. Messrs. Whitcbmbc and Tombs, Limited, wholesale stationers and printers. Meanwhile the Trocadero had been completely gutted, and then a mass of flames burst from the roof the New Zealand Insurance office opposite (at .the corner of Lambton Quay and Grey-street). By seven o'clock the trfSpe bounded on the west=by Lambton Quay, on the east by Featberston-street, and on the north by Grey-street had only one building, remaining on" it;,; that previously mentioned as owned by Messrs. Young and Tripe.'.-.'. ■'...;'"• "\ ■ V"' ..-. }\

,-v The Union Bank of Australia,; which faced the" southern end of the triangle, burned very fiercely, and there was nothing to mark the spot r but charred remains. • The magnificent structure of the 'Bank of New South Wales, recently constructed at a cost of something; like £45,000, situated next to Messrs. . Whitconibe and Tombs' premises, was the last building to be destroyed. ; .: The loss was estimated at £100,000, of which £68,000 was covered by insurance. DEATH OF MB-.' KIRKBRIDE, M'.H.R. The member for Manukau, Mr. M. M. Kirkbride, died on November 4, to the great regret of men' of all shades of opinion. He was a farmer, and had endured .the hardships and difficulties of the- settler. He was born at Ulleskelf, in Yorkshire, in 1848, and arrived in New Zealand in 1863. After being prominent for many years in local affairs and the Farmers' Union, he entered Parliament 'in 1902, beating Sir Maurice O'Rorke for Manukau. During his representation of Manukau he has left his name on the Statute Books of the colony, for he was the author of the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance" Act, which was passed by the House of Representaives, and Mr. Kirkbride thus attained the distinction of getting a Bill through in his first session. Quite recently he succeeded in getting passed an amendment to the Valuation Act, to enable local bodies to ; appoint one of the assessors to the Valuation Court. The agricultural interests of the colony owe a great deal to the deceased in many ways for his unceasing vigilance j on their behalf in the House and out of it. i DEATH OF THE ATTORNEYGENERAL. The Attorney-General and Minister'for Defence (the Hon. A. Pitt) died in a private hospital at- Christchurch on the 17th hist. He had undergone an operation, and had nob rallied. His death was widely j regretted, and resolutions of condolence have been passed by all public bodies. As a politician he was unobtrusive, but he had personal magnetism, and was a very "'successful leader of the Legislative Council. He came from Hobart, Tasmania, to New Zealand when quite a young man. The Hon. A. Pitt has been succeeded in the Ministry by Dr. Findlay, one of the most prominent barristers in Wellington. He is a native of Dunediti. and was admitted a barrister and solicitor in 1887, and took his LL.D. degree four years later. To qualify him he has been nominated to the Legislative Council. He.takes the offices of Attorney and Colonial Secretary, and the Premier adds the portfolio of Defence to his other burdens. SHIPPING RATES WAR. The freight war outward between the Federal-Houlder line on the one hand and the New Zealand Shipping Company, the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, and the Tyser line on the other hand has come to an end. The war has been in existence since April 10 last. In future the rates of freight, etc., will be practically those in force, before the breach occurred. The passenger rates will also be those ruling under the old scale, and, generally speaking, there will be little or no difference in the allround charges. This decision is the outcome of a conference held in Christchurch between representatives of the rival lines. In addition to the arrangement regarding freights mentioned above, the 'Federal-Houlder-Shire lines are to confine their attention solely to the West of England ports in future, and the other lines will run the direct services formerly carried on by them. . ■ ■ . NEW ZEALAND PETROLEUM. .Interest in New Zealand petroleum is reviving owing to improving indications at the various bores. Plants for boring are being obtained and the country is to be test-: ed wherever there are prospects. The most forward properties are those of the Taranaki Petroleum Company, Limited, at Moturoa,! or the Breakwater. Here there are already five derricks erected or in course of construction. At the No. 1 bore, which is down 2360 ft, there is a. great quantity of crude petroleum to be seen in barrels and adhering to the pump, from which gases were oozing out of the joints, forming bubbles on the adhesive oil clinging to the pump. ■■■ Three of the barrels have been sent to London to test- the market for the crude article, but if sufficient inducement, .offers, and the results of the No. 2 bore : are satisfactory, then steps will be taken to establish a' refinery on the property. __ - \ - . THE EXHIBITION. The New Zealand International Exhibition at Christchurch is now in full swing. At first during the usual carnival week -the attendances were most satisfactory, but it has fallen off somewhat sir.ee- then. On November 9 the attendance for the day was within a few/figures of 40,000 ; to-day it ranges from 7500 to 9000. The total -attendance to November 26 was 520.374.

Apart from Australia and New Zealand the only countries exhibiting are Canada and Fiji, a small space being occupied by Hawaii, the only country not under the British flag that is represented;/but several foreign firms nave space secured through their local agents, It is expected that the fattendance will greatly improve after Christmas, as the holiday season will then release a large number of people who are unable to get away. What is felt' very keenly by residents in New Zealand, and especially those north of Wellington, are the high steamer fares. Reductions— by the Exhibition authorities to be inadequate—have been made on the Melbourne and Sydney lines, but no change has been made in the colonial rates.

. The hotelkeepers and boarding-house proprietors in Christchurch put up their rates very considerably during the first week of the Exhibition, but as soon as the attendance dropped the rates had to come down to reasonable limits, so that intending visitors need have but little fear of finding quarters at moderate rates. There is really a very great deal to .see at.the Exhibition, and apart from the very fine representations made by the colony of New Zealand itself, there is a magnificent collection, of British works of art, some of which have already been purchased for public and private collections in New Zealand, and for the Sydney and Melbourne galleries.

Considerable difficulty was experienced by the Cabinet in the management of the Exhibition, the chairman of the Executive Commissioners, Mr. G. S. Munro. and the two local commissioners, Messrs. Reece and Booth, not pulling well together. The Premier (Sir Joseph Ward) hit upon an expedient which is likely to answer very well, the plan- being to station one Minister of the Crown in Christchurch to have charge of the Exhibition and to appoint Mr. Munro as general manager. Visitors to the Exhibition are greatly impressed by the extent of the buildings and the' I 'variety ci the attractions. It is compared, and favourably, with the great Melbourne Exhibition of some years ago.