NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15649, 1 July 1914, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

FIRST THROUGH THE CANAL. The first commercial use of the Panama Canal was made on May 19, when 1300 tons of sugar from Hawaii passed through the waterway for Philadelphia. The sugar was conveyed across the Pacific by the American Hawaiian Steamship Company, which is an American corporation. It was placed aboard three barges at Panama for passage through the canal, and rcshipped aboard other steamers of the same line at Cristobal, near Colon, for the final journey to Philadelphia. The reason for this use of the canal before the formal opening is the interruption to traffic across the Tehuantepec railway duo to the Mexican insurrection. Tho American Hawaiian Steamship Company is an user of the Telman tepee railway, arid it arranged to ship its freight through the canal to maintain its Transpacific express service from the Atlantic ports. The Government assessed the tolls on the sugar cargo at the rate of Idol. 20c. (4s 9£d) per 100 cubic feet, which is the official rate fixed by Mr. Taft's executive order to apply to r,.ieral shipping. In reality the cargo it ß at the time exempt from tolls as coastwise shipping, but the Washington Administration made a regular assessment on the ground that the canal was not formally opened to traffic. The fact remains, however, that the first cargo through the canal was "American coastwise trade," and that tolls were paid on it, thus tacitly acquiescing in England's contention. The fee to the American Government in tolls and towing charge approximates to £200. POSITION IN MOROCCO.

The French advance to Taza, in Morocco, has been successfully accomplished, and the London Times, when reporting this affair, published from its correspondent at Tangier a review of French progress in Morocco. The French zone, says the correspondent, is largely occupied and pacified. The Central Atlas, with its huge mountains, must soon be brought under the Protectorate, and the road to Taza must be constructed ; but wherever the French already are there is security of life and property such ae the Moors have 1 never known before. Europeans and natives are alike satisfied. General Lyautey has obtained a loan, and new public works will be bsgun. The contrast with the Spanish Protectorate is very noticeable : — ".The Tetuan districts are the seat of open warfare, and Tetuan itself is practically in a state of siege. The road from Ceuta to Tetuan— twenty miles long—has to bo guarded by thousands of troops, and regularly patrolled, in order to keep open the communications, while to hold the district occupied, which extends only a few miles outside Tetuan, nearly forty thousand troops are employed. In the Laraiche, Alcazar, and Arzeila districts the Spaniards have been more successful." The correspondent's conclusion is that cooperation between the Spanish and the French is essential.

EMIGRATION FROM RUSSIA. An announcement made recently shows the Russian Government in the strange light of encouraging the loss of a valuable element in the country. Emigration has been growing for years but hitherto it has consisted chiefly of Jews and then of Letts, Finns, Poles, and generally "members of persecuted nationalities. But whereas in 1900 the number of peasants who emigrated only amounted to 672, the wave of emigration in 1911 already contained 18,721, and in 1912 22,553 Russian peasants. This is a new fact in the Russian situation, for hitherto the only portion of the peasantry who moved about were the labourers in the western provinces, who would every summer cross the German frontier to the number of two millions to seek additional earnings on the estates of the Prussian junkers at the harvest season, and then return home. The only migratory movement in the interior was directed towards the free expanses of Siberia, and therefore never proceeded beyond the frontiers of the empire. The oversea emigration of the Russian peasantry is a phenomenon due to the effects of the agrarian legislation introduced by the late M. Stolypin, and tending to the concentration of landed estates in the hands of but one section of the rural population. So far the Government had done nothing to stem the rising tide. It baa now done, howevar, another thing. It has decided to make use of it in order to assist the Russian shipping companies" carrying on emigration traffic from Libau in their struggle against foreign competitors, chiefly German and British. To this end it has drawn up a Bill granting those emigrants who are leaving the country by the Russian steamship lines exemption from the passport system and dues. Any emigrant booking his passage by one of the Russian boats will be allowed to leave the country without a passport or, at least, without paying anything for it.

SCOTCH HOME RULE BILL. The Scotch Home Rule Bill lias gone to its dea*th amid smiles. There was to bo a Scotch Parliament of one House sitting in Edinburgh to legislate on Scotch affairs, but to show that Scotland was on friendly terms with England, Scotland was still to send 72 gentlemen to sit at Westminster and vote on English affairs. Almost at the last moment a new clauso was slipped into the measure, that women should be electors the samo is men. That was intended to be a bold and progressive stroke, but it was the poison in the cup. Lota of men favourable to Scotch Home Rule would not support the measure because they were opposed to woman suffrage, and lots of men who believed in giving the women the vote stayed their hand because they object to Homo Rule. While resisting the Bill, Mr. A. J. Balfour recognised that there might be men opposed to giving women the vote for the Imperial Parliament who would be willing that women should have a voice in local affairs, and from that point of view he was very glad the provision was put in the measure. But Mr. Balfour combated the assertion that Home Rule was necessary to stimulate a national spirit, Scotsmen had never been more Scotch than since the Union; their greatest achievements had been since then, and nothing in legislative union checked the fine flower of national spirit in literature and art.

THE FRENCH ELECTIONS. As a result of the general election in Franco, the Socialists have 102 members in the Chamber, as against 67 in the last Parliament. This increase of Socialist strength is the feature of the elections. M. Briaud's new party has made do appreciable headway. Tho Socialists and the Unified Radicals may very soon fall out over tho question of three years' service. The principle of three years' service commands a majority in the Chamber. Tho Times correspondent gives the composition of the Chamber as follows:— Socialists, 102; Independents and Republican Socialists, 30; Unified' Radicals, 136; Alliance Democratique, 100; Independent Radicals and Left Republicans, 102; Pro- ; gressists and Republican Federation, 54; i Action Liberale, 34 Kigbt, 26; Independlent, 16.