Current Topics.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 993, 13 March 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

Current Topics.

That the Manawatu Railway Company s year, which ended the other day, his been very successful, no one will be surprised to learn. The weekly returns published have prepared us all for a successful year. It will be very gratifying to shareholders to learn that the Company’s orriss revenue has reached the handsome sum ot L 72.000, and that the percentage of expenditure is about the Came as last year’s— about thirty-five. We understand that it is the intention of -the Directors to recommend the declaration of a dividend at the annual meeting. It is the first time in the Company's history. Hitherto the debenture-holders have received "their tive per cent on then L 650,000 ; and the local and general taxation having absorbed an amou-it -equal to four per cent on the Ll<o,ooo ot the Company’s paid up capital, there has not been anything for the shareholders. They have had to be content with the pleasures of hope in a business paying a sum equal to over six per cent on the whole capital embanked. We congratulate them on the end of the period of hope; this year, after the "payment of -this sum equal to six per cent, the shareholders will have a dividend for themselves. As the business of the Company is growing with tlie progress of one of the best districts in New Zealand, this year's dividend will not be the last in the Company’s history, though it unay be the least.

'The ways of mariners are incomprehensible. Last month there was a collision off the entrance to Sydney harbour. "The steamer Herga ran in»o the schooner Julia, and gave her a considerable mauling. At the enquiry it was proved that the master of the steamer —“ captain ” he is called throughout the proceedings bad deliberately broken the rule of tlie road, which provides that steamers must -always give way to sailing ships. It was ;a most heinous offence, and it was abundantly proved. A reprimand and a caution were all the consequences which this deliberate breaker of one of the in r st salutary rules of the sea had to sustain. Yet the world is astonished that collisions are so fiequent. Collisions in nine •cases out of ten are so absolutely unjustifiable that the men responsible ought to be imprisoned for life. As a rule nobody is ever found to be responsible ; all tlie old salts swear hard and fast against ea.-h other, and the owls who conduct the eu quiries collapse under the pressure of the necessity for declaring somebody guilty of perjury. When a man (it is rare, but it sometimes happens) is found to be re--sponsible be gets off with a reprimand -and a caution. It is no wonder that -collisions continue.

The decision of the Government to commute the capital sentence of the Flanagans commends itself to all sensible people. It is not a sentimental business at all. There was very little evidence against the mother, and none against the -daughter that was not compatible with the plea of the defence that t 1 e mischief was done by her in a moment of sudden phrenzy. The ordinary circhmstance? of Lhe case point to the correctness of the plea for the defence. Women when they have everything iu their favour during their confinements sometimes lose their wits and go ravir g mad. How much more liable are they when the pain of shame is added to their trouble ? The commutation is reasonable.

The refusal of the Government to join in the guarantee to the Cable Company is not a new thing. Mr Ward has simply stated the old determination in a new place. We think the determination, as a matter of business, perfectly right. If the agreement with the Cable Company had provided for a division of any excess over the sum guaranteed it would have been more acceptable, certainly, for in that case early loss might- have been recouped by later profits. As it does nothing of the kind, the Government had no option but to decline, just as its predecessor had declined. At the same time we cannot complain if we are made to pay the old rates. What is new in the report of the proceedings at the Postal Conference is the determination of the Government to establish ari inland penny postal service. The official -estimate of the possible loss is L 30,000 ; but we may very well hope that the estimate will not be verified. It was nob verified in the case of the 2id ocean postage ; why should it fare better in. a system to which the whole population contributes? The Post Office enjoys a monopoly which should be liberally administered. The experience of the English Post Office is that the more liberally administered it is, the better it pays. The -Government has wisely grasped this salutary truth.

It is beginning to appear as if much of the denunciations of disloyalty with which certain Canadian politicians have shocked the world, were nothing but political exaggeration and partisan unfairness of deduction. Sir R. Cartwright at any rate, after a period of silence rather too long we must say for a man who ought to feel a slight on his honour like a wound, has at last declared that the charges against him are impudent fabrications ; and he has taken care to add that in bis opinion, as in the opinion of -every fair minded man, a Canadian can •be a Freetrader without losing his allegi-

ance to the Queen. M. Laorier, the leader of the French Canadian party has said practically the same thing. '\ e notice at the same time that the issue of the elections is apparently doubt r ul in the eyes of both sides. That no doubt accounts for a good deal of the mu l throwing. We hope that the charges of disloyalty may prove after all to have no better foundation.

Lord Salisbury, who has declared that one of the shadow's impending upon British commerce is the labour question, has proved himself utterly unable, to deal with that question in a proper spirit. For instance, the last thing that lie has done is the appointment of a Commission for enquiring into the best means of avoiding labour troubles in the futuie. Upon that Commission there is not a single representative of the men, but there is a powerful representative of the shipowners. Sir John Gorst is a director of the New Zealand Shipping Company, is tlie associate and friend of Mr D eves, who controls the business of the Eastern Company, and both these companies are associated in business with the Shaw-Savill and Albion Company. At the first glance a just n an, looking, at the composition of the Commission, is struck by tlie absence of some counterpoise to the interest of the masters. Sir John Gorst is no doubt a very fair dealing just man, but be must have a bias of some kind to his own side, and any conclusion in which he has a hand is sure to fail, in obtaining confidence. The other side made a very reasonable request to have either Mr Burns or Mr Mann put upon the Commission, but, incredible as it may seem, that request has hitherto been treated with contempt. If justice is to be disregarded in this transparent manner, is it any wonder that the Labour troubles are a blot upon our commerce ?

Sir Charles Dilke is really to. the fore this time. Whether he is wise in reviving the memory of his unfortunate disgrace is a question wh.ch time w ill answer. He revives it by circulating a pamphlet containing what his friends will call the missing evidence. It is of course absolutely worthless for all practical purposes. The evidence ought to have been forthcoming long ago. No satisfactory reason can be given for its disappearance, in spite of a world full of detectives with any amount of money to stimulate their energies. To bring the evidence up now when the salient points of the case are forgotten and there is no power of crossexamination, and to bring it up in the form of a pamphlet without evidence of the existence of the person who gives evidence at all, is one of the weakest things which have ever been devised, by any great intellect. Sir Charles Dilke might have discovered, had he held his tongue, that he has lived down his disgrace ; but the production of this pamphlet will probably be absolutely fatal to his chances of presently re entering public life.

Mr Parnell, sneaking on a late occasion, is reported to have said that he bore in mind that the Catholic priesthood who had condemned him had not had an opportunity of knowing “ what is in my innocent heart.” This is the only ap proach that we have yet seen to that complete vindication of Mir Parnell s position as defined in the Divorce Court, which has been promised any time during the last three months. It is curious that on the same occasion he appealed to the parish priest of Bray, who he declared had spoken of him as a highly honourable man. But the parish priest wrote to a newspaper and stated that he had never said a word in public about Mr Parnell, and that the only words he had ever said about him in private were few and distinctly unfavourable. The other side is making capital out of the contradiction, is pointing out the bearing of that contradiction upon the curious assertion of innocence, and makes remarks about the manner in which Mr Gladstone, Michael Davitt, and others have been deceived about Mr Parnell’s int ntions with regard to the divorce proceedings.. If Mr Parnell succeeds in driving his enemies not only from politics but from Ir.-land, as he is reported to have threatened, it will in the face of these facts be curious. Nevertheless, at present it does not seem unlikely. He may win his fight ; but if he does it will be at the expense of his cause.

The Municipal deputation was beautifully received by the Premier. Instead ot listening with the sympathy of a stonewall and then giving the usual mechanical promise to keep the thing * steadily in view,” Mr Ba'lance discussed the matter with the deputation, shewed the deputation that he knew more about it a good deal than they did, and ended by making some excellent, if rather obvious, suggestions, which no doubt will be accepted in the proper quarter. We will only say that when the Bill is drafted for the transfer of the Domain to the municipality, we hope it will contain safeguards against Vandalism and leasing for revenue purposes. If it does, the measure will receive, we believe, universal support. If it does not, the measure will, we are positive, be largely assailed.

Sir George Grey has lost no time in letting the world know the conditions on which he is prepared to support the Government. They intend, he said shortly to the deputation from tlie Single Tax Society, of Sydney, to introduce a Land

and Income Tax. That he enlarged on the advantages of these imposts we require no ghost to tell us He was in the presence of men whose whole political existence is merged in the agitation for a particular form of taxation. The opportnni'y was not one to be missed. It was also an opportunity to tell his friends in New Z ?aland what to expect next session.

That was a cheerful remark of the “ Spectator’s ” about admitting the Press to the National Convention and as characteristic as it was cheerful The Convention is, it appears, doomed to failure because those unhallowed reporters are present. The only way to govern those Australians is to draw up a Constitution for them, spring it on them as a surprise, and force it down their throats at the point of the bayonet. Ihe mantle of certain men of old has fallen on the “Spectator.” Something more than a century ago they lived and moved and had their Parliamentary being. The question of reporting their’ speeches was mooted. It had struck an enterprising journalist of those days that the represented had a tolerable right to be made acquainted w ;tli the speeches of their representatives. He was scouted as only one remove from a blasphemer. What ! Make the members responsible to their constituents! It was intolerable: they were responsible only to themselves said these wise men of old, and they sent that enterprising journalist to “ durance vile.’ The craft persevered, however, until after many struggles, which it would be too tedious to recount in detail, the reporters made good tneir footing in the o-alleries. The battle extended over some years. First the journalists went to prison. Their next move was to select men of phenomenal memories who mixed among the- spectators, sat through the debates, and coming out reported from memory the substance of every speech. By repeated defiance of the majesty of Parliament they obtained a species of tohration. Dr Johnson used to turn an honest penny by this means. But was it so very honest? “Sir,” said the great lexicographer on one occasion—it was before° he was a lexicographer, by the vvay—“l take every care that those rascals of Whigs never get the best of it.” The “Gentleman’s Magazine” had the benefit of these lucubrations .; and other periodicals of those of the other men, but they were tolerated only so long as the reports were published when Parliament was not in session. The proprietors of the daily newspapers just rising into comfortable being denounced all such reports as untrustworthy ; they aimed at correctness and they loved prompt-tude. When they backed their opinions by producing reports, the Speaker was down on them with his warrant. So the fight went on until at last there came a Lord Mayor who was friendly to the Press an enlightened man he was of those days The first Speaker’s warrant that he got notice of, and lie got notice pretty quick, we may be aure he in terfered. No Speaker’s warrant should be enforced within the city boundaries without his consent ; a thing he refused absolutely in tlie case of the hunted pressmen. A conflict between the Legislature and the Municipality was imminent, but a laugh, as often happens, cleared the air. Some Parliamentarian, more sensible than the rest, cynically remarked that it was a pity to exclude the poor devils, as they could not possibly invent anything more foolish than was sometimes said in Parliament. The jest served its turn ; tli-re was a roar of laughter, and then the House resigned the struggle. It never altered its Standing " Orders, however ; these still contain the edict that there shall be no reporting on any account whatever. But the gallery is full nevertheless, there is a set of official Hansard reports, volume upon volume, and the edicts remain as a monument of the curious obstinacy of our forefathers. The “Spectator” has the fantastic idea of proving to the world that the mantle of those men of old has descended upon its shoulders. The lesson of publicity, with all its vast benefits, lias been absolutely lost on it. The world, it thinks, is inhabited by children for the most part, who do not, and can not, know what is good for them. If these children would only allow a knot of favoured Parliamentary despots, guided by the chief Tory weekly, to legislate for them and manage for them, the world would go very well then. How fortunate it is that we o-overn ourselves in these outlandish parts !

The reductions we announce elsewhere in the Departments of Defence and Public Works are sweeping. We cannot of course pretend to an opinion of their probable effect on tlie efficiency of the Service. We can only say that the policy is constitutionally the right policy. If Ministers believe that the reductions are necessary it is their duty to make them. It is upon their shoulders that the responsibility is laid, and they have decided to take it. Far better is it for Mm sters to effect reductions in this way than to wait until forced by a section of the House with the aid of the Opposition, to do work in a hurry, which should be done only after mature reflection. Moreover, a Ministry which effects retrenchment is in a position to insist upon carrying its Estimates. it is in a position, in fact, to protect the Civil Service by giving finality to a re-

trenchment policy. A Government acting in this way consults its own self-res feet. Whether these wholesale reductions will make us respect the efficiency of the Service remains to be seen. It is difficult to believe that efficiency will not be impaired, and seriously impaired. The Stout-Vogel Government always insisted that further retrenchment was difficult; the last Atkinson Ministry said that further retrenchment was impossible. Sir John Hall, who knows the Public Service as well as any man alive (or has the reputation of doing so) sustained the contention of the Atkinson Ministry. In the face of this mass of testimony we frankly confess that we view the present reductions with astonishment, nob unmixed with giave doubt. The effect of last year’s reductions was not encouraging ; in fact very much the reverse. But this, as we said before, is a matter wherein the responsibility lies with the Ministry. Ministers muse stand or fall by their action. If they fall, they will at any ra f e fal! with honour.

Prince “ Plon Plon’s ” illness has probably sent a'l the journalists of Europe to their reference books, hunting up the particulars of a life that has been more pleasant than honourable. The eldest son of Jerome Bonaparte was prevented from dying in obscurity by the sudden blaze of the Second Empire. When brought to Paris he was discovered to be a miserable creature enough. On the strength of his resemblance to bis tremendous uncle, he look it into his head that he ought to be the Emperor, and he entered accordingly into petty intrigues. They were easily detected, and caused nothing worse than harmless ridicule. Sent to the Crimea to uphold the military reputation of the family, he showed so many miles of white feather at a time that he had to be recal ed to the quieter life of the poser and the petty intriguer. Since the fall of the Empire he has posed more than ever. A few years ago the wo:Id thought that he had perished in a shipwreck, and regretted that his valet (a better man) had gone down in his plac •. His son is in every way a better specimen. If Prince Napoleon’s illness proves fatal, Prince Victor will succeed to the leadership of the Bonapartists. He will at least give respectability to a dying cause.

The two items of news regarding the Sandwich Islands, when read together are ominous. The L lilted States Senate has refused to sanction any subsidy for the cable to Hono'ulu, and the United States Government has threatened that, if the revolution endangers the life of the Queen of Hawaii, a body of troops under the American flag will be landed there to preserve order. The Hawaiians, then, are likely to get, not a subsidy for their submarine cable, but bayonets to keep them in order. We all know the effect of intervention of this kind in the affairs of a weakly State, whose territory at the same time happens to be tempting. In Honolulu, the English element is less strong than the American, but it ii more popular ; the Chinese element is growing strong every day, and the Japanese is not inconsiderable in the islands ; the capacity of the Native race to govern the country is daily becoming less evident. [These are the conditions under v\ hich the Hawaiian Islands at present are. They are not conditions favourable to the continuance of self-government. It would not be surprising to find the United States soon taking a leading part in the government of the country. If once their troops gain a footing it will b« a parallel case to that of the English in Egypt. The probability as revealed by these two ominous items of cable intelligence will no doubt strixe the imagination of the Au-tralasian delegates in National Con vention assembled. One of the speeches, that of Captain Russell, touched largely on the American policy in the South Seas, and Sir George Grey yesterday referred to it.

Sir George Grey has certainly made the best speech yet delivered in the National Convention. He spoke as the oldest advocate present of the Federation principle, referring to an episode in his career which has always stood out in s'artling relief. The English political world has, he was able to show, come round to the views which earned for him the severest penalty. Many years afterwards, Mr Froude was sent to South Africa to do the work which he had been censured for attempting. Mr Froude’s mission was the bond which united the two men in friendship at Kawau but the other day. Resting upon such a history the c’aims of Sir George Grey to the first r-.nk as a Federal authority among the statesmen of Australasia is indefeasible. In speaking upon the question yesterday Sir Geoi’ge established another claim, the claim of the man who not only has done well in the past, but who has still his knowledge, his statesmanlike prudence and his great powers. He took the Convention with him far into the future. He ha- died the pres nt without losing for an instant the care for the future ; he laid down the principles which make the true basis of a permanent Constitution ; he made a noble appeal against tlie standing armies—if he had said nothing more than his warning against such disaste-s as the great American Civil War he would have deserved well of the Convention. His speech w s the speech of a man who realises that

nations grow, who knows that men develop ideas, who understands how they ought to be governed in justice and freedom, and honour and peace. It was a noble oration, in every way worthy of the great occasion for which it was designed. The Convention, by its applause, s'gnified the same to him with great completeness and cordiality. The applause does the Convention g eat credit.

The English newspapers are busy discussing the great massacre of Indians at Pine Ridge. It seems to be established that the massacre was due to an act of treachery on the part of the Indians themselves. The fighting men had surrendered, they were seated together ready, apparently, to give up their arms, but when the troops approached they suddenly sprang to their feet, threw off their cloaks, and fired vol'eys into them. The troops, bei"g exasperated and reinforced, cut down the Indians, and sweeping over the camp massacred everything in ib. It is one of those things which in war is unavoid ,ble. The point on which the discussion turns in the English newspapers is as to whether the act of treachery was not, according to Indian ideas of warfare, justifiable. It reminds us of the condemnation which at one time was so freely bestowed on Te Kooti in this country. But there is great difference between Te Kooti's raid in Poverty Bay and this act of treachery on the Pine Ridge. The New Zealander’s exploit was merely the surprise of a district and the massacre of its inhabitants, two things common to all savage warfare. The act of treachery at the Pine Ridge is repugnant to every code of honour, savage as well as civilised, because it effectually prevents any understanding being arrived at between man and man. We may add that the credit of the United States troops for humanity, which appeared to suffer grievously when this story was first told, has been restored by the publication of details. The provocation they received was sufficient to exasperate the best troops in the world, and when troops are exasperated nothing can hold them.

Gun cotton —by which two lives have just been lost in our community—explodes with a force of fifty tons to the square inch when discharged by means of the ordinary detonator used in firing this terrible explosive. Considering, therefore, the comparatif ely small amount of damage to the building in which the accident occurred, it follows that complete explosion had not been produced by the fatal ignitiou of the gun-cotton contained in the canisters which caused such a fatal effect at Shelly Bay fort on Friday last, and that their contents had merely “fizzled,” as the phrase is, among certain ex, erts. True, a sufficient amount of gas had been liberated to effect the serious results. Had. the cotton in ihe five canisters exploded with its full latent force, no part of the building or anything it contained, and for many yards around, or of the persons in the immediate precincts would have remained to toll the story. It is stated that twenty thousand pounds weight of this warlike material is stored in Shelly Fort 1 We narrate these facts in order that at the inquest to be held tlie fullest enquiry may be made, not only as regards the presumed causes which led to the accident, not only the methods under which the packing proceeded, the near vicinity of a smith’s forge ; the habits of the men whiD at work ; the orders and vigilance or otherwise of their supervision ; but also what is the practice at the various British Arsenals as to handling and packing, and the nature of the cases in which the cotton is packed, which at Home, we believe, are made of indiarubber, and not of tin ; the instructions issued by the War Office relating to the business; was the cotton handled wet ; if not, why not ? and in short all possible deta Is that will serve to throw light on the whole matter _ Independent exper-s ought to be examined on these and every cogn te question. The affair is very serious, aud there should be no hesi ation m making the enquiry as full and complete as it is possible to make it, uncaring consequences.

The selection of the Federal capital is exercising Australian minds wonderfully. Wodonga and Albury were making the running a few weeks ago, the latter having pride of place, as the racing men put it. It is a pleasant town, situated on the borders of the two greatest colonies, in the midst of a fertile healthy district on the banks of the Murray, on what may be called the Grand Trunx: Railway Line of the Continent. During the last few days, almost, Echuca and Moama have putin an appearance, and fancy themselves in the race. Both of them are on the Murray ; neither is on the Grand Trunk Railway, and neither is a particularly flourishing place. Both are about due north of Melbourne, one being on die Victorian side of the river, and the other on the New South Wales side. We observe that Australians generally refuse to take this effort of ambition seriously. Therefore the question of how the two places will settle the question of the Capital between them is unimportant. The whole question is disposed of for the present by an Australian journalist, who has been to the cookery book for his inspiration. “First catch your Federation,” says lie. the catch is secured, it will be time enough to talk of the cooking.

The summary o£ General Edward, s paper at the Colonial Institute is rather too brief to permit decided opinions about its scope. It appears to recommend that the Australasian land forces oughtin the future to be prepared to co-operate 'with the British fleet by leaving Australasian shores upon distant expeditions. The General seems to be so struck with this idea that he advises the formation of other groups of colonies into federated associations for the purposes of this system of attacking defence. “Carry the war into the enemy’s country,” says the General in effect apparently. The defensive idea looks to be enlarging itself dangerously into the likeness of a military machine. Now we may mistake the General’s drift ; as we said before the summary of his paper is too brief for definite opinion. One thing, however, is certain. Australasian statesmen will have to watch the military tendency very closely. Their object is to organise a system of defence, not to establish a warlike power on which ambitious statesmen at the other end of the world may reckon as a factor on any war its existance mav encourage them to undertake.

The most unpopular thing done for some time in Wellington is the retrenchment of Inspector "Thomson from the police force. He was brought over from a service in which he had security, aud would have attained a pension. While here he has shown considerable ability and smartness. He has done his work well from first to last. During his reign here order has been maintained, crime has not gone undetected, everything has been dene that- ought to have been done, and iu the best manner. He is still vigorous and hearty. Nevertheless he Is selected for retrenchment. How his district, which is growing at a great pace every day, getting more and more full of population, is to be worked without an officer of his status, it is difficult to realise. If the Government, on consideration, would decide to let him continue to rule his district, it would be a very popular decision. As the spectacle of a deserving public servant sent adrift with a large family at a moment’s notice cannct be pleasing to any political Party, the retention of the Inspector would be accepted by all.

The Postmaster-General has found two Colonies favourable towards reciprocal trade arrangements wiih New Zealand. "Victoria is not one of them. Victoria prefers the phantasy that oats can be manured by a tax, and watered by the tears of consumers, to the solid advantage of selling Victorian products to 3 New Zealanders. The refusal of Victoria to allow soil which is not suitable for oats to grow anything else, floes not aagnr well for the prospects of the intercolonial freetrade, which the National Convention hopes to establish. South Australia and Tasmania Mr Ward found more reasonable. We trust he will bring back some definite proposals for Parliament to consider. Australian commercial treaties are better for New Zealand than Federation.