Notes.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1057, 2 June 1892, Page 30

Notes.

We congratulate New Zealand on the honour done to her in the person of one of her Ministers, and we congratulate Sir Patrick Buckley on the honour conferred upon him by the Sovereign. May he live long to enjoy it. Lastly, we congratulate Mr Ballance on this practical refutation of certain calumnies lately circulated about him, insinuating that he had taken active steps for his personal aggrandisement. It is melancholy to recall Mr Macarthur's first entrance into political life. He was, as many remember, one of a new batch of members who faced the Speaker after the election of ISB4. Amongst them were Messrs Scobie Mackenzie, Menteath, and the Brothers Buckland, Messrs L. Harper, Garrick, Coster, Grigg and Bruce. Dr Newman too was usually spoken of at the same time as one of the new members, though he had served in the previous Parliament, having been elected at the bye election for Thorndon just before the brief first session of 18S4, in which he moved the Address-in-Reply, if we'remember right. The mention of these names recalls the favour which public opinion accorded to the new members. Mr Macarthur was the most promising of the whole number, and his short career in Parliament amply redeemed the promise! of the beginning. The fact that he attained a commanding position with a bright prospect before him, adds to the sadness of his untimely fate. Public opinion will, of course, very soon be busy about the new member for Rangitikei. Mr Bruce will, itwsaid, be out shortly, in the Opposition interest, and Mr Stevens is said to be likely to take the field. There are enquiries too about the likelihood of Mr Arkwright coming forward. His absence from the Colony is, of course, no hindrance, as the Act of 1890 expressly provides that an absent candidate can comply by telegraph with the necessary formalities, if a registered elector. The fifth section of the Electoral Acts Amendment Act, 1890, settles that point. * The consent of any person to be nominated may be signified to the Returning Officer by letter sent by post or affixed to the nomination paper, or by an ordinary message by telegraph, which shall be deemed to be delivered in time if delivered at the telegraph office for transmission within the time hereinbefore limited. The time is ‘not less than seven days before the time appointed for the poll.’ When the portfolio of Agriculture was established no one discovered that anything unconstitutional had been done, but when the Labour portfolio is created the public are informed by one critic that the Constitution has been as grossly violated as by the Edwards appointment. When Lord Salisbury in 1889 wished to create a Board of Agriculture and appoint Mr Chaplin, who was not in the Ministry at the time, its first president at a salary of L2OOO a year, he had, of course, to get the consent of Parliament. But these portfolios are not presided over by new Ministers, nor do they involve the payment of extra salary to any Minister. They are not in any way, therefore, unconstitutional. The creation of these portfolios being the development of departments of the public service already existing, they are matters of mere convenience. In a Folkestone paper we notice the advertisement of the Kent meat stores, from which we take the following : New Zealand Mutton Beautiful New Zealand Lamb Lovely New Zealand Ox Tongues The advertisement speaks well for the diffusion of the meat trade on the basis of honest dealing. There’s a good time coming. The complaint that the London dailies neglect the co’onies is fast losing force, as every newspaper reader knows. For example, In the last batch which has reached us we notice several references to this Colony. The Times has a telegram from Auckland, under date April Ist, giving the Customs revenue for the year, with a note that the surplus is 1,90,000, and the Chronicle has one from Wellington to the same effect; and the former journal gives an account of the Colonial Bank s last halfyearly meeting, very reassuring to Biitish investors. The Fall Mall Gazette makes the following appreciative reference to one of Mr Cadman's interviews with Tawhi »o : It is positively digressing to notice the scant respect that is paid to Royalty in these democratic days. Mr Cadman, the New Zea--1 rnd Minister for Native_ Affairs, has been interviewing the Maori King Tawhiao with a view to acquiring sufficient land from the Natives for the construction of the Gr-nd Trunk line from Auckland _ to Wellington. Tawhiao enquired whether if he allowed the country to be opened up in this fashion he would be permitted to retain his title of King. The Minister replied : ' You can call yourself what you like provided you obey the law.’ There is a note in the same journal about the Premier, which is interesting for many reasons : Mr Ballance, the Premier of New Zealand, has already figured in this column as enunciatjog the heroic doctrine that the Suiits owes work and pay to all able and willing to do the one and thus earn the other. llis latest philippic has taken thn shape of a severe slap in the face to capital. He boldly ridicules its allegedsensitiveness, which ha declares to be mere selfish greed in search of big dividends, uncompromisingly asserting that the business of the New Zealand Government is not to encourage the building up of large estates, but to sacrifice such in the interests of small ones. As long, he says, as the export trade of the country is good there is nothing much to fear. The country exists for itself, not to supply a , high rate of interest for capitalistic speculators, y

The Dukedom of Cork has not been created at all. There is an Earl of Cork —Cork and Orrery is the title—the holder of which is the head of the Boyles of Ireland. Prince George has, of course, been made Duke of York. Ihe title is old, carrying us back to the Wars of the Roses, with their tough battles of Towton, St. Albans, Shrewsbury, Barnet and a hundred fights besides. The most famous of the Dukes of York of those days perished on one of the said great fields of slaughter. The father he was of Edward IV., Edward V., and ‘ Crook-backed ' Richard. Passing on to another generation centuries later, we find the title revived in the Prince who became one of our greatest Admirals. It is said of him, indeed, that he invented the tactics which gave such lustre to the Navy in his own and subsequent times ; the most striking instances in the latter category being, the achievement of Rodney in 1782, who annihilated the fleet of the Comte ele Grasse off Dominica; the action of Lord Duncan off Camperdown, in which a division of the English fleet was commanded by Lord Onslow ; and the tremendous victories of Lord Nelson eclipsing all former exploits and establishing the high-water mark of our nival service. The strangest part of this Duke s record is that after all his great courage and conduct at sea, he proved himself as James 11. one of the most wavering and pusillanimous monarchs of our history. But his heart remained with the Navy to the last, for it is recorded that after his flight from his throne when he was looking on at a seafight between his old comrades and the sailors of the Grand Mcnarque, who were doing battle for his cause, he was carried away by his enthusiasm and cried out “ well done my brave Englishmen.” JLhe last Duke of York was he who fought badly against the Republican commanders of France, and making disastrous retreat before Hoche or Pichegru (we fo:get which) gave to a certain Colonel Wellesley serving under him the opportunity to learn lessons of prudence in war which served him well in that long career of a hundred victories which culminated at Waterloo. That Duke of York was the Commander-n-Chief of the British army who preceded this same colonel in the office, to which the latter attained as the ‘lron Duke.’ That Duke of York was not a shining light by any means. If you doubt it, read the story of his marriage.

This Dukedom of York is clearly the title conferred on Prince George of Wales. Yoilc, Inverness, Killarney these titles conferred upon him represent a graceful combination in the Birthday hoout gof the Rose, Thistle and Shamrock. Long may the three flourish in song and story.

Talking of stories of the aea reminds us of the little story of the aea which the City Fathers are arranging. We congratulate them heartily on the preparations they are making to receive the new Governor suitably, and we hope that the citizens of Wellington will do their best to make the display of loyalty as magnificent as it can be made. In order to give them ample time for arranging all details we have much pleasure in publishing the official programme in extenso in another column.

That programme we hail as almost everything that can be desired. Nevertheless, we venture to make a suggestion, because the citizens can make a striking addition to it, and ought to. When Lord Glasgow and his family have settled down in their new home the citizens of Wellington will do a graceful thing if they entertain them at a ball. From the funds of various entertainments of this kind there is a surplus amounting to some L 260, which will make a capital nucleus for the funds of a ball on a worthy scale to the Governor. The Drillshed can he easily got ready, as it was on a famous occasion in 1885, and with the cordial support of the citizens, which can be reckoned upon, all the necessary arrangements will be t.ie simplest thing in the world. We commend the matter to his Worship the Mayor and the City Fathers, who, we make no doubt, will be proud to give effect to the wishes of the citizens by acting on their behalf.

Wonders will never cease ; Lord Salisbury has decided to go to the country next month, just a year before the expiration of the septennial period. The result of the pending elec tions lias at once become a matter of very interesting speculation. As much has been said of the verdict of the bye-elections, it is aB well to see what change these events so much talked of have effected. At the election of 18SG the numbers were— Liberal Unionists ... ... 77 Conservatives ... ... ... 31G Gladstonian Liberals ... 192 Irish Nationalists 85 Total ... ... ... ••• 670 By November last the numbers had been altered by the various bye-elections as follows : Liberal Unionists ... ... 65 Conservatives ... ... ... 304 -—-369 Gladstonian Liberals ... ... 215 Irish Nationalists ... ... 86 Total 670 The majority of the Government had thus been reduced from 110 to 68 by November last. Since then there have been a few byeelections, but the result may be regarded substantially as it was in November. The Times at the beginning of the year sent a special commissioner through the constituencies, who after a long series of prognosticatory articles, very frankly summed up with the admission that the result was beyond calculation. With a large list of 95 doubtful he could

not produce a satisfactory balance-sheet. The Tories reviled him, but he stuck to his guns. From which we may conclude that the general opinion that Gladstone will win is not far out.

The Conservatives have, it is clear, determined to force the pace with the Irish Local Government Bill and their Labour programme. The latter has not helped them much, for by the confession of their own organs it has disgusted the hulls of their country supporters. But the Irish Bill has passed its second reading by a majority of 92 in a House of 586, only 84 short of the total number of members. If 27 Irish members absent had been present the majority would have been reduced to 65, that is three less than the majority of the whole according to the November figures. But that is misleading, because there are still 57 members unaccounted for. It is significant that Mr Gladstone has thought fit to make a special attack on the Bill after the second reading. But it is also significant that Lord Salisbury thought fit the other day, when he knew he was about to appeal to the country, to make a most desperate and most unworthy speech on the Irish question. The interest deepens. The weakness of the Conservative position is shown by the appeal of Sir John Gorst to the constituencies not to exact definite pledges on social and l>bour questions. That shows the disunion in the Tory camp. It will most probably prove fatal in conflict with the united phalanx of the Liberal Party.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has, we observe, been asked to believe that the Bankruptcy Bill will be shelved during the coming session. We have authority for saying that the Bill will be introduced and pressed.

The same body was invited yesterday to believe that the Agricultural Department intends to interfere with the local governing bodies by erecting cool chambers at the various ports. The intention of the Department is merely to endeavour to arrange with the local governing bodies to do what everybody now admits to be not only right but necessary. There is a distinction with a difference.

We take the following item of interest to sporting men from a Home paper ’lhe Parliamentary Steeplechases, which become more and more popular, ended this year in tragedy. Captain ‘ Bay Middleton ’ was killed on Saturday last whilst riding in the Midland Sportsman’s Cup, which followed the House of Commons cross-country race. He was thrown when about a mile from home, and was picked up with his neck broken. His death has caused the deepest regret in a very wide circle of friends. For nearly a quarter of a century he had been known as one of the most capable and skifful of riders. He was in the army till 1875. In 1873 an 1 1874 he won the Irish Grand Military Cup at Punchestown, and during the Empress of Austria’s visits to England and Ireland he acted as her chief pilot in her gallops acro3B country. Ha possessed a nerve as steady as his judgment was unerring, and the Empress bore enthusiastic testimony to his ability. When Lord Spencer was appointed Irish Viceroy, Captain Middleton became one of his A-.D.C.’s, and they enjoyed many a stirring run together.

About the case of the Italian pioneer of civilisation in the wilds whose case was before the Land Board yesterday, there is only one thing to be said : he must have the fruit of his labour. If it be necessary to pas 3 a special Act of Parliament for him, it must be passed.

In another column we publish the results of the eight co-operative contracts of which so much has been heard of late. It will be seen that 598 men have earned wages averaging from 7s lid to 8s lid per day. Comment is lieedleso.

That is a very pretty little story, indeed, of Monday evening about the knighthood of S ; r Patrick Buckley and the Agent Generalship of Mr Perceval —a very pretty, wellconstructed, little political idyll ; only it does not happen to be true. We have the best authority for he statement that not one single word was ever said to Lord Onslow on the subject of the knigxth -od by any Minister.

Ot course, the Opposition critics are terribly disappointed that Mr Ballance did not take the honour, which they now point out he was quite entitled to. They thought he was quite certain to take it, and they have been preparing to make capital out of it for weeks past. It was an artistic performance, culminating in a well-timed story, representing Mr Ballance as having intrigued for the honour. A day or two before the Queen’s Birthday the public was informed that the Premier had remarked to Lord Onslow that he would look well with a handle to his name. A host of moral reflections was added to give point to the allegagation that for the coming title (which had been asked for) the Premier had sold the birthright of the people to General Booth. It was even made to appear that he had tried to utilise the General for the purpose of ‘ swamping ’ the Council. The main point of the story was, of course, the knighthood. Sir John Ballance was expected to come out on the 24th to give verisimilitude to the otherwise interesting anecdote. But Sir Patrick Buckley came out instead, and the story fell to pieces. The upshot is that Mr Ballance remaining without a handle to his name, the Opposition is without a handle for its carefully prepared attack. It would really be well for these critics to let that subject of the knighthood severely alone —except, of course, they wish to apologise for their gratuitous insinuations. Any other kind of reference only betrays their chagrin and disappointment. There is another mare’s nest. We are invited to believe that Mr Purvis Russell’s filif

property has been offered to the Government, and refused ; and, of course, we are treated to the usual moral about false pretences, shoddy Liberalism, and the rest. As we have authority for denying this other pretty story in toto, we can only wonder at the persistence, worthy of a better cause, with which our Oppositionist friends go on discovering mares’ ne3ts.

The Prudential Insuranci Company of London ha 3 just completed its quinquennial valuation. Perhaps this does not mean much to the ordinary reader, but it means a great deal to the’actuary when told that there were nearly two million policies to be valued, and that the valuation was made at the 31st of December last. Seven hundred hands were required in the work, and it took the services of fifty arithmometers, and would have been impraotible without them. The figures given are enormous. One hundred and twenty millions of pounds sterling assured, nearly fifteen millions of pounds sterling assets, and over five million pounds sterling of premium income, all divided up amongst policies tor individually trifling accounts. Fancy ten million people in one country ; over one-fourth of the total population insured in one office alone !

m # •'‘"The other day we spoke of the increasing attention given in the Old Country to colonial affairs. Since then we have come across a whole page of the Weekly Despatch devoted to a paper reviewing the history of the New Zealand Government Insurance Department. The writer is Mr Hunter, M.P., and the title of his paper is ‘ Pensions for Old Age for Working Men,’ his object obviously being to show what can be done by a self-supporting Government Department. Accordingly he selected our Insurance Department as the best on record, and detailed its history of 21 years, from the time when 1 one of our greatest' colonial statesmen conceived the idea of providing a life insurance that would really insure, not by legislative interference with a Government supervision over private institutions, but by the creation of a State department which should issue policies having the guarantee of the State behind them,’

The following phrase at the outset is worth quoting ‘ Called into existence by Sir Julius Vogel, the New Zealand Government Insurance Department was fostered into greatness by Charles Godfrey Knight.’ After that introduction the whole story is sketched to the end of 1890. The absence of almost all competition in the beginning, except that of the Australian Mutual Provident, is dwelt upon, the various tables compiled by the department (under Mr Fox’s supervision, we believe) are quoted, and a very full and complete, and very appreciative story is constructed to show what can be done by Government means.

By way of a glance at what might have been done, Mr Hunter refers to Sir Harry Atkinson’s great scheme of ‘ compulsory national providence,’ to which he makes appreciative reference, speaking highly of the speeches in which Sir Harry unfolded his ideas, and lauding the debate in the House of Representatives on the subject in 1882. He concludes by declaring that nothing but the lack of popular support prevented this scheme, well thought and ably explained as it was, from being established under Government auspices. Mr Hunter’s opinion eviJently is that under a Goverment such as New Zealand can produce, some pension scheme could be made as great a success as the Government Department of Insurance. Such a reference to this Colony at the present time when the air is full of proposals from both political parties for old age pensions, must be most beneficial. All Europe has been for some time watching the German Kaiser, reading his speeches with amazement, studying his fads, marvelling at his activity, wondering what he will do next. The writer of a cruel article in the current number of the Contemporary professes to give the key to the Imperial riddle. Ha simply quotes a remarkable passage of Carlyle’s : Examine the man who lives in misery because he does not shine above other wen ; who goes about producing himself, pruriently anxious about his gif s and claims ; struggling to force everybody, as it were, begging everybody for God’s sake to acknowledge him a great man. and set him over the heads of men ! Such a creature is among the wretchedest sights seen under the sun. A great man ? A poor, prurient, empty man ; fitter for the ward of a hospital than for a throne among men. I advise you to keep out of his way. He cannot walk in quiet paths ; unless you will look at him, wonder at him, write paragraphs about him, he cannot live. It is the emptiness of the man, not his greatness.

A rival has been found for New Zealand, South Africa, the Canadian West, all the pleasant places to which Englishmen are invited to go. British capital, Biitish emigrants, British invalids the rich who can afford to pay, and the poor who want to economise—will soon be forced by an irresistible attraction to rush towards a temperate coast, to colonise a perennially summer land, only two days from Plymouth, where money is turned over by scratching the soil, life is easy, toil lucrative and health to be got for the asking. Such is the praise Mr Haweis lavishes on Morocco in the Fortnightly Review. We venture to express our mild surprise that General Booth does not seem to have seen the article. Most people have got a rooted idea that by this time it is impossible for any one to say anything new about frozen meat, for which reason it was that the announcement that Lord Glasgow had said something to a reporter at Adelaide about our great industry fell rather flat. New Zealand was much obliged to the new Governor for the trouble he had taken to get the subject up, but from the Bluff to the North Cape nobody cared much what he s*?s9Y9r?d,

A report of that Adelaide interview, which is before us, shows that even in frozen meat the unexpected may happen. Lord Glasgow told the interviewer that he believed the Messrs Nelson intend to build a thawing establishment in connection with their freezing works, with the idea of sending out the meat thawed ready for use. We can quite understand that the enterprising firm expected to get as much as a penny per lb more for the meat treated in this way, because the thawing is the real essence of the trade. Every thing depends on the way in which the meat is thawed. It is well to give people directions, as is now the practice, how to thaw ; but it is better to do the thawing.

We all remember the service done to the meat trade by Lord Onslow, who sent a sheep each to six different people, who got together their friends and contributed a large body of testimony to the superiority of quality. Lord Glasgow was able to add to that very valuable and very encouraging evidence. This is what he had to say on the subject of consumption : No doubt there has been considerable prejudice against the consumption of frozen meat brought all the way from the colonies, but this is now being overcome. I know myself many people who use it consider it the very best meat in the market. In my opinion the frozen meat of New Zealand has only to be known to be appreciated. In time, and I do not think that the time is far distant, it will have as good a place in the market as any other meat, if not better. Many of my own personal friends and relations use nothing else but New Zealand frozen mutton, and they all declare there is nothing to equal it. It is clear that our meat is making its way steadily all over Great Britain. This, in fact, is only one of many signs to that effect. It is very emphatic, indeed.

His Excellency having spoken on Federation, the Auxiliary Squadron, and many other subjects, and having testified to the great desire of Downing street to treat the c Jonies with the utmost respect, concluded with a rather important reference to General Booth. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I saw the General, and he told me he was consideiung at present whether he would start his colony in South Africa or in New Zealand. He said it entirely depended upon the terms he could make with the shipping companies. He also said he would prefer sending a contingent to New Zealand ; but if this proved too expensive he would have to take the country placed at his disposal in South Africa.'

A little before the above assurance of a desire to be respectful to the utmost, a little scene was enacted in the room of the new Permanent Secretary (Mr Meade) at the Colonial Office. A report had obtained currency that the Agent-General and Mrs Perceval (so we read in the London correspondence of a Southern paper) had not been invited to Lord Knutsford’s * small and early ’ in honour of Lord and Lady Glasgow. But it transpired eventually that they had declined the invitation. Why ? The correspondent says there was a misunderstanding, not in any way connected with the new Governor’s appointment, or with any proceedings of the Ballance Government. He denies, in fact, the report current in London that our representative in London had been snubbed by Lord Knutsford. But he does not enlighten us any further as to details. We read that ‘ the matter was purely a personal one, arising out of the cavalier attitude habitually adopted by the Colonial Office towards the representatives of the self-governing colonies. One or two little things displeased Mr Perceval ; not meant to annoy him personally, but the result of custom and of an obsolete condition of affairs.*

The result was that Mr Perceval determined to ‘bell the cat,’ waited on the Permanent Secretary, and ‘ the errors of omissioD, both in the cases of Mr Perceval and Sir John Bray, were promptly remedied, and the same blunders will evidently never be repeated.’ All this is a little tantalising. What were these blunders, these errors of omission, these results of custom and oc an obsolete condition, these -signs of official ‘hauteur’? However, it is good lo learn that ‘ a little firmness and a little tact have consummated a most desirable reform.’ We aie bewildered, but we fancy we have a right to think that Mr Perceval has made them ‘ sit up ’ at the Colonial Office. The fact is ctriainly proof that the desire of Downing street to ti e r, the representatives of the colonies with the o most respect, if sometimes awkwardly exp ose -.i, is at all events generally sincere.

The same correspondent .tells us that Mr Perceval has made them ‘ sit up ’at the Bank of England also. It appears that the Bank’s rule was that all moneys intended for payments on New Zealand account should be paid in ten days before. * Why this ? ’ asked Mr Perceval of the person in authority in Threadneedle street. ‘ A mere bagatelle,’ said authority. * Your bagatelle is a loss of interest equal to about LIOOO a year,’ replies the AgentGeneral. ‘Nobody has ever objected before’ pleads authority. ‘ What’s that to do with it ? ’ retorts the Agent - General. Result—time shortened to two days. Mr Perceval has begun his official career by nearly saving hi 3 salary to the Colony. A good beginning truly.