CURRENT TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1262, 7 May 1896, Page 34

CURRENT TOPICS.

NEW ZEALAND TIMBERS AND FOREST PRODUCTS.

A book has reached us with tho above title. It bears the name of Sir Westby Perceval on tho title page, and the portrait of Sir Westby on another page. How Sir Westby can be thus exhibited as a New Zealand forest timber or product it is hard to understand, considering that ho is not even a native cf this country. But, joking apart, Sir Westby has dono very good work with this little book. He does not protend to have written it. Ho declares himself at tho outset tho compiler, and his compilation is good. Professor Kirk and Mr Froyberg, tho timber expert, aro the authors of tho whole work. To them is due, and duly credited, the whole of tho information about tho timbers and tho by - products of tho forest:, tho resins, sums, oils, pitch, turpentine and so forth. But left to themselves the two would not have boon joint authors, and there would have boon no special handbook on a very important subject. Their articles enriched tho Official Handbook—that was Professor Kirk's contribution to tho cause of knowledge—and tho various timber trade journals of Great Britain, to which Mr Froybcrg obtained a welcome entry by reason of his knowledge and enthusiasm. It was Sir Westby Perceval's idea to collect tho best of their writings. Ho has put them into a pamphlet with the title wo have quoted, ho has introduced them to tho public with a few pertinent remarks, and tho result of their labours is placed before tho public. It is a great service to tho Colony, because everything worth knowing—and it is surpri.-iug how much thero is which is worth knowing—on the subject of our timbers and forest products is now collected and published in a 1 handy form. We have only to add that when the littlo volume is printed in sufficient quantify there will not bo anything left to be desired.

Mr Frey berg's papers describe tho numerous timbers from the point of view of the market. Ho discourses witli much wealth of knowledge of their growth, thoir habitat, tlieir quantities. He details their various capacities; lie gives detailed descriptions of their grains, their durability, their beauty. The kauri, tho white pine, tho silver pine, tho rinm, tho birches, the honeysuckle, the puriri, tho miro, tho totara, these and many more have chapters to themselves. It is comforting that theso chapter.-, have appeared in the journals of the trade, and that they have been lighted up for the consumer not only by tho enthusiasm of our expert, who loves his work, and is keenly alive to the beauty and durability of the Now Zealand woods, but also by the corroborated testimony of the exports to whom ho has shown wellprepared samples. Professor Kirk's work deals with bark, all the barks of the forest, and establishes tho wealth enfolded by thorn. Ho does more, lie advises of the things that ought to lie done to bring this wealth out. Of the turpentines, resins, gums he discourses in the same practical way. Hero he judiciously recommends experiment to decide whether in certain cases there is any wealth at all. Tho experiment is worth trying. For example, when a kauri tree is cut down "the bark and chips become more or less covered with exuded resin in a few days' time." Also, " a mature treo will yield from seven to eight pounds of turpentine yearly for forty or fifty years." Moreover, the larch is in the old world a

great turpentine tree, but turpentine is found in cavities in the New Zealand red pine ]U3t as it is found in the larch. Then consider the vast deposits of kauri gum -which all carao from kauri trees. iln all this there is a possibility of enormous wealth. It is the same in the bark of the birch, which covers as many hundreds of thousands of acres as the various pines. It is the best tan bark in the world; and a process has been discovered of extracting the essence which is within reach of every farmer and bushman iu the country. We have said enough to show the great value of the book compiled by Sir Westby Perceval. Scientific knowledge is all very well. So is practical knowledge. In these departments Mr Freyberg and Professor Kirk havo done yeoman's service. The great question is, how is this two-fold knowledge to be made to pay. The knowledge is the grease for the ways of commerce. But we must organisfi the commerce before applying the grease to the ways. The two must go together. The great thing is to capture the dealers. How is this to be done ? By sending them the timber in bulk, properly seasoned, cut at the right time, and duly displayed. There must be management, combination, practical work, judicious advertising, and careful as well as substantial advertising. The by-products mast be worked, and the State must seo that the industry is assisted, and the supplies conserved for the direcb profits, and the indirect profits in the matter of climate. This is for the immediate future. The present is well summed up in Sir Westby's pamphlet. It is a basis for the unlimited profit of the future. SIR HENRf PARKES. Mb Seddon has dono well to cable over tho Ministerial expression of sympathy and condolence. And it was quite right of him to permit the flags at the public offices to bo flown at half-mast when tho news of Sir Henry's death arrrived here. The decea'sed statesman was one of tho most illustrious in Australasia, on account of his association witli so many leading events in tho history of Australia, by reason of his unaided rise to power, and iu consequence of his long connection with tho history of the colony. His active colonial life covered more than sixty years. At tho far off beginning we find him struggling with tho gre&'t problems of that" day representative government, tho convict question, tho land question, tho education question in company with giants like Wenlworth, Robert Low ami Laiilg. His voice rang as loud as theirs, his pen told with as wide an effect, he shared in the glory of tho results of those early victories. Since then he has been in tho front many times, always sounding strong notes of leadership, and doing excellent service to tho land of his adoption. The leading point in his brilliant and useful career is that ho was a bettor friend to his adopted country, and a greater believor in it, possessed more genuine patriotism, in fact, than any of the native born people; even than those of them who came to tho front and rose to powor during his career. The native horn uro apt to think that tho men who made the country for them are inferior in intelligence and public spirit. Let them think of tho career of Sir Henry Parkes, and of other careers nearer home which could be named. Take Mr Seddon's, for example. Where will you find a colonist who has done more to maintain tho honour of the Colony at homo and abroad than ho has ? Yot he, a most distinguished New Zealauder, would bo excluded from the membership of a Now Zealanders' association. As a Promier of wide views and high sontimouts, Mr Seddon fully recognised the honourable position in Australasian history occupied by Sir Henry Parkes, and acted accordingly. All New Zealand recognises the justice, courtesy and seotuliness of his conduct.

THE GOVERNMENT IN THE WAIRARAPA. The Premier at Greytown ran up a list of Government measures and achievements much like that which his colleague of Lauds has had to show at Palmerstou and tho other towns in his electorate. The record is important, as the record of the three years' work of tho Seddon Government. Mr Seddon's Government was gazetted, if wo remember right, on tho Ist May, 1893. The significant thing about the Greytown meeting was that it gave the Premier and tho Government a vote of confidence unanimously and with enthusiasim. Compare this with the meetings of tho Opposition champions under the shadow of tho National Ass. These champions have addressed a good many meetings out of their own special districts, and no one has over thought of asking for a veto of confidence for them. The country has no confidence in tho Opposition, it is very plain. Tho Premier goes into the Wairarapa, give a simple list of tho three years' doings of his Government, and lie gets a vote of coufidenco at once, and as a matter of course. Tho result of that moetiug is, as wo havo said, significant. MR RICHARDSON ON THE WARPATH.

It is so unusual for an Oppositionist to prosout anything like a policy to tho country that Mr Richardson's adoption of that courso has petrified tho Opposition papers with astonishment. Wo need not stop long to enquire why. It is a clear enough programme, likoly to begin by setting tho Opposition Party by tho ear. It is for all that clear, and in some respects reasonable Ihero is rather too much of want of confidence in tho Legislature ; savouring of a desire to have everything tied up hard and fast, before doing away with tho Legislature altogether. Mr Richardson is with the Government thoroughly about the advances to settlers, and on tho question of tho liquor law, as well as tho great subject of local government. Tho Opposition will embrace

him when they read that ho wants to defer the operation of the Lands for Settlement Act sme die, and re-establish free trado in Native lauds. That is to say, some of them will embrace while the others curse. At any rate Mr Richardson has had tho courage of his opinions, and his political friends are much astonished. Wo shall not be surprised to learn that Mr McNab nevertheless determines to contest the Mataura seat.

THE PREMIER AT PAPAWAI. The most remarkable and thoughtful statement ever made about our relations with the Native race was made by tho Premier on Wednesday morning at Papawai. It was that in going to war with the pakeha about tho land the Maori had helped the cause of settlement against monopoly. Tho Maoris were doing tho work then which the Liberal Party is doing- to-day, with this difference, that they fought in battle and lost their lives and their lands, whereas the Liberals fight at the hustings and win their cause. There in not in the annals of fighting any sadder instance of what soldiers call the fortune of war. The wars cost tho pakehas millions of money, and tho confiscated lands have broken many pakeha speculators and buyers eager to mako great family properties. So that, after all, the Maori can reflect that the bad luck was not all on one side during tho contest.

Tho evil system which succeeded these wars, was indeed contemporary witli them, was nut described by tho Premier in terms one whit too severe. In too many cases the title deeds are stained beyond redemption. A new era has begun, however, of justice, and care for the interests and wishes of both races. A system has been established which guarantees to tho Maori sufficiency of land for tho support of his people for generations, and gives room to settlement on terms beneficial to the Native owner. When the system was first talked of it was ridiculed by the votaries of tho prevailing vicious system, as a thing not only unattainable, but fit only for a lunatic asylum. The Premier, however, was able to show tho Natives the system at work with then - own approval and giving justice to both races. When he went on to tell them that tho Native land-owners are just as much entitled to the benefit of the Advances to Settlers Act as the pakeha he carried the subject into a region where it has never hitherto penetrated. The reasons of the Board Mr Seddon gave with clearness, but intimated that legislation would have to lie invoked to euro them. That the Maoris do not pay their interest is the objection made against thorn. Put that in each individual case is a prophecy, and the use of prophecy is unwarrantable when the required basis is fact. It would be as logical to say that every woman in Southland is a baby farmer because Mrs Dean was executed last year for that description of crime. On the whole the threefold contrast presented by the Native Minister of to-day with the work of some Native Ministers, whom ho accurately described as Ministers against the Native race, was complete. Wo need not wonder that the Natives made him welcome and took leave of him with cheers.

THE PREMIER AT PETONE. The main feature of tho Petone meeting was tho vote of confidence passed in tho Government. It is the second in this part of New Zoaland within threo days. The Opposition leader and his two friends havo been to a great many places, and they have not yet had a vote of confidence. They have given, wherever they have been, a variety entertainment, which reminds one of Marryatt's famous triangular duel. But over, that sublime performance, in spite of its repetitions, has not inspired any of their friends with tho courage to ask for an expression of confidence. The Premier, on the other hand, no difficulty in getting such a vote wherever he goes. On the general line of policy it is hardly necessary to follow Mr Seddon. We have already drawn that line very clearly, and beyond the powor of contradiction; and the Opposition themselves have declared their determination to follow out the lino whenever the country may bo idiotic enough to give them tho chance of carrying out the ideas of other men. To judge by late determinations tho country will not give them any such chance. The country will prefer tho principle of trusting the men who havo devised the popular policy, and shown their sincerity by carrying out a large part of it. Tho country will not be foolish enough to take up the men who opposed the policy tootli and nail, and only discovered its excellence when they found it was popular. That is the real issue before the country. Will the victory lie given to the men with tho bad record or the good record. It is no use confusing it with charges of corruption that are fanciful and statements which aro evasive, and parallels which are not parallel. It is not corruption for a Minister to join a Mining Board or a Board of Assets. It is often the' very right and proper thing to do. Tho charge made is either that there must be corruption or nothing. Now it is not nothing, for it is reiterated. Therefore, it is a prophecy that thero will be corruption. It is, in other words, a contemptible insult not to be taken serious notice of. It is an impulent evasion to say that the Premier ever charged tho Atkinson Government with repealing tho whole land law of their predecessors. Mr Seddon charged them with what they admit having done? viz., made all tenures subject to optional purchase. Tho caso of eight Ministers is not a parallel to tho caso of Judge Edwards. In the first placo thero is not any deliberate evasion of tho law; in the second, the Government havo not shown the mean spirit and wretched cowardice conspicuous in tho abandonment of Judge Edwards to tho outraged House of Representatives. Thirdly, there is no parallel, because a

salary was provided contrary to law in one caso, and no salary at all is provided in the other.

The more tho Opposition develop their peculiar case the more do they justify the contrast of votes of the Ministerial and National Ass. meetings. It would be better for their cause if they were to keep silent for a time. But if they keep on attacking without any other result than noise, they will do some good in their generation after all.

AN INTERESTING REPORT. Stewart Island is a part of New Zealand which in former time was considered important enough to be regarded as on equal terms with tho other two islands of New Zealand. The proof is extant in the appellation of "Middle Island," which still sticks to what many people now only know as tho South Island. 'I ho fact appears to be that there are people still who regard the placo as important. We hear that a report on tho island has been made by Mr Freyberg, tho timber expert, whose services in London and enthusiasm for the advancement of the products of the Colony is well known. That report, which is in tho hands of the Government Printer, deals, wo understand, with the resources of Stewart Island in a very comprehensive and thorough fashion. About tho timber in the forests, Mr Freyberg has been astonished at the abundance, diversify, excellent growth and splendid quality of the timber trees growing iu that favoured spot. He evidently regards those forests as a mine of wealth to the Colony. As ho is a most capablo judge of timber and timber products, one who has had access to the, columns of the first journals of the trade in London, ono who knows every thing knowable about every kind of wood from the time and manner of felling to the final varnishing for furniture purposes, who is familiar with the particular style of cutting required for wood-paving, and understands all the best methods of seasoning, it is evident that the report Mr Freyberg has made about the timber of Stewart Island will be found to be both interesting and reliable. The report also, we hear, has something to say about the mineral wealth of tho island. Gold, silver and tin, we hoar, have been found, and tho possibility of development to tho mining industry insisted upon. Altogether it is, we are sure, a capablo and comprehensive report about an island to which the attention of enterprise and capital ought to bo directed. The Government has done well to get the necessary preliminary light thrown on tho mattor.

THE RAILWAY RETURNS. The railway figures which sum up the result of the year's working are encouraging. Everybody, except tho Government and its friends, expected a heavy loss on tho estimate. Tho Government was so bad that, all confidence being gone, nobody would uso tho railways, which, moreover, boing in Ministerial hands, wore very badly managed. The result is a facer for tho misguided persons who held this curious view. An increase of £IO,OOO in the net profit in tho working of a concern in which nearly fiftoen and a half millions are embarked is not a very great thing to boast of truly. But it is a substantial testimony to tho accuracy with which the Government gauged tho position. That is one of the secrets of the soundness and success of their finance. They mako correct estimates of revenue, and they do not allow the enemy to got tho revenue cut down in the Legislature. But, after all, arc tho net profits of a railway all, or oven a large part of what a civilised country expects from a railway system ? It is said that because the railways do not pay tho interest on their cost there is no profit, but a dead loss. Lot us seo what tho loss is from that point of view. The cost of tho railways is £15,350,000. Tho money was borrowed at an average, we may fairly suppose, of 4.J per cent. The annual interest charge is therefore £090,750. Now, tho not profit (balance of income over working expenditure) is £131,073. The "loss," therefore, is, for last financial year, £258,777. But is it a loss at all. Look at it another way. Cheap money is a blessing, as everybody knows. Here wo have tho use of fifteen millions of money at tho low rate of £1 10s per cent. The money is cheap, and the indirect advantages are incalculable.

THE LATEST UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANT.

We compliment the law by which someone (the firm of Messrs Huddart, Parker and Co. it happens to bo) is made responsible for that poor but undesirable immigrant Livingston. But we cannot compliment it for not giving the unwilling bondsman of a firm a remedy. It is tho boast of lawyers that every tort has a remedy. There are two branches of law, the law of contract and tho law of toils. Here is a firm compelled by the law to carry out a contract which it never entered into, and unable to got remedy for a tort which it has undoubtedly suffered—at tho hands of the Victorian Government. That Government, through an official zealous warder, i.e., unscrupulous warder of lunatic asylum smuggled Livingston on board a Huddart ship at Port Melbourne. Huddart ship's owner was caught by N.S.W. authorities, more vigilant than skipper of Huddart ship. Huddart firm promptly sailed away with undesirable immigrant to New Zealand, where tho security bond is so much loss. But though Huddart firm behaved badly, the tort remains, and should be amended by the Victorian Government. But that is the affair of the firm. Wo havo tho firm's bond, and a>o can fool sure that expenses will bo paid. Would it not bo better to raise the amount of tho bond, so as to avoid the disadvantage in future of deliberate choice of Now Zealand as a hunting ground for irresponsible doad-beats ? Tho session is near,

THE RAND TRIALS.

Another inconsistency of tho law ? No! A conflict between the laws of two countries. The answer is right so far as it goes, e.g., England awards the punishment of two years' imprisonment to those of its subjects who make war on a friendly country. The Transvaal, when it catches the said subjects making war, awards tho punishment of death. It is curious that the raiders were let off to go and bo tried by tho milder English law, while those who prompted and tempted tho raiders havo been condemned to death. So far tho laws of tho two countries are iu conflict, and this contrast shows it. But the case goes farther. The English law, which only gives a short imprisonment to English subjects levying war on a friendly Power, devotes to death foreign subjects making war in time of peace on England. That is inconsistent, so that after all tho Rand question does show a gross inconsistency of law. It is lucky for the committee convicts that tho Boers havo let off Jameson and his raiders. That is tho only roason which can influence them to spare tho lives of tho committeemen. Neither Englishmen ncr Americans havo any right to demand a pardon or a commutation.

DIRECT TAXATION ROMANCING. The following is taken from the N.Z.Times: —Anyone reading our contemporary's lame effusion of Saturday evening under the head of " New Taxation " must havo been amused, though far from edified. In its own report of the Premier's speech at Petone, regarding tho Customs duties, Mr Seddon is "reported to havo said, " In 1890, just before the Government took office, with a population of 072,000, the duty amounted to £2 5s lOd per head, while in 1895, with a population of 7-10,000, tho duty per head was reduced to £2 3s 9d. The direct taxation, too, had boon reduced. In 1891 it was £2 7s 3.U1 per head, and in 1895 it was £2 lis 2d." In the courso of his speech, the Premier warningly observed that it behoved public men to be Careful when quoting figures, and, so that the reporters might not fall into r.ny errors, he would be only too pleased to hand thorn his notes to enable them to verify their figures. It is a pity that the reporter of our contemporary, and oven our own representative, did not take this friendly advice; both papers would havo been saved from a grievous mistake. Now, the direct taxation in IS9I, so says our contemporary, was £2 7s 3d per head, and this with a population of 072,000 would give a revenue of £1,508,000, while in 1895, still basing the calculation on our contemporary's figures, the direct taxation would amount to £1,720,000. Now, seeing that the veriost tyro in New Zealand finance must know that tho direct taxation is under £370,000, the childishness of reporting tho Premier as having stated the direct taxation to be £1,700,000 ought to bo sufficient to cause " the only editor in tho Colony who understands its finance " to road, mark, learn and inwardly digest, and sin no more, more particularly as Mr Seddon never mentioned directly or indirectly what the direct taxation came to per head.

Our contemporary has made research, and, quoting Gazette returns, fixes the revenue for the nine months from the Ist April to the 31st December, 1895, at £1,208,193. At the same time it quotes the figures in our own report showing Mr Seddon to havo stated that the Customs tariff was £1,712,025 for the year, or making tho revenue for tho last quarter £503,832, or at tho rate of .£'2,015,328 per annum. Our American cousin would say " I. guess this is a big jump." There has been blundering we admit, but not on the part of the Premier. There are master minds who never trouble themselves about details, and, in sporting parlance, our only superior journalistic financier has "gonocronk." On a former occasion, in delivering a speech at Otaki, the Premier stated that tho Railway Commissioners had imported four locomotive boilers. In condensation or somehow the word boilers was left out and an" s " added to locomotive, and, owing to this misreporting, tho Promior's veracity was questioned, and he was charged by tho Conseivativo press from ono end of the Colony to the other with having wronged the Commissioners, seeing that they had not at that time imported any locomotives. Coining back to the uncalled for but not illnaturod criticism to which we refer, the same is all the more amusing and mysterious seeing that it is founded on a report appearing in this journal. One is inclined to ask, why this carping? And why did not our contemporary quote from its own report-' Our contemporary reports the Premier as having given tho population in 1890 at 072,000, and in 181)5 at 7-10,000, and that the Customs tariff amounted in 1890 to £2 5s lOd per head, and iu 1895 to £2 '.U ( Jd per head. Multiply tho population by the amount per head thus given, and, according to the report of our contemporary, in 1890 the total Customs revenue would be £1, ; >12,000, and in 1895 £1,028,000, or, according to its own showing, an increase in the Customs revenue in the five years from 1890 to 1895 of £81,025. During the same period the population increased by 08,000. Tho fact of our contemporary having reported the Premier as having statod'that the Customs revenue in 1800 was £2 5s lOd per head, while in 1805 it was only £2 3s 9d, is sufficient to show the error it unwittingly—we shall not say wilfully—made in the article under review. This should teach our contemporary in tho

future to kindly accept the Premier's offer to take the figures from a prepared statement, and not from tho report of any other paper, seeing that reporters, like other mortals, are frail, especially in respect to figures, and when a three hours' speech is condensed into a column report. For our part, we own up to having omitted an important reference made by tho Premier and to having put things wrong by some thousands of pounds. For this wo beg tho Premier's paidon, and promise not to err again; especially seeing that our contemporary has, for the purposes of criticism, decided to uso our reports, leaving its readers to take pot-luck as to tho hash served by way of report in its own columns. Wo erred in respect to indirect taxation to tho extent of some thousands : our contemporary erred in respect to direct taxation by over a million pounds sterling. Not much certainly, still enough for the Premier to claim that the amende honorable should be tendered, and this wo hope to see dono in no half-hearted manner. The figures given in the report of our contemporary were certainly very startling, but, as this is not the first time it has indulged iu a considerable amount of romancing, there we will leave it. No doubt time will ovolvo tho fact tha' the Premier's statement was correct tha' under tho head of indirect taxation there had been a reduction per head, and not th increase with which the Government ha.■. been charged. In respect to the charge ol concealment, by keeping back returns, we unhesitatingly say that from what occurred last year, ill respect to certain returns which were given, tho Government were taught a lesson by which no doubt they will profit. Iu our opinion, it is better for the Colony that tho impatience of the Opposition press should bo restrained than to have a manufactured deficit rangingfrom a quarter to half a million sent broadcast over the world. This is what happened last year owing either to stupidity or to the wilful act of souk; journalists who, irrespective of the consequence., to tho Colony, desired by this unpatriotic conduct to injure the Government. Subsequently, but after tho harm had boon done, it was found, and had to be admitted, that there was a gross surplus of half a million, aud a net surplus of £ISO,OOO. Verb sap.

THE SCHOOL READER. A more absurd complaint than that addressed by tho sub-committee of tho Women's Christian Temperance Union it would not be possible to find anywhere. The other day we wondered what thoso women could have to say ill support of their charges. Wo find from their letter that they declare the book abounds in slang and vulgarity, enough to corrupt tho purity of the English tongue, and that its tendency is immoral because it contains sentiments which will lead to "cruelty of disposition and selfish, disregard for tho feelings of others." Now what aro tho facts?' First, the bulk of tho children of this Colony have probably forgotten more slang than is to be found in tho reader from cover to cover. Second, whatever slang tlwre is is quoted, and is not in proportion so great as may be found in nearly every book in the language. Third, it is not the duty of tho Education Department to teach the rising generation that thero is no such thing as the slang they hoar every day. Fourth, it is not true that the reader contains any sentiments calculated to demoralise. Fifth, if it wore true, it could only be true on an assumption which would require tho decalogue to bo expunged from tho catechism. We trust the Minister will not pay any attention to the absurd pretence of extra refinement which swells out this precious complaint. Wo are not so simple as to believe that tho complaint is anything but a hollow pretence. The Women's Temperance Union wants to get a temperance text book introduced, and as this book stands in the way it must be sacrificed. They will have to give better reasons if they want to be heard.

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND. Foa general information as to the satisfactory state disclosed by tho quarter's figures we give tho salient points of tho quarter's figures, which show the following alterations : 1. An increase in the amount of Government deposits. 2. An increase in deposits not bearing interest, being the natural result of tho harvest and wool proceeds being banked.

3. A decrease in tho amount of fixed deposits, consequent, we suppose on tho reduction in tho rate of interest now given.

•1-. A reduction in tho debts due fo the Hank, the result of the adjustments authorised by law, which havo been given effect to and which only now affect tho averages to any apparent extent. 5. A reduction iu the amount of other securities, the effect of the writing down the Estates Company's shares from tho proceeds of calls and from other .sources. (i. 'f'he coined gold, silver, aud bullion on hand shows tho large amount held and available in New Zealand of £1,055,950, apart from Government securities,£3o3,4lß, also held.