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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4119, 3 June 1874, Page 2

The establishment of the San Erancisco mail service, the arrangement that a steamer shall bring the New Zealand mail direct from Kandavau, the selection of the route via Honolulu, and the strong probability that exists of the Polynesian trade falling into New Zealand hands, renders news from the various isles of the Pacific of considerable interest and importance to tho people of this Colony. By far tho most civilised community on any of the islands is that scattered over the live composing the Hawaian group, of which Honolulu is the capital. On the largest of those, Hawaii, there have been capital schools established formally years, printing offices, etc., and the policy of King Kalakana and his advisers might be studied and imitated with great advantage by Colonial statesmen in Australia. Tho Commercial Gazelle, jiublished weekly, strongly advocates the introduction into Parliament of measures calculated to encourage immigration. If, it argues, but one thousand immigrants could be induced to laud at Honolulu, that number would add 100,000 dollars to the productive wealth of the country ; and it strongly advocates free trade, and the entire removal of the duty on articles largely used by laborers, such as lumber, Horn-, machinery, and agricultural implements, paints and paint oils, tea, and certain kinds of material for clothing.” It is true that the removal of duties on these articles «would reduce tho revenue of the national treasury; but tho question whether tho encouragement given to mechanics and laborers will not more than offset the loss sustained by tho revenue, is well worth consideration.” The writer proceeds to say ;—“ Per such immigrants as may possess means and prefer to locate by themselves and cultivate the soil, some plan should be devised and madepublic, through which they can secure, at a moderate expense, whatever land they may require. If colonists from European countries can be induced to come and settle here, as is done in other countries, this might prove the most effective way to ro-peoplo om- islands with a class which is likely to remain here.” The Advertiser says that her Majesty Queen Kapiolani, who had just held a drawing-room at which she received the ladies of Honolulu, is one of the finest specimens of native Hawaiian ladies among us, with a pleasant and even handsome face ; and the ladies who paid their respects to her on Saturday last must concede that she wears her honors with a modesty and gracefulness which will win the confidence of all, and assure them that she is worthy of the position which she occupies. The King—who, we perceive, had been a member of the Pirc Brigade, before he reigned—was feted by his brother firemen on his ascension to tho throne, and had "been on a voyage round the islands in a steamer. As he approached the first of these “ the bells of the different churches were set a-ringing and the steam whistles at tho two sugar mills blow 21 blasts each as a Royal salute.” The people, we read, were so well pleased with the reception they gave his Majesty that they expressed their determination to give still further demonstrations of their loyalty on the return of the king. His Majesty landed at Haualci “ under a Royal salute of 21 guns from the shore ; not precisely guns, but big ohia logs, which the loyal people of Haualei had placed in a lino on the bluff overlooking the landing-place, bored, and charged with powder.” The islands are exceedingly fertile, and coffee and sugar might be grown upon them in larger quantities. Many of the people are whalers, and quite a fleet of schooners is owned by Natives. Of course the proximity to America causes trade to iiow that country, but recently the American Government decided to abandon an attempt that had been commenced to make a survey of the North Pacific, and take soundings. There are, it is supposed, countless isles and archipelagoes that have not yet been discovered. Tile Hawaiians arc much disgusted at the conduct of tho Americans in tho matter, and there -would bo little difficulty in diverting their trade to New Zealand. Of course we understand better than they the policy of the American Government in the matter. It was not worth while for the survey to be made. The flag of the American commercial marine has almost been swept from the ocean by the system of protection. In 18G0 seventy-one per cent, of the United States foreign trade was carried in American bottoms, and in 1573 this had fallen to 20 per cent.

Tins wind table published in the Meteorological lieport just issued is worthy of a few passing remarks. Wo notice from it that in 1871 there were twenty-nine calm days at Dunedin, while there were only two at Wellington, and none at Nelson or Taranaki. In the following year, there were 112 calm days at Queenstown, in the South Island, which would seem to bo a paragon of places for weather, while there were ninety-eight at Dunedin, and seventy-six at Bealey, also in the South Island; two only at Wellington, and none at Taranaki, Nelson, or Southland. Wellington has the reputation of enjoying only two kinds of winds—north-west and south-east —and in 1871, winds from the first-named of these “airts” prevailed for 191 days, and south-east winds for 105 days, leaving only seventy-seven days for all other winds. Dor 1872, the proportion was 179 for the northwest, 111 for tho south-east. Bealey, to which reference has already been made, seems to be rather a peculiar place. In 1872, it had seventy-six calm days, and no less than 208 of winds from tho north-west.

Wu lca.ni by the April circular of the New Zealand .Loan auil Mercantile Agency Company that this Colony “may very soon expect a visit from some of the cable magnate.'-, as the question of telegraphic communication between New Zealand and Australia is now one of immediate importance.” The company remarks that the anticipations of many that the Port Darwin cable would not pay a dividend to its owners has been so far belied that good returns have been received from it. Three quarterly dividends of 1 per cent, each had been paid during the past year of its working, and a fourth, of 2- per cent., was promised, by the Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China Telegraph Company, their net profit during the year having been £137,000. The sum to bo carried forward to the reserve fund was £27,000, increasing that fund to (MO.OOO. Lines laid in South America and the West Indies have been much less profitable, while they were greatly more troublesome to lay, and are much more expensive to maintain, than the Indian Ocean linos. The report concludes its remarks on this branch of the subject by saying :—“An extension from Victoria (New

South Wales) or Tasmania to New Zealand is so obvious a duty of Lord Norwich and his friends that it ought not to be long delayed. Australia herself has much reason to favor the extension, which would not only accommodate local trade, but tend more than anything else to a reduced tariff.”

The Pall Mall Gazette is pronounced upon the effect that “beer” had in deciding the question of the return of candidates at the recent general election. It holds that to say “ cakes and ale ” had any voice in the decision that was arrived at is merely to jump issue. Beer drinking, says our contemporary, “ and the vexatious restrictions upon it are the occasion, hut in no sense the cause, of the popular discontent, and the opposition to which it has given rise relates to a principle much more important and an issue much wider than the interests of any trade whatever. If, the Government had had the courage to resist the fanatics of the Alliance, in securing public decency and order and suppressing adulteration, they would not have encountered the opposition they have met with, oven though their legislation had procured them the ill-will of the licensed victuallers. But when, as men so ignorant of human nature were sure to do, they attempted to legislate on behalf of morality as such, and against intemperance as such ; and then, as weak men were sure to do, they stopped short of the logical result of their opinions, they sealed their own ruin. By their foolish tampering and tinkering with the hours of sale, by their ill-advised thrusting' of the inappropriate and now unpopular policeman between the innocent consumer and his innocent glass of ale, they failed to render intemperance a whit more difficult, but simply rendered temperance much more uncomfortable. It is this for which they have now suffered, and it is in this sense only that beer lias had anything to do with their defeat.”

It is predicted in England, we observe, that the long-continued strikes and labor difficulties in the North and Middle of England must tend to an extensive emigration from those districts. The reduction of wages insisted on by the masters in the iron and coal trades runs from ten to twenty per cent.