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New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 9138, 8 November 1890, Page 2

Five thousand years ago men lived on the banks of the Nile in a high state of civilisation. They had built wonderful cities before the Anglo-Saxon had come out of the cradle of the nations; they had arranged a system of laws before the Roman was born ; in everything pertaining to a complex civilisation they were in that remote period perfect. Like all things in this world their empire came to an end ; conqueror after conqueror subjugated them, people after people domineered over them, until at last the world almost forgot what manner of men they were; even the key to their written language was gone. But this time of oblivion in its turn came to its end, and men began to discover the buried secrets of the Egyptians. The secret of the hieroglyphics was unlocked, research brought to light tho historic records of the forty centuries, with all the small details of the prosiest daily business of life ; the same then as it is now, with its work and its play, its contracts, its lawsuits, its feastings, its solemn meetings in the temples, and the gay noise of crowds; the coming and going of ships, the fierce joy of the hunter, the thrilling pleasure of the musician, and all the hundred things that go to the spoiling of vanity of vanities. The searchers bring up bodies of men and women that were preserved thousands of years ago with great tenderness and respect, surrounded with riches, and when the light falls upon them no man can tell their name or what they were to the great world which took so much pains not to fergeb them. Seven hundred and sixty milllions of these, it is estimated, are buried under those yellow sands bordering the green places- of the irrigation by the great river. “ They understood sanitation,” says the utilitarian. Well, if they did they backed their views pretty freely. Even the sacred animals, the cats and the crocodiles were preserved from the corruption of death. For what ? For manuring tho fields of a distant race at the end of a thousand years. The last of the explorers of these treasures is Mr Flinders Petrie, who has been called the Schliemann of Egypt. Last year ho exhibited his discoveries in London, and he is doing so again this year. Builders’ plummets, carpenters’ saws, the weapons of the soldier, the ornaments of the ballet-girl, the pen of the scribe, the records of tho household, these and a thousand other things in use in tho Valley of tho Nile by a civilised people before Abraham received the promise. This work of exploring is only in its infancy. It has but introduced us to the records and monuments of the old race. Presently it will give us the whole race, buried away in the dark recesses it dug out of tho earth for itself. When the English rule becomes consolidated in Egypt, the work will, no doubt, be much quickened by being carried on upon a greater scale. In the meantime the world is likely to watch with increasing interest every year’s exhibition of objects dug up out of the greatest Necropolis on tho face of tho earth.

We observe reference in the “ Saturday Review ” to the rise and progress of Belfast, the Irish shipbuilding city. Some of us who see the Doric and the other White Star Liners coming and going in and out of our ports are aware that they were built in Belfast. Few of us know that the two biggest and fastest of the Atlantic greyhounds, the Majestic and the Teutonic, hail from the Irish Northern city. The shipbuilding trade of the place employs 20,000 workmen, the biggest ships in the world are brought up to the quays at all tides, the second graving dock in the world is there, and a tidal basin 1000 feet long and 20 feet deep at low water, is building. The Customs revenue is tvo millions, and the tonnage one and a half millions. All this is especially noticeable as showing what development from ' small beginnings is possible. In 1820 the first steamer built in Ireland was built at Belfast; in 70 years the sequel as above. Ireland, it is clear, holds her own among the shipbuilders of the United Kingdom. If the other industries of Ireland had had fairplay in the days after Limerick, the “ Saturday ” would have had a wider story to tell to-day of Irish wealth and progress.

Thebe is an old proverb about the man who is destined to failure. That man invariably becomes demented. Mr J. D. Fitzgerald, the labour emissary, has felt the force of the old proverb. He has for the last few weeks been making one of those exhibitions which is unaccountable on any other hypothesis than “ dementia.” When he said that the defeat of the Gillies Government was a sign that the strike had not collapsed, it really seemed as if he had reached the highest possible point of invention. But there was a higher summit, which he ascended with the statement that the strike was in full vigour everywhere except in Queensland. On the very same day the Labour Defence Committee at Sydney threw up the sponge and declared the strike over. The first result will of course be the utter collapse of the demented delegate. The second will he the restoration to favour of Champion, the truest friend that Unionism has had through all this trouble.

The whirligig of time has got hold of the “ Sydney Morning Herald,” making that journal prophecy that if Sir Harry Atkinson can only keep New Zealand from borrowing for three years he will confer upon all Australia a most inestimable boon. In the beginning, not so many years ago, the Australians were holding us up as the awful example. We were the spendthrifts, they the prudent people. Even as they preached they began to borrow, however, until they got to a pitch such as we have never dreamed of in our wildest dreams. And now they end by imploring us to give them a good example. As we led them away, they appear to think that we ought to bring them back to the path of rectitude, but as we are now the prudent ones, and they the spendthrifts, we can forgive the delicate insinuation that wo are responsible for their extravagances.

As evidence of the continued prosperity of the country we may sta f e that the laud revenue received during the first six months of the financial year has exceeded the amount estimated as receivable for the entire year. It is still more gratifying to learn that the agricultural and pastoral exports of the nine months of the current year have exceeded by a very substantial sum those of the corresponding period of the previous year, which was the best nine months period on record, the amount having bettered that of the previous year by nearly two millions sterling. The railway revenue wo understand is keeping well up, and all along the line things are lively. The state of things bears out the Premier’s contention tint we require no external aid to send the country along. Selfreliance is justifying itself every day by results.

Tub probability is that the decision of Messrs BaUance, Beeves, and Hutchison in favour of Mr Hogg as the “Liberal ’’

candidate for Masterton will do more harm than good to what is called the Liberal cause. Mr MoCardle and Mr Hogg, though nominally brothers in arms, are actually rivals, between whom there is no endearing confidence. Each of thorn has in tho past vainly sought Parliamentary honours, and Mr McCardle’s friends were confident that with a clear field their candidate would run Mr Beetham very close, and was very likely to beat him. Consequently, it does not seem likely that Mr MoCardle will retire in Mr Hogg’s favour, especially as by doing so he would practically leave Mr Beetham in possession. If all three candidates stand, Messrs MoCardle and Hogg will cut up the town between them, and Mr Beetham will be elected by the country districts.

Is reference to the proposal of the Victorian Government about the cable subsidies, we presume the Government will be unable to meet the other colonies in this matter, as it will be recollected that Mr Mitchelsonsta'ed in the Housethatthe possible amount of loss which might be involved was so large that the Government did not see their way to make any proposals to Parliament. The proposal of the Victorian Government is rather unfortunate, being a proposal to test the thing for twelve months, a period entailing a certain loss. A test extending over a number of years would bo better, as that would give some hope of recouping the losses of the first year.