NOTE AND COMMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3646, 24 January 1899, Page 4

NOTE AND COMMENT.

Splendid weather, marked the celebration yesterday of the fiftythe ninth anniversary of the ANNIVBU- colonisation of New Zcasauy land-, started at Wellington holiday, by the arrival of the pioneer settlors of tfie Now Zealand Company. The races, .regatta;and swimming sports, which were the public forms of merry-making arranged for the occasion, therefore chine off in a'most successful manner'; while the many private picnic parties and excursions that deft the city by steamer; rail and other conveyances enjoyed ; their outings under the most favourable conditions. It is an interesting coincidence ■ that thefirst sitting of the first Roman Catholic Synod of New Zealand, as well as the first issue of the enlarged ’“Now Zealand Times,” should have been; synchronous with the anniversary of the colonisation, of this country. Three anniversaries are thus made to fall upon the same day. The establishment of a Provincial Council of the Catholic "Church in New Zealand is an, event that marks an important stage in the'development of that Church. It symbolises the independence of the Church in New Zealand and its complete severance from Australia.' It is a recognition'that geographical and other considerations make federation between this country and Australia inadvisable and impracticable, What is true of church . affairs 5s equally true of. State concerns, and the action of the Holy See confirms the wisdom of our- politicians in holding aloof from an alliance vMiich could only mean, subjection. Reverting to Anniversary Day, it may bo noted that next week the people of Auckland will observe what they claim to be the' real anniversary pf New Zealand—the date of assumption of the' Lieutenant-Governor-ship of . th& icolony by Captain Hobson. It is regrettable that there should be any dispute of ■ this i kind; and it; may bo hoped "that, -as: years roll by and the national' spirit triumphs over "tlic ! provincial, the whole of the colony will ■ agree -upon one day which shall bo set apart as an-annual remembrancer of the founding of Now Zealand. If agreement is not attainable by any other means, it will by-and-by become the duty of the Legislature to fix-the holiday and put an end to celebrations which, being provincial; are divisive and opposed to national unity.

When the Hokitika agent of the Press Association lolegraplied out the what puqiorted to be the AVSTkian Premier’s statement to the influx, effect that Her Majesty’s Government had requested him to allow ilie landing of . Austrians on their way to this country, tho Conservative papers promptly, interpreted it as a proof of “tho discomfiture of the Premier.” Looking at tho matter without - party bias,-we stated our conviction to bo that- tho Home Government had recognised the validity of the action taken hero. Tho surprising revelation now made, however, is that the report is entirely crroncous--is, iii fact, another example of, bias or incapacity on the part of the Press Association's , agents. - The request emanated " from the Austrian Charge d’Affaires: in London, and was forwarded by the Secretary of State for the Colonies without any request on his part. This, our Hokitika correspondent states;, was made perfectly''clear by Mr Seddon;. and we loam on inquiry that, on receipt of the cable message,; the Government simply replied stating that the Union Company had agreed to enter into a bond for the maintenance of .Austrians coming by their steamers, -and that they would consequently be allowed to land. Instead of the -Government being discomfited, it has been upheld and justified in all its proceedings, "as we. predicted from the first would-be the case. Those Conservative journals - that made merry over the false message' fro‘m' Hokitika have not, by the way, taken any notice of the fact that Sir Edward Biaddon, the Conservative Premier of Tasmania, announced that no Austrians would be allowed to land in that colony unless a guarantee of .-6100 per. head - was given for their maintenance. The ' out-ry against the illiberal action .of-the Seddon Government may well he silenced in view of tho fact that the Tashianian .Premier was ten itiniofe more restrictive in- his -ideas than the terrible vyrant who was accused of doing so many - iliega! md unconstitutional'things in. New Zvairaid

M. Pellet.m, -who has just been criticising the French colonial exfrance penditure in the Chamber of and her Deputies, is not solitary .colonies, among Frenchmen in Ills ror ■ , cognition of how profitless and vain is the attempt to found colonies by Franco. The only colony of French people that ever took root was that in Canada, and it required to pass under British control before it could prosper. To-day, the many "distant colonies held by France are chiefly noted as being regular maelstroms of expense. M. Pelletan puts the total annual cost at eighty millions of francs; but a writer in tfco “ Revue Bleu ” says it is even higher. According to that writer, “Algiers has an annual deficit of 30,000,000 francs, ahd there is a deficit in both Senegal and the Soudan. As to the Congo, it is in such a state of financial decrepitude that it is doubtful if it will ever recover. To sum up, the chief expense on the colonics amounts to 100,000,000 francs, without counting extraordinary expenditure.”' Even the oldest French colonies have not reached the point of self-support. Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Reunion, although "of, adult age, and long since should have no need of subsidies, still receive several million francs a year. As regards South African possessions, the writer says that sixty miles inland it is impossible to find an acre of cultivated land.' “Dahomey waits its first mercantile house, 1 Senegal has for centuries had only six businesk houses, living alone by the trade in gum and peanuts, and other places woulcL be ruined but for these two items.” The

sober fact is that the modern Frenchman is not a colonising animal.. Ho has almost entirely lost the reproductive instinct, and prefers ease and selfish luxury to'the hard work of colonisation. Hence French colonies are merely looked upon as outlets for military and mercantile enterprise, and as providing “careers” lor a few men as Governors. "The supreme roily , of France, in such circumstances; allowing herself to he drawn to the verge of war owing to tiro unwise zeal of Major March;-, nd to annex fresh colonies, must be apparent to the most casual observer. Time was when the rule in Wellington’s municipal affairs was for municipal the vacant seats pn the activity. City Council, whether casual or annual, to be filled without a contest. It is pleasing ,to find that this rule is to be. honoured in the breach in the case of the by-election for Thorndon Ward now pending. As the absence of ambition to servo the burgesses is a sign gf municipal deathless, so the reverse condition of things is a healthy- symptom. The _ revival of interest ,in municipal affairs is; duo as much, perhaps, to the promulgation of largo schemes for the carrying out of public services as it is to the stimulus given by the extension of the franchise. A contest for the Thorndon Ward at tho present time -will give tho olectors_ an opportunity of expressing their opinions regarding the Mayoral policy of city extension and enlargement of municipal functions in the way of street widening, tramway services and so forth. No doubt Messrs R. M. Tolhurst, Johnston, and Tanner, tho candidates now in the field, will take an early opportunity of placing their views before the people of the ward, and of submitting themselves to questioning on various points. This revival of interest in municipal government will, we trust, ho maintained ; its results cannot fail ’to be good. 'lt is evident that Germany is inclined . . to act with moderation rothe jjarding the Samoan crisis s.uroAN that has been brought about ■ tiiouble. largely by German influence. Although a cruiser lias been ordered, by the Kaiser’s Government to proceed '.to the islands, the tone of tho Gorman press-is pacific, and tho German Ambassador- at Washington has assured the American Secretary of State that. if. the facts alleged are substantiated, tiro German officials implicated will bo severely dealt with. This, is a preferable tone to one’of brag and - bluster, and it gives .hope that an amicable -settlement of the trouble will bo readied. Tho tripartite control in Samoa ought, however, to bo abolished without delay, as a necessary condition of future tranquillity.