NEWS AND VIEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3646, 24 January 1899, Page 6

NEWS AND VIEWS.

Despite the much fussed over Motor Car Bill of last session, the Wellington cabbies have not as yet had to moot any serious ■■■■■opposition from the new invention. In' Antwerp and other Continental cities, however, the motor' car has apparently “come to stay.” The I'lomish Academy at Antwerp has recently been much perturbed in spirit as to what was the most suitable pamo for the new'vehicle. The result of the cogitations and counsels of the Academicians is rather appalling, fdr the most suitable Flemish synonym for, “motor car” is, according to the Antwerp quidnuncs, “ SnellpaardelooszonderspoorwegptstrooIritynig,” which looks like an example of “ Volapuk,”. but which is as desperately beyond English pronunciation as- certain Welsh names are, or certain? German past participles. The moaning of the ■awful combination of Totters is said to be something like “ quickly-going-horseless-railless-petroleum:driven, carriage.,” The English purist is often shocked at the alleged uncouthness of American word coinages, but: we may be thankful indeed'for the small mercies of the w/.ly “ motor car,” when we remember that the good folks 'of Antwerp have to grapple with such a jawbreaking jumble as Snollpaardeloos—and the rest of it.

There has been some ugly talk in the London papers (notably the “ Saturday Review”) about the Dervish wounded being slain by infuriated’ British and Egyptians. 1 The truth is that the wounded Dervish has an unpleasant knack of recovering sufficiently to stab and slash at • hisi would ■ be rescuers, whereupon a ibayonet thrust or revolver shot becomes ■a- necessarily- drastic cure. In the “ pon■teraporary Review??’- for December, a Mr -Stephen Bonsai tells a gruesome story of-how? American-soldiers were jiractically i-forced, itongivo ■ the coup do grace to a i wounded) Spaniard.! It was outside San 11Juan,; in.the trenches, that the Spaniard ■was rj found.-Tying:. wound ed. ■ An Anjori-ucan-lieutenant,- Ord by name, fearing the 'wpujd 'bb .filled by the Spanish; life, limed to two of his- men and said “ Take •that,Spaniard and carry Kim behind the .blockhoqse .out.of the fire.” What the sequel }rds is narrated by one of Ora’s ■tpoop'erjj.“.The scoundrel listened, then, .pulling--out’a pistol, ho poked, it in oui (lieutenants face, and blew out his brains, (killing on the 'spot the brave, boy that we -hadbeen: following all the day, and who, even in the indment of victory, had: 'thought how he might save the scoundrel’s ,fife. -The Spaniard then fell -back, smiling like a devil, but I reckon we knocked,that .expression' out? of his face. -Yes,- that’s true ; wo clubbed him fro death with t.be butts of our rifles.’’- Similar justification could no doubt he given for the “finishing offi” of so many °f the Khalifa’s fol- , lowers.

“It’s an ill wind that,blows no one good.” Tho Indian authorities aro-re-ported to bo vastly affrighted over the Queensland tick ■ plague, pnd .contemplato, it is said, 1 prohibiting the impfirtation of all Australian horses. 'A bad job, this; for Australian, breeders and dealers, for “ the whaler ” is now a recognised .Indian institution, and in army remounts alone a fine business has sprung into existence.-. It has never yet been proved that horses carry the tick infection, /but' in New South Wales tho Stock" Department; takes no risks, as the/Fitzgerald Brothers, of circus fame, recently found to'their cost, when, on crossing the border, "the; whole of their “ magnificent Arabs ■ and peerless bronchos ” . (see i daybills) were “ dressed ” with, some .vile concoction alleged to be a disinfectant. Oddly enough,' the ticknuisance was known in Java, Ceylon, and; India long before it troubled tho. Queenslanders, but nevertheless tho Calcutta Executive • seems " determined " upon the exclusion -of all Australian horses, and- ' hence New Zealand's' opportunity. It was the late, Major Walrasloy who initiated the export of Now Zealand horses to India, and, later on, Mr John Stevens, M.IT.R., was intimately connected'with the trade.,'-More rcqpntly, largo shipments of horses;' ’foearmy remount purposes,. have ,been niado from Canterbury, and in view of - ■ the proposed prohibition ■ of Australian horses,- New- Zealand breeders /should have an excellent opportunity , for creasing the trade.

- In point of climate Sir Vfilliam Macr gregor’s transference from Now G uinea i o Luff o.3 is from . fiyiiigpiin into fire ; for, although the centre of; a great .trade and . possessing the? only safe harbour- lo be. found within 1000 m,iles of West African coast line, Lagos proverbially runs Sierra Jjßo'noj cjoso for the doubtful ■ honour of being- “Tho White 'Man’s' Grave." Tint, Sir .William was a doctor before be was a colonial Governor, lie was a Government medicalioflicor att.be Seychelles, lied again at Mauritius," and still, later in I'iji, and after an experience of the malaria haunted rivers of New Guinea. . the exploration of which has made him s,d famous, the order: to., “ move on " and contirue his Ihnpiro-building WY-rli at Lagos is not likely to trouble him very much. Since the Koval Niger Compiiyp lias opened up the Hinterland and the Renin.barbarians have be»-ij tamed, Lagos is more than ever of importance; and by' exercising the same tact and .firmness ho has exhibited at Port Moresby. Sir Willia-nr should bo. just as successful in the new, sphere as in the old. He -ia 52, and. of course, a, Scot. At Lagos he will- find. many other Caledonians,, for the territory divides its trade between. Liverpool; and Glasgow, and " Macs "are as plentiful on the coast, as Kipling testifies to their being in steamer engine-rooms.

The "open door ” policy is to apply to the Soudan, and. if wo may believe the cables, there is more than a possibility of a similar policy being instituted by the Americans with regard to Cuba, the Philippines and Porto Rico. If the Yankees wore to insist upon the extension of their present navigation laws to Porto Bico, it is pointed out that rone British

colony would suffer most severely. This is Kova Scotia, which builds the majority' of the schooners anil brigs (owned and manned by Nova Scotians), which carry produce to and from the West Indies, and America’s recently - acquired possession. Tho Porto Hi can a eat Nova Scotian potatoes and Nova’ Scotian dried fish, and, os the colony has but few markets, the restrictive navigation laws of the States, if enforced in Porto Rico, would injure, the British colony most severely. The Americans should remember that-most of the trade of the Bahamas is done with Now York, and, that 47 per cent of the Jamaican trade goes to the States. Just as the British West Indian colonies are free to the “ Stars and Stripes,” there should bo reciprocity for tho “ Union Jack ” at Porto Rico and Cuba. And this, judging by the present tone at Washington, is likely to come about.

Jamaica is in a parlous state with its deficit of .£172,000, and Mr Chamberlain fears that the Government of the island will be bankrupt. Various reasons are given for the very • general decrease: of trade in the West ladies. The sugar bounty system, has been the worst enemy of the island.; Another factor is.; the laziness of tho negro, who, since the abolition of - slavery, has taken to squatting on nh. acre.or two of land, and professing to adopt, “ la petite culture,” whilst in reality only loafing save when the unloading or leading of a steamer gives him the opportunity to earn the little ready money he requires. Whatever be the causa, the good old days when “planting” in Jamaica was regarded as a safe and sure road' to fortune are gone, Europeans and negroes, alike are discontented and there is a general air of despondency. In the- leu years 1881 to 1891, tho white population showed an" in , crease of a trifle over 200 souls; Half the trade is with tho United States and there is a small but noisy paity in the iflaud who believe that greater prosperity would accrue were the Stars and Stripes instead of the Union Jack to float over Kingston..’ Mr Chamberlain, sketcheds out some time ago a scheme of establishing, with Govern-. ment aid, central mills and sugar refineries in the islands .themselves. The Secretary for the Colonies has his hands, pretty full at present, hut so much good British: blood, so much British gild'.was spent in gaining the West Indies that he.ipust,do something. .What that. may he it is difficult to,say. r ,The trouble' is, that with the exception of Barba does (and that -island' has, had a nasty set hackly last year’s hurricane) nearly all the West Indian islands areiq almost as bad a way as Jamaica.