TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4075, 13 June 1900, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

WORKMEN’S RAILWAY TICKETS. The subject of workmen’s railway tickets was referred to by- the Hon J. G. Ward, Minister of Railways, in tiie course of a speech at a social given by the Clyde quay branch of • the and Labour League. Complaints, he said, had been made that the benefit was onesided, in that it assisted only those who resided out of town. The Government had now, however, decided to go tiie whole-length of-the reform, and in future tickets would he made available for those, going out of town as well as those coming in from the suburbs. Referring to press criticisms of • Lis policy, lie quoted a Southern paper, which had said:—“We’thank him (Mr Ward) for nothing.” Happy were the people, said Air Ward, who could’think of a £75,000 concession as nothing, and he went on to say that the people of New Zealand now enjoyed cheaper travelling fares than did the people of England. In support’, .of that .statement lie (pioted fares oh the Great Northern railway. From London to Grantham (104 miles) a first-class single ticket cost 15s lOcl and a third-class (there being no second L class on these lines) 8s 9d ; a first-class return 81s 8d and a third-class 17s fid. Tiie same distance over New Zealand lines cost the passenger 13s fid for a first-class single journey and 8s f)d second-class, and for the return ticket 26s fid firstclass, 17s fid second-class. Again, from London to York (188 miles) -the fares were—First-class single 275, third-class 15s Bd. first-class return 545, i.h’idclass fils 4d. On the New Zealand lines for tiie 188 miles —First-class single 23s fid, second-class - .. lir; 7 t,-. class return 475, second-class ' fils J 4dV These figures, concluded Mr Ward, spoke for themselves, and showed conclusively that New Zealand was abreast of tiie times in railway as in other matters. - NTNTEENTH CENTURY LITERATURE. At tiie Girls’ High School last night Professor McKenzie, of . the Victoria University College, delivered a public lecture on “The Literature of the Nineteenth Century (more especially in its relation to tiie philosophical influences of the century).” • The • lecture was one of a series arranged for by tiie college council. There was a moderate attendance, the counter-attractions being numerous. Professor McKenzie adversely criticised the so-called “new realism,” estimated its economic value, and challenged its claim to be regarded as art.’ He attributed-the literary indiscretions of the latter-day realist to tiie influence of the empirical social and philosophical doctrines which . obtained currency during the earlier half of the century. Mr Kipling was referred to ns a. man of extraordinary genius, v, itli an almost magic touch; and an impromptu facility and felicity rare among poets. At tho same time, his taste was.said to he frequently at fault, though perhaps he should not be judged by his “casual” work, intended for “tiie mar. in the street.” The notices of hooks given by daily newspapers were advertisements rather than weighty criticisms. Literature of the truly valuable sort must deal with verities and realities in a wholesome way. Wiiat was of doubtful or sinister ethical import could not live in literature. The literature of tiie immediate future would proolv take a more introspective, more psychological and more mystical turn. But whatever forms or fashions might arise, it could be taken for granted that anything that was forced or nonnatural would be short-lived. After a surfeit of contemporary literary musnroorns, humanity'would find a return to the world-old and accredited masters helpful and healthful, morally, spiritually and aesthetically.” A ROLL OF HONOUR. The following is the‘casualty list of our. troops in South Africa to date: Killed—Trooper Bradford, ’ Jasfontein, 28th December, ; Sergeant Gourley, Jasfontein, 15th ’ January, 1900; Trooper Connell, New Zealand Hill, 15th January, 1900; Trooper Booth, Rensberg;_ Sergeant Byrne, 'Johannesburg, 28th May, 1900. Total, 5. Died of disease—Trooper Hi Burroughs, enteric, Kimberley, 6th March, 1900; Trooper Patterson, enteric, Rendebosch, 18th February, 1900; Trooper Jenks, enteric, Rendebosch, 21st'-March, 1900; Trooper Hempton, dysentery, Carnarvon, 3rd. April, 1900 ; Trooper Morris, enteric, East London, ■; 11th April, 1900; Trooper Farrant, '• typhoid, Pretoria, 20th April, 1900;; Trooper Anderson, enteric, Bloemfontein, 26th April, 1900; Sergeant Brock, enteric, Bloemfontein, 25th ’ May, 1900’; Farrier-Ser-geant McKinney, enteric, Bloemfontein, 28th May, 1900; Trooper Wyllie, tumour, Pretoria-, 18th Alay, 1900. Total, 10. Besides the men who arrived yesterday, the following have been or are to be invalided home :—By Waiwera — Private Pi AL Hunt.' Pnparba—Sergeant Bond, Corporal Byrnes',’ Captain Hayhurst. Monowai —Troopers Irwin and Marsh. ” . , ANNUAL RAILWAY TICKETS. Some time since the Weftngton Chamber of Commerce wrote to the minister of Railways suggesting that annual tickets for the Wellington-Napier line and annual tickets issued for the Wel-lington-Manawatu . Company’s line should be made interchangeable. The correspondence on the subject between tiie Railway Department and tiie Mnnawatu Company has been forwarded to tho -Chamber. lii response to a letter from the General Manager of Railways (Mr T. Ronayne) asking for the company’s views on the proposal, Mr Hannay, general manager of the Manawatu Company, said he was instructed by his directors to say that, while, they ) would favourably consider any equitable arrangement, they were not in possession of • sufficient data to enable them to make any proposal. They would, however, favourably consider any proposal made by tiie department. In reply.’ML Ronayne. forwarded a copy of the amended rates Cor annual-season tickets;- ■ and asked what proportion of the, fares'f"tiie' company was prepared to accept" for the use of the tickets over its” line. To this Air Hannay replied that"there was still insufficient data to enable the directors to make any proposal, but they would, he again said, carefully consider any proposal made by the department. This ended the correspondence, and* Air Ronayne, in forwarding it to tho Chamber of Commerce, said the ’Minister could not-see his way to take any further action in the matter until the directors of the Wellington-Alana-watu Company indicated what proportion of the annual ticket rates they were prepared to accept for the use of tiie ticket over the company’s lines. AVHARF LABOURERS’ WAGES. Tiie award given by the Conciliation Board yesterday in connection with the wharf labourers’ dispute is, as usual, in favour of the employees. The unionists had demanded that the rate of payment for stevedore and general cargo work .should be Is (id and 2s fid per hour for overtime. Tiie -employers considered that the men were entitled to. Is fid per hour ordinary time. Is 8d;

per hour from 7 to 8 a.m., or during meal hours, and 2s per nour when working from "7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The Board in its award lias fixed the wages at Is fid per hour, with 2s per hour overtime. The union asjted that winchmen, plank men, hull-rope men, etc., -should receive Is fid and 2s fid; the employers thought Is fid, Is lid and 2s fid should ho paid; tiie Board has -declared that is hd and 2s is fair remuneration, For trimming.coal 2s and 2s fid was asked for; the award gives Is fid and 2s fid. For overhauling work on ships tiie men requested Is fid and 2s fid ; they get Is fid and 2s per hour. Alen carrying coal, says the Board, shall receive 2s and fis per hour; the demand was for 2s Tid ami fis fid.

NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY. It is satisfactory to note -that the Government is pushing on the work of construction of the North Island main trunk railway, on which over 500 men are now employed. Good progress is being made with both the Alakohine and Mangaweka viaducts. A great portion of the earthwork beyond Alakohine is quite finished, ami for many miles it is actively in hand, and tiie plate-laying is about- to he begun. At tiie northern end the earthwork is being pushed on as rapidly as the season of the year will permit, and considerable progress is being made. Plate-laying at that end will also he resumed next summer. TAXATION IN NEW ZEALAND. Further testimony to the appreciation of outsiders oi tho state of things prevailing in this colony is provided by Senator Bncklin, of Colorado, who some time since paid a visit of investigation to New Zealand mid Australia for' tho purpose of reporting on colonial methods of taxation to the Senate of that State. In a letter to tiie “National Single-taxer” of New York he says he was treated with the greatest kindness everywhere in Australasia, and ho goes on to say that tho policy in the colonies is to reduce fares and charges for the use of public utilities to the cost of. operation and. interest on the cost of construction, so that the growth of population increases the rent of land-owners, • instead of making. railroad millionaires. “The difference,” he points out, “between private and public ownership of public utilities is illustrated, by ’ my experience in sending two telegrams, one from Bluff to Auckland, -New Zealand, the other from San Francisco, California, to Grand Junction, Colorado. The distance between the New Zealand and the American points is about the same, 1100 miles. In New Zealand, however, the two islands are connected by a cable laid under Cook Strait, at great expense, and in many other ways the cost of construction in New Zealand is very much larger than in America. In New Zealand.* the business is all local, there being no through business, ns there is on- the American line. In America several people are likely to use the line, while in New Zealand there are only 750,000 people all told. Government business in New Zealand is sent free, while here it is paid for. Under such circumstances, one would expect that the Americantelegraph rates would not exceed 25 to 50 per cent, of those in New Zealand. The actual charges, however, were, inAmerica, 75 cents, and in New Zealand sixpence, or 12 cents.” He says he found public sentiment almost everywhere in favour of the Australasian land tax, and largely opposed lo the name “single-tax,” One of the assertions, ho remarks, of those who oppose the single-tax in America- is that ’t is impractical. The, practicability ot so much of the single-tax as is'involved in the first steps of a gradual approach to it is absolutely demonstrated by the Australasian land-tax. SECRET COMMISSIONS. - A committee of the London Chamber of Commerce'has* just issued its report concerning the prevalence of giving secret commissions, and the revelations made are somewhat astounding. Prom the evidence it wotlld appear that the practice prevails throughout “almost all trades and professions” to a great extent. The practice is on the increase, and is, the committee avers, productive of much evil, “alike to the morals- of, the commercial community and to the profits of honest traders.” Alany examples of mis pernicious practice are given. In - answer to the request to supply information on the subject, the chairman of a railway company wrote “Some years ago I wished £IO,OOO of my marriage trust funds invested in the debenture stock of my railway. In going through the accounts of my railway. I'observed a charge of £SO com-, mission paiu to my own solicitors for being good enough to allow my own money to be invested in the railway. I drew their attention to this charge, whereupon they were’ obliged to disgorge it/’ Co-operative stores -are a hotbed of the system.. As much as £25, £lO, £5, flitches of bacon, chests of tea have been given to managers for tho purpose of securing orders. Among, chemists the giving of secret commissions was found to be notorious. A pharmaceutical’ chemist, stated to the committee that “secret commissions are given, by* chemists to medical men on their.prescriptions, supplied to patients, in some cases amounting to from 25 to 50 per cent, on the price charged by the dispensing chemist-/’. One member of the committee stated that n large firm of seed and nurserymen, within forty miles of London, bribed his gardener. Another firm sent out- a circular in which was enclosed, a slip, not intended to be handed to the 'employer, stating . that “5 per cent, will be-paid to the gardener.” These are only, a few instances, and hundreds could be given. In all the ramifications of traded the “secret commissions” were operative, and the committee was convinced of their demoralising effect, and has accordingly so reported.