TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4207, 16 November 1900, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

glhueah: uouirr idlers. Htc', '‘tl;f. ’ ill the .Supreme ('our; f)lLfirwiM; Hint portion of Inc diatribe; .Xm.nd Lie liar, to v-1 1 iii the genera. JHilmo have occirsi, In is neon throiigee •Tirongiwnt tills Thu patrons arc mostly masdiiJiiio, who apparently have uolii.pjy; bettor to do than gazo at tin V, i l /O'- WS —especially (JIC fciHlllo Wit • mi-::ikc;- and they even laugh at the Miucking details oi ei hieuec given in tile charges or serious offencea again,l VMiiuon anil young girls. During hi* summing up yesterday Mr Justice Kdwarc!.-; incidentally had occasion to rotor In ■.!(.;■ natural shrinking of women ami girl;' from the publicity attending these limlh, Looking directly at (lie crown behind the bar, the learned Judge said

"Fancy any girl having to face such an a ■■semhiae,; as fiau favoured the Court during this case, drinking in tire siiockj'l'C details of the evidence I” His .Honour would niuca prefer, lie said, that, t-hest: htie onlookers should ho absentees. They would do far bettor to be out and about looking for work. Several of 1 hose behind the bar wore sufficiently .sensitive to take the unit, and left the Court. The polite very properly instantly check the frequent tittering!, which break out among the denizens of the “pit.' Later in the day the enclosure behind the bar was as crowded as ever, and women occupied places in I.m g; llt cry above.

FRANCE AND THE NEW HEBRIDES. “La franco Anstrale,” a Noumea paper which was violently anti-Dreyfus in tone, and, consequently, opposed to the present French Government, has been, lately much agitated on the New Hebrides n Host ion. It rejoiced exceedingly when Iho t'l otet, a. French second-class cruiser, visited the Now Hebrides, because (he presence of so powerful a ship would give the natives “before deceived by the .Presbyterian missionaries 1 ' a ll’no idea of the majesty of France. But the fact Mint France did not seize the occasion of the Boer war to force Great Britain to agree to French annexation of the New Hebrides is, in “La France AustmloV' mind, simply deplorable. After Tugcla, it says, France might easily have demanded the islands as the price of her neutrality. But a “faithless Dreyfusard” Ministry was in power and a groat opportunity of acquiring the group was lost. These opinions arc combated by "La, Caledonia,” the Ministerial organ in Now Caledonia, which holds the view that probably Australian opposition to a French annexation of the New .Hebrides will bo placated by a promise that the islands are (o be used as a penal .settlement, and. Unit in good time France will become their possessor.

GERMAN TRADE DEVELOPMNT. In Imlia. as well as in Australia, thepress is calling attention of tho .British steamship eerupimios to tho vigour which Germany is showing in her efforts to obtain a larger share of the ocean passenger and cargo traffic of tho world. The policy adopted by the Gorman Government is to give subsidies to all steam lines that can offer a fair prospect of increasing German trade. Experience, it is claimed, shows that where German steamers run Gorman exports aro taken in increasing quantities, and as attractions ’arc afforded a similar increase in the passenger traffic follows. Tho latest development that attacks British interests is in tho direction of the East African ports, which to a largo extent have, been absorbed in the past i by the British India Company, which I runs a line from Aden to Delagoa Bay. Tho Germans are now running a direct! lino from Hamburg to Beira fortnightly, ■whilst in addition tho service for the Cape trade is to he increased by another lino starting from Hamburg, via the Canaries, to South African ports. The Indian press, commenting on this Jicw competition, asserts that in a. very •short time it will ho extended to British India. and that the opposition shown by English companies to bring their steam Sleets up to date offers a premium for outsiders to came in. There can bo no doubt that tho high class passenger vessels the N.D.L. are putting on the A.ustraliau line attract much custom because they offer all advantages now obtainable in the floating hotels employed in the t runs-Atlantic lines. It is said that travellers prefer the. German boats because they have greater comforts, a superior table, and the officers give a more courteous consideration to: their -wants. The British companies will have to move forward or resign ,the struggle to the enterprising Teuton.

THE INDIAN FAMINE. j A cablegram published in tlio “Times'’j yesterday showed that tho famine inj India is slid a thing to bo grappled j with “Perhaps it may nob bo known by ninny persons,’ said Adjutant Anderson, 'of the Salvation Array, in the course of an interview yestor-l tin v, “that a. fourth part of; India lias been affected by this] dreadful famine, 80.000.000 human beings at one time feeling its cflects. The p.trts specially affected have been (In-. jural, I’ajputana. the Contra! Provinces, and some' of tile native States. The mortality on account of the famine has been so great that as many persons died during’one week as were slain in the South African war in nine mouths. Altogether the famine it reckoned to have caused the deaths of bOO.OOO persons. If it, had not, been for the war, which has largely absorbed (he at tout ion of the world at large, there would have been far greater intoro't. taken in (lie famine than has been iho case. Some who are in a. position to know go so far as to say that the famine is (he calamity of the century. The Government has acted very nobly, and under the able leadership of Lord. Curznn has done all it- could to alleviate the suffering and distress. As mauv ns G.0011,(100 persons were at one liieo engaged on CJovei ament relic? works. Pul all that could be done i-y (ho Nov. i-ament ami the various ,n ssimiarv agencies was Uko dipping a imehet in fhe sea. of misery that Ihroatcmd to eng'dph (he natives.'’

T.HK FREIGHT i!ATE FOR WOOL

As in past yours llio shipping corn-’, panics principally interested in the ship-; incut ut v.'iuii to London iron: the felony,, vis., fhe Tvse.r. New Zealand Shipping,; and' Show, S.iviU and Albion Companies,; have decided upon a fixed freight rater I’m- the present season. Owing to the; nig demand foe tonnage in all parts ota (ho world charter prices arc very high, at pr' seul, consequently the rate is higher than that of last season. The rate fixed nueii. is id pc lb for greasy and id li>r M-oin-od hy cither sail or steam—JU higher limn last year. The only differ-' mice in shipping h.v sailing vessel or. steamer f ill be the charge of 5 per cent.; primage for steamer consignments, a fee; ni ,i. ;• Led on shipments by sailing ves-

Oni'iic his '.l it In the West Coast nf th-’South Island, Mr H. J. H. Blow.i I'm'er-Seeretary for Public Works, will, hold a departmental inquiry into cer-| tain charges and counter-charges made; hv the employees ~t a Govcimuoiil do-, partmeut at Kumara. j