PASSING EVENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4313, 23 March 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

PASSING EVENTS.

History ia philosophy teaching by exomplco. —Thucydides. (From •'he "New Zealand Mail.’') Tiiy battle of the Australian Fedora! ‘‘■'cations rages round the tariff proposalsThought wages fierce over the question of Prcotrade versus Protection. The majority of the freetraders have taken Mp neutral ground. They admit that the taxation of imports ia the easiest way of raising the necessary supplies for the Commonwealth Parliament. The Protectionists cry aloud for such tariff as will preserve the whole of Australia, to tho local manufacturer, and they demand tiie imposition of such a tariff as will have tho effect of excluding European and American-made goods. This, .they Kay, is tho only way to protect Australian workers against undue competition from tho ovor-werknd and under-paid operators cf the industrial hives of Europe. On tho oth'ci* hand,, tho freetraders point out that the imposition of such taxation on imports as the Victorian manufacturers advocate will be like levying contributions from tho consumers for tho up-kccp of monopolistic manufacturers. Protection is, they say, tho taxation cf tho many for the benefit of tho few. The Australian producer will ho tho heaviest loser, inasmuch as ho will have to pay more under protection for what ho needs, whereas for what ho has to dispose of lie must compete against tho world. Tho protectionists brush this argument aside. They point to tho success and growth- of America and Germany under protective tariffs, and allege that the success of America is typical of what the industrial future of Australia. is certain to be if a protectionist policy is pursued. It is certain that whichever side wins in tho conflict, a re-venue-raising tariff is necessary. Whether it will tax commodities indiscriminately and for tho benefit and protection of certain manufacturers, or will judiciously impose the heavier burdens in ion luxuries rather than upon necessities, remains to bo seen. If the Protectionists win, the former course will bo adopted ; if tho Freetraders are successful, the latter course is alone open to them, having regard to the first necessity of tho Commonwealth Parliament—revenue.

13io question of protection or freetrader is one of great interest to country settlers. Farmers, squatters and. rural workmen are satisfied that the recent rebates in tho tariff by the* present administration were made in their interests, and they would be delighted to see further reduction. They aro fully alive to the fact that Iho increase of .industries and manufactures in towns tends to raise tho prices of farm produce, but when thoro is an over-produo-tioil of such commodities, as is the case in this country, and the surplus has to be 1 sent abroad, the protection afforded to the various manufactures is rather a loss to them than a gain, since they have to pay more for their manufactured goods. The American farmers . have long been satisfied on that point, and the State “Granges’' are now combining in California, Oregon, Illinois, Washington, Missouri,. Virginia and Pennsylvania for the purpose cl “demanding protection for agricultural staples by a bounty on exports.” A memorial on the subject has already been, drawn up, signed, and presented by Senator Tillman to the United States Senate. It throws an interesting andJ instructive side-light on the question now agitating Australia, and which must sooner or later disturb the people of New Zealand. The memorial is worth quoting. It states that the time is now at hand when, 'lf we are to have protection at all, it must ho ‘dual’ and not ‘mono.’ If wo are to have protection by a tariff on imports for manufactures, wei must also have protection for agricultural staples by a bounty on exports. One alone is inequity, which inequity can only be overcome by the ‘dual’ system or else by absolute and unrestricted free trade. The farmers of- America are particularly averse to the protection that is afforded to shipping trusts by the subsidies offered under -the new Navigation law of the States. Rightly or wrongly they affirm that a shipping trust 1 would 1 be more detrimental to their interests than all the other trusts put together; but that is a side issue. The chief burden of their agitation is for a just form of protection, and they conclude that if it is not deemed just to protect tha staples of agriculture by a bounty on exports, then neither is it just to protect manufacturers by a tariff on imports. This is a question that agriculturists and others will have to keep in mind when an Imperial Zollveircin comes up for consideration.

With the resolve of the! House of Commons not to reconsider the dismissal of General Colville from his Gibraltar command, the case of the injured general may he said to have closed. In doing so the Commons may havo acted wisely. Still, judging from the facts as they have 'come to light, it would seem that the status and career of an officer, whatever may ho his rank, length of service, and recognised professional ability, is at the mercy of any over-zealous War Minister. There can bo no doubt that the action of General Colville in the Lindley inci-dent-had been officially inquired into. That the result of the enquiry was satisfactory to the general is certain, inasmuch as Colvilio was reappointed to his former command at Gibraltar. It seems to us that if the military authorities who enquired into the general’s conduct were satisfied that he had only done his duty, the reopening of the case and his subsequent dismissal are contrary to all-legal practice. . Putting the matter on the lowest basis, a criminal once, acquitted would not be re-tried, upon, the same change. Surejy the law of evidence is the same in military as in civil practice.. If nob it is time that a reform,-were instituted, otherwise we may have an English Dreyfus sensation before'long, As a matter of fact, however, a military officer once acquitted! as.- ■ General Colville was of blame in the Lindley. incident, the charge against him even on the production of fresh evidence ought not to have been recognised, \ Mr.Brodrick, in allowing this to be done, cannot be held blameless, although the Government's majority in - the House of Commons is sufficient to stamp approval on bis action. A complaint has heieu made that several officers have been •ashiered on misleading evidence. The publiohave nothing to do with cases the facts of which they are not familiar with; but

hero was a case in which the accused was triad, acquitted, retried and condemned. In first exculpating General Colville from blame, and then condemning him, tho authorities have acted contrary to British conceptions of fair play, and retribution at the nation’s hands must follow tho War Office. General Celvillo’s conduct in ventilating his grievances in fho Press was contrary to all precedent, and under tho circumstances ill-advised; but for such a breach a worthy soldier’s career should not have been blasted.

Obviously Genera] Do Wet, the Boer , leader, is approaching the end of his tether. Amid tho conflicting nows rc- , specting the negotiations for peace, tflo truth is apparent that tho “flying Dutchman’' has cast discretion to the winds and a cruel “fight to a finish” is what ho is evidently resolved upon. Although his capture has not been effected, his-do-tormination to instigate a rising in Cape Colony has been frustrated, and the General is seeking, after a flight of hundreds of miles, in which he has far out-dis-tanced the British troops, to reorganise his forces by tho aggregation of wandering and disaffected Boers. Had the Boor leader been allowed to overrun Capo Colony, ns was his design, a civil war that pro-Boers at Horae and' in these colonies hoped for, would have been inevitable; but the power of British arms and the tactics of Sir Alfred Milner and tho Cape Government have averted so great a calamity. Tho declaration of martial law in the disaffected districts and the arming of the loyalists was an effective way of preventing a general rising when Do Wet and his followers crossed tho border into Cape Colony. It was a trying time for the loyal subjects in the South, but with tho repulsion of the invasion and the enforced flight of U.i Wot, who invariably acts on the adage, “he who fights and runs away will live ‘.o fight another day,” the Cape and itsnoeple have beeln saved from a tcrnb’e scourge. Everywhere now it is recognised that De Wet’s course is very near its end. Tho foreign Press, which has fanned the flames of war and rebellion, recognises this fact and counsels peace. It is reported that a meeting of Do I.a Hey, Botha and De Wet is to be held, but since De Wet has declared that he will rather die than yield, it is unlikely that any good will come out of the consultation. Do Wet’s concern for the Transvaalers has turned to hatred. This was to be expected, for the majority of these people have had-their eyes opened recently through learning the truth concerning the leaders of the Krugerito party, and are rapidly recognising that it is utterly hopeless to expect that two flags will ever again fly over Smith \frica. Under the British flag, which guarantees equality and freedom to both, Boor and Briton may yet dwell together in peace. Beyond.' the dark-shadows if the war there is surely dawning a brighter day for the Transvaal and Orange Col«ny.

Already the prospective visi t of the Duke and' Duchess of York is giving rise to a considerable amount of heart-burn-ing. This will doubtless enhance th-a pleasure of the occasion when it comes. From preparations now being made, i.. seems that no expense is to be spared to render the rejoicings as demonstrative as possible. It is over the question cf expense that tha bickering has begun. It will cost at least £4OOO to do oil that ought to be dona in this city on the occasion of the Royal visit, and it is calculated that something like £50,000 will have to be spent in a public way if New Zealand is to adequately demonstrate its loyalty. Many will aver that :,he money could be mora serviceably spent, butthac is not the question. Tho Duke and Duchess of York aro about to visit this country, and .it behoves its people to properly receive and honour their Royal Highnesses. As tho visit is ttse rcsi.ir of an invitation from the Premier, fbe Government ought .not to hesitate to make ample provision for sho-.vi ig proper hospitality. Nq doubt this will be done, but it will bo necessary for the Government to come down handsomely and subsidise Ipcal expenditure by bearing at least two-thirds cf the expense that local bodies are put to.. It does not appear to be fair to expect the ratepayers of isolated communities to bear the total cost cf demonstrations of loyalty that are to be representative! of the whole population. In (order to allay doubt and remove difficulties the Government ought to qiako known it a intentions; but perhaps the Premier is at. present withholding his hand ior diplomatic reasons.