TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4636, 15 April 1902, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

PREFERENTIAL TRADE. The news that the British Chancellor of the Exchequer is about to propose heavy import duties on wheat, and flour is in some quai'ters interpreted to mean that desperate devices have to be resorted to in order to raise war revenue. It seems to us more likely that the proposed duty is designed ag part of a scheme of inter-imperial reciprocity. Supposing the duty on breadstuffs to be imposed, it would be a simple matter to allow a rebate on Indian and colonial wheat, thus giving it a preference against the foreign product. The duty would also encourage British agriculture and flour-milling, which are now languishing because of foreign competition. Therd is a 1 powerful party in Great Britain working for these ends. At a conference convened a few weeks ago by the United Empire Trade League, and presided over by Mr James Lowther, M.P., the following resolution was proposed by Sir Howard Vincent, M.P., and carried unanimously:— “This meeting urges upon his Majesty’s Government and the Imperial Parliament that, from a financial, manufacturing and agricultural point of view, a thorough reconsideration of the existing fiscal system of the United Kingdom is essential before the presentation of the coming Budget, having regard to the constant growth of expenditure and the yearly increasing pressure of direct taxation. It further declares that the true direction of reform lies in the development of commercial intercourse upon a preferential basis between the various portions of the British Empire, and in giving a Customs advantage in Great Britain and Ireland to all colonial products of one-third of the duty levied, and thereby following the noble example of Canada towards the Mother Country upon the removal of the restraining treaties by Lord Salisbury in 1898.” In his opening speech, Mr Lowther, advocating the inauguration of a reciprocal policy with regard to the colonies, mentioned that he had had placed in his hands a letter from the Premier of New Zealand, who said: “Once Imperial federation and unifies tion is accomplished, the safety of the Empire will be assured for all time. The ties of kindred are already very strong, and when amplified by the establishment of a preferential tariff, of British trade for the British people and independent self-help, there will he formed an unbreakable and everlasting bond, which will for ever unite and keep them in an indissoluble link.”

HORSE-BREEDING IN NEW ZEALAND. A matter of considerable importance to this country was discussed (writes our Palmerston North, correspondent) at the meeting of the committee of the A. and P. Association on Saturday last, viz., the exportation of military remounts, and consequent depletion of the colony’s breeding stock by reason of the number of mares shipped. The matter was brought up by Mr R. S. Abraham, who proposed a motion bearing on the subject, which met with the approval of the meeting. Mr Abraham’s motion was: “That the horse schedule committee be requested to draw up a motion for the consideration of the conference, with the object of getting the Government to restrict the exportation of mares suitable for breeding remounts.” Speaking to the motion, Mr Abraham said that most of them recognised that the way in which the breeding stock of the colony was being depleted was becoming a very serious matter. He had no doubt that the experience Imperial officers had gained would bring them again and again to the colony to secure remounts. It was all right so far as geldings were concerned, and if they bad been prepared for the demand. Turn years ago hack horses were a drug in the market, and there was no particular object gained in breeding them; at all events, it was not a regular business. There was certainly a good thing before the country if the stock they had to work on now could be conserved. If, however, the stock was depleted, the New Zealand horse would lose its character of being a reliable and good-boned animal. From his experience of sales it was clearly indicated that the stock generally would rapidly deteriorate unless something were done. Mr J. G. Wilson considered by instructing buyers to select geldings only, the object of Mr Abraham’s motion would be served. In reply to a member who remarked that such an instruction would not apply to the Imperial buyers, Mr Wilson pointed out that there were something like 249,000 horses in the colony, and the Imperial buyers were only taking some 700. Mr Wheeler thought it was a parallel case with the frozen lamb question. He, was against the motion, as he considered that if the number of horses was reduced it would tend to raise the price of the others. Mr Wilson pointed out that Ireland had lost enormously by the fact that the mares were all sent out of the country. Sir Wheeler thought that if they allowed many horses to go out of the country the mares would naturally become valuable, and the difficulty would right itself. In his opinion they were inter-

tho prevention of inferior stallions being used. One bad stallion would do far more harm than any number of mares. Mr Abraham’s motion was withdrawn, tho mover being satisfied with tho attention that had been drawn to the subject.

SUBMARINE TRAVEL. Mr Henry Zander, erstwhilo of Ashburton, is (writes our London correspondent) looking forward to tho time when the busy New Zealand merchant will be able to traveqr) tho length of the colony without anjtemplatiiig the unpleasant possibilities of Cook Strait and mal-dc-mer. The gonial Zander is very much interested in a scheme for submarine travel by moans of an invention of a Germane marine engineer, Herr Lops, who has patented a novelty in submarine boats. His craft is electrically driven, and has tho same capacity for sinking and rising to tho surface as tho ordinary typo of submarine, but instead of being allowed to go on its sub-aqueous travels save for its own machines and the men in charge, it is to go only in a foro-or-daiuod straight lino from point 'to point, being kept thereto by means of a stout cable hold in position by guiding frames on “bridges ’’ firmly anchored at intervals to the bottom of the sea. The cable is not taut, but is so arranged between the various “bridges’ that the boat, which travels along lb by moans of a sort of pulley wheel clutch, is always kept about forty feet below tho surface, except, of course, when tho depth of water near laud is less than that. The cable has nothing to do with the propulsion of tho boat , and is, indeed, a mere guide rope. Tn event of anything going wrong with the works, one movement of a lover releases the clutch, and the boat rises to the surface. Tho invention is to be tried in Kiel Harbour in tho autumn, and the German Emperor has promised to bo one of the first passengers. Meanwhile. Mr Zendor and a number of friends have in contemplation the formation of a company with a capital or £2,000,000, and they propose to give us (tho Governments of England and Franco acquiescing, and other matters being satisfactorily arranged) a transChannol submarine service of 160-tees boats, capable of travelling about twen-tv-three miles an hour, which would, enable them to traverse the narrowest part of the straits of Dover m less than fittv minutes. These boats are to bo capable* of carrying about 300 passengers. Tho service at first would bo Composed of four passenger' craft and four tugs for towing freight boats, and the promoters estimate that the initial outlay for cables, boats, harbours etc., would not exceed a million and a half sterling. The earnings, course, very problematical, especially the passenger boat receipts; but Mr Zander and bis friends are sanguine that they could earn a modest 25 per cent, on two millions, in spite of tho Prejudico most people have in favour M feeing where they are going. Personally, Jfancy nine people out of ten would rather bo sea-sick a dozen times iba trust themselves to any kind of submarine tramway for three-C[uarters ofa hour; but for merchandise and mails the submarines may prove useful and profitable to the promoters of the scheme. My own idea is that the French and English Goyernmonts may not care for the two countrios to bo “linked up” in the manner Mr Zander proposes, and the project is bo'md te meet with fierce opposition from the existing Steamer lines.