PASSING EVENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5134, 28 November 1903, Page 10

PASSING EVENTS.

(iV-AMi ihu “New /f.'iiland Mail.”) iJietory is piilkiauphy teaciiias b.T ©iampler*. —Thscjclides. The report of the f >f Comnioj’oo Coininiilco ot Parliament i : ; n. complete) icinta.tion oi' Ihu charj'us made Hgauist Uju FiourinilW’s Association by Air T. K. Taylor. Thk politician is far 100 ready to make a.vjoruons lio 1.-5 u;iablo to cubotantialc'. It is a strength of tlio flesh, tho spirit of somo men is too v/o:tk to overcome. Thu enquiry has done "ood. It has demonstrated that tho fonuutiau m the Flum-millers’ A-ssaciatiou J)as not been doterimenlal to the public, nor injurious to the interests of tho producers. The combination was formed to nrolect its Individual memher;-.. Wo havo mere ilenr inijis iu Ncw Z< aland than aro ucc<«bary for tho making of flour for home consumption. Knnning nine lionrr. a cloy they aro capahlu of manufacturing ail tho flour this colony requires. When flour mill.; were running night ami day, and their owners competing for .a limited market, Iho Immncm was far from satisfactory. His not too "ood yet, but by -the formal ion of tho oombinatiou some control was exercised over the output, and whatever was produced ivis sold at a fair price. There has been no restriction imposed upon tho manufacturing of flour by individual millers, but all orders for flour aro received by tho Association and allocated to tho respective mills ill the conibinal ran according to their individual But tho opponents and captions critics c? the Association havo contended like Mr T. K Taylor chat this oombinatiou was brought into existence for tho purpose of rawing tho price of flour; that flour has risen as a consequence; and Unit tho continuance of tho Association is a menace to public weal. Many behoved tho statements circulated by Mr Taylor, and gloried in his attack upon what tho Committed styles an Association lor tho self-protection of tho flourmillcrs; they will now have an opportunity of cammisenuing him iu hi;; discomfiture. But Mr Taylor is not likely to bo displeased at tl.is exposure of his tactics. Frequent exposure dulls the moral susceptibilities oven of politicians, and this exposing) for that reason is likely to havo no effect upon Mr Taylor. Moreover, it was alleged that the Flourmillcrs’ Association was controlling tho bakers and that its influeuoo was raising the price of bread to consumers, because it would only sell, it was contended, to union bakers. Tho Committee has found that tho Association sells to all bakers able to pay for its flour, and although it fixes the price of flour that price can never riso to what it can bo imported for, so that apart from tho question of raising tho price of bread, tho Association is incapable of creating a monopoly or forming a ‘’corner” iu wheat and flour. If , bread is ono bajf-ponny dearer than it would bo because of tho action of tho Muster and Operative Bakers’ Unions, tho profits and wages aro better. There are no insolvencies and wages aro fixed. Some complain about fixing tho prices of commodities, hut whop tho price of labour in an industry is fixed by an Arbitration Court, it is reasonable that tho output and prico of that industry should bo regulated and fixed, otherwise ruination would pursue tho industry. Some form of organisation on tho part of capital is as essential as organisation on tho part of labour. When either becomes so aggressive as to menace tho public weal, parliamentary enactment should bo called upon to protect the people. In tills caso there does not appear to bo any necessity for legal interference.

There are difficulties in tlio W£ y of Panama being recognised as a new republic by Great Britain. The British investor is interested in the debt of Columbia, of which country Panama formed a part, and Groat Britain hesitates to recognise tho new republic lest tho Coilumbians should repudiate that portion of tho debt which ought to bo borne by Panama. Tho difficulties of tho position are not insurmountable, but tho entire transaction may not bo clean. Tho creation of tho new republic will bo regarded as a triumph in American diplomacy, and tho matter of apportioning tho. debt will be easily overcome by tho delegates of the United States. It has been suggested that Panama should devote a portion of tho . money obainod for the canal to tho pay- : mont of that portion of tho Columbian debt which she is justly entitled to bear. The total foreign debt of Columbia is about throe millions sterling, some portion of this being accumulated interest, and nearly the who 1c being duo to English investors. Wore Panama to shoulder, say one million of tho entire debt, she would be taking slightly more than her share; and wore the United States Government to guarantee tho payment of the interest on tho behalf of the entire Columbia debt, it would still bo obtaining tho Panama canal on good terms. The price to ho paid to the now republic for the absolute, sovereignity of tho canal and ten miles on each side of it is two millions sterling, and that is by no means extravagant. True, America is to throw the canal open to all nations on equal terms, but the advantage strategically and commercially will bo greater for herself than for any other nation. According to the terms ratified by tho United States Senate, 'America was ready to pay to Columbia for tho Panama canal ten million dollars (two millions sterling) and an annual rental of £50,000. The lease was to ho for one hundred years with tho privilege of renewal. This offer was practically agreed to but afterwards actually rejected by Columbia. She wanted donblo the money in cash payment and £BO,OOO a year rental. The United States Government would have nothing to do with those terms. Tho money to bo paid by the United States to the French Canal Company under all circumstances has been fixed at eight millions sterling, and Columbia wanted along with the other conditions a quarter of this payment. Then over all Colombian sovereignity was to be maintained. Congress instructed President Roosevelt to provide for tho making of the. Nicaraguan route, and the view was Colombia would some day be annexed bv tho United States. In the meantime tlie idea of a separte republic in Panama took possession of some dominant minds in American politics, and rightly or wrongly it is stated that the more unscrupulous of American politicians fomented tho insurrection; and tho Government of President .Roosevelt has been the first to recognise Panama as an independent republic. Wo cannot approve of tiio black-mailing policy of the Government of Columbia, hut the Americana have displayed little regard for their moral obligations, and the Monroo doctrine has been again violated. The integrity of Columbia is a canon of that creed, and the United. States has been the first to disregard it. Wo eco them ready to tako part in quelling a revolution in Hayti, while they are anxious for insurrection and a new republic on the isthmus. If the Americans can make a better deal through insurrection, then insurrection is approved and

money offered to maintain it. L bisurrcciion is a. menace to their tiaUe and profit then the Americans wil.quoj it Tim national honour of tho United .Stales is not high, and the pndo of |K create:-1 statesmen m tho pa-<v has departed from its public men of to-day.

By lbe passing of tho Naval Agreement Bill, another step has been taken towards tho formation of_ a .serve in Australia and New Zemand. That this is to be the outcome of -ho proposal put forward by Mr Seddoa a„ the Premier’s Conference does no., -it first view appear. In tho first place, tho Australasian squadron is fotio .n-catlv improved. A now cruiser, the Challenger, has been built m anticipation of the Premier’s oilers >ei,m ratified fcv the various State Pm Imment.H and this vessel will bo followed by another called the Encounter. Now It has been decided that service for from three to five years will bo offered on special pay to youths of fifteen yea.-, of age in both Australia and bow Zealand, Nmo hundred youngsters will be requited for this service. ', c -> (ii-t be drilled on bean, third-class cruisers, ami those who qualify in a given time will then become eligible for positions onboard ilio ninv sccomclass cruiser. It is expected that t o naval cadet system of Queensland tv ill bo largely drawn upon at MM, but each State and Now Zealand will bo allowed, according to population, to send As quota of young men to the Austral,a; an squadron. A naval cadet system is likely to be adopted by other Smces, and m all, it is expected, men will bo found who have previously served in tho Koya Navy. These will bo invited to enrol themselves as a. .Naval iioservo forco, to consist, for tho present, of some seven hundred and .fifty officers and men. As soon as tho young lads of fifteen or sixteen have given three to five years service to their country in a second-class cruiser, they may retire to this reserve force, which will bo raised in six or seven vears to some two thousand men. Having joined the Australasian squadron, onr young men will be eligible for service'abroad. This is quico consistent with tho idea of tho best naval authorities It i.s the opinion of such men as Admiral Fanslmwo, for instance, that neither Australia or New Zealand stand in any danger of invasion from a foreign foo so long as Great Britain is mistress of 'the seas; and the best service tms country can render tlio Empire Ls to assist the iMothcr Country with men and money in proportion to onr population and ability to man and furnish tho Empire’s navy. The idea, of a sepal arate navy for the Australian States is beside tho question, and would bo a weakness rather than an assistance to the British fleet in caso of war. Tho Australian navy would, because of its. weakness, have to remain at homo to watch a .shore it would be incapable of adequately guarding, although, in- a general conflict it wound be of service. What is wanted for the defence of # this country is not a navy, but the raising of cur land forces to a strength capable of repelling an invasion, and such support to the British Navy as has been proposed. It is now tlio duty of every portion of the Empire to bo ready to make sacrifices for the good of tlio whole, and that principle has been endorsed and acted upon more than once .by tho leaders of public opinion in this country.

It has been said that for ways that aro dark, and tricks that are rain, the heathen Chinee is peculiar. This may be quite 'characteristic of the Celestial, but it would appear from the Petitions Committee’s report on the matter of Mr I*. W. Isitt’s petition that this reverend gentleman has been emulating the distinguishing features of Bret Harte’s Ah Sin. The Rev. Mr Isitt has, to put it mildly, dono some peculiar things in connection with his having obtained (not to use the harsher term of tho House) a ballot paper from some unknown person. He wrote eleven letters to returning officers who were presiding over the last local option polll, asking them to sena him samples of the ballot papers in use, and lie affirms that he received three of the papers so used from different returning officers. That these papers, on the evidence of Mr Isitt himself, are in his possession there is_ no doubt; and from the evidence of various witnesses tho Committee finds that Mr Isitt was in illegal possession of a stolen voting paper on the morning of the election for the Wellington Licensing Committee. It was given to him on that day, he says, but ho declines to say who gave it to him. With a smile both “pensive and childlike,” the Rev Mr Isitt denies that he abstracted it himself ; but that it was stolen there can bo no manner of doubt, and so the Committee finds that Mr Isitt is in possession of stolen'property. This justifies the Committee in recommending tho Government to give the matter further ' consideration and to take action if necessary. But what right had Mr Isitt or any other man to incite by request various returning officers to steal a ballot paper to oblige Mr Isitt? What was Mr Isitt’s object? He says it was not for the purpose of having returning officers prosecuted; and he was brave enough not to mention the name a: the person from whom he obtained a ballot paper in tho Licensing Committee election. But it ought to bo observed that Mr Isitt presents this petition asking for an inquiry—really an exposure of bis own misconduct—six months and two days after the event. Four mgnths ago Mr Isitt could have brought tms matter before Parliament. Why did he delay? It appeare that a prosecution would have had to bo instituted within six months from tho committal of the offence, and so Mr Isitt, from pure conscientious scruples, decided not to bring tho subject before Parliament until a prosecution was impossible. Yet Mr Isitt, who “did _ not understand” the game he was playing, deferred action by tho merest accident, flow no one would question the reverend gentleman’s integrity, honesty and straightforwardness, but not a few will be ready to discount the flattering testimonials that his admiring friends have just accorded him. Mr Isitt did not intend to take the stolen property. Ho would not for a moment be a recipient of even a'purloined ballot paper unless he petitioned Parliament about it six months after, so that then no prosecution could be made against him or his disinterested friend. All Mr Isitt meant to do was to teat tho protection of the ballot, and then, having induced some unsuspicious person, unsuspicious as to Mr Isitt’s intent, to purloin a ballot paper, ho is ready to declare that the ballot is not sufficiently protected. ' Tho ballot is sufficiently protected, if anything is protected from wicked and designing men. To say that Mr Isitt was not actuated by the purest of motives in doing what ho lias done in this matter is, according to Mr T. 13. Taylor, hut“to cast pearls before swine” ; and acting on the Scriptural injunction that we aro not to so cast our pearls, wo would refrain from attenipting to demonstrate that Mr Isitt desired and obtained possession of a ballot paper for tho purpose of upsetting tho result of

the election ha,-! it boon adverse to h i'ctl&h.