CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7019, 6 January 1910, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

TARIFF REFORM. ,In tKo opinion of Mr A. A. Trindei’, a London ship-broker who at present is visiting Wellington, there is every likelihood of the British Liberal party being again.-returned to 'power- at tho coming genera] election. When ho • left Home in Septefnber last everything seemed to be pointing to the re- ’ jeotion of the Budget by the Lords, but. ho. was very doubtful whether the party advocating Tariff Reform as hn .alternative had much ohanoo of success. Personally, so ho told a “Times” repmrtor, he thought Tariff Reform ■would be a good thing. Ho presumed that under it some preference would , ho given .to, the products of- the colonies, but in any case could, not see that the change could • injuriously .affect our overseas trade- “If you are .given preference,” he, said, “you will bo in a. better . position than- at .present, for. foodstuffs must bo imported, tariff or ho tariff, while if there is no preference to you—well, you are no worse off than before and , compote with others on the;same terms.” THE CITY’S CRIME. Tho.official figures of the city’s crime during Inc last twelve months chow a slight, falling off as ’ compared with ' 1903, which also showed a decrease when compared with the, figures for tho .preceding year. During tho twelve montlis ending December . 31st .5320 persons' : wore taken into custody, suminoned or apprehended as against 5505'in 1903. Of this number, 403/ were discharged for want of. prosecution dr wont of evidence, 133 oases against persons were dismissed on their merits, while 165 prisoners were committed 1 -, for trial—being 7 more than in the previous twelve months. Them were 4629 persons summarily convicted, 20G0 Were fined, 062 imprisoned in lieu of-payment of fine, or finding surety, .459 were imprisoned “without the option," and' 33'males were whipped aa compared’with 7 males in 1903. Orders of various, kinds were made against 698 persons as against 686 in the foregoing yoarj while 721 persons wore convicted land discharged . compared with 667 in 1908. ; The civil business transacted during the , twelve - months shows an all round 'increase. .Tho plaints, entered numbered 6710 .is •against 6109 - in 1908. -Thcro were 2300 coses heard, the amount sued for ■ was £108,903 land the: sum recovered £51,836 Bs. -In 1908 the amount suet for was £96,066 Bs. tho sum rcc-overcc being £50,423 14s 7d. “CRICKET DOES NOT KEEP A MAN.” / During the course of his remarks in proposing the health ' of Noble and, Trumper at a “wolco-mo' home” at Sydney last week,. Colonel Neild, who presided, said it would be a deplorable thing: if, as rumoured. Noble were to retire from _ first-class cricket. Mr Noble, referring to the matter of his retirement, said this was a very grave question for a man to tackle. He recognised, as every. man must recognise, that a. time came when ho must give up cricket. “Cricket does not keep a man,’-’ the Australian captain wont on to say. “There are times when ho must consider himself. There have been things done and said which render it not conducive te a man’s interests to remain there , any longer. Cricket or business? My . vote goes with business. No man in this club, or any member of tho public, will blame me for that. My associations with the Paddington Chib have "been such a source of pleasure to me that I do not intend to give up cricket so far as that club is concerned. I only hope that my associations with the 'Paddington Club will remain with mo Belong as X remain, on this earth. ” (Cheers). Mr Victor Trumpor, who has been a member of the Paddington Cricket Club for the past thirteen years, and who has severed, his ■ connection with the club owing to having taken up his residence in. the northern suburbs, was presented by his old club, mates with three pieces of plate—a. flower bowl and two fem pots. The presentation was made by Senator Neild, who referred to Trumper’s great average of 79.22 off tho bat in thirteen seasons of first-grade cricket as a marvellous performance. The dull regretted very much the severance of Trumper, but it was hoped that it -was only temporary. Mr O, tV. Oakes (Honorary Minister) refer, red to Mr Trumper as the most dashing “bat” tho world had ever seen. Mr Trumper, in acknowledging the presentation, said ho hoped tho seven* anco would not bo for long. The presentation bore the inscription—“To Victor Trumper ; much esteemed; from his cricketing comrades, Paddington, 1909.” : .: REVOLVER IN THE NAVY. Not long a,ge there was a discussion among the gunnery men of the navy aa to tho necessity, or even tho utility, of retaining the revolver on board ship for the use of -other persons than officers

(writes the London correspondent of tho Svtlncy “Telegraph’"'). Those who supported tho proposal for tlw) abolition of this very useful naval weapon argued that as tho days of boarding practically come to an cud, tho rou t lass and tho revolver arc little more tlum ornamental parts of a lieotiuan’s fighting equipage. Tliey likewise argued that if seamen and stokers were over again landed for shore fighting, which was unlikely after the cost in personnel to tho fleet during the late South African war, in such engagements as at Graspan, then all the men forming naval contingents wo oi l ho armed with rifles, if they wore required in tho fighting line, or close up to it for tho conveyance of ammunition, while tho men -engaged under the Genova Cross would not need arms of any description. In tho navy officers aro provided with service weapons on landing, and are furnished with tho ordinary revolver carried by seamen; while on hoard ship swords are the only weapons' worn by officers of all ‘ranks, down to the cadet with, his dirk. For boat work, however, revolvers are sometimes handy on swell a station as tho East Indies, whore boats aro largely used for tho suppression of tho slave trade, and to prevent tho landing of arms on tho coast for overland transport to Afghanistan. COJI-VniKOTAXi AIN'T) FTN'ANCLVL OUTLOOK. Optimism is the prevailing note of tho ‘ "Trade Review's” monthly survey of tho financial position in the Dominion. In yesterday's issue it remiairks that tho December quarter, which has just terminated, is a' period which always brings with it substantial demands upon tho New Zealand money market. On the one hand tho advances against wool and other produce winch go out in tho autumn season, leave their mark most heavily on tho hank returns for the December quarter, while on the other hand the import and export rot urns for this period invariably exhibit a balance’, more or loss substantial, on tho sideof imports. This has been tho experience, certainly, for the last ten years, and for the last three years the excess has averaged over £900.000 for tho December quarter. “The banking and trade returns for the quarter just concluded aro looked forward to_ with con - si durable interest and wo think” says tho “Review,” “that there is every reason to anticipate that tho results will prove to bo unusually favourable and satisfactory. Wo expect to sco, na compared with tho statistics of a. year ago. a shrinkage in tiro value of imports and an increase in exports sufficient to negative tho experience of recent years and bring the two sides to an approximate equality, (possibly even showing a slight excess of exports over imports. As regards exports, wool and dairy produce have ooino forward exceptionally early. Shipments of butter and cheese to December Slat exceed! in value those of the corresponding period of last year by about £250,000. Tho quantity of wool brought to auction to the same date also exceeds that of last year by .some 33,000 bales. Tho proceeds of these products coming to book .unusually early must have a favourable effect on Itho financial position. Of course the January-March quarter is the important period df the year in respect of our export trade, the proportion of our products going forward in that period being usually about 40 per cent., in value, of the whole year. The! total value'of our ‘exports for that period is usually about £7,000,000 and the current season promises to be an . exceptionally good one. With improving commercial prospects in the world generally the outlook before tho . Dominion for the year - upon which we have just entered is most encouraging.” NHWS NOTES A man named 1 John Ross has been missing from the Otago Buflot for several days. Ho left hia swag there more than a week ago, intimating that he would return. whan the holidays were over. He not returned, and the police, are now inquiring as to his whereabouts. Captain Stringer, of tho Takapuna, which returned to Wellington from Picton loot night, told a "Times” reporter that the _ bartonnnaster at Picton informed him veKtordny that ho had not received confirmation of the relighting of tho Jqcxson Hoad .light. The Miramar Borough Cottocu at its Booond meeting in March next, will consular a nonce of motion;—“That a fare of Id per mile be charged on all cars for ordinary traffic. Thai: vtoupone bo issued entitling purchasers to twentyfour through rides for 3s. These fares .to he subject to. alterations during holiday or extraordinary traffic." Tharo was a crowded audience at the to Seamen Instate,to last evening, when a concert was fdven by Mrs John Blundell, assisted by Mrs Baseon, Misses Easson (2), Coote, Whaler, Kead, and Meters G. Williamson, Portions, Goudle, Schaohfc-, and Bliss. A sympathetic resolution was passed in reference to tho wreck of tho Waikaxo in Dusky Eound. A well-known Edcndalo settler has, by tho death of an uncle in Cornwall, inherited a legacy worth over £15,000 sterling (says tiro "Wyndham Farmer”;. The trustees of. the estate have been trying to ascertain the fortunate heir's whereabouts for some time, and .he has now been formally advised of his good luck by the legal firm ho engaged in tho COSO. Charges of drunkenness in the local Court dnjing 1009 show a falling off os compared with the number in the previous year. Last twelve months 21C7 persons (310 females) were charged with inebriety, as against 2263 (181 females) in 1908. There wore 92 charges of being drunk and disorderly, as against 119 in the foregoing twelve months. Prohibition orders were granted againsc 132 in. dividual*;, 22 being females, as compared with 158 orders issued in 1908, of which 1 17 were against females. The Nanier wool sales ti place today, when about 30,200 bale* arc to be offered by the following firms: Williams and Kettle 4600, H.B. Farmers’ Cooperative Association 4-100, Dalgety and Co.. 3900, Wonley and Lanauze 3800. Do I’elichet:. McLeod and Co. 1800, Loan and Mercantile 1700. "It will readily bo seen," remarks the “Telegraph,” "that this splendid total speaks eloquently to tho farmers of increased returns, and surely heralds tho arrival of a fresh ora of prosperity for the Dominion. Taking each bale at an average value of £ls this works out at tho magnificent total of £300,000.

When tbo steamer Mararoa was leaving the wharf on tlio morning of NewYear’s Day. a number of passengers saw tno body of a man floating in the water near the wharf. Tho police made a careful search but it was unsuccessful, and the supposition was that the churning of the Mararoa's propeller had caused tho body to come to tho surface. Yesterday Frank Dickson, a diver employed by Messrs McLoan and Co., went down to search for the body of tho drowned man. Ho recovered .it and it was then identified as tho remains of Neil Millar, who hud been in tho employment of Dr. Cahill for something like fifteen years. Ito was a native of Scotland, a single man, and about fortvtwo years of age. An inquest will lie held at the morgue at 11 o’clock this morning.

In commenting upon the state of tho import market daring the past month, the ‘"Trade- Review” says that generally trade lias been sound and financial obligations satisfactorily met. The “Review” remarks that it seems evident that the tendency on the part of importers in tho Dominion is still to exercise caution in importing. One of the results of the coal strike in Now South Wales has been uu absolute cessation of orders for Australia for Now Zealand hemp. The market has also been very quiet for other reasons, and values have declined by about £1 per ton. Good fair is now quoted at from £3l to £2l ss, and fair from £23 to £33 5s for January shipment. Ovor-stooking and falling-off in tho demand upon the resources of tho clothing trade together had the. effect bust year of causing a heavy decline in importations of drapery, and a still heavior decliue in these of woollen piece goods. Tho “Trade Review” remarks that the declines noted were really very striking, in some ports being nearly 60 percent.

Over 400 persons aro coming to New Zealand by tho Ruahiue, duo at Wellington next Saturday from Loudon, 100 of whom aro assisted immigrants, ami 37 adults. There are 27 men, 47 women, and 32 children. Thirty-nine of the adults and 26 of the children have been nominated by friends in New Zealand. included in the total are.2s married women, while 22 of the remaining females are described as ‘‘domestics.” Of late years there has been a rapid decline in the number of bicycles imported into New Zealand, and also in oho average cost per machine, while tho importation of parts and material is steadily, though slowly, on the increase. The value of the latter brought into the port of Lyttelton alone is more than three times the value of the machines imported into tho whole Dominion. The number of machines which came to the Dominion last year was only 6313, as against 10,338 tho year before, and 14,212 in 1005-6,

The announcement from Cambridge the other day of “important changes” at Te Waikato sanatorium was somewhat premature. It is true Miss Rochfort, who has been matron for many years, has resigned, but there will be no curtailment of tho general staff. There 13 no truth iu the report that the Karo re tree-planting camp for consumptives is to be permanently closed. It was closed down in November on account of the difficulty experienced in finding suitable employment for the sufferers, but the camp is to be re-openeu almost immediately.

One of -die reasons given by a London shipbrokei now visiting Wellington for the increase of German as compared with British shipping, is that. Germans are more patriotic in this particular respect. They would far rather ship produce in boats belonging to their countrymen, even though it might entail some sacrifice, whereas Englishmen, as a rule, would ship in any vessel that came along. He found that German firms were getting a big hold on the Australian trade to Germany, though they did not take any part in the trade direct to tho United Kingdom.

That educational experiences are not all dull was proved by Mr Owen, a North Canterbury delegate, who moved a resolution at the Educational Institute Conference yesterday, providing for a longer period of training for school teachers. He told the story of a training college product rapidly turned out .for teaching purposes, who returned tho roll number of his class at 55, when there were 56. “X suppose he was lying down,” explained the new-fledged instructor and disciplinarian, when the omission was pointed out. .Mr Owen found it necessary to explain to tho same young gentleman that in his school they did not spell “forty” with an ‘u.

We read of tho English Great Western whisking its patrons from Paddington to Plymouth, a distance of 225 miles, in lust over four hours; of the Midland cavering the 206 miles, London to Liverpool, under the four hours; of the. sixty-milo-an-hour expresses of the pimcipal .French companies, or of tho New iork Central and Pennsylvania s oighteen■hour expresses between Chicago and New York, a distance of a thousand miles, •and wo arc envious. W© naturally hesitate to compare the twenty-two-and-a-half-mile-au-hour express between Auckland and Wellington, or the even worse twonty-one-mile-un-hour New Plymouth•Wollington star train, and tho twenty-mile-an-hour Napier-Wellington flyur, with -such records, — Auckland Star. In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday Mr W G Riddell, S.M., had a comparatively short list of cases, on the criminal side, before him. Four persons wore convicted of drunkenness and, as they "were first offenders, were lightly dealt, with. Donald Clark was charged with being an idle and disorderly person. His Worship did not regard the evidence as sufficient to sustain a conviction and tho defendant was discharged. A young married woman was charged with having attempted to commit suicide. It appeared that sho had suffered from a. certain amount of domestic worry. Mr Ri<ldoll pointed, out to her the folly of her action and she expressed penitence, Sho was ordered to com© up for sentence when called upon.

The cinematograph films of the Plumpton Park trotting meeting, which have been secured by .Mr Franklyn Barrett for Pathe Froros, will give sportsmen iu Europe and other parte of the world a good idea of the progress the sport has made here (says the Christchurch “Press”). All the films of Now Zealand, which' comprise a riiost comprehensive series of soenic, industrial and ing piofnros, illustrations of Maori customs and views of the four cities, wall he sent home to Paris to tho head office of tho firm. Prom there they will be distributed all over the world, bo that the Dominion will receive a magnificent advertisement. Mr Barrett also succeeded in getting some excellent pictures of the holiday team traffic in the Square and various events at the Bell Wheel Raoo Meeting at Lancaster Park. Details df the criminal statistics for Wellington, city far the year just past show an inapeaso of one in cases in wMch. persons were charged with assaulting tho police. There wore 73 charges of breaking and entering, against 30 in 1008. With respect to offences against good order, 338 persons were charged wfth breaches in the city proper; 20 for alleged offences at Korori, tu? compared with' 52 tho previous year; g ven at Onalow, and two at JohnsoaviUe, which supplied 17 charges in 1908. Cases of desertion of wives and children, fell to four from fifteen iu the preceding year. • Casee in which per- . sons were charged with pLaying with ingtnuneuts for gaming in a public place showed a big increase, mainly as the result of "two-up" 1 raids, 37 persons being charged, against none in the previous year.

George Hackenschmidt. the famous wrestler, arrived from South Africa, accompanied by Gunner Moir as trainer, and Bain as wrestling ]Kirtucr. by the Lund liner Wilcaimia at Adelaide last week. Ho was mot at Port Adelaide by Mr E. P. Baker, of Melbourne, who while in America recently arranged a. match between Hackonschmidt and Gotch to decide the wrestling championship of the world, to take place in. Melbourne during January. Now it appears that the match will toll through. Mr Baker received a cable from Gotch some months ago that an operation on his nose had becon found necessary, and that it would bo twelve months before ho would bo ablo to wrestle again. Keen disappointment was depicted upon Haekenschmidfs face when Baker told him of tho facts.

“That’s bad nows,” commented Haekenschmidt; "I had been looking forward to this match." The big wrestler subsequently remarked, “That was what X really eamo to Australia for. In the event of Gotch not meeting mo as arranged. I shall certainly claim the championship.” Hackonschmidt and his party, in company with several vaudeville artists, opened a tour by entertainment in Melbourne Town, Hall on Boxing Night.

Tho Commissioner of Taxes notifies that income-tax is to be paid on January 31st. There will be a sweet pea and carnation -show at tho Drill Hall, Petone, next Saturday.

Tho extra express trains to and from Wellington and Auckland are to ble discontinued after next Sunday. For selling liquor to natives at Kawn, in the King Country, in February of last voar. John Oliver was fined the maximum penalty of £3O, or in default three montits’ imprisonment, by Mr Loughnan, S.JL, at Hamilton yesterday. “I don’t hold for a moment that you can test anybody’s capabilities by examination ; the whole thing is humbug 1 —Professor Hunter at the Educational Institute Conference. This remark was heartily applauded. Kerosene was imported into New. Zealand last year in very large quantities. The shipments totalled over five and a half million gallons, which was rather more than a million gallons in excess ot those during the previous twelve months.

The Northern Bowling. Association's Tournament Committee is to meet at the Wellington Club’s pavilion at h o’clock on Saturday. All players Liking part in tho tournament (except B section, who will take the 8.20 train for the Hutt) are requested to meet at the "Wellington Bowling Club’s green on Monday morning, at 8.45, when the president, Colonel Collins. 1.fe.0., will open the tournament. Special trains will leave afterwards to convey players to the different greens.

A number of Auckland merchants received a. pleasant surprise in the way of a Now Year’s gift from Mr A. li. Donald, principal in. tho firm of Donald and Edenborough, ship chaiullcrs. Some years ago, during a period of. financial stress, the firm made a composition with its creditors. Mr Donald now informs tha-,o creditors who accepted the composition that they will receive full settlemenit of the balance, and sends out several thousand pounds for that purpose.

Is it ix>ssible that in New Zealand •there can bo witnessed the farce of a Volunteer officer receiving arrest, trial, and judgment all virtually at the hands of tho superior officer \ipon whom, he is alleged to have made reflections amounting in military circles to insubordination? At tho inquiry Captain Knyvett was called upon to show that ho was justified in making certain statements •in so far as that he honestly believed them to be true when ho wrote them, and that he wrote them only with the limtention of getting redress. It was au •absurd quest upon which tho court set out, and tho result was only what was to be expected—the tribunal got befogged in tho attempt to examine Captain Knyvett without allowing itself to H>ause over tho merits of any unavoidable reflections that had been made concerning tho head of tho Defence Staff. —

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