The Oamaru Mail FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1910.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10441, 29 April 1910, Page 3

The Oamaru Mail FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1910.

The Lyttelton Times and the Otago Daily Times are The Cablegrammer. having a duel. The Chrisfchureh daily asserts that the cables in reference to Home politics have unfairly favored the Tories, and quotes evidences; but the Dunedin daily is not to be influenced by any such proofs where Tory interests are concerned, and persists that the cables are fair to all parties. Our Dunedin contemporary is "in the wrong. Several weeks ago we were, compelled to draw attention to the same bias that lias been detected and denounced by the Lyttelton Times, and the cases we quoted were so glaring that neither the Otago Daily Times nor any other newspaper, however clever, could have either denied their existence or excused them. We do not suppose that any intentional partiality is shewn to the antiGovernment party, but the effect is not affected either by' motive or absence of it. When the" cable compiler intersperses his facts with the quite gratuitous and wholly improper favorable comments upon the remarks of anti-Government speakers and treats the speeches of Government supporters in a contrary fashion, and there, arc two or three instances of this partiality in a single issue, it is time to protest that the cable service is being made, a vehicle for the promotion of political purposes. What excuse has the Otago Daily Times for the bias displayed in excerpts from cables which appeared in our issue of the Bth instant? We re-quote them:— For instance, yesterday's messages alone contain the following passages:—" . . . Mr 'Lyttelton administered a stinging rebuke to Mr Churchill for his ungenerous and unseemly action," etc.; "MiGibson Bowles sharply criticised the resolutions;" "Mr Bonar Law made a telling summing up for the Opposition." We .cannot call to mind a single instance in which similar compliments have been paid the Government side; but, in any case, they are unwarrantable. We are aware that the cables are not specially prepared in England for New Zealand; but the New Zealand Press Assoociation's representative in Australia is not compelled to copy every indiscretion of the Home compiler.

During the past two years tlie public debt and taxation The Delusive Mr have increased by Massey. 33s per capita, says Mr Massey in one of those objurgations which have assumed the form of perpetual succession. He knows that this averment is not entitled to credence, for it is based upon the old fallacy that the.borrowing of money the administration of which more than provides its own obligations and saves the people hundreds of thousands a year besides, means increasing the indebtedness of the country in. the ordinary sense. This has been demonstrated to Mr Massey as often as he liar, made the false allegation with the object of alienating the people from Lhi; Liberal Government and shaking their loyalty to themselves. Obviously, it is just as financially sound for a country to borrow money at, say. four per cent, if it can save two or three per cent, by the transaction, as it is for a merchant to use a bank's funds for the purposes of trading. "When Sir Massey asserts that the burdens of national indebtedness have been increased in a certain degree through borrowing he should place on the other side of the ledger the savings to the people consequent on such borrowing. But the Tory Leader of the Opposition seems quite unable to realise that the people are "the country" and that what is saved to any class is saved to ah classes, and that everybody knows this to bo true. What would have been the pesitiou to-day, if the Liberal Party had not, in the face of the keenest opposition, in which even some of their own most prominent members participated, initiated the Advances to Settlers system ? Mr Massey was not p.lcne in according a cold reception to this reform, though it embodied those pmiciplcs of economy, thrift, and sellhelp so dear to his heart. In after years, when the system had become, a part of our life, because it diffused over all its benevolent advantages, Mr Massey as representative of a class that, however, shewed none of his uncompromising antipathy, told the country that, if money should be lent t.) farmers, it should also be lent to tlv; workers. Whilst the system was bidding fair, by its popularity, to save ru : lhons a year to the producers, it had no-j cost the country a single penny. But Mr Massey thought that if he could force upon the Government the inclusion of the workers amongst those entitled to the' system's advantages, though thev had no such undeniable security to offer, the distaste! ul innovation, wotdd be wrecked and the Government would not only be deprived of, the credit attaching to a beneficent institution, but would also incur the odHim of having failed in one of its greatest objects. The Governments reply to Mr Massey's insincere and ■'dangerous importunities w?-s tnat the : time had not arrived to make, the system go comprehensive. But it.hrd arrived when the Government bestowed the, privilege of borrowing upon the workers, for the Department.had been successful in its operations and had proved that the principle was safe beyond rll doubt. Our readers will, 1:1 the light of this explanation, understand the extent of Mr Massey's claim to any credit for the suggestion that the workers should be bracketed with the fai'-ers ;:> die privilege to born.w und?r the Act. Mr Massey's complaints and professions are sell -destructive, .for. whilst he condemns the borrowing which during the past two years has necessitated increased taxation to -pay interest, he boasts that it was he who promoted an object which necessitated a large part of the borrowing. It will take Mr Massey more than another 20 years to persuade the people that he believes what he says on this question.

Yesterday afternoon and evening the annual harvest gift sale was held in the Lecture Hall at the Wesley Church. A large amount of produce and other, articles had come to hand, and on both occasions brisk business was done, a , sum approximating £2O being realised as a result. A largo measure of the success of the function was due to the energetic efforts of the members of the Ladies' Guild, who were ably assisted by members of the congregation. Special thanks are due to all those who so kindly contributed. Halle.v's comet is clearly visiblo to anybody who likes to forsake the alluring comforts of a warm bed on these fine frosty mornings. "Mr G. 13. Morris, who takes an interest in the subject has been making some observations. Mr Morris' says that the atmosphere of North Otago during the past week has been particularly translucent in the early morning, and a better view of the comet is probably obtainable hero than in Europe—an opinion that is eonfirmed somewhat by a recent cablegram stating that the "tail" was invisible at Geneva. Mr Morris finds that many people are mistaking Venus for tho comet, owing doubtless to the fact that / tho former is now particularly bright. Venus 'may be located in tho northeastern portion of the sky,' and rather more than half-way up to the zenith. A perpendicular line drawn from Venus to the horizon will pass the comet at about its middle, the visitor being slightly to the north of this perpendicular line. t'eople possessing good eyesight can with the naked eye make out the apparent length of the tailabout two and a-half inches, but with ordinarv field-glasses the tail can be traced to" a length of at least six inches. Those who saw the great eoiueo of 1882 will probably (iud that that magnificent nocturnal spectacle will be eclipsed in the course of a few weeks by the comet which is now approach'"jVlost of our readers will have heard of the new building which is to be erected shortly by the _ Church of Christ. To aid tho building fund a sale of work will bo held nest week, in the Druids' Hall, commencing Inursday at 3 p.m., and continuing on Friday and Saturday. Much is being done in*the way of preparation, and it is confidently" expected that a very sue-, cessful sale will be the result. Private advices received in town confirm the cabled reports as to the shortage of tho raw material for the manufacture of cotton fabrics, and there is little doubt that when Mr Patten made the assertion that the cotton mills of Europe and American would close in August unless they paid Ins price, lie spoke not "without the book. Many of the mills are running short time owm" to the scarcity and clearness ot cot- • ton, and some are already stopped. Distributing firms anticipate difficulty in obtaining deliveries, and should the demand increaso even a little, it is feared that there will not bo enough cotton to meet it. Vn official communication has been received by the Oamaru Harbor Board embodying the following resolution ot the Timaru Harbor Board:—"That tho dredge be granted to Oamaru Harbor for sYx weeks on the same terms as m this Board's letter of 28th March, 1908. provided that the Oiuwaru Harbor Board make provision for a tug for this Board while the dredge is away." J I). Familton and Sons report having sold, on account of Mr John Miller, section 17, block 18, Exe street, with 4-roomed dwelling, to Mr J). I'ruce. The late Queen's interest in Cetewavo's clothes affords amusing reading, as chronicled in the diary. Under date September 21, 1879, Lord Cranbrook says:—"Yesterday her Majesty sent tor me at eight in the evening. She is full of the capture of Cetewayo and ins treatment, and dwells with much energy and emphasis on her fear that tho height of ill-treatment would bo inflicted upon him by his being compelled to dress a I'Anglais. She begged ino to write on his behalf and that of his clothesless ladies to Sir Michael HicksBeach to save them from such degradation. It was all rather funny, hut with a base of very good sense. Cetewayo In a blanket would he a far more imposing figure, than in a swallow-tail. There is a pathetic letter written on tlie death of Lord Bcacouslield which shows in what great esteem the Queen hold that statesman. She wrote to Lord Cranbrook: "The Queen longed to hear from Lord Cranbrook," she wrote m re- • ply to a letter from him, "after our terrible loss of our beloved friend, Lord Beaconsfield, for he was so kind to the Queen during his pleasant visits hero iii times of much anxiety that she felt, sure he would feel for her in what is p dreadful and irreparable loss to her. For whether in or out of office elm could always turn to dear Lord Beaconsfield for advice and help in so many things. He was a real friend, and, oh! so wise, so calm, and so kind. The Queen feels the loss more and more. Captain Queipo, a cavalry officer, has (savs the Madrid correspondent of the Daily Telegraph on February 28) Hist spent a month's imprisonment in a fortress owing to tho rolo ho played m connection with the manifestations against certain promotions of officers who served in the Biff campaign. It had been arranged that on his discharge he was to fight a duel with Senor Rafael Esbry, editor of the newspaper El Eiercito Espanol, and this combat took place recently. The duellists are fencing experts of an unusually high standard, and the bitterness between the two men was so great that it was generally believed the issue might be fatal. The captain and his adversary left for tho ground selected in two powerful motorcars, and succeeded in out-distancing a third car containing the chief of police, who sought to arrest the parties concerned, as the Spanish law prohibits duelling. The principals, however, with their seconds and doctors, reached a field surrounded by a wall, where they were able to lock themselves in. When tho chief of polico came up ho found it necessary to climb tho wall, the top of which was amply provided with a covering of broken bottles. He then jumped from his perilous position and fell between the duellists, a distance of some 10ft. Tho combat, of which two en T gagements had been fought without injury to either of the participants, was at once brought to a sudden termination, and the duelling party declared under arrest. The attention of the doctors, however, had at once to be concentrated on the 'unfortunate chief of police, whose hands, feet, and legs wero bleeding profusely as a result of his experience on the top of tho wall. It is the lighter aspect of the affair which has attracted Madrid society, who jokingly say that this is tho first duel in which a police representative was wounded, while .the chief parties, concerned were uninjured. All those engaged in the affair were taken to tho police-station, and the. usual prosed!-, tion will follow in due course. Ste •rns' Headache Cure comes in a form so convenient to carry, that no one should be without this remedy for all kinds of headaches. It leaves the head clear and ache free. 43 At a meeting of the Academic des Sciences Morales ot Politiqucs, says the Paris correspondent of the Times, M. Jacques Bertillon read an interesting paper on the statistics of successions. Three, he said, out of every four French men and women possess some property when they reach the age of 50. It is true that in most cases the amount of this property is very small, but its existence shows that its owner is not in actual want and is sufficient to give him the psychological qualities of a proprietor, which are very different from those of a man who has nothing. On an average a Frenchman or Frenchwomen of more than 40 possesses .£'464 2s 6d (11,603 francs); in Holland this average reaches £O7O 13s 4d (16,766 francs), and in England £B4O 6s 8d (21,008 francs), but it is far lower in the other countries, such as Austria, Spain, and Italy, for which these calculations have been ' made. Since 1595, however, the. riches of France show no increase, but a slight ; decrease. As to the division of wealth, ! the standard was the number of successions of from £BO-£IOO for every thousand deaths of persons over 40. In, France they amount to 364 and in Alsace to 399, while in Holland, despite its riches, the figure is milv 218, in England 186, and in Italy 130. "Consequently." concluded M. Bertillon, "France is one of the richest countries, and, moreover, that in which wealth is best divided." Mr S. .). DAVYS, Dentist, will visit Kurow, Mav oth, and may be consulted at Spiers' Hotel. 992 Recovery from wasting and weakening diseases is hastened by use of PHOSPHOL. Phosphol begins with a "P." 6 For Chronic Chest Complaints, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, 1 1/6, 2/6.