THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7926, 18 July 1887, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES

MONDAY, JULY IS, ISH7.

JiUjon Atkinson's address .at Hawera is forcible as a criticism of the Government. It will take all Sir Julius Vogel's power of conjuring with figures—the Premier is here out of his depth—to make up a passable reply to Major Atkinson's effective exposure of the increase of the public expenditure by the present Government, whether taken in the gross or after making every allowance for increases for which they. cannot fairly be considered The proposed " retail reductions " which the Premier vaunts were very happily described by Major Atkinson as "cutting a piece " off one end of the blanket to sew it " on to the other," and he went- on to prove the truth of this description. But the increases effected by the Government are really but a small part of their offences. It must not be forgotten tlii.it but for the strength of the Opposition, supported by the strong feeling in the country, there would have been a far larger increase of expenditure, and especially of Public Works expenditure, with its Nemesis of interest, during the late Parliament. The actual increase m expenditure only represents what the Government have been able to do in the teeth of strong opposition in the House and the country. Turning to their present proposals, Major Atkinson claims that as the reduction of the subsidies is only an alteration in the incidence of taxation, the Government proposals are really for L 325.000 instead of L 250,000 of fresh taxation. The point is not worth labouring, though there is a certain amount of force in it. A quarter of a million of fresh taxation is enough to damn any Government, and, what is worse, to crush the life out of a people who are already in an exhausted condition. With reason does Major Atkinson recall the cynical tone of the Financial Statement, with its congratulations over the easy circumstances of the Colony and our ability to be taxed without feeling it. No Opposition could draw up a more conclusive indictment against a Government than that Financial Statement. Nor could there bo a more complete justification of the action of the Opposition in defeating the financial proposals of the Government last session than the Premier's declaration that he now sees his way to reduce another LIOO,OOO. The warmest Ministerialist is novp bound to admit that. Out of their own mouths do the Government stand condemned. The second part of Major Atkinson's speech throws out hints as to his proposals to meet the situation. Of these hints we must at once say that they are neither clear enough to satisfy the country nor strong enough so far as they go. The Premier has now undertaken, though we cannot say we can put much reliance in his pledges, to make a reduction of LSO,OOO on his Estimates without touching the education vote. We do not say that Major Atkinson was called upon to bind himself down to making both ends meet without taxation, which is what the country is striving for. A responsible politician must be careful not to promise too much. But Major Atkinson entirely failed to give us any earnest that

lie was aiming at this, and he was certainly called upon to pledge himself to considerably better the offer of the Premier. Last month

in the House the issue truly enough was " whether retrenchment was to be " effected before taxation "- } but when the Premier owns himself defeated on that issue, and promises to take LI 00,000 off his taxation proposals, the leader of the Opposition, if he is to become Premier, must offer some better assurance for a larger measure of retrenchment than the repetition of last month's battle cry. It is not as if Major Atkinson were in the habit of j being much better than his word. Nor indeed in the present position could we trust any leader on such terms. And let us go on to see whether we can get at Major A tkinson's unspoken thoughts to any extent by reading between the lines of what he says about details of reduction and the direction of taxation.

His remarks upon education please us as showing that he can be trusted to do

nothing to impair the system, but is anxious to diminish its cost wherever

possible. Ho declares himself prepared to reduce the whole scale of colonial expenditure throughout its length and breadth, and such definite proposals as he makes will be generally well received as a considerable advance upon anything suggested by the Government. But we regard with great suspicion tho announcement that he will look to a revision of the tariff for any further taxation required. It is true that he says that this revision is to be first in the interests of revenue, secondly in the interests of the consumer, and only thirdly in the interests of the manufacturer. But that is a mere anaesthetic for the Frcetiv.clers. The point remains that Major Atkinson intends taxation, and that he intends taxation through the tariff, and the tariff only; whereas the Government have at least the grace to touch the property tax as well as l.lio tariff. Major Atkinson's proposals are therefore far from satisfactory ; indeed, yro can hardly say that they are much less unsatisfactory than those of the Premier. An Opposition, because it is an Opposition, may generally be trusted to trump the Government's card on the matter of retrenchment. Under circumstances such as the present it will be carried into ollicc on si fresh tide of popular feeling. This will give it a strength for purposes of retrenchment that is necessarily lacking

to an old (<ovcrnim:ul who have had to light tho elections on tho defensive, and aroeumbered by allkindsof engagements resulting from that position. I tut Major Atkinson has given the country but very meagre assurance that ho will tax us less heavily tlian the Government, and his method of taxation puts the cart before tho horse, whilst that of the Government at least places them in their right relation, though the horse is so harnessed as to be extremely clangorous.

Upon Uie land ijuestion Major Atkinson speaks for the most; part sonsilily, recognising (;h<! necossifcy of selling .small blocks outright to bona fide. settlors. But lie triimus without disguise about fcho Land iSettlomenfc and Land Acquisition Bills. And when wo conio to tho important .subject of borrowing, ho is not one whit nioro satisfactory than Sir Robert Stout. He is less outspoken. But wo cannot see much to choose between his vague excuses and the Premier's pronounced intentions. Major Atkinson is the more to blame for this because Sir John Hall had given him an excellent load upon this point and produced a favourable impression of earnestness und determination. Sir •lohn Hall's address, as we pointed out on Tuesday, is not entirely to our taste. Jjut it; has at least a ring of resolution and independence of opinion which this speech painfully lacks. Not oven at such a time as this can Major Atkinson throw oil1 the " old Parliamentary "hand " and show that ho means " to "do and dare." His idea of retrenchment is to allow himself to bo pushed from behind without making too strenuous a resistance. He cannot get the borrowing virus out of his system. It is certainly not by this kind of flabby, flaccid policy that tho Colony can be brought out of its difficulties, or the Opposition win confidence at the elections.

It will have been noticed that Major Atkin son at Hawora on Friday completely bore out our statement as to the increase of Government expenditure since the year 1883-4-Major Atkinson takes the total expenditure, including interest and sinking fund, and makes tho interest up to 31st March last £831,000 (tho amount wired down was £3!il,000, but that is evidently an error in transmission). We excluded interest and sinking fund, and made the total increase £254,000. The increase of interest and sinking fund up to 31st March last was only £77,000, deducting which sum from £331,000 gives the £251,000 already mentioned. When to this sum is added £37,000 defence money charged to loan (and the propriety or otherwise of. so charging it does not altcct the question) and the cost of charitable aid thrown upon local bodies, it will take much larger allowances than the Premier claims, and a more formidable array of proposed " retail savings," as he calls them, to spirit, away the increase, much less to make out a reduction of from £80,000 to £100,000. The plain truth is that the claim for reduction in expenditure was unworthy of a moment's attention from us or from any member of the community.

A report of Mr J. C. Bucklaml's speecli at Palmerston and of the local courts, with letters to the editor, appear on our fourth page. The New Zea'aud Shipping Company's it.M.B. Kaikonra arrived at Wellington yesterday afternoon. In our cablegrams this morning it is stated that King Kalakaua of Hawaii h.r; barricaded his pulacs, und intends to defend himself until a British man-of-war arrives. As recent Hawaiian papers stilted that the palace gates had been pierced to allow cannon to sweep the streets, it is probable that the King will successfully defy his rebellious subjects. From the Hawaiian Gazette we learn that the principal cruise of the present trouble is due to the jobbery of the King and his Ministers. The Gazetts publishes the depositions of a Chinaman to show that SO.OOOdoI had been paid by him us a " tip " to the King to secure a license to sell opium, but he neither obtained the license nor was the money returned. Oii the 7fh June appeared a letter signed by Mr John Thomas Waterliouse, who has been in the kingdom for 36 years, which contained the following warning:—"Thecountry has been ruled so villainously, the people have been so systematically plundered and iusulted, that they have made up their minds to endure it no longer. The day of grace has long since passed, and it is now a patent fact that the rulers of this nation are utterly unfit for the positions that thpy hold—unfit not through lack of ability, but unfit because they have been proved, at the bar of public opinion, to be venal and perjured; from the throne downwards, with ix very few honourable exceptions, the whole machinery of government is rotten, corrupt, and faulty, and the sooner an end is made the better."

Our cablegrams this morning announce the death of Germany's great gunmaker Herr Frederick ICrupp, proprietor of the enormous factory at Essen, in Rhenish Prussia"! This factory was established by his father in 1827, who at first employed only two workmen. Under the couductorship of Frederick it has attained coloss.il proportions. Frederick Krupp was the discoverer of the method of casting steel in very large masses. He sent to the London Exhibition of 1851 a block weighing 45 German quintals; and now the factory is able to cast a block weighing more than 4000 quintals. Herr Krupp manufactured a large number of aitiolos used for peaceful purposes, but his name is more particularly associated with the gigantic steel siege guns which the Germans used with such terrible effect against the city of Paris. In 1884 the King of Prussia offered him letters of nobility, which he declined to accept.

The csse Roy v. Walsh, an action for malicious prosecution, was concluded at the Supreme Court on Saturday last, and the jury, after prolonged deliberation, returned a verdict for the plaintiff by a majority of three-fourths. Damages were assessed at £10, while the amount claimed was £200. His Honor Mr Justice Williams, in dismissing the jurors who heard the case,thanked them for the attention they had given to it, and remarked that it was one of the most difficult class of cases that came before the court for settlement.

Considerable progress is being made with the work of laying out the recently-acquired Jubilee Park. Th o work of clearing am! planting is being carried ou vigorously under the charge of Mr Hendley, and already the plane wears quite a .UftiTont. aspect, When the trees and shrubs which have been planted have made some headway, the park will be one of the loveliest spots rouud about Duiiediu.and the many shady and pk-asant nooks with which it will abound is sure to be largely availed of for picnics.

The funeral of tho late Sergeant-major Stevens, which took place yesterday afternoon, was perhaps the most imposing military funeral that cm be remembered here. All the Duuedin volunteer corps were represented, and there was a fair muster of each; while a cortege of some 150 persons, amongst whom were many of our leading citizens, followed the gun carriage ■on which the coffin was carried. The streets were literally lined with spectators, the majority of whom accompanied the procession to the Southern Cemetery, where another large crowd had assembled. A contingent of the City Uuards formed the filing party and led the way with arms reversed, and the other corps followed, the bands playing, of course, « The Dead March." The last corps was the Naval Brigade, and behind them walked Lieutenant-colonel Wales and the other staff ollicers. Tho procession was at least a quarter of a mile in length, and judgment had to be exercised to prevent unseemly crushing at the cemetery. The Yen. Archdeacon Edwards conducted the funeral service at tho grave. The deceased to whom such im.rked respect was paid mm an old army officer, who for many years past has acted as "drill-instructor at the public schools. Sergeant-major Stevens enlisted in Ireland in 18-10, mid nine years afterwards wont with the 70th Regiment to India, where lie served during the Indian Mutiny. He was at Kyber Pass, and while at I'eshaw jr in 1857 he received a sunstroke. In Kay ISGI he landed with his regiment in Auckland to take part in the Maori War, and at Taranaki he received a slight wound, from the effect:; of which he never thoroughly recovered. In November 1801 ho came to Danedin, and some time afterwards received the appoiutment of drill-instruc-tor. He received both the Indian and Now Zealand medals.

A sitting of the Superior Court of ISankruptcy will be held to-day, and the special jury case Worsdell v. the United Insurance Company (Limited) will come on fur hearing at the Supreme Court to-morrow.

A threu-roomed house in Fox street, South Dnnodiu, wns almost destroyed by/ire yesterday afternoon. It was owned by Robert Dundas, a labourer, at present at C'atlin's river, and occupied by his wife and children and a married son, Matthew Duiidns, in whose room the lire originated. The latter left the premises a little after 2 o'clock in the afternoon, leaving a fire burning in his room, and at about 4 o'clock the house was seen to be on lire. Tho other inmates were also absent at tho time. Mr Carmalt, of the. .Salvage Corps, who happened to be in tho vicinity, was quickly on tile spot, and the South Dniiodin liiigadcsoon followed,and succeeded in preventing I he adjoining building from catching. The house destroyed was insured in tho Now Zealand OHice for £75, and Matthew Dundas had his private furniture insured some weeks ago for £70. He estimates his loss at above that amount. An alarm of (ire was also given from the Salutation Hotel indicator soon after midnight on Saturday, bat without any justifiable cause. A wooden box containing ashes was noticed to bo burning in a builder's yard in upper Duncan street, but it was extinguished without difficulty, and the brigade were turned

out unnecessarily

Mr Hugh Gonrk-y has been appointed a member of the Otago Dock Trust in place of the late Mr James Maeandrew.

A very Bhurp shook of earthquake is said to have been fait at Ashhurtim on Friday evening about 0.35.

A meeting was holil .it Mosginl on Tuesday evening in tho I'resbyterian Church to hear an address from tho Rev. A. M. Finlayson on the subject of tho Bible in schools. The Rev. J. M. M'Kerraw occupied the chair and introduced the speaker, who said that he appeared as a delegate from the Dunedin Presbytery. He then proceeded to give reasous why the Biblo should bo read in tho day schools, and to answer the several objections which had been alleged against the introduction of the Bible into schools under State control. The Rev. A. M. Dalrymple, of Clutha, being present, was then invited to speak, and he supported the views of Mr Fiulayson, referring in the course of his address to the education controversy as waged some years ago in Birmingham, and to the points of difference between the English agitation of the Bible question and the present demand made for Bible-reading in the schools of this colony. At the close of the meeting a vote of thanks was accorded to the speakers, and on the motion of the chairman a small committee was appointed, consisting of Mr K. Edmiston and Messrs Alex, and William Sinclair, to watch the question in connection with the approaching Parliamentary election in the Taieri.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Triumph Lodge, No. 9, P.A.F.S., was held on Friday evening in St. Peter's schoolroom, when there was a large attendance of members. The auditors' report, with balance sheet and quarterly returns, were read. These showed the lodge to be in a flourishing condition. One new member was initiated into the order, and two proposed. The receipts for the evening were £14.

The North Otago Times states that this year's exhibition of the Oamaru Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association was the best held in Oamaru. There were not many exhibitors from Dunedin, but in pigeons Christchurch exhibitors appear to' have taken most of the prizes. Mrs D. Cosgrove took first prize for oatmeal cakes, and two seconds and one third for other cakes. Mrs F. H. Townsend was first for scones, Mrs Winsley first for cake without fruit, and Mrs D. Archibald first for cake with fruit.

Referring to the death of Nathaniel Bates, the Western Star says:—Deceased was one of the oldest European residents of the district, his first arrival dating back a period of nearly 50 years. Although he had reached the ripe age of 70 years! he was a hale and vigorous man. In the early days he engaged in the whaling trade. Ho was a capital swimmer, and it is surmised that he was injured in falling off the bridge, otherwise he could have reached the shore. It is stated that he was the father of 33 children, eleven of whom are still living.

Mr William Gisborne, an ex-Minister of the Crown in New Zealand, and more recently the author of the work on " Now Zealand Rulers and Statesmen," has published a useful and concise little pamphlet on "Imperial Federation," in which he boldly propounds a scheme for the creation of an "Imperial Parliament" for tho whole empire.

Mr Bevan, M.H.R. (says a recent issue of the West Coast Times), lias forwarded a sample bag of auriferous black sand to Sir J. Vogel, who expressed a wish to have a scientific report made on the extensive beach deposits scattered along the West Coast. The parcel is to be forwarded through the Agent-general to the highest authority in England for analysis and report as to the best meaus of treatment on a large and comprehensive scale. Sir Julius is fully convinced that important information will be obtained, which may eventually bo of jics'culable advantage not only to the miners of Westland but to the colony at large. Mr Bevan obtained the sample from Mr D. M'Farlaue, R.M., who had procured it from Mr Biird's claim at Bruce Bay.

The Legislative Council of Western Australia on the Bth inst. declared in favour of the introduction of responsible government, by 13 votes to four. The official members did not vote.

A good deal of iuterest was recently taken in the discovery near Cooktown of a cairn believed to have been built by Captain Cook when he visited Australia. Captain M'Kay, the harbourmaster at Cooktown, has put an end to the delusion by carefully examining the cairn. In the centre were found a black bottle, £>v American broom-handle, an old sardine tin, and a photograph of a woman taken in Finsbury, London, fully establishing the nature of the cairn as quite recent—most likely built by a party of Cooktown people.

The Uuuedin Choral Society will give the first conceit of the season on the 3rd of August, when the sacred cantata " Jacob " will be produced for the first time in the colony. In addition to this Mendelssohn's "Aye Maria" (solo and chorus for female voices), from the unfinished opera of" Loreley," and the " Vintage chorus " (for male voices) will be given.

There was a very good attendance at the Lyceum Hall last evening, when Mrs Chainey gave an " inspirational " lecture on " Love and Marriage." The leeturess spoke very fluently for over an hour, treating her subject from a spiritualistic point of view.

At a committee meeting of the Ex-High School Boys' Club, which took place last week in the gymnasium, it was resolved that the club, under the instruction of Mr Hanna, go into thorough training for an assault-at-arms to ba held on the first Friday in October next. The old boys are to be assisted by the present members of the school, who will doubtless prove a great acquisition, and with their help this performance should prove to be one of the best of its kind ever given in Dunedin.

A petition to bo adjudged a bankrupt luts been Hied by Mary Jaekton, formerly hotel keeper, but now out of business. Creditors meet on Wednesday. Messrs Heid, Msiiilnan, and Co. will sell dairy cows Horses, &c. at the Upper Junction 1,0-rnoriw- and on Friday will hold a clearing salo at Waiwern South of horses, sheep, implements. &c. We have to acknowledge receipt of The Btidaet a new weekly paper started in the interests of Protectionists. The Orand Hotel. Duncdin. To families and others. Special tariff during the winter and spring months, lernis according to rooms, leneth of residence, &c.-[AM'T.] B Interesting to Gentlemen.—Carter and Co have purchased from the official assignee the entire stock ni hats, ties, collars, Blurts, braces, handkerchiefs &c, of George Bertinsliaw, valued at wholesale price at £1150 Ms 2d. Carter and Co. paid £75 cash for the lot, and will offer to-day extraordinary bu' gains. Deer-stalker hats Is lid, formerly 4s 6d geiils' hard lmts, i.ewest shape and ncreet goods, Is lid, formerly -Is 6-1; gents' hard hats, formerly 8s (Id. now -Is Ud • tents' very hest quality rabbit fur, formerly I2s Oil, now Us Od. A few belltopers, 2s 6d, <ls Oil, and the. very best 10s (id, worth JJI is. Gents'ties, we shall off/rIOW at Od, formerly Is Ud, and 3s lid ties for Is; gents' hnon collars, very best, Us a dozen. Thousands or other bargains too numerous to mention.—Cahtkk colony.—[Advt.J ' c The cheapest ready-money establishment in Dunedm. Try The London, in George street, lout) pairs mitts, ijd. H<l, 7^l; black sill; mitts, 6d pair evening nilk gloves, Is (id; good shape corsets' is lid. & lid, :js (id ; stylish je.te.vs, -Is 11.1, Ss m •' lung boas 2s lid, :i s fid. fls (id; l.ulies' nights' (trimmed) as (id, as lid, ;!s lid; chemises, Is9(1 •& '3d L's lld ; drawers, Is «d, L's (id, ,'is (id. Try our nol ni umbrellas stylish handles, 2s, 2s <Id, 3s lirt, .Is (id. Wonderful olieaji blankets. Strangers to Dunediu urn make :i Wj; saving by purchasing from The London, in C,uor K e street. Phiuk and Bui.lkii).[Anvr.]

The Best Lunch iv Town.-The Coffee Palace, for viiitoM and boarders, unsurpassed i:s comfort and economy.—[Advt.]