THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1889.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8633, 24 October 1889, Page 2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1889.

It is not surprising that there are indications on all hands of uneasiness about the future effects of the more or less Protective tariffs of the different colonies of Australasia. The tendency is clearly in the direction of local Protection, which cannot stop short of prohibition. That is to say, each colony so far demands a tariff which shall and protect • local industries, and there is no finality to such a tariff. This is no longer merely a theory of Freetraders. It is already the experience of Victoria, where Protection has been carried to its legitimate issue, and where prosperity has so far accompanied the experiment. In that colony Ministers are each session beset by deputations demanding additional customs duties. The woollen manufacturers, pursuing an indigenous industry, maintain that they cannot live unless their demands are met. The farmers require an equal advantage for their produce, and threaten to swing round to absolute Freetrade if they do not receive it. The unfortunate draymen and cabmen in Melbourne beseech the Minister to abstain from. raising the duty on grain so that they may escape ruin. The very henwives ask for their share of the general levy, so that they may hot be crushed by the " pauper " poultry of South Australia. All this has been going on while a comparatively open market adjoins the colony on both sides. But the open market is closing — South Australia and Queensland have already begun the same policy, and it is believed that the squatters and farmers of New South Wales have purchased the support of the townsfolk to their new Land Bill by a secret promise to vote Protection as soon as the disappearance of Sir Henry Parkes makes this possible. It is therefore, we say, not surprising that there should on all hands' be indications of anxiety as to the future. Where is all this to end ? As between the various colonies a war of tariffs has already begun. As vet it is one-sided. It bears much the same relation to a general war as the intrigues of Russia and Austria in the Balkan States to a European conflagration, with this important difference: that diplomats and even emperors can recede from aggressive action, whereas there are few, if any, examples of a single step gained by tariff impositions failing to be maintained. As affecting each colony within itself, the tariff war is already in full progress in Victoria, and cannot be escaped in any colony as time permits the full development of the Protective policy, which once begun, must develop everywhere as it is doing in Victoria. Justice, though an unjust justice, demands that in these free countries all should fare alike. The Victorian farmers have as much right to protection as the manufacturers, and so have ours in New Zealand. But ours require " their foreign markets kept open for them, and so before long, if the policy which has been begun by our manufacturers is pursued, they will find themselves taxed to pay a handsome bounty for very bushel of grain which our farmers export to the Australian colonies, where from eighteenpence to half-a-crown per bushel is levied through the Customs upon their produce. The members of our Manufacturers1 Association are neither blind nor fools and so we find that they have taken up the cry of Intercolonial Freetrade, with an Australasian uniform tariff distinctly protective, perhaps prohibitive against all the world. A congress has been called to discuss this, meeting here in January at the same time as & proposed congress of Chambers" of Commerce, at which it is intended to discuss this and sundry other subjects on the

lines followed at a similar congress held at Melbourne last November. This is an excellent idea, and we wish ; it every success. But it is manifest that success oven in the most moderate degree can only come by serious compromises. The necessarily "selfish"' policy hitherto pursued must be to a large extent reversed. The " built "up industries" must lay their account with much disorganisation, j much pulling down, and in many cases ' fresh departures. It is more easy to j imagine the possibility of a federal j commission framing a common tariff j at the ■-beginning of a policy! of Protection agreed upon simul- j tanoously by all the colonies, and ad- j justing the revenue raised, than it is i to imagine any legislation effectually | coping with the difficulties of the pre- j sent position, unless such a spirit of j self-sacrifice should arise as has never yet been exhibited by the protected manufacturers or producers. Nevertheless the cause is worth an unusual exertion, for the outlook is depressing. If the fervent wish expressed the other day by a member of the Canterbury Industrial Association, that New South Wales should be " won over," is soon fulfilled, we venture to predict that the effect upon Melbourne and the colony of Victoria will be serious indeed, and that we should not escape either. When the time comes that we find ourselves heavily handicapped in all the neighbouring markets, or quite shut out of them, and left to fall back upon the long - suffering and much - forgiving mother of us all, it will be difficult for any of us to appreciate what has been gained- by the " building up process " to which so many are wedded just now. And until the effects upon other colonies which are some years ahead of us in their policy of Protection are more, clearly shown, and the course of events in the future more distinctly marked, we counsel those among us who may feel it to be their vocation to " build up industries " by the help of the 15, 20, or 25 per cent, protection, to proceed with caution—not to put out their hands any further than they can easily and quickly draw them back again; and to confine themselves as far as that is possible to those industries which are the most natural to the surrounding circumstances and markets, and least ■ dependent for profit upon the effect of the tariff.

The Wingatui section of the Otago Central railway is to be opened for traffic next Saturday. It is only intended to run trains on two days in the week—namely, on Saturday and Monday. A train will leave • Dunedin for Hindon in the morning at 6 o'clock, and returning from Hindon at 8.30, connect with the train from Clinton to Dunedin. In the afternoon a train will leave Dunedin for Hindon at 330, returning at 6.20.

We are informed by Mr H. Gourley that the announcement made at the meeting of the St. Kilda Borough Council that he intended contesting the mayoralty of that borough this year is premature. Cr Gore is the only candidate definitely in the field..

Nearly £100 was subscribed yesterday by several of the shipping companies and merchants of the city towards the funds of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition regatta to be held in February next.

At a meeting of Owake settlers held on the 21st inst. to consider the question of the proposed farmers' conference in Dunediu, it was decided to form a farmers' club. Mr Craig was appointed secretary, and over a dozen settlers were enrolled as members.

The'Western Star states that before the risiug of the R.M. Court on Monday Mrs Hogan made an application that the prohibition order against her husband be revoked. She was understood lo say that life had become a perfect burden to her by reason of the carryings on. of her husband, who, without ha had a little drink, was unbearable. Hogan backed his wife up in her request, saying that it was necessary for his existence to have a glass now and again. Sergeant Rutledgesaid the prohibition order did not seem to make any difference to Hogan procuring drink, as he was drunk as often since as before the order was issued. The bench said they thought Mrs Hogan was very foolish to make such an application; it couldn't be entertained, and if Hogan was brought before them charged with drunkenness they would inflict a very severe penalty.

At Clinton on Friday D. Whytock was fined £20, with the alternative of three months' imprisonment, for sly grog-selling. Mr Revell, R.M., was the presiding magistrate. -

As bearing on the question of founding one Grand Lodge of Masons for New Zealand, the District Grand Lodge of Wellington, 8.C., ha3, had a report submitted to it, from which it appears that of the 19 lodges under the English Constitution in the district, 2 havo unanimously voted for a grand lodge, 9 have by a majority voted for a*grand lodge, 3 have unanimously voted against a grand lodge, and 4 by a majority also oppose a grand lodge; 1 has not voted either way. Two huudred and sixty-four Masons were present at all the lodges, 134 voting for union and 125 against. There are 622 Masons on the roll, but only 259 voted. It would, therefore) appear that even in the Wellington district there is not anything approaching to unanimity on the question. ' ■

The Western Star reports the.death of Mr George Reid, a resident in the district for 27 years, and one who took great interest in local affairs. He was one of the founders of the Athenamm, and at one time or other was a member of most of the local societies. ' He was for, some :time an elder of the Presbyterian Church, and often assisted the pastor in ministerial work. Mr Reid was 49 years of age. His brother, Mr John Reid, who is in Duaedin, was too unwell to undertake the:journey to Riverton on his brother's death. :

Melbourne amusement-seekers are nightly flocking to the Exhibition building to witness one of the most sensational feats ever performed in the colonies. The Silbon Family are the performers, and Walter Silbon nightly leaps from the dome to the net spread nearly 100ft beneath him, and some 20ft from the ground. The gymnast is eagerly watched by thousands, whose upturned faces and breathless silence tell the intense feelings of interest and anxiety with which every movement is followed. Placing hie foot in a noose attached to one end of a stout rope, ho is gradually drawn up until he seems almost to disappear in the shadow of the dome. On reaching the ledge of the cornice he extricates himself from the rope by which he has made tho ascent, and takes his stand, looking no bigger than a child. Then he is seen to raise both hands, and bending forward, with all the ease and grace of an expert swimmer, he dives into space, and with the velocity of an aerolite he cleaves the air head foremost until within a few feet of the net, when, by a twist of tho body, he turned upon his back, and falls with a loud thwack upon the piece of carpet covering the meshes.

Some interesting statistics concerning the prices paid by Russian publishers to authors are given in a recent number of the Dyen. It appears that Tourgenieff sold the copyright of his works shortly before his death to M. Glasunoff for £9000; Gogol's works were sold for £6000, Pushkin's for only £1750, and Kriloff's fables for £700. Cheap editions of many of the most popular authors are being issued, and 10,000 copies of the works of M. Gleb Uspenski, the popular writer, were sold in a single year. The best prices are paid by publishers for popular educational books; thus, £5000 was paid by n Petersburg publishing firm for the copyright of a popular book on Arithmetic.

A Chicago electrician has completed a device for catching fish by electricity. There is a email apparatus attached to the hook at the end of the fishline. From this apparatus one electric wire goes to the bottom of the water, while the other leads to the point of the hook, where the bait is Attached. As soou as the fish, attracted by the bait, comes close enough, be receives an electric shock, which either kills him immediately or else 3tuns him, and brings him to the surface.

The authorities of tho Queen's College, Belfast, have decided to throw open the medical classes next session to young ladies anxious to etudy medicine and qualify themsolves for obtaining medical degrees. The applicants are expected to be numerous.

Tho Wellington Post states that an extraordinary mode of scaring a wife was adopted by a person named Robert Shilling, a fishmonger, on Friday evening. The man working on tho Te Aro reclamation contract observed a man come hurriedly down to the reclamation wall near the Wellington Bowing Club's shed and jump into the harbour. Supposing it to be a suicidal attempt, several men ran to the spot whero the incident occurred, ami aoon fished the individual out of the water. Constable Kunny found out the man's name, and took him to the police station. Ho there made an explanation to the effect that having previously had a few words with his wife, he thought ho would frighten her, and accordingly went about it in the way i described. It was discovered that a similar | statement to the abovo had been mado by Shilling to a friend, and as thero was evidently no suicidal intent, the police considered the explanation a satisfactory one, and allowed the man to go. Shilling is said to be an excellent swimmer) so that he would probably have come to little harm even had ho not been noticed. "

The result of the voting on the eight hours question reported to the Trades Union Congress, sitting at Dundee, waa very unsatisfactory. To begin with, while the conference represents 885,000 unionists, the total number of trades unionists who could be induced to vote on the eight hours question was 102,512— that is to say, not quitn lin 8. Of the lin 8 who voted, only 39,029 voted in favour of an eight hours' working day, whilst 62,883 were against it. Of the 39,629 who were in favour of eight hours, only 28,489 were in favour of an eight hours' bill, Therefore the net result of interrogating the trade unionists of the United Kingdom is that 28,489 out of 885,000 are in favour of securing an eight hours' working day by act of Parliament. This is a very remarkable, not to say extraordinary return.

A. French stationer deslares that he has invented an ink warranted to fade off paper in a week without leaving the slightest trace. What' a boon that will be to all sorts and conditions of men! Not only will politicians have fits of honesty, but lovera will be able to give full vent to their feelings without the dread fear of breaches oE promise before their eyes, ana the lawyer's clerk, who always ends his epistle to his sweetheart, " without prejudice," can allow a free rein to his fancy, knowing well that in 10 days all will vanish, and the paper regain its original value. Orders (under coyer)will pour into this fortunate stationer.

A correspondent of "Notes and Queries" sands the following extract from a letter on 13th Jane, from an English merchant at Pernambuco, in Brazil:—" There has been quite a reign of terror here during the past fortnight owing to the disappearance of about a dozen children, who have, it is said, been kidnapped, some say to be trained for a circus, others to be killed for the benefit of sufferers from leprosy, for which disease there is no cure, but an old superstition is that a cure'may be obtained if the person attacked eat the internal orgaus of a young, healthy child, wash themselves with its blood, and make grease of its body for anointing their bodies. Whether there is any truth in the presumed connection between this belief and the disappearance of the children, I cannot tell; anyway, report says there is the demand, and that the price paid for a child is £10. It seems really too horrible to be true ; anyway, a panic exists, and hardly any children are now seen out, and the public schools have been almost deserted. Some people who were supposed to have bought some children had their carriage stopped in the street and were stoned. Oar children now go out for their walks attended by two servants."

The special correspondent of the Melbourne Age, who has just completed a tour of Brazil, writes:—"There seems to be a general consensus of opinion amongst politicians of every sllade of opinion that the abolition of slavery has worked well. The negro; now that he is a free man, is less indolent than heretofore; his labour costs less, since his master can now dispense with . the army of overseers and drivers whom he formerly had to employ, and the negro is a far better customer to the merchant than at any previous time in the history of' Brazil. The free negro dresses

better, feeds better, and in the southern pro-

vinces, at any rate, is developing a taste for pretty furniture; bibelots, and nick-nacks generally. , Some of the negresses whom I waw were very well dressed, were neatly shod, and wore a profusion of Brummagem and other imitation jewellery. Most of them carried parasols, and fans, only they carried them, not in their hands, but on the tops of their woolly heads. •

The Sydney Mail records the death of the Very Rev. Julian E. Tenison-Woods, F.G.S., F.Ii.S., which took place in Sydney- recently. The rev. gentleman was the thirdsnrvivingson of the late J. D. Woods, Q.C., F.S.A., who was for many years connected with The Times newspaper, being for some time manager of the Parliamentary staff. He was born in 1832. He studied privately, and having joined the Church of Rome, WE9 ordained in 1856. The following year he proceeded to Australia, and acted as travelling missionary both amongst the settlers and the natives. Whilst acting as vicar-general in Adelaide he organised a Catholic school system and a teaching Order of Sisters of St. Joseph. He wa3 the author of a number of works' on the geology and geography of Australia, and of ten contributed papers on geology, botany, and natural history to the various learned societies and the journals of New South Wales and Vic tpria. He was formerly president of the Linntean Society of New South Wales, and also was an honorary member of the Royal Societies of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and Adelaide Philosophical Society, and others.

The ordinary meeting of the Hand and Heart Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held on Tuesday evening at the Oddfellows' Hall, Stuart street, N.G. Bro. Thomas Mant presiding, a large attendance of members and visitors being present. Three new members were initiated. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to P.G. Bro. Clark for his report re the Friendly Societies Dispensary. The following brethren responded to the second toast:—Bro. Thomkins, on behalf of the Prince of the Wales Lodge, Port Chalmers; Bro. Farland, Tinwald Lodge, North Canterbury district; P.P.G.M. Bro. Deacon, of Loyal Dunediu Lodge. The receipts of the evening were £25 14s.

The Sydney Telegraph states that Lord Carrington has approved of the relative rank of Lieutenant-coloDel in the New South Wales forces being conferred on E. M. Tudor Boddam, late of the New Zealand forces, while employed, as superintending engineer in the military works branch of the Public Works department.

The Green Island Literary Association held a social on Monday evening in the Volunteer Hall to wind up the session, The committee presented a very attractive programme. Short addresses were given by various gentlemen; recitations, songs, and instrumental selections by members of the society and their friends, the whole being very well rendered. Several delegates from the Mosgiel Society were present. Refreshments were provided by the committee, to whom the thanks of the society are certainly due for the admirable manner in which the arrangements were carried out.

Messrs B. C, Reynolds and Co. Bell on Tuesday, 29th lust., at their rooms, wines, spirits, and cordials.

A number of alterations, Bome of them of importance, have been made in the railway time-table for North and South trains. Particulars are advertised

this mcrning. A mass meeting will be held on Sunday afternoon next, at 3 o'clock, for the purpose of considering the proposed Hallway Employes Insurance Bill. The adjourned meeting of delegates from trade and friendly societies to arrange the programme of the procesßion on exhibition day will be held this evening at the Garrison Hall.

Measrs James A. Park and Co. sell at their rooms, on Monday next, a number of suburban properties. An entertainment consisting of tableaux vivants and mußio will be given in St. Matthew's sohoolroom this evening. The fifth of the series of lecturss, under the auspices of the Soceial Eeform Association, will be delivered hy the liev. Mr Waddell in the Athenwum Hall on Friday evening. We are requested to direct the attention of hotel proprietors and boarding house keepers to an annonncement in another column by Messrs Thomas Cook and Son.

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. The hair, whea dresstd regularly with Barhy's Tmeoi'HßHous, acquires a softness, lustre, thickuess, vigor, and flexibility that is truly wonderful. 10