THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9130, 1 June 1891, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1891. We do not believe that the Government will havo to encounter any unreasonable or factious opposition daring the coming session of Parliament * but, none the less, their proceedings will be subjected to a keen and searching criticism, and very properly so. Nor will that criticism be keener or more searching in any respect than with regard to the administration of the Orown lands, that being one of the main planks in the Ministerial platform. We fear that the verdict can hardly be a favourable one unless Mr M'Kenzie can offer a more satisfactory explanation of his proceedings than has as yet been put forward by his friends. ' We had occasion a few days ago to comment strongly upon bis extraordinary dealings with the Southland land office. Unfortunately there are many other features in his administration which are equally open to disapproval. Although perhaps not so directly offensive and objectionable in character as were the arbitrary Southland dismissals aud the appointment by Mr M'Kenzie of his protege as ranger, other proceedings of the Minister of Lands seem to us peculiarly calculated to . impede the public business and indirectly to obstruct that settlement of the land, the promotion of which is professedly the special mission of the present Government. The dismissal of some 30 or 40 officers in the Land department is sought to be justified on the ground that their services are not required because the work can be efficiently performed by fewer officers. But that is only Mr M'Kenzie's opinion—the opinion of a Minister fresh to office, and with little more than three months' experience. It is well known not to have been the opinion of all those who are best qualified to judge. The most capable and experienced officers in the colony notoriously disapproved most strongly of the excessive depletion of the department, and remonstrated as earnestly as they dared. The previous Minister of Lands, who was a professional expert, and who devoted particular care and attention to the task of economising the cost of land administration, was satisfied when he left office that he had reduced his staff to the smallest dimensions compatible with the vigorous prosecution of land settlement. What superior means has Mr M'KeDzie, the amateur, had in three months to enable him to judge more con*ectly than Mr Richardson, the professional expert, in his three years of office? We say unhesitatingly that Mr M'Kenzie cannot point to any qualifications on his part which warrant him in assuming that he knows better than the most competent and experienced authorities what ought to be done. We do not believe that any sound reason can be advanced for Mr M'Kenzie's arbitrary transfer of certain land commissioners and chief surveyors, and for removing Mr Eliott from his position as Under-Secretary of the department of Lands, and placing him in a position where he cannot possibly be of the same service to the colony. We have termed these changes arbitrary. We do so advisedly. They cannot possibly be justified on the ground of the public benefit, for the effect has been to convert officers possessing long and most valuable local experience into mere beginners, with almost everything to learn of their new sphere of labour. No conditions could possibly be more divergent than those which govern the work to be performed respectively in Canterbury by Mr Baker, and in Wellington by Mr Marchant Every local and geographical, climatic, physical, and personal condition is totally different. Each of these two admittedly able officers has acquired his special experience by many years of hard and conscientious work in a particular locality, and that experience constitutes a most valuable possession for his employers—the colony. Yet this valuable possession is to be ruthlessly thrown away at the mere caprice of a new Minister. And many of the transfers resolved upon by Mr M'Kenzie are not only useless to the public; they are, in most instances, directly punitive to the officers concerned. In some cases it meant going to inferior positions in less desirable^localities; in nearly all cases it meant breaking up homes and leaving the friends and associations of years. The implied pretext in one case was that there had been laxity in detecting " dummyism "; but nothing could be clearer than the vindication of tho officer in question when all the circumstances were investigated. Possibly his entire exoneration, contrary to the Ministerial view of his conduct, formed a fresh offence on his part, and so his punishment had to be given effect to. ' It is just possible that with reference to the capabilities of the staffs of the various land offices, Mr M'Kenzie may have been misled by the condition in which he found the departmental business when he took charge. We understand that all the work had been thoroughly overtaken up to the beginning of the current year, notwithstanding that the department was even then somewhat underofficered owing to the reductions made by the Atkinson Government. Mr M'Kenzie may have imagined that if the existent staff could then grapple satisfactorily with all the work, a smaller staff might by a process of sweating be made to do the same. If thia be his idea, we believe it will turn out to be a very erroneous one, Wa have excellent authority for stating

that with the staff as it is now reduced the necessary work cannot possibly be kept up to date, and must inevitably in the course of a few months be seriously i behind. If active settlement is to pro- j ceed, it will then become necessary to make fresh appointments. Is this intended to be tho sequel of the present excessive reductions? Perhaps Mr M'Kenzie will to-night, after he has made such justification of himself as he can in connection with the now notorious Campbell appointment, and of his general routing out of valuable ofiicers in tho Invercargill Land Office, devote a little time to a vory necessary explanation of the other matters we have treated of above. Those who are not blinded by party prejudice to tho iniquities of what has been aptly termed the present " reign of terror," aro certainly curious to know what tho Minister of Lands can have to say in his defence. Notably ho might spare a portion of the time he may occupy in delivering his address to a defence of his extraordinary treatment of the officers of the Stock department. Thp reasons for the importation of an untried man into the service as chief inspector of stock over the heads of tried and valuable officers, among whom it would not have been difficult to find a thoroughly capable man for the position, are not easily discoverable. If we mistake not, this will prove to be only one of the many administrative acts of Mr M'Kenzie in justification of which he will be utterly unable to find any reason- that will satisfy the public.

Sir Robert Stout does not agree with all i the " planks" in the platform of the great ' " Liberal" Association in which he takes the presidential seat. Agreement with a plank is hard to nnderstand literally, but the metaphor is not unknown. He thinks there may be a reaction in favour of not hastening too fast, but " a time will come, when tyrants and Tories may ter-r-emble," Sir Kobert doesn't like being called a Tory; a name he : is not unwilling to fix on those who reject his counsels. The point, however, that he made in favour of revolution, because the French Revolution has made France richer than England, and Frenchmen more comfol table than Englishmen is noteworthy. That France is wealthier than England cannot be proved. " England and France," says Hamerton, " are the richest countries in Europe, and of the two, England is generally believed to be the richer. I believe the same, but am unable to give evidence of an entirely satisfactory character." This was written three years ago. If anything has occurred during this period to alter the estimate, the alteration is against France. Last year England paid off £8,000,000 of her debt; France added £30,000,000 to hers. The revenue of France has been steadily falling since 1882. Her debt now stands at the colossal sum of £1,285,000,000, "the heaviest debt yet incurred by any nation in the world." So says the statist from whose researches this information is gleaned. He has, however, overlooked New Zealand. If the debt of New Zealand were raised to the proportion indicated by the present population of France it would be £2,000,000,0001 So we havo nothing to learn from France on this score, and perhaps may do without a revolution. Again, the sea-going tonnage of France for mercantile purposes is actually less in the aggregate than tbe tonnage of the English colonies, omitting Great Britain altogether from the estimate; while on education she spends, after controlling and subventions to secondary education, only 3s 2d per head, while Great Britain contributes to primary education alone 3s ld per head. In the latter context, mention should be made that both in England and in France funds for education are derived from sources not directly controlled by the State; but in England, secondary education is neither officially inspected, nor assisted from sums at the disposal of the Imperial Treasury, whereas in France, the State Inspector reviews the work of the secondary schools, which are directly under the guidance of the Minister for Education. Hence we think Sir Robert Stout owes some explanation of his statement that France is wealthier tban England. Again as to the well-being of Frenchmen as compared with that oE Englishmen. The actual population of France steadily declines. The whole country is under tho thumb of the comfortable middle class. The French workman is not coshered, nor buttered, nor sugared, like his English mate, by political humbugs and agitators, bufc the "roadsof France,"says Hamerton, "are covered with miserable tramps and vagabonds " —men who cannot get work and are in a desperate condition; while if Sir Robert Stout knows of anything in England worse than tho purlieus of Belleville, Grenelle, or the Barrier of Italy (in Paris), he should communicate with General Booth at once. It is admitted that a Frenchman understands the arts of life better than an Englishman does. But then he is impatient of the teetotaller and the Sabbatarian—he mocks at the Mutual Improvement personage, Honeythunder is unknown to him, and of the Army of Salvation he r.arely hears the pipe and tabor. Hence he may be better off than his' English mate—his personal well-being may be enhanced by the absence of these joys. On the other hand, he was a happy and brisk personage beEore the Revolution—when he had anything to eat; he does not owe bis savoir vivre to the Revolution. But perhaps enough has been said. It may be as unprofitable to pursue Sir Robert Stout in his parallels and analogies as it certainly would be to follow Mr Seddon in search of the snow-clad hills of Manitoba.

The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court will commence before his Honor Mr Justice Williams at 10 o'clock this morning, by which time all who have been summoned must be in attendance at the courthouse. The present calender is somewhat lighter than usual, and contains none of the more serious charges which occasionally come before the courts. The Government have decided to allow seals to b8 killed during July and August of this year, subject, however, to the restriction that female or cow seals and seals under 36in in length are not to ba killed. An Order-in-Couneil to this effect was to have been issued on Saturday afternoon. The Hon. J. M'Kenzie, Minister for Lands, will address his constituents at Palmerston this evening, when he will reply to Mr Spence's charges. The General Committee of the O.R.F.U. met last Tuesday, and also on Saturday evening, to hear further evidence in the matter of the Alhambra-Kaikorai match on the 9th May. At Saturday's meeting there were present: Mr James Allen (president), Dr Coughtrey and Mr J. T. Mackerras (vice-presidents), and Messrs Milne, Waters, Martin, Morris, Wynks, MacLaughlin, Chapman, and Home. The evidence of several witnesses, in reference to the matter under inquiry, was taken, and it was decided to deal finally with tbe question on Wednesday evening. The secretary read correspondence from the Warehousemen's and the Dunedin Clubs in connection with tho former club having played Messrs Stephenson (of tbe D.F.C), aud Beck and Williams (of the Pirates Club) in the match against the Oamaru Second Fifteen on tho 25th inst. After discussion it was unanimously resolved (1) to endorse the action of the Dunedin Club in having suspended Stephenson; (2) to suspend Messrs Beck aDd Williams, and also the Warehousemen's Club till the 9th of Juno. D. M'Millan, of the Kaikorai Club, having failed to answer the summons of tho committee to attend and give evidence in connection with the match on the 9th inst, it was decided netn. con. to suspend him during the pleasure of the committee. On the motion of the hon. treasurer, it was decided to make arrangements for town teams to visit tho various clubs in the countiy about the end of August. Mr B. H. Carew, R.M., presided at the Port Chalmers Magistrate's Court on Saturday forenoon, and gave judgment, with costs, for plaintiffs, for whom Mr Platts appeared, iv the following cases:—John Watson v. Thomas Lean, claim £& ls 0d; same v. Henry Cramond, claim £117s OJ. Iv the case of John Mitchell v. John Caple, which was a judgment summons for £3 2s 3d, Mr North appeared for the plaintiff, and asked for an order; but after hearing the evidence of the defendant his Worship dis- 7 missed the case. ' The vital statistics for Dunedin for the month : of May were:—Births, 110; deaths, 67 j and i marriages, 32. The statistics for the corres- ' ponding month of last year were bs followa:— < Births, 108; deaths, 63; nnd marriages, 26, 1

IMr Justico Richmond will resumo hia duties to-day, his year's leavo of absence having expired. ! Bishop Selwyn, of Melanesia, is roported to have recovered from his serious illuess, and is expected in Auckland during tho present month. Four small stacks of oaten sheaves, the property of Alexander Blackie, Stirling road, were burned dowu on Thursday night. They wero valued at £30, nnd were uninsured. About 200 members of the Southern Club and Gymnaßium and a few ladies attended the first of Dr Macphorsou's lectures on ambulance work on Friday evening. A singing class is about to be formed under the leadership of Mr Braik, aud arithmetic, elocution, and other classes will bo formed iv the courso of a week or two. Arrangements havo been made for several entertainments during the next month. The club haß been such a success that enlargements are already necessary, and a lecture hall is about to bo added. Correspondence has beon received from Wellington requesting information respecting the working and success of the club. It has been decided to inaugurate one there, and over £300 haß already been collected for that purpose Lotters havo also been received from several country towns in Otago requesting information as to the success of our club, with a view of starting similar clubs in those localities. The remains of the late Captain John Veal, who died from injuries received at Wellington, wore interred with Masonic honours in the new cemetery, Port Chalmers, yesterday afternoon. The cortet/slefb the deceased's late residence, Grey street, at 315 p.m., and the procession was one of the largest yet seen in Port Chalmers. About 200 persons went down from Duuedin in the tug Pluck}', and amongst thoso present were several members of the Harbour Board, of which deceased was a member, the mayor and other prominent citizens, also the members of the Marine Lodge 942, 8.C., and several members of sister lodges. The service at the grave was read by the Rev. Mr Jory. The burial service of the Masons was also gone through. The Tuapeka Times reports that Mr H. S. Valentino was entertained at a spread at the Victoria Hotel on Thursday night by upwards of 50 of his friends, gentlemen beiug present from every corner of the Tuapeka distriot. Hr E. Herbert was in the chair, and Mr M. Fraer in tho vice-chair. Among those present was Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.R. The entertainment partook more of a private and friendly rather than a political or public display. It is intended to entertain Mr Valentine at a publio banquet at the close of next session. The Presbyterian News hears with great satisfaction that a member of the Young Women's Christian Assooiation, Moray place, Duuedin, has offered to provide the salary of a second Bible woman in connection with the institution. I A special meeting of the Port Chalmers District High School Committee was held on Friday evening; present—Messrs J. Morgan (chairman), A. Thomson, J. Watson, I. Stevenson, J. Mitchell, and Dr Drysdale. The committee decided to recommend Mr W. W. Meckie for the position of fourth assistant, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr W, H. Rennie. A letter was received from the secretary of the Orchestral Society re use of room, and the request was granted. The rector reported that the average attendance had been 533, the number now on tho roll being 623. Messrs E, G. Allen and I. Stevenson were appointed a Visiting Committee for the month. Accounts amounting to £14 4s lOd were passed for payment. Owing to the loss of the 5.9. Lawrence, the Mokihinui Coal Company, which had the contract to supply the New Zealand railways with some 39,000 tons of coal, has made arrangements with the Grey Valley Coal Company to supply the balance of the coal contracted for. The hearing of argument in the Supreme Court, Christchurch, in support of, and against the petition lodged against the eleotion of a licensing committee for Sydenham waß concluded on Saturday, Mr Justice Denniston reserving his decision, Sir Robert Stout undertaking that the meeting of committee fixed for Wednesday next should be postponed for a week to enable his Honor to give judgment in the meantime. The Waimate Times states that for the past 12 months the residents of Makikihi have been considerably exercised over a series of petty thefts which hava taken place in their neighbourhood. Oa Wednesday last Mr Thomes missed a quantity of wheat. He suspected an employe of his named Edward Prately,and went into the room of the hut occupied by the latter and found tho wheat. He also discovered several other articles which he suspected were 6tolen, and, giving information to the police, a search was made, and two sacks full of articles were found, comprising table covers, ladies' night dre3»es, sheets, collars, naw shirts, new pair of moleskins, Waterbury watch, baggy bridle, and other articles. Pratley, getting wind of the matter, disappeared, but was arrested on Friday morning. He is a man of about 35 yeara of age, and has been in the district for eight or nine years. The bridle has been identified sa one taken from the Rev. Mr Smalley's horse while the owner was holding service in the schoolroom, and many of the other articles are supposed to be the proceeds of robberies from clothes lines. The Upper Kyeburn correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle reports that a little girl named Alice Arthur had to spend a night in the tussocks on the 22nd. She had gone out rabbiting during tho day, and as she did not put iv au appearance towards evening tbe parents naturally became alarmed, and a search party was promptly organised. All available help was given, and tbe country thoroughly scoured for miles, but without avail; and as moroing dawned, and one by ono the searchers unsuccessfully returned, the feelings of the parents may be better imagined than described. Fortunately, however, the girl herself turned up next morning, apparently nothing the worse for her outing. She had wandered on to the Peninsula somewhere in the vicinity of Mr Brown's residence, and haviug stayed out too late had presumably become bewildered and laid down. She states that she heard her name culled repeatedly duriug the night, but she was too frightened to speak, as she thought it was somebody wanting to tako her rabbitskins. According to the Greymouth Star " the Blackball coalmine will be in active operation sooner than many folks anticipate. A meeting of the shareholders is to be held at Christchuroh, when overtures will be considered from a powerful Bhipping company. Should these negotalions terminate successfully—and there is every probability that they will—then we shall soon see another powerful fleet of steamers dividing the trado with the Union Company, and forcing the coal trade in markets beyond the colony." News has been received of the death, at Huddersfield, England, from influenza, of Mr Hiram Rhodes, well known some years ago in Otago cricketing circles. He leaves a widow and two children. The last of the exhibitions of Edison's phono- ! graph was given by Professor Archibald on Saturday afternoon, when a numerous attendance gave proof of the sustained popularity of the professor's lecturo and exhibition. After leaving thia colony we learn that Professor Archibald will visit Queensland and perhaps India before he returns with his phonograph and unique collection of records to America. We learn that, owing to fresh developments in the phonograph it will be some time before we again have such an exhibition aa Profossor Archibald has given, or before the phonograph can be obtained in any numbers for the colony. The kinetograph, the latest of Mr Edison's inventions, which was spoken of some months ago, has now—as will ba seen by our cablegrams this morning—been tested with marvelluus results. This invention allows tho movements of the ! speaker's faco to be reproduced as well as his voice through the telephone. It ia possible that wheu Professor Archibald again lectures here ho will be able to bring one of these latest marvels from the great wizard's workshop. ' A Vienna correspondent of a Home paper j tells a shocking story of the results of a cruel ] piece of April fooling. An anxious mother, 1 whose eldest boy began to serve his three years i as soldier last Ootober, received a letter from ] Buda Pesth, where he is garrisoned. Thislctter told her that her eon Lad been shot dead because, £ in his capacity as cobbler to the regiment, he ( had fastened the heels on to the soldiers' I boots the wrong way; that he had been buried ' with all military honours, and that even the general had been present at the funeral. The letter was not signed and was dated the lst Ii of April. The poor mother dropped the letter & from her hands and fell dead. Her daughteraged 13, who was alone with her, was para- c lyaed with fright, had a fit,*and died the next I day, The police are doing all in tbeir power to j trace the author of the brutal boss. fi:

At Timaru on Friday, Mr J. R. Scott, Dunediu, was charged with failing to take steps to destroy rabbits on run No. G3a, Mackenzie Country. Defendant had purchased the run in March, running up the prico to £380 per annum. The sum of £190, being a half-year's rent, tad been paid. A letter had been sent stating that, in order to secure simultaneous action, poisoning would have to be commenced on the lst May. In reply a.telegrara had been received from defendant, stating that he could not continue to hold tho run, and must abandon it. Tho local rabbit inspector, when questioned, gave it as his opinion that defondant was a "dummy." A fine of £15, to include tho costs of prosecution, was inflicted.

In the report of the shipping case, D. M. Speddlng v. the Sew Zealand Shipping Oompany, whioh appeared in our oolumna on [Saturday, it was stated that" the defendants pointed out that not only was no freight claimable, but that if any rate was payable It was the London rate; whereas the company were claiming tbe colonial rate. Tbe defendants also pointed out," &o. "Tbe defendants" ta eaoh sentence should read " the plaintiff." Mr John Grindley (on babalf of tho Farmers' Agency Oompany) bollb grain and produce at 10 30 a.m. to-day at the company's stores. Messrs Donald Held and 00. sell grain and produce at the Otago Corn and Wool Exchange at 10 a.m. to-day. The annual meeting of the Gaelic Society takes place on Wednesday evening at 7 39. Friends and visitors will be admitted at 8 30. Stone's A 13.0. Qukle for Juue ls to hand. Marriage Presents.—lntending purchasers of above are respeotfully ißvited to inspeot the new goods just oponed at Q. and T, Young's, 38 Princes street, Dunedin. Two shipments new goods received this month.- [Advt.] Money oan be obtained from H. Francis, Ootagon (next Athenaeum). Repaid weekly, monthly.—AnvT.] Bdkn Geobgb Company (Limited), the leading Photographers of Dnnedin, will issue the greatest novelty ever offered to the Dunedin publio on Saturday, June 6. Watch for particulara in this paper.—[Advt.j Johu Hislop, Watohmaker and Jeweller, 74 Princes street, The oldest established house in town. Repairs of ail kinds. Good assortment Watohes, □locks, and Jewellery. Spectacles to suit all sights.—[Advt.]