THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1895.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10359, 14 May 1895, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1895.

We recently reviewed a paper by, Mr David J. Natb.a_"Y read before the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, "which contained very far-reaching and radical proposals for the reform of our export trade in frozen meat. Mr Nathans paper attracted much deserved attention and discussion, and he has now replied to his critics in a second paper of more value and interest than the first. It will be remembered that the salient points of this scheme are consolidation of the interests of the existing companies, and : the acquisition of large, indeed practii cally unlimited, working capital at a low rate of interest, by a voluntary tax of threepence per head upon all the sheep of the colony, and a Government guarantee of the debentured stock of the consolidated company. The objections that have been urged, broadly speaking, are, first that the proposed tax is not practicable, that under no circumstances, and particularly in face of existing diminished values, would the farmers assent to the proposed levy, and that there is no warrant for State aid to an industry that came into existence

jby t-ne natural operation of the law or J | -.J'-PPty and demand; and has rapidly i [expanded to its ' present great proportions by the unaided efforts of those who have hitherto been profitably engaged in it. As to the first objection: Mr Nathan alleges that very flattering letters have reached him from many of those who would be called upon to pay the sheep tax, including expressions of approval from some of the largest flockowners of the colony, while, as he expected, I opposition has come from several leading business men in commercial centres. In defending hi? proposed taxhe.says:— "My answer is complete, and I think unassailable. The ratio of values as between freezers,, stores, and culls remains the same irrespective of the current price for freezers; in other' "words, raise the price of freezers and you raise the price of all grades of j sheep." This is a fair example of the cocksur'eness of Mr Nathan that I will no doubt disappear when that] gentleman shall have gratified his very I laudable. intention to make a progress ! through the country fpr the purpose of j expounding his scheme to the man who'! grows the sheep. If he can satisfy him that by, paying threepence per head voluntary tax upon (the culls he is now sending to the boiling pot he will raise* the market price of tallow and give added value to pelts, he will go a long way to .prove his case. We should not care to hold a brief for Mr Nathan and to attempt the conversion of the farmer who at the present time is contributing to the many thousands of sheep that this season are being boiled down,' for the simple reason that under no circumstances could they be turned to other account. Por the State guarantee many precedents are naturally quoted in support. It is asked, Where is the country to-day which does not subsidise commerce in some form or other ? What are .cable and mail boat subsidies, butter and beet sugar bonuses, endowments to -harbour boards, &c, but aids to commerce? Continuing, Mr Nathan says: "Ifit be wrong to

but aids to commerce? Continuing, Tilr NathajS* says: "Ifit be "wrong to endorse a bill for a great industry on the security of the general sheepfarmer, surely it must be a greater wrong to guarantee the profits of a private cable company, or a mail boat company, in the interest of the city merchant. Of course it may be said that the merchant's convenience is the country's gain; but is not the farmer's prosperity the cause of the merchant's existence, in common 'with • everyone else?" This is very pertinent argument, but Mr Nathaj. puts himselE out of court by asking too much. His two essentials are each difficult of attainment; but he now expresses his willingness to forego the one the least difficult of attainment — that is, a properly safe-guarded State guarantee— in favour of his threepenny tax, which, from our point of view, it is impossible to achieve. Granted that the enterprise requires a substantial endorsement, it would be easier to procure legislation for State-guaranteed debentures secured upon the ' assets of the consolidated company, as is already done in the case of the sugar plantation industry in Queensland, than .to induce "the farmers to incur the heavy liability of a tax of threepence per sheep. And if Mr Nathan* is wedded to this last principle he may find a precedent for imposing it by statutory enactment in Australia, where, in the case of one colony, it is in iqy.ee , for. .the purpose of subsidising 'the- meat and butter industries, and it., is . seriously contemplated by a sister colony. But there is too much reason to suppose that the sheepgrowers of New Zealand i are taxed to their furthest legitimate j ability to pay. M_r NaTil-jt goes into somewhat attractive figures to show the immense saving in" interest there would be on the money invested in the meat trade '" could it be aided by a State guarantee.1 He says money could, be. procured at 3*l per cent. Probably it might be obtained even cheaper, for there would be a double security—that of the assets of the company'and, the State guarantee. This it was no doubt that largely helped the ■ successful floating of tlie recent loan: if was for investment in a. tangible asset. JBut we are chary of borrowing in any form,"and impelled to approach any proposals for Stateaided industries Svith the utmostcaution.

There are two points touched upon by Mr Natham- in his latest paper that are especially deserving bf attention, and these are", the excessive freights for frozen meat from this colony as compared "with Australia,;and the: pressing necessity of a ■ uniform system of grading "our sheep-for export. As to the freights, it is pointed but that, meat is carried from Australia at from |d to 3-l6ths of a penny a pound lower than from New Zealand, and that did the proposed consolidated company succeed in obtaining the lower rates it would result in a gain of £125,000 per' annum, taking our export at 2,000,000 sheep of an average weight of 601b. As to "grading," it is fairly pointed out that much harm has been done to the trade through inferior carcases exported. The proposed company would be in a position to insist upon the breeding and shipping of suitable sheep only, for the grower would not, as now, have the alternative of turning to another company to have them killed, frozen, and sold for whatever they might bring, with the chance of palming them oft* as of superior quality. "The importance of grading," says Mr Nathan, " has been recognised, and the difficulty met in connection with flax and butter. Why should it be longer delayed in relation to meat ? The South Australian Government are moving in the matter in regard to wines, and the Victorian Government are doing the same with regard to brandy and butter, and purpose doing likewise with fruits and honey." Finally, as showing the magnitude of the issues involved in this project, it is stated that " should the influence of the company be sufficient to reduce freight, insurance, storage, and brokerage charges combined by per lb, the net gain to the colony, independent altogether of possible trade extension, would be no less a sum than £250,000. Mr Nathan's is an ambitious scheme, but, as we said in the first instance, it is,

while large, unwieldy, and while his personal efforts to publish it throughout the length and breadth of the country cannot but result in public service for which the author will have deserved much credit, he will most certainly find his object unattainable. Yet the movement should help forward the cause of progress, and something must be done to stimulate the trade so that a larger margin of profit may fall to the grower. We have already recognised

the advantages that would spring from a combination of interests on the part of tbe existing companies, and suggested that their representatives should meet and confer with that object. It would no doubt be a great step forward could the farmers be induced to financially strengthen the company, and we learn that a scheme has lately had their attention that, while not nearly so large as that under review, is very much more practicable. It is suggested that for purposes of the necessary charges for regulating the English market and expanding the trade there should be included by the companies in the consolidated charge for freezing, &c. a levy of 3d per sheep. This j would give ,£25,000 a year for the j purposes which Mr Nathan desires j to achieve. Such a sum capitalised would mean immense power. It could be employed, for instance, if the principle of a State ! guarantee came to. be recognised, to I directly influence the- freight rates, by the erection of adequate cool stores at our ports of shipment, so that a meat ship would not be delayed a single hour in loading, instead of steaming from portto port in quest of cargo aa, at present. To such a fund could be charged the services of the best man obtainable to represent the interest of. the trade in London, and these provided for; there would remain a considerable margin for the exploitation of new markets and the correction of the abuses of the London trade. We commend this idea to Mr Nathan, for though small by comparison with his huge project, it goes in the same direction, andeveri from his point of view may serve to pave the .way for hismore ambitious enterprise.

We intended to deal -with some points in the scheme formulated by Mr M. C. Orbell, president of the Geraldine Farmers' Club, but space will not permit of us doing so' in this article. We are informed that Mr Oubeli, is taking steps to convene a conference of those who are interested in the trade, in order that the whole question may be intelligently and exhaustively discussed. We trust his -efforts in this direction, added as they are to those of the meeting of flockowners held at Feilding last week, will result in a conference being convened by the Minister for Agriculture, and that some beneficial results -will be attained.

At a recent meeting of the Professorial Board of the Otago University the following resolution was adopted to meet the wishes of the Southland Teachers' Institute:—"That in places within.the education districts of Otago and Southland local examinations may be held, .provided that not less than four candidates notify th_ir intention of presenting themselves for examination; and that a committee consisting of Professors Shand, Gibbons, and the chairman be appointed to consider the details of the arrangement and report to the board." Tha monthly meeting of tha Atheaceum Committee, held last evening, was attended by Messrs T. *W. Whitson (ie the chair), James Jack,, R. G. Whetter, A. R. Barclay, A. H. Burton, G. P. Clifford, G. Blyth, T. S. Graham, ,R. Mr.rLin, W.B. Harlow, and Dr Macdonald. Accounts amounting to £32 19s lid were passed for payment. Reports from the sub-committees were considered and approved. The librarian's' monthly report was read and approved. The committee received with thanks the catalogue of the library of the Royal Colonial Institute. Acts of Parliament, of. Victoria 1890 to 1895, and Acts of Parliament of South Australia, also specimen copy of 1' Monatshef te " magazine. A number of works in the suggestion book were ordered to be obtained; Several matters relating to the management of the institute were gone into and referred to the respective sub-committees to deal with.

A man named Ah Vim, alias Ah Yum, for whose arrest on a charge of being the occupier of a disorderly house in Stafford street the stipendiary -magistrate hist Thursday issued a warrant, was taken into custody last evening by Constable Brsberg and lodged in the police cells.

Mr Boetham, S.M. and coroner at Christchurch, has been called upon by the Minister for Justice for a "report as to why no inquest was held into the circumstances connected with the death of a. girl, aged 13, who died while under the influence of chloroform in the Christchurch Hospital. The operation wa3 a simple one—the removal of a ganglion at tho wrist— and Dr Nedwill,' who operated, appears to have thought it desirable to hold an inqutst. Mr Beefcham, after making inquiries, exercised the discretion allowed him as coroner and decided, under the circumstance., that an inquest was

not necessary.

"The chiefs have paid their road tax at the Cook Islands," runs a message from that group. ""They had never been taxed before, and had stoutly -reaOlvad not to pay or allow any. of their people to do so. But they had to obey the law made by. their own council, arid in the end they gave way and ,paid to . a man." Thus much appears from a report by Mr Moss, ths British Resident of the Cook group. The escuse.of the islanders was .characteristic. They said they wanted peace, but according to an a_riom of theirs, " There could be no peace without war." They had fought against the tax, but how the fight was ended. So the first tax ever levied in the Cook Islands was paid.

Those who attended the meeting of settlers at Cheviot appeared to be a good deal concerned by the presence of the representative of the Christchurch Press. Mr Brick said they knew what the feeling would bs in Canterbury when it was seen1* that there had been a meeting of settlers at Cheviot to ask for a reduction of rent. It would be said, " Oh, you have had a meeting there; you are going in for a reduction of rent. I told you so!" The Pres3 was very glad to get hold of it. Mr Gale said it would bo bettsr for Cheviot if nothing appeared in tho Press or Times until the meeting which had* been spoken of was held. The chairman said that was all very fine, but how. could they gag all those people present ? Mr Gale was understood to say it was only necessary to gag the reporter. He agreed with Mr Brick that more harm than good would be done to Cheviot.

The curious skeleton found some time since in Java is at length being reduced to its proper position in the geological record. It has been named the Pithecanthropus ecectus, or the " upright man monkey," but that turns out to be a somewhat premature effort at descriptive terminology. Tho latest view is that the remains are those of a transitional man or of a microcephalous idiot, as in the case of the famous Neanderthal skull. Professor Cunningham, of Dublin, haa lately endorsed this view. He thinks tbe Java bones are undoubtedly human, but that they are most assuredly not derived from a transition form between aDy of the existing anthropoid apes and man. " Such a form," he says, " doe 3 not and cannot exist, seeing that the divarication of the ape and man has taken place low down on the genealogical tree, and each has followed, for good or bad, his own path. The so-called Pithecanthropus is in the direct human line, though it occupies a place on this considerably lower than any human form at present known. This argument must surely dispose of the Javanese "upright man | monkey." Perhaps the learned professor will i suggest another name in place of the one he I has so ruthlessly demolished.

The first gathering of the Waitaki Gaelic I Society will be held at the Hakateramea Public ! HaU on Priday evening. The society is not i confined to Highlanders ; anyone may join, but | the management will be confined to Highj landers. Those who intend to join the society i will be admitted to the gathering on paying I their subscription if introduced by members.

The Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association's balance sheet for fche year shows a credit by lance on the year's operations cf £200. The assets exceed the liabilities by £900, including £330 on fixed deposit. Mr H. Carswell was elected president, and Mr Hunter vice-

president.

" The Guvnor" was repeated at the Princess Theatre last nighfc. Miss Wilde played well as the boatbuilder's daughter, and Mr Kennedy's assumption of the old deaf boatbuilder was amusing, though he is apt to introduce foreign matter into the dialogue that does not improve the part*. Mr Greenaway played carefully as the boatman's son, and Mr Lucas appeared as youDg Butterscotch. A word of praise is due to Mr Norton and Miss Laurence for the way in which they filled their respective parts, and also to Mr Hill for his representation of the gentleman -from Aberdeen. "The Guvnor" will be staged again to-night, and will give place to " The Ticket of Leave Man " on Wednesday night.

The Tivoli Company gave another of their enjoyable performances afc the City.Hall last evening. The burlesque" Pirates of Balclutha" was received with frequent outbursts of laughter; while the farces " Slocum's Dog " and " Hurrah for Casey " likewise created much amusement. The vocal items and various specialties were contributed in a satisfactory manner, and added greatly to the enjoyment of those present. Another performance will be given this evening.