CURRENT TOPICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10621, 13 October 1896, Page 2

CURRENT TOPICS.

Accounts have been published of a most important discovery, which, if A qebat verified, will revolutionise the discovery, fibre trade, and add another to the long list of textile materials. The Rhea or Ramie plant has been known to mankind from the earliest ages. Cloth made from its fibre has been unrolled from Egyptian mummies. But it has only been available for textile purposes under circumstances where human labour was of no account, Tbe fibre has remarkable strength and a beautiful lustre, but it is associated with an outer cuticle, and with resinous gums which have successfully defied persistent attempts to produce a commercial fibre. The plant is now grown extensively in India, Cbina, Japan, Cape Colony, | California, and many other places, aud for over 20 years the Indian Government has offered a reward of £5000 for any I invention, mechanical or chemical, for cleaning the fibre without injuring its tenacity or lustre, | and at a cost consistent with the requirements !of commerce. The process has at last been found by an English chemist, and the London Times thus describes it:—" The Gomesa process adopts zincate of soda for the elimination of the resins, and effects it without the slightest injury to the fibre. After the ' ribbons' or strips of bark hare been freed from dirt, th_y are placed ia weak aoid baths for a night. Next morning they are passed through a mild alkaline bath, and then boiled in weak solutions of caustic soda, to whioh zinc has been added. When washed and dried by the usual mechanical means, the fibres emerge as a long, silky filasso, entirely free from the ou tide and resinous gums in which they were embedded— i clean, white, and ready for the ootub of the spinner. They take the most beautiful dyes, ! and can be worked into every variety of fabric, ; from gorgeous velvets to cheap drills aod ■ delicate laces."

The matter dealt with in the foregoing paragraph is fraught with A hint For. importance to all who are new zea- interested ia New Zealand landers, flax, and it is a subject about whioh no apology ought to be necessary for returning to frequently. The New Zealand flax is subject to exactly the came difficulty as the Ramie fibre, and the hope of oarning the largo reward offered by our Government has stimulated numbers to tho pursuit of invention. The resinous gum with which the fibre is encased not only impedes

| commercial production; but it militates againtt /the quality of the cordage and fabrics made from it. It may be possible to eliminate the gum by tbe new process, or some modification 'of it. If so, an enormous benefit would be conferred on this colony. The Indian j Government's industrial adviser says that the fibres of the R. mie gr.„s are cxce-d*d by none I in fineness and excel all others in strength, and he affirmed that if the difficulty of separating . the fibre from the resin could be overcome the ' bsnefits to India and the world would bo incalculable. If tb^ process now announced is effective it has tbe indispensable merit of being ! simple and che_p. And it may bs that, as we ; have already said, some modification of ib may prove the saviour of tbe fast vanishing native ; flax industry.

In Mr Balance's Financial Statement in 1891, it was stated that- it was the A penny intention of the Government to post. introduce a penny post to this colony, and an act was duly passed bringing it into practice ou a day to bB named by the Governor. Though iv answer to a question in Parliament Mr Ward, who had most elaborately proved the feasibility of tho proposal, stated th .t the penny post would be established in October of 1891, the date has not yet been fixod upon, and that part of the act has so far remained a dead letter. Mr Ward intim.ted that the initiation of a penny inland post would cost £40,000 the flrat year, but tbat the financial equilibrium would be restored in three years. The subject of a peuur poßt was reoently revived in the New South Wales Parliament, aud,,' though a resolution was passed affirming the desirability of a uniform penny post, the Premier would not consent to incur at present the loss of an additional £60,000 which it would entail upon the Post Office, already losing £115,000 a year. In New South Wales newspapers are carried free of postage. In postal districts yielding a revenue of £2500 a year letters are carried within a 13-mile radius of the central office for Id each. Outside that radius they are charged 2d, and, as will b_ easily seen, this system produces numerous anomalies and much heartburning. As the prosent New South Wales Postmaster-general has been an ardent advocate of this reform it will probably be introduced when circumstances permit. Financial exigencies compelled Victoria to revert to a 2d postage, and such an example begets caution ; but since this colony derives a profit of upwards of £30,000 from ite postal and telegraphic department, tbe public have some right to expect that portion of this should be returned to them either by way of a uniform penny post or by the abolition of the postage on newspapers. Last year there were posted in the colony by inland post 6,160,246 newspapers ; so that the revenue must be more than £10,000 from this source. j

The cablegrams from day to day emphasise the completeness with which the the conquest of tho Soudan, or socdan. Sudan, as m&uy now spell it,

haß been effected. The dervishes have been broken and scattered, and for some time to coma at .leait their power to annoy has been destroyed. The campaign has lasted something longer than six months, and it has presented many significant and some peculiar features. It has baeu conducted with consummate skill. Complicated movements were executed with the precision of the parade ground, and some of these, among which may be named the at.ackonFerkeh, consisted of anamber of evolutions by distinct and separate bodies operating on a preconcerted plan. The campaign, also, has taught the dervishes that tbe fellaheen, whom they have despised for ages, can fight when properly led. Further, the campaign caused much .controversy from the employment of Indiau troops, and the determination of the Home Government to make the Indian Government pay the cost of maintaining them in Africa. This is not the first occasion on which Indian troops have been borrowed, nor is it tho first time their pay and maintenance have been debited to the Indian Government. But this demand has not been consistently persisted in, and was oaly put forward in the first instance on the ground that Indian interests wore at stake. But the employment of Indian troops at all outside ludia has lost in significance since Lord Beaconsfield sent the Ghoorkas to Cyprus.

The misfortunes of one may tend to the benefit of another, and it is quite on tbe

the cards that the devastation now eindbrpest. being wrought in tbe herds of

South Africa may lead to such a relaxation of customs restrictions at the Cape as will permit of a large export thither of colonial produce. The producers in Cape Colony are very pronounced Protectionists, and among other duties procured an impost of 2d a pound on ment. The recent visit of their delegates to these colonies must have opened their eyes to the folly of such a tariff. They were under the impression that their colony was a perfect paradise for agriculturists, and they sent their delegates to Australia for the purpose of ascertaining by what " wrinkles" the colonial producer was able to supply them with so many things despite restrictive duties. The delegates were disillusionised, and were compelled to admit tbat the Australasian colonies possessed greater natural advantages, and greater freedom from disadvantages, than they had dreamed of. One of these gentlemen iv an interview, of which the report wa3 published some few weeks since, referred to the possibilities of reciprocal trade, and the rinderpest will attract greater attention to the subject. This is another market that New Zealaaders might have exploited.

In the Legislative Council yesterday the Native Reserves Bill waß passed. The Horowhenua Block Bill was considerably amended in Committee, and progress reported. Some time was spent over tbe Oamaru Harbour Board Leasing Bill, on which progress was also reportsd. In the House of Representatives yesterday, I the Banking Bill not being ready, the Native Land Laws Amendment Bill was discussed a-} i great length in Committee. The Orchard and Garden Pests Bill and the Undesirable Hawkers Bill were pass.d. Our Wellington correspondent telegraphs :— " I regret to state that Lady Glasgow is seriously ill from pneumonia, and the Governor is exceedingly anxious .in consequence. It appears that Lady Glasgow contracted a severe cold at the Wellington polo spor _s on Saturday week, which was a cold wintry day, and she has been ill ever since, but tbe hope ia universally expressed here that her ladyship may have a speedy and complete recovery."

Mr Paulin telephoned at 8.30 last evening :— "S.E. to N.E. to N.W. winds; fine for 24. hours; barometer fall; indications very unsettled."

The monthly meeting of the Athensoum Committee, held last evening, was attended by Messrs R. Martin (chairman), T. W. Whitson, P. G. Pryde, A. R. Barclay, W. B. Harlow, A. H. Burton, G. Blyth, J, Jack, T. S. Graham, and R. G. Whetter. Accounts amounting to £63 13s 4d wero passed for payment. It was decided to obtain the Tasmanian Weekly Mail and the Cycling World. A presentation copy of " The Papers and Reports relating to Minerals and Mining in New Zealand for 1896 " was received with thanks. At a meeting of the Labour Day Committee, held last evening, final arrangements were made in connection with the procession and sports on Wednesday. The procession will,-as usual, start from the oorner of Cumberland and Rattray streets, the route and the order being substantially the same as last year. Five bands will take part in the procession, and the City and Suburban Tramway Company have agreed to suspend traffic iv George and Princes streets while the procession is passing. The sports are expected to start about noon, and as the entries are numerous a good afternoon's amusement should be the result. Professor Gordon Saunders, Mus. Doc,, Oxon., left by the north express for Timaru yesterday morning. He will probably leave Timaru today for Christchurch. Oar. Roxburgh correspondent reports the death of Mr H. Heron, well known in Dunedin and throughout the goldfields. He was proprietor of the Roxburgh Hotel, and very popular with all classes of the community.

During the hearing, of the case of indecent assault at the Police Court yesterday, the police tendered evidence of the nature of the complaint made .by prosecutrix to her mother, and Mr Hanlon, the defending counsel, pointed out that he could not now objeot to it as he might have done before,'*-' the case of Regina v. Dillyman, in 74 Law Times, page 730,* decided in tbe court for consideration of Crown cases reserved, now settled the law, and made such evidence admissible.'

At a meeting held at Hjde on Saturday evening, attended, by some 50 resident?, Cr Kinney being in the. chair, it was resolved to form a branch of the Liberty League. Addresses were delivered by Messrs R. Boyd sen., J. Beatty, A. C. Gray, Connolly, and others, who contended it had become necessary to join together to protect their liberty against intolerant prohibitionists. The names of 100 members were given in, about 30 being ladies. Tho following were elected office-bearers: — President, Mr P. Kinnoy, C.C. and J.P. ; vicepresidents—Messrs R Boyd sen., A. C. Gray, and T, R. Connolly ; treasurer, Mr John Beatty; oommittee-j-Mes. r»*William Currie, 0. J. Laverty, Henry- Raid, George Spence, Georg-n Barker, M. PreDdergast Jan., John North, Hugh Connolly, Joseph Kelly, Henry Marshall, and Albert M. Beir; secretary, Mr J&mes Jackson.

Speaking of Prince Lobanoff, tbe lato Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, a London paper says he spent too short a time at tho Embassy in London for his uttracive manners and great intellectual gifts to produce a very marked impression on English society. One curious bond of sympathy united him throughout life to Great Britain. He entertained a romantic and pa., sianat. admiration for Mary Queen of Scots. Every relic of that unhappy lady was collected by him with pious devotion, and he is said to have possessed a whole library and museum bearing upon her sad and eventful career. It was even whispered that Priuc. Lobanoff remained a bachelor because he had been born three centuries too late for the only woman whom he could have loved. However, he waa hy no means a misogynist, aud on occasions he could shine in a drawing room, though he found in the study and library a more congenial arena.

The evening meetings in connection with All Sainis' Young Men's Club were brought to a close last evening by a social dance, to which members' fri-nds were invited. During the evening the Rev. E. P. Cachemsille—Dean Fitchett's locum tenens —was presented with a greenstone penknife and an address signed by the members. The presentation was made by Mr J. A. M'Nickle, who spoke in high terms of tbe interest taken in the club by the reverend gentleman, ahd referred particularly to the course of ambulance lectures, which had been much appreciated..

The members of the Roscius Dramatic Society are confident of giving even a better represent--tion of "The Ticket-of-Leave Man" on Wednesday night than on the occasion of their previous successful perfurms-nc- The drama will be repeated on Friday, and on Saturday the comedy " Blow, for Blow " will be staged.

The City Hall will be open to-morrow evening, when a holiday bill will be presented. A short drama, entitled "A Prodigal Son," will be presented, followed by a variety programme, in which a number of public favourites will take part.