THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY MAY 8, 1899.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11417, 8 May 1899, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY MAY 8, 1899.

A few days ago we published, on the authority of our. Wellington correspondent, the information that Professor Hugh M'Kenzie, of Victoria University College, has been thrown into a state of nervous/prostration in consequence of the treatment he has received since his arrival in the colony. He is a halfbrother of the Minister for Lands, and it is said that some newspaper comments upon his appointment to the position ho now holds in Wellington, in which it was averred that it savoured of political jobbery, were forwarded to him upon his arrival by some anonyxnous corre-

spondent who wrote in an offensive and threatening strain. Moreover, he was assaulted at his own gate by a gang of roughs a few. days after his arrival, and it is asserted that Professor M'Kenzie has connected this incident with his experience in being the recipient of anonymous letters. In this belief Professor M'Kenzie is probably mistaken. ' The author of the offensive letters is not likely to have run the risk of disclosing his identity that would have been ininvolved in the hiring of a band of roughs to assault Professor M'Kenzie. Whether the correspondence and the assault are connected or not, however, we must confess to a feeling of surprise and pain at the suggestion which is made in some of the Ministerial papers that a political significance' is to be attached to the attacks that have been made upon the professor. This suggestion is really kk,, absurd for consideration, and we are absolutely amazed that a respectable journal like the Lyttelton Times should have given circulation to'it/ "The incident," we are told, "is the direct outcome of the tactics employed by the Conservative press in the colony." Presuming that by the Conservative press the Lyttelton Times means the section of the press that'does not support .the Ministry, we take leave to say that a more disgraceful assertion than that which we have quoted was never made by a paper of any standing. But fortunately its utter ridiculousness is so selfevident as to be its refutation. When tin public is asked to believe that the criticism to which the Ministerial policy and administration have been subjected by the Opposition press has had its outcome in a blackguardly attack on a young man who can only be known to a few persons in the colony and who is in no way associated with politics, an insult is offered to its intelligence. If we were to subscribe for a moment to such a monstrous proposition as that the animadversions which we and some of Our contemporaries have felt constrained to pass upon Ministerial methods could have the effect of inciting despicable wretches to acts of violence, would it not be reasonable to suppose that the Ministers or their satellites, whose appointments have Tjeen unblushing political jobs, would be the objects of attack? The Lyttelton Times suggests that there are people " whose crude passions and prejudices have the merest , apology for an intellect to hold them in check" who may bo stayed by that form of journalism "which Allows abuse to do duty for argument." We are sorry to have to say that in its attack upon a section of the press of the colony which is at least as honourable as the journals which blindly support the Government the Lyttelton Times has committed the fault it reprobates, of allowing abuse to do duty for argument. It is" however, only by persons with the merest apology for an intellect that the slightest credence will be given to such an unwarrantable and outrageous assertion as that with which our contemporary has sullied ■ its columns. For ourselves, we have never criticised the appointment of Professor M'Kenzie, and we regret exceedingly- that he should have been attacked in the ways we have mentioned by airy evil.disposed persons. To endeavour to connect these persons with the Opposition of the colony is, as we have said, absurd/ hiit it is also-absolutely contemptible, vj-

The statements contained in a letter which appeared in our issue of Saturday overt-he signature of Mr Robert Gilkison. of Clyde, are of ,such an extraordinary character as to make the searching inquiry which he demands into the circumstances narrated by him imperatively necessary. Mr Gilkison, in effect, alleges against the police that '.they, brought charges of sly grog-selling and of keeping a gaming house against a resident of Alexandra, named Chow Kee, and of holding them over his head.until after a charge of theft against a youth named Ryan had been disposed of, on the understanding that if Chow Kee and some of his countrymen gave satisfactory evidence against Ryan nothing further would be heard of the charges preferred against the Chinese. In pursuance of this arrangement, Mr Gilkison asserts, after the conviction of Ryan had been secured, the police, through the solicitor who acted for them, withdrew > the charges against Chow Kee, although they had evidently a good case against him. If these allegations were well founded they would constitute a shameful transaction, as Mr Gilkison describes the proceeding. We understand, 'however, that Inspector Pardy strongly protested against the withdrawal' of the charges against Chow Kee and has xeported the whole matter to the head of his department with a view to the facts being elicited. Inspector Pardy's explanation renders an inquiry all the more necessary. Mr Macdouald, 'solicitor, of Alexandra, who represented the police, was either authorised to 'withdraw the charges—or, to be strictly correct, to offer no evidence, for the magistrate refused to permit the charges to be withdrawn—or he was not. In the' former event, it is pertinent to ask why the charges were not withdrawn ■' at an earlier stage instead of being kept hanging over the head of the defendant until after he had given his evidence against Ryan, and in the latter event it will be interesting to know, if the police not only did not authorise the withdrawal of the charges but actually protested against such a course, whence Mr Macdonald derived his authority in declining to offer evidence. Inspector Pardy's request for an inquiry into the circumstances should be promptly granted, for the purity of our justice is at stake.

If the acquisition of the Philippines ha«. been imposed on the United States by destiny, it is a result of the war with Spain which it is imperative that America, for- the sake of her trade, should not allow to' slip out of her hands. This is a view which is put with much ability and force in an article contributed by Mr David S. Cowles, a New York merchant, to the Commercial Advei-tiser in that city. The writer shows how the great questions which now disturb the civilised countries of the world are essentially commercial. Europe, producing more manufactured goods than her home markets can absorb, and losing, as she is losing, her trade in America, is compelled to look farther afield for a buyer for her wares. It is ou this account thsw Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia, and Belgium have turned their attention to the Far East with the determination to open China to trade. The United States, however, equally with these European countries, has an interest in openinoa foreign market for her trade. "We produce more," Mr Cowles writes" R than we can consume at home, not only of agricultural products (which the world will still come to our snores and

Buy), but of 'manufactured products which .we must go abroad and introduce to the buyer." And as the Americans cannot expect to sell their surplus of manufactures in Europe to any considerable extent, when Europe herself has ay surplus of similar goods and is compelled to seek a market abroad for that surplus, they must look east for their market. Unless a market should bo found, their ability to employ labour, to build new mills and new railways, to mino moro iron, to develop their resources generally, to see their people grow more prosperous, obtain better education, and enjoy life as they should, disappears. 1: We are impelled by an irresistible force," Mr Cowles holds, " and, regret' it or not as we may, the day is past for tho policy which says America has no interests or needs beyond her own borders." The treasons which liavo .influenced .Europe to enter tho Far ]£asf. for trade purposes ai'o, it is argued,/even more convincing when applied to tho United States. A", ith its untold millions of people the East1 possesses the greatest limclp possibilities of the future, and, while procref-s may still be slow, is bound to become one of the greatest markets in the world. This, however, rakes another point. If American manufacturers are to trade m the East and to maintain their rights to such trade, they must have a military base in Eastern waters. Mr Cowles states his casd very clearly: "-An inability to maikot our surplus abroad would .demoralise n.ud make unprofitable the home market, ■ reduce production, and throw labour' out of employment. Therefore it is necessary that we should bo-in a position to protect our foreign, and by so doing we protect our home trade. Tljo two ' are inseparably connected. To-day this requires a navy sufficiently large for offence and defence. That navy, to keep the seas and bo effective, must have a ,base. of supplies reasonably near at hand." Tn this connection .1 very significant and indeed strikins; comment is made—namely,1 that if Admiral Dewey had failed of success at Manila his fleet' could have kept the seas flnly for a short time and would have been compelled to return to the pacific Coast of America to replenish its coal bunkers, and consequently the American commerce in the East would have been left at the mercy of the enemy The moral is that the Philippines are necessary to the United States for the perfection of her commerce. That being conceded, -Mr Cowles makes a, suggestion, which has tho merit of novelty as well as of shrewdness, for securing the development of the resources of the islands and making the group, self-supporting1 or bettor. If climatic conditions permitted, the great hope of the islands, ho thinks, would ho from immigration of Europeans, but this being doubtful, it is suo^ested that, with tHe establishment of ,a firm and just government, immigration ■shoulcl.be permitted without restriction. The belief is that in that ca.se the Chinese would flock in large numbers to the Philippines, and, if that belief should be fulfilled and Chinese labour was employed under the supervision of whito overseers and a reasonable amount of capital directed towards the development of the internal resources' of the country, it would not take ,long to convert the islands from comparative unproductiveness to great activity and prosperity. One argument in favour of tho suggested importation of Chinese labour into the Philippines is supplied by the fact that the native is averse to work. As sketched in the "American "Review of Reviews " for March by Senor J. Caro y Mora, of Manila, tho.Filipino is weak and remiss in the performance of-his duties, and likos very much to • pass hours in idleness. It will not bo through'the oxcrtions of the natives that the productiveness of the islands will be brought "about. As a matter of fsct tho only time when there was. prosperity in the Philippines .was before the Chinese, who had settled there in considorable numbers, were driven from them by massacre and persecution.

Tho Horn Mr Best, Victorian Minister for Lands and Customs, and Mr Tremvith, the parliamentary leader of the Victorian Labour party, arrived from the north by Saturday's express train. They will spend to-day in visiting the various foundries "where dredges are being constructed, and our woollen mills and othor places. They leave to-morrow to inspect some of the dredges and dredging claims in the colony. .They are accompanied by Mr D. H.. Mating, of the Melbourne Aigus staff, while J. Grattan Grey represents the Age.

The lad who recently swallowed a whistle while .running to a, fire, and was admitted to the hospital, hag succeeded in getting rid of the obstruction. He'had a fit. of coughing on Saturday, the effect of which was lo remove the whistle. His escape was'a providential ono, as from, the position of tho impediment any operation to remove it must have been attended with doubtful results.

Tho weekly returns for the hospital are as fellows: —P.ifcionts remaining from the»week previous to last, 99 ; admitted during tho past -week, 16,; and discharged, 20; Throe deaths are recorded, tho names of the deceased being Gerrge Woods, Annie Knowles, and Georgo Hemsley. The total number of patients remaining stands at 92.

The police are investigating a theft of a aiost peculiar nature. It will be remembered ihat some days ago we reported that the Department, of Justice were removing tho remains of the .three murderers who were buried within the precincts of the old gaol. After being uncovered, the remains were left pending an order for their removal being received from Wellington. In the interval, however, som4 person, presumably a collector, took a f aiioy to the skull of the late Captain "William Jarvey, executed for the murder of his wife, and annexed it. The police hope that anyone offering for sale a, skull •" other than their own" will be made to apcount for it.

1 Two application for old-age pensions came before Mr E. H. Carew at Port Chalmers on Saturday. A female applicant .was granted a pension of £13, and the case, of a male ap- , plicant was deferred. t

The First Church was densely crowded last night, when the Rev. James Gibb delivered the third and concluding sermon of the course he has been preaching on Sheldon's book. "In His Steps." . Almost every available spot in the large church was occupied, the aisles and all the space round the pulpit being occupied with worshippers. The gathering reminded one of the congregations that assembled on Jubilee Sunday and on Anniversary Day last year. Mr Gibb's sermon lasted for one hour and a-quarter, during the whole of which he kept the unflagging' attention of his great audience. Despite the crowded state of the building and the temperature, which was unpleasantly high, there was not the slightest aiJpearance of weariness, and at various points in the address, and particularly towards the close, the stillness of the congregation was simply intense. For fully half a minute after the preacher had ended there was not a movement perceptible in the vast assemblage, and the silence was exceedingly impressive. We hope to' give a synopsis of the discourse in to-morrow's issue.

Our Palmerston correspondent writes as follows:—Referring-to a paragraph appearing in your issue of the 4th inst concerning a breaking into and stealing a quantity of edibles from the Salvation Army Barracks here, I may stale that the local police, although never reported to them, have traced the matter to a successful issue by discovering the perpetrators of the offence. The facts aie, though, exaggerated in your Thursday's issue. Some four youths, after the meeting dispersed, remained behind. Two of them entered a cellar, the door of which was incautiously left open, and from there gained entrance to the barracks through a trap door in the floor by pushing it up. They then helped themselves to some cakes, amounting in value to about 6s, and brought them out and divided with the other two youths outside. The Army officials, in their great charity and,' forgiveness, refuse to prosecute, preferring the more Christian mode oj deal-

ing with offenders by reclaiming them by moral suasion. It is a pity an example is not made of such persons when caught. It is not an easy matter to detect such offenders, and when, as in this case, Hie matter is. discovered, a salutory lesson from the bench would, in the opinion of many, act as a much betler deterrent. When tfley get off so easilj', it is an encouragement to them and others to repeat the oft'enco when opportunity offers.

At the City Police Court on Saturday the Hon. D. Pinkcrton and Mr P. G. Pryde, the presiding juctices, convicted' and discharged avi inebriate, who made his appearance for the first time. Teresa Gorhan was charged with failing to send her child to the NorthEast 'Valley School the -prescribed number of times during three weeks .of-,March last. Mr A'.tken, truant officer, mentioned that the woman was in poor circumstances, and if she would promise to send the child regularly in future he would withdraw' all the informations but one. The woman," in answer to the bench, said she would send the child to school regular]}', and was lined 2s on the one in-1 fcrn.'ation, the others being withdrawn.

Speaking at the function given in his. honour by the Marine Engineers of New Zealand at Wellington, Mi- Archibald Denny said the country appeared to him to be a perfect Garden of Eden—mixed up a.lit tie with the Highlands of Scotland.—(Laughter.) Some' of the' harbours were very, good—at any rate, they were very numerous.—(Laughter:) The east side of Canterbury was the Garden of Eden, the West . Coast—aboiit Westport—was reminiscent of the Grampians. The country had room for scope, and would take a'good deal of spoiling.. The people he had met—well, he didn't want to say too muoli, lest he should make them too proud.—("No! no!" and. laughter.) Well,

at any rate, he did not want, to meet people more friendly than the people he Hud met in this colony.—(Applause.)

The Melbourne University Council has decided on erecting a bacteriological laboratory. The bacteriological department will be situated at the back of the medical school and chemistry laboratory. It is proposed!to put up a building of the simplest architecture;: all' needless ornamentation being dispensed with; but these and other, details will be loft for decision to the faculties of medicine.and engineering. It is considered that

the sum of £2000 will be quite sufficient to meet the purpose in view, and there ;is a confident belief that when the laboratory is fitted up it- will be entirely -self-supporting, VThere was a general agreement at the "meeting as to the value of the opportunities the department will'afford for original research and useful tests by the Government experts, the result of whose work' should be rof the greatest importance and service to ,the community; at large. : .' A ;

The curator of the Southland Acclimatisation Society, referring to the 23,000 salmon fry received from Mr Deans, manager of the Otago'Society, in August last, states thai, the.

argest: specimen is now about four '-inches

longv ."There are still," he says, "n few dying, chiefly from fungus on the tail, .which is quite a new thing in my experience. As it ■is proposed to liberate these fish at Manapouri next summer, I went there-lately to find, out what streams are available. There are several rivers flowing into the lake which, are suitable, but they are a.good many miles

from where the Waiau leaves the lake, and conveying the fish up to them will be at-

tended by a certain'amount: of'risk. : There ;is an excellent; stream, however, a few miles

this side of the lake and flowing into the Waiau, a few miles below .it;" .which'would* be very, suitable. At the request of the Otago Society, I met Mr Morris, now manager at Clinton,, at Lumsden on; 7tlv "December last, and assisted him. in liberating some yearling salmon from the Clinton ponds in ■the Oreti River. The fish were: well-grown and' healthy, and the loss was-; very' small considering it was very hot weather."

The latest news from Klondyke appearing in the English papers, and dated from New York on March 7A, says that the steamship Laurada has" arrived at Seattle from Alaska with 150,000d0l in gold. It is'the first shipment from Klondyko that has arrived this year. A^ woman who lias been residing in 'Oawson City is one of the richest of the .party. The miners say that the Skagway River was frozen up completely when (.hey left. Everybody was short of water. The rich men on the Klondyke were washing their faces with champagne. Mr "Bill" Partridge, an English mining expert, who has also arrived at Seattle, says that Mr Alexander M'Dowell, otherwise known as King of Klondyke, has disposed of-six of his'richest claims to an English syndicate for two and aquartcr million dollars. The basin of Pande Lake, in Barnoff Island, lias been drained, and a great quantity of gold gravel found exposed on the bottom. A New York syndicate has purchased it for two and a-half million dollars.

The Times, of March 10, publishes a correspondence between Professor A. V. Dicey and,its own Paris correspondent, which for the first time makes it clear what the Dupuy law on the Court of Cassation does and does not do. It does force that court to give its judgment in the Dreyfus case as an unbroken body, and no* through the Criminal Chamber; but it does riot deprive the-whole court of the power. of quashing the whole case on ite responsibility, and thus setting Dreyfus free without pronouncing on his guilt or innocence, in such case there, could be no retrial of the accused. The court, however, has auother power which, in the judgment of the Paris correspondent, will more probably be used. It can declare that a crime was certainly committed, but that there is no evidence as to who committed it, and remit the investigation of that crime and the accused to a court-martial. That decision, in tke present condition of military feeling, would not be satisfactory, but if the trial were an open one, and the evidence all published, there would be a chance of justice, first from the court-martial, which would be watched by all Europe, and, secondly, from the court of public opinion.

The Mayor, of Auckland has received a reply from the Education department with reference to the resolution passed at the annual meeting of householders stating that a Technical Education Bill will.be introduced next session.

-' The following is the result of the polling for the election of members to the Peninsula Road Board.—Anderson's Bay subdivision: Hugh Ross 45 (elected), George Rowo 25. Highcliff subdivision: John A. Sanderson 30. (elected), James Fairbairn ,26, James Walker 1-. Sandymount' subdivision: Donald Gunn and John Riddell 66 eac'r (elected), James Ruterford 17, William Denton 15. '~■', ;

. The 8.30 train to Port Chalmers on Saturday took down ten trucks containing from 14,000 to 15,000 rabbits from -Messrs Tonkin find Co. This firm cJaim to have this season purchased half a million rabbits up to the present, and, in addition to leasing the major portion of the Dock Trust's Freezing Worksj are now sending large quantities for storage to the Lyltelton Harbour Board's Freezing Works.

Dr Waddoll, in his lecture to-night, which begins the. series arranged by the St. Andrew's Literary Institute, will speak of the life and character of "Christina Rossetti." Her life was cast in the midst of those whoso names have since become among the most famous iiV the history of literature and art. It was in the studio of her brotlfer—the great poet-pain tar, Dante' Gabriel Rossetti—that the. Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was born. Dr Waddell will give some account of those who composed this brotherhood, of the objects aimed at,' and of the influence of the frc-Raphaelite principle in literature.

The Rev. J. Idrisyn Jones, M.A., representative of the British Israel Association, London, is expected to arrive in Dunedin on the 20lli inst. Mr Jones, ,who is the sort of a gentleman who was for years the vicar of the Welsh parish of Idrisyn, and we are informed that his friends regard him highly for the fullness of his Biblical knowledge, his extensive reading, his advocacy of temperance, and of unfulfilled prophecy, and his graceful delivery in the pulpit and on the platform. A committee has been formed to arrange for a course of lectures by Mr Jones.

Large numbers still continue to flock to the Alhambra Theatre to sec the Waxworks and enjoy the variety entertainment which is given nightly. On Saturday afternoon the usual matinee was held, and in the evening, when Miere was a very large attendance, Mr AVill Stevens, a recent addition to the company, mads his first appearance, in conjunction with others, who had already gained favour with the public. Mr Stevens is an entertainer of considerable pretensions, and

hi:* specialties "I'm throwing myself away" and "' Mrs Gottem " were- received with unbounded favour, Mr Stevens, in response to ths repeated recalls, having to reappear several times. The others who contributed to tho amusement of the evening were the St. Georges, Miss J. Johnston, Messrs Curran, Sylvain, and Bluett, and the concluding item was the farce " Under the Gaspipes," in .which Mr Stevens was very amusing. An unrehearsed sceno was the ejection of an individual who had evidently been making merry in the earlier part of the evening, and whoso noisy approval.of the performance was resented by the management. The Alhambra will be open as usual this evening.