CURRENT TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2249, 8 April 1897, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS.

The causes which affect tho ebb and flow of trade lie very deep. Some argue the bevival tbafc trade risps and falls in in trade, irgnlar periods, and that t(:o revive 1 which Las just been experienced in tho sffec' of ronue natural la-.v which ordains th&fc prosperity tud adversity shaU alternate with each otbor in cycles. Brj Ihtttai it may — for fbe question is too iarge for other than the iserest refer enoo in this place, — trade has revived, and evidences of ito lovival ore visible everywhere. Wo shall selesl one speeimeu ai an example. Messrs John Birch and Co. (Limited), a well-known Knglish housf., havfl sent in faeir circular, aud they n^e^k >n the most confident manner of tho roncwal o pcoßprrifcy. They i»how that ieadiu^ arUcl+H in the stool and -iron Trade have r»dv.iaeed in price within ths Issfc year, aud Allf ge their belief that the forward ruovonienfc is an indication of what is yet «o take place Accustomed to look at thing? from ft. broad ntandpoit.t, the firm see ?n the incre??ing output of gold a sonrco of prosperity. Tfc*>* txpreia thn opinion that ths continuous and growing output aad storage of tha standard metal rum* load to an increase of tho power of purchase, sinca the gold must be employed. In discussing the international outlook, thn witter*of the circular intelligently di«cus3 the colonising policy of Brifc-jtiii, aud show that in colociil exoansicn aud in foreign trade iv c m^tiluto^ the sole possibility of her rxistenee Purbher, it :* pointed out, that the Continental Power.?s well as the United States bar their doors io British trade by means of hostile tariffs »aa sometimes by direct bounties to industries.

The Sydney papers contain soino nitores 1;:!!;,'1 ;:!!;,' details about tho Federal thk bihth elections on March 4. The of a highest on the lisb of the nation. s".corssfa! csixiidates was Mr E Barton, with 93,736 votes; tb*> lowent, Mr H. Coof-lsmd, wilfa 41,603. Cardinal Morao polled 36, 170, aad stood thirteenth on ihe ii*t The election was responsible for the importation of some, terms new to colonial politics. Groups of candidates were put forward under the name of "' bunches'' by their supporter*, and m New So'ith Wales there were iour sach groups. There wai the "Federal" ten, with the motto "The ten, the whole ten, and nothing but the ten." Of thea« difht were elecroo", Meosrs M'Gowen and Walker being rejVcted. There wts an "Orange" bunch, but only six of the 10 f.omiuers were succsssful. There was r. " Labour " ten, bub not one of tbeai was returned, which shows how much lhn sectional politics of Sjdaey are i-iflecfced »11 over the colony. There was a "Patriotic Five," m'ek-namod the Prudentia) party, but they did not succeed iv obtaining a single seat. Perhaps one of the most noteworthy features of the election was the candidature of Cardinal llorau, and he was tho chief actor in an • pisode ihus dpscribed by the Sydney Morning Herald: — "Perhaps the ran«b picturtuqua incident of l,he day was tho arrival of Cardinil Moran at the Protest «ifc Hall to record his vote. Ifaraayb< th*fc Liis Kminence chose this very booth »« a subtle protest Agaiosb the. idea that there is any but a political issue in tha election ; but, be this as it may, he received a very heart}' reception as he drove up. It w<\B evident that there were many of bis personal supporters in the crowd, and these cheered and waved their haf.rs, whilst ths attitude of th*> people geuerally was cordial. The cardinal did not stay in the huilding moro than a few minutes, and when lies isuitvi 'iut he agiun nv-fc with a hearty greeting." We had something like this on a small scalfi in Dunedin in 1883 when the lato Bishop Moran contested the Peninsula election after the de-»th of Mr Seaton. Oa that occasion Mr Larnach polled 657, Mr Donnelly (whom the bishop wanted to keep out) 182, aud Bishop Morau 138.

It is nob likely that rainy Now Zsalanders are enamoured of the Transvaal, the though some few have gone TRA.NSVAAL. fhare, but, a.t far a3 may be learned from pub'.irhed extracts from private correspander.ce, without achieving startling success. Should there be others desirous of going thither ib J3 well that they should kuow thifc President Kruger has p*s.sed si kind of Undesirable Immigrants Bill, which may have the effect of opening their eyes to the real meaning of such restrictions, and ot teaching them that what is sauce for the goose is e auce for the gander. It has been notified in America, whence a large number have gone to the Transvail, that foreigners entering the republic must have proper pissporbs from their own Gavernment, duly vised by a consul of the republic. Tne passport must show that the foreigner has sufficient means of subsistencs, or can obtain such by his work. Failing to have this passport, proper letters of ident'Oeatfon may be accepted. Admission to the country will be granted by the fit'ld cornet at the place of entry, who will issue travelling aud resident passports, good for three months' stay. These may be renewed, and foreigners desiring to settle must make oath to obey the laws. The decree does not apply to foro'guers already in

the republic. Ie may be assumed that *ny European found without a pasiport will bo fci-a*ted as «n outlaw, perh-»p» arrested by ft " Zarp," as they call tho policemen there from the initials on hia cap, and '* run him in" as thty uiwd (.o imprison the diggers iv th« early dr.ys of R*llar»t wh^n they had no license. Ib '.rould be interesting lo hear tho opinion of a atalwa^t NVw ZeaUrd " Liberal" if subjected to the treatment we have doacribed.

In N«w South Wales the bospitnl authoritiM hare fcftkeu altuin a 1 ) the spread tub of consumption, aud have urged consumption upon the Government the neoesscake. sity of special separata treatment of consumptive cases. Thanki to the di«oov«rwir. <■£ bacteriological science the treatment of consumption is now thoroughly well understood. Koch's investigations 0:1 the auhjeet enabled him 1.0 demonstrate tLttt fro'n the impalpable dmfc collected, in iuom» where consumptive patients had died t,her*) were ready to tpring myriads of de&thdeiliug: bacilli. There must be many io this oruinvmity t> v?hom this dread disease has brought tfi» warning rnftsrag<i by e.trrjing oil >onw friend. They at ail eve^t-j will remember Or Springthorpo's afrong worJB to hi.) medical breh l >r«n at fchn oor>grejs here last year. "It is chnost iacredibl-j," h« said, "y.xt, aoiue ycs.r&' ■"oiit'tnue.i inquiry haa conclusively proved ifc to r.vj thai aoaruely a percen^ngo of mediol men gwe any iustiuotiaus worth}' the u*me for ths titiitfuction of disinfection of the spatum, and t Suijltea*, mikv. any inquiry u'lto the erudition of t'ao dairy from v>Sjioh the mil!-; of their sick children i? obtained, or dirfco th*6 tha unknovva milk sboalrl bs i.c^lded before use. Who, »,gain, pay Atttntion to th» killing of the baciili that jnuKb have collected in roouas and <3v/olliDgs frequented by expectorating oonsumptivr.s ? And yet, in tha xbs^ucd of ths'is es.»eut ; al prerautionc, we cl.iim to ba '.ypafcunf the case ! Aucl, wo«e still, »>.*. petmifc of others — relatives friendci, and stranger* — running known rifles of infection without word of warning or advioe, 'vitb the frequent aud unnecessary result of f-xl-enwiou of iulVction to those who were previ-juely froo therefrom. Can we wonder thtut tubercular disea-?. i-i to rife?" Here w« have Jn p. nutshell r.Hfl essence ol the information Rbouc cou-sunapt-ion. aud we cannot spe*k too impresHively of the nwcossity for the ofo err*uce of all possib'e precautions if the f«ll disease is tiot to pursue* jt.i terrible nour.se unohsoked.

A telGgr>.nn in a i^cerit issue uoMFyiog the dexth .:t' Hoterone Tainan rehotkhexe cill* n.a interesting episode in taipari. NOl7 Ziftlaad history. Th« BLory8 L ory is told by Mr Mackay who bad been Native Comniisiionef. and i' appears iv tbo ' Appendices to tho j')urn&li of the Housa for 1869. Mr Mack*; tells ho-w, in 1852, gold -*a* d<scyv,eret ia tha Kapaiiiia stream at Oorocaaudel, am how the field wr,ii afrerwurds, from various oaus o ts, nourly iibaadonad. Proce^iog with hit narrative, Mi" Maokay descnb:s the recccupatiou of th'j fields iv 1861, and their proclamation in 1862, with their desertion a &ecoad time the ouibreak of Nativft ho^tilibie-i in 1863, and the resumption of minitiK oprintiona after fche fall of Rangiriri id November of the aamt) year. Ha ncxl; describes the sad condition of Aucklund after the withdrawal of tho Itapeiial troop* and the removal of the seat of Governtnen!; to Wellington. At this juncture gold was discovered ab Kauaeranga. Thenceforward Jet Mr Mackay tel hi 9 own tale :— " On our arrival there we fii^t jnspecb:d tho ground whence gold had bv-cn procured, and having Katiafled ourselves of Us preßence there we convened a meshing of ?h.i Na-tives. We fonud & majority of them rbject'Ci to any ie&so beiDg executed; but; after lengthened arguments we succeeded, on tho 27th of July, 1867, iv makinpr an agreement with To Hoterena Ta:pari, W. H. Taipari, Raika WbftkarongotaJ, aud Kapanx Maungauoa. to allow mining over their land?, bounded on the north by the Kuranui stream, oa the south b/ the KVitarimata, on the east by the summit of the seaward line of hills, and on tho west by the sea and oertaiD survey lines." It was. further agreed that the Natives should receiv* £1 for each minor* right issuod for the block and kauri trees used at the rate of £1 5s per tree. This was thh real beginning of tha C;romandel goldflelds.

i A man named Arthur Adams has been committed for trial at Hastings on a charge of having destroyed & mare valued at £20. It is alleged that accused was irritated at the way in which the mtte was ill-treating a colt in his charge, and deliberately shot her. Flohiline '.—For the Tewth and Breath— A few drops of the liquid " Floriline " sprinkled on a wet toothbrush produces a pleasant lather which thoroughly cleanses the teeth from nil parasites or impurities, hardens the gums, pre vents tartar, stops decay, gives to the teeth a peculiar pearly whitenc3S, and a delightful fragrance to the breath. It removes all unpleasant odour arising from decayed teeth or tobacco smoke. "The Fragrant Floriline," being composed in part of honey and sweet herbs, is delicious to the taste, and the greatest toilet discovery of the age. Price 2s 6d of all chemists and perfumers. Wholesale depot, 33 Parringdon road, London.— A dttj

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