CURRENT TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2251, 22 April 1897, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS.

Es-Queen Liliuokalani is now n quesn without a crown, and is knocking Hawaii. at the door of White Hou^e

asking for United States assistance ia regaining her throne. The situation is very complicated. Toe Queen wrote a letter of abdication, -but; now seeks fio withdraw it. Monarchical government in Hawaii was brought to an end early in 1895 by a peculiar chaia of circumstances, and with the dirf nt assistance and ■ in the presence of a United Spates man-of-war. It had. been determined by a kaot of conspirators that the Queen should bs deposed, bub they could nob pifeefc thei" object; without the assiifance of th; Americans. Bat when the American plenipotentiary said he would recogoiae any Government which was a de facto one, and in actual nosaes&ion of the town, tho cabal took llib binfc. and at a meeting at which there were only 17 present declared the constitution at an end and themselves a provisional governmcat. The Queen's Cibiuet waned to have the men shot, but the American forces deterred them from this course, aud the Queen, yielding to fat°, gava up her authority until the Umfed Stitss should have been fully informed ot the facts, when she was confident she would bs reinstated. The next step was that the United Stites assumed the protectorate until Me Blount made a^ull inquiry into the matter. Toe inquiry convinced President Cleveland that the American landing was lawless, bat nothing further has been done except that a republic was established in 1894-, and so far the Queen is kept out of her kingdom. The Hawaiians have always baen a monarchical people, and would have remained bo but for foreign influences among them. The experience of railway companies at Home seems to show that railway fares railway can be much reduced with fares." mutual advantages to the public and the owners of the railways. Within the past year or two the South-We9tc-rr, South-Easteru, and Chatham and Dover Companies revised their fares with the 1 view of popularising the first and second I clss3es. Tbe Brighton Company followed I suit ; and now the Great Western Company has made large concessions, which have attracted a considerable increase of business. The company reduced first class fares fro=n about 3d per mile to not more than 2d. The B°.cond class was reduced from nearly 2d to l^d, aud the third class from about lid to

Id per mile. At the half-yearly meeting last month ib was shown that the second class traffic had increased by 637,000 in numbers and £66,000 in money. From 1884 ti 1895 there had been a steady reduction io the sreoud class pißSPngers carried, from aioub 3,000,000 to 1,000,000, but the downward tendency has been checked, .no 1 ; because first class passengers now travel second class, bub because of the reduct:on in fares. The number of fir«t class passengers showed an increase, and the number of third* class an increase also. In tho last-meutioned cate, however, a large increase (566,280) iv number was coincident with a decrease of £35,8*7 in the recaipt«. The North-B'istern Company now issue Hrst class coupons (transferable) for 1000 miles, ecch coupon being good for one mile. The fare under the system is about l^d per mile.

It «eatns that in London Jews who observe their

own Sabbath on Saturday are THK jbwisu also compelled to observe the sabbath. Chris'.ian Sabbath oj Sunday.

A case showing this occurred tho other day. A Jewish baker was summoned at the instance of tho Bakers' Society with baking bread on Sunday. He was sued under a Statute of George IV, which had never been repealed. If proceedings bad been taken under the Lord's | Day Act of 187 L tbe couseut of the cdmmisi sioner of police and two justices would have been necessary, and a section of the Factory Act permits young p-rsoos of th< 1 Hebrew persuasion to work on Sunday provided they have a holiday on Saturday. The defendant always closed on Saturday, and it was coufcended on his bebalf that if Jewish bakers were not permitted to work on Sunday their Jewish customers would have to e*t st*le bread from till Monday. The proceedings have the tispecS of trades union tyranny, and Alderman Sic Joseph Dimsdalo »aid he sympathised with the Jews in the mafc'er, as it appeared to him that, so tar as they were concerned, the act. was a great h ardship. Bub defendant, though *undoubtedly a respectable man, had committed an illegal «ct, and a fine of one shilling:, with costs, was imposed. The alderman, said that the Jewish community was nowhere held in greater respect than in London. It is evident that respect for the religious scruples of the Jews is not shared by the society which prosecuted rhia baker.

An indignant c nrespoudent in yesterday's issue protests againit the in-

the ju-tice of the Rabbit Act, "infamous" which gives no appeal from rabbit Acr. the " opinion" .-f «he luspeotu;

as to whether settleri avis making efforts to destroy th« rabbit? or not. Clause 9, a^ <mr correspondent quote 3 i*;, \h in the act; ot 1882, and it has remained unfepealed through. M the amending acts parsed since. But the axbitrtry ecustru'-'tiun now pu 1 , upon the wo.di not at first .-eaorted to ; it-, in only Within «he Ja*b row ,>ears tbut rhc iasp.c^or has bean made » kind of rural Ozir, without check and with liberty to cause people to be fined even against the si ronge»t evideucj of their innocence. Inspectors have awn declined to state what they would cjniirfer proper means to be mcd for the extermination o;' rabbils. Iv the case hoard at for:; Ch«lmei»o.v Saturday, andquoted by our correspondent, tbe inspector stated what in his opinion ought; to have been done ; and he further gave reasons for his opinion that in'utficient steps had beeu taken. The eettleri who were sued with one ac3ord laid the blame upou tha owner of th-i large estate adjoining their properties, though they declined to avail themselves of b^e proffered opportunity of pointing out the rabbits to the inspector. Though under the act the impecbor has arbitrary power — a power that should be given fco no man by law, — we can see no proof from the report that in this case it has bgen exercised. Oa the contrary, the inspector gave his reasons, as we have said, and described what ought to have been done. Perhaps it is hard that a settler should be compelled to turn his cabbie out on the road, whenca they are liable to be impounded, but the law says he must destroy the rabbits. Why do nob the settlers who were dealt with at Port Coalmers combine and get rid of tbe rabbits once for all, and then put a rabbit-proof fence between them and their big neighbour? I£ the rabbits on his land are as numerous as they say they are — a abatement the correotnfsi of which is denied by the inspector — the cost of the fence would be a good investment, as they would save what the vabbitj now eat.

The ordinary risks of railway travelling in New Zealand are not supplemented danger on by the danger that the passenger railway will be assaulted, robbed, or trains. perhap3 murdered. Cases rarely happen where anything more than a. squabble occurs. It is true that at a recent Supreme Court sitting a lad was convicted of an assault upon a young girl in the Cavershatn tunnel, but it is only fair to say thatthere are considerable doubts about his guilt. Bub at Home a different state of things exists on the railways. A few months ago an epidemic of blackmailing set in. Then there was a succession of assaults on women, and consequent bitter cry of females for " ladiet' compartments." , Now, more ghastly still, another atrocious I murder has taken place. The victim was a

young woman, and her murderer is still at larje. An inquest was opened a few days' afto* the murder, but there was absolutely t.i evidence throwing any light on the tragedy, anvi bhe coroner adjourned tho inquiry for a month Let us then he content in this colony to sacrifice privacy iv r&Uvray travelling to safety, and thank our stars that if wa may not sib in isolated state we at leasb find safety in numbers.

Thn president of the Chamber of C>mmeroe. Mr G. L. Denniston, has oiGANTtc vt- ceived from the " Coco operation, operative Wholesale Sooie-

ties, Limited," a letter couched iv simitar tiermn to that received by the Premier,. and conveying thanks for atteotions bestowed on its delegates; Messrs Clay, Stoker, and Jonns on their visit hero last year. Accompuiyintf fch« latter is a copy of the Societies' Annual, * handsome volume of 670 piges, printed and published »(; the societies' ■jw» printing establishment. Th?. Co-opei*ativv> Wholesale 'a a to-oppration of co-operative rooieties, nuii ib couduots operations on «. scale o£ al iuo.it. iucradiblo magnitude. Bmp'oying no fewer than 7148 persons in England •uiri abroad, and 3382 in Scotland, it has ramifica'tiou* »U over the United Kingdom as ■"voll a* in Arnoric.\ and oa the Continent.! 11. «inbi-ic j * 1035 societies, has a *h«.re capital «i £Q35.5U, aud «. reserve fund of £64,351-. Tii»; mem': >y\Lip oi t!i«' attached soeietips in Daromlw 1895, was 930,935. The sales madduring 1895 amauutaa t) £10,141,917, realising a protifc ot £192,768 Tae total sales of tho 'ouiiuesn siwtt its commencement ia 186* reach a total o~ £124,654,765, yie'.diug a profit or 21,655,308. Tbe baok contains an enormoivs quantity of spocial aud general informi-'-auo. r.tid ought to be accessible < i everyon's. Almost everything incidental *^ liviug is manufactured or daalb in. The wholesale, in fact:, acts as manufacturer and collector for the societies affiliated to H, theie societies being its shareholders^ A perusal of the book gives rise to the thought that, the products ot New Zealand woukl here find a splendid outlet.

Ab the annatl meeting of the Ob.igo Dock T( m(s ou the 13fch a very «at|gotaoo dock factory state of affairs was distrust. closed. The vessels docked

during the year showed an increase in number *nd tonnage. The trust is free of debt, and, as the chairman said, it hus no dividends to par. It follows that vessels caii ba docked for the bare co»t of the labour employed, and a dus allowance for wear and te&y aud renewal. Il is, therefore, nob surprising that the trujt 0.-vu lay claim to the possession of (■he chflapeHt; docking x>ltice sou'ih of the line This is iaterfeiting in view of the sgitatfo--, :'ur it dock in Wellington &i'-d the alrnouo i.penly avowed d6>ire 6."> snatch somi or tha trade from the Port Chalmc-j flock. la the interesbti of Otago ge:i«rally, and particularly in the interest? of the harbour and the pors, every publicity should V>a given to the doakiug facilities at the Poiv. There is the uuaJeun of a. fair trade in the cool s'loves er.-cted by the trust, and it is matter .or eoagrafcutatiou thab a project abouS which fchK'Si v;;v* considorab'tj diversity of opiaion h»3 juat'iv\ itself. Th<s fcrasfc is : n an exceptional." r' f oi'fcunate position compared with that of othc; =• who have the administration of docks elsewhtc^. whare they hava to bemoau a yearly recucrL g defioib. This experience im u*d a somß7rb» • chilling effect on the minds ftE members '■■>"■ the Wellington Harbour Board. The exoeptioiut position of the Otigo Truab is largely buy nob entirely due to its endowments. Care.fal management hae been a factor. The truss., however, will do well to remember that at *ny moment a demand may come for accommodatioa for larger vessels than the dock will hold.

What shall we say of public caste in San Francisco if our correspondent*

San letter in yesterday's issue *b all Franciscan reflects it ? Bufcler appears to taste. have been the hero oE the hour.

His autographs sold like hor. cakes at 50c, and were written by himself or his cell mate indifferently. His old boots were exchanged for new ones, and exhibited in a shop windov/ for a draw. His hat proved a mine of wealth, his belt was purchased, and for a phonographic record of his speech he was paid £30. His notoriety no doubt furnished him with the means foe making a defence against the claim for his extradition, and it is probable that if the sun of his popularity had not declined before the imminence of the prize fight between Corbefcb and Fitzsimmons, Butler might have been fighting against his extradition still, and might easily "have carried his case to the- Supreme Court, where it would have been - hung up for * couple of years. It is nearly two ye»rs since Darrant was convicted for several horrible murders — mnrders of which the narrative, would chill the blood, — and yefe he is not hanged, and our correspondent hints that hi« execution is *v unlikely event. And there are hundreds more throughout the United States who have been sentenced to death and practically laugh at the law, fighting their case? from court to court. ItJ? only Judge IrtOtk t&ey fene. "~~*