CURRENT TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 1

CURRENT TOPICS.

■»■ ■-» — » If what the "Trade Review" says be correct,

and the figures seem to place it the beyond objection, the position of colony's the colony has been steadily position. growing worse since 1890, and

the much-vaunted boasts of progress under a "Liberal" Government musb therefore be largely discounted. The relation of the colony to the outer world makes the import and export trade an infallible index of the position. The people of this colony have to pay in the shape of interest, public and private, a little over three millions per annum. The interest is nob paid in cash but in produce, and therefore if the colony were paying its way the exports should exceed the imports by the necessary amount. So far from this being the case, the balance has steadily diminished, as will be seen from the following table :—: —

Says our contemporary, and it must bB remembered thafc ifc is" merely a trade journal and totally indifferent to party politic i : "The loans raised in the meantime, and the funds brought into the colony for investment, have presumably enabled us to 'square the account' at the expense of posterity. The situation is, however, unsatisfactory, the position btiog the worst, in this respect, that has been seen since 1890, and the subject it one well worthy the consideration of all. Every effort should be put forth to give vests and confidence to capital, to promote enterprise and production, and thus -increase the output of llio colony." The above compsrison excludes specie, in which there b&H been since 1890 an excess of imports of £1,561,967, bub thw is largely a matter of banking.

The Medical, Congvts3 at Wellington has for ifca president this year Dr Fell, cancer. and his inaugural address was

a singularly able one, and dealt ebiefly. with, the question of cancer. Unfortunately, only a.- meagre resume of the address has appeared, and we must therefore await tho nextjacue of the. " Journal" for its iexb. It seems that cancer ie increasing %itb alarming rapidity. The Registrar-general placed figures at Dr Fell's disposal which inccntestably proved that the number of male persons of mature age succumbing to this disease had about doubled ia 15 years. The following table shows the propoition of deaths per 10,000 of the population : —

It will bo observed that while tho unoiber of deaths among males of mature age has greatly increased, and th&t with considerable regularity, the proportion, of female deaths shows an erratic though large increase. Or Fell thinks this admits of an explanation which has -escaped the notice of the statisticians. From the ages 40-50 females were mo3t prone to malignant disease of the breast and of uteri, and during thafc period tbe mortality returns for females showed only a slight increase, which was proof, not that there was only a slight increase in cancer cases *b that age period, but of the success which' now attended operations which had largely reduced - the mortality in these cases. On the other hand, the cancerous affections of males were in much larger proportion internal and inoperable, and consequently fewer cassa were cured by operations ; hence more deaths. Cancer in Now Zealand alone claimed to-day a death rate of aboub 330 per annum, or more than ona for every day in the year. Dr Fell, in answering the natural question what had led to the generally-accepted increase in cancer, said that ifc was a riddle, in the solving of which Eiany keen brains and enthusiastic students were engaged. Ha thinks there is nothing io our modern life which can fairly be said to cause cancer. He believes that diseases are constantly altering in type. " There was," he said, " a growing acknowledgment that while the power <£ preventing disease was unlimited, their power of curing was very limited, and the progress of medicine had been impeded for ages by the false notion that the doctor's only mission was to heal and cure disease. Bab prevention «a3 better than cure."

Mr E. Tregeat's disbelief in tb.B antiquity of the Maori— or ratber, in the maobi reliability of Maori genealogy genealogy, farther back than a few geners.tiou3 — :a vigorously contested in tbe Maori newspaper, The Jubilee, by Heru'y M. Sbowell, ofc Hawera. Mr Skmell finds perfect harmony in the genealogical tables of New Zealand, Samoa, the Morions, Rarotonga, and Tahiti. After giving the tables Mr Stowell continue* .- — " Here we have absolute agreement in the- order aad names of these ancestors of the Maori and Sainoan. The variation in orthography is duo to the y?cuhar dialect which the latter have no doubt contracted by later contact with their barbarous-speaking neighbour.* of the West. By tracing these lines down to the present day .ib will be found that they severally give a mean c f about 40 generations — some more, others again lesi. Assuming 25 years to fairly represent a generation, we have here a period in Maori history of 1000 years ago, which absolutely accords with that of their kindred of Samoa, while that of the Moripri, whose isolation from New Zealand was as complete as that of the Samoan, also gives the namea in the same order, if nob go fully." Mr Stowell believes that the Maoris are descended from a large country the borders of which estended'almost to New Zealand, and that the principal part of that country was suddenly submerged by subterranean forces, and that a large proportion of the people of his race perished, and at the same time historical buildings, containing the re- ! cord?, history, and all other treasures, were lost. That country ia - now represented •by the various islands in the Pacific. And sincß that cataclysm, which affected also ! New Zealand, those psople, who led a quiet and uninteresting life, were revisited from the 1 islands and communication was re-established throughout these ancient borders of the old kingdom. "In conclusion," says Mr Sfcowell, "I would suggest that if ever the origin and history of the Maori people is, as far as practicable, pub into » connected form that that history will point with the finger of fidelity to the great question of • The origin of the human

There *re many quaint and time-honoured customs observed in the British searching Parliament, and one of the most the vaults, interesting of them is the searching of the vaults, which is regularly and scrupulously perforated im&f.t'.&ely prior to the opening of Parliament. TLis ceremony had its origin in 1605, when Sir Thomas Kuyvett received au anocvmouci letter warning him to make strict search in all places ar.d apartments near tho Parliament Hcueo. The vcsulb of bite search is well known. The cellar

in which Guido Fawkes was arrested, and in which were his barrels of explosives, is no longer there, bub the actual spot in one of the vaults under the Victorian Tower is carefully examined. The general public and even mem-,, bers of Parliament are excluded from thß"cere« ,m,ony^ which occupies only about 30 minute*. Ab half-past 10 the search party assembles in _th 9 Prince's Chamber in the House of Lords. Ifc includes a detachment of "beefeaters" from St. James's Palace, each of them supplied with it lantern. A Weekly Sun special thus deicribes the ceremony :— ' ' A procession is then formed, headed by Mr W. Horsley, the chief inspector of the House of Commons police ; the resident engineer — a position from which Mr W. J. Primm, who has : figured in ibis annual ceremony for many years past, bas just retired, the Earl of Waldegrava (captain of the Yeomen of the Guard), Captain T. D. Butler (private secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain), the Yeomen and Marshalmen of the Guard, Inspector Kendrick (chief inspector of the House of Lords police), and other officials. A move is made through the Upper Caamber, down behind the Speaker's chair to the vaults below, every nook and corner of which is carefully scrutinised. And the humour of the whole thing is that, in order to ensure this being properly done, the vaults are all previously lighted with the latest thing in lamps." In one respect the formality has been shorn of some of its features. In former days the party adjourned to a well-known hostelry, wherein the Yeomen of the Guard demonstrated that they were not only " beefsaters " in name, but in gustatory ability as "veil. We have received the interim report of i the Commission of Engineers I water supply appointed by the Government roa of Western Australia to inCOO.LGARDIE. quire into the matter of a : water supply for Coolgardie, for which the funds have been authorised by Lot. The undertaking will exceed in magnitude anything yet performed, the problem being bo raise 5,000,000 gal of water daily by pumping and convey it a distance of 328 miles, and deliver ib at Coolgardie at an elevation of aboufc 1500fb above low water kvel afc Fremantle. To accomplish this a reservoir will be constructed' .at Greenmounb, 4-i miles from Fremantle, and the water will be lifted ab nine successive pumping stations and caused to flow onward by gravitation. The initial obstacle is a sharp range aleag the coast and about 1250 ft in height above eea level. The first lifb, therefore, will be a doubla one of 450ffe. The water will then flow through ! pipes for a distance of about 75 miles, when is ' will be again raised to a height of 420 ft and again fbw for a distance of about 60 mile?. 16 is then lifted again a height of 420 ft and flo .vs 34- miles. Lifted again to a height of 185 ft ib flows 49 miles, and co on for tbe whole distance of 328 miles, there being nine lifts or elevafcious of tha water. The report now before ua deals almost entirely with details, and is confirmatory in every essential respect of the report; drawn up by tbe chief engineer, Mr C. Y. O'Connor, in July, 1896. The commission recommend thab those of the pipes which will be subjected to the greatest pressure should be what are known as welded pipes, in which the joints are " £as" welded longitudinally. • .-Where, however, tha necessary thickness o? the pipe is below £ : .n riveted pipes will be used. The commission recommend that each pumping station should be provided with three -pumping -engines, each capable of pumping 2£»millions of gallons per day. Two of these should be normally at work and one ia reserve. In the opinion of the commissioners the engines should be triple, expansion engines with surface condensers. The average cost of coal along the pipe line, which for a variety of reasons is close to the railway, is 32s per ton, and hence the very best type of engine procurable is necessary. The gentlemen selected to act on this important commission were Messrs Carruthers, Deacon, and Unwin.

On the 28th ult. Miss Clara Chalmer, oa severing her connection with the Sandymounfc School, was presented with a beautiful gold bracelet inscribed " From the pupils of Sandymount to Miss C. Chalmer." A number of friends were present on the occasion, when the teacher (Mr G. Balsille), in making tbe presentation, referred to the five and a-half years

of harmonious co-operation in school duties, and the many sterling qualifies of Miss Ghaltner. All were sorry to part with Miss Chalmer, and

the only reason for their doing so was her promotion to the head teachership of Taieri Ferry

School. Miss Chalmer replied in a few appropriate terms, in which she gava evidence of ■ being much affected at the parting. "How shall I spend £1000?" was the pleasant question propounded to the Bishop of Stepney by Mr Richard Foster, of Chislehursb, ' one of the greatest, church builders of the age, 1 and reported to be one of the few fairies who send * trifle in -figures anonymously for hoßpitala Ito banks. The bishop gratefully and promptly I replied: "Give £500 to a fond for pensioning off clt-rgy who lor years have worked hard in Hail London [ho b»s ia his eye one over 80, who has so laboured for ZQ years], and the othetf £;>o<) tc the bniiding i'tmd of St. Peter's, South 'XoiU-rih&ra, to serve a, busra earning population of 10,000 people/-

for flour, and in consequence of the alleged unfairness, growers of wheat in Victoria entered into combinations for the purpose of shipping such a proportion of their wheat as— to quote a Melbourne j nirnal — *• would ensure theai high protected prices for the baJsuce." j Ifc was questioned ii: any oi' the three colonies — Victoria, S r -ulh Australia, or New South Wales — bad a surplus for export — nevertheless some considerable shipments oi.' wheat have bepn made from Melbourne and Sydney, and of flour from Adelaide, but without any appreciable influence onloc^.l quotations for supplies on the markets. The following figures show the rsnge of prices current for new season wheat and flour in Australian markets, and in those ot Caristahurch and Dunedin in this colony, from j March 20 till April 7. j

Iv regard to the actual resources of the Aus- | tralian colonie?, the amended official estimate of tbe New South Wales wheat yield shows a production of cearly a million bu.shela over that j indicated in the earlier estiixvalbs ; while official j figures under "date April 6 show a Victorian wheat yield of 10,425,000 bushels — an increase over the previous season of 3,334-, 000 bushels. On the other hand, lo maintain a crippled export trade, South Australia will need to import from one to one and a-half million bushels, which will Le drawn probably from Riverina, New South Wab-s. It thus, appeara that the Au&rrali*n colonies have aa appreciable surplus lor export, and prices ia Sydney and Melbourne now leave a small margin of profit for shippers foreign. From Sydney already about 70, 000 bag* of wheathave been de:patched to Greftt B.ifcum and Cape Colony, and on behalf of the latter ib was understood a fortnight ago in Adelaide thab large orders on . a4s per bushel basis awaited fulfilment. The exports from Victoria, notwithstanding the prorates and loud talk, hv?e so fat been inconsiderable, bub as they are progressing they will relieve to some extent the eccumbering heavy stocks. It is asserted that to maintain prices at 43 to 4s Id per bushel, the surplus of wheat in that colony must bs decreased by from 100 000 to 150,000 bags. What has more than anj thing els« tended to slacken the demand for wheat and flour in the Australian market? is the fict of bakers sticking to <he policy which thej' bsgan the year with — that is, or buying for their immediate requirements only. Of tbe local demand for flour, the Sydney Mail says th&t early last reason bakers made contracts almcsl before inillerß h&d an opportunity cf covering themselves with grain. Tho v>rice at that time was £12 10s Sub equentty brge inapjrfcaUons of Californian arid Manitoba flour took place, and the local market slumped in consequence. This meant that bake- s who had booked at the higher price were heavy losera throughout the , (season. " Tee vememhracce of how they were ca,ught lasb season has engendered a very cautious policy,- and po fas it has been vary eatis'factcry to tiKsauelvas, for, although the market opened this year ar. £11, i-i nas gradually declined, until now vtry good brands of country flour can be bad at £10. H*d bakers thea pursued their usual policy Miey would have beeu losers to that exfcenf.*' Acousklerable importation of Ca'.iforuian fljur about the middle of March and ramouts of the plkCiDg of additional parcels has weMkened the Sydney market, and we have had the curious anomaly presented ot these importations, and concurrently a shipment cf wheat to Auckland. Ib ia very well understood that a very large proportion cf this season's Australian wheat is of a pinched character, less productive of flour, aad that of an inferior quality. The better qualities of wheat are vow rarely obtainable in Sydney, so that little more can come to this colony from that quarter, nor, I for that matter, from any other, unless cur I own market advances or a corresponding | decline takes place at San Francisco that would admit of fl',itr import by tbe mail steamers. Of the position in Sydney the Mail says :: — lr lb ! must nofe be lost sight of that the whole of the wheat that ia being forwarded to Europe aud | elsewhere consists of the brsb quality of grain I available. This meats that after each shipment the proportioa of pinched wheat, already larg**, is being increased. Of course, millers for the time being, having ample supplies of gra"'n to meet the very re=ifciiebsd demand for flour, are not aDxious buyers, bu^ when oncer they come into the market again on a large scale, it is not at all improbable that they will- awaken to th? fact that they a.re in the unenviable position of having allowed the pick of the crop to pass, their door*, while what remains is of a second-grade quality. Even new it is said that the sample of flour now being effared 'on the Sydney market, especially that coming from some districts where Ihe severity of the late drought was mostly felt, has beeu such that any buyers have been rejecting purchases made on contract at a higher price thsn that now current. The outlook, therefore, is nob so unpn>pitious &% the present state of the market might lead one to suppose." It is abundantly clear that whatever the su?plti3 of wheat available for export from this colony may amount to, the only outlet for ib will be found in the British markets. Ib ia, therefore, satisfactory to knew that the unexpectedly heavy ehipments from Argentina, and the piospec!; of the importation into Great Britain of 1,000,000 tons of wheat from India, have deflected Mark Lane quotation?. Nevertheless, we are nearing the time when speculators will begin to discount the future of the world' 3 market, aa ib msy be affected by prospective supplies. In all the principal wheat | exporting countries, autumn sowings of wheat j have been ascertained to have been on a far J more extensive scale than usual, and the grow- j ing crops are, on the whole, healthy and luxuriant. Bat the critical period includes April, May, and June, and any adverse weather influences would affect the markets. Again, spring wheat bulks largely in the universal productions — in the United States ib amounts to about 70 per cent, of the crop — and as high prices stimulate production, the chances are very much ia favour of a largely-increased area under wheat, and if only average returns are obtained the next harvests should amply fill ths world's granaries. If this view of the position be correct, prices at Mark Lane four or five ruontfcs ahead are likely to bs lower than j higher, and ib would therefore be well for j

growers if the whole of our surplus could bji promptly shipped away. *

iTeav ending Sept. 30. 1897 [896 [895 ' ... L 894 1893 ■ .„ 1892 1891 ■»... LB9O Expovte. £9,626.936 9,331,243 8,678,589 8,851,005 9, 120,203 9 285,881 9 778,952 9,784,53') Imports. £7,774 839 6,73i),0f5» 5,865.532 6,153,860 6,491,3' i* 6,7«4,574 6,298,371 5,828,816 Excess of .Exports. £1,852,097 2,001,174 2,812,237 2,667,206 2,625,839 2,521,310 3,480,581 3,955,714

39 to 40 40 to 59 59 to 69 60 to 70 years. years. year 3. years. M. F. 11. F. M F. U. F. 1881 ... 0-98 3-98 5.58 980 1110 22"57 2286 43 7! 1886 ... 1 66 230 5 90 11 "50 19 14 26*23 33 63 32 0! .891 ... 1-65 3-64 517 12*27 17*68 2S*OO 3963 497: LSV6 ... 0.65 4-30 679 11.60 22*00 32*80 41*86 44*7-

Wheat per Bushel. Melbourne. Adelaide. ChriatSydney. church. Dunedin. s d sd jd & d s d s d } 9 to 4 1 i 0 to 4 4 4 5 to 4 10 d sdjs A s d 0 to 4 I+l4 0 to 4 6

Flour per, Ton. Flour per, Ton. ri010sto!£1015ito!£10to i£lo to " !£ll to 111 7s Gdj £11 I £101031 £111 £11103