THE EMPIRE LETTER,

Otago Witness, Issue 2882, 16 June 1909, Page 87

THE EMPIRE LETTER,

By Maortlanda.

- {For the Witness.) LONDON, April 30.. Though Empire Day is still some weeks off, plans for its celebration are afoot. Last year 14,000,000 British subjects took part m the demonstration; now the desire of ail is to increase the number vastly, and i-fc looks as if the desire would be realised. For, instance, the number of secondary schools which have sent in their names as desirous of taking an active part in the celebrations is more than double that of last year, while in religious circles four times as many ministers have volunteered to give eermons and addresses on Empire subjects. There is hardly a section of Greater Britain, using the word in its widest sense, wherein preparations are not now being made so that that day may be a day apart. This is a matter "of course so far as the dominions, Crown, colonies, and even dependencies are concerned, but it is noteworthy that the festival should be observed in the scattered British communities in such sities as Yokohama, Tokio, and Kobe. As for places like Penang, Singapore, Hongkong, and ShangJiai they are counted among the loyalists. As for the Continent of Europe, it seems that wheresoever there is an English church or an English school, at least an knipire hymn will be sung on May 24. Those who have the welfare of the navy at heart, and who believe that the wellbeing, If not the existence, of the Empire is bound up with it, are urging that the date shall be made noteworthy for the sounding of a universal demand that the supremacy of British naval power should be maintained — more than maintained — made supreme. And not only in the iiinglish Channel and the North Sea, but on the wide Atlantic and vast Pacific to the end- that the rights and liberties of British subjects should be protected. "Flax to Fibre in a Day" sounds rather like a fairy story, but some fortunate Canadians are actually doing it, and their exploits should be of interest to flaxgrowers in. other paa-ts of the Empire, where 16 .weeks is still the necessary period in many instances. The new process is being worked on th© vast tract of land in. the Red Deer district of Western- Canada, which is controlled and has been irrigated bt- the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Hitherto the difficulty and uncertainty of water has made flax-growing somewhat unreliable as a financial undertaking. Now that the district has been properly irrigated, flax is counted -ac a certain wealth-producer, and the land is being eagerly taken up at £5 per acre, and on the "crop payment plan" which means no crop no pay. It is upon the "market in lots of from 20 acres up. By harvesting at the proper season good fibre can be produced and a fair crop of seed obtained at the same time now that the mechanical removal of the seed without injury to the fibre has become a possibility. Raw cotton in the bole is worth 6d per lb ; flax straw can be purchased at 8s to 32s per ton, according to grade, and will yield 47 per cent, of spinning fibre, realising £100 per ton on the market. - The cost of flax corresponding to cotton in the bale is only |d to l^d per lb, an advantage of 5d over cotton at the very start. The cost of spinning for vreaving is practically the same. Another noteworthy feature in this industry is that the necessary plant can be operated within six months of first installation. Pioneers in Red Deer district are looking forward to fortunes fa the near future, now that they have passed the experimental stage 6t the industry, for they assert that they can produce linen and sell it within a' fraction of the price cotton now fetches. They are agasp at the millions of dollars' worth of flax straw now 1 burnt annually in Canada and various other- parts of the Empire, much of it in quality and length fit for the production of fibre and far exceeding the average straw from which the

Russian peasant makes the fibre which, has hitherto supplied the greater part of the linen fabrics of the world. Another innovation which, is causing a considerable amount of talk in Canada, of late is in a very different sphere to the manufacture of fibre: it concerns the Reading Camp Association. It is now some eight years since this mo-veni'Snt originated, and its worth has just been realised. Its objective was to- provide movable ''balls," either tents or comfortable, fixed-up railway cars, supply them with books and writing and send them .ut in the charge of college graduates to the legion of frontiersmen who work ;n; n lumber and construction camps in the far Canadian prairies. It is in effect the "university settlement" of pioneer life. They have proved a godsend to the weary, home-sick men, and their scope has widened considerably under the influence of the muscular young' enthusiasts who have gone forth to wield pick and axe with the men, and then, after work hours, to preside over the ''Reading Camp," see that* each, comer found his nook, and the help and comfort, he needed. Night classes have been inaugurated in many cases and are well attended. The foreigner, too,' is welcomed, and taught to speak the language of bis adopted country. Men, on Sunday, short, pitlvy addresses are delivered on non-sectarian line 3 and on world topics, so that those dwelling far from, the centres may be drawn mcc again into- touch with life. It is hoped that tiie movement may spread far, for in the backbioeks and on the goldfields of other lands there must be a need as great as in the Canadian wilds. ! It is not often that Malta appears much. ' in print these last few years, but- to-day she has had a sudden access into prominence, brought about by the visit of theiking and ' Quesn of England and the Dowager Empress of Russia. Malta is one of the lesser colonies that lends itseli well to pictorial effect. Its shores of solid rock rise sheer from the water's ' edge to the walls of the forts. The harbour is magnificent, and its depth is such that the largest ships can anchor practically %t tne shore line. Fror the famous terraced gardens 1000 people can see, not ' only the ships lying 300 ft below but a full tliree-quarters of the island. The •sosne of the landing of the royal guests can well be imagined. Over 60,000 citizens stood gazing, banked by 2000 blueclad naval men and 10,000 sc-ldierr in their scarlet. To add to the colour of the scene; the Maltese had lent their picturesque Italian method of decoration, and sky and Mediterranean rivalled each other in vivid •blueness. Few people seem to Tealise the stormy history that has been Malta's, > and how in ancient' times it has been the stronghold of each nation as it successively held command of the seas. Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, and Byzantine Greeks have wrested it successively, each from the other. Under tine Romans Malta rose to its highest pitch as far as commercial prosperity was concerned, and was known fai and ■wide as a centre for textile fabrics. In the Dark Ages it sank lowest, being under the beed of the Moors, and used merely as a base for piratical expeditions. Count Roibert of Sicily conquered it, and. some 500 years later it was handed over to the Knigbts of St. John, who made it a stronghold of Christianity against the Turks, and' liberally spent their vast revenue jpon its fortifications until they were expelled by Napoleon. Then the Maltese themselves rose against theia French captors, and with British and Neapolitan assistance forced it to capitulate. In 1800 the island was ceded to Britain, and has since then been held by us, and has entered on a peaceful era. To-day looking at the well-cult/ivated lands and smiling people it is almost impossible to reconstruct in the mind* eye • the fierce scenes which have been staged i among the orange gardens and cornfields. ' The world's wheat crop is one- of the favourite topics of conversation with a certain set of people, and at the ftionient there is an unusual (issuance of facts and figures on the subject. These should do something to quieten the fears of those who see Englishmen starving because they have given offence to the United States by showing a preference for colonialgicown wheat. At the 1 moment, of coua-s-e, the Unitedi States Taises more wheat than any other country in the world, and about 60 times as much as Canada, which is looked upon, by Canadians at least, as "the world's granary." However, statisticians have calculated that, given only the same ratio of increase in Canada as lias been .shown in the past 25 yeans, the area of the wheat fields in Western Canada alone will be over the 60 million acres mark. This, as the iverage production per acre is exceedingly high, being 18.98 bushels, will bring Canada's share to half the world's total production, which will mean far more tihan any other single country produces. As for that district around Fort Saskatchewan, wheat on virjyin land has yielded as much as 67 bushi&ls to the acre, while oats frequently go over the ICO bushels. As for Australia, though her total yield last year was less than that of the previous twelvemonth, great thing.* 'are hoped from the mallee country, which up till three or four years ago was counted almost as waste land. It is proved that it will yield 13 and 14 bushels to the acre, and it is being rapidly taken up with the view of clearing and seeding it for this and other cereals. " Look to your laurels, Canada ! " say those who have just found then way from one land to the other. , There is a strike on the Nata] State railways, where- the entire service is practically at a standstill. It is with the utmost difficulty that one train a day is run between Durban and Johannesburg. Of course, it means commercial paralysis for all, and ruin and suffering for many. Already the inland towns are feeing a short-age of supplies. Not the Least of the

[ difficulties concerns the mails, which are i undeliverable. The post office -"s trying to I organise a motor service. Locomotive I superinbendjents are driving the few eni gints running, and they employ soldiers I for stokers. An Australian is said to be j at the bottom of the trouble. He has fired tlie strikers' imagination, and they are demanding the imimediate withdrawal of the piecework system now 'n force m the Government workshops, and the establishment of a minimum wage of 8s a day. As the Government would only promise "an inquiry" the men went out. Anothar matter of even more importance is the ratification of the new AngloSiamese Treaty, for ; ts purport is to. increase the British Empire by sorae 15,000 square miles of territory. This includes the island o£ Langkane, whicn possesses the only deep-water harbour north of Penang. Had a foreign Power obtained possession of this nlaice it would nave acquired a valuable , base for cutting British communications to the East, and. so practically closing th& Straits of Malacca.