Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISIBORNE, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18,1889

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5572, 18 September 1889, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISIBORNE, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18,1889

THE WHEAT SUPPLY. News by tho San Francisco mail states that the situation of the world's breadstuffs is more serious than was anticipated a few weeks previously, as Russian official reports admit that the wheat crop is the worst for many years. The intelligence comes through a Californian channel, and should be accepted with a good deal of caution. A great deficiency in the world's supply of wheat would be one of the best things that could happen for the graingrowing State on the Pacific slope ; therefore the wish may have given a color to the news not warranted by the prospects. If the outlook was so bad as represented, there would cry tliia have been a big ad-

vance in wheat values but such has not trtktsn plnco, though prices appear to bo hardening of late. Taking Australasia as a whole, high values for tho main agricultural product would moan increased prosperity. There are three colonies which grow more wheat than locally consumed. They are Now Zealmd, South Australia, and Victoria. The colonies named contain considerably more than one-half of the total population of the British possessions in these seas, so the benefit to be derived from better 1 trices would not be confined to a limited number of people. There is every likelihood that for a long time to come the growth of cereals will increase in gi'eater ratio than population, that is, if a paying price be obtainable for the product. The enhanced values obtained last season for agricultural products had a wonderful effect in reviving prosperity in the South Island. Another good year would put the farmers of Canterbury and Otago on their feet. Discounting the intelligence which has come through an American source, there is good reason to anticipate that the agriculturists of this colony will have another good year as regards prices. There is no telling what the yield will be, but there is really very little cause for apprehension in that direction. The harvests are universally good. The return per acre far exceeds that reaped in any other part of Australasia or in America, and the difference betweona favorable andunfavorable season only amounts to a few bushels per acre. To hear the farmers of the South Island complain, one would imagine that they were ruined by every gale of wind, but the threshing machine results furnish a very agreeable disappointment. In a country like South Australia, where tin- average yield is during some years only five or six bushels per acre, the I'jiiostion of yield is of tirst importance. A fiivtu-able year will give double the return of an unfavorable one. A cablegram published the other day stated that the wheat crop in South Australia was expected to give an average yield of twelve bushels per acre. No such result as that has been experienced since South Australia became an exporter of breadstuff's. That colony, despite the good prices realised last season for the wheat crop, is losing its population by emigration faster than is made up by the natural increase. The emigration and immigration returns for New Zealand show' a balance on the wrong side, but for r\ll that the population is increasing. The facilities for getting to the other colonies would, of course, be a main cause of tho overflow of people. Recent experience has shown that the reduced fares to Australia have had a marked effect in inducing people to leave these shores, although there has, speaking generally, boon an improvement in the state of the colony. A yield of twelve bushels per acre in South Australia should stem the tide of emigration across the border. There is good ground for believing that the price of wheat will not recede to the low figures of recent years. The United States and Russia have been the principal sources of supply, and in both countries increase of production is not keeping pace with increase of population. The German (lovernment some years ago sent a Commission to the United States to report on the prospects of the wheat supply. The Commission reported that America could not continue to flood Europe with cheap grain; that the time was approaching when every bushel grown in the States would be required for home consumption. There is a constant exhaustion of the soil going on, and the new area available for wheat-growing is not so great as commonly supposed. The same thing is happening in Russia. Population is rapidly increasing and the fertility of the soil is diminishing. When fresh lands are no longer available in large tracts, both Russia and America will cease to be exporters of breadstuff's.

An interesting account of an alleged murder in Victoria is published on page 4. It is estimated that fully £0000 is annually sent away to" Dunediu from Cisborne for beer. The New Zealand bandcontest at Christchurch is fixed for the 7th and Bth of November, and the prizes are £70, £30, £20, and £10. An organ recital in aid of the Church funds will be given in Holy Trinity Church tomorrow evening. The last one was a great success, and no doubt there will be a large attendance on the present occasion. A rehearsal was held last night, and proved in every way satisfactory. To-morrow night the Cisborne Lawn Tennis Club hold a ball in MacFarlane's Hall. The members of the Club have all been most assiduous in disposing of tickets, and there is sure to be a large attendance. The dance will certainly be a nice sociable one. The Whataupoko Road Board met yesterday afternoon, when all the members but JNIr Deere wereprescnt. Twoor three unimportant repairs were ordered to be executed. The f llowing accounts were passed for payment : —IT. Loomb, L24s ; printing, L 2 !)s ; T. McComiel), 10s 8d ; R, Ivnox, L3O. Lust night the Borough Council, in the most kindly way, received the deputation of the Dunedin Exhibition local Committee, ami without a murmur granted ,€25 in aid of the representation of Cook County. The County Council arc to be requisitioned on Friday in a similar manner, and it is to be hoped the efforts of the Committee will be assisted in a like manner by the larger body. A return issued of the number of electors on the registers now in force in the various constituencies of the United Kingdom shows (says the Daily News) that there are altogether 5,G52,05:> qualified voters. Hence it follows that the country is really governed by considerably less than one-sixth of its population. The average number for each member is 8928, but the distribution varies considerably. The average for an English or Welsh constituency is 10,008. In Scotland it is 7973, and in Irelaud 7325. The following notice has been issued by the Marine Department, Wellington :— " It is hereby notified that, on and after Sunday, the 22nd day of September, 1889, a light will be exhibited from the lighthouse which has been erected on Cuvier Island, the position and characteristics of which are us follows : The lighthouse is situated on the eastern extremity of Cuvier Island, which lies offthe south-eastern entrance to Hauraki Ctilf, east coast cf the North Island of New Zealand. The towor is .30 feet in heigh*, from base to top of lantern, is built of iron, and painted white. The light will be a first order revolving white light, visible ah round the horizon as°far as the land will allow. It will attain its greatest brilliancy every thirty seconds. The light is elevated 090 feet above the sea, and, allowing 15 feet for the height of the eye, will be seen at a distance of about 25 nautical miles in clear weather, and a lesser distance according to the state of the atmosphere. Vessels should not round Cape Uolville with the light open." The Wellington Pwst says : — The police records for the week show the most extraordinary number of cases against juveniles, scarcely a day having passed without one or more incorrigible "small boy" being " bagged" by the police and subsequently brought before the Court to answer for his misdoings. Up to yesterday five youngsters of various ages had been brought before the Court for offences of a more or less serious nature. In two of the cases imprisonment was ordered as a punishment, the lads being too old for committal to an industrial school, and the charge (three against each) of a serious nature. To-day three lads were charged with stealing zinc aud brass stoppers from empty houses. Another lad was charged with damaging a yacht by smothering it with tar. Ireland's national characteristics — Praties and poteen. The "Hallyhooly" "lucher at ilennessy's, (Js (3d per pa./, sla:=h : !ig vulue.--Advt.