South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1900.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2762, 17 April 1900, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1900.

The declaration of all Australia and Tasmania as plague-infected is a strong step, seeing the large amount of inconvenience that will be caused by, still, on the principle that it is better to be sure than sorry, the Premier may be justified in taking that step. Ten days’ quarantine or quarantine making up ten days from the time of leaving port, is not of Itself sufficient to ensure safety. It may serve as some guarantee that none of the passengers or crew are suffering from plague, and even that they have not the germs of the disease among their personal effects. But quarantine alone provides no guaiantee that the germs of the disease do not exist among the cargo. There should be some guarantee given that all cargo has been shipped from clean wharves and clean warehouses, and that no deceased rats got on board the vessel.

Lord Salisbury's Government is having rather a hard time. One-third of the House of Commons voted in favour of a motion to reopen the Jameson Raid enquiry. On another occasion Ministers were compelled to withdraw a motion for the adjournment of the House, both parties upholding the claims of private members who had Bills to get advanced. And they were roundly criticised for offering the war loan at a discount of 30s, and fixing the smallest amount receivable at £IOO. This it was said flung nearly half a million unnecessarily ihto the pockets of wealthy people and banks.

The agitation| started at Home to stop the war and leave the Republics their independence, as one of the conditions of peace, appears to be spreading more or less all over the country, and some of the Labour organisations have passed resolutions in that direction. The agitators are making use of Lord Salisbury’s words, “We seek no territory, and want no gold fields.” The proannexation meetings lately held in Cape Colony were probably a counter-blast to this movement, and it was stated at Home that the chief purpose of Mr Rhodes' visit to England was to convince Lord Salisbury annexation pure and simple of the Republics is the only possible final solution.

The British War Office has been well scarified by medical men and others at Home for its crass stupidity in the matter of ambulances. The ambulance sent out to South Africa is a standard model, so heavy that it takes ten mules to draw it; without springs, so that it is as rough as a bullock-dray. It is said to combine the greatest clumsiness and the least comfort, with the minimum of accommodation. The Boer ambulances are lighter, have springs, and are comfortable to ride in. A Sydney doctor some time ago sent the War Office a model of a light ambulance that he had designed for rapid work in the bush, and the model can be seen in London now—refused by the War Office. The New South Wales contingent took their own ambulances with them, of the type just referred to, and they kept pace with the cavalry in French’s march to Kimberley, while the heavy bullockwaggon types of army ambulances were behind with the fodder waggons.