THE COLONIST. Published Daily-Mornings. Nelson, Monday, October 30, 1893. SUMMARY NOTES.

Colonist, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7774, 30 October 1893, Page 3

THE COLONIST. Published Dail y -Mornings. Nelson, Monday, October 30, 1893. SUMMARY NOTES.

Parliament was about to prorogue when our last Summary was published and since then there has been considerable activity in the way of preparing lor the electionsOwing to the extension of the franchise to the women it became necessary to provide entirely new eleotoral rolls and to give every facility for women getting their names enrolled. The Government has oertainly shown every consideration in this direction and has done and is doing all that it can to facilitate the registration of voters. In oonsequence there is every reason to believe that a very large proportion of the women of the Colony will have the right to vote at the approaohing elections. The main rolls will be published in the course of a day or two, and as showiog the effect of the extension of the franohise in Nelson, we may state that the old roll oontained 1833 eleotors whilst the net? one inojudmg ladies embraces 3249 voters notwithstanding that the Registration officer has oarefully removed the names of all those who were formerly on the roll but whom he found to be disqualified.

Tee actual date on whioh the elections are to take place has not yet been fixed, though it has been officially stated that the "polling is to be before the 17th December. From now until the verdict of the people shall have been recorded in the ballot box, political interest and excitement may be expected to gradually increase. In not a few eleotoral districts, the conteßts promise to be pf an exceedingly unsatisfactory nature, inasmuch as the supporters of the Liberal party will be divided, and, of oourge, the ohanoss are that owing to many Liberals allowing. their aspirations to blind them to the exigencies of the party, candidates \n the Oqnsemtive interest will seoure the ooveted honor, although they fail to saoure the support of a majority of the electors. This is not as it should be, and it will be for the people to qonsider and judge whether undue ambition or a genuine desire to. further the interests of the Colony is the force impelling candidates on the Liberal side who may oppose, or be opposed by, another on the , fiame platform. It will probably be necessary, in the neat fature, to provide for seopnd ballots where, eleotion contests are between more tfoantwo gompetilqrs, so as to ensure that the man ultima' e'y returned has at his back the majority of the people within his constituency.

One of the last acts of the Parliament was the adoption of the Premier's proposals relative to the Midland Bailway undertaking, and which proposals we published in our last Summary number.- It will be remembered that these provide that upon the Company giving tip the land grants, the Colony shall give debentures in lieu of land as/ a recompense for the construction of the line; but the Company is to satisfy the Government that it is in a position to raise the necessary capital to complete the whole line, connecting Canterbury and the West Coast, and the rattevwijiQ Nelson. An effort waa made to provide that foe amount of the debentures to be given the Company in lieu of land should not only cover the Bl value of the land under the original contraot— that is to say the valuation placed on the land before the work was commenced— but an addition of fifteen per cent as profit. This effort, however, was not successful and the present offer is for £96,000/168$ than the friends of the Company suggested should be given. The Company appears to be very willing to accept the conditions alluded to, but it will be necessary to paBB an Act before" the existing contract can be departed from. This, of course, cannot be done till next Session, but in the Meantime preliminaries may be arranged.

Aa we have recently pointed out, the Cplonial revenue continues to improve, and the work of settling the land advances satisfactorily. About thelniddle of next month over 30,000 acres of the Cheyiot eEtate will be available for those anxious to settle in that part'of the country. . A short time ago it was stated that the Government was negotiating for the purchase of the Scarborough estate, jn the Awatere Valley, Marlbprough Province, with a view (o sub-dividiog it in, the same manner as the Cheviot is being sob-divided, and thus securing settlement, but from a statement made by the Minister for Lands, it would seem that the negotiations came to nought, the Government being unwilling to purchase (bat portion of the estate wbicH ia

composed of rough pastoral country that coul4,r|9t;bq ; uti|i^ed for, settlement. It has been more recently announced, however, that tti« Government has purchased from Mr John Douglas, the, Pomahaka Downs and Barning Plains estate ln[ Otago, .consisting of 7462 acre's. . "..' . " " , " - "r. ;, .„ That- the Colony -ia commanding more attention in the 013 Country is very evident. In a recerit lettdr the London correspondent pi ttie. Auckland ' Herald.'' said, •; Many people are going out to N«w Zealand just now under the new system of reduced passages to possessors of a little capital. During the last few weeks possessors of capital, to an aggregate amount of over £30,00^0, .have sailed for New Zealand. This is merely the sum declared to the Agent».General, and sent through him, but it is known' that a good, deal more has gone. Some have preferred to take their oapital in bank drafts ; others have carried it in dash. At any rate, the gratifying fact remains that money to a considerable amount is going out to New Zealand, and in the hands of capable people likely to make valuable settlers." All this is highly gratifying, but it must not be imagined that .New Zealand is a country in which anyone capable or incapable is bound to succeed. v

In face of undoubted signs of improvement, it may seem strange that _ the ory of the unemployed should be heard, but so it is. From Christchuroh, at least, a wail has been heard, even to, the limits of the Colony, but some people have been cruel. enough to suggest that the Cwa erbury people prefer keeping on stock a contingent of unemployed with a prospect of some public 'work following. The attitude of the Mayo?- of Christchurch has, at least, been extraordinary, and he has advertised himself by throwing down challenges to the Minister , for Labor, the Hon. W. P. Reeves, who represents the Christohurch people. A suggestion also reaches us that there is something in the nature of a politioal movement in the prominence that the cry has been made to assume. At this time of the year-4he're should be 'work for those honestly anxious to labor; and able to do a fair day's work, but unfortunately in New Zealand, as elsewhere, there are. people who want work, but don't like . work, and who won't work more ' than ttey can help. It would be strange if the services of such men were sought after.

A short time ego grave fears were entertained leßt another strike would paralyse the trade of the .Colonies. The difficulty was: brought about by the steamship owners in Australia proposing that the marine engineers shonld accept reduoed. pay, aad make other: concessions— the soale 61 pay to be reduoed by from 20 to 40 per cent. The engineers ! objected to entertain the reduced aoale submitted to them, and two large general meetings were held in Melbourne:;, and influenced by the expression of opinion, thereat, the state of the sailor nparket and the' severe commercial depression 1 in Melbourne in par- j tioular, the delegates representing the engineers submitted a scale under which they, would receive 7J per cent less .wages. The; owners would not oonßenij to this; and deolared, that a 15 per cent reduction was necessary.; On this the men said they would consent to a 10 per cent reduotion; but neither side would give way further, and a strike that would; almost oertainly have extended lsge'y beyond; the engineers saemed imminent. In New! Zealand the engineers showed., Btrong object tion to the proposed reduction. Happily, however, the danger, has been averted, and oertainly the engineers have shown a most commendable desire to meet the qwners and prevent disaster.

The danger of another Hula war in South Africa has oalled forth in these Colonies sympathy for our cousins at the Gape, though the later information as to the outbreak of the trouble has cast a doubt as to whether Lobengula and his people have baen treated quite as. they should have been. However, although a oast iron system of Federation may be, and remain, a mere dream, the bond of bloodship is a very real one, and let there be trouble in one part of the Empire the rest is pretty certain to show practical sympathy. When Australia was in the throes of a financial crisis, the Cape Government offered assistance. Now that the Gape may be in trouble, an offer came from men in Victoria that the services of a contingent should ha aooepted to proceed to the Gape and there fight for the common flag. The offer has not been accepted by the authorities, but it would be, no doubt, were there a real need for assistance.

Within the past month two marine disasters have occurred. About a month ago the large British barque Evelyn was proceeding through Cook Strait to a Southern port coal laden. A northerly gale had been blowing, but all at onoe the wind went round to the southward, and it is believed that the unfortunate ship had her Bails blown abaok, and that before anything oould be done to relieve her she foundered, and that all on board met with a watery grave. From other vessels that were out in the gale, reports have come of (he diffioultieß experienced in weathering the danger, but the Evelyn, which was seen just before the wind changed, has not sinoe been heard ot, though some wreckage found near the entrance to Wellington harbor indicates a sad tale. Messrs JJuddart, Parker and Co have met with a most unfortunate reverse just as they bad oommenoed the new steam service between Australia and Canada Their fine steamer Mioweia, bound for Vanoouver, was repotted as overdue, and a day or two later news reached these Golonies that the vessel had gone ashore at the entrance to Honolulu harbor, and that all attempts to float her had been unavailing. The new servioe is not to be interrupted; and the ss Arawa has been chartered to take up the running. She will leave New, Zealand for Sydney in a few days for that purpose.

Within the past few days further evidence has been discovered as to the fate of the ship Gowanburn, which was believed to have been lost off the Taranaki coast some little time back. About a week ago the captain of the steamer Kanieri took refuge in kawhia harbor, whioh is ;seldom visited, and there found a skylight bearing the name Gowan* burn, which had been washed ashore.

Ths Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association has been r»spscitated and rendered vigorous by the infusion of young blood, and plenty of it. Its membership roll is a long one, and, with considerable energy, preparations are being made for the Show, which is to take place at Richmond Park at the latter end pi November. ' -These Shows, arc advantageous in many tespects, and they lead tq a whplesome rivalry which induces men to improve tijeir stock, and tp introduce improvements,

At the present, time Nelson is looking at her loveliest.. True^ the pink and snowy blossoms of the fruit trees have departed, but the l i milk-white thorn " and the lilac are not yet out of flower, while the gardens' are perfumed by the rose, and the many shades of green in the verdant vales, or on the hjllsides, help to lend a charm to the surroundings that cannot but affect everyone.