The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1897.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 11025, 16 September 1897, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1897.

TSfIK prompt and decisive measures taken by the British Indian Government hare had the effect of localising the disturbances on the Afghan frontier, so that their total suppression will not bo nearly co formidable an undertaking ns at one time it promised to be. The trouble has been •mainly due to a mad priest inciting the tribesmen to rebollion. However that may bo it is satisfactory to know that the Indian Government lms proved equal to the occasion so far ns mi'itary operations are concerned. The incident has s^rvfed to direct attention to tho spirit of unrest which is abroad in many parts of our Indian Empire, an unrest which has its origin in causes quite apart from the present risings. - Much ns the British rule has undoubtedly done for the permanent good of India by civilising it with roads and railways and irrigation and sanitary measures, there has always been, and always will be, a considerable section opposed to British rule, ,and ever ready and active in promoting and spreading discont«nt. These people are the greatest source of danger to the peace of the Empire They have their newspapers, both English nnd vernacular, in which they tnaKo ft & pr&ctico t'6 hold iip British rule to the hatred and contempt of the more ignorant of the population. In England, too, there are writers, of whom i the Socialist Hyndman is a type, nlio do their best to foster sedition in India by optnly preaching treason. Many well - meaning people at Home are misled by the statements of these sedition - mongers, and are led to unwittingly assist in fostering rebellion. It i 6 open to question whether tlie Indian Government, and Imperial Government too for tbat matter, do not err sometimes on the side of granting too much freodom to the press. Tho millions of the lower classes in India are too ignorant yet to distinguish good from bad or right from wrong, and ihey are too easily led by such men as Gangadliar Tilak, whose prosecution and conviction were recorded the "other day, and who, we now learn, has beon sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment. That man has loug been notorious as an inciter to rebellion, and there are many more like him. Until these are muzzled in some way, there will be no end to the discontent and disaffection in India, and the most effectual method of checking them would seem to be a return to the system of press censorship which was formerly observed.

It i» a pity, wo think, that the directors of the Gas Company could not see their way to make a more liberal reduction than they have promised in the price of gas supplied to the Borough. It would have been more gracious and at the same time more politic on their part to have made the reduction asked for, instead of grudgingly reducing tho price by sixpence per thousand feet, just five per cent. The Company is iv a flourishing condition, is able to pay steady dividends, and to annually strengthen its financial circumstances. At tho same time it is indebted to the Borough for certain privileges, and no doubt at times does some little damage to roads and footpaths, and for this reason the Borough is entitled to special consideration from tha Company. We are not among those who consider that the Gas Company holds an unjust monopoly which it abuses by charging excessive prices to coniumers, nor do we think that, even if the Borough Council wore to run the gasworks in the interests of ratepayers, we should be able to obtain gas at & very much lower rate, beoause the rate is chiefly ruled by tho price of coal, and consumers cannot expect any very great relief until coal can be landed here at a greatly reduced prica. Those who complain so much of the price of gas seem to overlook that fact. The works here are economically managed, probably there are few gasworks in the colony more so ; the profits are not excessive ; and on tho whole consumers have not mach to complain of, although it must be admitted that lately the supply has been frequently anjthing but what it should be. Still that has been more the misfortune than the fault of the management. But at the same time wa are of opinion that the directors might have met the Borough Council in a more liberal spirit, and trust that they will yet see their way to do so.

Mr H. Alley advertises a horse-taming exhibition at Mr N. King's Haymarkot yards at 2 o'clock next Saturday. The now term at the High School will commence on Monday next. An entrance examination far tho admission of now pupils will be held the same same day. The Coolgardie police recently raided a houso in Lindsay-street, and arrested seven Frenchmen. They also secured £2000, besides gambling materials. A number of people escaped. The champion sheepghearer is an Australian. Ho has broken the record by shearing 33,825 sheep in twelve months, his earnings being £338. At the Hamilton pound the other day a horse, or something going by that name, was sold and realised fourpence, just a penny a foot. As the fees and charges amounted to 11s 6d, there was a shortage of 11s 2d. A final reminder i« given of the social demonstration and concert at the Theatre Royal in aid of the Salvation Army selfdenial fund. The object is a worthy one, and tho pricos of admission very moderate, so that there should be a crowded attendance. The London Daily News, commenting | on an interview with the Hon W. P. Reeves, Agent-General for New Zealand, in which the latter described Now Z'*aliui'l a c-oroputeoiy arbitration in ron rn'H'OK with. *»riU.<, obdorvtw Ut:it New 'L'j \'<m><\ «x ! iii.ib'< ;» boa* on to tho world. ■J*u& if. in not clear whether « danger signal or fcho rov&rso is Meant.

Tho wreck of the Tasmania has been sold to a Napier syndicate for £25. The enquiry into the wreck of the Tasmania has been adjourned till Friday. ( 1 The Taranafei Riflo Votffaafcee'/a will p'&rado iVc divine service at St. Mary's Church on Sundhy. Owing to the scarcity of meat the Transvaal Government has removed the duties on imported live stock. l The Canadian-Pacific Railway Company intends to construct a line from Glonora, via the Sticker river, to Yukon, i There is small likelihood of! Mark Twain's " More Tramps Abroad" being ready before November. It is rather a long volume. The Times makes a powerful ptotest against the Bank of England yielding to the American suggestion of holding a Onetif tn reserve 6f Bilver': The total costof conducting tke election of the representative* of New South Wales to the Federal Convention was £16,672. Mr John Roberts, horsa-shoer and blacksmith, notiiea that on October Ist he will remove from the premises opposite the Herald tothe ti reclaimed land at the foot of Clirrie ftree'i;. A young man from the Waitara district was this (Thursday) morning committed to the Porirua asylum by two Justices of the Peace, on the certificates^ of Drs Leatham and Christie. The s.s. Omapere leaves Dunedin to-morrow (Friday) for this port, calling at Timaru Saturday, Akaroa Sunday, Lyttelton Monday, Wellington Tuesday, and arriving hero Wednesday. After iischarge uhe proceods to the West Coast. At a Committee meeting of the Amateur Athletic Club on Thursday night it was decided to hold a three mile steopleohaso next ruopth. The arrrangeiheutS were left to a Committeei Mr C. E. Enderby resigned as hou. secretary, find Mr H. Bauchope was elected to fill the vacancy. Mr H. N. Goldwater, manager of the Auckland Clothing Company, promised a silver mounted walking stick to the winner of the steeplechase

In reference to the oft-repeated assertion that the Maoris knew of the existence of an uncharted rock near where the Tasmania struck, Captain Noale reports that during tho search he took out two Maori*, who showed him three patches of rock, one 15 fathoms, another 35 fathoms, and the third 37 fathoms doop. These rocks, however, are far too deep to be dangerous;

Tho weekly meeting of the Now Ply mouth Fhonetic Society was held on Wednesday evening. A programme varied to suit the requirements of members in different stages of the study was gone through, and a very pleasant evening was Bpcnt. Tho secretary reports that several new members have beon elected, amongst whom are a number of ladies. The total membership is vow thirty-two.

Captain Edwin telegraphed this afternoon : — "Wind between north-west and west aud south at all places northward of Napier and Now Plymouth, and between west and south-east at all other places ; barometer further rise at all places southward of Kaikonra and Westport, rise soon elsewhere ; sea hoavj on all western coasts of both inlands and on eastern coasts southward of East Cape ; tides high, on all "westdTn coasts of North Island and on eastern coasts south cf East Cape ; southerly gales with rain and colder weather are to bo expected in all parts of the country."

Tho nightwatchman, between 2 and 3 o'clock this (Thursday) morning, reports thit on bearing a noiso at tbo back of Mr H. R. Cattley'n shop he went round to the rear of the premises, and disturbed two men, who were apparently attempting to effect an entrance into the buUding. The men ran away in the direction of the beach. A broken lock, which had been fixed on Mr Cattley's back door, was found on the ground some few yards away from the door. The nightwatchman reported the occurrence to Constable Roche, who was on night duty. In its reply to the Soenery Preservation Society with respect to the damage to the cliff along the sea beach, the Public Works Committee of the Borough Council Beems to overlook the fact tbat the encroachment of the sea is chiefly due to the removal of stones, which the Council hsg been taking for the purposes of stalling the streets. It it an urgent necessity that something should be done to protect the cliff, and the matter should not be allowed to rest in its present state. Tho Labour Leader, a journal published in London and Glasgow, and editad by by Mr Ktir Hardie, in its issue ef July 31st, devotes a couple of columns to the Premier of New Zealand, a portrait of whom it gives It sums him up thus :—: — " And Dick Seddon, the rough diamond of the Southern s«as, appears to be doing his best according to his knowlege. He is really not a bad sort of fello tr He would make a splendid father-in-lay. What is Miss Soddon's front name ? It can't be half as pretty as she is herself. Good luck and good voyage to you across the blue water ! " The Windsor Magazine for August is to hand, through Mr T. Avery, stationer. A leading feature is an article on Cricket by Prince Ranjitsinhji. Hall Caiue'a novel, The Christian, is continued, aad among tho other contents are An Interview with George Grosssmith, a short story T'hß Reformation of the Jackeroo by Guy Boothby, an article on The Cooperativo Movemeut and its festivals, another instalment of The Skipper's Wooing, an interview with a famous photographer of racehorses, lavishly illustrated with such equine celebrities as Isinglasi, St. Simon, La Flcche, Ormo, Velasquez, and others; a domestic sketch by Ethel Turner, and other articles. Tha publishers, Messrs Ward, Look & Co., keep up the standard of excellonse attained by this popular magazine.