The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1902.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 11877, 28 January 1902, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1902.

♦ —"= ——" j A few dayS &&6 a representative of tb» New Zfeaiand Times waited \*cstfin Mr MacEwan, the well-known dairy produce exporter, and Mr Beattie, the secretary 'of t'lie National Pairy Afcso'ciafcion, to ascertain their vieWSs in regard to the South. Afe^can trade. The . former has during the past two years seait produce to that market and has been in constant communication with Cape merchants and traders. r tn addition he has a personal acquaintance with the Australian <end of the profitable butei&efes Wow being doSie between tiie Oommoliwealt! h. a'iwl the African markets, and is therefore well .qualified to speak upon the subject. The present agitation, in regard to~-im-mediate shipments to Soutih Africa, he says, is due- to the shortage of butter supplies from Australia, 1 winch gives us an excellent opportunity to secure contracts and open up business generally in South Africa. To do this we must act at once, and as a direct service Cannot be established immediately something must be done to arrange for shipments by way of Australia. The present direct service, he pointed out, is a failure, for no dependence caYi be placed on it. The withdriawal of -the Maamari settled that. The present position is that the companies require to knowt before putting on a steamer, if there is enough produce offering. The result of this is that shippers are unable to enter into contracts, whifeh have even been cancelled by South African buyers, Isaid. Mr- MacEwan, thrdugk not being able to get deliveries or not being able to depend upon them, and supplies have been secured from other countries which could give a certainty of delivery. What Mr MacEwan. urges is that a regular and frequent service should be instituted, so as to place < New Zealand shippers on even terms with those of the Common-wealth. Mr Beattie considered it .a pitiable state of things that with each mail bringing sheaves of letters from merchants in South Africa asking for consignments of butter, no business Could be done. In the absence of any direct • communication, said Mr Beattie, it is quitfe impossible to quote butter against Australia, or even to quote at all. Each month that goes by allows the produce of other countries to obtain a stronger hold of the market, to the detriment of our chances of building up a trade. He suggested that the best route wduld be via Frenrantlc to the Cape, and returning by way of Mauritius and Calcutta,' thus securing return cargoes, and he would have freezing hulks at Cape Town and other ports so as to obviate delays in discharging goods alongside wharves, which is at present a serious drawback to South African .business. Now we must confess to a little diffidence in questioning the opinions of a past master in the dairy produce business, as Mr MacEwan is, or of one entrusted with so important a post as the secretaryship of the National Dairy Association, whose peculiar province it is to study these matters. Yet it seems to us that there is just a risk of our butter exporters emulating the example of the dpg in the fable and losing the substance while they grasp at the shadow. After years of hard work our dairy produce has secured a firm hold upjon the British, market,, the greatest and, taking one year with another, probably the most satisfactory and profitable in the world ; at any rate it is the market all producing countries are doing their test to capture. We cannot glut it with a prime article ; in fact, we have always been led to believe that the greater and -more regular our supplies, providing, of course, that the quality is right, the better "returns we are likely to get. Even the seasons matter little, for there is ample cold storage in London. The greater our supplies, too, the better and the cheaper will the steam service to that market become. Then it is a permanent market, not like Australia, open this year and closed next. Thus it 'appears to us that before attempt,ing to div.ert any considerable portion of that trade to anotiher country we should think not only of to-day, but of the future. Some of the most far-sighted exporters of dairy produce do not caro to deal with Australia, even when tempted by high prices, because they know that it is only an occasional market, and that the extra trouble and risk are scarcely compensated- for by the better prices realised for the time. In South Africa there is no doubt just now a good market for dairy produce at high rates; but how long is it going to last ? The high, rates, we may be sure, will attract other dealers than ourselves, with a consequent drop to rates more on a par with those ruling in London. According to all accounts of South Africa, it is likely that in a few years it will.be able to supply its own wants in dairy produce as well as in meat and grain, and then we shall have to go back to London. It must be remembered also that there are much greater risks in dealing with South Africa than with London. Practically the whole trouble that was gone through in establishing ourselves in London will have to be repeated, but in a greater degree, in establishing a trade in South Africa with, a strong probability that by tho time it is in! Thorough working order local supplies will be in a position to supplant us. Frozen meat is not quite in tlhe same position, for our resources aro immensely larger in that item than in Mutter, and we could spare a considerable quantity without appreciably affecting our supplies to London or our hold on that market./ Yet it may be doubted whether it is worth any very great sacrifice on tho part of the colony to establish cool and subsidise steamers ior the purpose of engaging in a trade which may or may not prove profitable, and which is certain not to last very mamy years. There is this consideration, too, if we are not able to take the fullest advantage of a profitable market in South Africa, whatever produce of other countries is diverted from London leaves a much larger field for us there.

Tenders are called for alterations and additions to the Theatre Boyal. The Melbourne Clothing Co. have an interesting advt. in this issue Regarding boys' school suits. • Q ir Joseph Ward reached Tlokitika on Monday evening and was afterwards entertained at a banquet,

B^idrfcitig and cummeicial news is published on page one ©f this evening's issue. Several members of the local club who competed afc the bowliag tournament held in Wellington returned homo on Monday night. An effort is being mads to form a Good Templars' Ledge' in New Plymouth. Mr T. Mason has the matter in hand. A Wellington press message slates that tho Racing Club has dismissed the protest •agaihs^Goldspur in the Federal Handicap. A press wire received from Stratford this afternoon skates that Joyce has been arrested on a charge of manslaughter in connection with the .death of Hewitt a£ Whang&momona. Captain Edwin wired at 2.52 to-day:— Strong north- west 1o west and southwest winds ; glass rise, but falling after 20 hours from now ; tides high • sea considerable. The Excelsior Drapery Co. advertise a large discount on all purchases. This should be a good chance for cheap parchases as the entire stock must be sold by the end of February. A special meeting of the Borough Council will be held at 7.30 on Friday night next, when the following business wil be dealt with :— Consideration of Mr Mestayer's reports on drainage, water supply, and electric lighting ; also consideration of loan proposals to be submitted by the Finance Committee. Mr H. Wagstaff, hon. sec. o£ the Lizzie Bell Fund, has received the follow ing letter from Messrs- Iredale and Porter, Liverpool ; — "We do nob think we need say with -what sincerity Wo appreciate the very practical sympathy of your countrymen, and wo bog you to convey our gratitude to all who have helped by kindness and gifts to the crew, to alleviate the suffering necessaiily caused by such a' disaster as the wreck of the Lizzie Ball. 1 ' The operating theatre at the Hospital is now undergoing a thorqugh renovation. The walls have been cleaned and are now tfeing painted, and the cracks caulked, after which the walls will be enamelled io order to prevent the ingress of microbes The theatre will be supplied with ihe .latest operating table from America, one having been received from a Wellington firm. This wi'l be a great convenience to the surgeons, as the table can be worked j by a handle, and the body on the table can easily be put into any desired posi tion. The woodwork frames for holding basins will be abolished, and instead marble stands and slabs will be provided. It will thus be seen ihat the theatre is being brought up-to-date in every respect. Part of the evidence in the disputed succession case was heard before the Native Laud Commissioner, Mr R. L. Stanford, on Monday. The parties t^ the claim are Mr W. Ellingham. of tlnwke's Bay, on the one part, an i H ko Paopaokirangi, living near Waicara, on the other side. Mr Weston appeared for the former, and Mr J. B. Wilson f >r the latter. The lands in dispute are situated xt Wellington, and Orumupiko and Ngatihaupoto in the Opunake district. Mr SV. Good acted as interpreter. Mr Weston called W. Good, Mrs Simeon, Mrs Phillips, and W. Ellingham. After hearing the evidence as to claim the Com nmsioner adjourned the hearing of evidence till Thursday next, when Mr Wilson will call his witnesses. The nu nber of candidates who entered for the 1 i-il examinatioDS of Trinity College at colonial centres duriug the present year is Ihe .^largest ev<jr recorded, and exceeds 8,700. This ligure is made up of 5,431 candidates in musical knowledge (paper* work examina tons) and 3,290 in practical music (pianoforte, organ, violin, and 1 sirging), :nd in addition 62 colonial candidates entered, for the Col'ege higher, certificates in practical music. It is to be noted that all the examinations held iv the colonies are identical in requirement and in standard with those taking place-, throughout the United Kingdom, and it is an interesting fact that the number.* of successful candidates in the colonies are as high, and in dome cases higher, than at Home. The countries in which the examinations are 1 held are Australia, Now Zealand, Tasmania, South Africa, India, Ceylon, and Canada. The grand iotal of candidates who have entered for »ho examinations of Trinity College. London, since their inception in 1877, is now considerably over a quarter of a million. ■ ' Mr G. W. Henderson, -the local <J Die3dtn'' manager has been graduating in the life-saving business. This was on Sunday morning while eurf bathiag. Mr Handirson and another bather swain out some* distance, the former making past his companion some way. Turning to come back Mr Henderson found it fairly heavy going, as a fair sea was running and the tide was going out. On making up to his companions he found him in difficulties, tho latter bbing unable to make headway, and calling ( to Mr Henderson that he was spent. Mr Henderson "hauled close in" and supported his companion, at the same time calling for help. There was ho one else in the water but several bathers who had recently come out were on the roclrs in varipus stages of dishabille. Under the impression that the pair were playing "bluff" they laughed but made no move. Getting exasperated Mr Henderson again raised his voice and his baritone calls for assis tance struck across in sound waves tb.the Terminus Hotel, where "Listen to Henderson calling for help," laughed someone. Suddenly it dawned on some of the watchers that there was a serious side to the matter, and they hurried down and helped Mr Henderson to shore with the much exhausted man. Even with the bathers on the beach- it might have gone hard with him had not Mr Henderson been close at hand, for the man had swallowod some mouthfule of water and was hardly capable of vigorously attracting attention. The incredible thing is that the watchers should have imagined that a staid citizen having a quiet bathe on a Sunday morning should set up cries for help and run the risk of alarming the neighbourhood " just for fun.'' The Stratford papers report a strange affair at Whangaraoraona. A settler, Joseph HewitJ, was found dead on Satur_ day morning, after, it is alleged, having had a fight with another man the previous morning. Ihe Settler reports that the deceased Hewitt attended a banquet given to Mr Joseph McCluggage in the Whangamomoua Schoolroom on the even ing of Thursday, 23rd inst. Deceased, with S. M. Scott, William Joyce and another remained in the Schoolroom until 4 a.m. on Friday morning, after all the others had left. A squabble arose by Jovne complaining that Hewitt had been talking about him. Hewitt replied that all he had said of Joyce was true, and wiili that Ihey closed and started to strugylo, Hewitt being thrown down. He regained his feet, and the two agreed to go outside and fight it out. When th^y reached the door they again closed and fought, Hewitt receiving a blow on the fac'o. Shortly after receiving the blow ho became unconscious, and remained so for, about half an hour. On recovering bo was put to bed at the Schoolhouse. During Friday ho was up and about,, but complained of ,paina in his, stomach Sometime on Friday night he got out of bed and left tho place without anydne seeing him, and ho was not' seen again until found on Saturday morning lying in art unconscious' condition by a swamp in tho vicinity of tho scboolgrounds. Medical aid was summoned from Stratford, but Howilt died without regaining consciousness before a doctor arrived. An inquest was being held at Whangamomoua to day. As Ihe shop for engagement rings, worlding rings, high-class wafohos sit moderate prices, wedding present, and in fact a thoroughly up-to-dato stock of jewellery, electro-plated and silver goods we reeouimond J.B. Parker's, noxi railway or *s ng. Devou-stroct, .V-w Plymouth. N B. — Pluaso note a i'o vof ihleading linos and prices in advertisement ou page 2.*