Taranaki Herald. MONDAY, MAY 20, 1907. THE VANCOUVER MAIL SERVICE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13474, 20 May 1907, Page 4

Taranaki Herald. MONDAY, MAY 20, 1907. THE VANCOUVER MAIL SERVICE.

• .A ma^l x service which will bring New Zealand within twenty days of London is, it must be admitted, an exceedingly attractive proposal, which" ifc. bound to be received with sympathy by the commercial commiinity of the colony. At the Imperial Conference Sir Wilfrid Laurier submitted a resolution, which Was carried, to the effect that in the interests of the Empire Great Britain should beTJonnected with Canada, *and through Canada wjth Australia and New Zealand, by the best service available within reasonable cost and that Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand should contribute !to the cost in equitable proportions. The Canadian /Premier suggested, a four-day service acrosb the Atlantic, a four-day across Canada, and a service of steamships with a speed of at least eighteen knots on the Pacific side, which would brings Sydney within twenty-four days of London. Sir Joseph Ward pointed out that this would' 1 only bring Uew Zealand within twenty-eight days of London, which was not fast enough to satisfy this colony. He suggested that the four parties concerned should join hands in paying a subsidy of £300,000 to £400,000, which ought to supply a twentythree knot service between England arid Canada arid a twenty to twenty-one knot servipe between Vancouver and Australia and New Zealand. This. r colony, he added, would give £100,000 a year towards a mail service bringing it within twenty days of England. The only alternative was, he said, to give an increased subsidy and revive the -service across the United States. The proposal is, as we have already said, attractive — in a sense, but even supposing that it is possible to get a twenty-day service it, is questionable whether the benefits to be derived from it would warrant the expense. We prefer the idea of a Canadian service to one across the United States, because it is a step towards improved trade relations within the Empire, and rather than see New Zealand renew the San Francisco service we wouV support at least an equal subs>''V, or even a greater one, to a Canadian service. Assuming the practicability of covering the distance between Auckland and London in twenty days at a cost to this colony of £100,000 a year, it is probable that every day added to the time, say up to Wenty-five days, would reduce the cost by £10,000 a year. That is to say, if a twenty-day

service cost £100,000 a year a twenty-five day service would probably not cost more than £50,000 a year, and is the greater speed worth the extra cost ? We doubt it. For all practical purposes the slower service would suffice. Urgent business in these times is conducted by cablo and four or five days in the time taken to communicate by letter are of small moment. One argument advanced in support of Sir Joseph Ward's proposal is that it would encourage immigration. That is also doubtful, and we are inclined to the opinion that a better way to encourage .an influx of people to the colony would be to pfive assisted passages by the direct steamers, or subsidise the latter on condition that cheap fares were charged — which amounts to the same thing. If the colony is in a position to pay £100,000 a year to improve communication with England — and it is, after all, England that we want to get into closer touch with and to bring nearer to vs — it seems to us that in addition to securing a reasonably fast mail service, and twenty-five days is reasonable, something might be done to improve the direct service. The New Zealand and Shaw Savill and Albion Shipping Companies provide excellent services, but with encouragemen-t the time occupied might be reduced and even greater regularity be secured. The Canadian service is not likely to benefit trade very greatly, so that the return from that Source would be small. On the other hand the better our direct service is made the more satisfactory will it prove to traders at both end's. Moreover, it is quite possible that the Unite^ States will presently give us, without much expense to the colony, as fast a mail service with London as it is possible to obtain by any other route. , The San Francisco service enabled American manufacturers to build up a considerable trade with this colony, and they will not lose it without making a further effort to renew the service. '- •'

There nearly •thitteen'«i;hoii6and more horses in New Zealand to-day than there were a year ago. A Nelson paper remarks: — Mr. McBain, formerly of Taranaki, has now taken over the Foxhill Hotel, which has been rebuilt on the site of the old hotel, which was. destroyed by 'fire some months ago. The new dwellintgis a nice two-storey building* v : In a speech last week Mr Carruthers, Premier of New South Walesy intimated that xinder his land pblicy holders of leases were to be given an opportunity to convert them into freeholds. He also proposes to abolish the stamp duty on receipts, cheques, bills of exchange, and promissory notes. "I never tasted butter until I came on this ship, so I don't know if it's bad, but I don't like it." Thus one of the deck boys (a first voyager) on a big liner that visits this port, when interrogated by one of the curious as to the rumoured questionable quality of the rations served out to the crew. — Dunedin Star.. A householder, writing to the Auckland Education Board in respect %o the election of a committee in a- North Auckland back blocks district, said: "Since writing you I have-been informed that Mr / was-betting on the result of the school election. He wasbacking himself against, me for botcles of beer." t . It is stated that the takings of the tour of the Besses o' th' Barn Band through New Zealand, which has been under the control of Messrs J. and N. Tait, amounted to ovter< £10,000. Under the oontract entered into at Home, the conductor (Mr Owen)P"receives a salary of £35 a week, and the average weekly salary of each of the musicians is about £5.. The majorrty .will 'have a good stocking full by the time they reach' Lancashire. . < The prospect of '"developing an'ironsand industry in Taranaki roused a great deal of active interest in the pioneer days. Just' fifty years ago a reward of £150 (raised by public subscriptions) was offered in New Plymouth, "to the first person or persons' who shall satisfactorily prove to three individual chosen by the (Ironsand) Committee that they have produced from iiie ironsand of this province merchantable cast or wrought iron which 3b its production can be continuously, successfully, and profitably carried on." Speaking of dairy instruction in his monthly report, 'Mr Browne, the Wa-, nganui Education Board's Dairy In-. structor, says that^h* e ; school classes are all running smoothly, and in the niajarity of sohools the children take an enormous interest in testing individual, cows, and in keeping records of the> weight of milk given by each for a certain definite time — a week or a fortnight. In one school — Kaponga— out of the class of 24, ten boys have signified their willingness to enter for a schools' competition in testing, were such arranged for, say, at one of the agricultural shows: Are the people of New Plymouth patriotic? We.belieye they are, and we believe they will show their patriotism by being present in full force at the Taranaki Rifles' Ball on June 3rd.

A Maori at Taihape pleaded as an excuse for not taking " a whisky " that a " ] J rcsbytcrian " Ardor had been taken out against him. ,- A cycle with only one wheel has been invented by Mr Henry Toucher, of Pretoria, an employee of the Central South African Railways, who claims that the machine will cover between 30 and 40 miles an hour on level ground. A tablet in memory of -Mrs Jemima Luke, the writer of the* well-known hymn, "I Think When I Road that Sweet Story of. Old" was unveiled recently at the Pembroke Congregational Church, Clifton, England. What i 3 wanted (says tho San Fran : cisco Newsletter) is a c6"de of honour that will oblige a fellow to be as quick to knock himself down when he tells a lie as he i 3 to knock down the man who calb him a liar. ' Stratford Post on Saturday stated : — The men employod on the railway works at the mountain ' were unable to work thu morning owing to tk'c severe wea-,, thcr. Tho timber is frosen so hard that an adze will not look at it. Those of the men who did npt .have a fire going all night put in a very miserable time. s '-'It pays to advertise," said Mark Twain ot an advertisement writers' banquet. "When I was editing the Virginia City Enterprise, writing copy one day and mining the next, I tried to force this truth home in many ways. A superstitious subscriber once wrote and said he had found a spider in his paper. Was this good or bad luck? I replied to him in our Answers to Correspondents' Column as follows— " 'Old Subscriber' : The finding of a spider. in your copy of the Enterprise was neither good luck nor bad. The spider wa6 merely looking over tho pages to find oiit what merchant was not advertising, so that it could sp^in its web across his door and load a frse and undisturbed existence for ever after 1' " Dishonest administration appears, from the experience of the "United States, to be worse than bad laws. Writing from Chicago on the eve of tho municipal election, The Times correspondent said : —Two years of municipal .ownership government have not do&e much for Chicago. The traction question is still unsettled. Mr Dunne's platform demands public ownership of all public utilities, although—the city doe 3 not now manage decently the public utilities entrusted to it. It is claimed, I fear with too much truth, that tho water supply is insufficient, that the streets are dirty and poorly policed, and that crime is rampant. Had Mr Dunne managed municipal affairs well instead of chasing economic vagaries during^ his term, he would haye accomplished more for the cause he^h.as at heart. '*- '•' "' '' ' Who has seen a drunken Chinaman? The idea seems as incongruous as that of a European eating with chopsticks. Sobrioty — abstemiousness — is one of the characteristics that give Asiatics an advantage, in commercial competition. Yet it seems that the white man who taught the Maori to drink "waipiro" is introducing the same habit among the Hindoos — perhaps the most abstemious of all Asiatics. , Temperances v addresses, largely attended by Mahommedans, Hindus Christians were recently delivered in, Amrikar and Umballa City by Mrs Hallowes. At one meeting tlje chairman, in replying, said India did not want alcohol, and the facf that her drink bill was' increasing showed only that her sons were unhappily learning from Europeans to love the poison against which famous European doctors were warning their countrymen. The Government oxight to cut off the supply', of this poison by shutting the drink shops where it was sold. "I have little sympathy with the prer sent-day outcry against examination by inspectors as it is now carried out in all our larger .schools," says Inspector Petrie. of the Auckland Education Board, "Not a few of our most thoughtful head-seachers entirely disapprove of ,the discontinuance of such examinationIt makes in a high degrecrfor thoroughness and intelligence in teaching, and these are ends of the very first importance.. The present position of the schools of this district, one in which the teachers and all connected with their administration may take a modest pjide, is,, I believe, mainly due to the effects of a judicious system of examination* Apart from this, it is impossible Sot inspectors to form and express, as they are required to do, any independent opinion as to the discretion and soundness ,of .a teacher's classification of his pupils, without undertaking much careful examination of the work of, the pupils." New Zealand prides herself on her advanced legislation, and carefully for T gets that many of these experiments, such as the fixing of a minimum wage, were tried in England centuries ago— and found,, wanting. Here is a similar instance : —Jowett, a British Labour member, says, "We mark y our years off by reference to the different. monarchs we have paid homage to, as I was reminded in an interesting way one day when I was looking into the printed copy of the first volume of the Journal of the House of Commons. Edward the Sixth was King then, and the first entry in the first Journal records the fact that a Bill was introduced that day 1 — Bth November, 1547— entitled "A Bill for bringing up Poor Men's Children." Three hundred and sixty years have gone by since the entry was made, we have Edward the Seventh with us now in place of Edward the Sixth, and at the very moment that my eyes fell on the words, 'A Bill for the bringing- up of Poor Men's Children,' under the date I have named, the House of Commons were discussing the Children Bill." The question arises, whether England under the Seventh Edward will succeed in what it failed to accomplish under the Sixth? .

The first Legislative Council was I'eld at Auckland oa November 16th, 184 S. The Patea Press states t!iat r a rumour .is current that Mr. George 'Hutchison i 3 likely to bo aakc4 to contest Ha;vera district against Mr. Major. Threo boys found a cartridge near Hull and applied a match to it to see what would happen. What happened vras that they wore picked up and then to the hospital. , Mr. Laurenscn, M.H.R., in his speech at Lytteltonlast Tuccday, characterised the Farmers' Union pamphlet on the Land Bill as ".a document containing moro misreprecentatioiis and untruths to f the square inch than anything that had. been publishod sinco Ananias -made his declaration tp the apostle Peter on bhe same siibjbct." — Press. » It is reported from Kurow that although scniewhat late iri the season, salmon can be observed in the Waitaki river in largo numbers, \ making their ,vay up to the spawning beds. Probably the high state of flood in which the river has been for son?© time h&i kept them back, a3 it 13 well known that salmon will nd* face dirty water; (The sahrton referred to is the Califoriian variety.) — Timaru H-oralcd A bad accident took place an the f&rm of Mr. Saunders, Scrubby Creek, says tho Hokitika Guardian. Ware's travelling )steam chafr-cutter had only started operations when a peculiar cry went up from about where Mr. Peter McVeigh • was standing feeding the three large •knives that were revolving at great speed. It was soon discovered that MrMcVeigh was fighting frantically to free his right arm, which was more than half drawn into the machine, and being cut into small pieces. The cutter, was immediately thrown out of> gear, and tHe man released. It. was found that he 5 had suffered terrible mutilation. First aid was rendered, and the man on reaching the hospital had to have, his arm amputated at tho elbow. * The Vanguard, in congratulating Mr. Okey, M.H.R., on his election, sayst-r- " Personal knowledge of him, extending over 31. yoars, enables us-*to.do r ,so with a strong conviction that no measuro which) ho honestly believes- to -be detrimental to tho interests of the colony will ever receive his support. He will not, if we read him aright, even be a mere slave to the Party Whip. H© comes of too good a heritage for that, and may be expected to be found, first, loyal to Bis convictions, and then to bis Parliamentary party. We congratulate him the more heartily because, as it happened, his election was made known some three or four hours before the. dawn of the 80th birthday of his father, one of the noblest old men we have ever knjE)wn.">o • „ _ 'We 'understand (says the Qamaru Ma'iiy thatfthe Harbour Board are within measurable distance of utilising the new wharf for the purposes for which it; was built. We are informed by Mr Rose that arrangements have been practically completed to bring the. Shaw, Savill and Albion .Company's steamer Waiwera here .to load -frozen meat and any general cargo that may offer for Home ports. The Waiwera, which is of 6,237 tons register, and is 426 ft. long, will, it is expected, arrived in Oamaru about the first week in June. The Christcluych Meat Company will give her a large booking of frozen meat, which, but for the fact that the "new .wharf is completed, and will accommo^ date vessels of the Waiwera class, would , have had to be railed to another port for shipment. The arrival of the Waiwera, in connection with which negotiations have been proceeding for some time, will mark the beginning of a new and prosperous epoch in the history of the ' local 'Harbour Board and, in the - commercial life of Oamaru. The members of the Harbour Board have striven hard and unremittingly for years to make the port of Oamaru suitable- to,, berth large vessels, and in spite of adverse criticism and lack of popular interest in- the work, they have kept that one end constantly iri view, and next month will see the successful completion / of. their schemes. An example of the application of modern art to the beautification of the home is seen in the new house in Young Street built -for Mr Alec. Hill. The building is on a novel plan. It is on one floor, and has a good deal of verandah. The bungalow appearance is, however, relieved by three gables — one in front, one on the east side, and the other across the corner between these two. The main entrance, which is on this corner, /is the most novel feature. The angle of the building is, as it were, cut across. From a raised verandah one enters the hall; which runs at an angle from the corner to the passage down the middle of the building. This arrangement gives 'an effect of cosy , compactness, and its -novelty makes it •pleasing. 'The drawing room, which ' opens off the hall, is a large room with a bay window in addition to a cosy corner lighted by two highly coloured cathedral windows. The room on the other side of the hall is also bay windowed. The dining-room opens on to the long verandah on the west side, access being • by a lifting sash. The interior is made beautiful with wall coverings of artistic design, the papers and friezes being delightfully chosen with a true re^ gard for harmony of colour. Inside and out nothing seems to have been omitted that could give pleasure to the eye. For the rest the home is a model of the comfort thai can be prqduced , by modern architecture. Mr J. Jones was the designer, and Mr j. Salt the builder. f *'---'. fy. ' White and. Sons have- opened up a splendid lot of Men's Waterproof Coats in heavy twilled navy serge' and cloth of the celebrated Arrow brand. \ These coats are usiitfily'sold at 42s to 50s, but being a clearing line the whole are offered at 27s 6d each. b 625

A Beekeepers' Association is to bo formed in Christchurch. Professor Benham, of Otago University, has been' elected a Fellow of the Royal Society — tli)o highost honour a scientific man can receive in England next to the Order of Merit. The wind has dropped considerably and to-day the weather is fine. The tonrjeratnre at 9 a.m. was S3 degrees in the shade and barometric reading 30.16. , There is a cynical comp. on the Melbourne Argus. Kately he made a preacher declare that the world was governed by "Gold Almighty."—Bulletin, v An English paper says that balloonins i" becoming such a fashionable pursuit that it is seriously suggested 1 that charts should be published for the aeronwitically inclined, in much the same way as they are for mariners. Estates valued at £4,000,000 sterling are claimed by Mr 3 Mary Ann Aire Broadhurst, a widow, of Llangoljen. The woman alleges that she is the legitimate owner o£^tea-gardens in Calcutta worth £3,000,000, and 1,000 acres <k froohold property, comprising the Llanxysilio estate, near Llangollen. The fortune has been in Chancery sfrice 1808, and its original owner was Anthony . Prit'Jiard, from whom Mrs Broadhurst claims to have descended. A f special German pdlice mission has been -< visitjing Scotland Yard to compare the London detective and police methods with those of Berlin. As the outcome of their investigations »tho German delegaten have declared London to bo "the best policed city in the world." During the last few years the London police have provided hints for the chief cities of the world. Special missions have come from France, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, and the United States, and in each case the visitors liave admitted th/e superiority of British police methods. ■ ! Three recent items^ affecting the status of women in America are recorded : — 1. In Colorado a woman has sat on a jury-, with no- unusual results except - that the Judge and attorneys did not easily remember that "Gentlemen and lady of the jury" was now the correct form of address. 2. A bill has been introduced into the Missouri Legislature providing, that "hereafter it shall be unlawful for any woman, either married or single, to purchase for herself, or to roceive or in any way procure for her own use or benefit, more than tw<^ hats, each to cost- not more than one dollar ■ and 98 cents, oftener than every twelve months." 3. Over-indulgence in icecream, has been recognised by the South Dakota Courts as a sufficient ground for. divorce. , In the course" of an interview on the .faci;tha<jfor time past magistrates . in different parts of the colony have boenicommenting on the system adopted by the Education Department in contacting, moneys from parents whose children hare been committed to industrial schools, the Minister for Education, the Hon. G. Fowlds, said the position is one of considerable difficulty. As a matter of fact theVe are over 600 orders in operation against parents, and very few of them are regularly satisfied. If a statement of arrears were issued from the Department every three weeks, they would have to send out to the polipe over 10,000 every year. This would mean that a staff of clerks would be required, and the police force would have to be increased largely all over the country, especially in larger towns. .It should be borne in mind that not only do parents have to be hunted up, but, reports have to be written respecting each case by the police officer who has the co|lection of money in hand. Some four years ago the work of collection, which had previously been in the hands of the managers of schools, was taken over by the . Department, with very satisfactory results. During that time the recoveries increased from £1300 to £3500 per annum. . The time of one officer of the Department is given entirely to the .work, and each case is dealt with upon its merits. . ,<»• Mx* L. O. Armstrong, the head of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Colonisation Department, reports that considerable ' excitement has been caused in the Manitoulin Islands by the discovery of ( great quantities of . petroleum. There are already scores of flowing wells^ and boring is being carried out in every direction. The Manitoulin Islands form a chain of fringe about 150 miles long, close to the north shore of Lake Huron, and the largest is 70 or 80 miles wide. Their geological formation, chiefly fossiliferous limestone and sandstone, >3 very different from that of the closely adjacent mainland, where the Sault Ste. Marie branch of the Canadian Pacific runs over granite and slate. The cost of sinking wells is said to be about one-third of that required in the oil-fields of Pennsylvania and the Western Ontario peninsula. The islands are now inhabited by English-speaking Canadians, mostly engaged in agriculture, for which the soil is well suited; but the new discoveries will probably lead to the development of a great oil industry in the near future. The hope is expressed that the Dominion Government will take steps to keep this industry from passing into tKe hands of z Mr Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company, which now controls the oil market in Canada as well as in the United States. The Manitoulin oil is of a high quality, and it is estimated", will be very profitable at 10c. a gallon, while the oil now used in Canada costs the consumer, after an inexpensive refining process, 25c. a gallon. \ Special for Horses. — Feed "Sucrosine." It is better than oats. It is an ideal winter food. It has a feeding value £2 Is per ton higher than oats. At the present price of oats it is 50 per ient. cheaper to feed "Sucrosine." &Cany large carrying companies are now using it. Obtainable from all leading storekeepers.

Most German papers are owned and oditod by Jews. .Capt. Edwin wired* at 12.30 p.m. : — Moderate to strong southerly winds. Glass rise slowly, tides moderate. A very old man, born in 1819, who was admitted *|t> the- Wellington Old Men's Home, said he had helped to build the Home. As decided at the recent meeting of shopkeepers, J-riday* next (Empire Day) is to be observed as a close holiday. The half day on Thursday next and June 3rd (Prince of Wales' Birthday) are not to be gonerally observed. In some districts the school ceremonial in connection with Empire Day will take place on Thursday afternoon before dismissal, so that the children may have the Friday clear as a whole holiday. The proceeds of the concert to be held to-morrow evening in the Te Henui Sunday School are to be devoted to the Sunday School enlargement fund. The programme, which includes vocal and instrumental items .well-known performers, appears in this issue. "We must keep this in view," said Mr, G. Tisch at the Hospital Board njetmg to-day, .? 'that it won't be very long before we have to build a new^ hospital.''. He was arguing that the Board should not install expensive fittings that were not absolutely necessary i^ so old a building. On Friday Inext, Empire Day, the Garrison Band is to hold an "At Home" at the seaside. The breakwater has been chosen as the locality and given fine weather a most enjoyable day should result. A good programme of races and j;am.es for the children, interspersed with band selections, is being arranged. The Fitzroy Fire Brigade's annual ball is fixed for July 4th at the Theatre Royal. The " ; glorious fourth," which is such a red-letter date to our American cousins, should, on this occasion, equally call forth the enthusiasm of the dancing population of this district, as the ball is bound to prove one of the best of the season. "When I return to the colony, if I find that the Land Bill Has become law. I will at once. gather up" my belongings and get, and leave the leaseholders to stew' in their, own, gravy." Such was the emphatic declaration made by Mr. Phillips, president of the Auckland Farmers' Union, in alluding at Wednesday night's dinner to an" approaching trip to Europe. At the conclusion of the criminal sessions at the Supreme Court at Christchurch, (the Bress reports, His Honour. Mr Justice Chapman said he wished, tp make one or two observations with reference to the last two criminal, sesjsions in Cl^ristchurch. Thei crimes had been,' generally speaking, of the ordir nary character, 1 and 4hey had not been numerous. The Exhibition had been in full swing during the whole. time, and that was the kind of occasion which generally resulted in the qpllection of members of, the criminal classes about the town. He "wished to say that he thought it spoke well for the police management during that trying period when they, had mqre than ordinary work and responsibilities, even though their numbers had been reinforced, that, speaking generally, the town should have been free from crime during this period. Under tile heading "Blow to Teetotalisni," the Daily Mail recently stated :— Muph anxiety is being caused to many temperance reformers >by the manifesto in.£avour of alcohol published by a large number of doctprs. They fear that it means a set-back to the cause of' total 'abstinence. Those who .signed the manifesto include Professor T. McCall Anderson, Glasgow University, Sir William H. Bennett, Sir James Crichton-Browne, Sir Dyce Duckworth, Dr. Hutchison, Professor W. D. Halliburjfcon, King's College, Dr. E. Owen, and Dr. Fred T. Roberts. They state explicitly that : In disease, alcohol' "is a ■rapid and trustworthy restorative ; that in many cases it may be truly described as life-preserving owing to its power to sustain cardiac and nervous energy, while protecting the wasting nitrogenous tissues ; and that as an article, of diet, they hold the universal belief of mankind that the moderate use of alcoholic beverages is for adults usually beneficial is amply justified. As far back as last August the question was raised at Torimto by Sir Victor Horsley, x who, in a speech to the Dominion Temperance Alliance, declared that the medical profession in Britain had t the same hostility to alcohol as they had in Canada. He added that he "meant,alcohol not only as a beverage, which is indulged in to too great an extent but as a drug." The annual meeting of the Ministering Children's League is to be held this evening at 7.30, in St. Mary's Hall. Tenders are invited in this issue for the erection (labour only) of a bridge on the Mount Egmont Railway. Tenders are- invited in this issue for building a first-class waggonette. Specifications can be seen at Mr W. Bewley's Office, Devon Street. As notified in this issue, Messrs Honnor and Clark have ' been appointed agents for the "Empire horse and cattle preparations. It is claimed that these are superior to any other remedies of their kind. The public are reminded that the euchre party and dance to be held in St. Joseph's Schoolroom this evening will commence at 8 o'clock. Valuable .prizes will be presented to the winners of the most games of euchre, and the dance music will be up to the usual high standard of excellence. After a long, exhausting illness,when health is slow about returning, Steams' Wine is always found of great value. By' gently' stimulating the appetite it aids nutrition and restores strength. 1