Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1898. Current Topics.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9061, 9 June 1898, Page 2

Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1898. Current Topics.

Though figures on paper do not necessarily mean effectiveness in the field, it is interesting at the piesent serious juncture to compare the relative numerical strengths of the land forces of the Great Powers, aB shown by official statements. For the following figures bearing on this subject we are indebted to the New Zealand Timeß:--'La6t year Britain had 643,764 men available for service. This number includes the regular army (about 212,000), the first class army reserve, the militia and the volunteers. Backing these men—a very large proportion of whom could. safely be catalogued as trained, men—is a carefully planned scheme of naval and port defence, whioh is believed to be muoh superior to that of any other country. The figures quoted are those for the United Kingdom, however, which it is important to remember. They do not inolude Indian and colonial resources. Even when allowances of that kind are made the British figures will look Bmall by comparison with those of an estimate which' has recently been made, and which gives the war , Btrength of the best manued Powers as follows:—Austria (including all reserve forces), 2,000,000 men; Italy, 3,000,000; France, 4,380,000; Germany, 4,500,000; Russia, 5,000,000, Again, these are small totals against those of the United States. Recently the Acting-Secrotary for War in that country made a report to Congress in wWch he calculated that the number of men available for military duty (though unorganised) was 10,301,339; but the organised militia force only amounts to 114,362 men." The real question is whether the British and American troops, raised under the voluntary system, are equal in efficiency to tho continental soldiers, compulsorily and systematically trained? In this connection, the statement by the Times, to the effect that no regiment at Tampa is fit for service, is significant.

One out of every six inhabitants in France has an acoount at the State savings bank, The "Journal Official" has published a volunmious report on the work of this great national institution for the year 1896, which is quite up to date for official publications in France, The amount at the credit of the depositors in the savings banks :over 2000) was then £136,000,000 The amount which each depositor can have at his or her credit was reduced in 1895 from £80 to £60, but of course every member of a family can have a separate bauking book, The rate of iuterest is l\ per cent. More than half the depositors are women, and the vast majority of them belong to the working classes. The effect of reducing the amount whioh each individual can hold has not arrested the 'increase of depositors, but it ha? reduced the total amount in the banks for the first year by over £500,000.

The following dissertation by an AirJfflican writer is worth putting on a record as a curiosity:—" No foreign war since '76 has been undertaken in a more righteous cause. No war since '76 has promised such future greatness. In its unfoughb battles and in its unrecorded conquests lies latent' the destiny of a greater, richer, and stronger republic timn our fathers ever dared to picture in their most devotei moments—a republic whose word shall be the law of nations from the Straits of Mageliaft to the great lakes, whose uonraerce shall flow from the eastern-

most of its Indies to the farthest shores! of its Hawaii; whose interoceanic canal shall bring to pass a new course of trade and a new commerce to be carried in its ships and under its flag; whose might shall be an invulnerable J guarantee of peace and whose wealth shall be an unremitting source of contentment and progress 1 in the arts of oivilisutinn. Those are the possibities jwhich the American people have brought within their grasp by holding fast to the doctrine of Monroe and fitting its spirit to the demands of the successive generations. They are already hear possibilities; the first shot fired on Havana will transform them into probabilities; tho last shot in the present war will make them realities

if our statesmen rise with the people to the emergency and prove themselves worthy sons of Monroe," To the American .jingoistic journalist, possibilities and probabilities seem to have no real difference; he is always cook-sure, and always has a waggonload of abuse on hand to argue his case with. Fortunately, the American people are made of different stuff, and the jingo journalist is but an excres> cence.

From a copy'of tho Charlottetown Daily Examiner (Canada) received by the last mail we learn, of the death of Captain Haszard, R.N., oousin of Mr Bobert Haßzard, of Parawai. The Examiner has the following on tho subject:—" News of the death of Captain Haszard) K.N., will be reoeived witk very great regret by many porsons k this.city, It appears that he contracted malaria while on a voyage from India and was compelled to land at Pork Said. Subsequently he, was able to prooeed to England, wnero he entered the Royal Naval Hospital at Gosforth. A fatal end'of his illness was not anticipated until two days before his death. Hs passed away at the hospital on the 31st of March in the presence of his wife and children, and several friendi. We heartily sympathise with hie brother, sister and other relatives residing in this city. Captain Baszard was a splendid specimen of manhood, and ho was highly respeoted as a British naval officer and gentleman. When last he visited his native city, a few years ago, he seemed thepiotureof health, with the prospect of many yeais of life. His unexpected death, in the midst of life, is another exemplification of tho wollknown proverb."

An extraordinary series of magnificent Waterspouts occurred off the New South Wales coast a few days ago, No fewor tliaa twenty were counted.

The trumpet upon which TrumpeUMtjor Joy of the 17th Lancers sounded :h6 order for tue charge of the Light Brigade at lialaUuva, with Joy's four meda's, wiu sold at auction early in April for 760 guiucas.

The County Council has decided not to appoint another assistant Engineer in place of Mr Rich (resigned), as tha pressure of work now is not so great. Last evening Crs Deeble and Dunlop (Chairman) spoke in terms of high praise of Mr Rioh's services,

In eleven y?ars the Mount Morgan mine, Queensland, yielded 1,718,152 ozs of gold of the value of and there was pai<l in dividends the enormous sum of £4,550,000. Original shareholders had received a return of £4 8s per share, while tho dividend duty amounted to £108,750 and, the royalty to

Mr Thosi Crdsbie. has written to the County Council stating that three ohainß of theWaiotahi main Tillago settlement road are on his land, and offering to sell the same for M. ■ Fending the settlement of this matter, some tenders received for work on this road have been held over.

The County. Council last night deoidedto refuse tho application for water puffer made by Mr H. Kabe on behalf of the Fortuna Hauraki Company; and to forward the account for repairs to the Matatoke drain to the Waste Lands Board, whioh recently granted a flotage lioense on the Matatoke stroam. An extended report is held over,

Tho death of Mr Gladstone reminds as that at least five other " grand old men " aro approaohing N the horizon of the hereafter. These are the Pope, born in 1810 ; f prince Bismarck, 1815; Sir George Grey, 1812; Lord Armstrong, 1810; and Mr John Ruskin, 1810. Within the next few years it is pretty certain that all these names will be numbered with tho past.

The following tenders were dealt with at the meeting of the County Counoil last night:—Omahu-Whangamata traok; J, MoKenzio, 1247, James Smith £375, Wm, Billing i 209 ss, H. McKay £230 3s Gd, T. Dunlop £18810s (accepted),—Carting timber on Waikawauroad; R. M. Hawkes £7, M. MoMahen£7. This was decided by lot in favour of MoMahon.—For seven years' lease of the WharopapaJ quarry reserve, J, W. Riokit's tender (£3 188 per annum) was accepted.

At the Police Court yesterday boforo MessriiE. MoDonnellondH.O Gillespie, Js.P the oases of Edmund George andß. Knueboiie v "William Martin were called.—Mr Clendon, who appeared for the complainants, «aid these caneß were private prosecutions against the defendant for alleged wrongful conversion of money to his own uee, 'The three person* were engaged in a oontract and it was alleged the defendant converted a sum of about M whioh waß the joint property of the three, to his own use, As the defendant could not ap. par in Court he would aßk for an ad. journraent-Theßenoh adjourned the hearing of the case until to-day.

Friday's Manawatu Standard says:- " During tho course of the proceedings st the District Court this morning the legal atmosphere became decidedly warm owing to tho fact that one of the solicitors Vugaged in settling the. costs in a case before His Honor ventured t6 remark that his friend on the other side was anything but a truth'teller The legalluminary thus addressed, when the Court adjourned, threw off his wig and gown and seized this venturosome brother at the bar by the arm and dragged him out of the Court-room, inviting him tho meanwhile to prepare for action, This invitation, however, was declined, and as thero was no piospeot of inducing hie friend to "square up" the mavtial spirit withia the offended lawyer subsided,

Amongst all the flue brands of oigars made at Havana and in Cuba gauerally only two belong to the non-English firms, one being owned by a Spanish company and the othor by a French one. This, it was pointed out by a well-known oigar importer, is the reason Americans have to go to England if they desire to get really good cigars, The be3t brands are all shipped to England direct to the firms owning the factories they come from. Now that the war has broken out between Amerioa and Spain, the Havana cigar business will be completely Btopped. Q bis will be the chance for the few far-soe ny oigar merchants, who, two and a halt years ago, on tho hint of coming Cuban troubles, bought up and laid in bond all the best brand cigars they oould put chase. One big Fleet-street dealer is reputed to have laid out iMO.OOO in this manner. As price* of genuine oigarsare expected to rise at least 30 per cent, tho profits of thesa dealer* are likely to be handsomo one,?,