The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23,1885.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3248, 23 February 1885, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1885.

The recent conclusion of a reciprocity convention between Tasmania and Victoria bas led to the question being raised m tbis colony, whether it is not possible for a similar treaty to be concluded between New Zealand and Victoria. The following is the basis of the provisional arrangement which has

been entered into between the Tasmanian and Victorian delegates :— — " (1) That all natural products, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, should be admitted into the ports of (either) colony free of Customs duty. (2) That all articles manufactured purely from colonial products should be admitted into the ports of either colony free of Customs duties. (3) That all mixed manufactures, of which the foreign portion does not exceed 5 per cent of the value of the whole, be admitted into the ports of either colony free of Customs duties." It is proposed that an agreement be entered into for an exchange of the articles named m the list, for a period of three years from the date of the treaty, and that the latter shall be signed immediately after the consent of the Parliament of each colony has been obtained. It seems almost ludicrous that any such treaty should ever have been necessary — that two colonies whose interests were so closely connected, and separated physically only by a narrow strip of sea, should ever have been deluded into trying to shut out the natural advantages which one had to offer the other, and the mutual benefit which would have Howed from an interchange of commodities. However, at length public opinion seems to have been awakened to the folly of such imbecile restrictions. Both Mr Service and Mr Berry, the Free Trade Argus and the Protectionist Aye, agree m advocating the treaty, and there is every probability therefore that reciprocity will be m full swing between the colonies named, m the course of a very few months. Why should not a similarly enlightened policy prevail m all the Australian Colonies ? How can there be any approach to Federation while we shut out from our ports the produce of our neighbors, simply because it is their produce and not ours ? Year by year we waste money and energy by trying to produce the same goods ourselves, knowing all the time that we have not the same natural advantages, and that the capital and labor would be much more beneficially employed m some other direction. We spend hundreds of thousands of pounds m improving our harbors, we procure and subsidise splendidly equipped direct steamers, and then we deliberately adopt a policy which has for its object the exclusion of cargo from the vessels, and of shipping from the ports. In all the annals of human shortsightedness and folly, there is probably nothing which will so dumbfounder and amaze the future historian as this attempt to cut the throat of commerce, jUBt as it is struggling into existence m young countries which nature seems to have designed as its especial home. Fortunately there is reason to hope that some glimmering of reason is beginning to dawn on the minds of- the communities who are acting m this irrational manner. It is a significant fact that Victoria, where protection has been most fully tried, should be the first to find out its delusiveness, and should now be leading the way towards a wiser and more liberal policy. In New Zealand, which has always had the credit of being imbued with the freetrade spirit, although somehow or other it has become pretty closely enmeshed m protectionist trammels, we may hope that the question will soon be actively agitated. It has lately been taken up by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, but m a timid, hesitating sort of way, even by avowed freetraders, who seem to be possessed by some extraordinary idea that, as reciprocity is not free-trade pure and simple, they had better have nothing to do with it. They should bear m mind, as one of the speakers told the Dunedin Chamber, that " half a loaf is better than no bread " ; that the principle, once admitted, is bound to go on extending its beneficial influence m an ever- widening circle. The question is one that most intimately affects the agricultural and pastoral interests of tbis colony, and those who are m any way connected with, or dependent upon, those interests, cannot too soon recognise its importance. Not only does protection make clothes, agricultural implements and every manufactured article which the farmer uses, dearer, but it deprives him of outlets for his produce. There can be no stronger illustration of its disadvantages than an example brought before the Dunedin Chamber, by Mr B. Gillies, who ably advocated a resolution urging the Government to take steps to get the Reciprocity Treaty extended to this colony also. The climate and soil of Victoria, it is well-known, are not suited to the cultivation of oats, while those of New Zealand are preeminently adapted for the growth of this cereal. New Zealand last year produced 9,000,000 bushels of oats, and Victoria only 4,000,000. Victoria at the same time has a population nearly double our own, and the number of horses m that colony last year was 286,770, as against 161,736 m New Zealand. Clearly, common sense would teach that Victoria should buy its oats from New Zealand, selling that colony something else m exchange, and that the result would be a very considerable benefit to both. Protection, however, has imposed a heavy duty to prevent New Zealand oats from being imported into Victoria, and thus the Victorian farmer is induced to cultivate a cereal for which his land is not fitted, to the exclusion of something else for which both land and climate are especially adapted. The average production of oats m New Zealand last season was 35.1 bushels per acre, and m Victoria it was only '25.07 — a fact which shows at once the different capabilities of the two colonies m this respect. The price of oats m Victoria ranges from 2s 7d to 3s ld per bushel at a time when m New Zealand it is standing at about Is 9d. Part of tbis difference is of course due to the import duty imposed m Victoria. If the duty were abolished, the difference .m price would simply be represented by the cost of carriage, and Mr Gillies estimated that the result would be a rise m the value here, which would put a quarter of a million sterling per annum m the pockets of the New Zealand farmers. What applies to oats is also true m a great measure of barley and other commodities, produced m abundance by this colony. Any measure which wotild open the ports of Australia to our natural produce would do" more to remove the depression under which New Zealand has been suffering than all the other political panaceas put together. Here, then, is a genuine opportunity for the Govern.'

ment to show they are m earnest m their desire to remove that,depression, and also to evince their sympathy with the country constituencies, on whose support they have so largely relied. Mr Stout stated during the late session that the present Government thought it very desirable that reciprocity with the other Australian Colonies should be encouraged. Sir Julius Yogel also recently congratulated Mr Service on the conclusion of the treaty with Tas- \ mania, and claimed that it was through his exertions the Imperial Act, which rendered such treaties possible, had been passed. Here then is a work on which both leaders may reasonably join their energies, and we trust that next session they will be able to submit to Parliament an agreement not only with Victoria, but with all the Australian Colonies, whereby a much-needed outlet may be afforded for our agricultural and other produce, with the result of a revival of prosperity m which all classes will participate. » The Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand has given another illustration of the enterprise for which it is now noted far and wide, m bringing out a very useful and attractive guide to the colony, entitled " Maoriland : an Illustrated Handbook to New Zealand." Taking it on the whole, it is admirably compiled, and will be of great benefit to the colony m disseminating the advantages which it has to offer alike to the tourist and the settler. We must, however, protest against a very misleading statement which it contains m regard to Timaru. Against the general description of the place there is little to be said. It is spoken of, very truly, as " an important and flourishing town," with a " great future before it, as it is the outlet of a vast and fertile agricultural district." To prepare for this, we are told, the inhabitants are constructing a breakwater, and then comes the blot on the escutcheon. " Heavy seas." gravely remarks the writer " always run here, which makes it exceedingly dangerous to vessels. One of the saddest shipwrecks m New Zealand records occurred here, not long since, when many valuable lives were lost." Could anything well be more misleading than a paragraph like this P One would imagine after reading it that Timaru was situated on the margin of a wild tumultuous sea, where the waves were always mountains high, and the tempests never ceased to howl. As a matter of fact, we believe there are more calm days m Timaru than m any other port m New Zealand. There is not a word m the Handbook about the success which has already attended the construction of the breakwater. Merely the bald fact is mentioned that the work is being carried on. It is most disheartening, when the inhabitants of the town and district are straining every nerve to provide harbor accommodation of the highest class, to find that so far from any credit being given to them for their efforts, absolutely misleading statements of tbis kind are being published far and wide. It is particularly unfortunate that this should occur m a handbook issued by the Union Company, because the latter has an excellent service of steamers running regularly to this port, and its officers therefore know how unfounded is the impi'ession to which the paragraph i 3 likely to give rise. It is an inadvertence which we are sure the Company will regret as much as anybody, and we hope that m the next edition of the Handbook the injustice will be set right.

Bohough Council. — An ordinary meeting of the Borough Council is to be held this eveui'ng at seven o'clock. A The at to Excursionists. — A hot lunch will be m readiness at the Railway Refreshment Rooms on tho departure of the 1 p.m. Express for the south, all for one shilling. Still continuing tho original liberal menu. — [Advt.] "Maoriland." — We have to ackuowledge the receipt of " Maoriland : an Illustrated Handbook to New Zealand," from the agents hero, the Nntional Mortgage and Agency Company. They advertise copies at 2s 6d each. All travellers should secure a copy without delay. Industrial Exhibition. — From news to hand from Wellington vre learn that applications for space for general exhibits. are to be sent m to tho local committees on Saturday next. We opine from this, Government does not see their way clear to extend the time originally fixed on. Total Wbeck. — Our shipping news this morning contains intelligence of the total wreck of the barque Mary Aim Annison, at Kaipara heads, on Saturday. The barque had often visited tbis port, generally, with coals and timber. She was owned by Messrs McClatchie and Mclntosh ; was a wooden burque, and was built m Sunderland m 1866. . Oue Voluntekhs. — It will be seen from our telegrams thi3 morning that the Volunteers of Dunedin, Ohristchurch, and Port Chalmsrs are evincing great enthusiasm m regard to going to the Soudan. From enquiries made last evening from officers of the C Battery wo were informed no reply had yet been received from Government about the matter. The Late General Gordon. — The Yen. Archdeacon Harper, m the course of his sermon at St. Mary's Church last evening, made a brief allusion to the late General Gordon. Ho referred to him as a great hero, m the best sense of the word, living and dying very near to the ideal of perfect goodness, perfect charity, perfect purity, and certainly of perfect unselfishness. The preacher pointed out that when we admirod him who, like a good soldier, luid down his life for his Queen aud country, and for his own people m that distant province of Africa, we were simply bearing testimony to the fact that there was an ideal of perfect manhood aomewKere. In the further course of the sermon practical application was made of this idea. Cbicket. — The T.O.C match Eleven v. Eighteen, which was arranged to be played on Saturday afternoon, fell through, owing to the absence of several playors of the Eighteen. A scratch match was therefore played bptween those present, sidos being picked by Messrs Godby and Perry. Godby's side, which batted first, put together 73, of which Mullins and Mills contributed 26 and 18 respectivolv, by free hitting. Perry and Lough were tno most successful of the opposing bowlers, taking 4 and 3 wickets for 9 and 19 runs respectively. Perry's side, on going m, fared badly, only reaching a total of 36, of which Fraser made 11 m a neat style, F. Jonoj playing a careful innings for 9. Mills and Reid bowled very well for their side, taking 8 and 3 wickets for 17 and 13 rune respectively. Godby's side thus won by 38 runs. Players who intend taking part m the Saturday afternoon games are requested to be on the ground not later than 2.30 p.m., as owing to the shortness of the days, it is almost impossible for both sides to bat unless play is commenced by 3 p.m. j The Imperial Boot Shop..— Messrs Wade and Shea, the well-known bootmakers and importers, havo now got fairly into their now promises (late Amos'), aud on Saturday last had tho place dressed up neatly for tho first time. The most important improvement made, perhaps, is that of a ladies' fitting room, which is reached by pasting through a ueatly out arch from the front shop. This room it ieolaled by ©cans of neat curtains,

which, suspended on a burnished rod, admit of nearly the whole archway being closed to yiow. On the left of this room is a. nicely -fitted tip show ease, with' a 'glass front, and on the left are - arranged some half-dozen shelves m which, are kept a special lino — ladies hoots and shoes. In the shop proper on the right hand side are three " stalls " m which the sterner sex canbe " shod all round," also free from observation, and as a finish to these stalls at the outer end are two or three well arranged circular sholves. It was the window, however, that attracted most observation on Saturday night. The fittings of this are all of brass, and are admirably placed, whilst m the centre of the window is a " revolving machine," which is "dressed" with splendid specimens of boots and shoes, The motive power is clock work, which can be so regulated as to make the machine go fast or slow. It was going very slowly indeed on Saturday, and proved n groat novelty, creating no end of wonder, especially amongst our young folk. The whole display of boots and shoea was one not to be surpassed by any shop m the colony, and Messra Wade find Shea well deserve to meet with every success m their business. Mission Services. — The Church of the Sacred Heart, Timuru, was crowded at the morniug service yesterday, it .being the occasion of the opening of a Missiou by the Redemplorist Fathers. Before the singing of the Mass by the Rev. Father Devoy, the Very Rev. Father A'aughan gave a very irnpreesive explanation of the Mission to the congregation, and at the afternoon service the Rev. Father O'Neill delivered an interesting address to the children. The Very Rev. Father Vaughan, at the evening service, before reciting the Roßary, gave v short instruction upon it, and* the prayers of which it is composed. He pointed out that m it were the greatest prayers, the Creed, the Our Father, the Aye Maria, and the Glory be to the Father. He then exhorted tho peoplo to greater devotion during the lime of the Mission. After hymns appropriate to the occasion had been sung by the choir, the Rev. Father O'Neill preached a sermon on " Tho End of Man." specially impressing on his hearers the kind of life man should lead ou this earth. Tho Benediction brought the day's devotions to a close. The Mission will be continued for another fortnight here. We were informed that (he Very Rev. Father Vaughan is the brother of the Bishop of Plymouth and uncle of the Bishop of Salfoi'd, and was unclb of the Jatc Archbishop Vaughan of Sydney. Bank of New Foutii Wales. — This building is now finished, tho workmen having given up possession on Saturday. As we gave a detailed description of when the tender for its erection was accepted some twelve months ago, it is of course unnecessary for us now to again give one. Wo mentioned m our report that the building looked very handsome on paper, nnd now that it is finally finished m material of the most lasting kind, we are sure all will admit that the words used were no exaggeration. The building adds one moro to the architectural beauties of the town, and will compare very favorably with any of the B ank's numerous premises throughout Ihe colony. On Saturday we had the pleasure of inspecting the interior of the building, and we were agreeably impressed with the very complete way it is fitted up, and the perfect finish that is given to everything connected with the banking offices and the rooms m that part of the building which is sot apart for domestic purposes. Looking at the fagado it would be thought tho building is rather a small one, but a walk through it would soon convince one of the contrary. The structure runs back nearly the whole depth of the section, just a small portion for certain purposes being loft clear at the buck. The architects for the building were Messra Arrason,Collins and Lloyd, of Christchurch,and tho contractor Mr Wiu. McCKll ; and the subcontractors beingMr A. Targuse for carpenter's joiner's work ; Mr Charles Palliser for plastering ; Mr James Craigio for painting and plumbing ; Mr Wra. Napier for Bank fittings ; and Messrs Ogilvie and Byers for ironwork ; the whole being superintended by Mr W. Annand, as Clerk of Works. TheVork done, as we have said, is first-class, and reflects the greatest credit on all who have been engaged on it. We understand that the Bank Manager and his. officers move into their new quarters this week. Bkbaeing into x Family Vault.— An extraordinary outrage has been committed at Mocoilop Graveyard, near Ballyduff, County Waterford. Tho vault which contained the remains of the late Mrs Hillier, wife of Colonel Hillier, of Mocoilop Castle, ex-inspector-general of tho Royal Irish Constabulary, has been broken open, and the cofliu containing the remains taken out and thrown into a glen 150 yards distant. No reason can bo assigned for the not. Mra Hillier was only interred a month ago. SUBBEI-TITIOCS PHOTOGRAPHS. — The photographic hat of Mr Mendoza (says the Photographic fiTews) will suit those who may ■wish to take surreptitious photographs m a public building. A lens is fitted at tho top of the hat, and may be taken for a ventilator by the bystander. Inside the hat is the camera, with arrangements for focussing, changing the plate m exposing. Witli tho apparatus Justice itself might be photographed on tho Bench, unless the appearance of a person m a half-kneeling position, with his face buried m his hat, should excite tho dynamite-hunting instincts of some of tho guardians of the Court. To obtain clerical portraits with the hat-camera should certainly be very easy. An Intbbbsting Comparison. — It is interesting to compare the different ages at which Her Majesty's children have been married. The Princess Beatrice is now betrothed m her twenty-eighth year, the Princess Royal married m her eighteenth year ; tho Princo of Wales was married when m his twenty-second year ; the Princess Alice m her twentieth year ; the Duke of Ediuburgh m his thirtieth yearjj the Princess Helena m her twenty-first year ; the Princess Louise m her twenty-fourth year ; the , Duke ,of Connaught m his twenty-ninth year ; the Duke of Albany m his thirtieth year. The united ages at marriage of the five Royal Princesses make 111 years ; the united ages, at marriage, of tho four Princes make 111 years. By striking an average one finds that Princesses are married at 22 1.5 years, and Princes at 27J . Thb Abuse of Football — The daily newspapers, again, at this season of the year (says the British Medical Journal), begin to contain frequent notices of serious or fatal accidents occurring m the football field. A few weeks ago a young man residing near Airdrie received such injuries that he died three days later, and on Saturday, November 29th, a young man sustained a severe fracture of the leg at Romford. It would not be difficult to draw up a long list of the killed and wounded, for every Saturday a number of accidents occur; this m itself is a significant fact ; the severe strain put by football for an hour, or an hour and a half, once a week on the constitution of young mon and lads, who for tho rest of the week follow sedentary occupations cannot but be injurious ; not only broken bones and heads, but diseases of the heart and nervous system are thus brought about. Young men and lads who have no inclination to play football are induced to do so by being told that it is a manly and healthy game, whereas football is a barbarous amusement, which ought to follow bull-baiting, prize-fighting, and other such brutal " sports" into disuse. To the impartial spectator of a football match, as at present played, it appears a degrading and cowardly exhibition. Remedy for Hard Times. — Stop spending so muoh on fino clothes, rich food and style. Buy good food, cheaper and better clothing, and stop tho habit of using expensive orquaok doctors or humbug medicine that doe 3 you only harm, but put your trust m tho greatest of all simple, pure romedies, Hop Bitters, that cure always at a trifling cost, and you will see better times and good health. Road. — [Adtt], Btnopsiß of new advertisements. Jonas and Bouru— Will sell fowls' wheat on Wednesday. Maclean and Stewart— Sell sheep aud catllo at Washdyke on Tueuday. E. Morgan-^Has i house to let. J. Granger— Has a double shop to let. B.C. Refrigerating Company— Notice to shareholders re unpaid calls. M. O'Driscoll— lnvitee tenders for stacking wheat. Vr Schwarzbach— Can be con»uUe<l m Cbrl?t««Uiirch •q eye, ear aud thjoit ditches.

Waimate County Council— lnvito tenders for the ofllce of poundkeeper.^W. O. Beswick— Notice of application for a transfer of license. N.M.. and A. Company— Publish time-table for future funning of b.s. Taiaroa and Wanaka. Mount Peel Road Board— Notify dosing, &c, of certain roads.