The Star. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1895. To-Day.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5271, 30 May 1895, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1895. To-Day.

How the poor live, is a problematic subject that, like the poor themßelves, 19 always with us. England's inland revenue, authorities have been interesting them* selves in some of the phases of this pro. blem, and amongst other things have turned their attention to tea — or rather to " tea Bweepinge." Hitherto, we are told, the dirt, rubbish, and stray remnants of broken tea, the refuse from the floors of bonded warehouses and wharves, have been sold to manufacturing chemists, who have given an undertaking that the mixture would only be used in making caffeine. But this undertaking was in some caaeß given " with intent, to deceive." System-, atic investigation diecloßed the fact that the bulk of the " sweepings" found its way into inferior tea-shops, where it' was cold under " high sounding names ot fragrant significance." Now the records show that upwards of four hundred tons of " sweepings" have been sold annually, so that the extent to which the fraud on the public was carried was pretty extensive, and the mischief done to digestive organs mußt have been disastrous. When the details became known, one of the largest Tea Associations brought pressure to bear on tbe authorities, and the satisfactory result was the issue of a mandate that all "sweepings" should henceforth be destroyed.

The criminal fittings of the Supreme Court that closed yesterday, were marred by the passing of sentences upon two criminals that .were utterly inadequate to the nature of the crime. We refer to the brutes who were charged with committing a criminal assault upon a young girl, under circumstances that demanded the infliction of "terrorising" punishment. We use the term advisedly. We say that, for a crime so diabolical, terms •of eighteen and twelve months' imprisonment are ridiculously inadequate, and that when these sentences are compared with those inflicted during the same sittings for the doing of things that by contrast were minor offences, the injustice becomes glaringly apparent. Is not the protection of our daughters against dastardly outrage of infinitely greater moment than the checking of petty pilfering, or many other of the offences specified in the Criminal CodeP : We have a lively recollection of cases of a similar nature to that under: notice, dealt with in years gone by, in which, not. only was the . term of imprisonment given in full measure, but the sting of the, lash was righteously added.. Where criminals of an absolutely brutal sorb have to be dealt with there is only one way of adequately appealing to their feelings, and that is by making them acquainted with the virtues of the " cat " when wielded by a muecular arm. And that French pnraße which may be translated "by way of encouragement to others," comes to mind. There are brutally-minded men in most communities, and they can best be encouraged to keep their evil propensities in subjection by the dread of really severe punishment.

Eecent information relative to sales of fruit in the London market includes an item that ought to be of considerable interest to New Zealand orchardists. . Under date April 19, it was reported that Tasmanian apples had been arriving in very good condition throughout the season. Twelve thousand cases arrived by the steamahip Cuzco, and the portion submitted to auction, it was stated, realised prices that would be remunerative to the growers as well,- as satisfactory to the London consumers. One journal remarks : — " The excellent quality of the Tasmanian Eibston, Cox's Orange, New York, Sfcurmer, and King Pippins, and of the Scarlet Fearmains, Alf reston, and Prince Alfred apples is widely recognised. They fetched from 9s to 16s per case, coming into competition with the last of the Nova Scotian and Canadian applet, which are selling at 16s to 20e. Were it not for the introduction of apples from the Antipodes, we should have difficulty in replenishing the dessert dishes this year, as there are no English-grown apples to be had, last season having proved disastrous.. The Cape fruit, which was obtainable for about a month, has almost ceaßed to arrive, and no other source of a apply will be available until July, when Lisbon consignments are expected. Until then. Tasmanian apples will practically have sole command of the market." Is there any insuperable reason why New Zealand fruit should not win quite as satisfactory a position ?

Whilst the New Zealand public has been horrified by the disclosures in con* nection with the baby-farming case at Win ton, there has been an unpleasant feeling created in Melbourne in connection with the sacrifice of infant life. lathe Victorian case, there is no charge of murder, for the children seem to have been killed through dense ignorance. A Mrs Dodds haß apparently been engaged for Borne years in baby-farming, receiving infants to rear, and being paid so much per week for their maintenance. An inquest was held the other day on the body of aa infant that had died in Mrs Dodds' house, and the medical testimony showed clearly enough that death had been caused by unsuitable food. Police investigation Bhowed that Mrs Dodds was a peculiarlyundesirable foster-mother. In December last she was living in another locality, and there an inquest had to be held, under precisely similar circumstances. She removed at once, and in a few weeks there was another inquest,-: and another verdict of killed by unsuitable food. Three lives sacrificed, in precisely the same way, and by the same woman, within a few month*. Fortu-

nately, they have in operation in Victoria, as we have in New Zealand, an Infant Life Protection Act, and under its provisions Mrs Dodds will be prosecuted ; for she had somehow forgotten, when moving on the last occasion, to register her abode and secure the necessary license.

A good illustration of journalistic sncceas and journalistic enterprise is furnished by The Chicago Record,. That newspaper, having an immense population to work upon, has been able to steadily incraase its circulation until now it occasionally runs up to 175,000 copies in one day. A sworn statement shows that on the twenty-six publishing days in the month of March the total number of copies actually sold was 4,292,569, giving a daily average of more than 165,000. Its new venture, whereby it is of oourae hoped to further swell the circulation, is to offer 20,000 dol in twelve prizes for twelve original "Stories of Mystery," The beat story that may be sent in will win 10,000 dola, and the remaining prizeß range from 3000 down to 800 dola. Nor doea this represent the whole of the projected outlay, for a circular that has been sent to us intimates that " Stories of Mystery" are required in order that readers may be offered prizeß for guessing the solutions of the mysteries in advance of their publication. We have made this vent are known because the time for send* ing ih'conipetitive ' stories does ndt expire until Oct. rnext.and because the competition is open to everybody. Herein a chance for the embryo novelists of New Zealand to distinguish themßelves.