DAILY NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7787, 19 August 1903, Page 2

DAILY NOTES.

Although hope deferred is. tersevkkixg said to ißuik-e the heart siok, prophets, it does' not kill the 1 faculty* of hoping. For twelve long years the Opposition has beeta waiting for the downfall of the present Government. Tho event appears no closea: than it didtwelve years ago, even if it . seems aiS ne«.i'. But hope seems to spring eternal in the Conservative breast. From time to time; wte mve told by Oonsenvative seers that thera are signs and portents which tail of the ooming downfall of the Government. Now these signs take one forni then anothieoy- but they always forecast t3ie ultimate rout of- Seddoaiism. They, insist "b© eminentJly consoling fc> our Conservative friends. It is^nioe to be told that wfaa.fc you desire most is going td 'happen. You may not believe the stoiy) but yem ne\ r ertihi&less extract a measure of consolation from it. Tie latest , -Gomiseirvatrv£ foolish forecast is tshat " some day " forecasts, the present Government will lie defeated. . Tilsit event is certainly " too far off " t-b enable the prophet "to /venture upon any definite prediction," but it is coming. How very interesting ! We seem to hia.ve heard in our youtlh the same convincing story wi'fah. re- , ■, gard to Christmas. It does <not need the wit and intelligence of a Conservative seer - to prove that the day will come when, Mr Seddon will go out of office, for the reason that that d'ay, is as inevitable as the end' of the world.' What , less gifted mortals would like to Iknow is when the day is coming, aoid ft the Conservative prophets are unable to tell us this, they might as well abandon the superfluous ta,sk of prophesying. We •do not know that beyond wasting their time they. do aimy harm in attempting such forecasts, bub they are sadly deluding themselves ( as to the prospects of their party when they get as far as speculating concerning the personnel of the next Conservative administration. The dredging returns gold which, we published yesiexdredoixg. day' indicate that the industry is in a fairly flourishing ; condition. True, the total returns from . the Otago dredges for the present year so far fallen short of the gross re-' ceipts during the corresponding .period of 1902; but, on the other hand, the, output from, the West Coast dredges show& a slight increase. In comparison with the amount won in Otago during the corresponding periods of 1,901 and 1900 (the "boom" year.), this year's output shows an increase of about 15,000 ounces of gold. Whether the industry is profitable to the great 'body of the capitalists who have invested in it - is fltill a question on ,-wh«ch; .there is: frLme: difference of opinion, although there can be no doubt that, in certain individual cases, it has proved not only grofifcable, but also highly remunerative. The famous Hartley and Riley Company is a case in. • point. This company, which has a capital of £6500/ has distributed 1 nearly ( £70,000 among its shareholdefs, has*establiaiied a reserve .of rißlso0 iv aad -&t .the^re-

sent moment is winning huge amounts of gold every week. We hopo tho question} fish. asked 1 by Mr Thomas Mackenzie in the Kouse> last week will have the effect of stimulating public interest in the fishing industry. It has been established! pretty conclusively that the waiters of this colony aiboumd k\ Mi of edible kinds. And yet the cefnsumer has to pay through the nose foir fish. This state of affairs is attributed! in certain quarters to thie rdbailers, who, are said, by combination and otflien methods, to restrict the supply and bolster up tiiia prices. This charge may bo true,, bub it seems to us that tSio fault lies also) with the consumer. If the ltatber will persist in allowing himself tw be mad© the victim of sucih methods 'he diesea'ves to suffar. If, on the 'other hand, 'he will bestir himself, or, better still, bestir others into- taking an a ctivo 'intercut in> thie indhistiry, tie awomalies which disfigure tho tradtei will . rapidly disappear.