The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 305, 23 June 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1898.

A cablegram from Madrid, which we publish in another column, clearly indicates that the fact is becoming realised in Spain that it is futile, not to say suicidal, for her to continue the struggle with the great Republic. "We are told that thirty-five Provincial Associations and eighteen newspaper proprietors have signed the manifesto in favour of peace. That a cessation of hostilities may be speedily brought about is unquestionably the wish of the whole civilised world. The war is little else than a farce, but it was not unnaturally anticipated that Spain at the beginning of the contest would have held her own if she did not gain some advantages over the States. The contrary has been the result. The defeat of the fleet at Manila was not, we learn from correspondents, due to the absence of material resources or lack of personal gallantry among officers and men. "What was wanting was adequate training, organisation and methods in the use of the means at their disposal. It is marvellous that a fleet should have been allowed to be caught without a sufficient look-out, with steam not up, with crews untrained in gunnery or torpedo work. All this seems to be an unmistakeable symptom of what will continue to happen until the end of the already hopeless struggle; Spain as yet has not scored one point. In the meantime America is calmly and deliberately preparing a force sufficient to assure victory, even presuming that the army in Cuba is much more efficient than the squadron at Manila proved to be. It will be remembered that America has put off the invasion of Cuba till the autumn. There is no immediate hurry, and the Government have very properly chosen delay rather than risk the ravages of yellow fever, which according to reports has, since the rebellion broke out, more than decimated the troops of Spain. From the beginning it was clear that every day and hour the conflict lasts must add to the superiority of the greater and more wealthy nation. In such a hopeless case as that which presents itself to the Spanish people it is not to be wondered at that they are agitating for peace, and it has always been held that to continue a struggle which is manifestly hopeless is an outrage on civilisation, for the reason that it results in the shedding of blood without suilicient reason.

From this point of view it is clearly the duty of .Spain to sue for peace and appeal to the nations of the world to secure for her the best terras which are compatible with the rights usage confers upon a victorious nation. America, of course, would e'dy treat on the basis that she could, if the war continued, take possession by force of arms of both Cuba and the Philippines. Before and subsequent to the declaration of war, the American President declared that

there was no intention to annex Cuba ; but that the Republic would insist upon Spain withdrawing from the control of the island. It is a natural scquitur to this proposition that she would hold the island till a stable Government was established. As to the Philippines, no stipulation was made, and it is more than probable that America will claim those islands as the reward of victory. Her trade interests are largely involved in the Eastern Question, and it is important to her that she should have a naval base which would enable her to assert her rights. There are signs that Russia and Germany will enter their protests against this acquisition ; but it is equally clear that Britain will intervene if any attempt is made to coerce her in the matter. The Philippines, are, therefore, not unlikely to be the immediate cause of the coming war.

The meeting called at Pirongia for Monday next for the purpose of forming a volunteer corps will be held at S'p.m.

The Secretary desires to thank Mr C. Ellis, Kihikihi, for a parcel of periodicals for the use of the patients in the Waikato Hospital. A portmanteau containing £2OO in "otes, was stolen from the residence of Mr Hughes, Christchurch. on Monday night. The portmanteau was discovered the next day, torn open, but there is no trace of the thief.

Messrs McNicol and Co. will hold a sale of horses at Cambridge on Wednesday, 29th June, immediately after the sale of coaching plant. Some 30 horses are advertised, comprising hacks, draughts and hunters.

Mr S. Harker, "watchmaker and jeweller, Cambridge, intimates that he has removed into more commodious premises, directly opposite his old shop in Victoria-street. He has a large and varied stock of watches, clocks, jewellery and plated goods.

Our Raglan correspondent writes : The unprecedented spell of fine frosty weather has come to an end. Rain fell on Friday night and Saturday and again on Monday. Farmevs have pushed on with field operations, ploughing, wheatsowing, etc., during the fine spell. In Mr W. J. Hunter's column this morning will be found full particulars of the large special sale of sheep, cattle, horses, implements, etc., to be held at the Waitoa Yards on Thursday, June 30th, on behalf of the Assets Realisation Board. The sale will commence at 12 o'clock.

On Monday, July 4tb, Mr W. J. Hunter will hold a clearing sale on account of Mr C. Frodsham (who has dis posed of his farm) on the premises, Te Kowhai, near Whatawhata. The sale will commence at 12 o'clock, full particulars of which will be found in his column this morning.

Mr Felix McGuire wound up his speech at Hawera the.other night with the expression of his opinion that " the race of the Government was nearly run, and Mr John Duthie would soon have the keys of the Treasury, when Mr Seddon and his party would disappear like snow before the sun."

Soon after the arrival of our mails every Wednesday and Saturday afternoons (writes our Raglan correspondent) persons can be scon scanning over the columns of your issues, anxious to learn something of that mysterious Spanish fleet and its strange disappearance, together with any scrap of war news to hand. Your extras are also eagerly sought after and perused.

The Secretary of the Wellington Industrial Association has written to the Government pointing out that the law as to employers' liability for accideuts was not intended to relate to cases like the Bruuntr mine disaster, where the onus of disproof of negligence was thrown on the company. They suggest legislation on the lines of the German Act during the coming session.

The ring recently found at Ngaruawahia has been claimed by Mr E. J. Moffitt, of that township. It was stolen from his house about fifteen years ago. The ring belonged to his father, the Jate Dr. Moffitt, of the 11th Hussars, who dressed the wound of the Duke of Wellington, who was struck in the hip by a spent ball at the Battle of Orthez the year 1814, and for this service he was promoted to first-class staff surgeon.

Our Kihikihi correspondent wired yesterday : Another old identity passed away here late on Tuesday night in the person of Mr Henry Moncrieff. He was taken suddenly ill about 10 days previous, and was brought lrom his farm across the river to Mr T. Anderson's. He was suffering from internal hcemorrhage, and had since been under medical treatment, but a subsequent attack on Tuesday evening brought about his death. Deceased, who was 67 years of ape, was a bachelor, aud was generally respected. The funeral will leave for the Kihikihi Cemetery at two o'clock on Thursday (to-day).

A Wellington correspondent says, regarding the propcued union for domestic servants, that the Government appears to have taken the matter in hand. It appears that a lady who attended one of the meetings was told by another lady, who was in charge, that she could not be permitted to remain during the proceedings. The lady in charge is, I understand, a "Government officer" in the Labour Department. The Government, by its officers, appears to be organising a propaganda among domestic servants. The object is to manufacture a strong vote of a class character out of the domestic servant element for use at the next general election.

11l all probability a company will be formed in Sydney to make an attempt to obtain salvage from the sunken steamer Tasmania. The purchasers of the wreck, Messrs L. Rothchild (Wellington) and Moss (Dunedin), are in communication with some people in Sydney who are willing to join them in makiug an attempt to recover the £2OOO worth of jewellery which Mr Rotbnchild left in his cabin when the vessel was foundering. Diver May, of Sydney, has expressed a willingness to return to the wreck and make another attempt to get at the valuables, and he is hopeful that as ho is now in much better health than when he was thete before he will bo more successful than on his first visit. It is proposed to conduct operations for an auxiliary screw schooner of light draught.—Post.

The question " What is to become of our boys ?" was put in crossexamination to one of the witnesses before the Arbitration Court at Dunedin, and iu reply to this industrial poser the witness said, " Mr Seddon has said he can't answer that question, and I'm sure I can't. Later on Mr i'Vostick informed the witness that Mr Seddon had expressed the opinion on the technical education question that people ought to have their children taught trades, and should not try to get them into offices, and asked how the young could be taught trades if the unions succeeded in preventing all but a limited number being allowed to learn trades. This, also, was a problem the witness confessed himself unable to solve. The witness expressed the opinion that unskilled labourers were far better off than tradesmen.

We direct attention to the replace advertisement of Mr E. J. Davey, Hamilton. Mr Davey has a large and varied stock of grocery, drapery, general goods, etc., which lie offers at the lowest possible prices consistent with the best quality His stock of new season's garden seels (Nimmo and Blair's and Yates and Co.'s) are now to hand. Flower seeds at Id per packet arc a specialty in this connection. Wc draw attention to the particulars of Mr John Hunt's clearing sale to be held at Everslcy, Walton, at an early date, as pub lished in Messrs McNicol and Co.'s columns this morning. Among the live stock is the pure flock of Romney sheep, exhibits from which have been successful at most of the Shows Waikato and Auckland, and anybody desirous of using this bred should not miss this opportunity of securing a strain of first-class blood. The other stock arc all in good condition, and the implements, of which the estate had a full equipment, have been in use up-to-date, and are all in a satisfactory working condition. After the Everslcy sale several lots will be offered on account of Mr F. W Burnett and MrC. A. Murray.

Interference with everybody and everything has gained for the present Administration an unenviable notoriety (writes the Wellington correspondent of a Havvke's Bay paper). It is wellknown that Mr Seddon would like to rule the heavens above and the earth beneath, and already sufficient restrictions have been placed on the maritime industry to justify the suspicion that he would willingly take a hand in governing the operations of the beasts and fishes which inhabit the " waters under the earth." The latest instance of Cabinet interference is in respect to the case of a boy who was fined £4 tor shooting a hare out of season at Feilding. When Mr Seddon was at that place recently he was banqueted by an admirer, who took the occasion to bring under the notice of the right honourable gentleman the fact that in his opinion the boy had been too stringently dealt with. Another of the guests present took an opposite view, and a vociferous debate between the two attracted the attention of passers by, and at length Mr Seddon drowned the noise of the conflict ing elements by stentoriously singing "Auld Lang Syne." When he got back to Wellington he called his Cabinet together, and they are reported to have " considered the fine too heavy and reduced it to ten shillings." There seems no doubt that the fine was an outrageous one, but that is not the point The point is, how far is the Cabinet interference going ? If Mr Seddon can inchfee his Cabinet, at the instigation of a follower, to reduce the fine of a poacher, may it not reasonably be expected that with sufficient political pressure put upon him he will cause his invertebrate colleagues to perpetrate, to say the least, all sorts of offences against good taste. What right has the Cabinet to interfere in matters of this kind until every possible legal remedy has been exhausted ? At the best this case can only be regarded as au offensively deliberate attempt on the part of Ministers to misuse their high positions for the purpose of making political capital, this being the only reasonable conclusion which can be come to. It is lair to ask again Where is this kind of thing going to end ?