West Coast Times MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1889.

West Coast Times, Issue 7299, 21 January 1889, Page 2

West Coast Times MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1889.

One of our east const contemporaries, the Lyttelton Times, publishes a loiag letter from Sir Julius Yogel, addressed to Mr J, T. Matson, the well-known auctioneer, with reference to the prospectiv increase in the value of land consequent upon the better prices obtained for agricultural produce. The:-e better prices will, he thinks, continup. The oversprod action, not only of Australasia, but of the rest of the world will rapidly decrease as the number of people to consume this produce also increases, and this will apply not ouly to these Colonies, but also to the test of the world, assuring to us an increased price. For the same reason he believes that not only will this rule apply out here, but also in Great Britain. Land has gone down far below its proper value, and its piospective increase is quite lost sight of, " Soon the various countries tbst have supplied Great, Britain, will have smaller surplus stocks to send there, and land will go up with a rue With reference to polilics he says •— " As to my political action, and its effect upon the Colony, I find that the relief given to the Colony hv my plan of the capitalisation of tbtSinking Fund has been equal to a relief of a quarter of a million taxation per nunum for the last few years. Atkinson, although he inveighed against it, f-till continues it. What more can be said ? The people are so much the richer. It the" rest of our tariff and policy had been accepted, the Colony would have retained many thousands of persons who have left. There was, through the stupid mistake with the Loan Bill, a loss of at least £75,000. In March, when I had intended to float our loans, the price went up (after Goschen's budget) to 104. We lost that golden opportunity, and fully £75,000. On the other hand, the Government are said to have retrenched more than we could have done. lam not satisfied that is so. I think we had laid down broad grounds of retrenchment that would have been both fruitful and sustained. But if the Government are proved to have done more I than we would have done in that direction, then they are entitled to special '

consideration from the large number of people who advocated — quite rightfully — retrenchment. It has yet to be seen if their retrenchment is permanent or fitful, real or a mere postponement of expenditure. I cannot help feeling that I have met with ungenerous and undeserved personal attacks from 1 political opponents" Of the intentions for the future tbe letter says nothing; whether be will be ia his place at the next sitting of Parliument or whether his private business will detain him in London beyond that time. It will be remembered that o few days ago the Sydney Morning Herald, referring to some remm'ka made by Sir E. W. Stafford, at a recent meeting of the New Zealand Land Mortgage Company, as to the inadvisability of iovesting their funds in Australia instead of New Zealand, took occasion to decry our securities, urging tbat we found more difficulty in paving interest on our loans than Australia, and further said that it is clearly recognised in well-informed circles that there has been over-invest* ment of capital in New Zealand for such a limited population, and (hut capitalists necessarily turn to a better field fjr their money. Writing some time before, but dealiog with the same subject, Sir Julius Yogel says : — "The Colony wants capital, has been glad to get it, and is still glnd to get it ; but if that capital has taken more the shape of sleeping investment than active entetpri?e, it throws a heavy burden of responsibility on tbe colonists. But that which they especially feel is the reduced amount of' fresh capital ; bpcause then it is all outgoing. The Colonies are in a healthy condition when fresh capital continues to come in as the outpaya ments have to be made. The Colony is in the habit of decrying absentee capital without considering- that it is of two classes. One class is the capital that since the Colony was foum'ed has been invited, and that it is neither fair nor honorable nor wise to decry. The other class is the capital made in the Colony, and carried away for expenditure or investment elsewhere ; that is bad, but is there very much of it ?" Although the influx of capital must make the condition of things easier, it scarcely seems to us necessarily connected with a healthy condition of affairs. The borrowing of money for various enterprises, so lorjg as they are profitable, is no doubt a wise undertaking, and probably Sir Julius would only contemplate money being so borrowed. But it has often happened, unfortunately, that the money so borrowed has not been properly invested, and this hns been the principal cause of our great depression. This and the large amount sent out annually to pay interest on our public, debt, a large proportion of which, being a lops, has to be drawn out of the pockets of the people. The Colouy has learnt a very severe lesson on borrowing whether it be public or private, and should be chary about inviting any fresh capital until it is made very clear that it will pay.

The Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times telegraphs : — Discoura'ging ac- i counts hare been received by the! mail as* to a the financial prospects of the Midland Rail- i way Company. It is said that the undertak- 1 ing is not viewed with favor by English 1 1 capitalists generally, and that the depreciation } i which New Zealand's credit has undergone in ] various ways— the attack of the Finrncial < News having undoubtedly helped to produce i an unfavorable impression regarding this j i colony — has greatly enhanced the difficulties < encountered by the London directors in float- ' j ing the capital which is needed. It is said 1 also that the very unfavorable accounts of the ' < railway and its prospects of paying, and the ' ' country secured by it aB given by the numerous ' i colonists who have visited England lately , ; have seriously damaged the chances of the en- ; terprise, which are now regarded as somewhat gloomy. On the other hand, it is admitted that Mr Salt and Mr Brodie-Hoare> both experienced financiers, are still sangnine of being able to raise the needful capital and of a successful issue generally. Mr R. B. Williams, a member of the 3?isk Minstrel troupe, purposes to take up his abode in New Zealand. He has already (says the Lyttelton Times) studied to a considerable extent with this object in view, andhas succeeded in procuring his 8.A., degree ; but he is still studying and he hopes with a few more months assiduity to attain to the degree of L.L.B. Should he be successful he will settle down in either Christchurch or Napier. The report of the Victorian Royal Comini sion on technical education has been prepared. It is unfavorable to the establishment of technical schools in connection with State schools, but recommends their erection in centres of population, and maintenance by a municipal rate not exceeding Id in the pound . A curious instance of the eccentricity of the law has just been furnished by a decision whioh Mr Justice Butt, the Judge in divorce, has very reluctantly given. A lady of mature years, named Susannah Elizabeth Ross, otherwise Andrews, applied to him for a declaration of nullity of her marriage with Frederick Mackenzie Ross. It appeared that her younger Bister had previously married Ross, but died after a few years of married life. In 1876 she married her late sister's husband, admittedly knowing that in the eye of the law the contract was void. Why, twelve years later, she should desire to have her own contract declared null has not been rendered clear. The reason alleged is that, fearing the early passage of the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill having a retrospective action, she thought the result would be to legalise her marriage. No such clause, however, could apply in a case in which a decree of nullity had been pronounced by the Court. Hence the petition. Mr Justice Butt declared that nothing but the force of authority would induce him to comply with the prayer of the petition, as there was no allegation of fraud or deception connected with the marriage ; but, on looking into the case, he felt reluctantly compelled to pronounce a decree nisi of nullity of the marriage, though he expressly stated that the law as laid down judicially in this matter, was not that which commended itself to his jndgment. Fires in newspaper offices have been of unusual frequency during the past few months. The latest fire took place in the office of the Hobart Mercury. It broke out in the composing room after the paper had gone to press, and before it was extinguished considerable damage was done. It may be Btated that the Sydney Evening News is now being printed at their own premises again. Messrs Bennett and Co. have marked their appreciation of the generosity of Messrs Fairfax and Sons, proprietors of the Sydney Morning Herald, who limited their charges for producing the paper to the bare coßt of material, by placing in their hands £500 for distribution among the charities. The fatal coach accident on New Year's Eve, which occurred near Adelaide, came about in the most simple manner. The last of a number of coaches conveying the employes of Messrs Marshall and Co., from a picnic was coming down Belair Hill at a walking pace, when the swingletree touched a post about 2ft from the fence, causing the horses to take fright. They subsequently collided with the fence, and the coach turned two or three somersaults down the side of the hill, and was stopped in its progress by a tree. William Browning, aged 22, was crushed by the coach, and died soon afterwards. Tbe driver, Lambert, aged 32, a widower, with two children, and an extremely steady man, sustained compound fracture of both legs, and died the following day. There were 35 passengers in the coach, and of these 20 were more or less seriously injured. Miss Lucy Machin, a deli, oate girl, is in a critical state. The Victorian Postal department introduoed an important innovation with the new year— viz., the introduction of " letter cards," which will be obtainable at any post office in Victoria at the rate of l£d each, or Is 6d per doz« These cards in appearance resemble double post cardß, and besides giving nearly twice the space of ordinary cards for writing, may be gummed so as to be closed againßt inspection. The cards will be transmitted within Victoriai and to Tasmania and Queensland, but, for the present, if addressed to any other colony or country there must be affixed to them stamps sufficient to make up postage equal to letter rates. According to the Paris correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph still another old fashion is to be revived for the forthcoming winter. It has been asserted gravely that ladies are to wear mouches t or " patches," as in the old days of Louiß XIII, Louis XIV, and the two following monarchs. The patches will be coquettishly placed on dainty cheeks and alabaster shoulders, and will be sprinkled when safely in position, with the dimmest suspicion of pearl powder. The fashionable coiffeurs of Paris are already rehearsing their parts, and practise the art of patching by planting mouches on the rigid features and immovable busts of the wonderful waxen effigies that adorn their shop window 3 and hairdreßsing saloons. In the days of La Pompadour, a patch under the eye was called La Dangereuse, that under the chin La Fatale and that near the mouth L'Assassine. Equally fantastic names will no doubt be devised for the nineteenth century mouches which are soon to be the Mode. Beware of inferior spirits being passed on you as the genuine Woije's Schnapps. The best Remedy for Indigestion. — Norton's Camomile Pills are confidently Recommended as a Simple Remedy for Indigeetion, which is the cause of nearly all the diseases to which we are subject. Norton's Pills, with justice called the "Natural Strengthener of the Human Stomach," act as a powerful tonic and gentle aperient, are mild in their operation, and safe under any circumstances Sold in bottles, at Is l£d., 2 s 9d., 11s., by 1 Mec>\- i cine Vendors throughout the World* I

A return Has been issued showing the cost ] in eaoh year of administering the Hospitals ' and Charitable Institution l^ Act from the date i M Its coming into opqratWn up* to tie 31 sb i March 1 iastiir each of the hoßp'Sai etf& charitable &d did&ots in the c6leny. #4 return shows the tbfcal expenditure tip 1 to the 31st March 1886 to have been £30,493 14s lid, a charge per head on the population of Is Of d ; for the year end the 31st March 1887, the total expenpiture was £142,381 9s Bd, a charge per head on the population of 4s llfd; for the year ending the 31st March 1888, the total expenditure was £160,036 10s 9d, a charge pet head on the population of 5s 9dThese returns (says the Wellington Press) are, of course, insufficient in themselves to enable us to draw any comparison between our pauperism and pauper expenditure and the pauperism and pauper expenditure of England. But it may be noted that the expenditure under the poor law in England does not exceod 6s 4d per head of the population, an expenditure to which we seem to be approaching with terribly facile rapidity. Wolfe's Schnapps has become the most popular drink throughout the Colonies. Bishop Barry, in a letter to the press, repeats his statement that the cause of his resignation waß the state of Mrs Barry's health. Referring to the cause given by the Pall Mall Gazette, he states that he would be a poor creature, indeed, if he allowed his action to be determined by some slight renewal of the differences about tbe reredos, which have been made to appear of much greater importance than they are ; and that he would be very ungrateful if he did not acknowledge the loyal and cordial respect which, through all differences, has been shown to his office and himself. He has been offered and accepted the position of assistant to the Bishop of Rochester. To avoid mistakes [ask for Woefb's Schnapps.