West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1897.

West Coast Times, Issue 10533, 17 July 1897, Page 2

West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 17 , 1897.

THE CAPE'S GIFT. " At a time when Imperial and Ausfcralasian Statesmen were huckstoring over the | effect of the contributions to the- auxiliary squadron, the British people receive a mild sensation by the announcement that Cape Colony decided lo present , a line-of -battle ship to the Imperial: 3 ' ( navy, such presentation tojjjbe unencum- \ 1 bored with any conditions. The oppor 7 tunity was seized by many British . writers and speakers to point a moral against Australasian selfishness and parsimony, and Cape Colony was extolled for its public spirit and patriotism. Since then, Mr Reid, the Premier of New South Wales, has endeavored to discount the difference between the Cape and Australasia by pointing out that the former is , annually receiving the benefits of a large p Imperial expenditure for army and navy j purposes, an expenditure greatly ra ex1 cess of the annual cost of a line-of-.; , battle-ship. We now have cables from ' Cape Colony stating that the offer of Sir Gordon Sprigg, the Premier, was premature, #n.d was made without the ex- [ press sanction x>f .the Capo Parliament. r Although our latest files of Cape papers cover Sir Gordon Sprigg's departure for ! - England they do not contain a record of the result of a motion by Mr Inness, the J Reader of the Opposition in the Cape Parliament—" That in the opinion of this House the time has arrived when steps • should be taken to arrange some basis of contribution by this Colony towards the Imperial Navy ; and that the Prime Minister be requested to enter into negotiation in this matter with Her Majesty's Government, and report the result to Parliament next session." From the

fact of this motion being set down by the Leader of the Opposition and from former expressions of sympathy with the priuciple made by Mr J. C. Hof meyr, at one time the chief of the Afrikander Bond, we may conclude that it is expressive of the wishes of a majority of. the Parliament and has been assented to. The proposal is not, as the cable would indicate, an offer to purchase this vessel for the Imperial Navy, but that Cape Colony should pledge itself to pay the iuterest on the cost (estimated at a million) of the ship, which is to be under the unrestricted control of the Admiralty. As this offer has been used to make invidious comparisons between the Cape and these colonies, it is, perhaps, as well to mention that the generosity so lauded is more apparent than real. The public men at the Cape know perfectly well that as their naval station is one of the high roads to India, the East, and the Colonies, Britain must protect it at all hazards aud consequently they need not betray any uneasiness on that score. These colouies are differently placed. They are on tha outskirts of British activity aud would be among the first abandoned should such an eventuality become necessary. Hence it is that our Premiers may be pardoned for exhibiting an attitude which many of us re gard as narrow and selfish. There is something in tho matter of annual cost I also, not unworthy of attention. The Cape contemplates paying interest on cost uj to a million, say £20,000 annually. • Wo pay one third of the interest and the c whole of the maintenance, so that, rela3 tively, our expenditure is much highei I without obtaining any better result, s Whether the Cape Parliament will cordi ally endorse Sir Gordon Sprigg's offer is still uncertain though we may bR sure h< would not have made it were he not con fideut of being supported on his return Possibly one reason for the extreme v jubilation in England over this offer i n the implied profession of loyalty on tin part of jthe Cape Boers, who nutnbei t - about one half of tho white populatior. lj aiid who have proved the chief difficult C 1 in settling South African question. I a iliey identify themselves with the linpei •<j ial idea Mr Chamberlain's difficulties wi a be rendered much lighter. i

Our contemporary, the Grey Ricer A>!jus, has the following paragraph .•—•"The "Co-ops" working at Mounb Hercules complain that they only earn 6s lOd a day for an average of three days a week." The information we have is that the men cannot earn 6s lOd in the very best days, consequently with bi'oken time their average earnings do not exceed a pound a week. We have aheady referred to the grave scandal involved in compelling these unfortunate men to work at starvation wages on this, section. At the present time a Conciliation Court is sitting at Reef ton to determine whether the miners shall get 10s a day for a class of work which eusuresa regular cheque, and Government organs and supporters are loudly praising the beneficence of an administration which exercises such.a watchful cave over the interests of the workers. Wo cordially approve of the measure which the Hon.-.W. P. Reeves was so largely instrumental in placing on the Statute book, but our objection is that its scope is not extended. ' Why should not the Co operatives working under the Government system of public works receive equal consideration ? Is it because they are poor men and have difficulty in getting a job that they should be kept poor. Picture, if we can, the condition of these poor fellows in this miserable weather, engaged in work which is rendered doubly arduous in the rain. Cold, wet, and miserable, with numbed fingers trying to make enough for the support of themselves and families and yet with the consciousness that when the end of the week comes they will (scarcely have j earned enough to pay their jdwn tucker bill. We pay it is a disgrace to the Government that such a state of things should be permitted. Jt is necessary that they should immediately attempt some remedyIf they lived in another district they would have a member to represent their wants, and, if needs be, go to Wellington and see the Minister. But they have no member. Mr Seddon says he does not come here as member for the district but as Premier oi the Gplony and he is at present junketing with notabilities in London. The ordinary method of getting redress is, consequently, dit off. Under the circumstances we would suggest that they should send petitions to the Mayors of Hokitika and Ross and the County Chairman, setting forth the deplorable condition in which they are placed and ask them to make representations to the Government. It may have some effect.

Owing to the road being blocked with j snow only the letter portion of the mails ; w.cre despatched by the Christchurch Office yesterday. Newspapers and parcels : by the Rosamond and should. arrive hero on Monday. Later word 'states that 'the 1 West Coast coaches have been unable to proceed further than Otira Gorge owing i to Arthur's Pass being blocked with snow. There will probably be no mail from Christchurch this evening. The weather for tho last week or so has been atrocious, and during the last few days adjectives have failed to' convey pur sentiments. Wind, rain, hail, sleet, then more wind, thunderstorms, and heavy squalls. There seems no prospect of an improvement whilst Mr Seddon remains out of the colony, i

Wo record with regret the death of Mrs 1 Tainui senr. Our friend Mr H. Tainui i 3 1 ' having more than his share of life's crosses just now, the fell destroyer having paid him more than one visit. Owing to the inclemency of the weather the senior football fixture, Hokitika v. Grey, which was to have been played at Greymouth to-day, has been postponed, in consequence of which the special train advertised to leave here at 1 o'clock has been cancelled. If the weather is at all favorable a practice game, Seconds v. Allcomers, will take place on Cass Square this afternoon at 3 o'clock. The Wellington Homo for the Aged Needy comes in for a bequest of €250 under the will of the late Mrs Catherine Hart, Avidow of the late Hon. Robert Hart, M.L.C. The Dunedin Evening Star publishes the following paragraph :— On (lit that at the close of next session the Acting-Pre-mier, who has not been in the best of health for some time, will resign his seat. It is reported to be Mr M'Kenzie's intention to go Home for a holiday trip extending over twelve months." A telegram dated Berlin, April 23rd, published in the New York Sun, says :—: — "At a meeting here of the Surgical Congress, Dr. Tehe, of Franhfort, reported a successful operation upon tho human heart, the first case of the kind in the history of surgery. The account of the case as given by Dr. liehe caused a sensation among the assembled savants, who listened eagerly as. the doctor igave the details of the operation. Interest was added to the description by the introduction of the patient to the Congress. In telling of the case Dr. Rehe said the man had been stabbed in the heart. In tho ordinary course of events his death would have been certain in a very short time. He was, however, hurriedly conveyed to the hospital, where Dr. Bche was in attendance. The doctor had him at onca taken to the operating room, where he laid bare the heart, and found that, chere was a wound on the right side of the organ. Ho sewed up the orifice made by the stabber, and then applied general treatment for arresting hemorrhage. The heart worked violently during the operation, but despite the commotion of the organ ftho patient made good progress and recovered."