Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1909. AFFAIRS IN THE CONGO STATE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9701, 4 November 1909, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1909. AFFAIRS IN THE CONGO STATE.

Reports from the Congo are not at all encouraging. British, Portuguese aud Belgian territories are divided only by vague boundary lines, aud some curious play of conflicting interests may be witnessed there. All three Powers are more or less really opposed to the slave-trade, aud Belgium makes some very impressive demonstrations of its anti-slavery sentiments by establishing military posts aloug the Portuguese border. But it is stated that these" posts" are placed there rather to check the outflow of rubber than slaveraiding. For it has beeu found that so deep is the hatred of the natives for the Belgian that a man will run the awful risk of carrying rubber surreptitiously into Portuguese territory merely in order to purchase firearms in exchange. When one considers that horrible mutilation and lingering death are the punishments meted out to tho offending negroes by representatives of his rnosc Christian Majesty Leopold, one can understand sooi« of the buruiug desire of the natives for the possession of the means of taking bloody reveuge for the treatment they have received. Belgium is laying up for itself a store of hatred among the native races. The slave trade, too, is carried on most actively by Belgian rebels, so that the Belgian authorities have their hands pretty full, looking after pilfering natives and slave traders of their own race.

At the recent meeting of the British Associatiou (which has been visiting Canada) held at Winnipeg, tho Statistician fell upon the Scientist on the subject of the world's wheat supply. Some years ago, Sir William Orookcs. the well-known scientist, had predicted that iv a generation the capacity of the wheat fields of tho world, if not greatly increased, would be exhausted. At the meeting at Wiuuipeg, the other day, Major Oraigie, the statistical authority of the Associatiou, dealt with what he called Sir William's "cosmic scare." He pointed out that between IS9B aud 1907 there had been a steady increase in the number of wheat areas. Every country, in fact, had been enlarging its wheat areas; Russia to the extent of 59,000,000 acres; European countries other thanßussia, 01,000,000; the United States from 39,000,000 to 45,000,000. Canada aud Argentine had doubled their wheat-growing areas. Tims, taking in also the Indian wheat fields there were now 230,000,000 acres on which the world had to depend. The Major remarked that of course there wore temporary stoppages, but the prices iv England would probably eucourage further extension. He pointed out the marvellous productivity of Canada and concluded by assuring the Association that a shortage of tho wheat supply was a long way off—far beyond the limit so sensationally set by Sir William Urookes.

If the Spanish-Moroccan affair serves uo other purpose, it will at least have server! to deepen the growing disgust at war aud the growing resolve of all

civilised coininuuifcies that wars of real injustice shall be put au cud to. This war that Spam is making is one of unalloyed injustice. There is uo motive for it but a basely mercenary one. Something nf the sort was said (and was said with considerable force) couceruing England's Boer War; but it was also conceded, in mitigation of the judgment, that it was forced upon us partly by the blundering incapacity of previous administrations, aud that our interests in South Africa imperatively demauded that we should make iiu cud, ouoe for all, of hostile elements. Spain has no such excuse, aud, besides, her record as a "colonising" power and her treatment of conquered races alienate from hor all sympathy. We cannot help iustitutiug a comparison between the gallaut, if primitive, Moors aud the coldblooded Spaniards, very much to the disadvantage of the latter. It was hardly worth while (though it was quite iv keeping with the Spanish character) to have executed the leader of tie protest against tiio war!

The Fruit Growers' Conference, vow meeting at Wellington, recommends that inspectors should have a definite aud more limited area than at present, aud that for the better enforcement of the Act members of fruit growing associations should bo asked to give inspectors either directly or through their secretaries every assistance iv carrying out their work. It seoms to us that Government inspectors, from waut of local knowledge, are unlikely to over effectively control fruit pests, and that unless the onus of inspection is thrown ou local bodies, such as Counties auct Boroughs, there will never be a satisfactory improvement. A Government inspector may visit a place once a year, or perhaps ouce iv three years, but often a monthly or even a weekly visit is necessary to cope with the spread of some particular pest. It often happens that oue particular week in the year may be the sole opportunity for dealing effectively with some special pest, and it is then that a Government inspector cauuofcbeiu a hundred places ixX, once.

The Royal Commissioner's report ou police efficiency is reasonably reassuring. Ho says the general conduct of the police is good, aud he also considers that a certain amouut of political influence has beeu used in regard to ourolmeut of members. This is

quite in far a-? oue could expecr a Civil Servaut to go, for it is really a charge against the Cabiuet, "which is usually the real culprit as far as the police department is concerned. Was it worth while to set up a Commission to discover what everybody knew—viz., that for political purposes the Government tampers with the police force. However, the Commissiouer will be the scape-goat for the Cabiuet.