The Wanganui Herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY) THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1882. THE LOAN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 4695, 15 June 1882, Page 2

The Wanganui Herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY) THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1882. THE LOAN.

' No well-informed person doubts for a moment but that the necessities of the Government require that a loan Bill,for at least three millions, should be passed in the present Bession. All sections of the House instinctively recognise that a loan must be had, or some very serious results will follow. It is, however, not very generally understood that the Consolidated Fund has been bolstered up for three years out of loan, and it is very questionable if the Treasurer is able or willing to come down and restore the equilibrium by appropriating his apparent surplus to the object. Reasoning from the past it will be more in his line to remit taxation to the extent of his surplus, refuse to re- ' deem any of the Treasury Bills which he may not have converted into stock, and go on maintaining a number of 1 services out of borrowed money. We showed in a recent issue that at least .£300,000 was used of the loan in the year ending March 31 to cover expenditure which ought to have been met out of the Consolidated Fund. The Financial Statement will show whether our apprehensions are well-founded. Nothing will give us greater pleasure than to find we have been mistaken in our forecast of the policy.

We have assumed the urgent necessity for another loan. The truth is, the great majority of members have made up their minds that certain works shall be executed in their districts. With them a loan is a foregone concision, and it is not surprising that the schedule of the Bill should become the* burning question of the hour. A demand has gone up that tfce works shall be fixed in the schedule and the loan allocated in certain proportions for their execution, from which there could not, they think, be any deviations when the time came for spending the money. We are not sure, however, that they are correct in taking this view of the matter. Can any member of the House lay his hand on the schedule of any Loan Act and say that it was adhered to either in the letter or the spirit ? And every person knows that the first article in the political creed of an adventurous politician is that what has been done before can be done again. We are not thinking lrjutly of a schedule strictly appropriating the sum to be borrowed. On the contrary, it affords the only hope of securing a proper expenditure on works of the greatest utility to the colony ; and of equal importance in preventing a considerable portion being squandered in purchasing political support. The Auckland members have been the first to take action, but they are not exhibiting much astuteness in what they are doing. They have insisted that their " share " of the loan, (whatever that may be) shall be put down in the schedule, so that it may be secured to them no matter what may turn up in the future. Looking at the destribution of political power throughout the colony, we should have thought tliat it was not to the interest of Auckland to provoke at the present time a pitched battle in which the big battalions would have the chances of victory greatly in their favor. So sure as there is a fight over definite appropriations in the schedule, Otago and Canterbury must obtain the lion's share. These Provinces have now half the representation of the colony between them, and in a cause which would unite them like a loan bill they would get their own way by throwing a sop to a district like Nelson or Wellington. The Government must feel in good spirits over a matter which is likely to split the House into any number of sections, rendering it unable to take a defined line of action. The Treasurer will think he has achieved a master stroke of policy if he can reduce parties to a state of demoralisation.

The worst of it is that with such men in power as the Premier and the Treasurer, no comprehensive scheme is likely to be brought down, but everything will be deferred and ultimately decided in the scramble in which they have centred their political hopes. Sir Julius Yogel boldly elaborated and submitted a scheme and policy in 1870. Mr Macandrew, with equal power, directness, and courage, launched his public works policy of 1878. In both instances the House and country knew what they had to consider and decide upon. There was no waiting on the fates, and no fear as to results. But can we expect anything like this from a Whit-aker-Atkinson Ministry? The House has a right to have a policy, broad and comprehensive in this matter of borrowing, placed before it. The safety of the colony demands that there shall be no double-dealing. If we are to borrow three millions, the representatives of the people should be plainly told how, when, and where the money is to be spent, and the Government should be prepared to defend their policy. The Financial Statement will probably announce the fact that it is proposed to raise another loan, but give no details.

The Public Works Statement will be a thing of shreds and patches like the two last which tickled the ears of very hungry audiences. And the loan bill itself — the grand denouement — will be carefully kept back until the last days of the session, when it will be flung down with a recommendation to the House to proceed to reconstruct the schedule according to its will and pleasure. If this course be not pursued, it will only be because there is a combined party in the House strong enough to force the Government to bring down at once and proceed to pass the measures embodying their proposals.

The San Francisco correspondent, " Jacob Terry," of the Otago Daily Times— an old New Zealand politician —is very nearly omniscient, and in a fair way of knowing all things sublunary. The following remarks apropos of Sir HenryjParkes's tour, indicate the world-wide grasp of this gentleman :— " Colonial statesmen Bhould stay at home to be appreciated properly, especially if they wear a star and display millinery ; but anyhow they are like a fifth wheel to a coach among the members of Independent governments. A debate recently took place in the Canadian Parliament on a motion affirming the necessity for Canada obtaining the right to negotiate treaties. The national independdent party came out strong in favour of it ; but Sir John McDonald, who was to admit New South Wales wool duty free and subsidise or start a line of steamers between Montreal and Sydney, opposed it tooth and nail, affirming that the present dependent position was best for Canada. Great Britain made treaties for the empire and enforced them : where, then, was the use of Canada making treaties which it could not enforce ? And so on, during a long and spirited debate. Now, the moral of this is that Sir Henry Parkes must either be a very great knave or a very great fool ; because he must know that the British Government will not permit one part of the Empire to discriminate against another part, aa New Zealand found out I think on Mr Treasurer Ballance'a fad of cheap Australian wine. The truth is, Canada can make no tariff concession to Australia, and would make none under its present protective system." Now, unfortunately for Mr Jacob Terry's omniscience, and fortunately for Sir Henry Parkes's reputation, the British Parliament has given a portion of the empire the right to impose differential duties, and it was under an Act applicable to the Australian colonies and New Zealand that "Mr Treasurer Ballance" broughtin the Australian wine duty. This Imperial Act is mainly due to the representations of Sir Julius Yogel, and was on the statute book, if we remember correctly, when our San Francisco friend was still a New Zealand politician. If Sir Henry Parkes therefore is neither a knave nor a fool, how shall we describe the wise individual who holds out so dreadful an alternative to the veteran statesman?

There is an entry for Russian retrievers at the Exhibition Dog Show at Christchurch.

There was a clean charge sheet at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning.

Shares in the Colonial Insurance Company are recovering, the latest quotation being business done at 9s 6d.

In the Gazette of June Bth, appears a notification cancelling the teacher's certificate granted to A. Pearce Phillips, late schoolmaster at Upper Tutaenui, and who was recently convicted at Mar ton of bigamy.

Mr Lundon, Collector of Customs, has taken evidence in connectien with the stranding and collision of the schooner E. and U. Cameron and s s Clyde, and has reported on the matter to the department with whom it lies to take further action if necessary.

At the R.M. Court yesterday afternoon Mr Hutchison applied for an order for release of 4ropeta and Henare Haeretuterangi, who were sent to gaol on Friday last on account of default in judgment summons obtained against them by Messrs McDonnell and Bravsey on the same day. The defaulters have since filed a declaration of insolvency, and on that ground application was made for their release. Mr Barnicoat appeared to oppose the application, which was granted after argument, his Worship upholding the view that the larv did not contemplate confinement of a debtor who waa unable to meet his liabilities.

At half-past nine o'clock last night an alarm of fire was given by the three bells, and the Brigade, who had juat been holding a meeting, were out with their characteristic promptitude. For a time it was thought the alarm was a false one as there was no sign of fire to be seen anywhere, showing how smartly the original alarm had been raised. At length it was discovered that the premises recently occupied by Messrs Lamb and Plumley in Wilson Street were on fire. In a moment the Brigade, under Captain Cummins, and the Salvage Corps under Captain Drew, were on the spot. The fire had 1 broken out on the upper floor, and as it had not gone far it was easily extinguished as soon as the water was brought to bear on it. The building had not been used for some time, and contained only a chaff-cutter and some straw. It is not known how the fire originated, but as a clay pipe was found by one of the firemen among the chaff, it is probable that some knock-about had been making his quarters there for the night, and with the negligence, which is part and parcel of such characters, had laid his lighted pipe among the chaff and thereby caused the fire.

The old game of removing door-mats at night is revived, and we have heard of a most bare-faced case in which the mat was removed last night in Guyton Street somewhere about seven o'clock. It is high time the police were on the look-out, but although they are greatly blamed in the matter they are not deserving of it, as the available force here is disgracefully small. It is well known how much protection a single Constable can afford to a town like Wanganui at night, when he may be said to have the whole borough for his beat. To say the least it is simply absurd, and instead of the present Defence Minister striving to suppress crime by affording as little opportunity as possible, he is positively shirking his duty by curtailing police protection to the greatest possible extent here > as well as in other places. To please his fancy the roughs are to be allowed to roam the night at large, welcome without let or hindrance, to seize what prey they find at the ' expense of an unprotected public. But perhaps a few hundred pounds to the credit side of the financial statement is, in his opinion, calculated to blind the people to the inefficiency of a service, which it is one of the first duties of a Government to render as thorough as possible.

A meeting of the Sub-committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association to take into consideration the amendment of the Sheep Act, was held at Mr J. J. Crawford's office yesterday afternoon, when there were present — Messrs Poison, Morgan, Sergeant, and Cameron. It was agreed that clauses Ito 16 should remain as at present ; that 17 should be struck out ; that 18 to 24 should remain ; that 25 and 26 should be struck out ; that 27 and 28 should remain ; that discussion on 29 should be adjourned j that 30 and 31 should remain, and that 32 should read " no clean certificate shall be given to the ownev of any sheep depasturing on any run until he shall have cleaned the whole of the sheep on such run," the words " and on any adjoining run in his possession, unless such adjoining run is fenced with a sheepproof fence "to be struck out. The Committee recommended that in clause 34, the words " wool branded with the letter S on the back, by or at the expense of owner thereof, and be forthwith " be struck out, and that the clause read ' ' at the expense of owner thereof to be twice dipped." It is also recommended that a new clause be inserted aa follows, " That annual certificates be given to all sheep owners by inspectors."

The Oamaru Mail says the difficulty of obtaining freights is operating very seriously against the transaction of any business in the grain market.

The Chronicle had a very severe attack this morning of its old complaint, sham-Liberalism on the brain, raving continually about Mr Stevens and Mr Ballauce. The dootor thinks the symptoms betoken an effusion of Bellamy, arising from anxiety about the population of the goldfields. Mr Joseph Chadwiqk reports an excellent sale of trees of every description on Wednesday. Not one lot was withdrawn from a ale, and every lot realised good prices, no doubt from the fact of the stock being so clean and good, from Mr Alexander Laird's Fair field Nursery.

The Governor has agreed to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the charges made by Mr Wilks against the Chairman of the North Canterbury School Committee, with which he was concerned, and the confirmation of his appointment to the Manaia school will now remain pending the result.

The building in Wilson Street in which the fire broke out last night was insured with Mr J. J. Crawford, agent for the Colonial Insurance, for £250. With praiseworthy promptitude Mr Crawford has issued instructions for the repairing of the damage, and this afternoon carpenters ~ere despatched to commence work.

The Victorian Minister for Railways intends asking the New South Wales Government "to come to a fair understanding " as to the rates of carriage of wool. The latter are now carrying wool 400 miles for 12s per bale. The Minister for Railways is to call ids tenders for 100 locomotives, to the value of £150,000.

Recent trustworthy reports from St. Petersburg affirm that General Skobeloff has been completely banished from the Court. In consequence of the Czar's interference the proposed banquet in honor of General Skobeloff, by the Grenadier Guards, in which corps he commenced his military career, haa been abandoned.

The Wellington correspondent of a Southern paper Bays :—lt: — It waß rumoured that overtures had been made to Mr Macandrew with a view to a coalition, Mr Macandrew taking the portfolio of Public Works. Informal hints have been made to him ; but I am in a position to state positively that they ' are not for a moment entertained. i In the "Life of Garibaldi," published by Harper and Brothers, we are told that there was something statuesque in the appearance of his head when he first entered the battlefield of Europe. Certainly the gold-laced cap and scarlet cloth which he wee, the blouse of red, and the sword and dagger in his belt, completed a picturesque ensemble.

Mr Pharazyn, M.L.C., stated in the Legislative Council that Capt. Williams was so convinced that a sea wall, costing £50,000, would give 16 feet of water on the bar at Westport, that he (Mr Pharazyn) was willing to give the Government a bond to forfeit £10,000, if the work could not be done for that sum, or if were not a success when done.

The following are the sides selected in an alphabetical match to be played by the Football Club at the recreation ground on Saturday next :— A to H : Alexander, Aiken, Allison, Barton (2), Bell, Blyth, Barr, Clifford, Craig, Coakley, Copeland, Greenwood, Gray, Uackett, Hassell. Lto Z : Lockett, Lomax, Lundon, Moore, Montgomery, Mitchell, Powell, tfmith (3), Stewart, Sim, Thompson, Townsend, Walsh.

At the meeting of publicans held at the Rutland Hotel last evening, the petition for presentation to Parliament was finally adopted. It was also agreed that copies should he printed and circulated for signature by members of the trade only, and Messrs Anchor and Mcllhone were appointed delegates to proceed with the petition to Wellington in the interests of the licensed victuallers of the West Coast.

There was again a capital attendance at the Circus last night. The principal items were, the clever feats performed on the fine wire rope by the " funambulist," and the tricks of the Japanese juggler, some of which were very good. To-night the Circus will open for the last time m Wanganui at reduced prices, and the best resourses of the Circus will be displayed in " Dick Turpin's ride to York," which is carried out in first class style, and is well worth a visit.

A peculiar accident is reported from Oamaru. Stephen Smart, blacksmith of Kurrow, had one of his kneecaps blown off by the discharge of a gun. The gun was sent to the blacksmith for the purpose of having the nipples taken out, and was placed in the fire and one of the barrels being loaded exploded, » blowing the unfortunate man's kneecap off. He was brought forty-four miles to a doctor, who expresses fears that the leg will have to be amputated. A general meeting of the members of the Fire Brigade was held at the St. Hill Street Station last night to take into consideration the pattern to be adopted in connection with the new helmets for which an order was to be sent Home by the mail leaving to-day. It was decided to order through Messrs Thain and Co. fifty helmets of a design similar to that adopted by the London Salvage Corps, and also to add to the gear by procuring a breaching coupling to lead two lines of hose into one. It is expected that the helmets will arrive within six months' time.

At a recent ploughing match near Inverness, a well-known advocate of total abstinence principles— a Councillor of the Royal burgh — offered as a special prize a sum of money to the ploughman who had been a total abstainer for the longest period. When the time arrived for the distribution of the prizes, and when this particular sum of money was announced, the necessary inquiry was made among the men. The ploughmen were all frank in their replies. The result of the investigation was this : the man who had abstained for the longest period was one who had "tasted nothing" since " dinner-time " that same day ! This meant a period of about two hours !

A correspondent of the Argus says :— Our northern seasons, like the drunken men in Punch 181 8 cab, seem to have "got a little mixed." Last August we had a cold, wet winter, all through the real winter we have had the mildest of springs, and now that spring-time is nearing we are enjoying the sunniest and warmest of summers. That frequently consulted individual, the " oldest inhabitant," cannot remember anything like it 1 It is only the middle of March, and yet the hedge banks of our English green lanes are crowded with wild flowers which ought not to blossom before May. The hawthorn is in full leaf, the horsechestnut has expanded its leaves and is preparing to burst into flower, the meadows are more than ankle-deep in the greenest of grass, and everybody is delighted except coal merchants and drapers with extra stocks of winter goods which nobody has wanted, lying on their hands.

' Engineering ' says that the directors of the Crystal Palace Company, as well as their numerous tenants, stall-holders, and exhibitors, have been served with notices issued conjointly by the various insurance companies in whose offices the Crystal Palace and its contents are insured, to the effect that in consequence of the establishment within the building of the electrical exhibition, the premiums on their policies of insurance against loss by damage by fire during the next six months will be more than doubled; The Crystal Palace and its contents have for many years been charged for insurance at an exceedingly high rate (31s 6d per cent.) considering the nature of the building and the fact that it could never be totally destroyed by accidental fire, and this rate is now to be increased by 21s per cent, for six months, making the total oharge at the rate of £3 13s 6d per cent, per annum. The extra premium to the Crystal Palace Company for the building alone represents a sum of £2,000, or 40,000 visitors on shilling days.

A correspondent writes that last Saturday there were 70,000 bags of grain awaiting shipment at the Bluff, and he estimates that next season there will be a total of not less than 200,000 bags.

A congratulatory address to Sir George Whitmore, on his knighthood, is being numerously signed in Auokland by old soldiers of the various regiments who served under his command in New Zealand.

A correspondent says there are bridges on the Wanganui section of railway in a state as dangerous as the Rangitikei bridge before the collapse, and that was patent to several of the railway employees. He states that reports have been made to the authorities on several of the bridges.

We direct attention to a change in the advertisement of the Industrial Branch of the Government Insurance Department. Mr Dudley Eyre announces that his office will be open on Saturdays from 7 to 9 p.m. for the purpose of receiving proposals and payments. This will prove a great convenience to many.

(Says the Oamaru Mail) : — Since the Queen has been pleased tofconfer the honourable distinction of knighthood on the Hon John Hall, it is not improbable that the Hon Frederick Whitaker, legal agent for illegal Native lands transactions, who climbed over the back fence in order to reach the Legislative Council, and fittingly became Premier in a Ministry which can boast of having avoided performing a single honorable political act during its existence from a love of virtue, will be similarly elevated.

The Yeoman will be published at noon tomorrow. In it will be found an excellent resume* of the news of the week, both local and general. The sayings and doings of Parliament are given in a comprehensive manner. The leading columns are unusually interesting. Sporting receives its due share of attention, and the notes for the farmers contain some good practical hints regarding cultivation, stockraising, and dairy farming. " Barbara's Picnic " is the continuation of a new story begun last week. Wa heartily commend to-morrow's issue to the general reader, and to the country reader in particular it will prove especially interesting.

Mr Huff of the Avenue has just completed the mounting of the photographs of the members of the City Rifle crew who were the victors in the Volunteer race at the last regatta, viz :— Messrs McGonagle (strode), Purcell (2), Brough (3), Quin (4), and Ferry (cox). The photographs were taken by the new process, now adopted by Mr Huff, and by means of which a sitting of from a second and a half to three seconds will suffice as compared with the slow process hitherto recognised, aud necessitating a sitting as uncomfortable as it was prolonged. The pictures are excellent representations and well got up, and we understand it is the intention of the members to make a presentation of a copy to the Captain of the Company. Mr Huff has also taken good photographs of a group of the Wairoa Cavalry and City Rifles Champion Team at the late Nelson competition, and comprising Lieut. Purnell, SubLieut. Flyger. Sergt. Moo6eman, Corpl. Peake, and Bandsman Mooseman, accompanied by Sergt-Major Henry.and Col-Sergt. Boyle, scorer. Mr Huff has also introduced an instantaneous process by which the negative is taken most accurately and with surprising rapidity.