STRAIGHT TALK

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 26, 1 October 1894, Page 1

STRAIGHT TALK

Congratulations to the New Zealand Shipping Company upon the improved state of things that allows of a 4 per cent dividend being paid. It isn’t much, it is true, but in the shipping trade nowadays competition is terribly severe and shareholders must be thankful for small mercies. We ought not to forget that the New Zealand Steam Shipping Company were the first to start direct steam communication with the’ Old Country and the company has done immense service to the colony in assisting the development of the frozen meat trade. How the late Jimmy Macandrew would stare if he could pop down from the Elysian Eields for a day or two, and see the fine big ocean liners which now trade between New Zealand and London. When he first talked of a direct steam service, people thought him mad. All the same the returns to shareholders in the N.Z.S.S. Company have been very poor and for some time they stood in danger of a complete collapse. However let’s hope the tide has now completely turned and that success, big success, attends the company in the future.

Are not the daily papers some of them very foolish in always writing about the Maori “King” and leaving out the inverted commas which ought to precede and to follow the word “King.” There is no Maori '‘King’'nor has there been any such person. Tawhaio’s Kingship was only recognised by a comparatively small section of the natives, and as for his successor he is even more than Tawhaio a bogus monarch. The Australian and English papers, seeing references in the New Zealand press to a Maori King—without the inverted commas—could not be blamed for assuming that such a monarch has extended and recognised rights and there are two monarchs in New Zealand. This is not so of course, for just as there could

not be two kings in Brentford so neithor can there ho two kings in this colony. King Richard of Kuniara is the only gonuino and recognised monarch, a cheery potontato when not crossed, but capable of great wrath when confronted by the disloyalty of an Earnshaw or a Smith,

Months ago when tho Fox embroglio first got into tliq papers, we foretold that the gallant colonel would have .1 knuckle under, and this has turned out to bo tho cast). 1' rankly speaking we don’t think much of tho Colonel accepting a now billot —at a lower screw and with all his power and privileges docked—after having once taken up tho independent attitudo for which ho gained sympathy and praise sometime back. Wc should have thought much better of the Colonel had he shown a moro determined front to King Dick and have porsovored in his rosignation when he found he was being hampered and humbugged hi the execution of his duty as Commandant. But *£7oo a year is s not to be sneezed at hi these times, and perhaps tho Oolonol knows best which side his bread is buttered. We shall always consider him, however, to bo a bit of a “ cocktail. ’

The lesson to bo learnt by the British naval authorities out of the recent big fight between theChinkios and the Japs is that swift steaming cruisers, armed with medium sized quick firing guns of long range, aro much superior to the monster ironclads carrying 80 to 100-ton guns. The monster ships aro evidently unwieldy and do far less harm to the foe than tho smaller sized, but more easily managed vessels. There is a big discussion in the Home papers over the recent fight off the Yalu river and no wonder, for Great Britain has too many big ships and not enough of the smart cruiser class. John Bull will have to dig deep down into his capacious pockets again and find the re* quisito money for a fresh squadron of what are found to be the ■ more suitable class of war vessel. John wont like it, but he will have to part, and look as cheerful over the operation ft# he can, despite a falling revenue and general hard times.

The election of Archdeacon Leonard Williams, as Bishop of Wai apu is a gross scandal.. The right man for the post was Archdeacon Hovell, of Napier, a broad-minded, earnest Churchman of the modern, tolerant and progressive stamp, whereas the new bishop, although personally a most estimable man, is quite out of touch with modern thought, a fossil of the fossils, and, what is more, allied to a monopolistic family, whose influence, political, commercial and social, in Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast generally, is by no means conducive to the general welfare. The so-called election was, we hear, conducted in a most extraordinary manner, a host of Maori missionaries being rounded up to vote for Archdeacon Williams, and heads and noses counted beforehand, and the most improper influences used to prevent the election of Dean Hovell. Eventually, to save trouble, that gentlemen withdrew his candidature, but there is great discontent amongst the great mass of the Anglicans in Hawke’s Bay, and the accession of the archdeacon to the bishopric. will tend to hamper the work of the church for some time. Many prominent-laymen, we hear, have declared they will no longer contribute to the Diocesan Funds.

That the present state of what might be called the JellicoeKettle case is a grave scandal may be seen by the recommendation of the A to L Committee, which is “ That, within two months after Mr Jellicoe’s return, notice should be served upon him to proceed with the said rule nisi (the rule to stay proceedings as to enforcement of fine imposed by Judge Kettle), and if no'action be taken by him. in pursuance of such notice that the Crown Solicitors be instructed to apply for the discharge of the said rule nisi, and that afterwards the fine be enforced.” The committee further, recommends that Judge Kettle’s costs be paid. The committee, in its finding; states that it is derogatory to the . Courts of Justice that a fine for contempt of court inflicted in 1891 should not have been enforced.” And so say all of us! .

It certainly seems a crying shame that Judge Kettle should have been responsible for his costs, as, in inflicting a fine upon Mr Jellicoe, he was only maintaining the dignity of his position as judge, and the honour of and public respect for the Court over which he presided. It would be interesting to know whether political influence has been brought to bear in this case,and we trust that the recommendations of the committee will be carried out in their integrity. Surely it is only right that a Judge should maintain the dignity of his court and ma,ke it respected, no matter how high placed and how influential an offender may be. Had Mr Jellicpe been a poor man, and not a wealthy lawyer, it is probable he would have long ago had to pay the fine inflicted or had to submit to the consequences. Is there one law for a lawyer and another for a layman ? It looks like it.

Naughty old men those Egyptian pashas who have been hauled over the coals for having bought Soudanese slave girls. Nominallyjslavery has been abolished, in Egypt since the days of Ismail Pasha, but as a matter of fact, a brisk trade has been done in black ivory all along, and has been winked at in high places.. Under the British control, however, a change came over this state of things and it says a good deal for Lord Cromer’s decision of character and determination not to excuse the most highly placed offender that so big a man as Ali Cherif Pasha was brought to book.- He has got out of the punishment, however, by. getting himself reported “ seriously ill.” “ Shamming Abraham ” we should say is not unknown in Modern Egypt. .

In passing sentence on Clarebut, the Napier horror, Judge Richmond said—“ You do well to be silent. Had you burnt, down half Napier or committed forgery for thousands of'

pounds you would not have committed a tithe of the injury you have inflicted on the community.” The judge added that if the prisoner had been a younger man he would have ordered him to be flogged with the cat.

A Napier girl of tender years, who was recently examined by a medical man, was found to be suffering from a disease peculiar to Chinamen. The greed of middle-class parents in sending their children to get cheap fruit at Chinese shops must bring its own punishment. .

The police throughout the colony ought to keep a watch on : the young girls who frequent Chinese shops ostensibly, tes-iwj* s fruit and groceries. A sudden raid on the of Chinese dens occasionally would strfi'b'ge, if not disgusting, scenes. ■ •

The anmraL income of the United Kingdom is about 1350 millions sterling. Of this total, 500 millions go as wages, 500 millions as rent and interest, the remaining 350 millions representing the wages of management of the capitalist, and other middle-class incomes. 'From this it will be seen that the actual workers get only as much for their work as is received by actual idlers in the shape of rent and interest, while the working classes form the great bulk of the population. "The result is that while every adult worker gets about £3s' annually, a small class of a million, all told, get about £I7OO per adult, whether they work or not. Further, it is acknowledged that while the income of the working classes has improved they get a smaller proportion of the total income of the country than they did 50 years ago, the amount paid in rent and interest upon invested capital having increased so much faster than wages have risen.

The failure of Yee Kee, storekeeper, Napier, with liabilities amounting to .£2,000, and assets valued at under £SOO, affords food for reflection. There are several wealthy Chinese importers in New Zealand, but none of these are hit, the liabilities being spread over the “Yewlopean” merchants of Napier, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. This failure explains how the Chinkey has been able to sell so much cheaper than the white traders—he has been selling evidently below cost price. The small shopkeepers of Napier are jubilant at this unexpected smash-up. Many of them have been in business for a long time and have paid thousands of pounds to the wholesale merchants, but if they wanted credit for a few pounds’ worth of goods of late years they could not get it, while the Heathen Chinee has been assisted to the extent of many hundreds-by individual firm's.

The large amount of credit given by European wholesale firms in the colony to Chinamen who have lately gone broke, has caused considerable astonishment to “ the trade.” When talked to on the subject of supplying the Heathen with goods, to the injury of the white man, the wholesale sellers’ excuse has been that the Chinkey was a cash buyer, and if 7ie did not supply him another would. It now appears that the Heathen has n ot been a cash buyer at all, but has been getting credit to the extent of hundreds and thousands of pounds where a white man in the same way of business could not get “ tick” for as manyj pence. The reason for this strange state of matters is probablg this : the bagman and the merchant, having reasoned to ether, considered that the white man, with a wifeand family to provide for, had no chance whatever when competing with a singlehanded Cheap John,, who could live on a little rice and the smell of an oiled rag. They therefore backed up the Yellow Agony with ample credit, and screwed up the white man till he had to file and go through the Court, and thus swell the ranks of unemployed.

The short sightedness and gross stupidity of, the wholesale firms who back up Chinese storekeepers ought to be apparent to the meanest capacity. For as sure as the small shopkeepers are supplanted and replaced by the Chow, so in,a very few years will the European wholesale firms be supplanted by wholesale Chinamen, and they will monopolise every business and avenue of trade in the colony.