OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 10, 9 March 1910, Page 4

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

March 4. I» Re Kitchener. HEN a big stone is thrown into / / I a small pool there is apt to be a great deal of rippling after the etoue has got away out of sight. Also, when there has been a vast explosion with a good roar there are echoes for some time after. Consequently it is not surprising to anyone to be listening to things "in re” Kitchener still. To learn all about his doings in Auckland was of course unavoidable, and these were very acceptable to the Aucklanders, even though the people of this part of the country had experienced the whole of the details before. When we read that the Marshal had complimented the Northern people on their fine city and splendid harbour, we realised that he is a born diplomat, and that we had never suspected anything of the kind in connection with him. We had imagined that after that supreme effort he would have got himself on board the Encounter and sailed away incontinent and at rest. That is what his officers have done, but he remains, and, it is said, goes down to the Waitaki country to stay with his sister’s people and see something of the country and rest—that rest he has earned by the arduous work he has been through. His report is in the hands of the Government, and that has astonished the average man beyond measure, for the simple reason that the work, was scattered over so much country and involved so much effort. But it is proof that he knows his business quite well enough ta give the world his impression of a few troops in a far-off country at a moment’s notke. The Premier has made us realise the important fact somewhat more easily by stating for our information that the Marshal came here not to report on the efficiency of the troops of the Dominion, but to advise what the Dominion ought to do to place itself in a fair position of defence. What he has advised the Premier will tell us as soon as the Governor and the colleagues of Sir Joseph Ward have seen the document. In one respect there is no difficulty. The usual little bird has told us a characteristic story of his behaviour in the fortresses of the Northern city. He seems to have said that where a fort was most wanted there a fort was not. and that where a fort was, there no fort ought to have been. One Can see that a change will come over the spirit of the Northern dream of fortification. One feels, also, that the advice of the marshal to instal in the new system the gun of nine inches—enough “to stop any ship,” will be followed religiously. For the rest we have to wait. In this connection it is right to give honour where honour is due. The correspondent in Wellington of the “London Times” placed himself at the head of the profession by securing an interview for his paper with the Marshal. It is a thing that no journalist has managed to do in any- part of Australasia. To this victory of the “Times’ ” correspondent, whose report was cabled here as news for the Dominion —you cannot put it stronger in his favour than that—we owe the knowledge that the Marshal favours cooperation with Australia in our defence system, and that he thinks that as we cannot afford to erect military colleges of our own just yet, we ought to send our officers to the Australian colleges as soon as they are ready to take them, A business man the "Marshal, who likes to confine his advice within business limits. Cadet Camas. There is mourning in Rama Iwhich is for the most part, it seems. Taranaki!, nrsd thus is “Raclsel mourning for her children.” not because they are not, but because they did not get as many cups of coffee as they could have put away at the psychological iniMuent. These ladies have rushed into print, and the soldiery have rushed in after them, to the destruction of their great complaints. But it was as well to have heard the voice in Rama all the same. That sounding shriek has been the means of showing that on the whole, with a few unhappy nnd unavoidable exceptions, the boys of the middle

district had a good time during the Kitchener week.

Another hr men tat ion is heard, of a totally different kind. It is not so impersonal as Rachel's. On the contrary, it takes the form of a lament of the absence of complainants from the State banquets. It is true that a consul or two were forgotten, that at least one member of Parliament living in Wellington. a prominent Liberal, too, was left out, and complainants aver that some gentlemen who ought to have been there were not, and that some who ought never to have been asked were there in all their glory, if the word may be applied under tire circumstances of the case. With the exceptions of the consuls and the solitary heart-burning member, this sort of thing belongs to every State banquet, and the more numerous the invitation list, the larger number of the subsequent grumblers. It is a tangle which we have not time to straighten out here in this column. We ean only say that the consuls and the Liberal member ought to have been remembered. Criticism Answered.

One thing cannot be forgotten, and the Premier, in his final statement, has not forgotten it. It is the concentration of the troops and the cadets at the different centres by the defence authorities. That work was really well done. Nothing was more biting than the criticism devoted to the Defence Act of last year in Parliament io the calibre of the defence authorities. Men said that the concentrations for the training periods would be entirely beyond the power of the Department to cope with. But the performance of the last week or two has given a very- strong reply to that criticism. The concentrations were very well done; indeed, so well, that when the more serious and complicated work of the new system comes up for tackling, one has a right to think that the men who managed these concentrations will not be found wanting. They will, at all events, start well enough to justify the hope that practice will make them perfect before they have been at it long. Another thing said was that the men of all ranks would not have the right spirit, especially under the new system, which now is in the place of the old. People are talking of the “passing of the volunteer,” freely predicting that the new soldier will not face the position with its lesser allowances and its sweeping away of the ancient organisation. But the spirit of the men who turned out for inspection by Lord Kitchener was the best possible, and many a man attended content to take the four shillings a day in place of the ten or twelve he gave up in his private employment, thinking himself amply repaid by the practice obtained. It is an earnest of wnat we may expect in the future.

Sir Robert Stout’s Return. The many friends of Sir Robert Stout are delighted to have him back so well and hearty. Most of them had got the impression that he had got into a bad way of health, and were whispering of breakdown, retirement, and the appointment of a successor. This was when Sir Robert was the subject of the reports of operations and medical opinions. But as he neared his adopted country, his utterances were borne to us from the usual stopping places with the old ring. The reports began at Perth and his arrival there, and it was pleasing to see that the chief had come back with his hold on the universe unimpaired. As he got nearer and nearer the evidence multiplied of the old haibits of mastery of everything. There evidently was not a thing in heaven ami the earth where he had epent his holiday which was not well within the philosophy of good energetic Sir Robert. From the bargees and bricklayers of the old world to the higher politicians, from the method of launching ships to the prospects of the Budget nothing eauae amiss to him and nothing took him by surprise. He had such a cheerful grip of the world moreover, and wat» so ready with a panacea for everything wrong in it that it did not require any statement from him of his renewed vigour to make the public realise that he had returned in the best fettle. More power to his elbow! The bar thought so too, for the welcome he got was of the warmest, both

at the meeting arranged for the purpose and at the urst court he attended, for he went to work as soon as he got off hA stauuer. Hearing that there were accumulations, he attacked the same forthwith with his usual vim. The addresses of counsel were of the very warmest, and the chief was quite moved. It reminded those present of the occasion of the congralidationß paid to him when hie knighthood came to him, and Sir Harry Atkinson and the congratulations in Parliament. On that occasion Sir Robert was for a while quite unable to master his emotion. And so it was this time in the Supreme Court. The public read all this with the feeling of a people that respects and likes a man because he is a man and has the best qualities of a man, without earing a hang for his fads or his politics. Of course the Chief Justice has no politics, has had none for many years. But once on a time he had the disease very strong, and used to behave accordingly. No one, however, remembers anything of that. He is the Chief Justice and has every man’s respect for the sterling qualities and fine equipment the work of bis office has shown him to possess. The Fvtnre of the Budget.

Naturally, he had much to say about the Budget and the prospects. Here he appears to have got into the hands of a reporter who was a little too exacting—one of the new men who knows not his Sir Robert as the reporters of his political days knew him. This one insisted on getting his views of the solution, the immediate “denouement,” to place hot before his readers. Sir Robert was rushed a little, and after some delay forced to confess that the only hope he could entertain of a Liberal victory was hidden in the dim future. He retreated, however, in his usual masterful way—under the shadow of something he had said in some far-off time, which contains in its history the prophetic sayings of Sir Robert about all the things that then interested or were likely to interest mankind. Only one man has the key of that storehouse of prophecy, and that man need not be named here. The reporters can get him whenever they want. The moral of which digression is that the future of the Budget is indeed uncertain, for even Sir Robert Stout declined to dogmatically prophecy concerning the things that are coming. Father and Son.

The receptions of him remind me of the ceremony at Masterton when Judge Chapman received a welcome from the local Bar, which was two for his Honor and one for the Department which had extended the net of the Supreme Court at last after many beseechings from the local limbs of the law to the central city of the Wairarapa. His Honor was thrust into throes of reminiscence by the nice things said to him on the occasion. Curiously enough, he had been reading the reply made by his honoured father, the Tate Judge Chapman, to an address from the local Bar of Wellington, I think the place was, in 1844, and ■what was said on that ancient occasion to the father evidently was not unlike ■what was said at Masterton to the son. At a later date than the forties, as a matter of fact, in the seventies—the earlier seventies, let me say—when the father was presiding in the Supreme Court at Dunedin, the son returned to his native country, and began to practice his profession in the office of a famous firm. Busy he was soon, and managed also to find time for various studies, exploring much into the ways of Maori history and early colonisation, upon which subjects he soon became an author, ity. Journalism he likewise practised with a caustic and terse pen. To his initiative was .due the column of the “Otago Daily Tinies,” which under the signature “Givis” attained a celebrity which it still possesses.

The Menagerie Difficulty. We are departed into the other extreme in the matter of acclimatisation. The first extreme was when we imported the rabbit with glee. The second came when we imported tire “natural enemy,” which proved to be the unnatural enemy of everybody and everything except the rabbit it was brought here to cope with. Now we nre determined that nothing shall get out to prey upon our stock, from even a harmless and necessary menagerie. The prudence of the Minister of Internal Affairs has been lately highly manifested in a refusal to allow Mr. Boyd to import the smaller “ferae naturae” for his menagerie at Aramoho, lest perchance they escape and prey upon

the sheep and the lambs and dairy cattle, “They won’t take poison,” the Minister says in his steady way, and if they got away it would be awful. So the leopard that will never change his spots and tha fox that always remains the same old disturber of the hen roost are barred with the wolf, our old friend of the fables. But the lion and the tiger, and the elephant and the rhinoceros, may come, not in single spies, but in battalions. It is rumoured that these noble beasts have given their word of honour to Mr. Buddo that they will never attempt to escape. The others, not being class enough to give any assurance of a satisfactory nature, are naturally gazetted out If Mr. Boyd, of Aramoho, really has the influence over wild animals that his friends claim for him, here is his opportunity. Let him obtain that fair promise for the Minister from Reynard and Co., and all will be well with him and his. Mr. Buddo cannot refuse to the smaller eats and canines and other beasties what he gives so cheerfully to the larger. Here arises a further great question. We are welcoming Uie Wapiti and other strange beasts, though their kind has demonstrated itself to be anything but a friend of the farmer. As it has happened in the case of the stoat and the weasel, so may it happen in the case of Wapiti and Co. What, then, will be the arguments of the deputations and the replies of Ministerial heirs of illogical traditions ? Salmon in New Zealand. It is not all that is morose and a failure, though in acclimatisation. I met an enthusiastic gentleman who knows something about the fisheries department a day or two ago, and he was very positive about the success of the Californian salmon in our waters. What evidence had he for the repetition of the oft-ex-posed assertion ? Only this, that some thousands of ova have lately been taken from fish returned from the sea to the upper waters of the Waitaki River. There was more, in the shape of catches of fish at the mouths of rivers, in other rivers, and in bays of the ocean in the nets of fishermen, but the ova were enough. The young salmon has such a dazzling bright coat when he starts off from the hatchery that he becomes a conspicuous mark for the enemies who swarm everywhere on the prowl seeking whom they may devour. It used to be the fashion to believfe that the handicap of the bright coat was fatal to the chances of acclimatisation. On the other hand, the faithful few held on to the idea that the enormous numbers of the small emigrants, together with their, great rapidity of growth into strength, speed, and fighting powgr, would in timo overcome the difficulty. To that end they advised that the importation »f ova from California should go on lystematieally, so that the hatchery at the Hakateramea might keep up the supply of the emigrants from its sheltering limits, might as it were go on bombarding the sea with fry until the creatures effected a lodgment, after which nothing in the waters that swims or crawls or lies in wait on rocks could do them fatal damage. This policy being followed they claim that the result has enabled them to plead justification. And when eggs are taken by the quarter million in one season from the fish in the Waitaki, the home of their fryhood, the justification looks somewhat realistic. The complaint is that the method of acclimatisation of the salmon having been proved efficacious, the exigencies of State economy are causing breaks in the continuity of ova importation so necessary for the success of the vigorous policy against the natural enemy. From this it is clear that there is intention to stock other rivers suitable for the fish, but that the attempt is not being pursued with the necessary vim. There are two WaiauS in the South Island, for example, which would make ideal salmon rivers. Thu Clutha, but for the mines, would be an ideal stream, but’ the large stretches oE alluvial disturbance would make the experiment to settle the fish there dangerous and doubtful at the least. The river has all the other requisites, rapidity and abundance of water, good spawning places, food galore, and the cold, temperature due to the glaeier sources. In the west there is one river that answers all conditions, namely, the Hokitika river, and in that stream we may, before long hear of success. There ar® further south the Karangarua and the Copeland, and a big system uniting in the Haast, which is described by thel salmon-planting faculty as an ideal salmon river. The Haast and it’s tributaries are, however, said to be too isolated

for the purpose. But' the purpose being to acclimatise the salmon for the comlucrcial advantages of the fishery, the isolation is not so great a handicap as it appears to be, and certainly will not prevent commercial success of export in ithia so much as it' may damp the ardour of sportsmen. The faet is that the Californian salmon is the best of commercial salmon—big and full-flavoured, and prolific. He is as good for the table as the *‘salar" of Great Britain, but he does not give quite such good sport to the angler. Still, the sport he does give is right good, but his claim to consideration is the big industry he will one day support.

The Fate of the Trout. This reminds us of the events that lend a aoaubre hue to the history of the trout lof all varieties in the lakes of the Dominion. The Southern lakes have "seen the trout rise to glory and sink to miserable extinction, and the Northern tribes, including the splendid rainbow, are threatened, in the midst’ of their great success, with the same fate. The experts are making moan after their manner, which is so disputatious and infallible that we can only Irope the sickness, whatever it is, will not kill all the fish before these experts have killed each other. This race between the extinction of the fish and the adjustment of the controversy is becoming vastly interesting and important. Is it not time .the Government did something to settle the matter once for all over the heads of the disputants’ Trout is now another way of spelling tourist, and it is a way of spelling which does not bring to any country the demoralisation associated with tourist traffic. The Rhodes Scholars. We have another Rhodes Scholar and gentleman of all-round parts according to the sound condition laid down by the founder of this famous cosmopolitan departure. While complimenting the Northern district on the success, we must turn our eyes to the results as achieved so far. There has not been time for any greatness to make a mark in the world, !but last year there was enough evidence put into a remarkable paper by the Beit Professor of History at Oxford io show that the Rhodes Scholars are doing very well, taking independent lines of their own, and avoiding the “grooves of 'Academe, - ’ so fatal to results with other minds under the same training. Thus the Rhodesians keep their heads, remain faithful to their countries, and mark for themselves careers there which will impart the benefit of their training to the publie opinion round about them. They will all be leaven of the mutual respect, fairness of thought, wide knowledge, and universal goodwill, which makes cosmopolitanism the best thing in the world, and the most likely to strengthen the chances of universal peace. That this ■will be the result of the great Rhodesian departure we are now justified by the evidence in hoping with some degree of reason. A Big Project. Once more the New Zealand Shipping Company has taken the lead of the Dominion in matters maritime commercial. It has come to the merchants of the ißialtos north and south much as a bolt out of the blue this announcement of the contract taken by the company to establish a monthly service between Canadian and Australasian ports. Here be the largest possibilities. We have been talking long of the need of new markets for frozen meat, for example, we have been told that without a settled line of steamers with refrigerator accommodation no attempt would deserve success, and here is a line established. Other things there are in the trade, appearing suddenly on the commercial horizon, thanks to the enterprise of this excellent company, but they are small in comparison. There is not a good mutton sheep in the whole of Canada, and the United States are in the same unhappy condition. In both countries there are enough people to guarantee a demand, and they are rich enough to pay a good price for a good thing, even such a price as will satisfy the requirements of an unreasonable tariff. Hitherto it has been all talking. Now the matter can I>e brought to the test of experiment, after ■which there need be no indecisive results to talking.

Maori Self-reliance. Ministerial statements are retired Into the region of repose during the week, where we may suppose they are being tcMbfead iiwuture cotMularation pbJ sta-

tistieal brushing up. One, however, has escaped, and it is good distinctly. Mr. Ngata is the happy communicator. And his happiness consists in the height of the story of the self-help he has been able to tell, as taught to his tribes of the Ngatiporou during the past two decades. That they have in their co-opera-tive method established a system of some forty sheep farms, with near a quarter of a million of sheep, a system which not only provides work and content for the Maori owners, but enables them to start the young people who have to hive off in the natural course of events in similar style, is a thing which reads like a fairy tale. It is the thing the pakeha is supposed to have kept in view during all the years of his occupation of the country. It is true that he did keep it in view It is likewise true that he slept, sometimes. It seems that if at those times these Maoris of the East Coast borrowed his glasses. They are advising their countrymen to do likewise, and the incentive they have to offer is that their lands thus farmed by themselves are yielding six times the rent that other Maoris are getting from the Pakeha tenants who have leased their patrimony. That the representative of such a manly policy of Maori sclf-relianee should be in the Government of the Dominion is eminently right.

Limitation of Race Meetings.

The conditions for the issue of licenses under the Race Meetings Act, 1909, provide that every application for a license must be sent to the Minister for Internal Affairs. Before granting any application the Minister will refer it to a stipendiary magistrate in the district where the meetings are proposed to be held. Ths Minister will consider the magistrate’s report, and may then grant or refuss the license as he thinks fit. No licensa will be granted to any club for more than two race meetings of one day each in one year, or one meeting for two days. The Minister may impose on any license any other conditions he thinks fit in any particular case.

Bonus for Quicksilver.

It is notified in to-night’s ‘Gazette’" that a bonus of 4d per lb will be paid on the production of the first 100,0001 b weight of good marketable retorted quicksilver, free from all impurities, from any mine in New Zealand. There must be at least one-third of the specified quantity produced on or before March 31, 1911, and the remaining two-thirds on or before March 31, 1912.

Gold and Silver Exports.

The quantity of gold exported from the Dominion during the month of February was 36,8480 z, valued at £146,311, as compared with 4t,2630z, valued at £163,862 for February, 1909.

The exports from the various centres were as follows, those for February, 1909, being given in parentheses:—-Auckland, 24,6160 z, £95,628 (24£)480z, £98,312) ; Greymouth, 10.3130 z, £40,131 (71280 z £28,443); Dunedin, 74 loz, £2964 (66790 z £27,062) ; Invercargill, 1178 oz, £4588 (25100 z £10,045). For the two months ended February, 1910, the total export of gold was 77,5270 z, valued at £308,239, as against 77,2300 z, valued at £309,715, for the corresponding two months of 1909. Last month the silver exported amounted to 142,5640 z, valued at £15,380. For January and February tlie silver export was 299,8960 z, valued at £29,964, as compared with 198,6840 z, valued at £19,807, for January and February of 1910.