OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 25, 22 June 1910, Page 4

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

WELINGTON, June 17. A Touch of the Antarctic. Y O AIL.STONES are rattling on my window to-night, and it is 1 J blowing a hard gale from the / south, with every now and then a shrieking squall that is not a bad imitation of a hurricane. It is raining and pelting hail as hard as I have ever seen it rain and hail in this City of the Winds; and it is nearly cold enough to freeze the tail off a brass monkey, as the sailor said when the mate booted him aloft to furl the mainsail in a snowstorm without giving him time to put on his trousers. This is the time dwellers by Cook Strait can realise something of what a life on the ocean wave is like occasionally. It is terribly bad weather out in the Strait, and one pities the men in any coasting craft that may be caught out in it. Making Wellington Heads on a night like this is something that every sailoidreads. It is fortunate indeed for the mariner that there are snug havens on our Marlborough Sounds side of the Channel into which he may run for shelter; but even those anchorages are not easily made in thick and stormy weather. The gale carries an Alpine breath, and should the weather clear sufficiently in the morning to give us a glimpse of the Tararua Mountains and the rugged ranges on the eastern side of the harbour entrance w 7 e shall see them coated with snow. Those people who live on the high levels of the city, on such windswept heights as Kelburnie, Karori, Northlands and Brooklyn, have some cold, wet adventures in their daily rushes for the tram-cars. But even they can console themselves with the reflection that they might be much worse off. The officer on his reeling bridge, the sailor at the wheel, the settler in the baek-blocks, are the men who really know all about it.

The Return of the McNab. I had a talk this week with the Hon. Robert McNab, back from England after a long absence, partly spent in the political campaign, and partly in pursuing his historical researches. He looks all the better for his travels, and he has a lot of interesting things to tell of what he saw and did in his long stay in England. Politics come first, for he had quite a busy campaign helping Dr. Chapple to win the Stirling seat. There he addressed meetings on the universal training question. Much of what he has to say regarding things political in England and Scotland have already been telegraphed to you. What seemed to strike him particularly in the Old Land was the extreme difficulty of breaking down the wall of privilege with which the wealthy and aristocratic classes have surrounded themselves. A certain proportion of English people are doing their best to make a breach in the wall, but the Landlord, abetted by the Church, stands pretty firm. Many curious examples of the reverence the people have for a Lord, and particularly a Landlord, came under his notice. He had many a bout with his London political friends on the subject of manhood suffrage and adult suffrage. Here the conservatism •of John Bull is most remarkable. Manhood suffrage he w’on’t hear of, although he is perfectly willing to let the nation's manhood, whether it posseses property or not, go soldiering in his defence. And as for adult suffrage, be yells with horror on the bare mention of it. Tire very word suffrage scares John Bull. He so often sees it in with the letters “tie” at the end jf it and it haunts him in his dreams.

Mr. McNab laughed as he recalled some of his koreros on the suffrage business. He tried to persuade his Tory friends that in the end the extension of the suffrage to all adults would be likely to be really an additional bulwark of Conservatism. “Look at your own house,” «aid he to one sturdy Unionist; “there are your womanfolk and your servants; they’ll all vote as you do. What docs your Sutler care about politics, for instance, beyond the fact that he knows ■what yours are? Tie'll vote as yon do, for his master’s interests are his. And

the other servants will vote the same way. It’s really playing into your own hands to give them the suffrage.”

But it didn’t convince the Londoner. To give a vote to every man or woman wasn’t right, and that was all about it. “It does seem strange to a colonial to watch the English point of view. Millions of the people in the Old Country have got accustomed to look upon the existing state of things in regard to land tenure, taxation, and so forth, as eternal and immutable, and that it is sacrilege to lay lands on them. They have grown accustomed Ito unnatural and artificial social and economic conditions that they now come to regard them as natural and proper. They don’t know of anything else; have never seen any other conditions of life. But we from New Zealand, who have grown up in healthier and more natural surroundings, have lived close to Nature, can see these things with clearer vision than the Englishman. We can, so to speak, sweep away the mist of false principles that deaden the life of the people in England, and get at the root of all the trouble.” There is no doubt in Mr. McNab's mind that the monopolisation of land by a few, and the restriction of voting power, are the two big evils that John Bull will require to remedy first of all.

Particulars of Mr. McNab’s historical researches in Paris you will have already heard. He has brought back a large amount of useful new material, and more is coming. He tells me that his next book will deal with the history of South New Zealand between the years 1830 and 1840.

The Farmer and the Sodawater. One finds a lot of humour at times in Wellington’s morning Tory paper, the “Dominion.” Not that it knowingly and of malice afornhtought admits anything that strikes it as a joke to its staid and weighty columns. Its proprietors are good solid ’Scotsmen, and tle-y are very properly suspicious of anything approaching humour—having eo often been made the subject of jokes, cartoons, and similar horrible levities and liberties in their time. But nevertheless, a search of its columns revealed a good think this week. It was in a letter from a farmer concerning the newly-drained and newlyopened Government land on the Hauraki Plains—the great Piako Swamp. The farmer slanged the Government vigorously for the things it had neglected to do after draining the land. His final complaint was that when the Government sank artesian wells for the farmers it struck a flow of hot soda-water. “Nice stuff this,” he yelled; “ to use in connection with the washing of butter!”

That farmer must be a hard man to please. Instead of thanking the Lord and the Government for the good things they give, and laying in a stock of some thing suitable to mix with that sodawater, he only shuts his teeth and hisses out maledictions. Possibly he wants its Lands Department to lay on a supply of State waipiro for blending purposes. But the Lord helps those who help themselves to the bottle. If a whieky well and a brandy creek were to be providentially discovered on the next farm that agriculturist would write to the “Dominion” slating the Government and asking for beer instead. As for washing butter with the fluid, one agrees with the indignant fanner-man that it would not do. but would like to suggest to him, better uses than that for good sodawater.

Smoking in the College. The Victoria College Council decided this week to take a vote of the students on the question whether smoking should be allowed in the men's common room at the college. The matter arose out of an application from the Executive Committee of the Students’ Association for permission to smoke in the common room. This wan favourably reported upon by the Finance Committee of the Council.

Sir Robert Stout thought that students should be discouraged from smoking, not encouraged. The consumption, per head, of tobacco in New Zealand was alarming. Besides, they had to consider the minority—it might be the majority, for all they knew —who might desire the common room to be free from the pre-

sence of tobacco smoke. Mr. UeTT: Why not have a referendum on the question? This was agreed to, and the students are in the midst of their pipe and cigarette campaign. Trees for the Treeless Coast. A recent letter from a correspondent to the “Horowhenua Chronicle,” the little paper published at Levin, contained some useful hints as to the kind of trees required on our deforested foreshores and on sand dunes. The suggestions dealt mainly with the best means of stopping sand-drift, but some of them will be of interest to Wellington people just now, in view of the crying necessity for treeplanting on our sea-beaches and seaward hills. As they deserve wider publicity than they will have through the columns of the Levin page, I will quote some paragraphs here:— “If we study our natural forest we will find an abundance of undergrowth, which Nature has provided for the kings of the forest; and for successful planting we must keep as near Nature as possible. The coprosma (taupata) is a hardy evergreen shrub, and will do well for planting, as it is a native of the New Zealand shores. It is easily cultivated, and usually grows to the height of ten feet. The ngaio and the karaka are both good sea-coast trees. Auricaria Excelsa is undoubtedly the best tree for the sea coast, and at the same time it is the grandest tree in cultivation; but, unfortunately, it is too expensive for extensive planting. No doubt there are many other varieties of trees and shrubs suitable for this purpose. All trees and shrubs should be planted close enough to force the growth upward, and as time goes on it is simply the survival of the fittest. Onee a good belt of trees is established, of ten or twenty chains deep, on the foreshore, there would be no difficulty in coping with the inland areas. At Paekakariki and Kapiti Island the trees are exposed to the full force of the westerly gales, and still they survive and make headway. From Cape Egrnont northwards, no two trees are to be seen growing on the sea coast, and doing well, and they are also exposed to the gales off the sea,” Census Returns. A protest against the wealth of detail required by the Census Department for its census to be taken in 1911 was made at the meeting of the Industrial Association last week. The president of the Association (Mr. E. Bull) said that the details required by the Department would entail an enormous amount of work. The form presented to manufacturers simply meant that they would be required to take stock when the Department required. Tn the past it had been quite different. The particulars asked for in this census were going altogether too far. He enumerated the various headings under which information was required. Personally, he did not believe in publishing too much of what one was doing. Some of the facts asked for by the Department should be a man’s own private property. Of course, the Department said that the returns would be confidential, but, in some cases, he did not think it would be very hard to pick out any particular industry or work. For these reasons, he thought the Association should move in this matter. Mr. T. Ballinger said he knew the secretary of the Employers’ Federation had waited on the Secretary for Labour in regard to the matter. He moved that the president, vice-president and secretary of the Association should wait on the Employers’ Association, ascertain what had been done, and then approach the Labour Department. At first, he continued, he took the return to be the same as that which had previously been required, but, on glancing over the form, he considered it would be very hard on the employer to get out the information required. Some employers would certainly have to employ more clerks. The motion was duly seconded and carried. North Auckland Railway. Regarding telegraphed reports as to indignation in the Bay of Islands district at the remarks of the Minister for Railways to the effect that the North Auckland- Trunk line will not pay one half per cent, the Hon. J. A. Millar tells me he still adheres to that opinion. “Let them,” he said to your correspondent, “take out the area of land which is to be served by the railway and the

area which for all time will be served by water carriage, and they will then see on what my epinion is based.”

An Explanation and a Challenges

Further discussion took place at the Harbour Board meeting on the question of the issue of an unauthorised prospectus in London for the half-million loan. This had been signed “T. M. Milford,” evidently a mutilation of the then chairman’s name, T. W. Wilford. A letter was received from the National Bank, stating that the prospectus was prepared by a London firm and handed to the Hon. T. K. Maedonald for perusal and correction. As was frequently done, the chairman’s name was attached to the statistics, the firm being under the impression that’ his signature would bo forthcoming. The circular was withdrawn as the negotiations fell through. Mr. Wilford expressed himself satisfied with the explanation given in the letter, which, he said, absolved him from blame that had been put on him.

Other members of the Board were still dissatisfied, and wanted to know why Mr. Macdonald had not explained. The later resented this, and asked them, if they thought him guilty of any impropriety to say so straight oat, whereupon one member said so. Mr. Macdonald challenged his opponents to formulate a series of resolutions, and said: “I will sue them for libel if they like, and then we can have the whole thing thrashed out.” Messrs. Harkness and Cohen took up the challenge, and the discussion closed at that. Worse Than Gaol. The dead body of a woman named Isabella Anderson was found on the sandhills between Lyall Bay and Kilbirnie on Saturday. She was only released from prison on Friday, and it ia presumed died from exposure during the storm. A “ Consignment ” of Girls* A number of Napier ladies have taken the domestic servant problem in hand in practical fashion by arranging for English importation (says the “New Zealand Times”). A “consignment” of twenty-three girls arrived by the Arawa from London as a result of the Napier syndicate’s enterprise. Apparently the New Zealand ladies’ part of the work is the guarantee of situations for the girls, and an assurance that they will not, in any case, lack a home in New Zealand. The rest is done by the British Women’s Emigration Association, which has Lord Strathcona, the famous AngloCanadian, as its president. Accompanying the girls is Mrs. Hume-Lindsay, one of the British Women’s Emigration Association’s matrons. She looks after the girls on the voyage, and will accompany them to Napier, seeing exactly where they are settled before she returns to England. Mrs. Hume-Lindsay gave a “ New Zealand Times ” representative some facts about the organisation’s work and about the servant problem generally. The girl immigrants all have situations to go to, and their passage money has been advanced by the association which under the facilities enjoyed—the New Zealand Government’s encouragement among them—obtains the passage for the very small sum of £lO. The girls have to possess £2 upon landing, and this is also seen to by the philanthropic organisation, which, in addition, guarantees them a situation at not less than 15/ per week. They remain morally bound to keep in touch with the association's representatives for a year, and undertake to repay the amount advanced. The Napier Sadies who have taken their share of the responsibility obtain first choice of the servants. As the matron is six weeks on the ship with her charges, she becomes thoroughly well able to advise mistresses as to the capability of each girl, and “ place ” them in suitable positions. Parliament Building** Full details of the Government’s proposals in connection with the closing of a portion of Sydney-street and the widening of Charlotte, Bowen and Museum streets were given by the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) to the Mayor and members of the City Council last week. Sir Joseph Ward said that in connection with the proposals of the Government regarding the future Parliamentary Buildings and the rearrangement of Government properties for Departmental purposes, he had a plan prepared, and he suggested to the Mayor and some od

the Councillors during the last session of Parliament that they should consider the proposals made. About two months ago a request was made that a Government reserve of 12 acres at Lyell Bay should be handed over to the City Council. At that time, he said that he would have to look into the matter, and the proposal he made was that the City Council should agree to the closing of a portion of Sydneystreet, between Molesworth-street on the one side, and Muesirm-street on the other, and that Government in return should give the City Council concessions. The corporation had had a valuation made of the land that he proposed should be given Up, and the amount was fixed at £7500. The value of the land that the Government proposed to give was (£32,720. Mr. Wilford (Mayor) suggested that if the reserve was vested in the Council It should be a part of the arrangement that it should be available for drill purposes in connection with the territorial forces and for other Government functions. It should not, he said, be used for buildings of any kind. If the corporation agreed to the Government’s proposal to put the work in hand without delay, he had no hesitation in saying that it would add materially to the advantage of the city and the country. He thanked Sir Joseph Ward for the plain way in which he had placed the matter before the Council. A definite reply would be sent on Friday evening. Powelka’s Sentence. A meeting, attended by about 40 persons, was held last week to discuss the Powelka sentence. It was unanimously resolved that a petition be circulated praying for a remission of a portion of Powelka’s sentence, and that a public meeting be held at a future date to further the resolution. The meeting formed itself into a committee with power to add to their number in order to carry out these objects. The Bank of New- Zealand. The speech of the Chairman of Directors at the annual meeting of the Bank of New Zealand affords some very pleasant reading. The financial returns for this past year, as the report shows, are fully in keeping with the hopeful prospects set forth by the Chairman at the last annual meeting. The balance-sheet, in Mr. Beauchamp’s -words, “carries on its face the evidence of a satisfactory financial position, and reflects in almost every detail the Bank’s continued prosperity and progress.” The reserve fund has been strengthened by £ 150,000, and now, including undivided profits, stands at £804,000; deposits have increased by more than £2,000,000; advances and discounts have been reduced by over £900,000 —a fact which shows the general improvement in the country’s finances; the assets taken over from the defunct Realisation Board are now nearly extinguished; and the net profits for the year’s transactions come to the substantial sum of nearly £260,000. It is true that the profits are less than last year’s profits by some £50,000; but the difference is accounted for by the reduction in advances and discounts and the increase in deposits—evidences of the all-round strengthening in our commercial finance, of which the fortunate holders of B.N.Z. shares are not at all likely to complain.

The statistics that Mr. Beauchamp has brought together provide an impressive proof of the rate at which our exports have increased during the past twelve months in quantity and value. The total increase for 1909-10 above the previous year is no less than £4,700,000; and as Mr Beaueliamp reminds us, we need look no further than this for an explanation of the present plenitude of money for loan and investment and the disappearance of the financial stringency which we were all deploring twelve months ago. It is true that nearly two and a-half millions Of the rise in our export values must be credited to the singleHtem of Wool; but in all our staple products except Timber the rise in export values has been maintained. In four years our Dairy exports have increased by over a million sterling, and half of this amount was made up during the past year. Even in the Frozen Meat trade, which was for some little time last year in a rather precarious position, the low selling price secured wider sales, and really acted as an advertisement for our products. Values rose •gain toward the end of the year, and in •ny case, a trade which can show, according to Mr. Beauchamp’s figures, an increase of something like £900,000 in

five years, ami is valued annually at considerably over three millions sterling, is on the whole in a reasonably prosperous condi t ion.