The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, MAY 21, 1888. CURRENT TOPICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1846, 21 May 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, MAY 21, 1888. CURRENT TOPICS.

All those who desire prosperity to the colony will note with satisfaction the falling-off during 1887 of the amount of money spent m intoxicating liquors. According to figures, which may be taken as very reliable, there was spent m 1887, £2,060,543 on liquor, which is the smallest sum that has been bo expended m one year during the last 19 years. In 1869 the total was £2,541,507, or about £10 10s per head of the whole population. Last year the average only reached £3 5s per head. Another very pleasing feature m connection with our JN.ew Zealand drink expenditure may be found m the fact that our average is considerably lower than that of Victoria i and New South Wales, and is also smaller than that "of the United Kingdom. The latest figures Bhow the average per head to be :— -Victoria, £4 19s lid ; New South Wales, £4 19s 6d ; United Kingdom, £3 7s 8d ; New Zealand, £3 ss. Whilst the amount of the "Drink Bill " ig annually becoming smaller, the quantity of tea consumed m the colony is rapidly growing larger. During 1886 the quantity cleared from bond for colonial consumption was 1,140,480 pounds. Last year, duty was paid on 1,743,840 pounds, being an increase of 573,860 pounds. Every year's reiurns show that the value ot leather and manufactured articles of leather, imported into the colony, totals up to considerably over £150,000, and it is justly argued that this amount of money might very well be retained and distributed among workmen m the colony if there were such a thing m existence as a protective tariff on manufactured leathervrork, Firstclass boots and shoes can be made m the colony, and the industry is one which is not likely to ever run itself out of a market. Under the present tariff, however, the amount of duty levied on a pair of workingmen's boots is just the same as ol\ a pair of highly finished thirty-five shilling Cookhams.' It is obvious, therefore, that some alteration should be made between the two so as to enable our manufacturers to carry on an important industry with success The imposition of a heavier duty would let the laborer get his boots locally manufactured at a cheaper rate, while those who wished for the most expensive kinds would be content to pay for them. The boot and shoe manufacturing m dustry is even now doing something m the colony to give employment to a largo number of hands and, with a little protection, it would be found that ere long, boots could be turned out equal to th.c best imported, and at a cheaper rate than they can now be obtained for. Such leathers as are not yet manufactured here could be admitted at a rate of duty which would make it profitable to all concerned to have the leather manufactured into articles m the colony. The revival of interest m the class of exhibitions known as glove fights is not likely to last for long, as the concensus of opinion is against their occupying any very prominent position m the pages of colonial newspapers and without publicity these glove fights will wane and die a natural death. At the Dunedin City Council the other evening, the matter was brought up, and it was the endeavor of a section of the Council to have a bylaw framed to prevejjt any such exhibitions m public licensed places m the city. Councillor Cohen brought the matter forward, and said he had no idea when the motion was tabled that the matter would engage the attention of the Legislature, but thought that it was one the Council mightjairly take into consideration. They were to some extent tho guardians of the public morals, and if they thought the interests of the citizens required that attention should be directed to this subject they should give it attention. It appeared that a wave of pugilism was extending through the colony, and anyone looking at the press must see that such exhibitions were becoming very numerous, The Govern-

ment had decided that they did not call for legislative iutenereuoe, but those who had attended the exhibitions referred to must be struck with the fact that they were largely patronised by the youth of the city, and that the general surroundings of such affairs were demoralising— i if he might not even say disgusting. He thought it would be wtell if the Council enacted a by-law and gave owners of licensed places notice that their licenses would be endangered by allowing such exhibitions. There was a strong feeling m the city m the direction indicated, and if a petition was desirable on the subject he was sure a largely signed one could be obtained. The efforts of Mr Cohen and his supporters, were not, however, successful, as an amendment to proceed to the next business was carried, four councillors only voting for the motion. In Wanganui, recently, the . Borough Council decided to decline to allow licensed halls to be used for holding glove fights, and generally throughout the country the feeling is very much against them. We are sorry on this account that the Dunedin City Council should have thought it unnecessary m the present state of things to interfere. The number of emigrants who left Irish ports m 1887 was 83,203, an increase oi 19,786 compared with 1886. The number of males was 43,378 or 11,237 more than the previous year, and of females 39,824, an increase of 8549. Of the total number of emigrants 82,923 were natives of Ireland, the remainder belonging to other countries. The emigrants were contributed aB follows from the four provinces : Munster, 27,078 ; Ulster, 24,654 ; Connaught, 16,957; and Leinster, 14,234, The total number of natives ot Ireland who left tho Irish ports from May, 1851 to December, 1887 is 3,197,419— name1y, 1,629,877 males and 1,504 542 females. With regard to their destinations, the United States is still the centre of attraction. There it also a slight increase of emigration to New Zealand and Canada,' but the number of departures for Australia show a decrease. Of the males who left Ireland m 1887 the number whose occupation is not specified was 4375, which included 3258 children under ten years of age, Of the females who emigrated 28,539 were returned as servants, 2946 as house-keepers, and 301 as dressmakers and milliners, the unspecified including wives and children. Ihese figures are interesting as showing how Irishmen are leaving their native isle for lands beyond the blue ocean. New Zealand is being favored with some of the Irish stream that yearly leaves home, but the number is out of all proportion to that which finds its way to the American side.