The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1888. CURRENT TOPICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1891, 12 July 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1888. CURRENT TOPICS.

"Wo have heard a great deal lately about a Chinese edict, and the " Post," who first published the information about the matter was suspected to have, m the vernacular, " found a mare's nest." The " Daily Times" found out that there was something m it, and a translation of the celebrated edict runs

thus :— " From the Governor of Cantor to the Chinese business people out of China" (no reference whatever is made to New Zealand or to Auckland.) " Complaints have been made to the big merchants m China by the Chinese people out of China that they hava been badly treated. Ihey are advised not to import any more goods from China. The world is wide, and there is plenty of room for the Chinese people at home. Don't let other people treat you as they have done. '1 here are plenty of places m China for business." The translator adds that there was no command by "the Governor of Canton, and that he simply advised them not to remain where they were badlj treated ; neither was there any suggestion as to the Chinese out of the Empire going home within three years, nor any remarks whatever about the Chinese army, as mentioned m the edict published m the Wellington "Post." This circular was considered at a meeting of the Chinese residents of Auckland, some twenty of them being desirous o£ accepting the advice given' them. Many have not money to pay their passages, and thfly pspgrience a further difficulty m leaving the #olony because the Steamship Companies will not book them to Sydney, whence tliey \ wighjfc pbtain passages to Hongkong. ri'QSG prfiflfiiijb p,t the meeting resolved to do aii Jn their power to provide funds towards pa) ing the p&seag^ money of those who desire to return homo. The idea that the world m China is wide is only what is true, and there is plenty of scope for Chinese industry and enterprise m their own country if they care to make use of it.

The French are again active m the Southern Seas and latest advices from the islands show that France has once more begun manoeuvring for the annexation of Raratonga and other islands m the Cook group. 'Ihe information to hand shows that Louis Arnaud, who professes to be the accredited agent of the French Colonial Government of Tahiti has taken up his residence at Raratonga, and is " attaching " himself to one of the queens ci the island . tie is trying by promises of aggrandisement to obtain her consent to the French annexations. The natives and chiefs of Raratonga and Atiu have repeatedly urged England to annex the group, and a few weeks ago the chiefs of Aituaki and Mangai, two largo islands, forwarded a similar petition through the Acting British Consul offering to pay the salary of the British Resident on their islands. The nati?es of the group are alarmed at the prospect of French annexation, anticipating trouble as to Battea, where the French pursued identical tactios ac a preliminary to annexation. The Germans pro ruling undisturbed at Samoa, and have prepared plane for the erection of ft wharf at Apia, to cost r 97,000 dollars.

The 'Frisco mail service is one which could very well be dispensed with, and only m Auckland would there be a howl raised if it were proposed m Parliament to end its existence. Auckland seems to derive tine greatest and perhaps the only benefit from it, though a few southern shareholders m the Union Steam Ship Company would feel equally disgnsted if a majority m the House decided against it. The net cost of the San Francisco mail to the colony last year is shown m a return presented to the House to have been L 729. The gross cost was LSO^OI, comprising L 23,333 paid to the contractors ac subsidy, L 1537 as boaus, and L 4967 for interprovincial services, mail agents, etc. The receipts from postages from London were L 7968, postages paid m the colony L 1.6,844,. 6,844, receipts from non-contracting colonies L 4958, making up a total of L 29,771. The postal report shows that

there has been a falling off m receipts m respect of the service, due, it is said, mainly to the direct contract steamers conveying a larger proportion of the mails than m 1886. In the place of the San Francisco service showing a profit as m 1886, thore is a small loss of L 729 for the last year, without taking into account any proportion of the refund which is to be made to the contractors. The contractors it seems, are entitled to a refund from this colony and New South Wales respectively at the rate of L 1066 per annum from the date the service began as per agreement. This has the effect of increasing the New Zealand share of the subsidy to L 24,000 a year. On the other hand the loss m the direct service is L 6707 m the place ot LI 1,070 the previous year. Both serviceß continue to be performed satisfactorily. The average time, however, by the direct service was longer than for the preceding year, and that was particularly the case with the inward mails. The average time of delivery to the first port of arrival bnng ■&& days compared with 41.69 days m 1886. The detour to Hobart is the probable explanation of this. The bonus earned by the direct service was L 8443 againßt L 2526. In view of the matter of the mail services being considered shortly a statement of each service has been prepared showing what would be the probable financial effect were it decided to abolish either the t-'an Francisco or Direct Service. (1) The Direct Service four weekly— Statements showing the estimated cost of a four weekly mail service between the colony and the United Kingdom by the direct contract steamer, based on terms of the existing direct service contract, on the correspondence conveyed by both Direct and San Francisco services m 1887, and on the assumption that the San Francisco service had been abolished : — The statement shows a net profit to the colony of L 2535. The rates of payment under the direct mail service are — letters, 11s per lb ; books and packets, Is per lb j newspapers, 6d per lb, (2) Direct Service fortnightly — Statement showing the estimated cost of a fortnightly service by direct steamers based on existing contract payments and on the correspondence conveyed m 1887 by both Uirecta nd San Francisco services, and on the assumption the latter service were abolished : — This statement shows a net loss to the colony of L 5850. (3) San Francisco Service, four weekly statement showing the estimated cost of four weekly service via San Francisco, assuming the direct service were abolished, based on the continuance of the existing payments and receipts m j respect of the correspondence conveyed by both lines m 1887. The statement Bhows a net profit to the colony of Ll4/754. The London post office at present provides for the free conveyance of the mails between London and San i Francisco.