The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, APRIL, 18, 1891. Volunteer Encampments

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 127, 18 April 1891, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, APRIL, 18, 1891. Volunteer Encampments

After every encampment of volunteers, in whatever part of the colony such may be held, fchera are always a certain number of complaints made of the bad conduct of some of the men towards members of the public. vVe do not pretend to say that these are not without some foundation, but we think that in every one of them, there is a large amount of exaggeration. As these alleged offences, whether true or the reverse, tend to do a direct and iudirect injury to the large majority of well conducted men, as well as to the volunteer movement at large, the sooner misconduct by p,uy of the members of that body is made almost impossible (except to the naturally vicious) the better for all parties. There is only one plan which we believe would be effectual, and that would be to absolutely exclude the public from all Encampments, and only allow '' liberty meu " to leave with a written pass from the officer of the day. The public hitherto have been allowed the run of the camps afc all hours of the day, because, forsooth, what they spend at the canteens goes towards paying expenses. This sourae of revenue for eucampmeuis is simply a false pre tence. That canteens are necessary we admit at once, but they should only be for the convenience and use of the men uuder canvas. We have had some experience in these matters, and have nearly .always found, where there has been atlistiirbance in camp, it was caused by civilians attracted by the canteen. In brief, to have a successful encampment the more the men are kept apart from the public, the greater chance there will be of attaining that end. When there is a parade, march past, or sham fight, then by all means let the public have the fullest aud best opportunities of the Bight-seeiug, aud theii only oue in that connection. The first exhibition of chrysanthemums, under the auspices of the Feilding Horticultural Society, will be held in the Assembly .Rooms ou Saturday next, the 25th instant. The schedules have been most carefully prepared, while the prizes to be allotted to the successful exhibitors are on a really liberal scale. The culture of these beautiful plants is, and has been for some time past, receiving the greatest attention among florists in all civilised parts of the world, and some of their production*, by the extraordinary care and knowledge expended in such culture, are startling from the magnificence of their proportions, the beauty of ther colorings and the singular formations of their flower leaves. In the short term of one season we cannot expect to do anything evea to come within measureable distance of older societies in Europe, but it is confidently hoped that the Feilding Chrysanthemum Show, other things being equal, will not be far behind, if behind afc all, any similar one in the colony. Notwithstanding the assurances of those who sit in high places in Europe, that the reign of peace is to continue for some. years, we are not altogether inclined to put complete faith in tkeir reliability. However much some of the Great Powers may desire to avert war, they are all "preparing for it, and the most trivial accident may, at any moment, lead to an outbreak of hostilities, which would probably involve the whole world in its circle of flame. As a matter of course, Russia is a disquieting power, and the immediate cause of uneasiness lies in the fact that she continues to spend enormous sums of money on military preparations, and in constructing railways to facilitate the mobilisation of troops on the Polish frontier. Added to this, Germany is endeavoring to arrange commercial treaties with Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and Austria so as to bring about a customs coalition against France. This will, as perhaps is intended, raise the hatred of the French for the Germaus to a white heat, and if France can cast in her lot with Russia it will not be difficult to foretell the cousequenoes. The sum mer months, so favorable for campaigns in Europe, are now close at hand, and therefore we may look forward to what may then be brought forth, with some anxiety. It is with some astonishment that we loam, by a cablegram from New York, that the grand jury at New Orleans have refused to indict the men charged , with participation in the recent lynching outrages. Unless it can be shown that fcha aucussd were eutirely innocent, and that the guilty ones who are yet at large are to be arrested and tried, wedonot expect that the Italian Government will be so easily satisfied. It was certainly understood from the cablegrams we had received on the su bject the men who were to be brought before the grand jury, had admitted their guilt to a certain extent, and therefore an indictment would follow ; but it appears that either this information was wrong or the New Orleans, grand jury have too strong a sympathy with the lyuchers to even make a pretence of having them punished. TirrcitE is nothing so cowardly as a bully, and there ia no greater bully than a mob. The shearers at Brisbane, as will be seen by cablegrams in another column, have threatened the railway Hues ineii's wives that if they do not suW,riho to assist tlrn Unionists their houoos will bb burnt

down. The causo of the shearers must be in a very rotton state w lien such contemptible means are needed to bolster it up. If they would t>urn the houses, they would not hesitate to destroy their inmates— it they thought their own skins were safe. Luckily such brutes have always a wholesome terror of the law. In our correspondence column to-day " Arbor Vita " writes on the much vexed subject of the improvement of Manchester. Square. He recites what lias already been attempted in that direction, and notwithstanding the " dead set " which has been made against any of the proposals yet made of altering the appearance of the Square in any way whatever, he still has hopes that if a public meeting were called and the project approved of, the movement (which is not " a movement," by-the-way) might be carried out. We would like to see it. The Square is a disgrace to the burgesses of the Borough. But until there is a little more public spirit, and a little less selfishness among us, our friend " Arbor Vitse " need not eyen hope [ to see his project carried into effect.