Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1901. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 1 November 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star. A ND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1901. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

That Legislators “ have nerves ” like other mortals; that in moments of heat they can and do make remarks that in ordinary times they regret, is apparent by the passage at arms between the Premier and Mr. Meredith, a report of which appears in another column of this issue. The session has been long drawn out, and the Ministry, naturally enough, overworked, and well nigh exhausted by constant and long “ House Sittings ” and “ Sittings of Cabinet ” desire to bring the business to a close as speedily as possible. The Opposition, however, rightly or wrongly have an idea that Mr. Seddon is anxious to stump the Patea electorate in the interests of the Government candidate, and have determined to keep business going till after the election. On the other hand Mr. Seddon had openly declared his intention of going to Christchurch to be present during the carnival week, and wo are inclined to accept his avowal as a correct one. 80, however, the real intention what it may, the fact remains that both sides of the House are heartily sick of the long wearisome session, and like folks under similar circumstances are inclined to become querulous and affected with “nerves.” When this stage is reached the temper of the ordinary man becomes a trifle erratic, and “ words are often spoken in haste.” Such appears to have been the case with the Premier and Mr. Medodith. To attach anything serious to the passage would be ridiculous. It was regrettable certainly, but under pressure excusable; for the man who never loses his temper is a man to be feared and distrusted. The incident further emphasises the desirability of closing the session as speedily as possible.

essentially the land of “ and tho American people have an extraordinary prede iction for gigantic syndicates and colossal railway combines, but surely a two billion dollar trust is a trifle large for even tbe United States of America. A cablegram yesterday informed us

that Cleveland, leader of the companies outside Pierpont Morgan’s steel corporation, is favouring a two billion dollar trust and that Frick, Carnegie’s former partner, was engineering the enormous concern.” But can the figures be correct ? Is the cablegrammer again becoming a “ cablecrammer ?” or have these Americans a capacity for figures beyond that of other nations. Two billion dollars! Taking the dollar as roughly worth four shillings, we have a company of four hundred thousand million pounds, in figures, £100,000,000,000. What does it mean ? Well, these figures are a trifle

crazy to the ordinary mortal. Taking New Zealand’s total debt of fifty millions sterling, it would pay it off eight thousand times before the capital became exhausted. The national debt of Britain is nine hundred million sterling (£900,000,000), yet this trust could pay it off four hundred and forty-four times. If we laid the amount in gold sovereigns in a line close together it would extend nearly six million miles. In weight it is over four and a quarter million tons, or about four times as much weight as the Brunner mine has produced in coal since it first opened. If a person had started to count the amount over at the commencement of the Christian era and gone on continuously till now at 60 sovereigns per minute, he would not have counted a sixth of the number up till now. We wont explain any further; we are apt to get mixed, it being more money than ever wo possessed. We prefer to declare the cable crammer is again at work, or that a billion as understood by the Britisher—thirteen figures—is a lot bigger thing than the American billion. If we accept the French numeration of ten figures as a billion we should still find this syndicate with a capital of four hundred millions.