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Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 114, 18 April 1885, Page 4

It has been ascertained that a regular traffic m Hungarian maidens has long been m existence, with its head quarters at Buda-Pesth, and that it has grown to large proportions. Some of these unfortunates have been decoyed to Brazil, as m the case of those intercepted at Marseilles last week ; but most of them have been sent to Egypt to recruit houses of ill fame at Cairo and Alexandra, or to become slaves m the harems of Egyptain beys and pashas. The Aus train Imperial Goverment gained some knowledge of this infamous traffic a few months ago, and issued an order prohibiting the exportation of woman to Egypt, unless each was accompanied by some male relative or legal guardian. Since this order has been enforced the agents of the Egyptian procurers have adopted new tactics. They now engage the victims to go to America for domestic service, assuring them that they will find good homes and situations, with a chance of marrying well and becoming American ladies. Tickets for passage to America are shown the girls, and small amounts of money given them with which to purchase outfits. They leave Buda-Pesth m charge of the agents, but as soon as they get beyond Austro-Hungarian frontier the route of the journey is changed, and they are shipped to Egypt. When once they arrive at Alexandra there is no fnrther hope of their escape, and they thenceforth are fated to a life of the m ost debasing servitude. The extraordinary decline all over New Zealand of the peach, which until recent years flourished so luxuriently m these islands, is a most mysterious circumstance, and we are glad (says the New Zealand Herald of the 27th ult.) that the Government are taking some pains to have the matter investigated. We know that varieties of any fruit may grow old, decline, and gradually die out, that, for instance, the "golden pippin," once the famous cider apple of Herefordshire, has disappeared there, and been replaced by other varieties, although the authorities say that it still flourishes m the island of Madeira. We also know that all temperate climates, whether half-tropical or semi-frigid, undergo spells of modification or change within certain limits —a spell of seasons of one sort followed by a contrasted series. Whether the decline of the peach with us proceed from old age m the varieties here, or from the abnormal seasons of late, or from other causes, is indeed a most important subject for inquiry : but we cannot believe that we are really about to lose this fine fruit, which, after being introduced, so quickly and kindly spread through New Zealand. " The Crown Prince of Germany is an earnest Freemason, and recently delivered an address before the Royal Lodge m Berlin, which caused a great sensation and drew forth much comment. The burden of his remarks was that Freemasons should be more progressive, that instead of clinging to old traditions, w^ose only importance is their antiquity, they should distinguish themselves by being m the fprernost rank of seekers after new and living truths." " Our strongest guaranty of the continuance of harmony, and peace, and good fellowship, is the fact that Masons possess that spirit of reconciliatipn which enables them, between individuals and between lodges, to harmonise, settle, and adjust differences, — that spirijt allows brotherly love to prevail everywhere. Masonry is surely gaining good ground eyerywheyp year by year. Ite rotavies gain wisdom from its teachings, and by the aid of it become themselves ' teachers, and the world is made better,"