TOPICS OF THE MONTH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5196, 16 November 1877, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE MONTH.

“THINGS is progressive,” said Mrs. Parting-: ton, and things are as often purgatorial as progressive, especially when Governments and Governors are concerned. Just to look into the matter carefully, 'suppose we say the great Public Works schemehas not got Sir Julius V ogel to move it along ; and we know Mr. Richardson left it when the money became scarce, and he could not carry out the original plan. Well, what is to be done ? The King country is the stumbling block, and the proposed public works there are effectually stopped. What would redound more to the credit of the new Administration than to overcome this native difficulty bugbear, and say all is right, and the empire is at peace ? Supposing a Native Contingent Major, on the impulse of the , moment, and with the zeal of a cleansweeping new. broom, should desire to make things pleasant, and say, “Now, Sir George Grey, Tawhiao is favorable to roads and railways through his country and although this Maori King had not been consulted in the matter, did telegraph to a Premier that a new public works scheme under the direction of the said Major Te Wheoro had been initiated, —assuming all this to be gospel, then imagine our disgust at receiving from an ignorant pakeha correspondent the following telegram: —“Alexandra, October 30, 1877.—F0r fear that you might be under any misapprehension about the Te Wheoro and the Nuihaere tele--grams, let me tell you that there is no foundation for the statement that Tawhiao voluntarily telegraphed .to a Minister that he wanted to see him. You will not believe in your editorial heart that ’Tawhiao did consent to roads aud railways going through his country.” Perhaps the N ative Contingent Major thought the session was nearly over, and that time and space had not been annihilated by the electric telegraph, and he might make favor with the “ mammon of unrighteousness.” Now we hear Tawhiao objects to the Public Works policy brought down by the Native Contingent Major, and that his “Excellency’s responsible advisers” have been had at less than their own price, aud considerably sold. Progressive Maori Majors are not always reliable, and we hear a vote of want’ of confidence in the colleague of Sir George Grey in the Kohekohe schoolhouse business has been tabled at Tokangamutu. Again, to return to our friend Mrs. Partington, we would remark that there are telegrams and “ tell yoorcrams,” but, in despiteof her “ purgnosterkashuns,” we adhere to the statement that the Maori Major is right, and that we shall signally succeed in making roads and railways through the King country. It is a mete matter of opinion. We may be wrong, and we may be right; and objecting, as we do, to the views of our Alexandra correspondent, we hope that no one will be accused of making Press or other telegrams to order.

There seems every prospect of a new and most valuable market being opened up for our wool. It will be remembered by our readers that some time ago Mr. Monoton Synnot, of Melbourne, endeavored to find an outlet for the surplus stocks of the raw material in China. The movement was watched with much interest by wool growers throughout the colonies, and in New Zealand it had advocates who not only gave sympathy, but'also expressed their willingness to. : contribute to the expense. Amongst these the name of Mr. Douglas McLean was conspicuous. At first Mr. Synnot was not very successful, but at length he seems likely to be rewarded in his enterprise, and tho colonies to be considerably enriched , by the result of his experiment. From files to hand recently wo learn Mr. Synnot made up his mind to persevere, and to go to work in a manner that would not offend the prejudices-of the Chinese. He selected some common samples of purple and grey wool, and sent two hundred pounds of each for distribution amongst the Chinese silk and cotton weavers. It was thought that the somewhat clumsy and antiquated machinery used by them would not prove suitable for the utilisation of wools, but this was found to be an erroneous impression. The wool forwarded by Mr. Synnot was sent to ;Ning-po, and distributed amongst a number- of Chinese weavers, who, by using it in connection with their own cotton, succeeded in producing a strong and durable cloth, of marvellously close and even texture. Mr. Synnot has just received samples of the cloth manufactured by the use of his wool, the quality of which is pronounced by competent judges to-be equal to that of any cloth made by tho aid of the most’improved mechanical appliances, either in this colony or in England, The experiment liasproved so satisfactory that Mr. Synnot has determined to take steps to further demonstrate to the manufacturers of China the utility and value of tho raw. material which this .colony can supply, and thus, 1 if possible, to cheats a demand in that country for Australian wool. Considering the latge surplus stocks which arc held over from the periodical' sales held in London, producers will doubtless be glad to hear of the further success of the laudable efforts which Mr. Synnot is making for tho extension of our export trade. Samples of tho olotjh are iu the Museum'at Melbourne, ftnd will be forwarded. to , the Paris , Exhibition,, and one-specimen will'be* sent to ‘'each of these colonies. A piece of the cloth was sent to Captain Holt, and - has - been placed by him in thp -.Library, ■. Mr. Synnot, in a ciroular’on the subject, points out,

that to establish a demand for our wool among’ the Chinese weavers, it will be to supply them with small parcels of everj kind of yarn made in the colonies, and give it free of cost to the weavers, in order that they may be induced to experiment until, they hit upon sombi particular fabric which will shit their JiasteL It ig also expected, from.their known 'skill Jn weaving and dyeing,, that, they-may hit upon, some combinations of silk with wool which might rival the richest productions, of the European looms. Mr. Synhot .adds : There is now in course of preparation at several of the Victorian woollen mills a small shipment of every kind of yarn used here in the manufacture of -flannels, blankets, shawls, and tweeds, to., be sent a>vay by the next Torres Strait mail steamer, f This is entirely at the cost of a few individuals, but should anyone feel inclined to contribute to this, or future experiments in the same direction, he will be happy to receive and publicly acknowledge all subscriptions for that purpose.”

The ’Wellington Doans Consolidation Act Amendment Bill, introduced into the Legislative Council by the Hon. Mr. G-. R. Johnson, passed through committee on November 1, after some discussion, in an amended form. The preamble states that by the Act of 1876 the Corporation of Wellington were authorised to borrow £200,000 fer the purpose of paying off existing debts under various Acts, or for the purposes mentioned in schedule C. of the Act above referred to ; that the money was raised, and of it £500,00 was for the purposes of the Drainage and Sewage Works Loan Act 1873, but through inadvertence this sum was not specified in schedule C., and that there remains on hand an unappropriated balance of £IO,OOO ; that it is expedient to carry out the provisions of the Act, &c. The Bill as it now stands provides that the raising of the spm of £200,000 under the Act, and the issue of debentures in respect thereof, shall be deemed to have been valid and effectual ; and that the sum of £50,000 part thereof shall be applied for the purposes mentioned in the Wellington Drainage and Sewerage Works Loan Act, 1873, in the same manner as if the sum had been mentioned in schedule C above referred to. The Corporation may apply the balance now remaining on hand (some £9900) for the purposes mentioned in the Wellington Drainage and Sewerage Works Loan Act, 1873. Upon full payment by the Corporation of all principal and interest, moneys secured by the debentures issued under the provisions of section number fourteen of the Wellington Reclaimed Land Act, 1871, the trustees for the time being, acting under the provisions of the said Act, shall pay over to the Corporation all moneys in their hands by way of accrued sinking fund under the provisions of the Act, and the securities for the same, and the Corporation shall apply such moneys to the purposes mentioned in the 18th section of the City of Wellington Loans Consolidation Act, 1876.

Mr. Karaitiana Takamoana, in pointing out in the House on Oct. 30 th the evils that would, arise by a change of Government, said plainly that war, would be one of the results. His remarks on that head were referred to afterwards by European members, who deprecated the threatening tone Mr. Takamoaua assumed. •This bon. gentleman, in the course of his observations, referred to himself in connection with a battle which took place in times gone by. He was, he said, in the battle in Hawke’s Bay at which the chief Puhara fell. Those who feel, inclined to take a retrospective glance at the native affairs of Hawke’s Bay, and compare the situation of to-day with that of the time when the excellent chief Fuhara was sacrificed in an “ iuter-hapu” strife, will see that our relations with the natives of that district have not improved to th« extent that might have been expected. The fight to which Mr. Takamoaua referred took place in 1858, between the chiefs Te Hapuku and Te Moananui. It might' be stated here that the former chief is still living, and is the leading petitioner in the case of the Te Ante Estate, the management of which has excited no small comment. Te Moauanui’s success in his quarrel with Te Hapuku was a fortunate circumstance for Mr. Takamoana, as upon the issue of that action depended the occupation by him and others of the Pakowai Settlement in Hawke’s Bay. The Europeans, who were then few in number, in that district, were rather alarmed at the fighting, but the natives assured them that they would remain unmolested. The natives only asked to be allowed to have the services of an European doctor to administer to the wants of the wounded. Even then the medical gentleman declined to attend except on two days in the week, and then he prescribed for the sick and wounded on both sides. The natives of Hawke’s Bay were at that time on terms of perfect amity with the Europeans. How wo find a feeling of jealousy has sprung up. The representative of the natives of that portion of the colony alludes threateningly to another outbreak. Transactions long since concluded have been and are still being “ripped up,” aud repudiated. The same evil influence is extending to other parts of the island.