TOPICS OF THE MONTH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5353, 24 May 1878, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE MONTH.

Parliament will not meet before the 19th July. It will be remembered that towards the close of last session hopes were held out by Ministers that this year the session would begin sooner than usual, but it has been found that to adopt ; this course would not result in any actual saving of time, or in any real advantage. Sir Julius Vogel tried the experiment of meeting in June, but the result was that but little work was done before the Financial Statement was made, and members having nothing in particular with which to occupy their minds, proceeded to discuss things in general' However anxious Ministers may be to call the representatives of the people together, they know, the truth of the old adage, which forcibly tells us that mischief will be found : for idle hands to do. Past experience proves that, in this colony at all events, members insist on hearing the Financial Statement before 1 they really settle down to practical and useful legislation. When prorogation day is approaching, Ministers are easily tempted to assure hon. members that it will bo the desire of the Government to have Parliament summoned before the close of the financial year; but as time rolls on, difficulties arise, departmental work has to be done, Bills have to be drafted and revised, discussed in Cabinet, and redrafted perhaps once or twice; retrenchments guaranteed must be effected, and a general effort attempted to keep pledges given in the fulness of hope, but which afterwards appear difficult of realisation. These causes will probably account for Parliament not being called together in June this year.

A eetobn of the value of exports and imports from and to the several ports of New Zealand, during the quarter ended 31st March, ispublished in a Gazette of May 2. The export total amounts to £2,396,180,’and for the corresponding quarter of 1877, £2,419,661. The following are the returns at the under-mentioned ports ;

The following statement of Savings Bank transactions in the several postal districts of the colony, during the quarter ended 31st March, 1873, ace published in a Gazette of 2nd May

The traffic returns of the New Zealand railways for the four weeks ended 6th April last, and for the corresponding period of 1877, are published in the Gazette as fellows ; :

The Kegistrar-General’s report on the, vital statistics of the boroughs of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hokitika, during the month of April last, is published in a supplement to the Gazette of Thursday last published on Friday. From these returns we take the following particulars :

The deaths of persons not residents of tho boroughs occurring at hospitals have been excluded in all oases. The births were 8 more than in Miurch. The deaths were less in number than the'deaths in March'. Of the deaths, mules contributed 49 ; females, 53 ; 50 of the deaths, were of children under 5 years of age, being 49 - 02 per cent, of the whole number ; 40 of these were children under 1 year of age. There were 7 deaths of persona. over 65 years -of age—l of shesp was a male, and 6 were females ; 3 females, 2 of 78 and 1 of Si,

died at Wellington ; 1 male of 68, and 1 female of 66, at Nelson; 1 female of 82 at Christchurch ; and 1 female of 92 at Dunedin. As compared with the pfeviqua month, 102 deaths were registered in the seven boroughs during April, against a tetalof 116 for March. At all these towns, except Thames, there were an' equal number or fewer deaths ia April than in the previous month. :■Deferring to the classes of disease, a slight increase in the number of deaths from zymotic and developmental complaints Is found, but ‘ a decrease in the mortality from the remaining classes. Soai - - let fever, which ■ caused one death at Nelson in March,.was not fatal at that town in April, but on the other hand it appeared as a cause of death during last month at Christchurch. The total of deaths from fever for April in the different towns is two in excess of the number for March, but the mortality is not great in either case. Deaths from whooping cough were the same for April as for March, All four occurred at Nelson. Five deaths resulted from accidents in the month of April, A laborerwas killed by a fall of earth, a groom by falling on his head, an adult female was burnt (her clothes having caught fire), a surgeon died from an overdose of chloral, and one accidental death was undescribed as to cause. There was no cases of suicide. The deaths during April, 1877, in the towns were only 83 in number. . Nevertheless, scarlatina caused nine deaths ; five at Hokitika and four at Dunedin during that month. There was also one death from diphtheria. Five deaths occurred from dysentry arid diarrhoea, against thirteen above quoted in April, 1878. The deaths from diseases of the respiratory organs numbered seven in April of both years.

Amongst the many and varied resources of this favored colony the grain traffic of the Middle Island holds a prominent place. Some idea of its magnitude maybe gathered from returns published in the Canterbury Times of Saturday last. From this it appears that the local railways have for some weeks been carrying ! at the rate of 9000 tons of grain per week, and special trains have been running night and day. The Canterbury people have for a long time been complaining of the insufficiency of the railway accommodation to meet the traffic, and have been calling upon the Government for extra trucks. From a paragraph appended to the returns above-quoted, however, it is stated'that “ with two clear days all the grain in the country stores could be brought to its destination.” There does not, therefore, now appear to be any danger of serious embarrassment to the traffic on this head. The authorities at all events, we are glad to see, are, in addition* to what has been already'done, giving pretty liberal orders for additional rolling stock. “In the Government workshops,”- says our contemporary, “ trucks are now being turned out at the rate of about 13 per week, and at the Addington depot the contractors,* Messrs. Campbell Bros., are turning them out at the rate of 25 par week. * A further contract for the production of 150 trucks has been entered into with Messrs. Langdown and Co., who will commence operations immediately, and it may, with the utmost confidence, be asserted that within eight weeks from the present time 200 additional trucks will be in use upon the Canterbury railways.” The grain growers of New Zealand have excellent prospects before them, and ; n new market for their exports appears to be springing up at the Cape. A letter from a correspondent of the Press Agency, dated Cape Town, 16th February, and published in our issue of to-day, points out that in consequence of the drought (to which the Cape Colony is periodically liable) there is a great demand at the present time for breadstuffs, and that large orders have been sent to America and Australia. The soil and climate of a large portion of New Zealand are well known to be admirably adapted to the growth of cereals, and with the increasing population of the country and the best mechanical appliances-, and seeing the requirements abroad, there can be no question that wheat-growing will continue to be a leading industry here, and will ultimately attain much greater dimensions than it has at present reached.

The provisional meteorological returns for the niont of April last are published in a supplementary Gazette ef Friday last, from which we learn that the mean temperature in the shade was 62'2 at Auckland, 58'8 at Wellington, 56'4 at Nelson, 56’9 at Christchurch, STI at Hokitika, and 52 ’5 at Dunedin. The average fer the .same month in ■ previous years at the above places was, respectively, 61'9, 56'9, 57T, 537, 54'6, and 52’0. The total, rainfall, in inches, was as follows Auckland, 1 "3X5 ; Wellington, 1-691 ; Nelson, 1-490 ; Christchurch, 0 350 ; Hokitika, .11 '320 ; Dunedin, 1-776. The average for the same mouth in previous years'%t the above places was respectively 3'223, 3-906, 3-771, 2-178, 7782, 2'306. The number of days on which rain fell was as follows Auckland, 15 ; Wellington, 11 ; Nelson, 4 ;* Christchurch, 6 ; Hokitika, 23 ; and Dunedin, 11. The average for ,the same month in previous years at the above places was, i respectively, 13, 12,' 6,8, 14, 13. From this it will be seen that rain felliat Hokitika bn no less than 23 days in Aprildast, the next highest'average being at Auckland, where it rained 15 days out of the 30.- The table referred to is prepared from unchecked rages transmitted by telegraph,dh anticipation of full returns.

The Hon. Mr. Macandrew, ‘Minister for Immigration, has addressed a letter to the Hon. Sir Julias Vogel, the Agent-General of the colony, London, on the subject of sugar manufacture in New Zealand. Mr. Macaudrew observes , that it is proposed to pay a bonus of £IO,OOO towards a commencement of the undertaking.;. The soil and climate of many portions of these islands are well adapted to the growth: of beet, and it is believed that it .could be produced .in sufficient quantities for the manufacture of a great part of the sugar required for home consumption. Although formerly the growth of beet necessitated the employment to a great extent of high class labor, and thus prevented the ’production of sugai- at such a price as would successfully compete with the imported article, this is not the case now, when , our agriculturists are bringing the best mechanical appliances, with all their improvements, to bear upon the cultivation of the soil. Mr. Macandrew remarks that it is difficult to over estimate the prospect held out towards affording a comfortable sub-; sisteuoe to many thousands ,of industrious families in this colony by the prosecution of this industry, and he asks Sir Julius Vogel to bring the matter under the notice of leading capitalists connected with the business of sugar refining in London. The scheme is likely ..to prove .successful if, properly, set on foot. It has been brought forward on several former occasions, .and Sir Julius Vogel, as some of our readers may remember, devoted great labor and attention; to the subject, and produced a complete and elaborate history of the cultivation of best and the manufacture of sugar, which was laid before Parliament, and printed in 1876. Recent advices from the old country tell us that every day the attention of small farmers: and. ■agricultural laborers is being more frequently directed to, this colony, as,.offering a better prospect for themselves and their children than they can ever hope for at Home, where hard'times are again the order of the day with that section of, the British population which’is specially attached to the soil, and loath to quit it sp, long as they can make a bare living. " To such persons as these New Zealand would be a paradise, where agricultural laborers who thoroughly understand their i work, and practical farmers with a kmall capital, can hardly .fail to succeed, jlt may be that on the growth of beet and manufacture of sugar thousands of these persons might here live comfortably, and indeed in affluence compared to what is theirjot in England, Ireland, and Scotland at the present moment. For great and prosperous as the old country is, the position of her agricultural laborers and small farmers is for the most part a hard struggle With poverty.

Instructions Were given, by the Minister for Public Works that the railway from Dunedin through to Waikouaiti; should be opened on April 7. This will lessen the overland journey from Dunedin to Oamafu by two - hours iu point of time, and ■ as much hilly road will be avoided, the boon to travellers .will be important and welcome. ' It is satisfactory to know that the great natural difficulties in this portion of the main bunk line have bean surmounted.; The delays, of a; nature unexpected when the lino was, first laid out, have been numerous, and 1 much‘anxiety has been caused

to contractors and engineers engaged on the sections to the north of Port Chalmers. It is expected that the line connecting the two chief cities of the Middle Island, Dunedin and Christchurch, will.be opened by the end of Juno or tho early part of July; and, when that baa been accomplished, a trip from this to Dunedin will bo a mere trifle compared with what it is now, for no doubt special arrangements will bo modo for-limning a large and fast steamer regularly between this port and Lyttelton, ' By that means" those who dread sea-sickness will escape with but a few. hours’ misery, while commercial travellers and other business men, andpeople on pleasure .bent,.will

gladly hail a change that will materially lessen the time they are now compelled to spend journey^to.:,.Dunedin or farther South. "The* great "trunk line in the South Island will soon be complete from the Bluff to Amberley. \ '*

WonKS on the Wellington and Masterton Railway are being pushed on—it is time they were—and we are told that in three or four mouths the line will be open to Featherston. The settlers on the West Coast are still agitating the question of a railway from the Hutt to a point on the Manawatu line at or near Foxton or Palmerston, and the reasonableness of the claim and the probabilities of the work being reproductive are such as give strong hopes that next session the Assembly will vote the necessary funds.

Steps are being taken to alter, widen, and improve the line of road between the Upper Hutt and Waikanao. This will be a great convenience to the inhabitants of the locality, and will be a stimulus to the further progress and settlement of that part of the district, which at present is almost out off from communication with its neighbours, and with the Capital by reason of the paucity of roads, and the badness of the few which they have.

Attention has been : again directed to the opening here for a largo number of agricultural laborers and small farmers in the old country, inclined to turn their attention to the growth of beet for the manufacture of sugar. A letter from Mr. Maoandrew, the Immigration Minister, to Sir Julius Vogel, the AgentGeneral, in London, on this subject, appears in another column. The matter is not a new one ; it:has, already engaged the attention of Parliament, aud;in 1876 ah elaborate work on the subject from the pen of Sir Julius Vogel was laid before members. The revival of the subject, however, is by no means inopportune at the present time, when attention is being directed more and more every day in the old country to New Zealand, as offering far better prospects to the struggling laborer and : small farmer than they can ever hope for, in the old country.

On Wednesday, May Ist,- a . terrible accident occurred by the bursting .of a kerosene lamp as a servant giriiOf .Mr. Benzoni was blowing it out. She was terribly burned, and died in great agony at the Hospital a few hour's afterwards. An inquest was held the next day, and a verdict of accidental d atli returned. Some of the kerosine was analysed, and proved to be in reality dangerous petroleum quite unfit for domestic use. The tradesman from whom it was purchased states that he sold it as he got it from the wholesale merehaut. Whoever is to blame in the. matter, the fact remains that the poor girl suffered a horrible death, which would not have occurred had a proper article been used instead of one more subtle and dangerous than gunpowder. The attention which has been publicly drawn to the matter should have the effect of causing vendors and con-: sinners to be careful as to the quality of the material they burn in their lamps, otherwise the sad calamity above referred to may be repeated, notwithstanding all that legal enactments can do in the matter.

It may bo interesting to many of our readers, and certainly to all who are familiar with Hawke’s Bay topics, and remember the debates of last session in reference to the Te Ante Trust Estate, , to know that after a considerable amount of negotiation and correspondence with the Rev. Samuel Williams, the lessee’of the property, the following settlement has been arrived at :—The trustees have agreed to give Mr Williams a fresh lease of the estate tor seven years, at a rental of £IOOO a year, the lessee undertaking to lay down 600 acres in grass, and to erect ten miles of wire fencing. At the expiration ■of the above period Mr Williams is to have the option of a renewal of the lease for another seven years at £IBOO a year. In coming to this arrangement the lessors have, we understand, been greatly influenced by the importance of the Rev. S. Williams remaining to superintend the schools in connection with the trust. The settlement arrived at may be regarded as a satisfactory one, and will be in accordance with the view of the Parlimentary committees, who took great trouble over the matter, and spent a great deal of time upon it.

Quarter ended 31st Corresponding March,1878. , quarter, 1877. Auckland . ' . £103,148 £113,729 Wellington 378.909 402,770 ; Nax>ier .. 128,740 162,233 Lyttelton 57*1,933 508,319 Dunedin 786.501 818,519 fnvcgiil.&Bluff 272,511 212,300' The import ’ returns are as follows ; —Total for the quarter ending 31st March, 1878, £2,349,291, and for tlie corresponding quarter of 1877, £1,708,085, The following are the returns at the under-mentioned porta :— . Quarter ended 31st Corresponding March, 1878. ' quarter, 1877. ; Auckland £390,726 £306,214 : Wellington 372,109 315,119 Napier .. 48,304 45,099 : Lyttelton 489,934 292,597 Dunedin 748,391 520,542 . InvcgilL & Bluff 50,182 37,198

Postal Districts Amount of Deposits. Amount of Withdrawals. & s. <1. £ s. d. Auckland 18,882 8 11 21.870 9 7 Thames 6,103 18 0 4,329 13 10 New Plymouth i •. ■ 6,650 16 1 . 4.535 16 3 Napier .. .. . 6,201 10 2 5,609 10 0 Wellington 38,745 13 9 39.009 5 3 2,804 4 6 3.372 7 4 Nelson 3,930 9 5 4.400 8 7 Westport ... . 1,721 13 3 2,769 1 2 3 Greymouth .. 3,900 15 11 3,470 16 8 Hokitika 2,000 19 4 2,028 7 7 Christchurch 48,121 1 3 42,570 7 0 Dunedin 48,004 3 1 46,055 4 7 Invercargill 4,601 10 11 4,804 5 1 Total for 1st Quarter !n' 1878 .. .. . . 102,649 11 I 180,530 15 3 Total for 1st Quarter in 1877 170,211 17 1 178,100 3 2

■ 1878. ’ ' Corresponding four weeks,77. & h. d. & s. d. Kaipara section 318 3 11 . 300 11 2 Auckland .. 3,410 4 a . 1,725 8 O Napier ' 2,720 0 11 . 2,022 0 1 •Wellington • 1,481 0 4 . Oil 12 4 IToxton 643 12 2 . 074 18 5 Wanganui.. • 684 8 10 . New Plymouth 420 10 0 . 107 10 0 Greymonth 012 0 0 . 094 14 0 , Westport .. , 181 14: 1 . ■ 55 17 0 Nelson 517 10 4 . 601 4 0 Picton 300 13 10 . . 470.. 4 5 Christchurcli 32,452 0 5 . 27,380 0 1 Dunedin ... 0,744 7 2 . 7,823 8 5 Invercargill 3,008 7 0.. 3,647 6 4

Boroughs. Estimated population Total Births.’ Total Deaths. Proportion Of Deaths to the 1000 of Population, Auckland .. 13,732 ' 40 i 13 ’05 Thames 0.125 10 4 *73 WclliUKton 10,037 82 24 1*20 S’clson ,, • 0,003 - 21 10 ’ 2*42'. .fhrtotohuroli .. 13,402 49 .18 . 1*34 lunedin 22,491 82 23 102 Hokitika , .. 3,244 0, .4 . ; 1*23 Total.. ! .. — 305: 102 —