ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5529, 16 December 1878, Page 3

ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

It is matter for regret, says the Mail, that so much delay has taken place in determining the rights of the landowners in Fiji. No doubt the work is of a very trying character, and the statements on both sides very conflicting. Someot~the"titles being of a very old date, great difficulty would be experienced in tracing the manner of the original transfer, and thus doubts and difficulties would creep in which would be puzzling alike to the Commission as to the agents of the claimants. In days gone by land, in some instances, was secured by barter upon very easy terms, and eases could probably be cited where a too greedy chief sold the same holding over and over again.

The Colonial Insurance Company of New Zealand has opened an agency in London at 79 Cornhill, under the management of Mr. George W. Holt. The wool sales closed on October 4, the amount actually sold being 783,000 bales, against 771,000 last year; 125,000 to 130,000 bales are estimated to have been bought for export. The somewhat abrupt shortening and close of the sales proved a gain to the last few days. Though there was no advance, the animation was “much better than before, and such advantage as is implied in this was secured, namely, greater regularity in prices, and here and there an extra half-penny, 62,600 bales remain unsold, and will be held over to the next series, which will probably begin either on November 12 or 19. The new arrivals up to date amount to 100,000 bales, and the probable total-for disposal is estimated at 172,000 bales. There is an opening for Chinese laborers in Brazil. That brilliant and progressive empire wants to go ahead, but since it (abolished slavery it finds itself short of labor. Besides, it wants to utilise its immense uncultivated areas by raising sugar, cotton, cocoa, coffee, and the like, in greater abundance than at present, and with this object it has now under consideration a scheme for Chinese emigration. It will thus be seen that the poor Chinkie, while he may be scorned and kicked out in some quarters, has a value after all, and that in Brazil at least he may find a climate and a home suited to his tastes. A large emigration of Chinese is taking place to Peru, and some of the United States journals are urging the Peruvian Government to adopt restrictive measures in regard to it. The keenest feature, however, of the industrial question raised by this kind of labor comes from San Francisco, where a number of unemployed clerks and others have entered into competition with the Chinkies, and are fighting them in a peaceful way, on their own ground, as laundry-men, and washers. This is the rpVt in vVch all competition should be met, and if this course was generally followed there would be, in the survival of the fittest, a greater inducement to cultivate superiority than now exists. Honest mediocrity may be all very well, but if Chinese competition should lead to greater efficiency in the several ranks of labor, the world will have reason to be thankful;

Sir M. Hicks-Beaoh is said to have been mightily tickled at the proposal of the Victorian Company for the colonising of Now Guinea by sending out a circular fort of iron boiler plates, surmounted by the flag of Victoria, and Sir Arthur was complimented for his encouraging such a mad-brained scheme. The proposal for the annexation to Victoria of New Guinea and the islands between Fiji and the western portion is not likely to meet with much favor. The Colonial Secretary is reported to be no great admirer of Mr. Berry’s method of conducting business, and under those circumstances ho is not likely to recommend her Majesty to pursue a course which might extend to the islands named the benefits of a system which is generally condemned as subversive alike of true independence and progress. As nothing could probably be worse for the progress of Victoria than the retention in office of Mr. Berry, it is not at all improbable that if the Colonisation Company could induce the Chief Secretary and the bulk of his radical followers to migrate, boiler fort and all, her Majesty’s Government might be induced to strain a point in connection with their proposal. The company might sound Mr. Graham Berry upon the matter. In Now Guinea ho would have for developing his powers of government, and as he would be operating upon virgin soil there would bo plenty of room for improvement in case of failure, without much harm being done. Putting everything together, Cyprus would really appear to bo a bad spec. Traditionally it is supposed to bo worth something, but according to recent experiences a great deal requires to be done before it can bo made habitable or profitable. A correspondent,

writing to the Daily News, has a dismal tale to unfold ;—“ Kainy season set in ; still under canvass ; out of British force (2600) 400 are in hospital and 22 have died ; those who get over the fever are subject to abscess of liver. Half of the officers are returning to England invalided; several died oi. the way. Twothirds of the medical staff down. Halt the telegraph detachment in hospital ; remainder suffering from chronic torpor ; only a few stirring about. Two of the best men have taken to drink out of sheer desperation ; had to confine and punish them. Business stagnant, English speculators all en route for England ; no one will stay here. Sir Garnet and chief of staff still unwell on board H.M.S. Ealeigh." A new supplemental charter having been granted to the University of London a few months since, on the joint application of the Senate and of Convocation, empowering tho Senate to admit women to graduate in its several faculties (arts, science, law, medicine, and music), on such conditions as the Senate, with the concurrence of the Home Secretary, should deem expedient, the Senate lost no time in passing a resolution which made all the existing resolutions, relating not only to graduation but also to the various honors and rewards granted at the several examinations, open to female as well as to male candidates. This resolution having been now approved by the Home Secretary, female candidates will be admitted forthwith to the matriculation examination ; and all such as have already passed the general examination for women will be considered as having matriculated, and will be admissible (after the required interval) to the first degree examination'in either of the faculties. Further, with a view to the special encouragement of female candidates desiring to go through a regular academical course, the trustees of the Gilchrist Educational Trust have instituted two exhibitions, one of £3O, the other of £2O per annum, tenable for two years, to the female candidates who pass highest iu tho honors division at the matriculation examination ; and two exhibitions, one of £4O, the other of £3O per annum, tenable for two years, to the female candidates who pass highest at the first B.A. examination, to assist them in pursuing their studies at some collegiate institution approved by the trustees ; with the farther reward of a gold medal or book prize of the value of £2O to the female candidate who passes highest at the second B.A. examination. These rewards are quite independent of those granted by the University, and may be held in eon junction with them. The Torres mail steamer brought news to Australia that on November 11 a fearful tragedy occurred in the Straits of Malacca. A Chinese gang of robbers attacked a settlement, murdered the Governor-Superintendent, Mr. Lloyd, and seriously wounded Mrs. Lloyd and Mrs. James. The police proved useless and fled. The Chinese have since been captured and taken to Penang in a gunboat, the Lapwing. The annual conscription in Germany'is to bo raised by 20,000 men. The addition corresponds to the increase of the population since the present peace footing was first fixed. The law provides that there shall be one conscript to every hundred of the population. Wheat is down to 40s. per quarter, and even good white wheat is but 455., while the tendency of the market is still downward rather than upward. But it matters little indeed to the population of London whether the price of wheat is low, for successive falls in Mark Lane have hardly any appreciable effect on the price of bread iu London. Parmer Turmuts looks particularly gloomy as he turns away in disgust from the prices offered to him, but when he happens to come to town and looks into the London bakers’ shops he will see plainly enough that his necessity is not our opportunity. Large numbers of people in London are paying 7d., and even as high as Bd., for a quartern loaf, which does not weigh four pounds. No wonder, therefore, that an agricultural contemporary expresses surprise that at a time when contracts for the supply of bread to unions are taken as low as 4Jd. the people of London should passively submit to be overcharged in the price of the prime necessity of life. Our contemporary’s surprise would cease if its knowledge of London was as comprehensive as its knowledge of the rural districts. Periodical meetings of bakers are now held in different districts iu order to settle the price that shall be charged. In many provincial towns, where the masses of the people have conveniences for baking, overcharge is impossible ; but in London nearly the whole of the population aro “ fleeced ” ’ ‘he baker. South Australia has given a:. ; . r evidence of her progressive policy in offering a bonus of £4OOO for a combined reaping and threshing machine. The settled portion of the colony is essentially agricultural and,pastoral, and such a machine as that indicated is no doubt felt to be a great want. The offer is sure to give rise to a great deal of competition, and if the object should be achieved, as it doubtless will be, South Australia will have the credit of giving to every extensive corn-exporting country in both hemispheres an appliance that is much needed. Our implement makers are quite charmed with the idea, and already some of the leading manufacturers are considering how best the combination can be effected. But the competition will not be confined to British manufacturers. Local ingenuity has already contrived a capital reaper, and the genius that made the one may supply the other. The American firms, who, if I mistake not, were the first to originate the reaper, are sure to do their best to carry off the prize. The condition that a successful competitor may elect to retain his patent rights in preference to taking the bonus seems to be a fair one, and as this labor-saving machine will be snre to command an extensive sale, the implement makers of Great Britain, America, and the colonies’" have a large inducement to go in and win.