South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2542, 14 May 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1881.

There is every prospect of a large frozen meat trade being carried on between this colony and the mother country. To properly develop the trade, recourse must be had to steam vessels. In fact, to carry on the industry profitably with sailing vessels is out of the question. A few months back Messrs Money, Wigram, and Co. put on one of their large steamers to trade with Lyttleton, but the experiment did not prove a success. The Orient line to Australia had driven Money, Wigram and Co.’s steamers out of the Melbourne and Sydney trade, and that firm sought a profitable field in New Zealand waters. However, steamers that take sixty and odd days to reach Lyttelton from London are not suitable in these times of rapid travelling, and the great English shipping firm had to retire. The question of steam communication with England was discussed at a late meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in Christchurch. The matter had already been brought before the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce by Mr Mackerras, but it appears that the proposals of that gentleman have only reference to -Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, and Wellington. Auckland is not mentioned as a port of calL Anyone who is aware of the intense jealousy of the northern capital must feel that its people would most vehemently oppose any scheme which did not make Auckland either the first port of call or the last of departure. The proposal of Mr Mackerras involves an expenditure of public money. He must be innocent of the influences which control colonial politics to imagine for a moment that any vote would pass the Legislature which left out Auckland and such ports as Nelson and Napier.

Why the present San Francisco mail contract was only passed on the condition that ocean going steamers should call at all the principal seaports, commencing at Auckland and running down the coast to Dunedin. This foolish arrangement did not work for any length of time. One of the Yankee skippers got a big fright at Port Chalmers. The huge steamer under his command had a narrow escape at the entrance. It was not only the vessel that was in danger of total loss. The Captain was of opinion that had the steamer struck on the bar not a single one of those on board would have escaped with their lives. Once clear of Port Chalmers the Yankee vowed that it would never see his steamer again. The mail contractors positively refused, notwithstanding their bonds, to continue the coastal service ; it was unreasonable that life and property should be so uselessly risked when a small boat connecting at Auckland could convey mails equally well coastwise without a tithe of the danger. Such is a brief outline of the circumstances which led to the stoppage of the ’Frisco boats coming down the coast. There is no doubt that if direct steam communication is to be established with England, the contracting company should not be compelled to call at more than one port. To secure passengers or cargo it might be left optional with them to call at a second port ; but there should be no hard and fast clause in the agreement compelling steamers of several thousand tons burthen to hug the coast. The Union Company are possessed of fine and powerful boats, which arrive and depart with the utmost regularity. The local Company’s steamers would fully meet all transhipment requirements. In view of the anticipated large frozen meat trade this question deeply concerns the whole colony, and it is to be hoped that no petty local jealousies will be allowed to stand in the way of the accomplishment of direct monthly steam communication with England. It is suggested that the Government should guarantee six per cent, interest on the capital of the proposed Steamship Company,or grant a subsidy of £20,000 per annum. On this proposition the Chairman of the Christchurch Chamber of Commerce remarks that there is a wellgrounded suspicion abroad that the days of subsidies are past, and that a subsidy unduly handicaps enterprising corhpetitors, and tends to create a monopoly. Now, the above is only half a truth. It doubtless has full application to such large centres of trade as Melbourne and Sydney, but has no practical bearing upon the present state of New Zealand. As it is, there is not sufficient inducement for one line of steamers to take up the running. It is therefore idle to talk of the spirit of competition. When the Panama Canal is completed there is no doubt that this colony will obtain direct steam communication with the Old Country, but then seven or eight years will elapse before that great undertaking is carried out. In the meantime it is highly advisable that some effort should be made to secure more rapid transit for frozen meat than will bo afforded by sailing vessels.

Another lawyer has fallen a victim to the provisions of the Electoral law. A telegram received yesterday states that ex-Judge Weston has received a requisition asking him to stand for the seat vacated by Mr Masters, but as he is not on the roll he is obliged to decline. It will be remembered that at the last general election Mr Bees was placed in the same predicament, and is now in compulsory retirement from the House. Mr Thomas Weston, ex-Judge, is now better acquainted with the Electoral law than before. We believe that the above gentleman had for months back intended to contest the first vacancy in the representation of the West Coast. He is sore on the question of the Civil Service reductions, having been one of the victims. He desires to “ have it out ” with the Ministry, and a seat in the House would afford him the only satisfactory opportunity. He now finds himself baulked by a paltry clause in an Act of Parliament, which appears to have been inserted with the object of limiting the choice of the electors.

Open hostilities have broken out between the Boers and the natives. For the sake of the supremacy of the white man it is to be trusted that the Boers will be successful in overcoming their old enemies. The Caffre tribes in the neighborhood of the Transvaal regard the Boers with the most intense hatred, and they have tad good cause for their ill will. The most atrocious outrages have been committed upon them by the Dutch settlers of the Transvaal. Although slavery was strictly forbidden in a treaty between Great Britain and the Transvaal,it was shamefully violated, and the natives Were forced into slavery in the most open and cowardly manner. That great African explorer, Dr Livingtone, relates that when the Boers made a raid on a village for slavery they usually drove a number of natives before them, and fired from behind the shelter of their bodies. Cetewayo had fully made up his mind to wipe out the miserable white republic of the Transvaal, and with thirty thousand warriors would doubtless have accomplished the task. He had been long preparing for the war. England stepped in between the Zulu king and his prey, and Cetewayo is now a prisoner. The Boers who have been so ready to take up arms against a handful of British troops, hung back from a contest with the numerous natives. After the recent fighting in the Transvaal it would be unfair to question the courage of the Dutch settlers of South Africa, but a few years ago when their existence was threatened by Get . ;yo and Secconai they would neithc: .ay taxes nor combine to fight the natives. That was publicly stated by the then President of the Transvaal. As the Boers are now in war trim after their recent victories over the English, they may be able to suppress the native rising. If they have as much national pride as prejudice against British dominion they will make a strenuous attempt to do so.