The Daily News WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1904. INDIA AND AFGHANISTAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 286, 7 December 1904, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1904. INDIA AND AFGHANISTAN.

The information published tho other day to the effect that Russian troops were displaying unusual activity upon the Afghan frontier, and that the Ameer had sent reinforcements; consisting of 20,000 troops towards Herat will arouse interest i once more in Indian affairs. For some time past matters in Afghanistan have been in a quiescent state, but we learn from an article in a recent issue of the Times that important business of State has been arranged by the "India Office to be discussed about the end of November, after Lord Curzon's return to India. The business which will engage the Viceroy, the Times states, has been ripening for some time. "It has long been known," continues {Tie Times, "by those who follow Indian affairs that a fresh discussion of the relations that subsist between ourselves and our neighbour the Ameer of Afghanistan baa become desirable. No opportunity for such a discussion has presented itself since his Highness the Ameer Habibullah succeeded our tried and faithful ally, his father Abdurrahman, three years ago. . . He has come to the very natural and sensible conclusion that arrangements which date back to the Durnnd agreement of 1893 and to the Rawal Pinidi Durbar of 1885 may well need fresh consideration, and, possibly, even readjustment, in the altered circumstances ..of 1904. Such readjustment cannot, of course, be effected without mature and deliberate consideration by the two parties concerned, and without full and friendly discussion between their representatives. His Highness has perceived this fact, and accordingly he has now come forward with a proposal lo the Indian Government that he should send his eldest son, Sirdar Inayut-ulla, to meet Lord Curzon on the return of the Viceroy to India, and that he should receive at Kabul a representative of the Government of India, authorised to discuss with his Highness questions which concern his relations with us. The Indian Government welcomes, as a matter of course, the suggestion that the Ameer has rightly thought it in his interests to moke to it. It realises, as he doos, that the subsisting arrangements between us and our neighbour are in some respects out of date ; and they rejoice that ho has created this opportunity for bringing them under review. The initiative taken by his Highness is doubly agreeable to it as a proof of his political capacity, no less than of his confidence in us. The problems to be examined seem likoly to range over a wide field, for there is hardly a question allsct"ing Central Asia which does not, in one sense or another, concern India and Afghanistan. The practical discussion will, however, doubtless be confined to a relatively small number of subjects. There are, first of all, the matter of his Highness' subsidy and that oft his right to purchase and import through our dominions munitions of war. Doth are at present in a somewhat unsatisfactory position. The Ameer Habibullah has not, we believe, drawn any portion of the annual allowance of eighteen lakhs of rupees which was secured to his father by the Durand agreement, and as the same thing had occurred during the last years of Abdurrahman's reign, the money has been accumulating to the credit of the present ruler of Afghanistan in our hands. It is obvious, that this process, if indefinitely continued, might be attended, in contingencies which are conceivable, with serious inconvenience. The Ameer is welcome to draw his subsidy regularly when lie chooses ; but he cannot reasonably expect us to go on heaping up a great treasure for him which shall be at Iris call. His right to go on importing arms, on the other hand, has been exercised by him to a degree which was certainly not contemplated when the Durand agreement was signed. Wo are quite as anxious now as wo were then to see Afghanistan independent and strong, but we are not, sure that the ; unlimited accumulation of modern weapons at Kabul would in all conditions tend to that result. Bonder questions form another group which is certain to occupy a considerable place in the discussion. The rectification of the Af-ghan-Persian frontier on the Helmund, on which a British mission has been engaged -for several months, is naturally u matter of great interest to the Ameer, and there are other [(arts of his borders on which disputes have arisen. The general question of his influence, political and religious, over most of the tribes on the North-west Frontier and of the way in which it should be exercised are other topics which are certain to come up for nmicnble debate. Further subjects might easily be suggested, but the mention of these will suffice to show that the discussion which his Highness has invited at Kabul will be both interesting and important." in view of the information afforded above it is possible that the recent Russian movement-, may lend to developments that would also prove ■both interesting and important."

Df patent medicines. In the list of | preparations included under the Or- | :ler-in-Council are to be found a mini- ' ber of articles of diet, such as meal ' .'Xtracts and food for infants. Although nil such articles are not ' named, they are by implication brought under the regulation, which declares that the term "patent modi- j cines" includes the preparations j named, "inter alia"—that is, along ' with others not named. Xow. meat extracts aim prepared foods, are largely prescribed by medical men, and their use has doubtless saved many lives ; yet, if these regula- ; tions are enforced it may become impossible to obtain these articles in New Zealand after June liOth next. Again, all patent preparations lor treating horses and cattle for injuries or diseases are brought within the scope of these drastic regulations. A well-known cattle drench is named in the list, and by implication such articles as spavin cure, blisters, and other horse and cattle remedies are included. It was surely never intended that pnstoralists and agriculturists -should be deprived of valuable and recogn|i«ed remedies for the troubles to which their stock are subject. The matter is really; much more serious than was at first supposed, or than the most' pronounced opponent of the regulations has yet asserted. It is plain that the proposed restrictions will inflict loss upon traders, will cause suffering and inconvenience to thousands of people, and will seriously hamper country settlers in dealing with stock diseases, in the interests of all concerned, it is desirable that the regulations be withdrawn and others substituted. The Premier is again on a fair way to a handsome surTHE PUBLIC plus. He announcREVENUE. Ed at the opening of another section of the Otago Central Railway last week that the revenue for the first seven months of the year had reached £3,502,464, or £64,221 more than the amount received during the corresponding period of last year, The increase he estimated for the whole twelve months was only £16,015, so that he is already nearly £50,000 ahead of his anticipations, and still has the live best months of the year to come. He expects to be able to transfer half a million to the Public Works Fund, and if the revenue keeps up, as it promises to do, he .will manage this without the slightest difficulty. In these! circumstances the Lyttelton Times thinks the Premier may very well talk of increasing the amount of the old age pension. The prosperity of the colony has not lessened the cost of living', and there must bo many poor people who find it impossible to nntfie £lB meet all the requirements of the year. There will be claims for increased expenditure, and, with more reason, for remissions of taxation, but the first care of the Government should be to make more generous provision for the old folk who receive no material benefit from either of these concessions.