The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18th, 1907. CURRENT COMMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81916, 18 January 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18th, 1907. CURRENT COMMENT.

It is quire possible that the Edulji maiming case, over which, the cables tell us there is a great outcry in England at present in favor of a fivsli ein|uiry, will provide another Deck revelation. The outrages for which Fdalji was convicted' took place in Hie summer of lfllKi, and caused much excitement. At the preliminary trial of Coorge Ernes Ednlji, who is a son of (he vicar of I,'rcat 'Wyrley, tl,e pro--••culing solicitor unfo'ded a trulv ox-

traordinary story. The Orcat 'tt'vrlcy murages, be said, had extended over a period of six months. Horses, cattle and sheep had been found lying in the Ileitis dead from gaping wounds in the bodv or existing in such agony that tiic'y had to lie dostniyeil. Since the end of June, also, the police and others had received many remarkable letters on the 'sub ject.

Due letter, which was in printed clinraclei--, misspelled ilm [ iiogranimaiical, was ns follows: -"Vou made a mist ike in not keeping all the plain clothes men iu hand. Vou sent t-li m.i

away too soon. Why. just think, r.c did it close where two of them were hiding omv a few davs gone bv; but. sir, he has got eagle eyes, and'his :ars are as sharp as a razor, and he is as licet of foot as a fox, and as noiseless, and lie crawl's on all-fours up to Hie poor beasts and fondles diem a bit, end then lie pulls the hook smart across them, ion want a hundred detectives to I'm him in red handed. lien use he is so fly, SI III! knows every nook and corner. " Cnti! CIOU is offered for a conviction I shan't split, 110 more.'' Other letn-rs of a similar character were also read in court, and I lie police called evidence with a view of showing that thevwerein Hi • handwriting of the prisoner. Kdnlji was found gni tv. and sentenced lo seven ve.irs' imprisonment with hard labor. I he jury recommended tee prisoner lo mercy on account of his social position, but the judge (Sir Reginald llardv) refused to accept the rider, and emphasised Ihe gravi.v i.f the outrage. Alter the conviction ot I'.dalji. further ea-es of horse and cattle maiming occurred at (treat Wyrley. A letter was sent to the police, signed "Captain -of ihe t.'ang ot Fifteen Croat Wyl'Vey .Mutilators," threatening these outrages, and nll'rming lluii. J'.dalji was wrongly competed; and a similar letter was 'sent lo a Wolverhampton paper. As a result of these letters a petition was got up in favor of .lie release of Kihi'ji, but it was not sine-ssl'ul. Lately, however, he was released, three years before the expiry of his sentence.

Figures compiled for the New Zealand Trade llevicw show that at the present time fanners find k more profit, able to engage in the pastoral industry rather than in agricu'ttire. Since ISIIII tile area under grain crops in the North Jsl.mil ha:- been, gradually dim'uisiiing from about lID.IIOO aercs to iiii.ililll acres, and the same tendency has lieen shown in the South Island, though not so markedly, owing to t'he fact, that the land there is more suitable for cropping tiiein in the North Isinnd. The area in grass in the North (sand has more than doubled during' the lasl fifteen years. Comtiling on , liis development Ihe (..veiling Post says that it docs not follow that New Zealand will continue a liastor.il country. if there is any 'serious reliction in the vii'im of pasior. ai products, or nil is found Ilia, there is more prolit ia agriculture, -a change will -speedily come about. ' Farmers work along the line of leii-l resistance mid take up ihe e'ass of i'arming which for the time being shows Hie most prolit. It is curious to iiml lliat a journal which grasps Hie pm-i-Con -o well i, blind to the /.el. teal the attempt artificially to restrict the Iran-fer of laud and lo impose 1111-neee-s.ir,- condi.ions on lho-,0 who lio'd it. wi 1 tend to make it more d-fli-r-n!t for farmers 10 meet new circumstances as thev arise.

"There will probably be no link c ,111u.enl.'' remark- the London (ilobe. "on the fact teat the New Zea'and (.'ov.Jriim-eni hi,.,-,, again deterniined lo place the loan of a million sterling, required for the current year's public works, m the/Antipodes'. The last loin was raised party in Ai.straii.i and parily iu New Zealand, and thus for the second nine (lie London mar. kct is passed over. As Hie colonial Covoini it is prepared to pay up lo A'/., per -out. for the io.ui. I lion- is no question that it could have lic-u placed in Kiighind. and although, we are infoimed. il 1aiiticipated that the 1 icy will lie obtained ut -something less than -I per cent, even at, Unit price application to London would not necessarily have boon iu vain. Hut the coamists feel ihil when money becomes -o more abundant and 'cheap in the London market a reasonable appeal from Nov, Zealand would not Miller bee.iu-e of Hied- buying proved the abiiily of the colonial market to meet local'requirements." "fin- remark,-' observes the '•lobe, "is ,-hi-ewd. In this coir-erc 1 live d'd World we may -.0,110.im-s elare ami gn-p „ | the' free c:u in wliich New Zealand spends monev'aiid raise, furl her ,-uppbes. but ,|„. p,-„- - p-ril y of Hie colony is beyond doubt, ind to :-iii- thai II i.s solvent is to pay '. I ■ compliment fillers an enlir'--I', uniooked for sil nation should nn.-e, i ,\--v. Zea'and loan eon d be pined 111 Loudon wi ul diilicilltv; mean wiille. ii is a gratifying token of the "lid irogn-s of Australasia that it Iris su.lioieni cipi'.nl resono already t 1 proi-iile for its own wants at times."