CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 70, 13 September 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

TOMORROW'S MATCH. Soiiie (lissatisfi\ctiofi is manifesto]. in certain qutvrterfe at the acti6n of the Rugby : Union in charging two shillings for the match to-morrow, instead of the customary shilling. It is felt in these quarter!! that the Union- is seizing the opportunity of exploiting the public and enriching their coffers unnecessarily. Else.whvre in this issue the manager of the touring teaip places the Union's side of the case before the public. It is, in oui' view, a convincing case and o complete ariswev, as well as an appbal, to the objectors to the charge. iWe are sure that if the Union's position had been set out before so lucidly and fairly little or no, dissatisfaction would have been evinced. In matters where public support has to be relied upon, the public should bo taken into the confidence of thp parties concerned—in this case the Rugby Union. Mr. McLeod shows that the recent highly successful trip—a trip ■ tliat will go down to football posterity as unique in that three of the first-class provincial teams had their colors lowered by an unprecedented number of points—lias-landed the Union in substantial debt, which has been guaranteed by the individual members of the Union; that the expenses in connection with home representative matches are unduly large, owing to the distances players have to travel to reach any of the points at which matches are played; that the local Union is solely dependent upon the '-'gates" in Taranaki (they participated in none of the "gates" in the big .matches,of the southern tour) for their revenue; that the Taranaki Union has a big "hurdle" in the £4OO debt- it owes to the New Zealand Rugby Union in connection with the New Plymouth Sports Ground-, the redemption payments in regard to which arc behindhand. The Union, therefore, is in rteed of all the financial support it can be accorded. In face of this explanation, we feel sure those who were loudest in their protests against what they honestly believe -to be an exaction, who were concerned about the principle more than the .amount involved, will view the position in a different light, and .be ready, in the special circumstances, to pay the extra charge. After all, .two shillings is not out of llic way J;o charge for an important nia.tch in the Park, because practically every seat is a grandstand seat and there are no tram or 'bus 'fares to aii'l-frotir the ground, as is- the case in other e'enti'es." And, apart from these advantages, a trial of strength between the acknowledged stars of the football firmament of the Dominion this year win be worth paying a lot and going a long way to see. We feel sure that if the Taranaki team play .as well as they did'against Wellington, and as.well as tfioy are reported to have played in the' South, no one* will regret paying the charge demanded, especially when- one knows tliat the extra charge is going to ease the load the Rugby Union is staggering under at the pVesent moment.

CO.XVICTS IN SIBERIA. A special correspondent of tlie" St. Petersburg Novoe Vre/nya has been visiting Asiatic Russia in company with M. 'fiutehkoflf, the fdrmer President of the Duma, and' lias investigated the conditions governing the employment of convicts in the construction of the Amur railway. His observations in general have disclosed a fairly satisfactory state of affairs, but he has given a harrowing aeedunt of the Bufferings of the prisoners who, are employed on one section of the line in the Rosdoluy district. He charges the officials with displaying senseless cruelty towards the convicts, who are flogged and ill-used without any valid cause. On one occasion the superintendent, a ruffian named Leonnoviteh, shot dead with hik revolver*a prisoner who had returned an impertinent answer to an order. The food given to the convicts' is shockingly bad, the meat .being rotten and the cereals musty. M:\uy of the lften are 'Suffering' from' scurvy in its worst'form, as a result of eating the food, and they "are threatened with confinement in the cells if they do not remain at work. The cells, if. Gutehkpll' remarks, can only be described as "stinking nests of vermin." A'party of sick convicts in the Rasdoluy district were eight' days without food, the official' in charge having left them to their fate: A doctor told the newspaper, correspondent that he had. found a'convict dying of hunger and exhaustion. Testimony is produced, even from the military guards, to show that the great majority of the men compelled to suffer these horrors are obedient, willing and good-tempered. Many of them try to escape, naturally enough, since no other remedy for their troubles is open to them, but they would respond readily to decent treatment. It is to be hoped that the revelations of the correspondent will move the authorities to take section in the interests' of the prisoners. '

MONEY MAItKET. At present the prospects for our staple products for the coming season appear decidedly bright, says the Trade Review. S,o far weather .conditions have been favorable, but the production depends considerably on a continuation of these conditions; given that, however, a good season may be anticipated. Excellent prices lire being offered for dairy produce. and a good output is expected. While this side of the scale appears bright, imports, the other governing factor a fleeting financial conditions, continue to grow steadily. A note of .warning against over importation and an exhortation to caution on the part of importers has recently been sounded in two quarters by prominent commercial men, and while we do not anticipate anything in the nature of stringency, we consider that this matter calls for watchfulness on tbe part of importers generally. The supply of money available continues sufficient for all legitimate requirements, and lending rates are.fairly easy.