THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MAY 8. 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8134, 8 May 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MAY 8. 1906.

A correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette gives an interesting account of the gathering of native chiefs at Pretoria to meet the Duke of Con< naught;, and incidentally throws some light on the South African native question. Over 2,000 chiefs assembled to express their homage to the Throne, and on the surface the gathering appeared entirely satisfactory. Addresses were presented, and then the chiefs, feeling for the time relieved from restraint, began to Dioteat against the hut-tax, a subject which the Native Commis-

aioners bad striotly tabooed. It is this hut-tax, says tbe correspondent, whioh unites the natives of South Africa against the British rule. "I come before your Koyal Highness as a dog, with greetings," said one ohief. "I have been deputed by the population of Pietersburg to convey greeting to you, and they thank God that he has granted you this occasion to come to the Transvaal. We hope God will help you and make us your children, and that you will relieve us of our burden." And immediately another ohief delivered a similar message, speaking this time for the Pretoria natives. \ few days later these ohiefs held a meeting of their own to demand the removal of the obnoxious tax. With the exception of the tsasutoa, tbe South African natives are poorly armed, and, of course, in that fact lies the enormous superiority of the white races. But lack of arms has not deterred some of the Natal tribes from instituting a rebellion, and it is said that a succession of bad years would almost certainly inspire a general rising. The hut tax is a common form of taxation in Africa, beoausa the assessment is so simple, but it has led to trouble in all parts of tbe Continent. There was a serious rising in Sierra Leone last year be cause the natives regarded the tax as unjust, and the French on the West Ooast and tbe Germans on the East have found the im.iost a very difficult one to collect. Of course, any form of taxation is calculated to be obnoxious to the natives, but British adminstrators should be able to devise something more equitable than the poll-tax or tbe hut-tax.

German feeling in regard to Great Britain appeara to be very far from friendly at present. Germany was much excited over the Morocco „ trouble, and its resentment at the result of the Algeoiras Conference oentred on Great Britain. Several of the leading newspapers In Berlin 3 have been conducting a vigorous campaign against King Edward, who a is pictured as organising and directing a hostile European movement against Germany. The "Keicbs bote,' y a leading Conservative organ, i deulared that the general attitude of King Edward since he had come to the throne had been deoidedy hostile towards Germany, and the luncheon at wbioh he recently entertained the French Premier was taken as a deliberate attempt to support France and offend Germany. "After the Delcasse lunoheoD," said the "Keiohsbote," "the oonolusion cannot be avoided that King Edward wished to demonstrate to the Republic that he still maintains the same position as at that time when he oounted on tne f ossibility of a war with Germany. It can scarcely be considered an accident that immediately after his Paris visit King Edward met the King of Spain at Biarritz. Officially this meeting is deolared to be connected with the engagement of King Alfonso to Princess Ena of Batten berg, but there again the question arises whether this marriage does not correspond with the designs of Great Uritain, and, indeed, whether it has not been brought about by her. Immediately after his succession to the throne, King Edward made great efforts to unite the Mediteri ranean Powers, and thereby to obtain the leadership of Europe. He formed decidedly friendly relations with France and Italy, and during the last few months Great , Britain's relations with Spain have also become much more friendly than ever seemed possible. It is certainly difficult to think that a , meeting between King Edward and ' the Kaiser is still probable." The ■ Kaiser had announced his intention ] of making a visit to the Mediterrauaau, and when he abandoned this idea, the Gorman newspapers stated that he had been unwilling to meet * King Edward. ; t The report just published by Mr a J. A. Kiusella, Dairy Commissioner, a must be very gratifying to the dairy farmers. The report states that notwithstanding the cold haokward j spring experienced, the export of 0 dairy produce for the season up to * March 31st bad boon a record one. ° o The grading store figures are as (.. follows: £

UUTTEK. Cvvt. Value. 1.905-G 1904-5 < 332,240 £1,661,200 Decrease 18,074,^ increase in value £35,293 CHEESE. 1905-6 121,322 £376,098 1904-0 86,920 £217,300 Increase 34,420 £158,798 BUTTER AND CHEESE. 1905 0 1904-5 419,160 £1,878,500 Increase The decrease in butter was largely due to the fast that a number of combined oheese and butter factories took advantage of the higher prices offering, and made oheese instead of butter during last season. Cheese-making has paid the farmers better than butter-making daring the last few years, and since the initial cost of starting a cheese fac-

Tory was much lees than that of a batter factory, the tendency bas been in Che direation of producing more cheese than in the past. According to oablei prices New Zealand oheese realised throughout the past season about one shilling more per owt. than Canadian.