The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 290, 19 May 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1898.

♦ . The speech of Mr Chamberlain at Birmingham, which a French newspaper termed "cold-blooded violence," came as a surprise to the world, as it did no doubt to the people of New Zealand. There were no further complications, so far as the wire kept us informed, to account for the sudden outbreak—all the more violent from having been suppressed for many months. It is only necessary to trace back the recent course of diplomacy with regard to the Chinese difficulty, to recognise the cause of this explosion of pent-up indignation on the part of the Secretary for the Colonies. The proceedings of the French with regard to the Niger dispute added additional evidence to the fact that it was quite time that British statesmen spoke out in no uncertain voice, even at the risk of being accussed of "coldblooded violence " and of " much embarrasment." The policy of the British Government has been to prevent the slicing up of the Chinese Empire, and to secure freedom of trade with equal facilities for the merchants of all countries. To this Russia assented in words ; but departed from in practice. She gave assurances " that any port acquired by Russia on the coasts of the North Pacific would be open to the'ships and commerce of all the world like other ports on the Chinese littoral." Then, again, Count Muravieff authorised our ambassador at St. Petersburg to state there was no intention on the part of the Russian Government to infringe the rights and privileges guaranteed by existing treaties between China and foreign countrias. These treaties include the right, under that of Tientsin, to send ships of war to' all ports within the dominion of the Emperor of Chiiia. In spite of these assurances Port Arthur is not to be free to the war vessels of other nations, and the fact is not disguised that it .has been acquired from China in order to afford Russia a naval base for operations in the North Pacific. The British Go vernment has been deceived, and has been compelled to acquire Wei-hai-wei as a counterbalance to Port Arthur. Lord Salisbury has recognised from the beginning of the Chinese trouble that the occupation of territory except for a military or naval base would be a mistake. The interests of England, as Mr Balfour has put it. are not territorial, but commercial. These interests might suffer in two ways. The first by foreign Powers obtaining stations along the coast of China, and introducing into those ports or stations differential fiscal regulations, which would operate in favour of their commerce and against ours. The second was by any Power acquiring the means of putting pressure * upon the Chinese Government at Pekin, and thus indirectly causing injury to our trading interests, while nominally leaving treaty rights undisturbed. In 1895 Russia objected to the occupation of Port Arthur by the Japanese, as its occupation would be a constant menace to the capital of China. It appears that the English Government offered, if Russia would abstain from taking Port Arthur, that they would guarantee not to occupy any port in the Gulf of Pc-cbi-li. Russia having persisted in th i course, England has been compelled to acquire Wei-hai-wei. Mr Chamberlain appears to have slated that the ways of Russian diplomatists are tortuous, this is very

much in the nature of a re-discovery of a familiar fact. It is at any rate consolatory that the Government will no longer allow itself to be duped by diplomatists whose word is not to be relied upon. The position with Franco over the Niger business is also critical. The French Government are, after the manner of their countrymen, very polite, but nevertheless persist in endeavouring to acquire territory which by the mutual arrangement of interested nations belongs to Britain, This practice will have to cease or war will in all probability result. It is satisfactory to learn that the French Government has authorised a conciliatory announcement. The only concession, however, likely to meet with consideration from the English Government will be by strictly adhering to their own rights and allowing Britain to enjoy hers.

Oil our fourth page this morning will be found a 'etter from Mr E. Allen dealing with the Waikato A. and P. Association, a report of the meeting of the Wellington Agricultural Society, and othei matter. The Union Steamship Company have purchased the steamer Kiaora for their coastal trade. An Auckland telegram last night states that 25ib of picked stone from the Nonpariel Mine yielded 550 z. of retorted gold. To day, being Ascension Day, there will be an early celebration of the Holy Communion at the Anglican Churches at Hamilton and Cambridge, as well as evening service at 7.30. The Waikato hounds will meet as under :—Newstead Railway Station, Saturday next; Pickering's Corner, Tuesday, 24th inst. (Queen's Birthday) ; Gwynnelands, Saturday, sth June. A letter ha 3 been received by a Raglan resident from the Premier, stating that if time permits he will visit that place and give an address, He adds that probably the Hon. Mr J. McKcnzie will visit Raglan before the session. The Rev. T, Scott, of Cambridge, is, we are glad to learn, recovering from his recent attack. The congregation are to be congratulated on having secured the help of the Rev. A. M. Beattie, M.A., for another Sunday for the purpose of preaching in Mr Scott's absence. It is reported that Mr L. Northcroft will, at the next ekction, contest the Westland seat with the Premier. Mr Northcroft is connected with tho West Coast Times, and is a brother of Mr H. W. Northcroft, who is Stipendiary MagistrateatWanganiu,and who formerly held a similar position in Auckland, Thames and Waikato. The only candidates nominated for Mataura were Messrs Robsrt McNab and W. F. Ward. It was understood that had the Hon. G. F. Richardson been in a position to be nominated, Mr McNab would have retired, in order to allow him to be returned unopposed. This intention, although it could not be carried out, met with general approval, and Mr McNab is commended for it. Yesterday afternoon a middleaged man, named John McGonnell, died at Hamilton, from typhoid fever. He had been working on the goldfields ; and came to Hamilton on Monday, being unwell, and in the evening called in Dr. Brew is ; but the disease bad such a hold on him that medical aid svas of little avail, and he died as stated above, the immediate cause of death being perforation of the bowels. Deceased leaves a wife and a family of young children, to whom we tender our sympathy in their loss. The anniversary of Trinity Presbyterian Sunday-school, Cambridge, was celebrated last Sunday by special services, which were conducted in the morning and evening by the Rev. A.M. Beattie, M.A., of Patea, whose earnest aud eloquent addresses were listened to with deep attention. Iu the afternoon a children's service was conducted by the Rev. Wm. Cannell, who delivered an interesting address on lessons from the life of Joseph. Appropriate hymns were very uicely bung by the children, who appeared to enjoy their anniversary gathering. The Rev. Dr. Hosking has been very successful in raising funds for the erection of a Wesleyan Church at Huutly on a site generously donated by the Taupiri Extended Coal-mining Company. Nearly the whole of the money required has already been subscribed, aud it is expected tho building will be ready for service early in June. Mr S. Holloway has been appointed Missionary and will be inducted by Dr. Hosking on Wednesday, Juue Ist. He will reside at Huntly, and will embrace in his district the surrounding settlements, including Taupiri, Rangiriri, Matahura, Kimihia, Ohinewai and Wairangi. Mr Stephen Gwynn tells some good stories in the March number of the Cornhill Magazine. Here is one of them : At a political meeting in Scotland proceedings opened with prayer ; but the audience were not all of one mind concerning the things prayed for. So, when the minister reached the petition, "Grant, O Lord, that the great Leebcral party in this country mny a'haug thegither," a voice from the crowd interrupted with a loud and irreverent " Ahmen." " Not, O Lord," went on the speaker, " in the sense in which that profane scoffer would have ye to understand it, but that they may hang thegither in ahcord and concord." "I dinna so much care what sort o'cord it is," struck in the voice, " sae long as its a strong cord." " For ways that are dark and for tricks that are vain, the heathen Chinee is peculiar." It is believed in Sydney that the bland Celestial has discovered a new method of evading the Aliens Restriction Act. The other day three Chinamen were tried there for endeavouring to smuggle a few pounds' worth of opium from the steamer on which they were engaged as sailors. They were heavily fined, but of course could not pay, and were sent to prison for six month?. As the Telegraph observes :—" Had they landed from their vessel in an honest, straightforward way, they would have been asked to donate £IOO each to the consolidated revenue of the colony. But by the simple artifice cf stuffing a few tins of opium up his sleeve, so that they can be seen by the naked eye of a Custom-house official, any Chinaman can not only effect a free landing, but secure free board and lodging until he has* become acclimatised as well." A contemporary raises the important question whether in view of the mental strain put on present day school children, it would not be wise to abandon the Saturday half-holiday in favour of Wednesday. This query is suggested, by the work of a Berlin head master who has been contributing to a German medical weekly some interesting results of his experimental studies on the question of the overpressure of school children. The best working days, he finds, are Monday and Tuesday, aud the first two days after the holidays. The insertion of a holiday in the middle of the week would, it is thought, tend to a revival of the mental freshness which only lasts, as things are, till Tuesday afternoon. The best working hours are, similarly, the first two in the morning, and should accordingly be reserved for the severer tasks ; the three hours afternoon teaching in the higher schools is bpecially fatiguiag, and there should always be an interval in the middle.

The Gorman-Australian Steamship Company, of Hamburg, intend to sturt a second line of steamers to Australia with Adelaide ns a terminal port, and calling ;:t Melbourne and Sydney. The first steamer sails on July 9th. A telegram from Dunedin states that tho National Mortgage Agency Co. have just sold upwards of 31,000 bushels of wheat grown on the New Zealand Australian Lund Co.'s land, to Evans and Cd. at 5s per bushel (sacks extra), at country railway station. The London correspondent of the New York Sun writes as follows on March 12th ;—Engineering, shipbuilding and shipfitting industries in England have never before been so busy as now. They are makiog up for the last halfyear of the great lock-out with a vengeance, night shifts being alrnott universal and deliveries hard to secure under two years. The immense bulk of the men who were out are at work again, but there are several hundred marked agitators who will not be taken back anywhere. The men show no disposition to quarrel on their account. They have learned a good many lessons since midsummer, and among them is a wholesome distrust of the " leaders," who got them into such trouble and so grossly bungled in their efforts to extricate them from it. 1 hear many stories now of how generously big individual employers behaved in feediDg the women and children during the distress, and it is easy to believe what I am assured, that there is a better and more cordial feeling of the men toward the masters to-day than England has known for a long time. There will be no important strike in these trades for years to come. " Long Tom," the hangman, who gets £25 every time he swings off a human being into space (says a writer iu a contemporary), was at one time mining at Ross. 1 was standing some few months Vgo by tho Post-office at the corner (Wangamii). Round in the avenue leading straight up to St. John's Hill was the cab-stand, and " Long Tom," who had just returned from the finishing off of Bosher, the Petone murderer, was describing minutely to the bystanders how he had done the job satisfactorily. In the long line of cabbies waiting a fare was one good-natured whip with as thick a neck as I ever remembered to have seen in possession of any human being. To him in particular Long Tom seemed to be addressing his remarks : " There's a' hart in it—'specially in the rus6iu' ; then 'yi got ti humour 'im and guyyvr 'im as 'ow 'ell want ti shake' 'ands wi' ye. Then it's quite a pleasure to swing 'em off. Why, it makes me feel quite sad when I looks at that neck o' youm, 'specially when I says to myself, ' 'Ere's a neck goin' to waste for want o' proper attention ; an' 'ere's me, Long Tom, a-stand-in' hidle.' " The cabbie, quite disconcerted, drove off, and so lost his place, whilst many of the crowd, forgetting the cold-blooded hnrangue of the callous hangman, roared over the ignominious flight of the cabby with the great ueck. In his book just published, " The Story of New Zealand," Mr W. P. Reeves, Agent-General, says:—The Scotch, in proportion to their numbers, are more prominent than other races in politics, commerce, finance, sheep farming, and the work of education. While the New Zealand race shows no sign of beating the best British, or of producing an average equal to that best, its average is undoubtedly better than the general British average. The intellectual average is cood, but of artistic, poetic or scientific talent, of wit, originality, or inventiveness there is not yet much sign. On the whole young New Zealand is, as yet, better known by its collective usefulness than by its individual distinction. Society is not, as a rule, dictated to by mer? money, and is more sociable, self-confident and unsuspicious than that of older countries. Compared with the race from which they have sprung the islanders seem less conventional, less on their guard and more neighbourly and sympathetic in minor matters, fonder of change and experiment, lets extravagant for the sake of display, more venturesome, more empirical, more sober, more moral, equally adverse to taking advice, but quicker to learn from foreign example, more lawabiding, but readier to make and alter laws, more indifferent to public opinion, yet contemptuous of eccentricity, more prone to wander (especially in the case of the work-people). Hypercritical and eaten up by local and personal jealousies in public life, they are less loyal to parties and leaders, less ready to defy theories and catchwords, just as suspicious of wit and humour. They are less tolerant of crime, gloom, and injustice.