GENERAL ITEMS.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1591, 14 September 1882, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS.

Tub correspondent of the Times writes to that paper from Egypt : " Speaking to-day to a Turk, from m liom I have before quoted, and who, I believe, is extremely well informed as regards Stamboul Palace politics, he said : " Let me beg you to give this warning in the mort emphatic manner you can employ. Stake your reputation upon its truth, and if it be attempted to disprove it give my name, and I will give you proof under an authority which the .Sultan will not deny. Every Turkish soldier that lands in Egypt -be the guarantee of Turkey what it may —will be within a month the ally of the Egyptian military party, and will be opposed to European interference in Egypt in a far more efficacious fashion than Arabi or the whole party now in Egypt are. The day that such troops are sighted, I leave behind me Egypt, Turkey, and the East, convinced that it can only result in a European war which will terminate the existence of Turkey," The Duke of Albany (says an English paper) is developing into an extremely graceful and thoughtful speaker. His address at the Press Fund dinner on Saturday, June 24, has attracted much attention, owing to its felicity of diction and epigrammatic terseness of phraseology. Nothing can be more sensible than the keen discrimination with which the Duke sifted the truth from the falsehood in the heedless nonsense so often talked about the educative powers of the press. That power, he said, did not belong to it as an agency of controversy upon points on which people differ, but to it as an agency of instruction treating matteis about which all good men agree with dignitj' of tone, bieadth of view, and what Ml* Matthew Arnold would call ' ' sweet vcasouublness " of feeling. Of the pie&s as " the brief chronicle" of the time, the Prince said many "good things, " of which not the least remarkable was that in which lie dwelt upon what the world owes to the enterprise of special correspondents. As he remarked, " One likes to know that some spectator of our race is always present when history is in the making, and that in scenes of danger and frenzy, where no one else ventures to stand, except at the call of urgent duty or in the fury of the fight there is sure to be in the thick of everything an Englishman with a notebook whose only object is to see and to know." Thk New York Herald lately said : " Canadian protectionists are try- '< ing to convince the farmers and workingmen of the Dominion that the present prosperity of the North American British j colony is entirely owing to the absurd, antiquated, swindling system which they succeeded in fastening on that country three or four years ago. This is only the echo of the protection chorus on this side of the St. Lawrence. The fact is, the Dominion is prosperous, and the United States are prosperous, not because of protection, but in spite of it. If protection is so much of a blessing why is it that the working men in every branch of business are more dissatisfied with their wages now than they have been at almost any period in our history ? It is true that protection protects, but its golden wings are thrown not over the day laborer and the mechanic, but over the manufacturing millionaire, who grinds his employees down to the last mill." Thk discovery of secret armouries in back streets ot low neighborhoods (say the Home New*) raised the question of how these weapons, with Government j mark on them, could be obtained. It turns out that nothing is easier. There are periodical sales when rifles, not exactly of the newest pattern, but excellent weapons, can be purchased for a mere song. The pi ices range from two to ten shillings a piece, and the rifles are cageily bought up by dealers who readily dispose of them lor treble the money. Hundreds of thousand of of arms appear to have hccn received at Biiminghain and distributed from that centre to all paits of the world. Thcyaie shrewd tiadeis in that part of the world, whose first thought is to " make a market." As to the destination of the dangerious goods upon which they reap so satisfactory a profit, that is. a matter on which they are conveniently blind. Large quantities went to Ireland, and, indeed, the demand was so much in excess of the supply, that prices advanced 30 per cent. The goods -vere consigned to Birmingham m the first instance as " hardwaie"' or nails," and probably distiibuted with the same fictitious label to avoid the consequence of the Peace Protection Act. The facility with which good rifles can be got explain* how .savage races, when in aims against us in distant colonies, are supplied. The trade of " gun running" i.s not confined to the Natal frontier. The whole system is O2)en to reprehension and it is dually the business of Government to check it. So far, partly fiom want ot circumspection, partly from the greed whicli .seeks to realise smnll sums for the sale of so-called old stores, the authorities have done their best to put arnib into an cuumy'h hands. It bccmS) piobablc that the opening of the new tunnel will exercise an appreciable influence on the transit of goods as w ell as of persons in favour of the northern parts of Europe. Belgium will probably gain much as a cairicr by the new loute. The overland traffic between North-western Europe, and especially England, on the one hand, and Italy, India, and the Levant, on the other, will be chiefly affected by the change. From a comparative statement just published it appears that the distance between England and Italy via Amsterdam will bo considerably less than via Calaisand Boulogne : —Calais to Milan, via Mount (Jenis, 840 miles ; Boulogne to Milan, via Mount Ccnis, 819 miles : Ostend to Milan via St Gothard, 786 miles ; Antwerp to Milan, via St Gothard, 736 miles. The Antwerp and St Gothard route thus possesses an advantage of 83 miles over Boulogne, and 110 miles over Calais. The route under the Simplon, which France proposes to build as a setoff to the St Gothard route, would shorten the route from Calais to Milan to 774 miles, .and that from Boulogne to Milan to 746 miles ; but the Antwerp route would have an advantage of 38 miles over Calais, and of 10 miles over Boulogne, while the lates of traffic through France are higher than on the Belgian and Alsatian railways. "The Russian Cabinet," the Rooslti Kooryer says, "have at last decided on the direction of the Siberian railway, which has boon discussed for the last 15 years. The line will start from the Orenburg line, between Samara and Boozoolook, and pass through Ufa and Omsk." The right place to furnish your house from is where you can see a great variety of styles, and at prices to suit you. Ladies and gentlemen just start jng housekeeping: should procure one of Garlick and Cran\v ell's book catalogues, it contains a lot of information, enabling them to form a pretty correct estimate of the cost of furnishing and suggesting the articles necessary for each room. At the City Hall Arcade you can sco the greatest variety of iron bedsteads in Auckland. Bedding kept ready for delivery, as also all kinds of bedroom furni - ture, drawing and dininu-room suites, carpets, floor cloths, and kitchen requisites. Houses furnished throughout at a short notice, and cash buyers are allowed 5 per cent discount. The largest cabinet factory, in the 'province has just beeatiuiltby' Garlick and Cranwell iaJLornestrofit, their show rooms run from /( Queen.strept to jLornc- street, Auckland. Catalogues sent post free to intending purchasers. ■ Goods ar& carefully, packed for,tho" ctrtintry. ' FiSrfurniturG go ; to Garmckand Cran'weli.. , /,* t ',. ,