The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-02-17
The News of the World.

and from some parts also that are not quite 50
civilized. We propose here to briefly epitomize
the news.
Beginning at what in Europe is known as
. the AntipOdes,' We have to report the great
aud rich colonies Of Australia and New Zealand
as rapidly growing greater and richer. a. they
develop their immense agricultural and mining
resources. With free and liberal Governments,
- deriving their just powers from the consent OF
the governed, - a grand future is in store for the
dwellers at the antipodes. The great commerce
that has lately grown up between the colonies
and the western coast of the United States Is
already recognized and gladly hailed as a new
tie in strengthening the bonds of amity and
unity between the English speaking peoples of
the earth. Australian produce is also beginning
to be shipped by the whole cargo direct TO Amer
lean ports on the Atlantic, instead of as formerly
by the way Of England. In New South Wales
the business community particularly Is fully
alive TO the advantages derived from the steam
ship route via San Francisco for the transmission
Of freight as well as of the mails, and is earn
estly urging on the Government the payment of
a subsidy. The latter however is not apparently
alive to the subject, and acts slowly and doubt
ingly. 1t is rumored that the Government (the
Ministry is unpopular. and that it will probably
be ousted at the next meeting of the Parliament,
when more liberal and progressive men Will
come into power. In the natural progress Of
events. the time is probably not far distant when
these Australian and New Zealand communities
will cease to receive their governors from old
England, but will be entirely Independent nations
in name, as they are already nearly so in fact.
The experiment of an independent Government
in the newly erected kingdom of FIJI, appears to
be assuming the character Of a success. The
problem Of the labor traffic has been under dis
cussion in the Legislative Assembly, and a bill
has been passed for its regulation. We can only
Judge of the main features of the bill by report,
as we have not been favored with a copy. Our
neighbor, the Gazette, being en- rapport with the
Foreign Office, can doubtless obtain the docu-
ment, which we hope it will reprint for the bene-
fit Of all interested in the labor question. 1t
would appear however that the provisions of the
FIJI law are very thorough, for we read that
50 wages for native labor had been fixed at G3 a
head per annum, which with other expenses
made the expense of FIJI labor about IS Il head
yearly" Twenty-Five dollars a year for any
thing like a descent hand, is certainly a moderate
rate of wages in cotton-growing FIJI. In the
Southern States of America under the slave
system it was generally estimated that a good
hand would produce a bale and II half of cotton
a year. Putting the South Sea laborer down as
equal to one bale of 500 pounds fine Sea Island
to which the FIJI article is said to be quite
e~qual-worth in Europe from so cents to Sl.OO
per pound, say IS cents, the planter would realize
from his S25. 90 investment in labor the very
handsome return of 1925. 90. At this rate, FIJI
must be the planters paradise. But then there
are slight drawbacks to this pleasant showing.
We read in the Livuka papers of planters being
murdered by their 90 labor, - and a great deal of
trouble appears to be experienced in managing
the wretched savages, many of whom are I'M
doubtedly kidnapped from their own islands and
brought against their will to FIJI to receive 90 E3
a head per annum with other expenses We
fear that our FIJI friends will find that they have
not so easily solved the problem of the labor
traffic. So much is the public Indignation aroused
in the colonies against the traffic in men as car
ried on in the South Pacific, that we hear from
Sydney, that a law is projected making it a
felony to even fit out a vessel for the labor traffic.
Turning to the East, we find our neighbors OF
California enjoying a sensation in the shape OF an
Embassy from Japan, consisting of no less than
thirty-four persons, among whom are five high
officers of the Empire. They are DamiOs, or
Princes, who, until recently, held a sort of feudal
power over certain provinces of the Empire and
the inhabitants. BY a recent decree, the MikadC
or Emperor has abolished this system, anC
deprived the Princes of all political power, thus
breaking up the scattered Endorsements and
centralizing all the power in the recognized head
of the Empire, and this is one of the great move,
ments in Japan brought about within n few
years past. These Princes are now sent abroad
to learn by what they see among other Govern,
ments, of the strength of a nation depending
upon the theory of concentration Of power. Thus
they are supposed to become not only reconciled
to the action of the Mikado but convinced of it,
wisdom. The San Franciscans were making
perfect lions of the Embassy, excursions, and
salutes, and dinners. and visits, and ~collationc
and s~peech-making being the order of the day
Congress also had voted an appropriation for the
expenses of the Embassy, thus making them the
guests of the nation.
In regard to the Railway across the Continent
we see that the opinion has been expressed by
foreigners who have recently passed over it, thai
there is reason to believe that the delays caused
by the snow embargo and Irregularities on the
Union Pacific Railroad will have the effect tc
prevent any considerable amount of travel coming
that way from Asia, Australia and New Zealand
for a long time.
In New Orleans there are some extraordinary
proceedings going on which are somewhat diff
cult to understand. 1t appears that there are
two Legislatures, one claiming to be newly
elected and the other claiming to hold over, and
each is trying to get hold of the Government of
the State. One Carter, the Speaker of the hold
over House, is apparently supported by the
colored portion of the population, and Yarmouth,
the Governor, by the militia and the whites.
Meantime the Federal troops are ready in force
to maintain the peace.