, 1896-03-07

had the cor paratlNely aS'eedole uHty "
inform the Court that, by approximate esti-
mate, the revenue to the end of the financial
wear. 3lst March, would be S2,73O,000 or
only 800, 900 less than the figures OF Eek
necta tom: and this amount, small though
It be. would have been still lover by 10000
bnt for certain votes taken by resolution to
meet requirements unforeseen at the passing
Of the annual estimates. We have become
40 accustomed to starting each financial
wear with a load Of debt from its predecessors,
that the position has no novelty for us, nor
crushing anxiety, the deficit Of last year,
&;44 COO. and the estimated deficit Of this,
making a total of only 1854 Q0. the whole
Of which we might be able to pay on by tho
close Of the incoming year, II business Will
only begin to hum, as it IS promising to DO.
Mr.. BOYLE leans to this possibility and gives
reason for it. The receipts OF the last imam
cial wear we're augmented by the amount of
duties paid during its closing days, impor-
tiers hurry ing in their supplies, III the ex-
notation IT, at the duties were to be increased
on the Is, # April, as they really were.
Owing to this accumulation OF stock at the
old rites of duty, the benefit deriyable from
the increased tariff is only now beginning to
show apv responsive results, bnt to quote
from the speech-'it is believed that these
results will continue and increase IN the
coming year" This being a reasonable sX-
pectation. there il not any pressing call tor
an increase Of taxation IN any shape or upon
anv class Of goods. to a degree that neeo Do
oppressive to thDse upon whom the incidence
of taxation vii. fail. And certainly there
is not the slightest occasion to propose &
reduction in the salaries OF PUBIC OI1cers,
or an income tax to include officials and non
20 ~ l 49, .Is-1
officials alike. If the deficit had been as nigh
as was generally anticipated, a re0uctlon OF
salaries would have been proposed, ana we
are pleased to be able to say, to the credit
Of certain officials IN important positions, that
thew had expressed their Willingness to sub
NIT to a temporary reduction OF pay, so as TO
ease the colony's burden OF taxation, unCll
more prosperous days returned.
In the Nackay Sugar journal, we hnd an
oxtrac ct from the Bundaherg Mail IN which is
o;vpn tLa account OF an experiment in hybri-
disipe canes. The method adopted was as
foIIows the respective canes being those
known as Tama and Grey Fiji
Several Tana staiss # sugar cane had tho
tons cut If. aad all b.. uitn the exception
Of the top oues; tter with Il sharp wad-
cptter the bottom We liz the fam cane was
cleaulv cut GU. au4 an eye from the grey
Fiji cut with the same cNtter. carefully htted
in The sap having only the top eye left
as a natural outlet, had to pass the budded
aves and thus enabled seven stalks out Of
IA 70 he successfully hybridised. These
we're planted late ia las November on Mr..
r.. II. Graves plautatiJn, and although the
nlants were severely frosted, still SOM" OF
them Survived, and this week Mr.. Morrell
brought in a couple Of the hyhrids. Even a
novice can at n glance see that tho dlstin-
ouisbed characteristics Of both the Tanna and
the grey Fiji ale here combined on the same
stalk. and if the hlbridised plant viii con
tinue to produce likewise, leta very wide
field is at once opened for the Improvement
of the sugar cane.
Tie writer points out that hyhridising
could be carried on to a practically unlimited
extent. because other kinds could be bnilded
ON 10 the hvbrids "rendering it possible to
produce a new variety of high density, hardy,
and a heavy yieIder.' There seems to be
matter for serious reflection to sugar planters
IN the writer's ommen on the new
nrocess.-"When it is IN that to
produce a new variety from seed IS %dltncult,
and that when successful 1t will take fully
10 wears TO prove if it is worth keeping, it
seems certain thai a great benefit has been
conferred on the sugar industry by tue re-
suits detailed"
nv -. akoUo ,1,Scriho6 iS not 1thvb,i-