OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 191, 7 May 1908, Page 11

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

V •' — ; — 4 —■ ■ . ' MEWS AND NOTES ON THE WEEK. :V I- \ ■...„■■ fHE KIDSTON - PIIILP COALITION. " ■'» • (FHOU OUR SI'ECIAL CORRESrOSDKNT.) - ' Cydnay, Maj 2., It is " not surprising to learn that Mr. Kidston, Premier of Queensland, has , said good-byo to the Labour party. So much was . ' indicated tho other day in-the House, in nn modifying quarrel, when Mr. Bowman, tho ' of tile Labour section, incidentally informed, the amongst other hits of v v news,- that ho was a disgrace to ,-tho Treasury : bsSilcheS. . But stranger still is the denouement, a-coalition between the forces of , Mr.v Kidston and those.of Mr. Philp, naturally unexpected after Iho hard things these leaders have been ; saying about each other, during the recent. crisis. That thoj have evidently buried tho hatchot prctt.v deoply is shown , bj' ilia statements of both Mr. Kidston. . and ,Mr. Philp'on Saturday last. Mr. -Kid? ■stony who 'is going on a trip to England, ' '"made /it clear ;that'.. the. differcrica.. between himself attd the-LAbour section •is too serious !-to;be -healed- It .was not.a-satisfactory condition of affairs, said lie, that one party shohld bo irt office whilst another party dietdted its policy; ftnd. not-from inside,'but . - outside Parliament., Whilst he was no less a. democrat now than before, hb recognised that , it' was impossible for the Government to continue to Work with tho Lftbour party oil tho.terms on which the Labour party would permitting 1 wo?k ;td be carried 611. The only s 'other; party was that led by Mr. Philp. number of'members of the Govorn- : mentsparty:would.not work with that of Mr. ■ Philp, ■' lie thought, a. strong democratic Government, could be formed, and unless some-thing:-of ibe kind, could be. done Queenslandwould be'm dlinger from tho three-party system. ,' v -.-.MIV" Pmlp, when asked a-., question afterwards- on: this subject; was moro explicit. Ho stated thAt ( ho had had ft conference with Mr. Kidston on Saturday morning, when the . question of tho fusion of. tho two parties was',discussed. 1 'As Mr. Kidston is; to be » Brisbane two. or/three weeks before the 6f-.-Parliament, ■■the''.details of the coalition will then bo arranged. ) WERE THE. BftAKES SAFE? important developments havo ', arisen .at the test of the Bendigo tram which , overcaiiv . a Ballftrat ■ tram at Sunshine . 011 Easter.Monday' night, and wrought such 'ter- • nblo. destruction to life.; After ithe accident,, th 9 ;B6udigo> train was put aside m the.railway; shed 4t. North Melbourne, that it might , bo .examined at the inquiry ; and a series of.: tests was mado of its-brakes on Thursday ■, laStj: while tlio train . was 1 stationary.. : These tests, ,\Vhn!]i occupied'the whole day, reveal certain faftts which,certainly, from the.tfclfi-' ■ graphid, reports, appear very significant. ■ Thebt-akfesand piston travels 011 tho engine's , ; ..tenders,. were, found, in some instances, to 1 be much in'ixcess of tho standard laid down, as to length. When testing- the engines / and -carriages.- a 701b.,,.pressure .of air was , fbiijidill.. the ■ trail) pipes, and 001b. .in the - mbiti> reservoir.- -s A reduction of 121b. was made.. . Ih<s brakes on the first engine gripped effectively,, but on tlie second ehgme,' ■ the» prist officc .van," and carriage thirty, they"; f ailecb/- .Tlie Crown expert'- states tliat the, brake, cylinder'was detective, and tlife engmo's»brako almost,useless. .Tests .were also made.-at various reductions of air pressures, and in Sail instances the engine and carriages mentioned, failed- tb act,-and; the: emergency application-was a partial failure: Another , • • eXpfeft'.'-stated that the: brakes; on the. second' , '. engine were utterly- and those on tho-,,post .office van and. carriage thirty. ab.solutely Worthless. In addition, another carriage,; niuch larger, had . been removed, v brakes, almost v cirisisteritly;'infused' t6 act-,One, . horse-box track was.ioundto bo without-the ■ . brake.;; Therefore -.it/ may ; bo stated that the brriko power on 6ne engine; two carriage's, one ■ s was .nil.; .'As an express'train, said this witness, .it was a'disgrace to the roads, and' should-.'havd been Removed: Later on, the' . . hose. cjmection/bctweeii ,'the first ,'engihO; and its wnder .was found'J.tb. cbntaih 'an obstruction; -... The; driver's ;'signaUiri'g: valve proved to be-.very slow in'-action:. On the, other ,hand, at' a 'trial made on Tuesday,. under , conditions; as . nearly as possible similar to those, in ', existence 'on the . ■ night■ of . the collision, the brakes of the Bendigo train, it. is stated, acted perfectly. At -a speed of about '38 or 40 miles an . hour, the tram was stopped, in 1134 ft. in 40 seconds. .Three other tests "were, made, and , it is reported, that .they, were '.all' satisfactory. /'\ - Ihe.-deciiion of vthe Cabmo't that a jury shall;.be'.empanelled,' to;-'assist" the Coroner(Dr.vCole) ; at: the inquest on-the victims of the disaster makes it,necessary that at least . one,body shall b6 exhumed m order to com- ! ply 'with • a formality'-rcQUinng that a body , ,shallgbe., 'Viewed'' by- tlie : jiiry before; the' Coroner proceeds to; take evidence; • METiIYLATED SPIRIT. , The .terrible practice of consuming methylated spirit, recent inquiries have Ishowii, 10 . increasing amongst a certain, section'of ~tlie comriiuiiity—-thoso who are not able to afford a stock of. liquor to tide them over Sunday, and thorefore resort to the chemist on that day for the cheaper, and much. more dangerous .spirit. Another victim to this habit. is revealed m an elderly man, Matthew Birch, who was sent to .Darlinglmrst Gaol on Tuesday, to-serve a sentence of 14 days for drunkenness..-,.,. As he ! .was evidently, ill, he; was taken to the gaol. hospital; and there the doctor (announced , that hp could hot live : vcrj long. The poor man. died the following nioi-mns; from hoar't; failure,-, consequent : uponl-the excessive drinking of . methylated spirits. - Since the number of th.e victims of 1 ■' this deplorable habit is increasing, it will , bocome- the duty of the authorities to resalo of the spirit by' chemists. Methylated spirit .contains a very large per-centago-.of fusel oil, and it small liroportioh of methyl oil; and one'of-the commonest' effects - produced in those who drink the ■ liquid,- it appears, is paralysis of tho opticnoiTe. ■.:■ - i' • - . .