The Evening Star. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1902.

Evening Star, Issue 11693, 26 September 1902, Page 4

The Evening Star. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1902.

The action o! the City Council generally in regard to the scheme for Greek meet* the generation of electric Greet. power for the City tramways by utilising the water of the Lee Stream reminds one very much of what is called “ marking time ” in the manoeuvring of troops. They have now come to that stage when part of the scheme is making such advancement as can he effected by their electrical adviser touring the United States in search of that information which it was expected that he already possessed as an expert, while the body corporate are executing partial movements corresponding to the up-and-down motion of the soldiers 1 feet, but with no visible progress. These remarks are suggested in regard more particularly to the latest phase of the business, where the Tramways Committee had the two contending and contradicting engineers (Messrs Rogers and Anderson) before them for the purpose of cross-examination. A pamphlet containing a special report of these meetings was courteously forwarded to us many hours after it became public property, and after perusal we cannot avoid expressing the opinion that it was a pity that the names of* the questioners were not put in front of their inquiries. What motive councillors had in sheltering themselves behind the hedge of anonymity we cannot conceive; and certainly the citi-

Zens could more exactly have fixed a value to the questions if they knew who put them. We are, further, grateful for the gift of that report, as we recognise in the act of the Tramways Committee a* somewhat late response—better late than never —to the wish we have frequently expressed in this column that the business of the Council should be conducted with less secrecy, and that councillors should show more candor towards the ratepayers than they have been in the habit of doing in the past.. At the two meetings of the Tramways Committee covered by the report the relative positions of engineers towards councillors revive recollections of skirmishing in South Africa, where British soldiers in the open were “ sniped ” by the enemy from behind boulders, just as councillors sheltered under anonymity and official position discharged snapshots at unprotected engineers.

The present condition of stagnation in regard to the Lee Stream proposals of the city engineer might have been foreseen by anyone who knew the ways of experts of like degree when it was resolved to get Mr Anderson to report upon what Mr Rogers was providing for race and reservoir at Lee Stream. That the advice of more than one engineer should be taken goes -without saying, but it ought to have been evident to those who made the selection that the man who was called on for an opinion should bavo been chosen for his commanding position in the profession. It was further desirable that up to that point he should not have been brought so closely into contact with- Mr Rogers as Mr Anderson had been, by reason of their official positions, the first having charge of the streets and the other having control of the drains within the same area. The orctnnstances • that have been created do not show that the recommendations of Mr Anderson, wherein he differs from the city engineer, can bo accepted and acted on without further investigation; and this is demonstrated by the fact* that the Council have thought it necessary to bring these two gentlemen face to face, and (in ordinary parlance) “have it out.” These two engineers have been drawn from the same professional stratum-, as it were, as may be assumed from the circumstance that they applied for pretty similar positions, carrying equal salaries, and having something like the same fixity of tenure. So far as can be judged by their credentials relating to professional experience before coming to Dunedin, there is nothing to differentiate the capacity of the one from the other, ;md there is nothing in either of th;ir reports from which the public can judge that necessarily in a conflict of opinion between them the one must be right and the other equally certain to be ■wrong. Had these two gentlemen acted in conjunction, on a basis of equality from the start, their consultation might have been beneficial, but now the conditions suggest a parallel between a dispute at law, wherein an appeal has been made from the decision of one stipendiary magistrate to another, instead of taking the matter at once to a higher court. We do not say that it is yet°too late to consult such an authority as we have indicated, bat we do say that it is too early. And for this reason: that until further infoimation with regard to the quantity of water that can be obtained has been gathered from a carefully-conducted system of observations extending over at least twelve or fifteen years no engineer of high repute would risk his good name in recommending the prosecution of works from which so much would be required, and which however well they might be carried out might fail at a time of even moderate drought. The risk is too Great, but that risk was taken by the original projectors of this scheme before Mr Rogers appeared on the scene, and apparently they persevere in their belief, notwithstanding what has been'told them by both engineers, and notwithstanding, also, the evidence of reputable persons—settlers and travellers—who have known that particular country for many years. No engineer, however skilful and experienced, can supply that information. It is, however, clearly the duty of the City Council to immediately set about the organisation of such a system of observation as will secure that much-desired data. We are firmly convinced that until it has been demonstrated by some such means that water enough for the generation of the power required can be depended c n in all seasons it is foolish to discuss mnrate details, such as were dealt with at recent meetings of the Tramways Committee. It seems a pitiable waste of time to consider whether “gadding” or blasting should be resorted to for the purpose of carrying out a work which it has not yet been shown would be a proper and profitable undertaking. Much money and time have already been spent on this (to our thinking) very unprofitable discussion, and perseverance on similar lines can only mean much more loss, and much more exasperation on the part of the citizens, many of whom are now divided between the question as to whether the whole should be called on to resign or should be allowed “ to stewin their own fat” until the next election. We do not favor the first of these suggestions, though we fear the second, but we would gladly see the Council address themselves resolutely and promptly to the work of installing the steam plant which is supposed to be under construction at this moment in some distant American workshop. We have urged this course before, and every new development of this Lee Stream business demonstrates and emphasises the expediency of such a policy. A word or two in conclusion in reference to the special meeting of the City Council this week to consider the report of the Tramways Committee. We are simply astounded at the resolve of the Council to spend more money and more time in obtaining reports that cannot possibly be conclusive, and ca mot be accepted as a final decision on the differences between the city engineer and Mr Anderson. At that meeting it was stated that the city engineer’s scheme was simply a mining race. Yet the gentlemen who have been suggested to decide the many points involved (with the exception of Professor Park) have had the principal part—if not the whole—of their experience in similar works! We shall have more to say when the city engineer has put in hia defence, for he is certainly on Ids trial now, and there does not seem to have been, a disposition to give him. that measure

of fair play that any man in such a position has a right to expect. In the meantime we think that the public will be inclined to share our opinion that the course of the discussion is on the down-grade.

In the course of an anecdote last night, Dr Torrey said if any man was a contemptible whelp it was the man who ran away and left hia wife. "You have,” he went on, “ a lot of these in this town; men who have left their wives in Scotland, sod come hero to try to get another. Oh, I know what I am talking about.”

A Conference was held in the Town Hull yesterday afternoon between the Executive of the Competitions Society and the City and suburban teachers. His Worship the Mayor presided, and the teachers were represented by Misses Marc bant (Girls’ High School) and Ross (Girton College), Messrs A. Wilson (Bovs’ High School), Hodge, Davidson, Smith, Jeffery, Line, Rennie, Smeaton, Macdonald, M’Lcan, Begg, Fitzgerald, and Murray. Short addresses were delivered by the Mayor, the Rev. W. Cur-zon-Siggers, and Mr G. C. Israel,, after which the teachers present promised to <ooperate with the society, and to bring the objects of the society before their pupils.

It will be recollected that when Mr T. E. Taylor was passing through Dunedin he informed us that while in Melbourne he read that Mr Seddon had tried to float a New Zealand loan in London, but without success. Mr Taylor, writing from Christchurch, now tells us that it was from the ‘ -Age ’ that he drew his information; and it seems that in the London correspondence of that journal, after referring to the partial failure of the Victorian loan, there appeared this paragraph:—“Mr Seddon tried this week to arrange for the flotation of a loan for New Zealand, and found the Victorian transaction a decided impediment in his path. The brokers are said to have unanimously warned him oS.”

Dr Torrey says that the poorest place be knows, in a long experience, for repentance is a death-bed.

Dr Torrey scored an undoubted hit at the commencement of last evening’s men’s meeting. He began by saying that we had in Dunedin the most brilliant infidel he had ever met. He then read the following letter:—“ Seeing that you think youtsell the one and- only one intimate with Christ, I should like to know if you can walk on water. If not, perhaps a little prayer will set you up in this respect.” At the edge of tne note, went on the doctor, he writes: “ Please do not shirk readnig this. Dr Torrey said he was terrified when he read that, and went on: ‘ ies, I can walk a good deal better on water than I can on whisky,” whereat there was a boisterous burst of applause. There will be a change of programme at the Alhambra Theatre to-night, and the Coronation pictures will be repeated. The who have been appearing this week j „ au S e Hieir “ turns,” and Callahan and Mack, two Irish comedians, will make their first appearance in Dunedin. These artists have been doing well ail through the colonies, and their acts have won them great praise. Their humor is said to be of the more refined type, and opposed to the broad, yelling comedy which one hears so often on the vaudeville stage. At the Magistrate’s Court to-day, Mr , r . ew . Presiding, judgment was given for plaintiffs in the following cases:—James i Neil v - Edwin Wells (Nelson), by default for i/4, full amount of promissory note with costs (10s); W. Gregg and Co, Ltd v. Rooert Gneve (Winchester), £ls, goods Krppbed with costs (£1 9s). Duthie Bros., Ltd (Mr Baron) v. Wahh Bros. (Ealing Canterbury), for a claim of £39 4s 6d con- «° i ' KOr y for £2O 6s 7d c-im £lB 17s lid, goods supplied. Evidence was given showing that £36 7s Id had been paid smee the issue of summons. Judgment was given for the balance (£2 17s costs, which ware not determined, there oeing a question of mileage. If, saia Dr Torrev last evening, his hearers would read a letter he had got from a young man in this town who was smitten by the gambfing rage of this country either their legislator would down gambun?, they would down the legislator. There was a good attendance at the Macandrew road School bazaar last evening, and very fair business was done at the stalls. A capital orchestra play-er a number of selections, the members bein'* Messrs Rainsford, Perry, Hoff]and, M‘Len°nan, Thomas Parker, and Dick, and Mi«s Dick. Messrs Clark. Burrell, and M'Conne.l took part in,an Irish speciality, and Mr Elston sang. Mr R. Paterson" acted as accompanist. The bazaar will be open to-n-ght and to-morrow afternoon, when a baby show is to be held. There will be a minstrel entertainment in the evening. We understand that the Tramways Committee of the City Council have decided to give horses and employees a rest on Sunday. The fact was announced by Dr Torrey last evening, and called forth applause. The doctor went on to say that he hoped the Committee would not backslide on other Sundays.

An esteemed correspondent, writing from a Southern Otago di trict re. the Mvcalled plebiscite, says; “At present the plebiscite business is done with, and the fiasco was as complete in the country as vou showed it to be in Dunedin. Here I know of papers being admitted to the flames ’, of wives voting for their husbands, who had seen the papers, the lives being pestered out of the,women by the zealous ones until they signed to get rid of the importunate ones. One girl was advised not to leave a paper at. a house where there was a Roman Catholic—the same old story. The ‘ Star's articles have been widely read and appreciated here.”

It was announced nt last- evening's meetings in the Garrison Hall that a service for converts would be held on Monday in First Church, also that as the outcome of a conference of ministers in southern districts a convention will be held at Milton during the first week of November, in which it is proposed to cany on the work done in Dunedin during the present revival. Ladies’ hair trimmed or singed. Is, at Hendy’s Hairdressing Rooms, Princes street. Shampooing, waving, hair-dyeing, etc., a specialty. Hairwork of all kinds executed.— [Advt.]

Visit Simon Brothers’, George street, for beautiful assortment spring boots and shoes just landed.—[Advt.] Just arrived, a shipment of choice dinner and tea sets, suitable for presents. Montague’s Corner.—{Advt.]

Mr Hendy announces that he has now opened his new ladies’ rooms above shop in Princes street; hairdressing and hair work ox every description.—[Advt.]

Call or writs for new season’s Anglo-Special and Humber cycles; best value. Anglo, Princes street.—[Advt.] ’ Photographs of children are made a specialty by Mr Morris, photographer. Princes street. Charges. 21s per dozen.—TAdvt.]

Gresham and Boot, dentists, 65 Princes itreet (opposite Bible, Tract Denot).—[Advt.]

A job lot of boys’ superior colonial school suits will be offered this week at 7s lid, 8s lid; must be cleared to make room for new stock; also odd knickers, 3s 9d; odd vests, 3s 6d. N.Z. Clothing Factory, Octagon.— [Advt.] Henry Sanders, 86 George street, is showing an unusually large variety of bedroom furniture, floor coverings, and furnishings.— [Advt.]