ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 9427, 30 May 1891, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

London, April 18, AN AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS’ CLUB.

A Club, which has for its object the promotion of friendly intercourse among Australasian students residing in London, has been opened at 61, Chancery Lane. The Hon Secretary, Mr W, Kemp Hughes, has issued invitations for the inaugural “smoker” on May 2. A Club of this description has long been needed, and deserves support, if only for the reason that it may induce a percentage of the young antipodeana who frequent the shady "Supper Clubs,” which abound in and about Bloomsbury, to mend their evil ways. A NEW ORIENT LINER. A week ago to-day (Saturday) there was launched from the yards of Messrs Napier and Son, at Loran, a new steel twin-screw steamer for the Orient Company. The new vessel is named the Ophir. The Ophir is 482 ft long, 53ft in beam, 6700 tons gross, and baa been constructed under Lloyd’s special survey for the 100 A 1 class, and to meet the requirements of the Admiralty as an armed cruiser. Two sets of triple expansion engines capable of propelling the vessel at 18 knots an hour will be fitted in. Steam will be supplied by seven boilers working at a pressure of 1601 b. The fittings and passenger accommodation arrangements will be of the most complete and fin de sidcle description, so as to ensure comfort on the voyages between London and the Antipodes. SCIENCE AT THE ANTIPODES. The inaugural address of Sir James Hector at the opening of the Australasian Association at Christchurch has been most favourably received and commented upon by scientific men in England. There is a breadth and catholicity of spirit about it that is quite refreshing—a genuine modesty as to the value of his own scientific labours, and a generous recognition of the achievements of others that are very creditable to one holding so distinguished a position. No one, however, has done more for the promotion of science in New Zealand than Sir James Hector himself, and his lengthy address oh this occasion is pronounced by competent authorities to be a very able review of the rise and progress of scientific research at the Antipodes during the last fifty years. Lord Onslow’s ex teriypore address, too, dealing as it does with abstruse questions of science and local problems in natural history, is highly spoken of, and it was certainly a surprise to most of us; for, although he was known to be t. capable politician and an excellent Governor, no one, seemed to be aware that he had devoted any thought or attention to biological science. DEATH OP MB BRYCE DOUGLAS. I regret to record the death of- Mr Archibald Bryce Douglas, Managing Director of the Naval Construction and Armaments Company, Limited, Barrow, which took place at Ardrossan, last Sunday week, after a brief illness. The deceased, who was only in hia fifty-third year, was one of the prime advocates of the scheme to connect Vancouver and Australia by a fast service of steamers in conjunction with the Canadian Pacific mail route, as opposed to the San Francisco service. Mr Douglas was the son of the Rev Bryce Douglas, minister of Ardrossan. At an early age he displayed sigus of mechanical ingenuity, and in due course was apprenticed to Messrs Elder of Glasgow. . Later he went out to New Zealand (in what capacity I know not), and thence went to the west coast of South America to fill the place of Resident Engineer to the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. Whilst holding that position he erected the Company’s works at Callao. Returning to Scotland, Mr Douglas was appointed chief engineer to Messrs John Elder, and Company. In 1889, Lord Hartington persuaded him to accept the Managing Directorship of the Naval Armaments and Construction Company, a position which he filled with great credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. EVIL COMMUNICATIONS. A young man named Alexander Munro, whose parents ate said to he living in Now Zealand, was sentenced by the Croydon Magistrate last week to twelve months, hard labour for " till tapping ” (i.c., creeping round the counter of a shop and abstracting the contents of the till). The detective who arrested Munro, stated that he was a well-known character, and associated with the most daring gang of till-thievea to be found in the Metropolis. “THE SEAMY SIDE OF AUSTRALIA.” In the current issue of the Nineteenth Century there appears an article entitled “The Seamy Side of Australia,” by the Hon J. W. Fortescue, the object of which seems to be to cry down the credit of the Colonies. Certainly it is calculated to make patriotic Australians swear vigorously. According to the writer, the Colonies have only attained to such prosperity as has come to them by the lavish and reckless use of English capital. Moreover, he maintains that the average Briton is utterly in the dark as to the actual condition of the Australian Colonies, and it is quite time he was given a fair and square view of the “seamy side.” If Mr Porteseue is correct, the debt is growing in all the Colonies alike faster than the revenue. Of course, he recognises that the resources of the continent far outweigh her debts, but he is not satisfied with the method of development. Everything, he argues, is being sacrificed to the “ working man,” who is supreme in Australia, and who cares for nothing so long as he can live in a town and enjoy high wages and short hours. Then, too, Mr Fortescue quarrels with the anti-Chinese edict. By preventing the influx of Chinese labour, without which the resources of the tropical portions of Australia cannot bo tapped, the Australians really " cancel a large proportion of the assets on which they have borrowed and are still borrowing millions of money.” The writer does not apparently fear any repudiation proposals at present, but opines that the ugly word will be spoken by and by if things are not mended, and he urges British investors to reverse their present policy for the Australians’ sake and their own. The abject failures of the last South Australian and Victorian loans would seem to indicate that the British investor really is getting decidedly uncomfortable if not suspicious.