CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12532, 20 June 1901, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

STD VET'S TRAMS.

Now that tenders have been called for the first section of the Auckland electric tramways, the

northern city may look forward confidently ' to the early completion of a 'thoroughly modern and efficient system in the near future. . In Sydney the electric system has practicably superseded every other method of traction, the King Street cable cars and the Bent Street sttani cars alone remaining to remind people of a bygone age, and these, too, are almost certain to Sisappear in the near future. Upwards of 70,000 people are carried every week-day on the electric cars between the Redfera Railway Station and Circular Quay. The system used is the "overhead trolly." A thick copper wire is run along about ■eighteen feet above I 'the centre 'of each track, and is supported by iron standards, about fifty paces apart'. This wire is provided with the necessary electric current from the generating station, and from the wire the current is conveyed to motors on the axles, under the era's, by means of the pale, which rises at an angle from the top of 'the car to the wire, along which it runs ■ with a small trolly wheel. The. cars are ■ exceedingly popular, combining cheapness and comfort with rapidity of transit. The current number of "'Dalgety's Review" has a very interesting historical article on the Sydney trams.. The first public tramway was constructed in 1851, running from the Redfern Station to Circular Quay, by ' way of Bitt Street; but it was a 'failure in every respect, the rails being unsuitable and the imported cars. damaged ia transit. .Horses .supplied the motive-, power. Public disfavour ultimately caused the venture to be abandoned, a Parliamentary .'Committee recommending the removal of the rails in 1865. i'rc-ni-1866 till 1873 Sydney streets were free of innovations. Public opinion was hostile to mechanical traction, and when: a steam system was proposed in 1879 at was stipulated that the line- should be only a temporary one. The experiment was so successful, however, that the line was never taken up, and -the Government system was gradually extended to the suburbs. There are now miles of Government tramways open dn New -South Wales,- 'the cupi* ■ tal cost being nearly £2,000,000. i

Reports received by £h« San Francisco inaiistate.thai the Presbyierians of tha United States, in, theic General Assembly at Philadelphia, have made con-

THE CONCESSION OF FAITH.

siderable progress towards a settlement of the question o£ creed! r&vAsioui which has been agitating; the dono- , Eomina'iion. for many years. In. the assembly, it was found impossible to- postpone definite action, on the matter.. Tha debate went' into the fourth, day of tha session, and. it was,' .not expected that any : agreement cosild be reached. Credit for S the adjustment is given to the Rev James | D. Moftutt, D.D., President of. the Wash-" i ingfcon and Jefferson University,, who woi-k. ed indefstigably among his confreres, A committee will be appointed which ; will be " required «• report to the next General Assembly, which will be convened in New York City in ISO2. A report on the subject of creedrevision, was the source of a long discussion which bade fair to end in an adjournment without agreement.. Finally, the matte* was compromised by the adoption of the fallowing amendment, suggested by 'Da' Moffatt.: —"We {recommend .that the ! committed be instructed io prepare and sub I unit to the next. General Assembly,, for- such disposition as may be deemed to be wise, ( a brief sta'temeno of the rei'oraied' faith, expressed as far as possible in "untechnkal terms; the said statement, to be prepared with a view ta its-- being employed to give better information, and better understanding of our- doctrinal beliefs, and not "with a view to its becoming' a substitute for or alternative of our confession of faith."- The amendment was adopted unanimously on the voices'. The other clauses in the report were then discussed, and 1 when the question of the adoption of the whole amended report • was put, there was one great roan of "aye" in response, and instantly the whole assembly rose and sang the doxology. The present revision committee will be continued, but increased to twenty-one members.

THE DOMESTIC HELP,,

The perennial domestic! help question is again agita- ' ting die good people of Melbourne, having been brought into prominence by

Dr Strong, of the Australian Church, who believes that it deserves to rank among the most important social problems of the day. A number of ladies and gentlemen -who share this view recently met zo listen to an address on the subject from Mr F. A. Campbell, the director, of the Working Men's College, and though this gentleman did nob throw much, frcsh, light on the problem, he appeals to have impressed his audience with the importance of dping . something at once to raise the status of domestic service. He advocated that girls should be given a thorough knowledge of all household duties, and to this end 1« .suggested that large classes should be formed for their instruction. He pointed but, as scores of people have pointed out before, that it -was'hopeless to expect any gr.ea.t improvement in the condition of the "helps" unless they qualified themselvei for their advancement. Miss Vida (iold'stein, who supported Mr Campbells scheme with considerable warmth, pleaded for the abolition of the word "servant,"- and the substitution of a less offensive term. She also urged that the cap should be done away with, and that helps should not be called by their Christian names. They ' should wear no badge of service,, and should be ! ti«ated with at least as much consideration as shop-assistants and governesses. " Some houses;," Miss Goldstein said, " are all Queen Ann-in front, and all Mary Ann at the back." Mrs Pawcetfc Storey, a State teacher of cookery, seemed; to get nearer the root of the trouble when she insisted 'that t&ere Ernst be a. change in the whole system of domestio service. I'We must," she said, "face the matter fairly, and adapt ourselves to a new oiider." The new employee~she» too* objected to the word "servant"—must be a persoE who was capable of doing her work well; Then her duties" would be definitely fixed, to wash, ito cook, or to clean, as the case might be, and when tfoiey, were performed her lime would be (her own. This is undoubtedly the reform of the future,, and! the' girls themselves can hasten it by making themselves indispensable in the household. When Maiy Ann is mistreea of the' position, she can doff Iher cap and take the title of Miss Smith,