OUR LONDON LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8695, 12 October 1891, Page 6

OUR LONDON LETTER.

[FROM OUK OWN* CORRESPONDENT.] London, September 5. "GUILELESS AUSTRALIA." This is tho title of tho Hon. J. W. Fortescue's rejoinder to Mr. Howard Willoughby's reply to his original paper on "The Seamy Side of Australia." Ho objects to be annihilated even by "ail earnest and patriotic journalist" of Mr. Willoughby's reputation, and a perusal of his able paper would convince most readers that he wields a very facile pen, and is quite able to take care of himself. He writes with admirable temper, but pointedly reiterates and emphasises all his former accusations. I won't attempt to follow him through the somewhat weary task he set himself of, in his turn, checking the data on which his opponent relies. Suffice it to say, that he is most adroit in his manipulation of official figures and official statements, and more than once shuts Mr. Willonghby tip in a very tight corner. He characterises his critic's attack upon New Zealand as an exhibition of " true Australian complacency," and declares as one who knows more about New Zealand than its accuser, that " New Zealand, at her worst, was not one whit worse than Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland," and at any rate, "never systematically showed sham surpluses, which was more than complacent Victoria could say." Nevertheless, Mr. Fortescuo girds a littlo at his favourite colony. He declares that if the " plunger," who shall be nameless, had not run home to England, he would very likely be Premier of New Zealand at this moment. As for the efficacy of the so-called retrenchment in New Zealand, this caustic writer asserts that he watched the process on the spot, through the years ISS7-90, and saw good men turned away (he does not say himself included, though he might have done so); bad men retained ; a Civil service disheartened and disorganised, but "no real effort to abolish the corruption, the jobbery, the waste, and the extravagance of former days. These flourish and continue to flourish as of old—to secure the labour vote." Mr. Fortescue is no admirer of the dominating position secured by the Australian democracy. He asserts that good men are helpless against the labour majority, and that sound administration is not to be hoped for while the supremacy lasts. The question of the future is " will the supremacy be overthrown before it meets its natural death in bankruptcy." in conclusion, Mr. Fortescue again implies that repudiation appears to lie directly ahead first in New Zealand and then in the other colonies. He thinks tho Ballanco Government no worthier of trust than its predecessors ; indeed, he describes it as the tool of the labour unions, and he ridicules the idea of its being earnest about economical and prudent administration when it could openly bribe the members of the House of Representatives by a course of action obviously intended to double the salary of all the members. At the same time Mr. Fortescue declares he speaks in no spirit of hostility to New Zealand, for his feelings towards it are of the warmest. THE HYGIENIC CONFERENCE. During the greater part of the past fortnight there has been held in London the seventh annual Congress of Hygiene and Demography. As this was the first occasion on which the Congress had been held in London, the delegates and members were naturally made much of, and they have had an exceedingly good time of it, combining discussion and dissipation after the usual and approved fashion of scientific bodies. Her Majesty the Queen graciously consented to act as patron of the Congress, the Prince of Wales presided at the opening meeting in St. James's Hall, on the 10th instant, and the Mayor and Corporation of London entertained the Congress at a conversazione, at which 150 dozen of Mumrn's best were " put away." In addition to these higher class festivities there have been minor entertainments, excursions, and receptions, so that on the whole the Congress, collectively and individually ought to have enjoyed itself if it did not. Turning to its more serious aspects one has to say that the Congress has been attended by delegates from nearly every civilised country in the world, and that India and the colonies have been well represented. An honorary Council for the British Empire was formed, of which the following were the Australasian members : —New Zealand : Sir Julius Vogel, Sir William Jervoi*. Hon. Robert Oliver, Mr. Charles Johnston, Mr. John Roberts, Mr. John Brydone, and Dr. Brown. New South Wales : Mr. Sydney Burdekin, Mr. J. R. Fairfax, and Mr. Alfred Car rick. Queensland : Sir James Garrick. Victoria: Chief Justice Way. Tasmania: Hon. A. lJobson, Mr. Lewis Clark, and Mr. E. P. Wilson. South Australia was not represented on the Honorary Council. The Australasian delegates were : —New Zealand, Sir F. 1). Bell, Mr. J. Blackett, and Mr. F. W. Frankland ; New South Wales, Dr. Ashburton Thompson ; Victoria, Dr. Aubrey Bowen ; South Australia, Dr. Thos. Borthwick ; Tasmania, Sir E. Braddon. Of the Australasian representatives the one who took the most important part in the proceedings of the Congress was Dr. Ashburton Thompson, who read a paper on " Quarantine in Australasia : Its Theory and Practice." Dr. Thompson described the principles laid down at the Sanitary Conference held in Sydney in 1884, which principles, he said, we're those received in Australasia at the present day. He argued that medical inspection, being the outcome of England's local conditions, was not, therefore, necessarily suitable to countries whose local conditions differed from those of the mother country. After detailing the difference between these respective conditions, and indicating what ought not to be done, Dr. Thompson proceeded to say what ought to be done. He advocated the employment of limited quarantine against ships actually carrying cases of exotic disease. Medical inspection, however, must be resorted to when the imported disease was one already familiar ashore, namely, in cases of scarlatina and the like. The patients M'ould have to be removed to the ordinary isolation hospital, the ship cleansed and discharged in the usual way after a few hours' detention. Theso principles, he said, had been strictly adhered to in New South Wales since ISS4, and he claimed for the practice there that its action was exceedingly rapid while fresh infection among ships' companies while in quarantine was effectually prevented. The number of papers read was almost legion, but that of l)r. Ashburton Thompson was the only ono having special relation to Australasia. MR. LESLIE H. REYNOLDS, ASSOCIATE M.1.C.E., son of the Hon. Wm. Reynolds, of TSew Zealand, who for several years past has been engaged in engineering work in Great Britain and other parts of the world, will return to the colony next month in the Tongariro. He intends to practice his profession in New Zealand, and, as he has enjoyed a lengthened and varied experience in engineering work, a successful future may safely be prophecied for him. Mr. Reynolds gained his first knowledge of engineering in the works of Messrs. Kincaid, McQueen, arid Co., Dunedin, which he entered in February, 1880, and where he remained until January, ISB3, being engaged during that time in fitting up and repairing various kinds of machinery and bridge work. At the beginning of ISB3 he was entrusted by Messrs. Kincaid, McQueen, and Co., with the erection of winding and crushing machinery for several coal and gold mines on the West Coast. At the end of 1883 he entered the New Zealand Government Survey Department, and in March, 1886, he passed the Government examination for surveyors. In June, 1880, ho came to England, and in October of that year was articled to Mr. Wm. Shield, M.1.C.E., resident engineer at Peterhead for the extensive works being carried on there by the Admiralty as a harbour of refuge for the East Coast of Scotland. These are the largest marine works in Great Britain, and were executed from the designs of Sir John Coode, Consulting Engineer for Peterhead harbour works. While at Peterhead Mr. Reynolds , was engaged in surveying and engineering a line of railway from the site of the works to the quarries, in the designing of bridges, the rolling stock for the line, the buildings required for the works, and general work in connection with the harbour and breakwater. In June, 1889, he went to Trinidad, iii' the West Indies, to undertake a survey on behalf of Sir John Coode iu connection with a proposed coal-

I ing station, dry dock, and railway ' communication from the proposed site of i works to Port of Spain. He returned to I this country on the completion of the survey, in November, and, until the end of ! March last year, was occupied in preparing plans and estimates for the proposed works. Ho remained with Sir John Coode until June, IS9O, when at the recommendation of the latter gentleman, he accepted an offer from Messrs. James Livesey and Sons,, of London, to go out to Bolivia in connection with a survey and investigations for a canal scheme there. This work comprised the canalising of 270 milesof river as an extension of the southern railway system of Peru. Mr. Reynolds returned to England in July of the present year. Mr. Reynolds has received very high testimonials as.to ability from the various engineers with whom ho has been associated. Mr. Shield says of him that, during the period of his pupilage at Peterhead "he was very diligent in acquiring professional knowledge ; that- he carried out the work entrusted to him with much ability, attended to his duties with regularity, and displayed a character which was unexceptionable. In a letter of introduc tioti to Sir Charles Gregory, Mr. Shield says of -Mr. Reynolds that he has a very good knowledge of designing structures generally, besides being an excellent draughtsman, energetic, careful, and industrious. Mr. J. H. Bostock, M.1.C.E., with whom Mr. Reynolds was associated at Trinidad, testifies that he proved thoroughly conversant with the work ho had to do there, and, in getting out the estimates, brought practical knowledge to bear, which was of great assistance. Ho declares him to be a neat and quick draughtsman, and adds that he was most active, able, and painstaking with his work, whether in the field or office. Sir John Coode says that h_< had many opportunities of meeting Mr. Reynolds during the time he wiv3 engaged at Peterhead, and formed a high opinion of. his professional zeal and aptitude. A man of whom these flattering things can bo said ought to get on well in the colony.