NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10408, 5 April 1897, Page 5

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Mr. Balfodr, in replying to a question in the House of Commons, made a very grave and significant statement. Ho said that while the freedom of Greece was assured he could not speak with the saino confidence respecting the maintenance of the peace of Europe. Mr. Balfour is a statesman who usually weighs his words with great care, and we may be sure he would not have employed the language he did in referring to the continuance of European peace— language which in the present juncture of affairs is calculated to create considerable uneasiness — unless the gravity of the situation warranted it. The real clanger, of course, lies in the possible action of Greece in view of the unanimous decision of the Powers to estab lish a blockade of her ports in order to prevent her sending further munitions of war, or reinforcements, or supplies to Crete. Should she determine upon a defiant attitude and hazard a conflict with the Turkish army on her frontier, she would light a conflagration which even the European Concert might find it impossible to put out. We cannot believe, however, that the King of Greece or his Ministers would be guilty of so stupendous a crime. The freedom of Crete is assured according to Mr. Balfour, and as it was to secure that freedom that Greece interfered, alio has gained her object, and has no longer any legitimate reason for seeking to go further. But the whole Eastern question is such a hopelessly tangled mass of secret intrigues and conflicting ambitions, that no one can say what new phase or complication a week or a day is likely to bring forth. So long, however, as the concert of the Powers continues to play in tune, there is hope for peace.

The University boat race has again resulted in a victory for Oxford, which makes the eighth win in succession for that University

since 1890. The first boat race between these two great seats of learning was rowed in 1829, and up till 1856 these contests came off at irregular intervale. From 1856 till the present, however, the race has been an annual fixture, the result of which Is watched with keen interest, not only byOxford and Cambridge men past and present, but by all who care for manly sports throughout the British Empire. Tho list of those who have done battle for their universities in this historic contest contains the names of men who have risen to the very highest positions in Church and State. In the early part of the year 1829 two men, subsequently to become famous Anglican

ecclesiastics, met over a oup of tea or something at St. John's College, Cambridge, and proposod the first race. The men—both embryo bishops—wero Cliarlos Wordsworth, of Christchurch, Oxford, and afterwards Bishop of St. Andrew's, and Gedrge Augustus Selwyn, of St. John's College, Cambridge, so well-known to ourselves as the Rteab Anglican Bishop of New Zealand. The result of their chat was the contest of 1829, and two embryo bishops, three deans, and one prebendary "got their backs on to it" on that eventful evening. Oxford won on

the first occasion, and then Cambridge won four times in succession. After the race of 1860 Cambridge had won on ten occasions, and Oxford on seven. Then came Oxford's turn, and for nine years without a break their crew came off victorious. This is the

§j largest number of successive wins On II record, though from 1890 to 1897 (eight Mi races) Oxford has again enjoyed uninteriS; - rupted success. The race of 1840 wbb the ,\> first rowed in outriggers, and in 1857 the i'^' 1 crews adopted for the first time tho present :;..-; style of tights without keel, and rowed Hi

with round oar?. In 1873 sliding seats were introduced. So far there have been 54 races, Oxford winning 31, and Cambridge 22, while one race (that of 1877) was a deadheat.

The air is thick with rumours of war; and if war comes England will find it difficult to stand aloot while others grapple with one another in deadly conflict. This being so, the whole Empire must be deeply interested in our resources for attack and defence, and, therefore, a few words about Great Britain's two latest" wavo-rulers" are sure to receive attention. These most recent additions to Hor Majesty's navy are the twin cruisers Powerful and Terrible. A cruiser may well be called the " eyes of the fleet," that is, she must see and report to the battleships what the enemy are doiny, where thoy are, of what strength, etc., and this must bo dono as quickly as possible. It will thus be seen that a high rate of speed and greatcoal-carryingcapacity are necessary ; and, in order to successfully cope with any likely antagonist, they must also have a considerable armament. It was to attain those qualities in tho highest degree that the two ships mentioned above were designed, and this accounts for their extraordinary length and size, without which high speed and ability to keep tho seas for a lengthy period cannot be obtained. And there is no doubt that those vessels are the finest) and fastest cruisers ever built by any country for purposes of war. Imagine an enormous mass, 540 feet long and 70 feot wide, with towering sides, 30 feet high from the water's edge, and with two pole-masts, upon which are fixed the fighting-tops, or platforms from which the smaller guns can be fired down on the decks of any vessel which comes within range. Yot beneath tho surface lios more of the vessel than is actually presented to tho view. It is hero that—protected by tho water itsolf, the coal, and a thick stool deck extending the whole length of the ship—the machinery (the most vital part of a man-of-war) lies hidden.

Tlio Powerful is fitted with two screw propellers, 20 feet in diameter, and when theße two huge pieces of metal, revolving at a rate of 110 revolutions per minute when going nt full speed, are driven by two sets of engines, which exert a power equal to that of 25,000 horses; or, in other words, if the same amount of work had to be performed by manual labour, at least half-a-million of men, half working at a time, would bo required. To produce this power 48 boilers are used, and about 530 tons of coal aro consumed in every 24 hours. As the coal-bunkers can contain 3000 tons, it will be seen that the ship can steam for nearly six days at the highest rate of speed ; and if a reduced speed only was required, say, for instance, sixteen miles an hour, she could travel nine thousand miles without replenishing her bunkers ; that is, she could go from England to Amorica and back in fifteen days and still have 1200 tons of coal loft. The cost of the coal alone used in propolling theship is about one penny for every twenty foot moved through the water. Each of the main engines occupies ft compartment GO feot long, SO feet wide, and about 30 feet high ; and yet this lingo mass of machinery, weighing over 500 tons, can be put in motion and controlled by one man moving a small lever. The ship \i built in .soven tiers, or docks, there being about eight feot between eacli deck. About thirty boats aro supplied to the ship, amongst them being throo steamboats, fitted for the discharge of torpedoes. Sufficient boats mo provided for carrying the whole of tlio crow in caso of serious disaster. On tho boat deck also, at the forward end of tho vessel, is tho conning tower, a small circular structure, built of steel plates more than a foot thick, and so constructed that an uninterrupted view of tho horizon can be obtainod. Here, surrounded by the voico pipes communicating wilhevoryparoof the ship, instruments for telegraphing orders to the enginerooms, and small olectric buttons for firing any of the guns or torpodoes at will, the captain takes his stand in the hour of battle. It is from here, also, that on such an occasion the ship would be steered by a small wheel worked by one man. Should at any time the mechanism of the wheel break down, the ship can bo steered by hand; but to do this about forty men are necessary, Tho smaller guns, the twelve-pounders and three-pounders, aro placed around the main and upper decks, and also in the fighting-tops on tho mast. They would prove disastrous to any small ship or torpedo-boat which came within a range of five miles. Finally wo come to the Maxims, of which nine are placed on tho boat'deck. These are each capable of firing live hundred bullets in one minute. Some idea of the rapidity of the discharge, and tlio power of the guns may be gathered from tho fact that with all guns in use over 5000 projectiles—the total weight of which would be about seven tons— bo discharged in the short space of One minute, about one and a half tons of powder being consumed to do this. The Powerful, which has cost over threequartors of a million, has occupied about three years in building, an average of 500 workmen having been employed on her during all this poriod.

An article in the British Labour Gazette for February gives some particulars respecting changes of wages and hours of labour in 1896. It shows that the total number of separate individuals affected by changes in rates of wages during the year, so far as reported, was about 601,200. Of this number 375,000 received a not increase, 168,700 sustained a neb decrease, and the wages of 57,500, although affected by upward and downward changes during the year, stood at tho same levol at the end as at the beginning. The estimated effect of all the changes on the weekly wages of tho total number of workpeople affected was an average increase of lOd per head. The particulars with respect to changes in hours of labour show that, though the neb result of all the changes in 1896 was a decrease of nearly three-quarters of an hour in the weekly working hours of the total number of workpeople affected, the number whoso hours wore increased largely exceeded that of those whose hours wore reduced. This is accounted for by the slight increase in the hours oi labour recognised in the London building trades. This alteration, though very small, affected a large number of operatives, and nearly outweighs the decreases recorded in tho building trades, so that the net reduction in this group of trades was vary much less than in either of the three preceding years. So far as reported, the eight hours' day was conceded to about 1400 workpeople (luring 1896, of which number 900 were in the employ of local authorities. Particulars were received of three cases of reversion from eight hours to longer hours of labour, affecting 250 workpeople.

Sir John Willoughby, who was releasod from imprisonment recently, having completed his sentence, has been examined before the House of Commons committee. He said be told the officers connected With the raid that if the undertaking proved a success neither the War Office, the Imperial Government, nor the Chartered Company would bother them. It will be remembered that Dr. Jameson informed the committee that he never for one moment doubted the raid would be successful. Mr. LaboUohei'e wished to got from Sir John the eubstauce

of a private letter from the War Office,' bat the witness declined to divulge its content?, whereupon Mr. Labouchere declared the inquiry was a farce and that everything was being hushed up. Some particulars of President Kruger's little bill arising out of the raid are given. It amounts to over a million and a-half, the million being for moral damage suffered by the Boers. It appears that the Boor officer who used insulting language against Queen Victoria is the President's nephew. He has resigned his military commission. The incident was (ho outcomo of a drunken brawl at a race meeting. A ministerial crisis lias resulted in Austria, the premier Count Badeni having resigned owing to his inability to control the different groups in the Reichsrath. It is proposed to hold a conference of the Powers for the purpose of securing better treatment of the natives in Africa. Butler, who is accused of the Mountain murders in Mew South Wales, attempted to commit suicide in the San Francisco gaol by severing the temporal artery with his thumb nail, Had he done so the consequences would have been serious, but ho failed to locate the artery. The prisoner is on board the Mariposa, which is duo in Auckland on the 2'2nd inat. Lord Loch had a narrow escape in London, He was riding in a hansom cab when the horse bolted. Lord Loch jumped out, and a moment afterwards the cab was dashed to pieces.