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New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3327, 7 January 1898, Page 2

That Captain Rose has decided to resign from his position as manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company will come as an unwelcome piece of news to a very large section of the community. We know of no more popular man in the shipping circles of the colony, and the want of his genial presence will be keenly felt. At the same time none will grudge him well-earned rest in his retirement, for his has been an active life, fall of responsibilities and often beset with difficulties; but whether on the quarter-deck or directing the affairs of the Company with which his name has been so long and so honourably associated, the same story has to be told. He has earned the confidence and respect of all men. Greater praise than this it would be impossible to bestow, but that it is fully deserved in the case of Captain Rose will, we know, he freely admitted. His retirement from his present position will entail also his'retirement from the Harbonr Board, and here again tho want of his clearheadedness and sound business judgment will be much felt. We understand that a strong effort is being made to induce Mr Nicholas Reid, the senior partner in the old-established firm of W. and G. Turnbull and Co., to offer himself as a successor to Captain Rose, and we have ho hesitation in saying that no better -substitute could be found. We trust, therefore, that Mr Reid will comply with the wishes of those who have approached him in this matter.

A countey newspaper has published a statement of a most sensational character in which it is alleged that a watch and a cheque belonging to Mr Laidley (who mysteriously disappeared some time ago) had been found among the effects of Philpott, who stands charged with the murder of Hawthorne. We may say at once that this rumour is without any shadow of foundation, and it is matter of regret that it should kave been made, as any enquiry made of the police would have elicited the fact that neither a watch nor cheque nor anything of the kind belonging to Laidley had been discovered. Wo have a complete list of every article found on Philpott, what was secured in his house and what was recovered from Wellington shops and other sources—all duly identified. Great surprise and no'little indignation are expressed by the authorities at the unjustifiable publication, as it is manifestly unfair to a prisoner awaiting trial on a most serious charge. It it is possible to trace the statement to its source, then whoever was guilty in the first place of making it public should be severely punished.

At [the present juncture, when so much is heard of tho pushing on towards completion of the Manchurian railway by Russia, it is interesting to note how painfully slow and hazardous Is tho work. The Russian engineers are protected in their joumeyings by armed escorts of Cossacks, to overawe the Chinese, and this they invariably succeed in doing. The preliminary surveys across Manchuria are not expected to be finished for nearly twelve months yet. Floods of a phenomenal character have destroyed the work already done between Chita and Nertohinsk, and this alone will mean a delay of two years. The route for the Manchurian line at present favoured crosses tho frontier to the south of Staro and Tsutnkhaitu to Khailar, crosses the Khingan Mountains by a pass still undiscovered, descends the right bunk of the Choi to Cholkhoton, goes down the west side of the Sungari to Kirin, and thence to Onjoso, Jfinguta and Poltafka,

avoidin'- difficulties by crossing the Nonni at Tsjtsihar arid the Sungari at Petune, fA:O the mountains between Ninguta and Lalin. Ou the route selected the difficulties aro greater than were expected. The completion of the railway within six years is impossible. Kirin is the chief centre of activity. Its advantages aro a rich, oouutry, an abundance of coal and timber, and its position as regards Lushnankan, whither a preliminary survey is to be made. There is activity also at Tsitsihar and Petune. It is understood that there will eventually bo a branch line connecting them with Blagovestchensk. The Chinese officials are rendering every assistance to tho Russians in the prosecution of the work.

A new Admiralty harbour is being constructed at Dover, and as it is a work of great national importance, readers will be interested in learning something of its leading features. Tho now harbour, then, will possess a capacity more than sufficient to provide shelter, anchorage, and coaling facilities for the whole of the vessels comprised in the Channel Squadron. There will bo (1) an extension of the existing Admiralty pier in an east - south - east direction for a distance of 200Cft; (2) an east arm extending seaward in a southwesterly direction for a length of 3320 ft from the foot of the headland, at a point situated 200 yards to the eastward of the south-east angle of the convict prison enclosure; (3) a breakwater 4200tt long, which, at a distance of about threequarters of a mile from the shore, will form on the south tho outer sheltering arm of the harbour; and (4) a sea-wall 3850 ft in length, extending from the Castle Jetty at the eastern end of East Cliff terrace to the root of the proposed east atm. For tho purposes of this wall a reclamation will take place covering an area of 21 acres, the foreshore between the back of the wall and the base of the existing cliffs being filled in with chalk quarried on the spot. Thus the works to be executed represent a total length of 13,370 ft, or more than two miles and a half. The area enclosed will be 610 acies at low water. No less than 315 acres will bo situated beyond the five-fathom line. Each of tho three main sea works will be a solid structure of enormous strength, consisting of concrete blocks, faced with granite above low water.

Where the greatest sea pressure has to be resisted, the blocks used will as a rule weigh 40 tons, while those employed in the formation of the east arm and the south breakwater will be 30 tons in weight. All the blocks will be bonded and keyed, or joggled together so as to render the work monolithic in character; and in every case the foundations will be carried down to the solid chalk or flint composing the bed of tho channel. The magnitude of the works here briefly described may be gathered from thefaetthat the new structure henceforth to be known as the Admiralty Pier Extension will, measured from the base of the wall to the top of the parapet, bo upwards of 90ft in height, of which nearly 70£t will be under the level of high water of spring tides. In view of the very exposed character of the site, the engineers have in the design taken special precautions to meet sea risk, both during the construction of the works and after their completion. The deep foundations will be carefully and completely protected from erosion arising from current action by aprons of concrete blocks laid and incorporated in the sea bed.

The decision of Victoria to no longer contribute to the expenses of its Court at the Imperial Institute in London is another evidence of the failure of tho Institute to carry out the main object for which it was established. This was the formation of complete collections of the natural products of the British Empire. The Australasian colonies which set up collections were Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. Now that tho important colony of Victoria has withdrawn its support, the Completeness of the representation of the products of this section of the Empire is very appreciably affected. The conception of the Institute—a record for all time of the Queen’s Jubilee—was a noble one; but something more than a noble conception is required to keep a big and costly institution going. Horseless carriage exhibitions, hospital festivals, Monte Carlo orchestras and such like attractions have been tried, but tbe Institute baa for a considerable time past been a source of much disappointment to the very distinguished personages who have exerted themselves in its establishment and maintenance.