TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3675, 27 February 1899, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

MR SOOTHE MACKENZIE’S VIEWS. After all that has* been said of the. approaching Opposition “campaign” about to be-conducted throughout the colony, it certainly.cornea as a surprise to find that at least one prominent member of the party looks upon the movement with a somewhat jaundiced eye. In the course of conversation with an “Otago Daily Times” representative a "few- days ago, Mr Scobio Mackenzie said ho had been asked to go to Wellington for a short conference with “one or two”, who happened to be there, but “I k hadn’t the time at my disposal. Neither have I the time to go babbling about the 'country over matters that are already stale by reiteration.” Evidently Mr Mackenzie places but little reliance in the promise of his loader to formulate a definite programme, and anticipates a rechauffe df the sumo windy platitudes that have done duty'so long. But “babbling over matters already .rtalo !-” And from Suobio ! ; > ! RELIC OF OLD WELLINGTON. ■ A remarkable relic of Wellington Of the olden time has boon discovered at the back of the Empire Hotel, Willis street.- While the workmen were excavating for the purpose of laying the foundations of the' now hotel premises, they came upon two large : iron tanks '-under tho ground. Both w r ere : in au excellent state of preservation, and were nearly full of water. They are capable of holding about 5000 gallons, and in tho corner of one was a largo opening, evidently used for .the purpose of inserting a pump, and the two tanks were connected by pipes. To find out, if’possible, tho history of the tanks,, h representative of the “Nov/ Zealand Times” interviewed Mr John Rlirnmer, whoso knowledge of old (Wellington is practically unlimited. Forty or fifty years ago, ho said, a'Mr Miller, who owned the Commercial Hotel, nearly'Opposite whore the Empire Hotel, stanas at present, had: a wharf on the . beach, just about whoro the tanks were found. Under this 'wharf Mr Miller placed large tahks, which were filled with, water for tho purpose of supplying any ships that wore short of that , commodity. ..In course of time, it may ho presumed, these tanks fell into disuse, and v/qre covered over, and there they have hpn undisturbed until this day. ~, , I

CULPABLE CARELESSNESS.

"What appears to oe an act of supreme folly was brought under tho notice. of the police last night. The workmen {engage' I on the new road jlear WadestoWu, when knocking off work on Saturday,, left? a large quantity, of explosives on t.';f ground, merely covering them with an over-turned wheelbarrow, The explosives consisted of two casks of gunpowder, six or eight pounds of loose powder and a number of dynamite caps and fuses. The spot where they were left is a favourite place for children to play m, and the ni ip who reported the matter to the . police states that a number of youngsters warp playing there yesterday—in’’ fact,-they had uncovered the explosives, and had evidently been handling some of them - . The man covered the dangerous material as well as ho could, and luckily no accident occurred. It does seem strange, however, that people in full possession ot their senses should leave such a large quantity of explosives whore they could ho so casly tampered with, and when thje result of oven a little carelessness might easily be a disaster ,of appalling magnitude. . i , ■ i

A SCHOLASTIC SCANDAL.

Disquieting rumours have lately been afloat with regard to the . Sumner Deaf Mute Institute, with the usual result of tiio veal facts being exaggerated and distorted (.says tho Christchurch “Press”). Id appears'that on the 2bth of .Jailuary last, when Mr ran Aseh was in Wellington,’ ho received from the lather of one ot tho boys in tho institution a document 'conveying a serious charge against Mr J. C. Allen, a ..teacher who had .been sconnected with tho Institute for,about years. Mr van Ascii at pneo brought the matter under tho notice of the Hey W._ J., Habeas, tiio Llccvetary to tho Education Department, and ns the result of pre- ■ "'nary inquiry, Mr Allen, was suspended and called upon for nu explanation. In reply ho sent in his resignation, which was not accepted, and ho W’as told that ho must apply for a full inquiry, ov his dismissal would follow.. Since tnen nothing .further has been hoard from him, and his present whereabouts aro not known to the authorities of the school. . GLADSTONE MEMORIAL FUND.' In the largest room of an historic club in Pall Mall there is to-day to be soon a pathetic sight, writes Mr jtxonry W. Lucy to tho" 1 Sydney Morning Herald.” In its famoits half stands a bust of Mr Gladstone, placed there many years ago amici every token of enthusiasm. On the mantelpiece in thor morning-room is a largo card headed ■’’ Subscription to tho Gladstone 'Memorial Fund.'' 1 Its columns aro to-ctay a virgin white, nob a single response having, utter many days, boon madC't'J the'unite appeal. ‘This, of course, may bo duo to tho tact mat evoryono dl tho old chieftain's followers in the- club has already subscribed through other channels. But it is, no use blinking; tho fact that the result of this effort in this particular place is Indicative of the general position of tho movement. Tho general verdict is that the business has boon exceedingly badly managed by the committee that undertook its direction. To , begin with, they committed tho fatal fault of nob striking whilst tho iron was' hot. A chilling interval of delay having been suffered, they began striking out wildly in various directions. Tho to erect' a"lines m London, Edinburgh, and DublinTiad tffo immediate effect of paralysing what was intended to bo a national movement by introducing tho disturbing element of localities. Very little in tho way of money has como of tho attempt to galvanise the movement on tho first anniversary, since his. passing away, ot Mr Gladstone’s birth. !Of the sum needed to carry outtho miscellaneous proposals of tho comiun.ee loss than hah has boon subscribed. There is toomneb reason to fear that it is. now impossible to retrieve disaster following on mismanagement. Tho situation is aggravated by tho circumstance that whilst in a few weeks the Sirdar was enabled to collect £IOO,OOO for erecting anti endowing at Khartoum an education!'.* establishment for Mohammedans, half that sum is nor, after many months, forthcoming from tho British public when it is invited to keep green tho memory 1 of England's greatest ■son.' ,