TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4427, 6 August 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

MIRAMAR. The determined and greedy desirg which prevails in certain^ quarters to oh, tain Miramar for th© city is (writes a well-informed correspondent) but an other illustration of the peculiar charao, ter of Wellington citizens in high places, It ihas ever been thus, a rapacious desin to possess is accompanied with a pony plete imbecility to utilise and administer. That excellent institution, New* town Park, for 'sample, was no soonet created than it was neglected; it ha< never been decsntly well-kept since il was made. The Botanical Gardens won once well administered by a board, wher the greedy desire to possess seized th< city, an outcry was raised, ending ia taking possession, which having beea done, all further interest ceased, and the gardens were allowed to go to th« deuce in their own way. Similarly wit! Thorndon Esplanade;, the city demand, ed and obtained it as an endowment, and then neglected it. Private enter prise and money planted it suitably but the hardy shrubs adapted to th< situation were rooted out by the civi< powers in their ignorant way, and r» placed by laurestinas, veronica and othe) tender plants, which have duly perish, ed, as might have been expected. Be yond this exhibition of barbarity, tin city has practically don© nothing to effi] ciently maintain and beautify this re serve.' A great deal of money was raia ed and spent on the Kelburne Park, where an admirable recreation ground of twelve acre* or thereabouts was laid out, and could be made superior to thi Athletic Park as a cricket and footbal] ground, if intelligently treated; bul with its true characteristics, having squandered several thousands of, pounds; th© oity authorities hav© silently drop ped the scheme with a thorough deter* mination to do no more to it. Enop mons reserves in the form of the Tow* Belt surround the city; they might bg intelligently roaded, planted and careo for, instead of which they are neglected and unused as recreation grounds. Thi latest craze for getting, a, new plaything is exhibited in the persistent attempt U saddl© the city with a loan for buying Miramar. If ever this is done, tho sanU incompetent administration will certain, ly follow which w© hav© seen with t* gard to onr roads and footpaths and our present reserves, parks and gardens Think of the present monuments of in* competence and neglect which wo po* seas—the Town Belt, the Botanical Gar dens, the Basin Reserve, Newtown Park, Kelburne Park, the Thorndon Espla nade; think of the miles and miles oi bad roads, bad streets and had foot paths; think of th© years which wil! elapse befor© the tramways are carried out on an efficient basis; and then con* sider (he mad' folly of adding 1500 acre) to our reserves, four miles from th© city, and unapproachable by the great mi) jority of the inhabitants. Need I more than—“Si monumentum requini circumspioe.”

THE PREMIER AND THE BANK. A shareholder of the Bank of New Zealand requests us to publish the following extract from the Melbourne “Ar. gus,” as showing what an independent authority considers duo to the shareholders. Says the “Argus” :—“But there is another view of, the case, and one that ought to be considered. It is that inas. much as the interference of the Got* eminent of New Zealand in the affairs of the bank gravely accentuated the Ios» es. and inasmuch as (to adopt Mr Sed don’s remarks on the 10th inst.) ‘the action taken by the colony has saved the ‘colony, in his opinion, from financial disaster, and indirectly therefore the colony had profited by what had been done,’ the oolony ought to bear the further loss, and let the bank go free. To deprive the shareholders of liberty ol action and then to bleed them for th* public benefit is beyond reason and justice. Therefore, while Mr Seddon’s view of the position a« it legally exists is correct, equitable consideration demands that the bank should bo-relieved from all further responsibility in connection with the realisation of the old assets. 11 We do not, of course, endorse the statement of the “Argus” that tho Premier’* view of the legal nosition is accurate; we have, in fact, shown that it is distinctly contrary to the plain terms of the Act of Parliament. As to the effect of the Premier’s statements, it is said to have been a terrific “slump” in. shares, equivalent to the loss of £3OOO to one shareholder alone, who recently bought heavily. A sharebroker’s circa lar received from Sydney shows that Bank of New Zealand shares are practically unsaleable, and they will probably remain so until something is done to counteract the deplorable though perhaps nn-

intended rei.ult produced. It is keenly di-:.ppoinlm;j to shart-holdr* that Mr Scddon has not. ere now taken stops to allay the alarm created by his ill-advised statements, ADSLAIDeViOAD. In response to a, circular issued by the City Council inviting the property owners of Adelaide [load to confer with the members of the Street Widening Coin inittce with reference to the purchase of land in that locality, a conference has been held. A larye proportion of persons interested was present; others were represented by Me-sniT. K. Macdonald and A. L. Wilson. After some preliminary sparring in consequence of statements by the Mayor and Councillor Izard, that, if the own?)s were not reasonable in their demands, another route would probably bo adopted, Mr Macdonald pointed out that no proper offer had yet been made to the hull-; of the owners, and suggested that the Council should draw up a sched ule for each property, showing what it was prepared to pay in the way of compensation. These schedules could then bo presented to the various claimants, and in the event of their no* being able to accept the price offered, the claims could be submitted to arbitration by one representative of the City Council, and one of the owner-., those two to be e;n powered to call on an umpire. The micgcstion was rea lily seized upon by the Street Widening Committee, whose members agreed to act upon it without dc lay. Thin is very satisfactory, in view of the fact that negotiations bad already been going on for fifteen months, and hud almost come to a deadlock, although arrangements hail already been come to with a number of owners whose buildings have been put hack to the new street frontage. THE MILITARY “INQUIRY.” Hie alleged military inquiry opened yesterday. It gives promise of being tho whitest frost on record. Three gentlemen in full uniform sat. in the draughty drillshed and waited for some thing to turn up. Colonel Fenton in mum lingered in the background, hut lie is liiuloi'.sicod not to be within the “order of reference.” Outside, a sentry paced up and down for a time as if expectant of contest with an insistent cioud of witnesses, but no witnesses came forth. Mr T. Wilford, M.H.R., presently made his appearance and informally offered to produce evidence from certain back country soldiers if he were allowed to conduct thoir casos for thorn, but be was informed that this was a strictly military tribunal which had boon sworn to secrecy to divulge nothing which transpired during its sittings ; therefore, ho was “out of court.” After von taring to differ with some opinions on points of law expressed by the Commissioners, and, probably, finding the discussion unrcmuncrativo, he with drew. Frirna facie, it seems that nothing will transpire; ergo there will be nothing to divulge. The representatives of the press, through whoso re relations the “Newtown Fark scan dal” has become a by-word through, out the colony, and whoso demand it was that an effective commis sion of inquiry should be appointed, have been informed courteously bid firmly that as this is a strictly military ’ arrangement under tho Defence Act, it will be useless for them to try and get any details. Mr Wilford has, it is understood, taken pity on the three gentlemen who- have been pi a cell in so ludicrous a position, and has promised to wive to his principals and ask them if they are willing to come clown and volunteer statements on their own ac count. To the luicolic temperament this will probably appeal as sn invocation to “Come to be killed!'’—and they won t.