TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4467, 21 September 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

J KELBUENE PARK. „ How long are the people of .Welling* ton going to endure the unsightly and • disgraceful spectacle, unwortny of an ' energetic and progressive people,' which has for some years defaced one of the {loveliest, and most favourite resorts in ,tbe city?' The hundreds of people who' weekly stroll around Salamanca road to ;the Botanical Gardens, to enjoy' the I pure air and noble view of the harbour , and hills beyond, have their eyes offended by sight of the half-finished work in ' connection' with the levelling and forming of Kelburne Park. So long as things 'remain, in their present condition,' they - 'are a monument to the inertness of the. {people and the ineptitude of * their rulers. ' The City Counoil cannot ~ bo altogether blamed, for 'it' considers that it cannot complete the work without the special sanction of the ratepayers, and that sanction has lately been 'refused. That, however, i s no justification for a policy of "laisses faire." The only gleam of hope that there now is of having the park completed seems to'lie , in the direction of giving up h, portion ' of it as a, site for the Victoria College I buildingß—Che bulk of the ground still I remaining open as a place of 'public recreation. We do not favour this; except as • a last 'resort, for the area of the park is too small to permit 'of a large portion being taken off for.building purposes. ■ As the work of levelling was undertaken by the Corporation and citizens of Wellington, at »' r critical | time, to relieve the " unemployed,"- and ! ag a national service was thus tendered, it seems to'iis that-the Government ought now to come to the assistance of the people by helping to-finish the park. This could be done at little or no cost to the'State, if prison labour were utilised for the work. No more suitable work for.prisoners;could be found.- "The place is near to the Terrace Prison; the workers could be easily supervised;.and they could be inarched to and from work' -without' passing through any busy street. ■ We would suggest that the City Council, if.it can see no other .way of having this'desirable work' completed, i should ', approach the "Government 'with'* request' for a gang of labourers to bo put on to levelling down the'hill on' Kelburne Park. It is the bounden duty of the Corporation to'find some means of „ removing what is "an eyesore''and a disgrace, and at .the same time there is imperative need for-a recreation ground' for the Thorndon and Lambton Wards of the city. Will Mr Aitken signalise ' his term of tjie Mayoralty -by'' carrying this work to a successful issueP , ~ , A NOTED ENGINEER. Hi's- many friends and acquaintances will be gratified to learn of the continued success of Mr C. Y. O'Connor, now Engineer-in-Chief to : the ■ West ' Australian. Government, and formerly Under-Secretary;for Public Works im New' Zealand. - Some ten years ago Mr O'Connor left this colony for - a more important and lucrative appointment im Australia; and those who know of the large undertakings he initiated and saw successfully completed in this country, will not be surprised to hear of his farther engineering achievements, in Australia. In Now Zealand this .'eminent engineer's work is chiefly to be sees along the West Coast'of the South Island, where he was for some y£&rs engaged upon such works as the Westport and Greymouth harbour s , which stand to-day as monuments to his &Kll and ingenuity. Indeed, Mr O'Connor had control, on behalf of the; General Government, of the construction .of all pub-, lie works,' excepting-railways, on'' the West Coast, and-the residents of that region, from Cape Farewell to Martin's Bay 7 are familiar with the engineering; projects he .initiated and wag instrumental in having successfully, carried through. During the past decade Mr O'Connor has found in Western Australia much larger undertakings to engaga his attention, and the'success hehas met with there lias abundantly justified his selection by the Government jif that State-to be its Engineertn-Chief. He instituted a scheme for the improvement of the harbour at Fremantie, and from a plan of the works which: lios before us-the'magnitude'of the undertaking i s apparent. Upwardsiof-£BOO,OOO has been expended— .upon -the; work, which, when completed; ..will involve s> total outlay of something over a million sterling.' The Government is, however, already obtaining very good-results financially and otherwise, from: the new harbour, as the-P. and 0., Orient .and Messageries Maritimes mail steamers are now calling there. The greatest undertaking ersr contemplated by any en-

gincer south of the lino has also boon initiated by Mr O’Connor, namely, the supply of the Coolgardie goldfields with water, at a cost of two millions sterling. When Mr O’Connor had completed his plans of this scheme he wont to Groat Britain, and submitted them to a committee of the moat eminent ongineerFL who, after due consideration, pronounced the project feasible, and the designer was created a C-M.G. in recognition of the ability and genius ho had displayed. The West Australian Government determined to undertake the work, and it is now in progress. While many may have regrets that Mr O Connor left Now Zealand, yet all 'must bo glad to learn of the success which is attending his efforts in another place.

THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE, The San Francisco service is likely to give rise to a protracted discussion when the subject comes before Parliament. At the caucus of the Ministerial party ttio other day, there was same talk upon this question, and it is stated that one of the Auckland members declared that if the service were discontinued a largo number of the Auckland representatives would withdraw their support from the present Ministry, and that even the Minister of Mines, as a representative from Auckland, would be obliged to resign his portfolio. The attitude of the Southern members was that they would have less objection to the San Francisco service if the Spreokelg contract wore terminated. It is gaid that a definite statement was made by the Postmaster-General that oven if a Vancouver mail service were established, the San Francisco service would be continued.

DIVORCE CASES AND PUBLIC MORALS. The secretary of the Auckland Women’s Political League forwards us the following, resolution, passed at its mooting on September ■ 3rd: —“That this meeting deeply deplores the attitude of the public press in publishing the proz ceedings of the Divorce Courts, and earnestly hopes it may see its way to discontinue publishing any matter detrimental to the public morals-” Airs Daldy asks us to use our influence to stop the publication of matter detrimental to the public morals. We have no influence over other journals in this matter; but our own practice has consistently been to expunge all matter calculated to appeal to prurient tastes from our reports cif Police Court and Divorce Court proceedings. Publicity in divorce cases may have a salutary effect, by warning people of the exposure they may expect if they offend against the law; but there ia no justification for sensational reports of the kind that were published by the Sydney daily papers when the Coningham case was being heard. The Auckland papers have recently been following the bad example set by Sydney, and this fact is doubtless responsible for the action of the ' Auckland Women’s Political League.