LONDON LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6411, 7 January 1908, Page 6

LONDON LETTER.

TOPICS OF THE DAY. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, November l!2. THE BRITISH EXHIBIT AT CHRISTCHURCH. 1 am indebted to Captain P. 11. Atkin, British Commissioner for the New Zealand International Exhibition, for a copy of his report to the British Government on the Exhibition. "It is matter for satisfaction/' says Captain Atkin, "to record that the interest which His Majesty's Government took in the aspirations of tho New Zealand Government was not only ardently recognised and acknowledged at the outset, but that similar feelings were abundantly expressed on many other occasions during the entire course of the Exhibition." In testimony of the groat appreciation bestowed upon the British section. Captain Atkin records an unprecedented account of sales.

So great a realisation has never before, been produced from an official participation, and it is a cause of tlie greatest satisfaction to have so gratifying a proof of the interest aroused. Of the sales during the Exhibition, ten jer cent, of the receipts were paid over to the Administratis in accordance with the official regulations. In addition to the sales above recorded, show-cases to the value of *£loß 9s Od were sold locally. All of the exhibits were returned to their owners by the end of August, and it has been found that only infinitesimal damage has been done in transit. Captain Atkin goes into a detailed description of the British Exhibit, and other Government displays at the Exhibition, but as all this is now ancient history I will pass on to his summary of the recults achieved. "There can be no doubt,” says the Commissioner, "that the action of tho Imperial Government in sending such a representative exhibit to New Zealand was greatly appreciated by the poonlo of the Dominion, 'and that it has done much to help the New Zealander to a better apprehension of the manifold activities of the Mother Country and of her recent advance in many directions. "There is also no question on that, among other benefits, the Exhibition has had the effect of making the specialities of British art more widely known in New Zealand and Australia and generally in the Southern Seas, and it appears to bo beyond doubt that its direct results upon the advancement and npliftinp of art alono have been such as fully to justify the expenditure incurred hr His Majesty’s Government, while considerable advantages may bo expected to accrue to British artist beyond those more immediately resulting from tho Exhibition, The gratuitous distribu- j tion of some 4000 catalogues containing ■ much general information respecting British artists must assist in making ’ familiar the identity of those whose tvvv-kp farmed a part of the British Art, Collection. X cannot heln also fueling ; that one notable resnlt will be a great improvement in the art of design as applied to industry. There is hardly any product into which art enters, ,which is not likely to be improved in taiate, to gain in grace and intelligence of design, in harmony of colour, and in adaptability of ornamentation, as compared with what New Zealand was -satisfied to bgfor* f.V EvMW+jon voa.r, and to further this it would be well that the public should work in harmony with schools of design. I can think of no better' means of educating pitKHc than by exhibiting art . object*? on the large and comprehensive j scale which fh« British Government did at Christchurch.” NEW ZEALAND AT THE COLONIAL INSTITUTE. Dr. J. M. Bell, Director of the Now Zealand survey, gave an address before the itoyal institute on Tueeuay afternoon on “The Mineral Wealth of New Zealand/' Lord Jianlmiy, ei-Uovernox* of New Zealand, was m the chair, and there was an excellent attendance. The New Zealand High Commissioner cent an apology for non-attendance, ins presence being required at a meeting of the Pacific Cable .board. With map and pomcer Dr Dell indicated to his attentive audience the sources of the new Dominions great mineral wealth, and gave a brief summary of the mineral deposits, their distribution and the broader features of their occurrence, without attempting to enlarge upon the details of their geological occurrence. The lecture was somewhat technical for a general audience, but its weightiness was relieved by a very fine senes of lantern views of New Zealand scenery, which were muph appreciated. Dealing with the coal deposits. Dr Bell said that perhaps in no country in the world was coal more generally distributed than in New Zealand, where it occurred in varying qualities in almost every part of the country. New Zealand coal was of much lesser antiquity than that of Europe, which belonged to the carboniferous age. In many parts of the Dominion there was abundant evidence of petroleum, though in no locality could it be said to have been proven to exist in great quantity. Dr Bell went on to describe the interesting iron ore deposits at Parapara and the magnetic ironsand of Taranaki. The former have resulted from the concentration of iron oxide by meteoric waters, and it was estimated that no less than 27 millions tons were in sight at Parapara. Dr Bell dealt briefly with the gold deposits in New Zealand, and in conclusion pointed out that much of the wild, mountainous country of the South Island and of the thickly wooded central and northern parts of the North Island were still unexplored, and vast mineral wealth might yet be discovered in those areas of terra incognita. Mr J. IT. WBbeford opened a die—loo on Mr BelTs paper. Speaklnv of the iron ore deposits at Parapara. he eMd that Dr Bell had had a staff of sixteen men working on the snot, and had made a most careful analysiq of the ore. All that was wanted now was to erect blari: and steel works, and New Zealand could build up a crr*a.t iron indnstry comparable with *+ and Middleshorough. Tf it had not Been for the band of Hf.ath these works would have been ertarted over a year ago, for Mr Ix>uis Wnitrel had promised to gnarantee a quarter of a mllion pounds for that T'Tjr’vwe. bnt death claimed him before ho fwnld carry ont his object. However. Mr Snivel's son had since guaranteed fh.» quarter of ft million, and the late Hon. Walter Johnston had joined in raising .£IOO,OOO in New Zealand. Mr J. L . E. Vogel. Sir Frederick Young, Mr George Beetham, Mr Edward Wakefield and Lord Eanfurly also took part in the discussion. The last named 4 remarked that as regards mineral wealthy

the surface of New Zealand had only just been feoratcheci. lh* liell left Loudon on the 10110-ving day (.November 2i>Lh) to join the Orient liner Oruba at Naples* vii route lor Australia and New Zealand. FGKXY MILES AN -UOUU AT SLA. The fastest war vessel iu the world—and tliat, in tJiese days, its equivalent to saying the fastest craft of any sort afloat—has Just been added to “the King’s Navee" by Messrs Wiuto and Co., or Cowes, m mo ioim of a new b ingoing torpeuo ooat destroyer ivliicli Jims ueua CiiridWiiu'd -uoiuiwK. This new destroyer when oiheialy tried in tho North Sea last I riuay maintained lor six hours a speed oi cWi Knots or 80 miles 12b0 yards per hour — a speed which many alleged express trams fail to Keep up over a six hours' journey, and makes tho 2&-knot trial average of the monster Cunarder Mauretania look quite a modest pace. hut it is only men in a fearful ‘'hurry who would, given tho choice, choose to take passage iu the smaller craft. The big Cunarders arc floating hotels replete with every possible comfort and convenience, whereas destroyers are about tho most comfortless craft man can design. Tho destroyer is a marine racing machine which, at full speed, makes “bad weather" of anything short of a dead calm.

A feature of the Mohawk is that she is fitted with steam turbines, and the White-Forster express water-tube boiler using oil fuel. The oil consumption is so low that the vessel will have a wider radius of action than much slower vessels. The following are some - particulars of this ocean racer, which embodies all the newest id©ag in her type: Length 270 feet, displacement 800 tons, 1 armament 3M 2 pounder G. F. guns, 1 2-18 in. revolving torpedo tubes; radius of action at economical speed, 1500 nautical miles. The turbine machinery comprises five turbines (throe ahead and two astern), driving three shafts and propellers. Tho‘power of the machinery is about U-,500 i.h.p. Steam is supplied by six water tube boilers, each of about 2400 h.p., these boilers being fir£d by liquid fuel on a system which has been experimented with succossfuly by the Admiralty for some years. No ooal storage is provided in tho vessel, and she will’ roly entirely on tho liquid fuel installation. THE FRANCO-BKITI6H EXHIBITiUiN. According to the executive of the Frau* co-n»misn rjxiuuuiuii to bo held next year the whole oi cue buildings now m process of erection on .the extensive site at bnepheiti s LuciU will be compieteu before the curreut year gives way tx> IVUtf, and by the middle of January they will be ready to receive exhibits. L this is so the Franco-imtieh Exhibition should create a European record by being ready on the appointed opening day. Such a thing, I believe, haa never been known before in connection with a European or American Exhibition, though possibly Australasia may be able to boast of an exhibition which was entirely ready for its opening day. Yesterday eome 300 British and French journalists were invited to Shepherd's Bush to view the progress made with tho . jtuldingH, etc. Tho present condition of the large area of 140 acres, at Shopherd's Bush Is naturally somewhat chaotic inasmuch as tho exhibition is not intended to be opened until May, 1908, but sufficient progress has been made to obtain a good idea of the magnitude of the undertaking. Tho ground is all planned out, and many of tho buildings have been erected. The visitors were conducted by. way of the Royal Payillion, Garden Club, the Palace Restaurant, the great Machinery Oourt, to the French section on the left hand and the British on tho right, and the extensive gardens in the centre, and the Colonial section to tho stadium in which the quadrennial Olympic games are to bo held. This vast area will bo. capable of seating 68,000 persons, ©very one of whom will have a good view of the games. There is a running track, three laps to tho mile, already laid down, and a cycling track, two-and-tliree-quarter laps to tho mile, in course of construction, and when a football match is being played, the visitors were informed, that as many as 150,000 persons will be able to .witness the play. A bath 100 metres in length has been constructed in which swimming competitions will take place. In its present conditions, with only the two great segments finished at each end of the mighty ellipse, the Olympic arena irresistibly reminds the spectator of the Coliseum, a« that venerable monument of Imperial Rome now looks in the eulondour of its majestic ruins. But tho Coliseum, with all its tiers of arches, could be easily contained within the completed Olympic arena of to-day. The stadium of modern Athens, seats and all, could be built within the space of brass that forms merely the centre of London's latest marvel, Tho amphitheatres of Nimos or Arles could be hidden away at one end of the {Shepherd's Bush arena, and scarcely interfere with its proportions. The exhibits will be housed In twenty ‘notween the main entrance ard that in Wood-lane will be a f?eri rt P *>r nrrrbt tmnoions exhibition halls, each about 70ft wide and about dflfift loner. The French pommi+tee has already secntv»d one-half of these buiHings. which will be devoted to the liberal arts, ocicnce. moMM economy, bvjriene. chern''~‘l indne+riee:. and nlimmrtntion section®. The Machinery Hall, mentioned, will contain over 260.0 W «n. ft. of floor prince. Other palaces wil l V» devoted to ednnafion. fine arts, deeorative art. applied arts, and mnair. Tt i® expected that the French exhibits will be more numerous then those displayed by France at any exhibition outside Pari®. It is hardly possible at the present stage to give any idea of whet the ultimate appearance of the TvmlJi'nrs "*ill b» but ro far as can be judged from those already in fptu, —-ill pf re"' l beauty architepturaTly. Given a fine summer next year, there c.*»n he little doubt that the exhibition will prore a great attraction to the public, and therefor© a great success, THE UP-TO-DATE MOTOR CAR. Tho Motor Show at Olympia has been drawing an attendance of about sixteen or seventeen thousand a day. All the big British maker* and a number of foreign ones are exhibiting, and the ehow offers a fin© opportunity for comparison of results and appreciation of the immense strides made by the motor industry in the last few years. The differences of detail. The general un- ; deriving principles of motor rwiefiru*. tmn are in nearly ©v*ry caw identical, and it looks as though complete standardisation end finality of model are near at h«p'd. A*? re<myds rmrinp*. the |or»tr battle the R-pvbnder t> rT *e tbe is be<nnnrn<r to Tv» «vrW-I«*A Try a ▼>rope«fi of nd?Tis+TP*»rit. TUrnicr qmrsnewt fhe Jf V>ntt V>/v\f"o +t>p nr{i(4i"o +v» fl+ A. (*vT?«dorr pTirnoes. for exnorienpe hs« -rvrrvrpd IvwiT' f*Tl dfmbf fbr»-f 4-WJf io fArm •prbJrtVi naftrAiTAfl ati n-r\A -»r a!a«?alt- S—ATftTl'w '•Htvo’ + ■ rroTP the ptPs»Tn-on«dr»p, TTie ft.A-p-I'AdPr pnpdno. Trhfph trna fr*eA-nA «•«- ati thp mjiTl-At q yAftr or «n now w?fli ic tat r>r- w-a. #-ricteot. whTle the pjrfrlo.prliod^r nre opp^eirm*»nv rnot »»4+b. j»rtd ._l,n^4-V« VT nAAI+I>A 9 fain claw, it caiiTint he ..M tliat +tpv Tinvp a great vrwme. The tbr—’-erliruVr -rp--f-esl oaifftna f'n regard tn Tnanv PTtravntrm'.i: claims mere made two or f-Vroe yeani liable) Rlirrmlc into oKIrrion, or nearly so, in conn»qriPTice of jits ranßit of proper mechanical balance^.

For luodcratcly-powercd care the ten--1 deucy is now to use lour-oylindcr eng- ’ iiuis, which secure reliability and elasticity, and thus ensure quiet and easy running.

As regards minor details, it is interesting to nolo that in niuo cases out ot tai lucubration is now effected by mechanical means, tho arrangement being such that the motor wiii take in automatically the exact amount of oil that is necessary. The multiple disc type of clutch Js becoming tile favourite, and tho cue-time popular metal to metal variety is gradually dying out. Tho modern dutch is naturally a great improvement on tho types winch weio used a year or two ago, and the ease in which they engage and the gradual manner in which they take up tho drive is in marked contrast to tho jerking and jarring action which characterised the old patterns. Gears are usually of three or four speed variety, and direct drives on ono or other of tho speeds aro now practically universal Cnrlmration has reached a high standard of perfection, and uie latest carburettors differ only in small details from the types fitted to 1907 cars. Ball bearings are very generally fitted throughout the running parts of the modern ear, and tho lighter form of wire wheel is gradually asserting itself, while detachable rims are becoming more popular than ever. The carriage-huildinj in connection with motors has been do voloped to a wonderfully high standard, and the latest cars are models of lur urions ease.

£ s. d. Fin© Arts 16,048 7 7 Arts and Omits 1,013 18 9 Meteorological Instruments 245 i n Pictorial Photographs 103 18 6 Maps and Miscellaneous ... 17 3 6 £17,458 9 4