CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7027, 15 January 1910, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS

UNIVERSITY MILITARY TRAINING. Tho Professorial Board of Victoria College met yesterday to discuss its committee's proposals regarding University military training. While various views were entertained as to University military training, a motion was carried unanimously to the effect that while the Board was of opinion that the Government must make provision for teaching the theoretical and practical sides of the military art, it was not prepared to say whether the direction and control of such instruction should rest with tlu Defence Department, or with the University. The board was .also .unanimously of opinion that the question of direction and control should ■be submitted to Lord Kitchener. '

THE CHAMPIONSHIP' REGATTA. Picton complains that "Wellington has • "humbugged" the executive of the Championship Regatta with regard to the day of celebrating- the anniversary of the province this year, and, even at the present time, nothing appears to have been 1 definitely settled. "The Saturday or ! Monday muddle in Wellington," says the "Press," "will result in the keen. disappointment of hundreds of enthusiasts • from the other side of the Strait, besides causing a serious monetary loss to the ■ local association. Tho Union Company ■ has folt the pulse of the people, and regrets that, owing to the holiday being observed by different sections of the com- ■ munity to suit their onm convenience, , an excursion steamer for the day is most . improbable. The hainds of the association were forced in selecting Wellington's] anniversary day as the date of the regatta, and the members of the executive' ' were led to believe that Monday, the i 24th, would be more generally observed than Saturday. Now it appears that ' the reverse will be the case. It is now • top late to alter. the fixture, and, not- •■ withstanding the.annoyance caused'on, account of Wellington's decision, the re- ■ gatta will be held" on the 2ith iristantl under favourable auspices. Thanks to the liberality of the business people of ' ' Blenheim and Picton, the funds re- . quired are likely to be guaranteed, audi , fuio weather and smooth water are alii that are required to ensure the thorough! i success of the regatta. For the benefit of the northern enthusiasts, we.should, advise the executive to endeavour tol i arrange with the IMion Company to' ; send one of the ordinary coastal boats via Picton, either late on Saturday night' ' -or on Sunday." <■ ■ SHIPPING, i. The overwhelming maritime supremacy of the United Kingdom is shown" - by! the following figures, compiled by the Board of Trade showing'the ocean tonnage of the leading maritime nations, ' 1907: Tons. United Kingdom ... ..■ ... ,11,485,000 Germany .... ... 2,730,000 t United . States 871,000 . Japan • ... 1,181,000 Norway ... 1,458,000 > Franco, ... ... 1,403,000 , . Italy ..... ... .901,000 ' Total above, and all other , countries, about 26,000,000 ■ Thus, taking steam, and sailing vessels together, and old and new tonnage together, the United Kingdom owns nearly i one-half of the sea-going ships of the entire world. If, however, it is taken into consideration' that over , 10,000,000 ■ of British • tons are steam tons, and t that the tonnage is comparatively newer and '■ better than that of the world at' ■ large, it will be seen that the above , figures do less than justice, to,British supremacy. * Britain own in effective • tonnage more than one-half of the i worlds "ocean shipping. As.it cannot be pretended that the islands have'any' nautical superiority-over the rest of the world in adaptability for shipping, j freetrade is the only . explanation of British maritime supremacy.. .. _ , . : LEGION OF FKONTIEBSMEN. • Captain John Cook, organising officer' 1 and sub-commissioner for New Zealand! . on behalf of the Legion of Frontiersmen, . writes that he came to Australia to be ' present at tho 'Kitohener celebrations ; (remarks the "Sydney Morning Herald"). He is also organising the legion, which ' is limited to men who have seen active i service, have travelled about, the world, and who can be useful in.time of war. There are, Mr Cook says, ;on £7ie councl!, such men as French, Bimington, Driscoll, Brabant, and a host of others who are well known. The members pay all their , own exSenses, and when signing on they define he area of the Empire in which they are prepared to fight. Most of them s define it as "anywhere." They also state the countries they know arid the 1 languages they can speak, so that when i trouble comes a good muster of men ■ accustomed to scouting.or transport, and able to 6peak the language of the couni ] ' try, may be obtained. The organisation . is approved by the War Department in England, and Lord Kitchener wrote to 1 headquarters a few, months ago, saying [ he was glad so many of his old. troopers : were still serving the Empire in ths ' Legion of Frontiersmen. THE P. AND 0. COMPANY. ' ' Interviewed in Auckland, Mr J. M. Shields, a director of the P. and 0. . Company, said while here he had seen. the harbour authorities and the P. and • 0. agents in regard to the arrangements. » The P. and 0. Company had always had a certain intecest in tho New Zealand passenger traffic, and they thought that • if their vessels were aottmlly brought to . New Zealand it might attract still more of the traffic, as the passengers would ; avoid the otherwise neoassn-y transhipi nieut at' Sydney, and it tho resute of tho experiment were satisfactory they, would continue it. For tl~» present, at ' all omits, they did nor -mend to go . in. for cargo traffic, because there was no time to do anything, and the mail j boats, being small carriers,.could get all!

they wanfcsd at the Australian ports at which they were bound to call under the mail contract. In answer to a question as to what he. thought would be the probable result of the experiment from a business, point of view, Mr Shields sai'd that the Australian agents of the company were very well satisfied with the prospects, the bookings up to date promising well. Speaking of fares, Mr Shields said that at present the company had no intention of raising tho fares Between here and Sydney on account of the coal strike m ftew South Wales, as the strike had affected them so little that there had been no occasion to do so.

NEWS NOTES

The Manuka, which left Wellington last evening for Sydney, took 218 passengers.

The AVellington Building Trades Labourers' Union has decided to pay a levy of 2s 6d per member towards assisting the Newcastle coal miners' on strike. The Saddlers' Federation intends urging the Government to establish a State factory for the manufacture of all the saddlery work in connection with the new defence scheme.

A fine shearing performance was registered 'at Patoka by Sam Hawkins. tip put through 304 ewes and lambs, which came off dirty country, a days Work which, ■ considering tho conditions, approaches Reihania's record of 342 in point of merit.

In addition to the Bakers' Union the Wellington branch of the Australasian Federated Seamen's Union has notified to the Wellington Trades and Labour Council its intention to withdraw at the expiration of the current - term. Messrs WT C. Noot, E. J. Carey and F. Keyling havo been appointed a committee to wait upon the withdrawing unions asking 'them to reoonsider the matter. . Metallic filament lamps for street lighting are not altogether a success. They are economical in respect to current consumption, but their fragilenessi is a great drawback, and many of the new globes nave been broken by bigh winds. The lamps used on the streets have longer filaments than those used for houJlighting. This is on account of the higher voltage on the street circuits A report will be submitted to the City Council on the. matter in the course of the next few weeks. The temporary appointment .of a roadman in MakaraCounty Counc. was responsible for a little straight talking at the meeting of that body yesterday. Some councillors maintained : that applications should be invited for'the position, and a motion to that ; effect was carried. The councillor who had made the appointment took umbrage at this, evidently being of the opinion that his nominee s services were going to be dispensed with, Ho expressed hinißelf thus:— It goes, I go too. Thafe straight! An equal division of opinion existed amongst the members of the Makara County Council at yesterday's meeting as to which day is most suitable for tho statutory half-holiday in their district. Three voted for Wednesday, and three for Saturday, the latter including Mr F. T. Moore, the chairman, who gave his casting-vote in favour of the Saturday. Consequently, the Makara delegate at the conference of local bodies to decide on the day to be observed will vote in favour of Saturday. '

■ Commenting upon the Waikare wreck, the "Sydney Morning Herald" remarks s "No .doubt the most searching exammar tion will now be made of all the Sounds usually visited, but it is a pity that 'the. loss of a fine ship is the premium that has to be paid for such an investigation. The fact is that immunity from accident has bred the idea that there .was no danger. So far as Dusky Sound is ooncerned it has alwa3's been visited, 'and there has never been a mishap previously. It-is studded with numerous islands, but was supposed to have few invisible dangers, and . the ! depth of water is in general verygreat." As the train from Auckland was drawing info Buckland on Saturday. after r noon, the assistant guard (Jackson) received' painful facial 'wounds thorough being struck by the tablet receiver He 'was' descending from the tram at the time, and the violence of the.'blow, 'which was inflicted by the receiver in swingihK back, hurled him clear of the ipoat, and inflicted severe wounds on the inoso and head, but there was no fracture. First aid was rendered by Porter iLeighton and Mr. Munns, storekeeper, and the injured man was removed to Tuakau, and subsequently to the Auckland Hospital, where he is progressing favourably. . , ..

J As evidence of the hidden dangers of ■sunken rooks in the Sounds,, a gentleman: now resident in Westportf relates that an obstruction in the fairway' of George [Sound, now charted as "Sinclair Hock," was discovered in an accidental mannpr. Some years ago our informant (says the .Greymoutih "Star") and Captain Sinlol'air were fishing in the Sound from a [boat. At one side of the boat the West,port man, ■■ -with - two; lengths of fishing .Una, ocrald not get bottom, while oh the opposite side of the' boat. Captain Sin» Clair's line bottomed at eighteen feet. Careful plotting proved the presence of ■a previously unsuspected pinnacle rock. The Naseby-. correspondent. pi-.,, the '"Otago Daily Times" joins in the general ■forebodings about prospects in ; Centi*4 ;Otago. He says the prireipal, if not the Bole topic of conversation v throughout .Naseby and the Maniototo Plain ds the ■subject of the weather. There ia lack of ,rain, with hot days and scorching winds. In very many cases 'the crops-are not ■worth, harvesting,, and consequently, sheep have been,: turned .on to V them.: .■'■ The IMeri' river is low, and comparatively clear in colour, indicating that mining 'and sluicing in and .around -Naseby are .at a standstill.. The, indication ia.. correct, for all claims have been, closed idown for some .time on account of the Tvant of .water. .' s , i Data is being procured by the Wellington City Council in regard to the trafho on the Karori tramway, line. It will be remembered that about six weeks ago a deputation > from the Karori Borough Council waited on the City Council to complain about the present round-about route. to the city, and asked ■ for .a' deviation by way of Glenbervie cutting or a tunnel from somewhere in the vicinity of Mee's steps, Lambton quay, to come out near the top of Tinakori| road. The Mayor of Wellington promised to go into the matter, and for- the last few weeks a man has been stationed 'on the ■' line taking a tally of- all , the .passengers boarding and leaving ■ the'; cars at the Botanical Gardens gates; and those doing likewise at the section ending near Baker's Hill tunnel. A report will be brought down for consideration iby;, the Council at an early date. ' ■ Mr W.. H. Beale, of Vivian street, hUs invented certain new parts of a knitting machine that should revolutionize the sock and stocking making industry, by virtue of the greUt labour saved. For eighteen months he haß been giving his invention a trial, and it -has worked so satisfactorily from U practical point of view that he is patenting it in England. America, and elsewhere. It is claimed fo>- the invention that it largely increases the productive capacity of the machine, by turning out four times as many knitted goods tos the machine does under existing conditions, that is, 120 socks and stockings a day, and the various parts working automatically the finished article is produced in, the one process. Now. the articles can be turned out in three minmtefl against fifteen minutes under the old process. Mr Beale has brought the machine under the-notice of a big English manufacturing firm, arid ho has received a very favourable reply. Mr P. E. Climie, patents' attorney, of Christchurch, is taking out the necessary letters for patenting the- invention throughout the world. Mr Beale invites those interested in the woollen industry to personally jnspeot the machine.

The reticulation of Northland in connection with the water supply is being pushed on rapidly. Two gangs are at work laying the pipes, which are all now on tho job. It will not be long before the work is completed. Some time on Thursday night, during the voyage , of the ferry steamer from Lyttelton to Wellington. Miss Virtue, a passenger to Wellington, missed two gold brooches, valued at £3. and reported the occurrence to the police, iesterday Detectivo Andrews arrested a married woman at Mitchelltown, a passenger by the same steamer, on a charge of Tiaving committed the offence. At tho police station, Lambton quay, there is a great collection of watches, of all sizes and shapes, for which owners are wanted. Walter Joseph Bray, watchmaker, of Taranaki street, was before the Magistrate's Court on Weduesday Imt charged with the theft of a watch, to which he pleaded guilty. He was remanded until the 19th inst. The .police have in their possession about sixty watches, found in pawn, and which had been left with the accused to repair. In addition, a number of watches, also held for repair by the accused, have been impounded. It would' facilitate tho work of the police if the owners paid a visit to tho station and identified their property. The Lux Light Company wish it known that the Lux Incandescent Kerosene Gas Lamps give the Cheapest and Most Brilliant Light on Earth. See Te Aro House, Bates and Lees', Wardell Bros.', Leydon and Co., Caterer and Carey, E. Pearce and Co., R. Hannah and Co., Petone Workshops (where Lux replaced tho latest devices in lighting). House Lamps 22s 6d. Lamps up to 2000 candlepower. 35, 37, 39, Old Customhouse street (back of Opera House), Wellington. ■ •