PASSING EVENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4880, 20 February 1894, Page 1

PASSING EVENTS.

It is not alone in the th_ frsnch English navy that examples' NAvy. of 1 am entably defective construction are to be found. M. Clemenceau has been uttering trenchant criticisms on the naval defences of France, and seems to bej impressed Jwith the conviction that there has been an enormous amount of blundering. In the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic seaboard the defences were admittedly weak ; but, according to M. Clemenceau, those on the Channel side are weaker still. As for tho torpedo boats, "they are a ghastly failure. The projectiles which they launch are bo little under control that they behave like squibs in their eccentric motions, and have baen known to turn round and make straight for home in a fashion most alarming." Nor do some of the battleships seem to be more satisfactory, so far as their sea-going capabilities are concerned. One of the ironclads, the Magenta, one of the four ships of the turret type that had been launched up to the end of 1889, and that is sufficiently huge to have a displacement of 10.580 tons, is a risky vessel for those on board. Her 7000 indicated horse-power was intended to drive her along at a maximum Bpeed of sixteen and a quarter knots per hour ,* but that is a rate which her officers dare not dream of approaching, lest the defective boilers should blow them out of existence. Nor is this all. The Magenta, armed in a somewhat similar manner to her Bister ships, carries, in addition to four big turret guns, nineteen of fire and a half inch calibre; and when the guns are run out on one side only, she develops, even in fair weather, an alarming list of eleven degrees, so that if the running ont were attempted in wind and storm the Magenta would probably roll over and go to the bottom. And then there iB tbe Dupuy deLdme, a heavily armoured cruiser that was launched four years ago, and that even now iB still in her. trial trip period. But there is this much to be said, that the French Government is now making haste to mend matters, and to add largely to the naval strength of the country.

The details that have phenomena!, come to hand relative to WEA.THBB. the weatbe* experienced in

England and on the Continent during portions of December and January show that there have been, phenomenal records, and that the meteorologists will have much subject-matter for discussion. The year 1893 proved to have been the brightest experienced in England during the present century, the duration of sunshine having been about 25 per cent above the average, equal approximately to an honr per day. Christmas' pay was comparatively summerlike in Southern England and on part 3of the Continent. During the previous week primroses were blooming in the localities familiar to " the lass of Richmond Hill," the throstles were in full song, and the rooks and starlingsHbad been indiscreet enough to commence nesting. On the Mediterranean littoral visitors basked in the sunshine, and the flower-seller*' baskets were "fnll of violets, primroses, lilies, tulips and white hyacinths." Then there came a change. First fogs, and then a rapidly falling thermometer. With the new year the cold was intensified, and the warmest place was, oddly enough, at Bodo, which is within the Arctic circle, where the record was 38deg, against 37 at Nice and 35 at Lisbon. . A cold, easterly gale was blowing in the English Channel, and snow was falling in London. On the night cf Jan. 4, 13deg of frost in the heart of the metropolis made people wonder,: though that was nothing in comparison with the experience of Vienna, where, during the morning of the fourth the thermometer showed 3_deg of frost, and the icy wind was raising "columns of unhealthy dust," which could not be kept down because the hard frost did not admit of sprinkling the street*. " There is more dußt than in the dog days," a correspondent declared. At Fiume and other Adriatic ports thereabouts, np Bteamers could enter, and " ropf s had to be tied along the streets from lamp-post to lamp-post; to enable people to pass from one house to the other." At Trieste, more to the northward, the terrible "bora" waß blowing, harder still, throwing people down and breaking their limbs, and even .overturning a carriage and two horses. France was but little better ; 29deg of frost in Paris ; people — as in Vienna— frozen to death, and the streat3 in the slippery state known as "verglas." In Southern France, Perigeux, notable for the mildness of its winter climate, was so complet ly snowed np that trains could neither enter nor leave it ; and the cold wave had made itself felt even in the island of Corsica, and produced heavy Bnowfalls there.

About a year ago some deav. ENGLisn tails were given in this labour journal of the working of an bttbkatj. English Labour Bureau that

had been experimentally established ab Ipswich, and had already been productive of a considerable amount of good in the district. The honorary manager of the bureau, Mr Tozer, has now issued another annual report, which discloses a highly encouraging state of affair*. Men have been moved from point to point in the district as work was to be found, and of the total number of applicants during the twelve months nearly one half were placed, for the most part in permanent situations. Other centres have been induced to follow the example set by Ipswich, but unfortunately there has been no attempt at affiliation whatever, and co the great advantages derivable from an int.lligent'y-conduoted co-operative system have been utterly lo3t, and "many men were standing idle in Ipswich while other districts were suffering from a dearth of labour." It is passing Strang* that Buch an obvious provision should have been neglected, even by slowly receptive minds, for despite the newness o? the idea many masters and many men have been keenly appreciative of its benefits. Leading- London journal*, howaper, are beginning to give Boon attention to the c district Labour Bureaux, and one of them declares that " nothing is wanting but a general extension cf tho system throughout the country, and an Act giving the municipal authorities power to establish the bureaux out of public funds." In

other words, nothing is wanting but an acceptance of the system so admirably carried out in New Zealand.

The churche. of the A wesletan world that are comprehenbpiscopate. sively grouped as Wesleyan

Methodists, find occupation for _6,712 ministers, and claim a fullyrecognised class membership of 6,569,538; whilst " the total number of persons who attend Methodist worship constantly is more than 80,000,000, all of whom properly belong to Methodism." Tet the centenary of Wesley's death was celebrated only in 1891. Moreover, vigorous work has of late been going on, especially in London, led by men amongst the ministers who " hold their heads above the crowd " ; men such as Hogh Price Hughes, Peter Thompson, Mark Guy Pear3e and J. H. Hopkins. Others, ardent supporters of the strength of unity, are working hard for the incorporation of all the factors of Wesleyan I Methodism under one banner. But the latest development, or promised development, is the scheme for a Weßleyan episcopacy, propounded by an ex-president, | the Bey Dr Bigg. This sshemo has to do simply with British Methodism, and its proposal has naturally awakened the keenest interest. Dr Rigg's idea is as follows :— The thirty-five existing districts would be re-arranged in thirteen sections, and in each of theße sections the administration would be vested in a minister separated from all other work, his .term of office being bix yearß. That there would be a superabundance ot work for the administrator to do in some of the sections is obvious at a glance. For example, No. 1 seotion, to be known as First London and East Anglia, would include sixty circuits; and others would include even seventy and up to seventy-three. This stress of duty Dr Bigg would meet by the appointment of a vice-chairman iv each section. If the scheme comes to maturity, the duties of a " chairman " will bo practically episcopal. He will have to make regular visitations throughout his section, and attend the quarterly circuit meetings ; preside at the May and September Synods, and, as far as possible, at all committee meetings of the Synod ; " make it his business, both on Sundays and weekdays, to render help by preaching and counsel, as may be required, within districts included in the section under his chairmanship, and attend the stationing committee meetings." These matters may be looked upon as of the compulsory sort, while the optional duties would include the convening of " collective meetings of the ministers and laymen included within the District Synods of the section for Connectional or religious objects." There is however a salutary check provided against too frequent " requests " for the chairman's presence, by the stipulation that the requisitioning circuit must pay his travelling expenees. Still, travelling expenses are not formidable in Great Britain, and no doubt the honour of entertaining " our chairman " would be eagerly sought ; so that the bishop ia all bub in name will not be likely to find overmuch rest for the sole of his foot. There will be palpitating expectancy when the adherents of British Methodism are called upon to choose their first batch of spiritual Fathers.