The Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1896. To-Day.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5294, 26 June 1895, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1896. To-Day.

A correspondent has written to lis requesting that we will answer a nnmber of questions respecting the Fire Brigade, and indicating tho replies he would like to be given. The gist of his letter is that men have been appointed who know nothing whatever about the duties that must devolve upon them, that well-trained men have been excluded, and that "there ought to he an inquiiry into it." To our thinking, the reorganisation of the brigade, whioh admittedly was a grave necessity, was gone about in a perfectly fair and open way. Applioations were duly invited, plenty of notice being given, and we have no doubt that in making selections the City Council's Pire Brigade Committee did its "level best" for the interests of the citizens. Time proves all things. A new brigade has been constituted, and results must be waited for. If the brigade proves as efficient as we hope and believe it will do, our hearty commendation will be assured. If any marked defects disclose themselve. , we shall certainly not hesitate to call attention thereto.

Wondebs will never cease. The Wel- J lington Post, which has roundly abused the present Ministers in season and out of season, now pleada strongly for them in connection with the proposal embodied in the Governor's Speech to lighten the burden of work devolving upon them. Referring to the fact that valuable lives have been sacrificed by auch overstrain, the Post points out that the Minister of Lands haß broken down, and the Premier is "sorioualy injuring hia health by hia exer tiona to cope with the work piled upon him." Our contemporary goes on to hope that the salaries of Ministers '■ will be increased, and generally piles ! up its auxiety for the members of the Cabinet to as ludicrous an extent as it has erstwhile heaped its abuse. Still, it seems to us plain enough that far too much departmental work devolves upon the members of the Government, and there are eeveral ways in whioh an appreciable measure of relief may be afforded. One of these ways would be to add to the Ministry itself ; another, to create two or more Under-Secretarial offices ; and yet another, to make some sorb of return to Provincialism in effecting local government reform, and so relieve Cabinet and Parliament alike of duties that partake more or less of the parochial nature. It is a subject that ought to be considered with special reference to the projected local government legislation, and its special importance demands the most careful consideration on the part of the representatives of the people,

Pob what has that expensive institution, the f School of Agriculture, existed? To judge from the report that has been formally adopted by the Cantorbury College Board of Governors, there has, in the management of the school, been left undone many of the things that ought to have been done, even thongh, under the guidance of the present director, there hae been an appreciable advance in useful work. True, the farm attached to the School is not a very extensive one, but it may reasonably be supposed that ninety acres or so would be sufficient for a great variety of experimental purposes. But the public is now inferentially told that it haa yet to ba determined what are the best kinds of turnipß to grow, whit descriptions of wheat yield the best, how pigs may be most profitably fed, and so forth. Then again, although the Sohool of Agriculture ia presumably conducted on a scientific basis, the trees in the orchard are "hopelessly infested" with the scale insect ahd the American blight ; there is no kitchen garden, and no cultivation of vegetables j there are no poultry houses, and no fowls — not even to Bupply the ordinary household requirements ; the modern system of bee-keeping is unknown, and the raising of treea for transplanting has yet to be taught. Surely thia is a striking list of defects. However, consolation must perforce be found in the adage that "it is never too late to mend," and in the fact that the governing body is to sot about the inauguration of a new and better order of things aa speedily as possible.

The quality of the debate on the Address-in-Reply is not of a high standard, aB our readers may easily discover by the telegraphic report of the proceedings. It is more than ever apparent that the time so spent is utterly wasted, and that the limitation of such inconsequent speeohes to an hour was one of the best things Parliament ever did. Indeed, it iB a matter for regret that a peremptory call of " time " does not cufc off the flow of verbosity very much sooner. That spoiled child of the House, Sir Bobert Stout, seems to have been in the " nasty " mood that threatens to become chronio with him, and to have talked with infinitely more glibneaa than wisdom; while a sneering attack onthe absent Colonial Treasurer savours little of that noblesse oblige which is understood to be a knightly characteristic. Moreover, there waß no little inconsistency in Sir Eobert Stout's assertion that the Becnring of the money under the Advances to Settlers Act at 3 per cent was not a financial triumph, when he himself predioted long ago that 4 per cent would have to be paid. Utter inconsistency, again, was Bhown by Mr George Hutchison, who in deprecating tho Premier's reference to Mr Ward's mission in the absence of tbat gentleman, lost sight altogether of the fact that he was simply replying to what had been said by Sir B. Stout. Of the debate generally, as far as it has gone, though it may neither be flat nor stale, it

is distinctly unprofitable ; and we hope, even against hope, that the good sense of the Hous9 may Boon rise superior to any personal considerations, and relegate thia custom to the limbo of queer antiquities.