The Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1900 NOTES AND NOTIONS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6884, 27 August 1900, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1900 NOTES AND NOTIONS

Before the City Councilors- begin to dis-.. cus s the question of ti -Al'b'ish ' de's'tructcr this evenir.?, we hepo ; , Jie*sv,7-v.- I_ll..*a:ead1 _ll..*a:ead a camninaicatiop or. ths subject jnfi-lished in another part of tbis i:-£ue. The writer is the chief mßchanical engineer at an electric lighting station at Parwen, a .town in Lancashire, and his opinions on matters connected either directly or indirectly with his profession, are therefore entitled "to the resp-et^ which, all experts' views. -Reserve. He take, as his text the immense .amount jot gereraung 'power posr-ess'.d'- by refuse, which in Parwen, he says,* provides the whole of the steam potfer. for; the" electric lighting station. This plant lights not only the streets and public buildings, but supp-ies private consumers also, and is considered to be the finest of its kind. in England. The method of working the . destructor and the electric lighting plant is simple, and the . destructor does its part of th*? work effectually. But then it is a permanent contrivance, not a "temporary destructor" such as the Christchurch City Council proposes to erect, The deputation which laid the case for technical ' hife're. the* PremUr and the Minister, of -Educaticn.cn. Saturday, met with a very cordial reception. 'Mi* Seddon expressed his sympathy with the movement in favour of technical education in most emphatic terms. He admitted that New Zealand was some distance behind England in this branch cf. national ir.strr,sticn,. hut repudiated the' responsibility for our backwardness in this respect. The majority of peoplo will net be inclined to blame any particular Government for the existing state of affairs, an>d c van 'the few who'; might atone ..tin.;*, have felt disposed tovaecusa ihe present Cabinet of coolness tcwaids • technical education will, we dare ss*v, be willincc to withdraw their accusations *now, that they have tbe Premier's definite promise to in- | troduce a Bill providing foi* a complete sys- . tern of instructicn. The Bill is actually . ready, and we hope that it will Jennie law without further delay. Various rumours are current regarding the •modification which the Government intends to ir-troduea into its tariff 'proposals, but nothing very definite wi}l be known until Parliament meets en! Tuesday. '. TMeamvhila, it is interesting to calculate the.,effect which the i eductions at present proposed would have upon tlio. retail, prices of the articles for human co_.suhiption if they were carried. Tea in packages of 101 b would; be* reduced 2d per I'o ;. currants, raisins and candles', each Id per lb; plaid vestas. 7_ per gross of boxes'; N074 tin vestas;, 2s 6d per gross of boxes ; kerosene, 6d per gallon; rice, dressed, 6s per cwt ; coffee, roasted, Sd per lb ; coffee, raw, 2d. psr lb;, cocoa, 3d per lb ; salt, 10s per ton. .Patent and- proprietary medicines, the duty* on which is 40 per cent, would be reduced by 25 per csut in some cases, and by 15 percent in others, • and a general reduction of sper cent would be made oh drugs and cliemicals. : A ' eansiderable^sensatioi*. \rhas' v \ been caused in England, by tho action- of the Earl of Wfchiyss, who has placed tho resignation of his commission as Hor.rrary Colonel of the London Scottisfi Volunteer.* in the hands of .ihe ■Marquia- of Lansdowne, Secretary of .Stats ' for 'War, as a protest against the way ih which military matters have been treated. Lord Wemyss gives the . following reasons : for resigning ..■—•(1).. Because it isdhc to the existence j>f tha volunteers as jiiVavih^d. force that successive Ministers of \Var hiiveVfail- ' ed to put the existing, military system on its proper ff ot ing, - and are .content to leave the militia — the conslitutiohhl army of defence — always greatly below- its establish-, m&hty. and without its rigStful reserve. (2) Because Lojrd Lansdowne, "ignoring the criginal intention of the volur.te_er fore?, has changed its character, and constitution." 'It 'is not generally known that Lord. Lyttcn gave Lord Rpb.rt>- oho of his first cha*vces. Lord Lytton, on finding himself entangled in the war with' Ayoob, was strcngly of opinion' that Roberts was the 1 very best mn:_ to send against ; him. His proposal to appoint him was badly received at the Horse Guards and Pall .Mali. Roberts was a man without connections, and there were generals of high birth who wanted the command. Lord Lytton was a favourite cf Mr Disraeli, who was then Prime Minister. He privately -telegraphed to him that he had. a pergonal, as well as a public object in wishing to appoint Roberts. Lord Lytton wanted to enjoy sound sleep at night; aM lie'felt thH'he would 'not ba' kept awako.by ; uneafines-i. were entrusted withj the expedition. .This argu-ment-tickled Disraeli, who said the .Viceroy of India must not be deprived of • his natural rest by fear of military' disaster. Opposition (saiys the "Sphere) was, therefore, withdrawn to his proposal to send Roberts against Ayoob Khan. -