Untitled

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2062, 24 April 1907, Page 1

Admiral Sir John Fisher, concerning whom several rumors are afloat just now, is the strongest personality in our Navv. No one thinks of opposing him,‘for it has become quite a tradition that he always gets what lie wants. Yet Admiral Fisher started life as a young officer without any private fortune or influential friends to help his advancement. The honorable position he now occupies has been won entirely by ability, pluck, and hard work. He is somewhat of a Kitchener in his methods, as the following story goes to show. Some year or two'back Sir John —“.Tacky” they always call him in the Navywanted a ship under His command to <ro to a certain place on a certain date. Her captain pleaded that it was impossible to get ready. “Tell — that if he is not ready to leave for—on the day named I will have him towed there.” was Admiral Fisher’s reply. Needless to say, it did not prove necessary to carry out this threat.

Geologists are still much in the dark as to the nature of the earth’s interior; but since accurate measurements have been made of vortical land displacements resulting from earthquake shocks, the old theory of a solid earth is said to he quite untenable. In this connection it is interesting to note that Professor Curtis, of the Mills Expedition of the Lick Observatory to Santiago, Chili, has just reported that Valparaiso harbor is now 10 feet shallower than before the great earthquake of last August, the movement being mainly vertical. The Geological Society of America has also recently published a memoir dealing with the earthquake ill Alaska in 1899, which shows that for over 100 miles in the vicinity of Yakutat Bay the coast has been vertically displaced, the uplifts varying from 7ft to a maximum of 47ft 4in in Disenchantment Bay. Similar displacements have ulso been measured in the neighborhood of Sun Francisco.

I At tennis, in tho Queen’s Clul covered court championships, ’Wilding won the singles, defeating Carid a. Wilding and Ritchie secured the doubles, and Wilding and Mis* Kasllakc-SmitU the mixed doubles, R. Doherty did not compete.

During the bearing ol a. ease in the Full Court, Perth, W.A., recently, tho Chief Justice had occasion to make some remarks regarding the duties and responsibilities of King’s Counsel. Air. R. S. Haynes, K.C.. who was unaccompanied by a junior, appeared for one of the parties to a suit, and on rising to address the Court tho Chief Justice said: “There are certain advantages and certain disadvantages in being King’s Counsel, and it seems to me that King’s Counsel here want all of the advantages and none of the disadvantages. I have made up my mind I shall not recommend anyone in future as K.C. until tin’s matter is settled, because King’s Counsel take all the advantages of being King’s Counsel, but accept none of the rcsponsihiliios. 1 have seen that King’s Counsel have appeared in the Police Court. Tam speaking particularly of Fremantle. I have noticed that King’s Counsel appear both in police and local courts there. I think that when a practitioner is appointed King's Counsel lie should, as far as possible, leave tho police court and the local court to juniors.”

In some respects, remarks a Sydney paper, the present would appear to be the golden age of jurymen, though ill some respects the disadvantages under which they labored in the past bad some attractive compensations. When the ease of Juror Brown was being argued again in the High

Court. Air. Pilcher. K.C., related mine interesting incidents in the listory of the jury, observing that a mu pie of hundred years ago a jury vhicli did not accept tho view of a

Judge regarding questions of law, and even questions of fact, might ho severely punished. On the other hand, he explained, the, jury which failed to agree was not locked up in the good old times, but was driven

bout ill a vehicle until it arrived at n agreement. If a motor-car for lrvmen were a permanent attribute f Darlinghurst, prisoners would proably servo life-sentences on remand

bile the juries were visiting the

tourist, resorts of the State. Tho Chief Justice observed that lie had no doubt that jurymen bad been violently assaulted in the jury room by their

■Hows in order to secure a verdict.

and said that on one occasion he had known it juryman to get up after the foreman had announced the verdict and say that he did not agree with

Mr. Hughes. Governor of tho State New York (practically the highest

political office in the United States next the. President), is no mean follower,of Mr Roosevelt in his methods. He was determined to remove Superintendent Kelsey ,of the State Insurance Department. Mr. Kelsey (says the Times correspondent) is a man of integrity, even of ability in certain directions, but he refused to resign when the Governor requested

him to do so, Under a law allowing the Governor to take proofs of the efficiency of State officials. Air.; Hughes sent for Mr. Kelsey and publicly examined him. A verbatim reoort of this unusual examination was published next morning. So skilfully was it conducted that Air. Kelsey was forced to confess that ho had never road an important insurance report except in a cursory manner, and by other admissions exposed his own unfitness for his position. His dismissal is now certain, and the State Senate will not dare to object. Mr. Hughes sent to the Senate a special message recommending the removal of Mr. Kelsey. The Gover-

lo'r's action is regarded as a brilliant ind unexpected move in the promoion of reform. The question is being isked, how many political heads of lepartmonts could undergo similar ri;id examinations and emerge ill a nuch better condition F

An important change oi : policy by the Admiralty with resyect to the deferred payment of wages paid to Australians serving on the British squadron in these waters, has been sanctioned by the Federal Government (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph), in order to assist the Admiralty to overcome the difficulties created by highly-paid Australians and lower-paid Englishmen having to work side by side on the same ships. The Australian recruit is not to get his high rate of pay until the end of his term of enlistment. He is to be paid at the same rate as Englishmen, and the balance of his money is only to be drawn when ho leaves the King’s service. In future no Australian will be allowed to ,ipiu the squadron unless lie agrees to defer his pay, Indeed, extra pay is not to bo claimed as a right at all. Admiral Sir AYilmot Fawkes describes it as a “gratuity,” and ho makes much of the fact that the new system means that when the Australian Jack Tar goes ashore at the end of his live years, he will carry between £250 and £3OO with him in this “gratuity” form. The Admiral justifies the procedure by saying that “it will he the means of encouraging thrift, and will prevent a good many immoral practices which must be the outcome of high pay.” The statement that the Admiralty intends to defer the payment to Australians in the naval squadron ol oxti'ji pity till the end of their five years’ service, and then to hand it over to them as a “gratuity” has, says the Melbourne representative of the Telegraph, created some astonishment. The pay in the squadron lor English able seamen equals about Is 7«l a day, and for ordinary seamen Is 4d a day. flic additional pay to Australians is 3s a day for able seamen and 2s a day for ordinary seamen. Under the new Admiralty regulations, assented to by the Federal Government, all Australians enlisting in future will ho subject to the deferred pay scheme. Mr. Ewing says be recognises the difficulty that might arise under this system as regards married men. “I presume,” lie remarked, “that any reasonable arrangement for paying money to wives instead of deferring the pay could be made. The arrangement does not affect men already in the service. As to whether there is legal power to enforce the arrangement I cannot say.”