CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 270, 5 April 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

DOLORES. To-night Mdlle. Antonia Dolores sings to the people of New Plymouth. She has been able to) sing unto the hearts of the people of Australasia to a greater degree than any other singer. Dolores ha's the unusual gift of personal appeal. Although she is superb in her technique, her great power is unquestionably in her perfectly natural method and her whole-souled desire to use her great gifts for the benefit of her audiences. Dolores became the artistic friend of the people at the first concert she ever gave in the Antipodes. Since that time her art has been matured under the influence of many world-wide triumphs. New i'Umouth'people have, during recent times, shown a wider appreciation of great artistes than formerly, and their discrimination guides them in selecting for their admiration those artistes whose appeal is direct and personal. It is hoped that admirers of art in its highest vocal expression will to-night signify, by their numbers, their recognition of Mdlle. Dolores' genius.

CHAMPAGNE. The eastern slope of the western section of Champagne is given over to the production of the wine of that name, and the cables have recently told us that the producers of the beverage have been a little angry at State interference with their occasional inclination to export inferior wine under the superior name. The insistence of the French Government to have real champagne properly designated, and sham champagne indicated by label, may not appear very vital to New Zcalandcrs. But it is important to the people engaged in the industry which, one supposes, will thrive until France votes no-license. About twentyfive million bottles of champagne from Champagne are produced cevry year, but those clever Germans, with their wonderful knowledge of chemistry, manage to slip in a few extra million bottles from their laboratories. The presumption is that all the champagne that comes to New Zealand is what the vignerons call "levin ile cuvee," which is the wine that first runs from the press and produces the most perfect beverage—and the dearest. 'The alcoholic strength of champagne is from 9 to 12 per cent., and the average inebriate would, therefore, have to spend several pounds to get himself ready for police protection. After "le vin de cuvee" comes the other pressings, which make the inferior wines which go to Britain and Australia—but never to New Zealand. The "must" is sent to the vast storehouses at Rheims, Avize, Ay. Chalons, Epernatay and Mareuil, where .it is fermented and the secret process undertaken. A second fermentation takes place in bottled champagne, and a deposit of tartar is formed. The bottles are placed neck downwards and shaken daily. Then they are made to "disgorge" their deposits, in order to ensure tliat the New Zealand consumer gets his wine "dry." Any champagne that is less than six years old is ashamed to be seen outside the cellars—and there is quite a lot of shame-faced champagne travelling round the world.

HEADS AND TAILS. The Commandant inferred a while ago that lie thought the young New Zealnnder would rush so tumultously to join the Territorials that an ftrmy of the requisite strength might be raised without; the necessity of "conscripting" men for the compulsory section. Recruiting for the Territorials ceased on Monday last. There is no proof that the strength 1 of the Territorial force is greater than that of the volunteer force. Therefore the names of those men who are liable to be callsd on to serve compulsorily arc being taken, and it is presumed that a proportion of these men will be called upon to join. The proportion needed—or said to be needed—is one-third of the total of those available. To put it plainly. Here are Thomas, James and Henry Atkins, aged respectively 22, 24 and 2(1 years. Each is good material for soldiering. The State ehucks its penny in the air, "Heads Tommy is forced to join—tails we take Harry." Heads it is, mid Tommy shoulders his gun, although his brothers are supposedly equally lialile and equally able. New Zealand expects to get loyal service out of Tommy. It expects that he will not be envious of his freer brothers who are not compelled as he is, and it calls this method "Universal compulsory military training." The. Defence Department has 1 ten hustling manfully of late, but necessarily it has been giving more attention to organisation and the training of officers and non-coms, than to, recruiting. One of the tilings it forgot to do was to set side by side the volunteer strength of last year and the territorial strength of this year. One is anxious to know how many men rushed to join under the new conditions and what proportion of one-third of the men who can be made to compnlsorily join will be necessary to bring the force up to the desired strength. The cliief weakness of the ''compulsion" part of the arrangement is that only one man in three will be forced to serve,

anu mat even he may slide out of it if it is proved that the strength is sufficient without him. The youths who imagined that the law was about to put its large hand on them will cheer up under the circumstances and watch with .some interest the spin of the State penny.