CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 284, 24 April 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

"JOHN BU'LL BREAD/' The man who opened the campaign against the ordinary loaf made from white flour is Sir Oswald Mosley, a big landowner in Staffordshire, who began feeding his tenants on whole-meal bread milled in the old-fashioned way between stones. Sir Oswald, if one may judge from an available photograph, is almost a precise counterpart in appearance of the typical and accepted "John Bull," i and. even, affects the characteristic hat commonly observed in cartoons containing the national figure. His experiments have created an enormous demand in Britain for "standard bread." Physicians have rushed into the controversy to show that for the past forty years the British people have been woefully deteriorating and losing their teeth because they have insisted on eating white-flour bread. The unfortunate baronet has been, literally besieged for samples, and from being a peaceful and .much beloved landlord, he has beeiuibTced to become something in the way of a wholesale baker, not only to Britain, but to the Continent as well. Great milling firms have begun the production of "standard flour," and have given up making the pale article. News-' papers contain page after page of argument in favor, and "John Bull" in Staffordshire has a chance of making huge fortunes itr excess of his own extremely substantial one, if he cared to. Sir Oswald has devoted his energies mostly to the care of his tenants, the breeding of (Shorthorn cattle, gardening, and the breeding of birds, and the tremendous hubbub he has caused in the baking world has upset his equilibrium a little It is said that he has adhered strictly to old-fashioned methods, hating most innovations and modern things, but has lately been persuaded to indulge in a few motor cars and to pension off a number of his carriage horses and weight-carry-ing hacks, It is enthusiastically stated in many British public prints that "John Bull's" name will become historic as the man who revived British physique by the re-introduction of the bread of our forefathers. PROFESSORS ARE PIQUED. One of the most important industries of New Zealand is cramming young men and maidens in order that they may achieve university degrees. A great deal of admiration is lavished on the youth who swats after working hours and achieves a label, and a good deal of interest is occasioned among the very limited number of people by the ultimate "capping" of these heroic folks. The professorial boards, are at present smarting under the indignities cast at them by congregations of students, who at these capping ceremonies become the same sort of hooligans as any other class of unrestrained man, and it was suggested in the Victoria College Council the other day that at the next capping ceremony, the professors should act as "policemen." The reason for chnncellorial and professorial pique, together with the police suggestion, is that the speeches of these great men are disturbed by the irresponsible students, who are "off the chain" and glad enough at the release. Neither the Chancellor of the New Zealand University, nor the professors themselves have yet admitted that they, and not the students, are blameable for capping disturbances. The Chancellor himself has unique opportunities, apart from capping ceremonies, to lecture the whole country. He is an excellent writer. Instead of courting insult from students by lecturing them when they want to be happy, he might put his wisdom down in black and white for private circulation. The professors on the other hand are almost invariably the dullest of company at capping ceremonies. Their remarks savor of "shop,*' and would be appropriate enough in the lecture room. Perhaps if the professorial orators were used as police at capping ceremonies they would not have time to make speeches. It is the speeches that make police necessary. Stop the speeches and the students become lamb-like. Teach them out of school and inflict drear platitudes on a soporific audience and somebody must yell in self-defence and in order to keep awake. Cannot successful students T»e capped by post? It would save chancellors' and professors' feelings. ji\\ "iiiicrjiinr" , •**.■■ -.^

EMIGRANTS FROM LONDON. After six months' tour through Australia and New Zealand Mr. G. A. Williamson, £he organiser of the Emigration Department of the Central Unemployed Body for London, has returned home. His purpose in visiting Australia was to study the condition of emigrants who have been sent out from London, and lie has taken back information that is likely to have considerable influence on the attitude of the British authorities towards the question of emigration. In his report to the Department, he states that the accommodation for emigrants on vessels proceeding to Australia and New Zealand is excellent, but he recommends the chartcrinc of special steamers to overcome the difficulty of securing berths in the regular vessels. "The task of finding berths for emisrrants to Australia," he writes, "is likely to prove one of great difficulty for some time to come. All the berths'on the regular lines of steamers are booked several months in advance, and while the shipping companies can practically fill their vessels with passengers at full fares they can hardly be expected to reserve much accommodation for assisted emigrants at the £l2 rate. This difficulty affects the State Governments as well as our organisation, and has been met by Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales by chartering special .steamers." Dmiiiothe past six years the Central Unenv ployed Body has spent some £30.000 in advances to emigrants, but it has recovered about £7OOO, while repayments are being made at.the rate of £IOO a week. Mr. Williamson was able to trace many emigrants of whose whereabouts the Department knew nothing, and, though some of those who had been most "onerously treated were least inclined" to acknowledge their indebtedness, many of the assisted emigrants preferred to regard their passage money as a loan rather than a gift. I„ many places Mr Williamson found the despised Londoner doing good work as a farm hand. "Our London men." he states, -'are, generally speaking, smart and intelligent, and many farmers and other employers assured me that they prefer the Londoner to the Old Country farm hand, who has so much to unlearn, and is. moreover, often stupid and unadaptable." Altogether, Mr. Williamson is well pleased with the results of the emigration policy.