CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 241, 1 March 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

THE SERVANT PROBLEM. An American woman, Mrs. Pattison, has been experimenting during the past three years on the practical possibilities' of housekeeping without servants! For the past year she lias turned her house into an experiment-station house, where, under the New Jersey Federation of Women's Clubs, they have shown, with all the new machinery on the market, that it is quite possible to do away with household drudgery, and at the same time dispense with maids if desired. Her experiments are now about to result in a permanent solution of the household problem for other women. Under the auspices of the Federation of Women's Clubs, an organised professional bureau is to be opened, where housewives can arrange with the head of the bureau for trained workers to undertake different duties. There will be experts in the use of the vacuum cleaner, in window cleaning, metal polishing, and the like, all available for tlie housekeeper. She will learn the use of the tireless cooker, of the washing-up machine, and easy and scientific methods of washing clothes; pneumatic cleaner* for floors, walls and ceilings will save much time and effort. And the cost of all the labor-saving machinery will be more than met by the saving of time and effort, not to mention the servants' wages, keep and breakages.

STATE ENTERPRISES. The State Government of Xew South Wales continues to launch out into new enterprises, the latest being- the buying out of a factory at Druntmoyne, near Sydney, for the manufacture of all, the furniture required for the State schools. The initial cost is stated at £OOOO, and the Minister for Education expects to effect a saving of €3OOO a year. From these figures it would seem that the makers of school furniture have had "a good thing on" with the Government. The Department has now an architect attached to the staff, with the object of getting him to specialise in school architecture, both as regards the school buildings and their equipment. The Government now has brickworks at Homebush and Botany, a sandstone quarry at Maroubra, metal quarries at Kiama, timber yards at Rozelle. motor-repairing works in what is known as the Rocks area, lime and cement works at Tarce, a State clothing factory, and a school furniture factory. The list is getting quite formidable. The Minister for Works is selling bricks to small buyers at the kiln at Ifomebiish. and a start is to be made with the selling of lime to the public. Treatment works are to be established at tlie new abattoirs at Homebush, and tlie State also proposes to enter into competition with exporters of meat, and when the new abattoirs are completed all slaughtering of stock is to pass from private enterprise to the State. There is al*o a Slate ferries proposal, which is in the bands of the Public Works Committee. Perhaps the next move will be a State steamer service, such as lias already been established in West Australia.

FEDERAL CAPITAL MONUMENT. An imposing monument is to be erected at the Federal capital to mark the eomraenceineiil of the work of building the capital. Australia, and Australia's place in the Empire—that is what it is intended to portray. The monument will be hexagonal in plan and 2o feet 3 inches high. It will be erected of specially selected granite. The first course of masonry will consist of six immense blocks, one from each of the original States, their height being 3ft Sin. Rising from this base will be a single entablature signifying the Commonwealth. This stone will become the support of stones obtained from Great Britain and Ireland, from which will rise an obelisk. Moreover, a suggestion has been made to England, Scotland, Ireland, India, Canada, New Zealand. South Africa, Newfoundland and the West Indies that each of these parts of the Empire should supply a buttressing stone. On each stone there

will be an inscription indicating its place of origin. The foundation-stone is to be laid on March 12. In fact, there are to be three foundation-stones. It is explained that three of the stones intended to represent the States will be made foundation-stones, so that the Go-venor-General, Mr. Fisher and Mr. O'Malley may all have a finger in thi.s stone pie. Each of these gentlemen will lay a stone well and truly and have his name put on in witness for all time. The base of the monument is already in position. And in the meantime there is a lot of other work going on at the Federal capital site to give Commonwealth legislators a local habitation. And the. name, it is fully believed, will be Myola •—an aboriginal word meaning "meeting place." By a transposition of letters you also get the word "Onialy," which very .much pleases Mr. O'Malloy.