CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 248, 10 March 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

SATURDAY HALF-lIOLIDAY. There now seems a reasonable prospect j of unanimity, in JS'orth Taranuki at least, on the, question of the Saturday half-holiday. For some time petitions ' have been in circulation in Xew Ply- ' mouth, Waitara, Inglewood, Stratford ' and Eltham, the object of which is to secure a poll on the question. Under the terms of the Act, if a petition signed by not less than 10 per cent, of I the electors is presented to the Borough Council asking for a poll on the halfholiday question, the Council must take the poll on the same day as the municipal electi oil. The promoters have concentrated their efforts so far in ensuring that there is more than a reasonable prospect' of unanimity on the question amongst the respective towns before presenting the petition. The New Plymouth petitions are practically completed, and Waitara is almost unanimously in favor of the change, the question having been taken up enthusiastically by the Waitara Retailers' Association, who are anxious to work harmoniously with Xew Plymouth in the movement. There is now every likelihood of Inglewood falling into line within the next two or three days, and it is proposed to hold a conference about the end of the week of delegates from the three towns, to decide the course of action. The petitions in 'Eltham and Stratford are also understood to fce well signed, and probably a conference 011 the same lines, between these towns, will be held to ensure mutual action. It is hoped (hat the movement will be actively pushed ahead in Ilawera and thus end, by popular decision, the present anomalous situation of three different days being observed in the six towns for the half-holiday.

THE ORIGIN OF LIFE. Professor Schafer, the president of tho British Association, complained ; .'J I London recently that he had been flooded with correspondence from all parts of the world in connection with his notable address at Dundee, on "The Nature and Origin of Life." The mere reading of the letters had occupied a large part of his time. An American correspondent had kindly sent him a copy of the Tablet which God handed to Noah. "Have ditches run from ocean to ocean into every burning and boiling place," di-' rected this interesting document, "and into every abundant burning coal mine, and let all bodies lloat away.. Drown all birds, hens, snakes, camels and llamas, never eat meat, and droWn all people and allow all bodies to lloat away. Sever teach or preach, never have any houses or cities. Flood inside all volcanoes and use submarine boats and deep-sea diving-bells." gentleman had written from London to say that the millenium was coming. "Wealth and learning will be cast oJT, so that there will not be much use for some of you," added this hopeful individual. "Toilers and tillers will be upraised, and writers and talkers will be rejected." The professor was even asked if he believed that eels grow from the hairs of horses' tails.

SHOCKING HOUSING CONDITIONS Shocking housing conditions have been revealed in a report presented to the District Council at Depwade, in Norfolk. The inspectors recorded forty-nine cases of families mixing indiscriminately owing to lack of bedroom accommodation. ■Many of the cottages which the local workers were compelled to use were very old, insanitary and structurally defective. Tlie walls were so thin that rain soon saturated them and the winds drove through ■them. In some instances the ceilings of bedrooms and living rooms were so low that the occupants could not stand upright. Walls and lloors had settled and warped into curious shapes, and often bedsteads had to be kept level by placing blocks of wood uii'ier particular legs. A four-post bed w:i k found to lie the main support or the roof in one cottage. Other defects mentioned bv tlie inspectors were lack of pantries anil cupboards, an absence cE coppers and ovens, broken fireplaces, rickety stairs ami Wlrooir.9 without window;". The cottages are the property of l/ical landowners, and apparently the il's-y,-iet. authority has made no vigorous jfTort to secure reforms.

OLD NEW ZEALAND. The collection of Maori _ curios, old New Zealand records and historic piintings bv the family of the late Mr. Alex. Thomson is gradually assuming large dimensions, writes the Dunedin correspondent of the Lytteltoji Times. Mr. W. A. Thomson, the eldest 'mf the sons, 'recently went to Britain for the purpose ,of extending his knowledge of his profession as a dentist. Before leaving Dunedin he was given authority to tour (ircat Britain in search of things old and i'ure relating to the Dominion. In an old bookshop in London he came across a picture in water colors of Queen Charlotte, Sound, showing Ship Cove and Captain Cook's ship at anchor, the celebrated navigator ashore amongst the •Maoris and a number of double canoes and catamarans round the vessel. This picture was sketched and colored on the spot in t'heyc ar 1780, so it appears by a line at t'he foot, and experts say that the work bears internal evidence of its age, and that it was done by some member of the expedition. Mr. Thomson promptly purchased this valuable find. It isc about, two feet square. Other late additions to the collection are some pictures by Wakefield, of Wellington, in ]842, Nelson in 1842, and New Plymouth in 1543. a copy of the first pamphlet printed in New Zealand, this being St. Paul's Kpistle to the Ephesians, 300 copies of which were printed in Ma6ri in 183.'). A copy of the first book (the New Testament in Maori) printed in New Zealand, date 1537), and five sackfuls of old documents, letters and photographs, once the property of the Rev. W. Colenso, of Napier, have also been purchased, these including some rare and valuable papers.