TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7950, 27 January 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Two Covent Gardens porters were discussing the other day the successful tour of the New Zealand Kugby team, says the Globe. One of them, anxious to know where New Zealand was, and not being quite sure of it, turned to his friend and said: "Bill, where is this'ere New Zealand where those blokes come from?" "Why," said his friend, "you ought to know where it is. It's the other side of Austra Ha. What d'yer want to know for?" "Nothin' muoh," returned the man, "only I was thinkin' 'ow cold it must be down there. Why, that's the place where we gets all the frozen sheep from."

Bradford wool-buyers are again making complaints about the injury caused to wool by the use of insoluble tar io branding. One of the largest buyers in Yorkshire has gone so far as to suggest that marking by the use of brands be altogether Stopped, presumably in favour of ear-cutting and tags. if this is inadvisable, he wishes to see something substituted for tar widen, although capable of outliving ordinary weather conditions, will dissolve in the regular process of coolwashing. The principal loss caused by the use of insoluble brands arises from the presence of tarry wool in carnets.

The Ofcago Daily Times, oa the Ofcago-Westland railway, says it would unquestionably be a wasteful and absurd policy that would embark upon the construction of a costly railway such as the Otago-Westland line would be, while a number of important works, which were sanctioned and commenced years ago, are still unfinished, and are in fact having only a few miles added to their length eaoh year. The clear duty of the Legislature is to see that the railways now under construction are completed before funds are provided for other works |of a fantastic description that may be suggested with the object of securing expenditure of public money in favoured districts. In conversation with a Lyttelton Times reporter, Mr Albert Black, who is on a visit to Ohristchurch, after a long sojourn at Johannesburg, stated that the most revolting tales of bloodshed among the Chinese coolie miners were only too true. A murderous set of men, recruited from the scum of their native seaport towns, they would break out of their compound whenever an opportunity presented itself, and rob, murder, and pillage. Their hatred of the Kaffirs was intense. As an instance of this hatred Mr Black stated that in a Boxburg mine, as the result of £ dispute between a Chinese and a Kaffir, the friends of the disputants engaged in an underground free fight, d,uring which the Kaffir was thrown under an approaohing trolly and crushed to death. The feeling against further importations of Chinese coolies, Mr Black said, was very strong, and he felt oonvinoed that the traffic would be discontinued. A communication has been received by the Government biologist from Mr Elwood Cooper, State Commissioner of Horticulture of California, in regard to experiments made relative to the natural enemy of the oodlin moth, who states that in the orchards where the parasite was distributed wouderful progress has been made in decreasing the ravages of the moth. In another sea-

son it is hoped to prevent much of the serious loss that now takes place. Preparations have been made for propagating a sufficient number of the parasites to supply growers, and arrangements will then be made to supply them to foreign countries as well should the experiments of next season prove really successful. When the etticaoy of the parasites has been thoroughly provided, the New Zealand Government will get pome for this colony, but at present Mr Kirk regards the "cure" as being still in its experimental stage. ■I— The incident uf one general failing to salute another has had no less remarkable a sequel than the placing of the Commander-in-Chief ot the French Army under arrest. The quarrel originally arose in the B.is de Boulogne, when General Brugere, the Commander in-Chief, and General Peroin were out riding. The latter saluted, but General Brugere is alleged to have ignored the salute. General Peroin consequently reported the matter to the Minister of War. An official report was issued that it was all a mistake, and the episode was deemed to be closed. However, a Paris newspaper published a statement concerning the matter. It said that General Brugete's explanation was that he did not see General Percin salute him, that the Minister for War pressed him to shake hands with General Percin, and that he refused until that officer bad cleared himself of the accusation that he had organised a system of spying into the private lives of French officers. Immediately'afterwards General Peroin was brought into the Minister's room and saluted General Brugere, who returned the salute. It was in coni sequence of communicating to the Press this private interview with M. Etienne, the Minister of War, that General Bruaere was under arrest. He was ordered to remain closely confined to his quarters for a fortnight, and was not allowed to receive any visitors nor to leave his house except for the purpose of going to the offices of the Minister of War.