TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7958, 8 February 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

With regard to the Premier's pro posed State shipping line, the Times gives as the opinion of a prominent Dunedin shipping man: "You'may depend upon it that the possibilities of the New Zealand shipping trade

are well-known to all the shipping companies at Homo, and if any of them saw a chauoe of stepping in with advantage to themselves they would do so." Regarding the fact that rates from Australia are 33 per cent, lower than is the case from New Zealand it is pointed out that steamers loading in Australia have only to call at four or live ports so fill up, whereas in the New Zealand trade a steamer may have to work a dozen or 15 ports burning coal all the time.

Speaking at Pahiatua on Monday night Mrj F. Pirani asserted that there was a system in force in this conntry by which every voter was known to the head of the Tammany system in each eleotoral district. How was this knowledge obtained? There was an old system known as "marking the roll" by which people knew in a haphazard way how votes would probably be cast at an election. Under the system introduced by the Liberal Party of the colony a man was given charge of 100 voters in a district with instructions ;to ascertain by fair means or foul how those 100 people were going to vote. Mr Pirani's remarks were too muoh for Mr W. H. Hawkins to swallow. He said he could not agree with the former that the secrecy of the ballot was in danger.

The Dairy Division is this year making tests of the keeping qualities of New Zealand butters on rather a larger sale than was attempted last year. If a consignment of "butter coming forward for grading attracts attention as likely to deteriorate before reaching the London market, a box isj secured and kept in cool store for two months under conditions resembling as closely as possible those of the voyage Home. Jt is then opened up and examined, and any change of condition is noted, the repoit acting both as a check on the grading and as an indication to the factory of the necessity for a remedy. Samples of butter which shows no defeots are also taken for similar testing, the factories in all cases showing themselves willing to meet the department in the matter. It may be mentioned that Denmark pays something like £2,000 a year on account of depreciation of samples taken for these tests.

"Germany has," writes the Outlook, "denounced her present fiscal arrangement with the United States, and a tariff war between the two countries is thus, we think, made inevitable. The new German tariff, which goes into effect on March 1, 1906, increases the duty on cereal* by from 120 to 250 per cent., on dried fruits and preserved meats by from 50 to 360 per cent, and sewing machines, agricultural implements by from 60 to 110 per cent. Cotton, on the other hand, which is by far the greatest of American ; exports to Germany, will remain on the free list. Ameiioan exports to Germany consist for the most part of raw materials and food stuffs, and are about . twice the value of German exnorta to America, whioh consist mainly of' manufactures. It is very notioeable that Berlin and Washington differ profoundly as to the scope and application of the most favoured nation clause; that the Americans have had much fault to find with tha German use of Sjanitary regulations' to boycott California fruits and Chicago hogs; that the Germans have retaliated by complaints of arbitrary and unfair appraisements under the Dingley tariff; and, that there exists throughout the tjnited States a deep suspicion of German policy in South America."

The Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden, Moderator of the Congregational Church of the United States in a recent sermon, declared that the world is in the midst of a great revival of raligion that has come about so gradually- that few have realised it, Dr. Gladden said: "There has been during the past year a marked [obange in the mental and moral attitude of a great many persons. Hundreds of thousands of people, old and young, are thinking differently about life to-day from what they were thinking a year ago. To-day they have a different idea of what is worth while. This thing is in the air. Newspapers refleot the publio sentiment. Nearly every one you take up has a paragraph or an editorial which puts the emphasis on real things, such as the value of character. What shall we say about the influence which has so changed the mental and moral attitude of great multitudes of people? What has been taking place? I think that we are in f .he midst of a great revival of religion, the greatest perhaps this country has ever experienced. It has not taken the usual form. It has not been carried on in the old way, but it has swept over an immense territory. Never theless, the religion which is thus ooming to its own in its revival is not one that puts the emphasis on clearing off old cares and getting ready for heaven, but one that puts the emphasis on making this life a better life, and world a better world."