TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7959, 9 February 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

We were informed by cable the other day that Mr Bent, the Victorian Premier, nad been talking about New Zealand coming to Victoria for money. His remarks,, as cabled, differ, however, in wording from those given in che Sydney Daily Telegraph. The latter were as follows: "Canada," he exclaimed, "always Canada. Why, we can buy Canada any day. Let us cry Australia, Australia, and always Australia. We needn't care a button for Canada. They talk about New Zealand. Pooh! When New Zealand wants money she comes to Victoria to get it. She has come over here for half a million, but I've managed to get in a bit ahead of her." It will be noticed that a good deal of pioturesqaeness was lost in the transmission of the cable message.

The evergreen subject of the State purobaee of the Wellington-Mana-watu line is dealt with in the annual report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. The Council says that the line must be acquired when the Main Trunk is through, and it is not good business to defer purchase. The Council, feels, moreover, that the Government has shown a somewhat ungenerous spirit in its dealings with a company that carried out such an important work at a

] time when the Government bad / neither faith in the proieotnor funds ■ for its execution, a work, too, which has played no inconsiderable part in placing the Wellington district and tho Noith Island generally in the prominent position which they occupy as 'producers and exporters, and thus conferred a benefit on the colony as a whole.

In the Narrogin district, Wbstern Australia, there is a unique religious settlement, called "New Jerusalem," which somewhat surprised the Minister of Lands on a recent tour. The members belong to "The • Church of the Firstborn," and are Chris tianised Jews who retain many characteristic forms of their religion. Tho founder was one Mr Solomon Fisher. The settlement contains 10,900 acres, divided into farms varying from 160 to I.HOO acres. It is not a commune, each settler holding laud in his own right and controlling his own fluauce. "Love thy neighboru .as thyself" is the motto of the settlement, and while there is hearty co-operatiou for the general welfare, interference with a neighbour's private affairs is not permitted. Established three years ago, the community comprises nineteen families including over sixty souls.

When banqueted at Winton last week Sir Joseph Ward had some thing to say concerning the stocking of New Zealand rivers. During his speech he remarKed:— "Old identities could recall the time when the rivers of Southland had no fish in them, this being only about twenty-, five years ago. While we were 1 Lately to place extraordinary value on the products of the soil, what a moneymaking asset had been placed in our rivers? There were millions of trout in them, and they were bringing people from England, Ireland, Scotland, and elsewhere, who followed up the sport of fishing for the love of it. They were prepared to travel thousands of miles across the ocean for that purpose, and when they were having their fishing they could see the magnificent scenery, and could do this for less than it would cost to go from London to Scotland and pay for fishing rights. These people when they returned to their own country became practically advertising agents, and did a great deal of good, showing that when the rivers were stocked with fish a wise step was taken."