TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7967, 19 February 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The contract has been, signed at Ottawa for the establishment of a direct steamship service between Vancouver and New Zealand. The Minister of Trade and Commerce acted for Canada, and Mr R. A. Alley| for the Bucknall Steamship Lines, of London, which is to supply the steamers. S,ome foritioism is heard in Vancouver because the boats are only to make ten knots an hour. Towards the subsidy of 100,000 dollars a year, Canada subscribes half, and New Zealand the remainder. There will be six sailings from each end every year, under the present arrangement. The Dominion Government is anxious to increase trade relations with New Zealand as much as possible. It has decided to have a creditable display illustrative of the natural resources and agricultural oapabiliies of Canada at the International Exhibition to be held iu New Zealand shortly. ,A Paris correspondent reports that the inhabitants of three towns in the Sine-et-Oise, namely Meulan, Les Mureaax and Hardrioourfc,. have started a novel sort of strike. They refuse to burn gas in their shops, faotories and houses. This is because the local company refuses to lower the prioe of gas. to 200 the oubio metre. The people in the three towns mentioned are now paying 30e the cubic metre, or 100 more than residents in other places in the same department. Instead of the ordinary gas the recalcitrants ar<* burniug paraffin, acetylene, lamp oil, wax candles and 6ven the common tallow dips. The gas consumers say plainly that they are on strike, and that they , are determined to hold out until the company gives in. They declare that all their complaints were unheeded, and that their patience was wurn out by the procrastination of the director of the gas company. There has already been a striKo of this sort at Marseilles, where the gas company was boyootted some years ago until it capitulated.

An angler, who has spent many years in fishing the streams of New Zealand, has just returned to Christohurcb, after a short visit to England. He comes back firmly impressed with the desirableness of introducing the real salmon to New Zealand. Discussing the failure of previous attempts in this direction, he stated that hitherto, of the thousands of young salmon liberated in New Zealand waters, not one had returned to its natal stream. This was stated to be attributable to the presence of predatory fish in the coastal waters, to which the fry descended. The trout, on vhe other hand, remained up stream until big enough to take care of themselves. One variety .of salmon, however, could be introduced bere—tho Salmo huoho, a Danube fiah, which did not migrate like the Salmo salar, but, lite the trout, was content to remain safely up stream. It attains a weight of 801b aud even up to 1001b. Like the trou in New Zealand, the smaller sizes would rise to the fly, and the larger take the minnow or live Dait. i During M': Seddon's recent visit to Hastings he spent some time at a gathering on tho raoeoourse. The local paper says "it was pretty sight to see Mr Seddon, behind him a multitude of children, who were fighting and falling over each other to get hold of his coat tails. Mr Seddon distributed tins of Jollies to all the young people, and iu the .big soramble there were numerous cries of "Mr Seddon," asking him to attend their wants. After romping and enjoying himself with the children the Premier ascended the grandstand, and made a neat little speech, drawing the attention of parents to the necessity of making their children attend sohool regularly so that they might'do credit to the stock from which they sprang. "None of this keeping home your eldest girl on Monday morning to help at the washing. Do that washing on Saturday," he said, "rather than keep them from sohool." (Applause). In the evening Mr Seddon attended a musical enertainment in the Drill Hall. He contributed to the programme by singing "Hard Times," telling a laughable story and giving a speech, the latter occupying an hour and-twenty-five minutes." Prom the foregoing it may be assumed that tins of lollies will in future form an'important part of the Government's "policy." Prom the money-making point of view the finest profession in Great Britain is unquestionably that of the law, provided, of oourae, the craotitioner has been successful in working his way up to the topmost rung of the legal ladder. The raoßt striking example is afforded by the Earl of Halsbury, who has just resigned the Lord High Chancellorship on a comfortable pension of £5,000 a year. For five years—lß7s-80 he was Solicitor-General, drawing about £9,000 per annum in salary and fees, and be has ocoupied the woolsack, with but a brief interval, for seventeen years, at a salary of £IO,OOO per annum. Up to the present, therefore, he has received for his services to the State about £190,000, with another £5,000 iO be added for every year he survives. The Irish Lord Obanoelo/, Baron Ashbourne, whose retirement is also necessitated by Mr Balfour's resignation, was Attorney General for Ireland for three years at £5,000 per annum, and has been Chancellor for seventeen years at £B,OOO a year. His receipts from publio money have,, therefore, amounted to about £151,000. He will now have to rest content with the modest pension of £3,692 6s per annum.'