TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7974, 27 February 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

It is rather significant that though measures have to be considered ij America to prevent too much use being mnde of the Niagara Falls, the utilisation of-water power in New Zealand has hardly yet advanced from the stage of discussion into that of action. The Premier,, it is true, allocated £50,000 of his surplus last year for the initiation of the work, but any hope that tbe Government meant to undertake the task seriously was dissipated when it was seen that the vote was diutrbuted, in portions of £IO,OOO over five separate undertakings m widely scattered parts of the colony. A more idiotic method of going to work could not possibly be conceived.

Dealing with the Government land valuations, a Southern paper says that the complaint about land valuations being fixed too high becaue the Depaitment pays too much attention to.fancy sales occurs so often that one cannot help thinking it has some foundation. The belief is to be strengthened by the Minister's remarks in his reply to a recent deputation. A valuer, he said, was instructed not to take boom prices as a guide, though he could 'not nagleot them altogether. If sales were made and these were the valuer's guide, they must not blame the officer if buyers and sel lers' fixed high prices. Every sale was recorded and made use of by the Department as a guide to what values were." The effect of this procedure depends, of course, upon the extent to which the Department is guideld by these reoords of land 'sales, and how far it is influenced by the local knowledge of the valuer.

There waa really no. reason why the decision of the Cabinet in regard to the State Maternity Homes should have caused Mr Hogg, M.H.R., 01; anyone else, to swell with indigna tiou, says a southern exchange. The Wellington Benevolent Trustees seem rather to have misunderstood the intention of the Government in establishing the homes. We do not know why society should make any difference in the quality of the care that is taken of single mothers and married mothers, and, as a matter of experience, the single mother needs, if anything, the greater sympathy and kindly attention. The State certainly should undertake the duty of watching over the advent of toe little mites of dubious parentage, and the feeling which Mr Hogg imported into hia remarks on this question is more than justified if Wellington has no provision for the reception of such cases.

'The dearth of teachers ready and willing to accept appointments in the "back blooki" has again been exemplified by the experience of the Otago Education Hoard. There is apparently plenty of competition for comfortable berths in and around the centres of population and in Duuedln itself, but very few teaohers are anxious to make a start in out of the way places, where more than a living wage 19 obtainable. For one position on the goldflelds to which a nice residence and salary of £165 are attached, there were only three applications. Another post woitb £195 per annum attracted only two eligible candidates, and the first assistantship in one of the Otago country District; High Schools, carrying a salary of £205, attracted only three candidates. It is only right to mention that even a position (worth £lB5 a year) in one of the best Dunedin schools, is not considered good enough, for not a single graduate of the training oollege or a certificated teacher thought it worth his while to apply.

A curious and unepected situation has arisen between the Senate of the Sydney University and the Board of Management of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The Hospital Board, in June last, deoided that if women doctors were applicants for appointment to the resident medical staff they were to be considered equally jvith applications from men. When conisdering the annual appointments for 1906 the selection committee of the Hospital Board nomihated \Dr. Jessie Aapinall for appointment, and, in acoordance with past custom, took the confirmation of the appointment to be a mere formality, and allotted the lady to take up her residence at the hospital, and perform the duties of her office. In due course the nominations were submitted to the "Conjoint Board," which consists of the Hospital Board and the Sydney University Senate. That body struck out the name of Dr. Aspinali, and, after having her name placed on the duty roster at the hospital and actually doing duty for ten days, she had to leave the institution. Naturally, Dr Aspiinall and her friends, no less than the advocates of the employment of women practitioners in publio hospitals are clamouring for an explanation of thfi action of the board.

limes are bad with the West of Scotland fishermen. "Ten thousand are on the verge of starvation." Suoh were t he words of the Loch Fyne delegate at the recent fishery conference, at Rothesay. The scarcity of herrings is the cause of the evil that has overtaken the fishermen, and for half a century there has not been suoh a falling off in supplies as there has been in 1904 and 1905. An estimate based on reliable returns shows that the average earnings of' the fishermen during 1505 amouut to £2l per man. Jn 1865 an Act was passed providing a olose time between February and June over the greater part of Argyllshire, Buteshire, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. The purpose was to pro tect the spawning and feeding grounds which are on the stallow panics of the Ayrshire doast, and in the deep lochs Assuring the Argyllshire aea , front.. ' For, t, time the fishermen paid loyal heed to thw law; but first in one district and by degrees all over laxity set in until fishing was cariied on all the year round.

This constant harrying of the herring and destruction of immature fish arose from the fact that the fishermen had foand the close season a time of enforced idleness which was irksome because they had no "crofts" (small farms) in which to work when Ashing was suspended. Tbej"crofts" are now all deer fofrests.