TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7988, 17 March 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Mr G. F. 0. Campbell, ValuerGeneral, speaking to a deputation of farmers, at Geraldiue, in regard to excessive valuation said that there were 300,000 separate poperties in the colony to be valued, and if the Department had to appoint two valuers and an arbitrator to go over each property, it wouli be Doomsday before they got a single district valued. He dealt with the sugge9. tion that only local men kuow bow to value property in their own district. Why was it that he had received letters from different parts of the North Island from members of the farming community asking that no valuers should remain in oke district beyond a certain period, and that all valuers should be transferred from district to district, so that they might be absolutely independent. "There ought to be fewer in our cemeteries and more alive and well," was the Premier's concluding remark, in his speech, at Foxton, on Tuesday night, after a reference to the Governmect's proposals regarding the provision of trained nurses. In bis opinion skilled nursing should be within the reach of every soul in New Zealand. There ought to be a thousand trained nurses and, if necessary, tho Government would be justified in allotting money to Hospital Boards to provide homes for the nurses. When the working man wanted suoh assistance it ought only to be necessary to send a message for the nurse to be provided. Actuarial

calculation'showed tbafc each adult was worth to the State £2OO or £3OO, and if they saved an adult, what was the few shillings spent on the training of nurse* against the earning power of the individual. The Franklin Institute have awarded the Elliot Cresson Gold Medpl for a new process by which iron can be made to grow. This consists iu heating and cooling the bar of iron, which it id intended to magnify to a "critical" temperature a number of times. The results are extraordinary. To the mechanioal science section of the American Association two bars of iron in one mould were presented for critical inspection. One bar remained exaotly as oast. The companion bar had been caused to grow gradually in cubical dimensions till it is now 46 per cent, larger than the other, the weight remaining the same as before expansion. Both bars were machined on one side to show the texture and metallic appearance; and it was difficult to detect any change except the very apparent difference in portant praotioal applications have already been found for this remarkable discovery. In the President's address, at the annual conference of the British Medical Association, held at- Christchurch, extended reference was made to the amending and improving of the New Zealand Medical Registration Aot. He congratulated the Government because the passing of that Act showed that it was now alive to its duty of safe guarding the public weal, and seeing that no inI efficiently trained practitioners were foisted upon the colony. Moveover, it was proud of its reputation for passing legislation of a progressive character, but in respect to an Aot dealing with medical registration, ic had hitherto been sadly behind the times. To the profession it's effects would be most beneficial ia limiting admission to its ranks to properly trained member, and to the public it would be a guarantee for the future that any names added to the register would be those of members so trained.

In England, as in New Zealand, attempts are made to identify seen- 1 lar education with Socialism. During the late general election contests at Home, Sir John Rolleston, the Tory candidate for Leicester against Messrs Broadhurst and J. R. Macdonald, issued a poster to the effect that "a Socialist and seoular Eng. land means, a godless England." Thereupon the Rev. F. L. Donald son, vicar of St. Mark's, wrote:— "A 'godless' England is. . . . au England in which the will jf God is not done; an England in which the poor cry for bread, and the unemployed for work, and find it nut; a nation in which commercial and industrial life ia. conducted purely for profits, and apart 'from good; a j nation in the slums of ■whioh babes I die off like flies; and in whose industries the weak are exploited, and go to wreok and ruin."

Some things in common use in most countries the traveller may leave behind him in India, writes Mr Sidney Low, in the Standard. One of them ia a purse. In India you carry your own mattress with you; but if yoa forget to bring your money, you will not greatly miss iV A little small coin for occasional tips is useful, and even that will be supplied by your bearer out of the current petty oasb, for which he renders you periodical and mysterious accounts. Otherwise currency is scarcely necegsary in a land where everybody's income and everbody's status is accurately known. Except for the who frequent the towns and the hotels, and are requested to pay cash, a card case, or, at the worst, a cheque-book, is all that is required. Suppose you are a person of the proper recognised position, yob get everything you want in India by the attractively simple prooess of banding in a chit, or scrap of paper, signed with your name. In the club smoking room, if you call for a penny cheroot and a halfpenny glass of soda-water, you render yourself responsible for the debt by giving a obit to the waiter.