TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8102, 23 March 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

A distinguished man of science now resident in Pretoria, who has no financial interests in the Rand writes:—"if the new British Ministry attempt to interfere in any way with Chinese labour in any way detrimental to the interest of theTransvaal, the Transvaal will secede from England. This is a clearly recognised fact, known to all Government officers evea in Pretoria (as one himself told me a few days ago), and admits of no disoussion. The leaders of this secession will not be the Colonial element so much as the Britishers who have made this country their home and have large stakes in it. Ifthe Liberals treat direot with the Dutch deputations, whiob will now soon wait on them, and j give way to them, then there will be ; au armed revolution here instead' of a peaceful secession. You can take this as Gospel truth."

It was recently cabled that the British War Office had decided 1 on adopting the motor-cycle for the purpose of quick communication, etOi, in warfare. A speoial iowbuilt pattern of motor-cycle is to bemanufactured. The adoption of the military motor cycle was only a matter of time, especially in countries that have their network of fine reads and lanes that 1 practically open up communication with every cart of the country.. The poaibilities of the motor-oy«le in the hands of a oapable motorist are immense. Speedy travelling over long distances with despatches, opening up communication with separate bodies of troops, etc , are amongst the moat important tasks that can be easily and expeditiously carried out by the aid of the motor oycle.

All interesting example of the value of tr®e-plauting on waste lancl is afforded by the demand foir piles for the new railway static® at Dunedteu la order to guard against any possibility of sagging after the main platform and the massive verandah are ereotect* it was deemed sieoessary to put down piles owing to the soft nature of the I'eolaimed land on which they are being erected—a work necessitating the driving of upwards of 800 Diles. The piles used are being obtained from plantations of bluegums at Pukeuri and Waiapakarua, whioh were planted by the Railway Department about twenty years ago. Their market value, it may be added, is stated to be from 20s to 25s each, and an acre of land closely planted wifcn bluegums of a similar size vould be worth about £1,500 at thQ preaeut market sates.

The deolioe of the apprenticeship system is< noticeable in England • aawell as in New Zealand., and apparently pimilair causes are in operation in both countries. The "Ironmonger?* of recent-date says :-*-At a time when* the unemployed question is so pro.minent, complaints of scarcity of workmen have a strange sound. It is a fact, ■. nevertheless, than in suohn centres of industry as Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester,.such oomplaints are.constantlyheard.. There is a surplus of unskilled labourers, but the supply of; skilled men is'below the demand. A short whileago 1,300 persons applied for worli to the Sheffield Relief Committee, and that large number did' not include a single trained mechanic. The difficulty appears to have arisen largely through the decline of the apprentice system. Working and lower middle-claas par+ ents nowadays want their -obildren to contribute to the expenses of the household , immediately they leave sohool,; and instead of allowing them to learn a trade,. they get them unskilled employment, which is immediately remunerative, but which' handicaps them* in the future when they require a higher rate of wages.

In a new welt-written book, en» titled "JBritish. Imperialism," by a French writer, ,M. Viotor Berard, there occurs a . remarkable passage concerning New Zealand. Reviewkig Mr Chamberlain's idea, of Imr perialism, . the author says:r-"To capitalists, the Stock Exchange and banking classes he offers the Imperial guarantee for the loans contraecei with ■ them. by the colonies. For the Empire is to guarantee all. its members; But colonies suoh as Tasmania, , Queensland, and New Zealand are on ithe verge of bankr ruptcy. In Tasmania.43 per cent., in New Zealand 38 per cent., and in Queensland 36 per cent, of the annual revenue is required for the service of the public debt. This colonial paper wiil really fall-to> the gutter to morrow if its valueis not upheld by the Imperial signature." This is a very, damaging allegation, which surely calls for prompt oontradictionn

Commenting:upon- the Premier's remarks at Levin,, on the appointment of teachers, the Lyttleton* Times says;-*—"The- system under which the committee make final appointments has^ 1 very little to recom*mena it, because the oommittees can never be as well informed as are the Boards concerning the qualifications and capabilities of the teachers. Possibly Parliament may be asked hextcsession. to further amend the Eduoation Act so as tu compel the Boards- to send several names to the committees when vacancies ooour, but if Parliament does make an alteration it will only be with the inteption of weakening the Boards. The method of appointing teachers indicated in the Amending- Act of last year might be defended if we were given over in New Zealand to sectarianism. The Welseyan committee would* then expect to be given the right to appoint Wesleyan teachers, but under existing conditions it seems-to us to be a deplorable bluuder to take the final seleotion out of the hands of the only body that can possibly keep itself informed of the movements and qualifications of all the teachers of the district."