TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8118, 12 April 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The manufacture of the so-called transfer pictures for ohildren is an important branch of industry in Nurembura, but is now threatened by regulations from' the Imperial Health authorities at Berlin calling attention to the fact that auch pictures contain lead, and that cases of children's illness could be traced directly to their use. The Nuremburg manufacturers contend that the small amount of lead contained in the colours of these pictures (5 to (3 per cent, of the whole colouring-matter employed) is covered by a thick coating of glue and .varnish, and is therefore innoo uous. The investigation and the controversy are not yet concluded, but meanwhile the manufacture of such pictures has almost stopped, and one of the chief Wurtemburg art-printing firms has declared that it intends to give up entirely the manufacture of a once profitable article.

General Bartolome Mitre, who recently died at Buenos Ayres, at the age of eighty-five years, played a leading part in the political life of South America for half a oentury. He was a native of Argentina, and at the age of thirty-eight became Minister of War in the Government of his country. Then he was made Governor of the province of Buenos Ayres. In 1862 he headed a revolution against President Derqui, and defeated him, forcing him to abdicate. When Paraguay made war upon Brazil, in 1865, General Mitre was chosen oommander-in-chief of the armies of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay to oppose the dictator. The war lasted five years, and was one of the most stubborn and on the largest soale of any in South Amerioa, but Lopez was finally killed, and peace was restored. During the progress of the struggle, General Mitre, who was everywhere victorious, had been chosen President of the Argentine Kepublic, serving from 1867 to 1871.

It will be "a long time between drinks, 1 ' says Collier's Weekly, in the new State to be oieated out of Oklahoma and Indian Territory, if the Enabling Aot passes Congress in its present form, since the measure oontains a clause providing for absolute prohibition in the new State for twenty-one years and "thereafter, unless the people shall decide otherwise by an amendment to th© constitution." It is to be noted that in framing an enabling Aot of this kind Congress is not committing It-

self to the oauso of prohibition as a general policy, but simply and only fulfilling a speciito and solemn agreement with the population of the Indian Territory, which has been under a prohibitory law for many years, a law could not be abrogated by th 6 proposed merger with Oklahoma without the gravest consequences to the people of the new State.

In view of the recent attitado of the Labour leaders towards the Arbitration Court, the following extract'from the annual report of the Executive of the Dunedin Trades and Labour Council, to be submitted at the Easter conference in Christohuroh, is interesting:—"We consider it necessary to direct the attention of the . Conference to some recent awards of the Arbitration Court, where the conditions stipulated are against the weight of evidence placed before the Court, and which have tended to reduce the standard of Jiving during a period of rapid ly-inoreasing prices of the necessaries of life, and rent. While it may not be the present auty of the court to determine to adjust the economic value of money and wages, ve oonsider that until very recently the court has attempted to do so. Now, with the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act tying the hands of the unionist, and the court ignoring the economic value of wages, some steps must be taken to eeoure eoonomic .justice for the worker.''

At Christohurcli, on Tuesday, the Premier met a large deputation whiob asked foi\'reform in the case of children in State institutions. The speakers urged that there should be independent boards of control for State children rustead of nominative Charitable Aid Boards, whose first aim was to study economy. It also expressed dissatisfaction with the institution and boarding-out systems favouring cottage homes. Mr Seddon, in reply, said he was dissatisfied with the present system, bufc it was almost impossible to get Parliament to authorise elective boards. He would bring the whole matter before the Minister in charge of hospitals. A Bill was now on the stocks, and an honest endeavour would be made to reotify present conditions and secure a great advance in the care of children.

Speaking at Rangiora, on Tuesday, the Premier referred to the finance of the past year. The revenue was as follows: —Approximate results for the year 1905-1906 -—Surplus, say, £750,000, made up as follows:—Receipts tor year, £7,828,300, expenditure £7,189,300. Balance from last year £761,000, less transfer to Public Works Fund £500.000, £261,000. Balance Maroh 31st, 1906 (approximate), £775,000. The figures were only approximate, for the imprest accounts were outstanding. B—Approximate revenue results, 1905-1906—Estimate for the year, £7,409,600; aoVual receipts, £7,568,300. Excess of revenue over estimate, £160.700: compared with previous year's revenue (£7,282,870), an increase of £280,430. A comparative statement of the estimated and actual receipts and expenditure of the Consolidated Fund (revenue account) for the fianancial year ended March 31st, 1906, showed:— Receipts, estimated and aotual:— Customs, £2,662,000 and £2,697,400; railways, £2,240,000 and £2,333,600; stamDS, £1,171,500 and £1,199,100; land "tax, £365.000 and £385,700; iudcime tax, £262,000 and £261.600 f beer duty, £97,000 and £98,100; registration and other fees, £108,500, and £100,000; marine, £38,500 and £36,700; miscellaneous, £200,000 and £190,400; territorial revenue, £260,100 ana £280,700.