TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8125, 24 April 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

< A «PFfl!foalty wbic&afi&oft* *h e ArIritrsfciou Ooarfc in respeefi fro inariijfcim©awards is thafoof ibdtsßfcri aJ dis* ijtiie*Bi. Mr Jones remartodt to thejWoirrfr a>tr we©h , that, 'the ships cannot cmry-t'b* irad udtrifii 'districts on their deoka-; arad, c©»;seqioeQb2y, there aria* (3fepni;es cs 'to wfi«ve the awards-feasrasiMJa te and. inhere tbey hold Bway. Mr Justice ! Chapman said tJiatet- fth« colony isiiraM be oue dksfcticfr #o* ahipprog i purposes. That would' atvea'tly siin!l'i;ffy matters, and* b'e ha*s mttde esg>jgestions to that end;, bu&np to toe present no legislation had baem • passed by Parliament. ' Rr B. JL>ootoy- of ! Philosophy, and* Professor of Zooslloigy, etc., of lo&lOj. has arrived'? in 1 Australia to represent tbe Imperial ! University at Tefcifr a* tbe f ortkejomiag jubilee oeleljtafciions of the- Melbourne University bMs month. ( He states that tbo* northern paofc of Japan is slowlyjroo&vering f rorai tb» effects of a reeentt ftomine. JE* alls«s stated that tba-Auaatiralian Iransiigtation Restriotifru Act had- caused? some irritation: among, oerbama classes in Japan, but this ajsnoearad to be dying out. 'Jfoe Japanese* Government, l»e considered,,, wwM not do anythfitegr to interfajre with Australian leg-Mat ion in thia s«Dect. Tbe Freraifer has received? a e©mmunioatioo. eonoerning aQiibt&rwiew between M* W. 3. Napier, ,of Amokland, and' President Roosevelt. Mr Napier says that the President a»poke very r of New Ztjpland,, and saidjthafc.be bad a most eaxnesfr desire to visit this country, as be bad read so much* of its pbysicaWbeaofty and of its M'aoras, and be vraa also much interested in its experimental legislation, wbioh had i gone in tbe direot^D'of Social Dewoavmj. He said that it would be tbe utmost delight to bim to see ocajriblanda, Tbe President further Bai*V*hat be looked witbipieasure on tho development of Australia and New/E*alaad, and he» thought that Australia and New» Zqalfead should dominate) tbe South* erni Pacific in ticajfi. to oome. B». regarded Australia and Now Zealand) aavmembers of the family, and nqt la* any sense fomgoors, and saifl ifcbaA there would always be cordial .cooperation between America and JAusstralasia. I _ \ I Mr Andrew Carnegie has subafctcisially spelling reform movement in Anaerioa. Tbe London jStandaid interviewed Beveral authors , on the subject ofl the reformation of spelling, and t elicited some . very outspoken opinions. Algernon Charles Swinfouame says: "Ifo is a monstrous, Harbarous absurdity." Rider HaggawJ says: "Tbe language written by, the translators*, of the Bible and Shakespeare Is quiiSe good enough." GSteorge Bernard Sbaw declares : "ltrtoaok the.cdmbiced efforts of Peter tjfa Great, Julius Caesar, and Pope Gregory to ratfiso the calendar.. How can Mr,-Carnegie, with all, Skis millions, andfeven possibly tbe assistance of Sir Henry OampbeSf-Bannorman, hope to revise the EnsiDish language? Qttr ideas of grammar are good; oup spelling is damna&le." Robert Carr says:: "Any attempt to altera the spelling system is rot." Acoerding to Sip Alfred Oonan Doyle, "an improved version might become.universal, but it would cease to be t&e English language." i ' The Secretary af State Colonies has requested tbe New Sealaud Government to "send Borne as soon as possible reports or ether information available as to the ■ working of taastion on the unimproved value of laud bolb for munioipal and Statu purposes in New Zealand,, the information being specially desired aa to the effects of jand-value taxation ob the building trade, on root, on incidence of taxation of bouse property, and vacant sites respectively, j and on laud speculation*" Under instructions from the- Cabinet the Commissioner of Taxes baa addressed a circular to each local governing body throughout tbe colony asking it to supply bim with a report upon the working of the ! rating upon unimproved valaQ system in its distriot.