TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8129, 1 May 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The women's unions in Norway have not been passive during the recent stirring events in that country. The four largest of the unions took a corporate part in the demonstrations for freedom." In their appeal they said:— "We women wish to show where* we are to be found at a time when the Fatherland needs the unitad aotion of men and women to preserve its independence and its rights." The legal profession has been opened in Norway to women for about two years. The fiiafc woman to practice in Ghristiania, Dr Elise Sem, has been cordially received by her male colleagues.

The exigency of th» law was responsible for an anomalous feature oropoiug up at Napier recently in a case in which a well-known native was charged with failing to dear his land of noxious weeds. Accompanying the summons was a translation which it was afterwards shown was unnecessary, as the defendant was himself a licensed interpreter. Mr Cornford stated that be had no option in the matter when issuing the summons, having to sup-

ply the translation in accordance with the Act notwithstanding that be might have known that the person spoke the English language fluently.

The Houseolders' League of Great Britain is carrying on a vigorous campaign in favour of "women's rights." The advocates have addressed Lord Strathoona (High Commissioner for Canada) and a great many of the leading people In Great Britain in a strongly-worded letter, in which they state that they oonoidor it their dqty to point out to all women the danger they run in emigrating to any colony where they are denied the frauohise. They state that any sobeme for sending women to such colonies is "rotten from the foundation, and would inevitably lead to the deplorable consequences which we are now suffering under." It is satisfactory to find that Australia does not come under their ban. They state they will confine their emigration efforts to Australia, where "women are now able to exist under decent human conditions." - They say their league has determined to at once put a stop to the deportation of British women to Canada and every other colony where they are denied the Parliamentary franchise, which is their only protection from the labour sweater.

Referring to the Premier's promised legislation to cheapen the food of the people, "Artisan" writes in the labour columns of the New Zealand Herald:—"The opinion is held .that parliamentary legislation is not required, and that the workers hold the remedy in their own hands of forcing their own co-op-erative supply stores, suob as have been successfully established in England. Several of our leading unionists express the opinion that the bulk of our trade unionists are wanting in initiative power and self-reliance and that if they would only rely on themselves and aot on co-operative lines there would be little need for parliamentary legislatian on this and other social questions."

Mr W. T. Stead announoes in all seriousness the "discovery" of something which, he says, mankind has been seeking for generations, a non-alcoholic wine. MrSteadeays: —"Wine, good wine free from the poison of alcohol. Wine that is the pure juice of the grape, uufermented, with «all its natural fragrance and bouquet unspoiled. Wine which will keep. Wine that will not intoxicate. That is the wine which appears to have been discovered at last." Mr Stead goes on to say that it is M. Peyron, a' wealthy vineyard proprietor, near Aries, in the south of Prance, who "conceived the idea of producing the wine" and adds that "we owe this pew liuqor to the zeal and enthusiasm of a member of the Salvation Army." Unfermented wine, however has been known and made from time to time ever since the days of Pliny in the early years of the Christian era. "There are various processes used for preventing the juioe of graces from ferraentin«," said a well known wine expert. "The ancient Greeks and Romans, also the Hebrews, and other ern peoples, employed heat very largely in preserving their vintage, which perhaps,is the best. Pliny tells us that a cold wine was called 'adynamon'—that , is, without strength, non-alcoholic and that 'immediately the skins ''or casks were filled they were plunged into cold water and left there all the winter till the wine had acquired the habit of being oold.'"

In the course of a letter to the Wellington industrial Association on the tariff question, Messrs Nelson, Moate and Co. stated ' that, "compared with some of our local industries, the tea-packing industry might be considered email, but nevertheless there are about sixty-one firms, giving employment directly and indirectly to hundreds of workers throughout the colony, and should therefore receive proper protection. Under the present tariff the New Zealand tea-packing firms who are paying good wages, high rents, etc, are brought into unfair competition with Ceylon and Indian firms, who have the advantage of cheap coolie labour, and who send travellers down to New Zealand from time to time, and do bpsiuess without being subject to the labour laws and the high wages and rent which those established here have to pay. That it is the intention of the Government to protept the colonies from the competition of the coloured races is made evident by the recent utterance of the Right Hon. Mr Seddon, and by the fact that a poll tax is levied on all coolies who enter the colony. Then, why not protect the New Zealand industries with an adequate duty on goods packed without the colony by cheap coloured labour?" To do tbis properly, the firm spates, tea imported in packages of 201b or under should b* subject to 2d per lb heavier duty than tea imported in bulk.