TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8133, 7 May 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

What is said to be a unique proposal in New Zealand municipal government was before the Petone Borough Council last week, when Oouucillor MoEwau moved to disband all existing committees and set up committees specified, to consist of three members of the Oouncil one as Chairman, 'with a casting vote—and tbiee outsiders who would be appointed by the Council for their' special qualifications to deal with matters in itand. Such committees were provided for by the Municipal .Corporations Act. It was pointed out by the mover and seaonder (Councillor JMacfarlane) that the Council would .thus seoure the assistance of ex-oounoillors who could not devote time to the full Council work, and also of experts with technical kaowleclge. I,'he oommittee could also act as trailing grounds for future councillors. The motion to enable outsiders to be members of committee was tost, but otherwise the object of setting up new committees for defined pur-t 1 poses was achieved.

Efforts are being made by Mr Hartley, a Waikato settler, to induce' farmers in the North island tjo follow bis example by importing Tunis sheep. He states that the outstaad-

ing feature of this description of sheep is Us lapid maturity, enabling the production of early . lambs, which invariably secure top prices on the Home market. The lambs are ready for export in two months from birth. The flesh of the Tunis is said to be superior to the* Southdown, and the wool, though coarse in appearance, has been in great demand in America. New Zealand has had six years' experience of the breed, which is expected to revolutionise the frozen lamb trade. Expariments conducted by Mr Larney in the Waikato showed that from the first week of the lamb's life till two months old it showed 81b to 121b advantage in weight over the ordinary lamb. The sheep crosses well with other breeds, and a shipment of twenty-five Tunis crossfcreds Recently sent to Messrs Borthwick, of London, brought from that firm the remark th»t the meat was of ai*beautiful quality, superior to anything ofthe kind they had yet received from the North Island.

The Hawera Star understands that "the statement tnat the manager and a director of the syndicate which is exploiting the Taranaki oil fields have gone to Wellington with the idea of getting more capital is altogether incorrect. They vent quite on other business, lor there is more than suffiuient capital available locally if more be required. It has !<een a most oreditable feature that the New Plymouth gentlemen who from time to time have pooled money for experimental work have told the public plainly that strong as their hopes may have been occasionally they wanted no man to go into any liability except on the clear understanding tbat after all the venture vas but an experiment, and that no one should speoulate on any other basis. There has been none of the 'booming' which has disgraced and discredited mining. Even if success be not immediately assured the encouragement gained during the past w?ek or two will undoubtedly lead to further testing. The average Briton is usual-y ready to keep 'plugging' away under adverse circumstances, as the New Plymouth people have shown in this particular matter, >as well as others, but naturally he is encouraged by a show of success, and a, good many more people will be ready tc venture a few pounds for further prospecting purposes than there were a month ago."

In his address before the Wellington Council of tbe Chamber of Commerce, on Friday, Mr R. J. Jeffrey, representative of the Commercial Intelligence Department of the British Board of Trade, made some comparison between tbe business characteristics of Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, be said, the oities aggregated to themselves a disproportionate number of tbe people residing in the State. In Victoria, for instance, all railways converged in Melbourne, and Sydney oooupied a similar position io New South Wales. Here in New Zealand it could be said they had four oapitals each with a moderate copulation. This, he thought was much more wholesome. It was no doubt due to the geographical configuration ; but, in any case, the results were very desirable. Another thing he noticed about New Zealand was this: lie did not fi'd in this country any antagonismthere might be competition—between manufacturers and importers. He did not say it was the same in Australia. The attitude adopted by the press oti either side probably did something to keep tbe feeling alive. In New Zealand there appeared to be a gratifying amount of harmony amongst manufacturers and importers, who, he sometimes found, occupied dual positions. , The figures for the traffitf of the Railway Department for the year 1905-6 *show tnat the revenue increased by £140,474, while the expenditure increased by £128,340. Tbe are as follow: 1950 6. Revenue. Expenditure. North Island £1,022,790 £693,924 South Island £1,326,914 £927,314 Total £2,349.704 £1,621,239 1904-5 £2,209,230- £1,492,8(99 Increase £140,474 £128,340. The proportion of expenditure to revenue for the year was 67.85 per cent, in the North Island, and 69.39 percent, in the South; or, in the aggregate. 69 per cent., as uompared with 67.58 per cent, last year. The passengers carried compared as follows: 1905 6, first-class 1,386,163, second class 7,440,219, total 8,826, 382; 1904-5, first olast, 1,386,308, seo-ond-claes 7,127,804, total 8,514,112; decrease, first class 145; increase, second-class 312,415; total, 312,270. The number or parcels, goods consignments and animals carried last year was 4,514,5G6, an increase of 28,644 over the previous year. Siieep were 64,299 short. The total quantity of chaff, lime, wool, firewood, timber, grain, merchandise and minerals was 4,241,421 tons, an increase of 229,910 tons on the year 1904-5.