TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8185, 17 July 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Id the New South Wales Legisla. tive Assembly, Mr JdoGowan, leader of the Opposition, moved that the following be added to the Address-in-Keply:—"At the same time, we wish to inform your Excellency that the Government has forfeited the confidence of this House by its whole course of conduct in connection with the scandals in the Lands Department, and by its delay in taking action to place the railways cinder proper management," After some days' debate, ending in an all-night sitting, the motion of censure was defeated on the 6th inst., by almost exactly two to one—4s to 23.

Tb" persecution of the Jews in Russia was the subject of disoussion at a meeting convened by the New South Wales Zionist League. Rabbi Cohen, while sympathising with the object of the gathering, which numbered about Shirty, deolined the invitation to be present in the following terms: "I cannot co-operate in any action of a body which, like the politioal Zionists, desired to separate from tbe'rest of Israel when help was sought for the tiotims of former atrocities, and which refused to consider the foundation of a home of refuge for their persecuted brethren under the British fla«." A resolution expressing indignation at the atrocities on the Jews in Russia was adopted for transmission to the English Zionist Federation.

Mr Chapman, the Federal Post-master-General, who has been attending the Postal Congress, in the course of an interview with the representative of a Melbourne paper, said:—"Sir Joseph Ward and myself have had mauy conversations regarding wirelo's telegraphy, for we will work in accord with New Zealand. The stations are almost roarly at Queensohff and Tasmania, and they will show what can be done. When in Rome 1 went to Moute Mario, a military wireless telegraphy station, and sent a message, to Sicily, a distance of about 200 miles, and we heard the reply ticked off. The old system of using the high masts is being discontinued, and Marjoni has discovered means to prevent the great radiation. We had several interviews with Marconi's representative, and I have brought a lot of information with me, including copies of the agreements made with Canada. I am hopeful that we shall be able to make some arrangement with New Zealand. Hi«h pressure stations might be established there and in Australia, and a low pressure station in Tasmania. Wireless telegraphy will be of great value in connection with our shipping. Before I went away I was in touch with Mr Hamilton, of the International Company, and I had communication with him when in England. He is to see Sir Joseph Ward as the latter comes back through America. We are not tied to any company or system, and are frew to choose the best. The early establishment of wireless .telegraphy here is a certainty.

Mr B. 0. As*on is preparing a report on sugar beet for the Minister of Agriculture. In addition to the Waikato experiments, he recommends

'that She department should undertake trials in other districts vita various classes of fertilisers, according to the... locality. ., As far as climate is concerned, he does not see why sugar beet oould not be grown anywhere in New Zealand provided the soil is favonrable. The Waikato has the advantage of a large amount of sunlight, and a soil of medium texture and rather free from saline ingredients. < Su«ar teed absorbs ealfc anl alkalis very readily, for it was originally a seaaide plant, and those substances prevent the crystallisation of sugar; one per pent, of salt will prevent the crystallising of five per cent, of sagar. Another use of the sugar beet is for taking alkalis from land, and this was being aone with some success in America.' Beets will grow vigorously in salty soils where nothing else will thrive, and thus the ingredients, poisonous to' other plan's, may be gradually removed. Land of this class is comprised in the Maniototo Plain, between Taieri and Naseby. This is the bed of an ancient lake, which left salty deposits when it dried up. Sugar beet oould be grown to clear the soil, and the roots, while they effected valuable scavenging, would be serviceable as feed for cattle.

New Zealand is not the only country in which land values are rising. United States newspapers show that that nation is having what is described as "its greatest real estate boom." People at New York are putting their money into farms, sections, bouses, hotels, and skyscrapers, and there are glowing reports of big deals, big transportation problems solved, and handsome returns on investments., Throughout tne farm lands of the West there is speculation approximating a craze. Manhattan Island is described as the scene of the broadest and most important real estate speculation in the world. Everybody in Pittsburg is said to be speculating, end fortunes are frequently made in a day. At Syracuse buildings worth nearly two and a half million dollars are under construction, while Baltimore is expending a hundred million dollars in various undertakings. Property in some carts of Philadelphia has inoreasei in value by 30 per cent. during the current year, and a hundred million dollars have been added to the value of farms in Nebraska during the past five years. The city of St. Louis, whioh, it was anticipated would experience a slump after the Exposition, is booming wonderfully, and great buildings are growing skyward (fifteen to eighteen storeys, occupying entire half-blocks) at the rate of two a month. Similar reports are made from a large number of centres. On April 15th—three days before the terrible earthquakes and fires—San Frannisoo was enjoying the greatest land boom in its history. Buildings of two and three storey* were be'ng torn down to make way for loftier structures, and transactions in real estate were beocming startling. In Maroh last the value of property whioh changed hands in the Golden City aggregated nearly twenty million dollars.