TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8189, 24 July 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The Dunediu correspondent of the Lytteltou Times says:- Dr. Mason, the Chief Health Officer has formulated a scheme of medical examination of school onildroii. The main princiolus, which, it is understood the Hou. J. M'Gowan, ActingMinister of Health, approves, are that too Dist.iot Health Officer in each diatriot should givo addresses of instruction to teachers. As a result of the instruction so given a teaoher would be in a position to detect obviously unfit children and these would be set apart, aud the medical officer, instead of having to examine over 6,000 children in the Dunedin schools, would hava to examine only about 15 per oent. of that number. The lesser number of children to be examined would permit of a lower scale of pay, and if Hospital Boards were prepared to pay half the salary cf a medical examiner the Goverumeat would pay the other half. By suoh a measure it would be possible to arrive at a clear idea as to the number of children physically unfit. There would be a further testing. Eyesight, for instance, oculd be made the subject of a most interesting and instructive half-hour's work to schoolmasters.

The Daily Chronicle thinks that "Primrose Day" is passing away.This year the Denny bunches were reduoec*, to a half-penny by the street vendors, because they could not sell out. The shops complained bitterly of a falling off in custom, and Covent Garden bad overstocked itself. It may bo that this method of honour-

ing the memory of Lord Beaoonsfleld is dying a natural death. Nobody really knows whether he liked the primrose at all; and if there are views on the subject, the evidence is divided between his preference for the pximrose as a flower, or as a component part of a salad. Primroses are not half bad in a spring salad. This doubt about Disraeli's preference may have combined with the huge wave of Liberalism that has swept Londou to cause the "slump" in primroses. The fact, however, explained, is undeniable.

The Societe d'Assistanoa aux Animaux in Paris is opening a school for cabmen and carmen, under the auspioes of the Prefecture de Police and Prefecture of the Seine, which has found room for the school in the premises of the Horse-market. A professor of hippology will teaoh young coachmen about the beasts they drive, to make them able to uive flrßt aid to their horse in case of accident, tie up a vein, or what not. Another professor will teaoh them how to harness their horses, "not anyhow, but physiologically," for a horse properly harnessed gets far less tired than another. Professor No. 3 will lecture on the proper feeding of a horse, and Professor No. 4, will teaoh the rules of the road, the police regulations, and the advantages of being polite to the police.

The Duma, the Speaker thinks, gives a great opportunity for consolidating and concentrating the power of the Opposition. The country (it says) is unanimous in blaming the incapacity of the Government, for the Government has convinaed even those peasants who were expected to iely upon it that it cannot offer any solution of the great governing problem in the social politics of Russia. The Du- \ ma has to show that it is not without a remedy for the agrarian question! That question is, of oourse, an extremely difficult one. The London Times gives some interesting figures showing that if we take the standard fixed in 1861, at the time of the expropriation of the owners of private lands for the benefit of the emancipated serfs, 180 million acres are required to satisfy the immediate needs of the peasantry. There are, unfortUf. nutely, no emigres whose property' Russia can confiscate after the example of Franoe, and the bureaucracy has squandered so many loans on war and imperialism that Liberal Russia would be hard put to it to find the money that this necessary policy demands. But, formidable as the problem is, the Duma is in many respeots admirably qualified tor dealing on a large soale ! with those questions in which many of their members have already shown their capaotiy in provincial administration. Their difficulties are their strength. The Radioals, the peasants, and the nobles may differ among themselves but for ell alike in this crisis bureauoraoy is the enemy. It is because the Czar has branded that truth into the mind of all.Russia that we still believe that the Duma, which be hoped to make the playground of harmless and innocent debates,* is going •to be the battleground between the Czar "and "his people.

It was reported in the Melbourne press that thuugh pressure had been brought to bear, Ministers had determined not to assist in the movement to legalise the totaliaator. "The statement is wrong," said the Premier. "We have not decided anything. The matter has not even been considered yet. I never said it had. I wis never asked about the attitude of the Ministry, and I never authorised the inoorreot statement which has been published. However do they fike these things?" It is well-known in political circles (says the Age) that the Cabinet is evenly divided on the suofeot, which as a matter of faot has nut been made a Cabinet question. As a body the Cabinet has neither decided for nor against the naaohine, and the course open, in tne event of a Bill being introduced by a private member, is for Ministers to be left free, in which case they will be evenly divided.