TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8189, 25 July 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

For some time past, says the Sydney Mail, rumours have been in the air concerning the intended retirement of the Prime Minister. When Parliament met, Mr Deakin made reference to the subject. He said he intenaed retiring at the ulose of his Parliament, but unexpected obligations had been cast upon him which had entirely altered that purpose, and except by consent of bis colleagues and his party, with whom his relations were most cordial and satisfactory, he dH not now feel, free to take any such step.

When the British Government annexed British New Guinea, says the Melbourne Argus, they only half responded to the clamourous desire of Australians, who undoubtedly felt then a thrill of nationhood. For five years'the Commonwealth has . had control of this possession and, if anything, its las* condition it worse than the first. The New Hebrides are cut off from trie Federation by a prohibitive tariff, while Federal politicians insist that Australia never, never, never will oonsenfc to their oessiou to France. On these grave questions of national moment the Federal Parliament cannot find time for more than a passing .thought.

Judging from a statement made on Saturday by the Premier (the Hon. W.sHall-Jones), the influx of immigrants into New Zealand will be stopped, for a time, at all events. The last baton arrived in Auckland by the Devon, a few days ago, and those of the party who contemplate settlling in Wellingon and tne South Island were expected on Monday, but the steamer did not arrive from the north till yesterday. Mr Hall-Jones stated to a (Jhristchurch Star reporter that all the men arriving from Home as assisted immigrants have been found work on tlio Main Trunk line, but iu view of the fact that tho men were arriving in the winter time, the Government had decided early last month to instruct the High Commissioner to send no more until further instruuted and he had been cabled to accordingly.

A Swiss scientist, M. de Vangny, after a long study of the subject, declares that there is a constant and continual change of altitudes taking plaoe in mountainous countries, and especially in the Swiss and Austrian Alps. For this reason an ordinary atlas even a couple of years old is out of date as regards the heights of mountains and Alpine villages. M. de Varigny further states that there are many villages ib the canton of Valairs and in the Bernese Oberland that have been raided or lowered from twelve to thirty feet within the last six years, and that the summits of mountains have also undergone a similar modification and to the same extent. The numerous earthquakes in the Alps—though slight in foroe—are the chief cause of this phenomenon, and also of the ever-increasing number of avalanohes.

The Warwick Pageant, which was recently held in commemoration of the thousandth anniversary of

the conquest of Meroia; and tbe overthrow of paganism therein by Etbelrleda, in 906 A.D., was a splendid success. As many as two thousand actors were engaged in this remarkable "folk play" in the open air, and the scene presented a fine spectacle. The .pageant, which was under the direction of Mr Louis N. Parker, the well-known dramatist, took plaoe on a green sward of seven aorea, under the shadow of Elhelfleda'a mound, on the banks of the Avon, which wad plaoed at the disposal of the committee by the Earl of Warwick. A covered scaffolding or grandstand, capable of seating four thousand seven hundred people, commanded a full view of the natural stage of luxuriaut grass, on which two thousand performers disported themselves, with the trees and river as scenic accessories, and the sky as their oanopy All the performers were amateurs, and were giving their services gratuitously, the work being a labour of love. The numerous properties from Queen Elizabeth's State barge down to tbe monstrous head of the legendary Dun Cow, which breathed fire' and smoke out of ita nostrils, were all local products. The dramatic text was divided into eleven episodes, covering a space of nearly two thousand years in the history of Warwiok. In Episode X. (1572), the longest of the scenes was devoted to the State visit to Warwiok of Queen Elizabeth and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, while Shakespeare was ingeniously introduced aa a boy and son of the bailiff of Stratford-on-Avon. In Episode XI. (1649), the great fire of Warwick was illustrated. At the conclusion of the pageant there was a final tableau, and march past, in which allHhose who took pait appeared, the last figure left on the arena being that of Shakespeare.