TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8208, 11 August 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The Zulu ohief, Diuizulu, whoa* name hns come into prominence in connection with the native rebellion in Natal, is a prince of the blcn * royal, being a pou of Cetewayi?, the famous king whose milHavy despotism became a menace to Soisfch Africa in 1879. Alter his capture Cetewayo was banished to Robben island, near Gape Towo,and was subsequently reinstated in his native laud. Dinizulu, his son and successor, followed in his father's footi tope. He fumented rebellion, raised I'rosh regiments, and was convicted oi' hign treason in 1889, banished to at. l-leJena, and on bis release in 1898 was allowed to return to Zululand as a minor ohief of the TJsufcn tribe, with a salary from the Natal Government of £SOO per annum.

A plant has been ereoted nearSyowsaue, Germany, for tha purpose of making imitation silk from wood. At present some 50 pounds of skein silk are made a nay, whioh product can be increased in quantity to 2,000 pounds. Tho siilr is soft in texture and nream in colour. Each thread is made of 18 single strands; a single strand is hardly perceptible to the naked eye. In strength, the real silk is two-thirds stronger than the imitation. When woven into pieces, the now eubsititute is said to have the appearaboe of real silk. How this new article will compare with the genuine in the matter of wear and pnoc it is impossible at present to state. The manufacturing process is like wise undisooverable. It is asserted, however, that tho pulp undergoes a chemical process, and ia pressed through very fine tubes by hydraulic pressure, forming the single strands whioh go to make up the thread.

Vaporising the soil is apparently one of the latest ideas for dealing with sundry pests Au English firm of repute hag recently put forward a preparation in , the form of b powder which, when thrown on to or worked into the soil, off a vapour whioh, it is claimed, com-

pletely destroys soil insects without doing the slightest injury to the crops, whether of field, orchard or garden. In connection with annual or ops—corn, potatoes, and,the like r-it is merely thrown broadcast before, the plough, and so incorporated in the soil. The great' bulk of soil inseots inhabit the surface to a depth of two to five inches, there fore, the inventor says, to plough the gas-yieldng material into the soil is sufficient for general purposes. For special cultivation, such as hops, vines bushes, and trees, it must be worked into the soil at the tine of ordinary cultivation, or where deep, permanent roots are affeoted, dibbled in to the extent of the roots. The powder is inexpensive, and, according to some of the English papers, it has proved effectual. Some trials are now being made in Tasmania, the results of whiob will be awaited with interest. Vaporising, which Is precisely the same in principle as fumigation, except that it is applied below ground, at least sounds feasible enough.

Mr Haldane's ideas as to the duties of the volunteers appear to have expanded during the eight months in which he has held the office of Seoretary for War, in so far that be now proposes that they shall not only man naval fortresses and certain points on the coast, but shall also repel raids, thus liberating the regular Army for oversea service when required. But in the main his soheme for the development of the auxiliary forces into real norae de fence force follows the lines he laid down when be introduced the army estimates. His proposals then included a small, highly-trained regular army, a militia improved and with definite funotions, not merely a body to be "bled white" to provide drafts for the army, and a volunteer force which should be "a nation under arms" on voluntary lines. With proper organisation, this should provide the necessary power of expansion for the striking force embodied in the regular army. "If," said Mr Halrtane, "yon are to get people to give their services, you must assign to them some definite functions; yuu have to map out an organisation. I do not see why the rifle clubs, the cadet corps, the volunteers, should not be all encouraged, so that the people should organise themselves." Eltewhere he urged decentralisation of the "people's army," so that it should be "a citizen army—administered locally, but organised as a military body—localised in peace, concentrated in war." Whether the solution of the problem of army reform and of home defence lie in Mr Llaldane's proposals has yet to be tested.

Referring to the late Premier's ability as a stunewaller to Parliament when necessary, an English paper recalls some other historical talkers against time. One of the most interesting of these recollections centres round a speech 'uiade in the last British Parliament by Sir Frederick Banbury, who was trying to talk out a motion in favoar of women's suffrage. To do ao he enlarged at great length on a Bill for compelling all vehicles od the publio road to carry tail-lights. Of course, he did not care twu straws about tail-lights, but he spoke for a long time with apparent earnestness and great ingenuity. The subject does not seem a very impressive one at first sight, and the rules of the House and a watchful Speaker compelled him to > keep strictly to the point. "What is a vehicle?" he a9ked, and, of course, he had provided himself with the answer that a vehicle is that, which serves as the means or instrument of conveyance. This en abled Mm to paint out that a horse is a vehicle, and, as tbe object of a tail-light was to prevent a vehicle fruic being run into from bßhind, he showed how peculiarly dangerous this wculd be in the oase of a horse lashing out with his heels. Horses were often led along the high road to the shoeing forge after dark, and Sir Frederick wanted to know if at such times a horse would have a lantern tied to its tail, and, if not, why ,iOt? Having thoroughly exhausted ',ce equine argument, the baronet pointed out that in villages it was often the ca»e that an old woman wheeled a large basket of washing on a perambulator after dink. After & few pasasing remarks on the virtues of washing aud he asked whether a tail-light would ha?o to be carried in that caae. And if so, it be obviously useless to put t&e^ light, on the back of the perambulator, bs the old wo> man would be bohiud it, and her opaqueissss, or want of trauspareuoy would hinder lb from beiug seen. Tuus ibe wae forced to the conclusion that the old lady must have the tail-ligihi ''••igling behind her, an! he feared that there was 110 provision in the Bill to provide for this. And bo the indefatigable member went on, while the hands of the clook toiled laboriously to adjournment time. Even the adoption of the olosure has not entirely done away with this sort of tiling, but the stonewall, has in later years, become more a matter of ingenuity than of staying power.