TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8214, 18 August 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

la the course of a reoenfc speech at Footscray, the Commonwealth Prime Minister (Mr Deakin) said protection by no means stops with the imposition of duties, or with the safe-guarding of those employed in industries. "Industries,"' he said "are now under a remarkable transformation in the worli of trade, and commerce to-day, and laave to be reserved against deliber* ate and aggressive attacks, either from without or within, by the power of massed capital employed to destroy >that fair trade which is carried on on principles uf fair play, and to seize as a monopoly, by meaus of which both producer and consumer are bled. One of the greatest tasks before us is that which the House of Representatives has been engaged upon, and which, fortunately, we have nearly completed. We have had brou«ht home to us by the experience of America, and by some foretaste here blbo, of the necessity of protection against the deliberate and wet purpose ox capita! to destroy fair nad honour-

able . opponents by illegitimate meafis. It has been stated we have been occupied a month in ' passing one piece of legislation whioh will not ke absolutely effective against allvthe possibilities of the alteration of tactics of the satellites of these great organisations, which we desire to keep within proper boanda. It may be so, bat we bare given fair warning of what we intend to do. We have done as much as at present appears possible, but I believe the people will not I hesitate if need be, to enlarge oar constitution to enable ua tj cope effectually and thoroughly with any oombination, so that the use of lawful means of ordinary trade, not for honourable purpoes, but for the purpose of piracy, may be grappled wtb." v

The official report of the towing of the oolossal American dry dock Dewey through the Suez Canal, on its way to Manila, testifies to the enormous difficulties whioh attended the task. The (Suez Canal authorities ran no ordinary riss when they oonsented to the passage through that waterway of this gigantic structure, whioh almost filled its entire width. In addition to the usual passing stations 'sidings) in the canal, two more sidings bad to be excavated—in the Bitter Lake and Lake Timsah—at the expense of the United States. Notwithstanding these precautions however, an accident happened on the seonnd day of the passage at the second of these specially-constructed passing stations, i.e., the hawsers broke, and for the epaoe of 24 hours the huge structure laid athwart the canal and obstructed the traffic entirely. Later on, and just before getting clear of the canal, the Dewey ran into the bank, and remained stianded for t au hour. The dook was taken into the oaual by three American war vessels—-the Brutus, the Caesar and the Glacier —and then the task of towing was made over to two powerful tugs belonging to the Canal Company—the Titan and the Vigilant— another American vesael the Potomacfollowing in the wake and aoting as a rudder. The services of three uanal piluts were requisitioned, two being placed on board the Dewey and one on board the Potomac; and on the big doos were Captain flosley, who bad command of the expedition, and 21 seamen from tne Glacier. The passage through the canal, including the stoppages, took one hundred and five hours, and the charges amounted to about £20,000. It is hoped the dock will arrive at Manila early in August. The Potomao was oast oft at Suez, and sailed for home. What the total cost of this voyage really amounts to will probably never be divulged.

Skyscrapers, it seema, are only in th<3ir infancy. Tbe day is coming when there will be 100-storey buildings. That at least is the opinion of Mr Starretfc, a prominent New York builder. Our civilsatlon, he says, is progressing wonderfully. Building is ODe of ohief factors of civilisation. In New York—by that I mean Manhatten island—we must koep on building, and we must build upward. Step by step we have advanced from tbe wooden but to the 30 storey skyscraper. Practically we have reached the litrit in altitude with tbe present type of buildings. Now we must develop something different, something larger. We may not be ready for tbe 100-storey building yet; perhaps we will have the 50 or 75-sturey structure in the next stage of development, but the larger and higher building we are certain to have. There are 100 things which ooma in as important factors in the consideration of the new type of big building. Some of tbeto are apparent to every person familiar with a New York skyscraper. We bcve about reached the limit so far as modern elevator service is concerned in our high buildings. The weight of the oable of a 28-storey building is something enormous, and if we are to buid much higher we must find some new method of perpendicular transportation. The difficulties with plunger elevators are just as great;. We are taxing our brains with the problem of horizontal rapid transit, but the problem of vertical rapid transit must soon be one of equal importance. In Now York we travel heavenward as well as on the surface. Now, about the 100-storey building. No doubt, Instead of the old style elevators now iu use, it will be epuipped with pneumatio tube conveyances and we jhall be shot upward with the rapidity that letters are sent across Brooklyn Bridge. Perhaps we shall have transfer points at each twentieth floor, and at each transfer floor there will be some particular department May be on the twentieth floor we shali have the general market, on the I'ortie'th floor theatres, on the sixtieth the shopping district, and so on, for your modern big building of tbe future will be a city within itself. It will occupy an entire block, may be more than that. Ana here is another interesting feature to be considered in contemplating our 100storey building of tbe future, and that is the made-to-order climate wp shall have. When we have at last reached the ideal construction we shall have perfect control of tbe atmosphere, so that there will be no need of going to Florida in the winter, or to Canada ii> the summer.