TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8220, 25 August 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

A fair idea of how much athletics cost at the leading universities of Arnerioa may be gleaned from the report which has beeu submitted in the oase (of Yale University. Yale spends more upon athletics than any other American edu catioual institution, but tde difference is not verj? material as far as it relates to the big universities of th» Eastern States. The Yale report shows that the total receipts from the four major sports football, baseball, rowing, and track athletics —for 1904-5 together with interest from the reserve fund and other minor credits, amounted to over £21,000, and taat the entire amount had been expended for the maintenance of the four major teams outside of an appropriation of £2,000 to the Yale athletic field. Football was the most luorative of the sports.

The country party of which the member for Hurunui, Mr Rutherford, is the'reputed leader, came in for criticism by Mr T. McKenzie in the House of Representatives, on Thursday night. "The member for Hurunui," he said, "has formed a country party—a country party, if you please! Sir, it is amusing for a member of this House to ureate a country party, without bis inviting the whole of the country representatives of that party. I venture to say 1 represent the country as muob as the bon. member for Huinnui, and what is more, from the time that I have had the honour of a seat this House, I have always had the courage to ventilate my opinions without fear of being carpeted by any member of this House." Mr Mackenzie added that he was prepared to contest any farming constituency with the member for Hurunui, and he ridiculed the idea of that member calling together a coterie of that assembly and calling it representative of the country interests.

Aocording to Government returns, the proportion of first-class passengers on the Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth section of railways is less than one in fiv«>. On other sections the proportion is even lower, 'lhe number of persons'who travelled on the Wellington atotlons during the four weeks ended July 21st was 193,503; last year the number for the corresponding period was 182,379. On the other hand, the number of season tickets in use decreased from 3,570 to 3,317. The revenue from this portion of lhe railways shows an increase since last year from £43,289 to £45,422. For the whole colony the revenue for the month was £173,488, and the expenditure £134,205. Last year the amounts were respectively £164,337 and £120,666. The proportion of expenditure to revenue has decreased from G7.83 per cent, to 67.51. Traffic returns for the colony for the twelve weeks ending on July 21st were published in Thursday's Gazette. The numbers of passenger carried in eaoh olass increased considerably as compared with last, year, aud there were increases also in almost every kind of goods and stock carried.

Writing on Tuly 13th, the Lour/on correspondentjfof the Lyttelfcon Times says:—Mr John Burns, the President of the Loeal Government Board, has now issued his reply'to a question regarding New Zealand put: to him by Sir Charles Dilke. The member for the Forest of Dean aaked Mr Burns "if ho will'state how many adult males have recently been sent to New Zealand by Unemployed Committees receiving aid from grates or public taxes, and how many sent elsewhere across the seas." The President of the Local Government, Board replies:—"Up to May 31st last the Central (Unemployedi Body for London had sent 350"adult males to the colonies, viz., 41 io New Zealand and 309 to Canada. The returns from the Distress Committees outside London show that up to Maroh 31st last, they had sent 152 adult males to the colonies, all of whom went to Canada. The later figures have not yet been received."

The Great Western Railway Company ia making an experiment in signalling wbiob it is believed will heiald a world-wide revolution in railway working (says the Daily Express). This is nothing less than the substitution of audible for visible signals, and the abolition of the familiar semaphore arm the top of a signal post. In January last the experiment was begun in a very small way, and ic has proved so successful that the direo tors sanctioned the installation of the now method of signalling on the

Fairford branch line, which is about 25 miles in length. In all probability the entire semaphore system, dating from the early days of railways, will go by the board, and give place to audible signalling electrically worked. The new system is simplicity itself. The engine as it travels along the line oomes into contact with an apparatus fixed to the track. The apparatus is worked from the signal-box, and sets in motion a simple form of mechanism on the engine. Instead of the enginedriver having to look out for his signals, the signals declare themselves to his ear unmistakably. "Line clear" is expressed in the new system of signalling by the tinkling of h bell. "Line blocked" is expressed by the blowing of a whistle, which continue until the driver with his own hand turns it off. The apparatus is so constructed that if anything goes wrong anywhere the whistle signal operates.