TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8239, 18 September 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Unless there is a speedy change in the arrangements of the San Fraucicso mail aervioe, its friends in the House of .Representatives will soon find some difficulty in explaining away its irregularities, says the Ghristohuroh Press. The earthquake has been largely blamed for the delays that have occurred lately, but there must be some limit to the use that can bu made of the disaster in this connection. If, as was reported, the steamer left San JFrancise co on the doe date, some thredays were lost on the voyage. 'I be statement that the trip occupied only nineteen days eleven hours requires, therefore, some explanation. The l'act is that nowadays the service is extremely unpunctual, and in oouse qaenoe most unsatisfactory for business men. Its supporters have always

laid stress upon its fastness, but in view of recent developments they onn say little on this soore at present. The approaching discussion on the renewal of tne contract will be watched with keen interest, and the Postmaster-General will have to bring forward a very strong case in support of the proposal before be can make sure of carrying it. The introduotioa of electric processes into metallurgy has caused a great revolution in methods of production during the last five or ten years. This revolution is by no means complete at present, but undoubtedly will ooutinue at an increasing rate. Manufacturers, who have spent vast sums of money in obtaining plant in the past, hesitate to throw expensive machinery upon the scrap heap in order to adopt the simpler eleotric furnaces or electrolytic baths; but they will have to do this in many cases or fall behind in the struggle for existence. /»t present there is scarcely a metal in whose preparation electricity cannot now be profitably employed at some or all stages of the prouess of reduotrn. Many of the most important ohemical products also are now manufactured by an electrical method of one type or another. As the cheapest source of electricity is the power obtained from falling water, it is ufcvious that those countries where this source of power is largely available have nr.w a great eounomic advant age over those where it is unattainable. Great Britain is notoriously inadequately provided in this respect. In Switzerland and America water-power is now largely used both in chemical end metallurgical prooesses. In New Zealand, the application of the Waihi Gold Mining Company for permission to employ it in the production of electrical energy on a large scale, is a clear sign of the times. Apart from gold, there has been comparatively little extraction of mßtala in New Zealand, though there are large quantities of many rich ores. If the public have been expecting any hint of the intentions of the new Minister of Education to appear in the departmental report they will be disappointed, The rei port confines itself to the work of i the past year. It is almost entirely statistical, and tne important figures may be shown at a glance:— 1904 5. 1905-6. School ... 1,785 1,806 Scholars ... 136,282 238,471 Teachers ... 3,069 3,137 Pupil-teaohers... 649 679 j Cost of the system £635,936 £697,956 ! The figures in the main oall for no special criticism. The mimfcur of scholars is increasing, and with it the number of schools, and the polony maintains a remarkably high average attendance. There i?, of course, a greater growth in the North Island than in the South, and with the opening up of the native lands this tendency will become still more noticeable. The report is pratically silent on controversial matters, which means that it gives no encouragement to controversy. It contains evidence, however, that the recent improvements in the status of the teaching profession have bean appreciated, since the great disparity between the numbers of young mej and of yuung women entering the schools is no longer noticeable. The establishment of the superannuation fund and the increases of salaries have rendered the profession once more attractive to bright young men. The women, we should think, have still cause for complaint, since the average salary for adult women teachers is only £96 6s lid, compared with £174 14s 9d, the average paid to men. Private members and their little Bills seldom get so much attention as they have done this session, and when it is not talking about the land question and doing its duty by the Estimates, Parliament is wasting its time on measures for the advertisement of legislative mediocrities, says a Southern contemporary. It has already disposed of half-a-dozen, and on Thursday night it used its number nines to good effect on Mr LaurensonVhalf holiday bill. After the experience of the Shops and Offices Act oue would I think that Parliament would be j ready to give the harassed shop- j keepers a rest from restrictive legislation for a little while. It is curious how some of our membeis cannot get away from the idea that the shopkeeping business is run purely for the benefit of the shop assistants, and that the interests of the shopkeepers and the convenience of the public are small and insignificant matters by comparison. Bui instead of being a social pest or an embryo trust, the shopkeeper is gnerally an inoffensive citizen trying hard to pay his way and make as honest a living as some of the gentlemen who get £3OO a year very muoh more easily than he does.