TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8249, 2 October 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Referring to tho serious colliery utrikes—which do not seem even yet to be settler! aa ah first reported—the Sydney Mail says:—-During all this bother in the north, the southern collieries have been quietly at work. The northern men appealed to their southern brethren who expressed sympathy but made it clear that there would be no strike on their side. The southern collieries are growing in importance every year. Last yenr their output amounted to 1,550,678 tons. This year it will be much greater and a strike in the north will mean fortune for tho Southerners. Tho renson Why it will nut extend south is that there the masters and men are on much better terms than in tbe north. They have a voluntary board of conciliation, consisting of three representatives from tbe owners mud three from the miners who discuss nil points tnat arise. Should they disagree they refer the matter to Judge Murray as referee. His decision is final. Tbe board takes evidence, aud in the case of a dra-

agreement this evidence <a submitted in writing to the referee. There are no lawyers, and no legal technicalities involved, and it is proved that the free disousaion before and at the board tends to straighten oat difficulties wonderfully. Thl* board re-adopted for three years from April Ist last the Arbitration Court agreement, and there are heavy individual and collective penalties for any breach. The peace of mind of a farmer at the recent Adelaide Show was rudely disturbed (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph). The full weight of the Government departmental machinery was brought to bear on him, in the shape of a request to immediately pay up a certain tax, in default he was threatened with the forfeiture of his lease. Happily, the season had been a good one, and he had profited by it to such an extent that when he had recovered his breath he was able to fane the Government like a man and pay his way. Following is a copy of the awe-inspir-ing notice, enclosed in a stamped envelope, which the farmer received :-~"b£Hoe of Commissioner of Grown Lands, Adelaide, August 31st, 1906.—Sir,—I am directed by the hoc the Commissioner to remind you that the wild dog and fox tax due by you, as shown below, has not yet been paid; and I am to draw your attention to the faot that although the Wild Dog and Fox Destruction Act of 1889 whioh provided for the tax being levied, has been repealed the amount no* asked for whioh fell due prior to the repeal of the Aot, must be paid. Your lease is liable to forfeiture for non-payment thereof. Your immediate attention tc this notioe is requested as funds are required to meet claims fur payment for scalps of dogs, destroyed before the Act was repealed. The Government have no power to pay for scalps, excepting from dog tax collected. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, T. Duffleld, secretary." Then follow the particulars :—No. of Lease Agreement -—. Amount due, Id. %

The Norwegian Government has decided to introduce a Bill regulating the exploitation of waterfalls in Norway, It is proposed to make installations of not less than 3,000 horsepower, subject to Royal coasent first being given. ,Iu Norway, as in Sweden, water-power is attracting more and more Attention, and there is some discontent in the former country at the fact of several waterfalls having been lately sold to persons from the latter country. It is stated that the aggregate of Norway's water-power may be esti mated at some 1,250,000 horsepower, and of this total no less than 550,000 horse power has already, it is asserted, been sold privately or otherwise to foreign capitalists and syndicates. The question has become a burning one more especially as some local authorities have been senteuced to pay the Government a considerable sum for work in connection witn the regulation of certaic waterfalls and,, in order to raise this sum, the authorities are now endeavouring to dispose of a couple of waterfalls on the waterway iu question. Oppo-,j si*e views, however, are also held, and many maintain that it is absolutely impossible for Norway herself to raise the, necessary very large capital alone for the exploitation of the 550,000 horse-power &aid to have passed on to foreign hands; tbf requisite capital is estimated at over 500,000,000 kr (about 1,000 kr, £55, per horse-power). The supporters of the Government proposal urge the necessity of keeping the control of the waterfalls, as the State railways are contemplating the introduction of electrij traction. Much dissatisfaction is felt iu Northern Norway at placing obstacles In the way of foreign capital and foreign enterprise, thanks to which much poor Norwegian labour has already begun to find well-paid employment.

Every, year in .New South Waleß over4,loo children of twelve mouths aud under and 16,000 over twelve months and under Ave years die. This startling information waa conveyed to the Chief Secretary at Sydney by a deputation from the OhUd Study Association, one of whose objects is to disseminate a knowledge ffof the proper feeding of ohildren. It was urged by the members of the deputation that the majority of tho mortality was prevenublo, and that there would be even a better means of populating Australia by saving tho grea|er number of this 20,000 a year than by encouraging immigration to its shores. Ignorance, it waa represented, waa primarily responsible for the death ot so many ohildren, tho food they received being insufficient to nourish them. The complaint was made that muoh of the milk that waa sold was harmful to child life, and that a good deal of tho white bread purveyed to the poor was lacking in nutritiouusess. Many bakers, some of tho ladies asserted, were not uaing yeast iu thfl preparation of their bread, but a chemical substitute which was pernicious to health. The request of tho deputation was that the Asaooiatiou should reoeive a Government grant to enable it to continue its work of supplying pure and proper food to the children of the neoosaifcous poor. Mr Hoguo said the aims of tho Association were great and noble, and he promised to bring their representations under tho notioe of the Cabinet.