TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8273, 29 October 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

One of the secret prooesses wbioh has for ages openly defied the world of science is the iron trade of Russia. The secret of making Russian sheet iron is owned by the Government, and when a workman enters the servioe he bids a last farewell to hia family and friends,, and whether he lives or dies al! trace of him is forever lost.. There has been seveial desperate attempts made to steal or betray the secret, but in every instance it has resulted in the death of the would-be traitor. In one case a letter attached to a kite,, whioh was allowed to esoape,. was picked up by some peasant-), and,, despite their pro testations that they were unable to read, they were at unco put lo death by the guards to whom they delivered -Ihe letter. It was afterwards decreed, that the guards themselves shonld pass their Liveswithin the works, and to this day the secret remain* as hidden as the philosopher's stone..

The controversy ovas th& New Hebrides das, now gooo on for so many years, that any kind of final settlement would have some chance of being greeted' with satisfaction by all the parties concerned.. But so> far as the details of the AnglbPrenoh Convention have been made public, we fear, says the Auckland; Star, that the Australasian colonies will have very little reason to be gratified with them. The one thing that was needed to put an end to> the friction and the uncertainty that these islands was- the abolition of the Dual Control;: but this is apparently to be continued. A joint judicial commission is to supersede the Anglo-French naval oommiflsion, and is- to settle the disputed land claims with the help of resident assessors. Several regulations of minor importance are laid down with respect to the creation of municipalities and the employment of native labour. But the main fact to be considered is that the New Hebrides are to continue the joint property of fin gland and Prance without beintf definitely ceded to either Power.

The observations made by Mr Powld?, while the Estimates of the Education Depaitmeut were recently under consideration in the House, as well as upon other ocoasions, have encouraged the belief der bis administration a distinct improvement will be effected in the organisation and ooDtrol of the education system of the colony. It is a fortunate oircumscance that a large number of members of Parliament are aotively and keenly interested in education work, and the defeots in the system, the unsatisfactory basis upon which the payment of teaohers rests, and the hardships to which settlers in ,sparsely-populated aud badly-roaded distriots are subjeoted through the laok ct adequate provision (or the of their children were, with other subjects, fully ventilated during the discussion upon tbe votes for the service. Several of the complaints tbfat wore brought under his notice appealed to the Minister's sense of justice, and it may b8 hoped that the effect of the representations that nave teen made concerning them may be the institution of some reform after Mr uowlds has had the opportunity to look more fully into the matter. Up to the time of the China. Japanese War it was generally be_ lieved that China was a great mili tary nation, or at least contained within herself material for the formation of an immensely powerful army. The war of 1894-5 completely burst the bubble of China's reputation. Her army was little bettor than a rabble, ili-tralned, ill-pro-visioned, aud almost without prop-

er arms or equipment. But the lesson of tbe gwar wa* not thrown away upon China. For tbe last decade, the Imperial Government in China has beeo derating a great deal of attention to tbe problem of military organisation, and the leader in thia movement, is the Viceroy of Cbl-li, Yuan Sbib Kai, Tbis eminent statpsraan baa always been distinguished by bis preference for Western ideas, and he has used his influence,, wherever possible, to forward tbe interests of England rather than of France or Germany in the Par ERst. Among other remarkable achievements he baa eacceedfld in getting together a force of close nn 100,000 men we'l armed, supplied with modern artillery and drilled' by European or Japanese instructors. The Chinese when properly disciplined make splendid soldiers;, for they are hardy,, brave,, and obedient to authority; and many foreign experts sinoe the days of Gordon and the "Ever Viotoricus Army" expressed admiration at the results secured with Chinese troops when they have been placed under the command of offloers whom ttuy could trust and respeot. Yuan Shih Kai'a army i& tbus a very formidable force, and itsfuture will be watched by the Powers with aenmoe interest.