TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8333, 16 January 1907, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The attention of the 'Minister of Education having been called to the numerous complaints of parents of the cost entailed by the changes of books in the primary schools, especially whei*e families shifted from one district/ to another, the Hon. Mr Fowlds, in an interview recently, said:—"l am hoping to be able to meet that difficulty by starting a school journal. Last week Cabinet decided to apppoint Mr Spencer, Inspector of Schools, to be editor of the journal. In that journal we hope to provide all the changes of reading that will be required. It will deal with all manner of subjects, coming within the scope of the syllabus, and we hope ultimately to have, perhaps, only one standard reader for all the primary schools of the colony, thereby avoiding the difficulty of ' expense that is arising from the present system. We think the books to be provided by parents may be reduced to a standard reader and an arithmetic book." A Christchurch Press reporter asked the Minister for Labour if he had received any reports with respect to the alleged'abuse of child labour in some of the dairying districts, as complaints had been made that such a thing existed. "There is a good deal of truth in the statement," said the Hon. Mr Millar; "stillthere is a good deal of exaggeration in it too. That there has been a good deal of child labour going on is clearly proved from the evidence I have —that is in country districts — more in regard to. members of families being used for such work at an early age. The latest reports show that there has . been a diminution since attention has been drawn to the matter. The subject will be considered by the Government as to whether it is necessary to introduce legislation upon our receiving further reports." The anti-negro riots ; at; Atlanta have revived discussion in the 'United States of the once popular scheme of deporting all the negroes in America tfo Africa. The plan would involve the transportation of 10,000,000 people from one continent to another, but there are many who think it feasible if managed on statesmanlike lines and spread over a number of years. Some of those who have studied the negro problem closely believe that some such project is the only solution of the question. Bishop Turner, an eminent negro, has advocated the transportation plan for some time, and has said that he could take 1,000,000 negroes out of America and settle them in Africa if the Government would help. The bugbear of a Russian descent on India has largely faded away, says an Auckland paper. The Rus-so-Japanese war gave it its final quietus. The immense difficulties of operating and supplying large bodies of troops so far removed from their permanent base was, of course, recognised by military authorities, but the stupendous nature of the task was never before appreciated in its real proportions. The aggressive Russian policy that for many years was a menace to the peace of Europe, both from internal and financial reasons, is not likely to again become a factor in world politics for very many years. Under more favourable home conditions, should the spirit of expansion some day seize the Russian Government, the probabilities of it being directed towards India would be very remote. The position on the Indian frontier is very different from what it was at the time of the Russian scare twenty years ago. The policy of recent years of creating buffer States on the borders has been pursued'with success.