THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1907.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9001, 11 December 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1907.

Mr T. M. VVilford, M.P. for Hutt, still sticks to h;y Parliamentary procedure reformation fad.- The House of Representatives had not time to deal with it last session, but a trifle of that kind docs not disconcert a man of Mr Wilford's disposition. The member for Hutt was present at a meeting of the Silverstream Liberal Club on Saturday, and took occasion to trot out his latest hobby-horse. It is that members should receive an increase of £SO upon the present honorarium, provided that the sum of ,£1 should be deducted for each day beyond fifty on which Parliament sat. The Silverstreamists of the Liberal, persuasion gulped the bait thrown, out by the "fly" member who represents that delectable piscatorial portion of the country, and they passed a resolution endorsing their member's proposal. It may have a chanco' of being ultimately adopted by the House, as it would provide increased pay for leas work, which is a consideration with some iM.IV's, but it would net be productive of better legislation than under present conditions. The rush would commence with the opening of the session instead of being confined to the closing weeks, it would, however, be much more convenient for the average member than the proposal to -make the duration of the session six months, and increase the pay correspondingly. The tendency apparently is to get mure pay somehow or other,

whether the legislative work is done slowly or rapidly—will or ill.

The recent drop in the prices of wool has raised the question of whether it is the result of bearing the market, and also whether it is desirable to take steps to discontinue the London November series. The Sydney "Daily Telegraph" thinks "the experience of these sales is only another argumegt against " that series. "We cannot on this side," the "Telegraph" continues, "seek to prevent the offering of New Zealand or other than Australian wool during November in London, but those who grow the wool, and the institutions which are so largely interested in the fortunes of our main product, might well use their influence to deprive those whose interests it is to bear the colonial sales of the splendid weapon they have in the London November sales. We are not sug-' gesting in the present instance that the full extent of the decline in values is the outcome of any movement to depress values, only that the most is being made of a handy weapon at a peculiarly suitable time. The outlook is none too pleasant, and it is only the very [healthy demand for the manufactured article that is keeping the raw material from a still more serious fall. American troubles are, no doubt, the primary cause, and until they are cleared up, it seems to be useless to expect improvement in business. Higher prices for the raw material would soon follow upon any tangible sign that the American financial troubles were nearing an end."

According to a Taranaki dairyman, the unclean rriilk supplied in that district is due to the scarcity of labour. As the consumption of such milk is productive of consumption of another kind, and frequently results in outbreaks of epidemic diseases which prove fatal in many instances, the scarcity of labour may be charged with causing sickness and death. It is further responsible [for an increase in the death-rate, at least in Taranaki, apart from milk-aided mortality, for we learn from a New Flymouth contemporary that "there are many people just working themselves to death, day and night, because labour cannot be got." Truly Taranaki is in a dreadful condition. It is accused by some people of encouraging child slavery, and one of its own papers accuses it of supplying unclean milk. What is to be done under the circumstances? Is one to suppose that the dairy industry of that fertile district makes slaves of children and kills grown-up fanners because of insufficient labourers. The Labour Department and Health Office will have to take a hand in rectifying the troubles of our Taranaki friends.

A short time ago the cable informed us that the Kaiser had in one day killed 700 birds in the Windsor preserves. The report seemed somewhat fabulous, but when the exploits of this Emperor in the field of sport are studied the English bird-killing is a mere bagatelle. The "London Magazine" for November states that the Kaiser's total shooting record for 31 years comprises "47,514 pieces of game." Of these 3,858 represented fallow stag?, and other of the deer family; chamois numbered 121, and seven moose were also slaughtered by the rifle of the German Emperor. Of wild boar 2,507 fine tuskers fell to his fatal-weaponlS,S9l pheasants were "laid out" —1,058 falling to it is Majesty in one day; and 17, SSI hares and rabbits succumbed to the conquering prince. The Kaiser has not stopped at: ordinary game, but has even gone in for whalespearing, and is credited with having secured a "huge victim." This is a fine record! indeed for an Emperor to achieve with one sound and one defective arm. It must be a pleasant; reflection to have conquered so vast, an army of quadrupeds and bipeds .all hy him-

self. Like the victorious he can exclaim with pride,, ''Alone I did it!"

The fasting crarie has reached Auckland, despite the philippics of Dr. Bakewell, who avers that it is impossible to fast for any length of time and sustain health, let alone carry on one's ordinary occupation. The "Southern Corinth" is apparently giving a practical "retort courteous" to the Auckland medico, for we learn from the "Herald"' that a dropsical lady has already put the fasting experiment to the test of seventeen days with advantage to her health and strength. This lady, who subsists upon lime-juice and water, is continuing the cure with heroic equanimity. She states that for the ill's!, three days of h*>r fast slu j suffered a good deal from acute hunger, but since then her self-imposed denial of food has caused her no inconvenience. While previous to her fasting she was practically an invalid, now she is able to undertake housework. There must bu an unusual quantity of sol ill ! nourishment in Auckland's water supply.