TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9659, 25 November 1909, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

I FIKfl RISKS. To the insurance companies I would recommend the more thorough inspection of risks before accepting proposals, says Mr T. T. Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades, in his annual report. In the past this work has been carried out in a very prefunctory manner; cases have been reported to me in which no inspection has ever been made. I would also recommend the observance of a stricter supervision over agency or sub-agency business

WHAT TO DO WITH OUR BOYS. What to do with our boys is a question for which the Farmers' Union is furnishing a satisfactory answer. At a recent meeting of the North Canterbury Executive a boy seeking country work was promptly appro - priated by one of the members, and similar applica ions from three town youths were carefully noted by a farmer, who thought h 3 could place the la Is in good country situations if they proved on inspection to be of the right stamp. ■ THE MEAT MARKET. I Exportation of frozen beef from ' New Zealand have been confined al-

most entirely to the North Island. Prices for the most part during the past season have been satisfactory, but show a recent tall in sympathy with other kinds of mtat. The prohibition of the import into the United Kingdom of "boned beef has caused a reduction in the prices obtainable for culled cows and other classes of stock of other than the best quality. The modification of the regulations in the direction of permitting the importation of beef in pieces which can be recognised as being from a particular part of the carcase may enable this trade to be resumed to some p*lten\ otherwise the culled cow will have very little value beyond that of her hide, and there will be less encouragement to remove poor milkers from the herds.

HOME FARMS FOR WORKERS

In order to give greater facilities for establishing homes and home farms for workers, the Land for Settlements Administration Bill provides that land may be compulsorily taken within any borough having a population of not less than five thousand inhabitants, or any town district having a population of not less than one thousand inhabitants, according to the latest census return j, or within a radius of twenty miles of the boundary of such borough or town district, subject, however, to a provision that the owner shall have the right to select and retain out of the whole estate any area not ' exceeding four aores if such area is within a borough or town district, : or ten acres in any other case. These lands may be set apart for the purposes of the Workers' Dwellings Act, 1908, or leased on the renewable lease system to workers. Subject to the Minister's approval, the board shall classify the land into urban, suburban, and rural allotments in areas not exceeding half an acre for an urban, five acres for a suburban, and ten acres for a rural allotment.