TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13006, 7 January 1908, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Last year e<vw +ho Xow Kdkions exjnrotion of the of copyright of "Alice "Alico." in Wonderland,' ■and, consequently, soveml now editions, with, new illustra/tions, were ready for the Christmas market. Yet co potent is tho charm of "Alice," as illustrated by Tonniel, tihat more than one roviewer appears to bo a. little regretful that the copyright has expired. "One turns theso over a litdo wistfully," says one critic of the new editions; "to those of us who first knew 'Alice , with. Tenmiel'e dnawi rtgj», oven <tho genius of Mr Airtihrur Rackhain «vi hardly suggest a new glamour. No other Alice caji bo qui-to the same Alice, no other whito rabbit quite tho same whito rabbit, no other Bill quito co simply amazed a liaird as Tonndol's." "T.P.'s Weekly" gives some interesting facts about the origin and publication of the book. Tho etory was originally 'told to tihj-eo young La<]jics in excursions up tho Thames from Oxford, wihere Lewis Caa-roll—tlio Roy. Charles Dodgpon wns his proper name—wis a donj. Tho origino.l name of tho etory wee "Alice's Adventures Underground," and this was changed to "Alice's Home in Elf-Jand," and then to the title it now bears. It was George Maodonald who advised Lewm Carroll' to publish, the book, and Tom Taylor, of "Punch," wiho suggested Tenniel as an iHusbra. tor. The firefc edition, of 2000 copies, was conderaned by both author and illustrator owing to the way in which the pictures ooroo out, and as many ac possible of the sold 7i'Umbero were called m. Edition after edition wee called for, end Lewie Carroll soon found himsolf tho most pripular writer for chaLdron in EngLaauL "Alice"' has been translated into most European languages, and "Father William" has evon 'been, rendered in, Arabic LOce many bachelors' and childJesß men Lewis Carroll had a passionate love for childiren.; lie would moke friends with them in railway carriages, on the fceashoro, anywhere "1 'believe," saye lids 'biographer, Mj- S. Dodgson CoHingwood, "that ho understood children even better than he understood men and women; civilisation has niad« adult humanity very incomprehensible, fox convention is as a veil whdohi hides tho divine epark that is in each of us, and so this strange thing has come to bo, that, the imperfect mirrors perfection more completely than the perfeoted, that wo see mare of God in tflie child than as tho man." TennieL it is worthy of note, did no book illustrartdng after his work in "Through tho Looking-ftlaes," though, he had many tom-pting offers. Ho said the faculty of illustrating scorned to leave him then.

According to a New Progress York weekly, two expeoat tations are becoming Panama, dwarfed as the work at Panama goes on: the width of 'tiho canal and tiho speed of excavation. The pr<?somrt plans contemplate locks 100 feet in width, but.the Dreadnought measures 83 feet in tho beam, and the 25.000 ton battleship which tho naval instructors are talking of recommending to Oongress will bo 88 foot wide, which would leave only six feet on each side in tho locks. Tho Navy Department proposes to make tho locks 110 feet, but tho Press is clamouring for a width that will suffice, if not for all time, at least for generations. It would certainly be rather humthatiri<> it it were found wlieu tho canal was completed that tho Atlantic battleships could not pass through it on their way to the Pacific. Tho friends of the eea lovwl typo of canal are again agitating for tho adoption of that system, although Congress, on the recommendation of President Roosevelt, has pronounced in favour of tho lock typo. It is claimed for the sea level plan that it is the only on© with sufficient elasticity to meet the needa of the rapidly-growing tonnage in marine construction. For it must be remembered that liners aro growing, as well as battleship*). In tlio meantime, the dirt is flying at a great rato on the Isthmus. The monthly records of excavations keep going up, and the men are reported to bo "contented and ambitious, each, gang striving to make the highest possible record." During tho entire period of tho French administration, from 1881 to 1903, "0.600.000 cubic yards were dug out, and since tJio United Stajtce assumed. control in 1903 there has been excavated up to November Ist, 18.650,000 cubic yards. On that date there remained 97,091,000 yards to bo taken out, and tho Washington '"Post" estimates that, at the rate of progress made during October, four years and five months would be required to complete tho excavation, and were it not for the warning that the dato of completion will be controlled by the construction of the massive locks rather than by tho excavation of the water-way, tho opening of the canal might be looked for in 1912. ''In fact, the remarkable organisation and efficiency of tho force of canal oonsrructc-ra under Colonel Goethal'e control leads us to expect great* things

in the way of Took construction, and even to hope that the canal may bo completed within sis years."

The only matter of regret Teaching about an article in tho New the York "Post" on teaching Fflipinoe. in the Philippines is the omission to state the sal arms paid to tie pioneer of civilisation. For we learn that in many cases he is supervisor over a largo district, that ho does not sco a white face for months at a time, and that his duties are very numerous. "In himself lie represents aH American ideas stand for. He has uso for tie qualities of both a statesman and a diplomat. Ho must bo on good terms both wiih tho president* end the padre, that ho may eecure their good influence for the schools He must have social qualities, dance with the young ladies at their 'bailee, , and visit the families of the children. Hβ must attend tho municipal councils to look after sanitation, and see that the drinking water is not polluted, arid that contagious diseases are stamped out. Ho must be ready to answer oil questions. Daily ho will be referred to for advioe, and consulted ou matters of health." "When ho travels, dangers await him. One superintendent is known to have travelled 3000 miles in three months, including 50 miles on a stormy sea in a whale boat days in ejt open boat, while four teachers out on a holiday were captured and killed. If there «ro any teachers in New Zealand who find their work mo notonous, the Philippines are the very place for them. Under tho small army of American teachers are 3000 native teachers who at first had primitive notions of discipline. A cock-fight would close tho school for the day, and tho scholars smoked cigarettes in school Another obstacle to education was tho belief of high-class Filipinos thai work was degrading. It was not an uncommon sight at first to see children followed by a servwn.t carrying their primers, but the spectacle of the American, teacher carrying his own books afforded an excellent example. The great physical educator is baseball. One teacher reports that "there is no branch of school work which arouses greater interest of pupils, parents, and officials in the puiblic school than does baseball. It has emormous influence on the character of pupils, teaching perseverance, courage, and greater effort under difficulty. It teaches friendly, manly, clean, com petition. It increases the attendance of the schools wherever introduced, and wonderfully improves the peroaatage of attendance. Certain echooJhouso construction and repair of the past six mordfchs (have been primarily duo to tho interest aroused by baseball."