TOPICS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4292, 27 February 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY

A SERIOUS MATTER. Referring to the' sending away of still further troops from New '/calami, a nromiuent business man in_ Wellington, writing to a friend in .'Christchurch, says: —“The matter, is getting vex-y serious, especially to the small farmer, and those connected with dairying-are getting into very serious difficulties. They have given enormous prices lor land, and any increase in cost or decrease of European markets, and 11.cy will be in great trouble. It is the samewith grain. -Yesterday I was_ told l.y a farmer he had lost £SOO ail in cocksfoot grass, because he could not get- labour to cut it before it was spoiled. Then it- is to be borne in mind that we Imve - already sent away some of our best working men, and yet I 1 c.v Zealaud has not as big a population as me city of Glasgow. Even if the men come back, it will be a long time before they settle down to ordinary work after the* essitement of war.” BRAVE MAORI GIRLS. Captain Linn, the secretary of the Royal Humane Society at Christchurch, has Just received applications for awards on behalf of two Maori girls—Mamac Rangitahua and Ita Pokitia, aged sixteen and fifteen years. On the 26th

November last they went for a bathe in the Wanganui river at Koroniti, and swam down stream to a rapid, where they were disporting, when they were startled by a cry for help from further up., Looking in* the direction from which the cry came, they saw a smaller girl, Rikirangi Osborn, throw up her arms amj, sink. They swam with nil speed to the rescue, and caught the drowning girl Just as she came to the surface again, and tried to carry her ashore. , After , much . struggling,,

currou 1 . the three girls dowr en. to i iie rapid, .riiile the oldest ol t iu-iii ;il clung dexperatviy to the liUh. our. O.er the rapid i.iie.v were carried into a slrouq ” lea 'cwardi,” from, which tln'\ could u jt «et irco, amt were whirled roll;n[ ;rn(i round lid-; eddy. At Iciigiii t.r.v idde.fc girl's ;h rcugfch failed, and she ‘-.’ok, together with the one Hie was holding i:p. At this moment r. canoe pul out to the rescue, and in the mek of time arrived, or the rccnc us tiic two re.e io the •■erfiicc. Both were saved. 'i im second of the older g.rk appean:a on the surface a. moment later, and c.co; puked op by a .second can in;.

MARRIAGE AND POLITICS. U'hen too Princess of tho Asturias was lunrothed. to the >cu of the Count of Ca ert a, the subject; was discussed in thu Spanish Chamber of .Deputies. Scuor Romero y Robledo said ho did not wish to bo wanting in the respect duo to high personages, hat the Royal family person!lied the country, and the marriage of a Princess of the blood did net therefore interest the Royal family alone, but was of a political character, and the Chamber had a right to discuss the question. In Ids opinion Urn marriacrc should ho postponed until the King was of ago. ill order that his Majesty might give his decision. Honor ilomcio said that tho Ouccn Regent was hostile to this marriage with tho -on of the Count of Caserta, as it might prejudice the relations of .Spain with Italy. After attacking the .Ministers for the manner in which tho young King was being educated, Honor Ilomero concluded by_urging all statesmen to oppose tho alliance with flio utmost vigour, as it was contrary to tho interests of the State. That the 'Spanish people also objected to the inamag.i of their Princess to a member of the. Neapolitan House was evident from tho disturbances whicli ocurrcd at tho lime of tho wedding.

C()i ,0 UR PHOTOGRAPHY. Hpcramcus of what wo termed natural colour piiuiugrams, prepared by the MciJoimougii process, were recently exhibited m London by Mr Hubert. Nowman. Tho exhibition proved, says the “Electrical Engineer,” that those beautiful nntl very life-like photographs cun bo obtained will) extremely rapid exposures, and tho manipulation of tho pro-

cess is perfectly easy even to tho veriest

amateur. All that is necessary is to obtain it screen, winch consists of a plate of glass ruled alternately with fine parallel red, green and violet lines. Of course, tho negative shows no colour, but from it a positive transparency can be obtained, which, by means of tho same screen, will give a picture in natural colours. The practical value of tho process, which can hardly bo over-estimated, consists in the fact that by its means

coloured prints on paper may be obtained by methods of ordinary photography, • and lor larger editions of books, etc., by photo mechanical moans by tho aid of the printing press. _ Tho architect can, therefore, obtain accurate representations of stained glass window's, and with regard to this matter.it may ho stated that tho vioivs in which windows wore

introduced were entirely free from halation, and consequently beautiful representations of rooms, theatres, etc., lighted bv electricity, might to bo obtained hv d. This would be groat help to those interested in tho introduction of electric bh-hting where its advantage!arc not known. Tt will also effect an enormous saving of time and exnnnso to manufacturers, as tho traveller in ceramic ware, nr canoets, or wall paper, or anv other mannfactjives where it is fndianensebln ttm.t the true colours of the materia] sbouM bo submitted to the prrrebnimr, cm do -d] hjs business bv exhibiting (hose nboteevanbs, instead of the tiles, vases, or whatever bo deals in.