TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7956, 5 February 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Some curiosity has been aroused anent Mr Chamberlain's use of the phrase "We are seven," in his telegram to Mi Balfour after tbe Bir mingham elections. A correspondent of tne Dunedin Star states:— "At the first general election after the re-distribution of seats at Glasgow in Mr Gladstone's day the Liberals captured all seven seats, and wired to Gladstone 'We are seven.' At tbe last election but one the Unionists in that city held all seven seats, and again, on their part wired to Mr Balfour: 'We are seven.' Now, again, Mr Chamberlain repeats the now famous 'We are seven.' " Dr R. 11. Knowlton, of the United States National Museum, says -that perhaps the longest straightaway .flight made by birds in their migration is accomplished by some of the shore and water birds that nest in the islands of Sehring Sea, and spend tbe winter at Hawaii and Fanning Island, 2,200 miles away. As some of these birds live entirely on the shore, and are probably unable to rest on the surface of water, they must, says Dr Knowlton, accomplish the whole distance in a single flight. Jet, although there are no landmarks for them upon a waste of waters, they make their way to their destination with tbe ♦precision of a rifle bullet. One of the proposals to come before the Universal Postal Conference, which will meet at Rome in April, deals with spent letters. On this subject, Sir Joseph Ward remarks :—• "A spent letter, I may explain, is one tnat has served its original parpose, i.e., having been read by the original addressee is then sent to, say, members of the family for general perusal; the only condition be-" ing that it must be at least two months old. Such letters are forwarded in New Zealand and tbe Australian States at commeroia paper rate of postage, which is Id uot exceeding 40z., It is now proposed that this concession shall apply to all countries in the Union." The briquette making plant purchased by the Seddonville State coal mine will turn out 250 tons of briquettes per day. Tbe system is known in the trade as the fluxing system. The coal is pressed and mixed with a certain proportion of pitch. It is heated by steam, aod this procesß reducps the carbon and the volatile matter into a semiplastio state, and after passing through a cooler where the heat is reduced approximately to 100 degrees is forced into moulds and subjected to pressure on each side simultaneously of two tons to the square inch. This makes the briquette one mass. The expert with the plant says that in Wales coal fluctuates in value from 16s to £l. The flue coal, or screened, valued at 5s as such, when briquetted soid at top prices.

The treatment of the habitual drunkard is une of the many soeiat problems which is engaging the attention of theViotorian Government, and Sir Samuel Gillott, the Chief Secretary, states that the plans for an inebriate asylum are now being drawn. In another two or three years the building should be ready for the reception of patients, and in the meantime some attention is being pai i to the performances of a citizen of Melbourne, who evidently intends to be fully qualified by the time the building is of ened. During last year he was sent to gaol twenty-six times for drunkenness, but he has started off this year at a pace which promises to eclipse every record, and which should qualify him for admission into any inebriates asylum in the world. In the first eighteen days of the year he was convicted ten times for druukenness. A striking instance of the value of wireless telegraphy is recorded. The steamer City of Everett, from Port Arthur, Texas, to New York, was struck by a heavy sea and her hawser pipe plate stove in, the turret door being carried away. The fore-peak filled with water, and she settled by the head and became unmanageable the'water covering the entire forward portion of the hull up to the I mainmast. She signalled by wireless telegraphy for assistance, and her message was intercepted by the steamer Captain A. F. Lucas, which was on her way from New York to Port Arthur. The Captain A. P. Lucas called the City of Everett, ascertained her position, found her, supplied her with planks and bolts, and stood alongside, makiug a lee for the disabled craft, until the flooded compartment was numped out and repairs effected sufficiently to allow the City of Everett to proceed on her voyage. Mr George Sprott, the Ashourton agent for Messrs Eorthwick and Sons, of London, has returned from a four months' trip to Australia, in the course of which be investigated the possibilities of Viotoria and the Riverina for fat lamb raising. He states that he was very favourably impressed with what he saw, and is of opinion Viotoria will soon be a formidable competitor of New Zealand on the London lamb market. The cost of production in Australia is much less than in New Zealand, as the lambs are raised on native' grasses. Moreover, prime quality lamb, from the Riverina could reach London oy August whereas the first New Zealand lamb gets Home in December. Mr Sprott predicts that Gippsland and the West of Viotoria will become to Australia what Canterbury is to the South Island of New Zealand. The Victorian State Parliament has effected the irrigation of 150,000 acres of land in the Goulburn Valley, and the Murray irrigation sobeme is lookiag more hopeful of accomplishment.