TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7977, 2 March 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The position of England' 1 with respeot to her ooal supply is altogether exceptional. In Welsh steam ooal more particularly she possesses a monopoly of almost inestimable value. Not only is this particular ooal absolutely necessary for the use of our own battleships, but it is praotioally indispensable to the navies of the rest of the world. -During the recent war Welsh steam coal hns been poured Eastward to the amount of scores of millions of tons; the Baltic fleet could never have started on its eventful voyage

unless its wants had been supplied from British mines. It is not too much to say that in case of war naval supremacy' would rest in the long ran with the 'Power which could monopolise the steam coal supply. . Commenting on the native rising in the Natal, a contemporary remarks: Probably the temper of the Kaffirs in Natal is due to the agitators of the Ethopian Churab, who have been spreading the of Africa for the Africans. The immediate effect of thi« native propaganda may be, at the worst, a local demonstration against the whites iu some isolated settlement, but it is the cumulative effect that has to be considered seriously. "Africa for the Africans" is a cry that is heard npw in every district south of' the j Congo. It may not appear to nave ia great deal of meaning; but when the blacks have been persistently urged to assert themselves and have | heard, in season and out T that the whites are iatruders, they are bound i to assume a new attitude towards the white men. They have at last an I idea in common and a rallying cry, and though they may not yet be ready to receive the suggestion of a general rising, it is clear that suoh a development cannot be dismissed as impossible. * , Referring to the question of Cabinet reconstruction, the Lyttelton Times says:—"Even if Mr Seddon wished to reoonHtruot before the meeting of Parliament, the material recommended to him would not be available. The truth probably is that he has found the task more difficult than it appeared to be before the eleotions. Perhaps the natural objection of bis colleagues to be supplanted suggests less difficulty to Mr Seddon than does the selection qf their successors. It is rumoured that the prospect of Mr Millar's promotion has brought a very warm protest from another Dunedin member, who thought he bad greater claims upon the party, and that he is better qualified to become the special representative of labour. It is known that several Auckland members objected to Mr Powlds' preferment, and that altogether there are enough aspirants for offioe to fill the vacancies a djzen times over. In these circumstances ■ it is easy to understand that the Premier is not particularly anxious to set about reconstruction before the task is forced upon him. It may be taken for granted, indeed) there will be jnp changes until he has as certajned the temper of the new. House." While in New Zealand the Hon. Mr Swinburne, who is a member of the committee investigating the question of an improved deck and pier scheme for Port Melbourne, spent some time in making inquiries into the methods adopted here. He found that £200,000 had been scent in ferro concrete work for piers in Auckland Harbor, and after an exhaustive investigation, Mr Swinburne is strongly in favour of ferro oonorete for piers and wharves. It is simply concrete reinforced with steel bars, but their life is interminable, while wooden piles only last about twenty years. The best piles are becoming scarce in Victoria, so that tbelintroduotion of a new industry will greatly benefit the State, in addition to providing substantial structures for the port. , v Edward James Hulbert, of Christchurch, a youth of seventeen, went Home while the South African war was in progress, and enlisted as a private in the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons. After serving his three years with the colours in Britain, Hulbert was placed on the reserve list, and turned out into the world with instructions to report himself eaob year for reserve drill. Having no employment he returned to the colony, and was taken on as a letter-carrier at Wellington by the Pose Offioe authorities,, and in that p'ostion has given every satisfaction. He joined the Post and Telegraph Rifles, and as signalling instructor has been of the greatest service to the oorps. A few days ago young Hulbert received notioe that he must report himself in London to the authorities. This means that he has had to resign from the .Post Office, the Post and Telegraph Rifles loses the services of an expect signaller, he will have to try and work his passage Home (not being in affluent oiroumstanoes), and must take the risk of starving in London merely in order to satisfy an Army regulation that should surely not apply in such a case. Certain persons in Wellington have taken up the matter, and are urging the J Premier to communicate with the High Commissioner, to get that official to see if the Army authorities will allow the* young man to put in his reserve service in the colony. New Zealand products have commanded such high prices in the Home markets of late years that anything in the nature of a fall in values is regarded as a calamity. But it cannot be expected that the markets in every class of produce will continue high, and fluctuations must be expected. In the frozen meat trade the colony has done exoeptionplly well during the past four years, but if the opinions of those in the business are worth anything, the present year will not be so prosrierous. The Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company, in reviewing the trade for 1905, state that as regards the outlook "there has seldom been .suoh a general consensus of opinion as there is that shippers of frozen meat must look for a low,er range of values in the current year," while Messrs Weddel and Co., in th9ir review, state that "it would be unsafe to assume that prices on average will be so high in 1906 as they were in the year just closed."