TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8140, 17 May 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

A letter to tbe Manchester Guardian of Febraury 27th laet, signed "Zealnnder," severely oriticises the scheme to send navvies from England to New Zealand. The concluding paragraph is more than interesting:—"Let me say a word on the oost of living. To quote a paragraph—'Married men will receive every consideration; the oost of living is, if anything, cheaper than in England.' Now, this is what 1 aall a terrible statement. Why, even New mutton, sold in England at 6d, is sold in New Zealand at 6d to 8d; but everything besides has to be imported, with an average duty of 33>2 per cent, tariff upon it, and 10 per cent. Customs duty. When you remember merchants' profit* have • to be put uotm the total oost of aitiales, they are never retailed at less than 60 per cent, higher than in freetrade England. How dare anyone make such a statement? I call it playing upon an ignoranoe having 15,000 miles of sea to intensify it." Professor Willis Moore, chief of the Gavernment Meteorological Department, at Washington, announces that it will shortly be possible to forecast the weather a month ahead,

owing to the great advances in the system and methods of observation. The present forecasts for 48 hoars ahead are based on observations of continental surfaoe conditions and atmosphere, together with certain limited maritime observations transmitted by wireless telegraphy. Great developments of the system of exploration and observation in the upper air to the ten mile level will be the chief factor in the longer forecasts. By the invention of delicate automatic recording instruments attached to balloons and kites, together with wireless telegraph keys, new knowledge will be obtained of the temperature, moisture, pressure velocity, heat absorption, atmosphere and analysis of sunlight at various altitudes. The arrangements for the longer foreoasts are now being oomrleted. ana the professor declares that as the system is extended and co-operation is arranged with trans-Atlantic and trans-Paoifio oountries, there is every reason to expect that it will be possible soon to forecast the general weather and character of an entire season, and ultimately to predict the weather fur a whole year ahead.

The Grey River Argus refers to meetings of sawmillers held at (jreymoutb last week as follows: "So far as can be ascertained the meetings did not result in matters advancing very much towards a satisfactory settlement of the present state of affairs. There are, however, hopeful indications that matters will, in a comparatively brief space of time, be settled in a'direction whioh w'll be beneficial not only to the sawmillers and their emnloyees but to the people of the Coast generally. The majority recognise that the manner in which the industry is at present being conducted is far from being conducive to the general welfare, and it is only the question of bringing the minority to see matters in the proper light when the industry will be put on a much more satisfactory footing. The decisions arrived at by West Coast sawmillers will have far-reaching effects as those interestedfin the timber industry throughout the colony are waiting expectancy for the announcement of the results of the conferences held in this town. Ihe position, in a nutshell, is that if timber is reduced in price by 2s per 100 super, feet, the sawmillers in this district and the busiiness men also, will have £2,500 per month less to handle."

The value of the exports.of some of our ftaple produots for Aprilare giveu in a leaflet issued by the Department of Agriculture, wich the corresponding figures for A-pul, 1905. Butter shows an increase from £50,940 to £.1.17,026; oheese from £2.",543' to £37,922; frozen i beef from £27,804 to £30,0X3; frozen mutton decreased from £14.3,926 to £120,1.72; frozen lamb increased from £168,261 to £2.62,000; oats increased fi'om £7,074 to £] 1,778; and New Zealand hemp decreased from £64,446 to £63,549. The following are the quantities and figures ?or the year ended March 31st, 1906, the quantities arid figures for the previous year being giveu in parentheses Hutter, 300,106cwt, value £1,443,284: (342,853, £1,514,156}; oheese, 107;825cwt. value £265,084 (82,421 c wt, £180,874); frozen beef, ]ss,oßdowt, value £181,519 (159,133 cwt, £192,040); frozen mutton—carcases 761, H6cwt,valae £1,072,742 (942,215cwt, £1,291,005); legs and pieces, 15,000cwt, value £21,365 (23,2Q00wfc, £32,795); frozen lamb,. 616,823cwt, value £1,158,591 (603,612cwt, £1,1.23,152); wheat, 991,026 bushels, value £148,248 (551,799 bushels, £84,935); oats, 942,195 bushels, value £88,942 (224,731 bushels, £184,953); potatoes, 256 tons, value' £2,268 (3,613 tons, £9,722); New Zealand hemp, 27,422 tons, value £690.577 (28,209 tons, £730,803). ,