TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8150, 28 May 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

There Is distinnt cause for satisfaction iu the report of the London Fire Brigade for 1905 (says the London Daily Express). Despite the immense annual growth of London iu houses and population serious conflagrations show no tendenoy to increase, while fires of the less important sort have even diminished within the past, twelve months by three per cent. Improved methods of building tend to keep the number of casualties down, but it is a question if the gain from this cause is not outweighed by the tendenoy to store inflammable materials, such as petrol, in growing quantities. London certainly does not grudge a farthing of the £300,000 it spends yearly on its fire service, fur the organisation of the brigade is excellent. A spirit ?of progress marks its evolution in regard to maohinery and material. And the men are unsurpassed in the world as to discipline, coolness and skill. / i i The Church Army has made complete arrangements for safeguarding the welfare of the 1,000 or more emigrants whom it is sending out to Canada during the emigration season of 1906. The first pnrty of emigrants, which sailed from Liverpool reoently was accompanied by Captain Bamford, an able and experienced officer of the society. Captain Bamford was to remain in Winnipeg long enough to receive, at all events, the next two parties of Church Army emigrants to see them safely settled in the situations which will have been already secured for them, and to aot us their friend and agent generally. At a somewhat later date Mr Viotor Carlile, honorary organising secretary of the Ohurob Army, is to go out, accompanying a party of single men, in order to supervise and develop the arrangements. It is of the essence of the Churoh Army system that

each emigrant should be placed in settled employment before the society leaves its bold on him, and even afterwards a travelling secretary visits the men and families from time to time to inquire into their welfare. ■ »i at Agriculturists all over the world (says the World's Work) will be amused and genuinely interested in the feat of Captain Sycamore, the man who sailed SirgThomas Liptoo's yacht Shamrook in the races for the America Oup. Not the sea, but the land, is the scene of his latest exploit, ploughing matches were being held at Brightlingsea, Essex, when the captain was challenged to draw a furrow with Mr Reginald Gerling, a well-known farmer. The role was entirely new to the oaptbin, but there was a charm of novelty in the attempt, and he accepted the challenge. Used to steering by compass at sea, Captain Sycamore deoided to continue its use on land. He aooordingly fastened one to the plough, and the horses were started, Few expected the captain to beat the farmer, but expectations proved wrong. His aaversary made a gallant attempt with wrist and eye to beat him, hut the judge easily placed Captain Sycamore first. Hit furrow was drawn with soaroely a variation.

Bishop Stretch, Bishop-designate of the diocese of Newcastle, New South Wales, in a letter to his parishioners, read at a recent meeting, addressed them on the neglect of Sunday worship. He said that all over the world there seemed to be a fashion trending in the direction of neglect of the Lord's Day; and this was not so much on the part of those who have long hours to work to serve as excuse, but on the part of the leisured people, who can to a great extent oomraand their own time. It is part of the pleasure-loving, duty-avoiding spirit, whioh at times sweeps the world off its feet. And if history proven anything the world always pays heavily for it. If there is one thin« clear about the world it is this; that it is ordered on lines far too severe to suggest that it is a place specially designed for a playground. Its laws are terribly strict, and as it is very much more easy to believe that God made the world than that the world made itself, it is clear that the praotioal ignoring of God, whioh neglect of worship implies, is illogical and jangarous.

Several of the English papers contain interesting comments on an introduction written by Mr Haldane for a work entitled "Science in Publio Affairs." The Morning Post observes:—"lf in any branch of affairs authority is given to a man who haß a thorough knowledge of the kind of affairs wbloh that branch conducts, then in that department knowledge is in power. We say knowledge rather than soienoe, because the eoienoes are not classified as branohes of action, and no Government department ever is or can be identioal in its scope with a particular science. But no man oan rightly be said to have a full knowledge of any department of practice] unless he has had a sufficient training in those sciences, if any, upon which his department depends, and unlesa he has had such a general training as will enable him to express himself clearly and therefore to think clearly. Most * departments of government are oonoerned with administrative or other action, in which practice and judgment are more important than information. Every branch of aotiou has its own logic, or method, and it is in the application of the right method to speoial oases that the excellence of administration consists." In an editorial the Press, Cbristchurob, aaya it. does not think that the report of the New South Wales Comptroller of Prisons, condemning the system of treeplanting by prison gangs in New Zealand is to be brushed away so lightly as the authorities in Wellington seem to imagine. "The system has its advantages, and if it were carried out as originally proposed—that is, restricted to first offenders and good conduct mild offences—we should have no hesitation in commending it. It is a well-kuown fact, however, that prisoners are brought from all parts of the colony, and the old and hardened criminals are associated with offenders undergoing their first experience of gaol. It is 'impossible to doubt that such association is extremely bad in its effects. In point of fact we have been assured by an ex-prisoner, whose word we have no hesitation in aooepting, that the camps are really schools of crime, that* ""the "older" hands further corrupt the younger men, and that more than one instanoe has occurred of prisoners plotting together robberies to be committed after their release."