TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8152, 30 May 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

There are not many people who have not heard the expresssive *xolamation "My troubles'." which young Australia finds appropriate to any ocoaaion when it desires to declare its indifference to a person or occurrence. Judges, however, live a life apart, and Mr Justtoe G. B. Simpson had his doubt about its meaning at the Police Court in Melbourne recently. A witness stated that a woman served with a citation in divorce said: "I expected this; let him get it;'my troubles" His Honor aaked to have the last two words repeated, and solemuly asked the witness what he took them to moan. Witness said he thought they meant that she did not care what happened in the matter. He volunteered the statement that the expression was a very common one and always used in that way. There was an audible smile in Court, but his Honor looked serious over the matcer, and further questioned the witness. There were, however, those in Couct who believed tbat his Honor was not ao guileless as he seemed.

A matter whioh the Federal Government might very well take up (says the Australian Review of Reviews) is the question of reciprocal trad 3 with New Zealand. There is not the slightest reason why there should not be freetrade between the Commonwealth and that colony. Conditions of labour, and provisions against sweating are as severe there as in Australia. Indeed, conditions are stricter in some respeots than they are In some parts of Australia. Trade relations between the two places ought to be as free as possible, and neither country would lose anything but would gain vastly if the products of one were Introduced into the other without the hamper of duty. We form one people iu these southeru seas and it is just as ridiculous for trade restrictions to be imposed between the two countries, where equal conditions exist, aH it would be to restore trade restrictions between the States of Australia. It would be a truly statesmanlike action, with farreaching resulss, for the Federal Government to take the matter in hand, aud open up negotiations with the New Zealand Government. The matter might be put through during the coming sessions of the respective Parliaments. It ought not to conflict with the views of the protectionists, and would certainly be most acceptable to the uDholders of free trade, and would help to still tighten the bond whioh already exists between the two countries. An interesting proposal has been made to the Senate of the University

of London, that the subjects of navigation and nautical and spherical astronomy should be included in the syllabus for degrees at the University, and it has been pointed out tbat no British University makes provision at present for the soientiflo training of seamen. The Senate ot the University of London has sought the advioe of the Elder Brethren of Trinity House in repaid to this suggestion, asking whether there would be any likelihood of a considerable number of students desiring to take these subjects. The Elder Brethren, in inviting the views of the Merchant Service Guild, have considerable doubt as to whether, under existing conditions, offloers of the British ' mercantile marine would be able to avail themselves of the proposal if oarried into effeot. The Elder Brethren have deferred replying to the Senate of the University, as they wish to know the views of the Guild under whose, careful consideration the matter now is.

One of the forty dissatisfied Australians who returned the other day from South Africa, made the following statement to an Adelaide j lurnalist:—"The Australian's agitation for a m'nimum wage does not coincide w'.tb the South African capitalists' views, and they take every opportunity to engender a spirit of enmity against us amongst the more influential public. The fact that Australians occupy responsible positions in the four colonies in South Africa, positions they obtained almost before the conflict was ended, is viewed none too favourably. The slightest mi«deed by any Australian is grasped as a pretext by a certain section of the publio for venting their spleen. Australians who have been settled in the country for any length of time are growing down these vile slanders, and by their building up reputations for integrity it is hoped that the lot of the Australian immigrants will in time become less irksome. In the present condition of affairs emigration to South Africa should not be dreamt of, for little or nothing is to be gained by leaving the Commonwealth.

A matter of importanoe to the colonial meat trade oropped up in the Housejof Commons on April 2nd. Mr Harold Cox aßked both the Financial Secretary to the War Office aryl the Secretary of the Admiralty whether any instructions were issued by the late Government that the supplies of meat to the army should be drawn, as far as possible, from colonial sources; if so, whether tnese instructions have resulted in preventing British subjects who deal in foreign -meat from tendering on equal terms with other British subjects who deal in colonial meat; and whether any additional burden has in consequence been plaoed upon the taxpayers of the United Kingdom. On behalf of v the Admiralty, Mr Edmund Robertson said:—"ln the case of certain contracts, extending over a period of years, for supplies of meat to be used in time of war, it was decided by the late board to specify colonial meat only, but in the case of all other contraots tenders hrve been invited for supplies both from colonial and foreign sources, and all tenders have been, and will be, treated on equal terms." Mr Haldane stated, in reply, that "from June, 1901, onwards our contracts stipulated as regards fresh meat that it should be home-bred, as regards frozen meat (mutton only is used) that it should be colonial. The former restriction has been removed." Whereupon Mr Cox gave notice of his intention to ask Mr Haldane, "by whose authority contractors for the supply of frozen mutton to the army were pruhibited from offering foreign as well as colonial mutton, on what giounds that prohibition was made, and whether it is the intention of his Majesty's Government to maintain that prohibition. >