TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8154, 7 June 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

"Gigantic as has been the San Francisco disaster," remarks the Examiner, "her people have been equal to every phase of it. They have kept their heads through all the horrors that have assailed them; kept their heads far better, indeed, than some far from tbe scene of the earthquake and fire, notably President Roosevelt. With a sympathy that does him credit as a man, Mr Roosevelt was prompt in using the power and influence whioh'his great office gives him to oall for quick relief from Congress, and he did the right thing in cutting offloal red tape, civil and military, wherever possible. Hut there his efficiency ended. His aotion, taken on his [individual responsibility, in rejecting outside help, has subjected the country to world criticism. In the face of a calamity so colossal and dreadful, national lines disappear, and all men have a right to feel that they are brethren, with the brotherly privilege of holding out a succouring hand. No o;e questioned the capacity of the United States to provide all that was needed, but tbe President, by refusing foreign assistance, showed a false pride, and so imparted tbe taint of charity to a generosity that has had about it no more of the spirit of ordinary charity than has the aot of the man who plunges overboard to save another's Jife."

The Japanese Admiralty has reclassified tbe whole Imperial navy, so as to assign places to the warships captured from the Russians aocording to their relative fighting value. There are now nine battleships in the Mikado'B fleet, irrespective of, the two vessels completing in England. Of the original Japanese nayy, as it existed before the war, there remain the battleships Mikasa (now beng refitted), Fuji, Shikisbima, and Asahi. The Russian prizes have been thoroughly overhauled, and all the defeots made good. The battle division of these oralG is made up of the Iwami, ex-Orel; Sagami, ex-Pereaiviet; Tango, exPoltava; Hizen, ex-Reteisan; and Sue, ex-Pobieda. The Nishima, exSeniaviue; and the Okonoshima, exApraxine, are classified as coastdefence vessels of the second class; while tbe ifea, ex-Nikolai 1., is reckoned as a first-class coast-de-fence ironclad. One first-class cruiser—the A«o, ex-Bayan—and two second-class cruisers—tbe Tsugaru, ex Pallada, and Soy, exVaryag—have been taken into the list of Japan's active fleet from the Russian prizes. Tho uet result is that the Japanese navy is stronger by two battleships, two coastdefence ships, and one cruiser than it was before the war.

Germany is noted for the development of her inland waterways, and Jher vigorous policy in this respect has often been contrasted with the apathy of England. There are now over 9,000 miles of splendid inland waterways in Germany, on which, £21,000,000 was spent in the years 1890-1900, and improvements and extensions, oostlug a further £14,000,000, are now being carried out. In England there are 3,938 miles of oanals, of whiob 1,264 are under railway control, and 415 derelict or abandoned. Some interesting comparisons were given last year in the engineering supplement of The Times between the rates for inland carriage of goods in Great Britain and elsewhere. "Take the case of nitrate of soda. From Hamburg to Berlin, by water, over 170 miles, it costs 4s per ton, whilst from Liverpool to Manchester about 35 miles, it is 7s per ton by water or rail. Potash, from Prague iu Bohemia to Hamburg, by water, about 500 miles, is 13s per ton, while the rate by canals from Goole to Donoaster, is 5s 3d per ton, and from Goole to Liversedge, iu the neighbourhood of Leeds, is 7s 6d per ton. The writer said that it might easily be conceived that the British paid something between £50,000,000 and £100,000,003 per nuuum forjinland transit in excess of what; their foreign nvala paid for a similar service. A Koyal Commission is now investigating the question in England.

"The ponderous machine has now gone to tbe workshops again, being a oomplete;fallure." Tbia is tbe history of the first of theDeGhlen type of compound locomotives recently built to run the express between Ohristoharoh aud Oamarn, and perhaps farther soath. The first defect of the engine in question was that its running wag limited to the Rangiora-Ashburton section. It was too heavy for the bridges on other sections. Its initial move caused trouble/ Before it could be started I pieces had to be out from tbe reversing shaft and cylinder casting to allow tbe motion to clear. It had hardly been got moving before a sheave broke. On its second run to Rangiora it could not turn the table, which is 49ft Gin long, not being long enough. The same thing happened at Lyttelton. The smoke trough had to be cut and widened before the monster could be got inside. The parts for six engines of this class have been importßd from Home, and, judging from tbe SDeoimens already produced, the editor of the New Zealand Railway Review thinks that the cheapest plan wouli be to throw the parts of the others on the scrap heap. He adds: "Is it desirable to increase the olass or varieties of engines, there being already'twenty-six olasses in use on the New Zealand railways?"