TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8160, 14 June 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The Lytfceifcon Times remarks:— "Jusc now the pubiicans of (Jhriatehurch are makint? what we beileve to bo an hone9t effort to regulate the trade—to keep it within the four oorners of the law, tbat is, and to give, to the respectable section of the community as little cause for offence as possible. They have appointed an inspector of their own, wbo is keeping strict watob over all licensed premises, and reporting to his prinepaii any matters affeoting the good' name of the trade. As a result of nis observations, one or two publicans have been severely called to account by their fellows, and even threatened with opposition to the renewal of thetr licenses One flagrant offender was actually reported to the police and scared into very materially mending !;his ways. The work the publicans are doing in this way should have very real value to the oommunity, and it is to be hoped that it will not be impaiied by any dissensions among the publicans themselves. We have not, we confess, yet seen much fruit from their effort that can be summed up in figured statistics, but if they continue to discourage excessive drinking and illegal trading they will find it much easier in the future than they have found it in the past to answer the criticisms of their opponents,"

Pill-makers ate this 'year (says a London paper) outdoing themselves in producing beautiful tints wherewith to coluur their sugar-coated pills. Stall after stull'at the Chemists' Exhibition, which opened last month at the Royal Horticultural Hall, Vinoent square, West minster, shone resplendent in vivid and delicate shades. One appetising pill was coated in turquoise blue, while others rejoiced in/sugar jaokets of charming Liberty hues. "We find it does not do to send pills of any colour to a district," sail a representptive of one firm. "In South Bast London, for example, a rosepink pill would not sell, for the local demand is for a jet-black pill. Bourneworth, or a fashionable suburb, would noc accept anything but a white pill, or one coated iu a very pul'a shade, poor people seem to think that because a-pill is coloured iu some violent shade of soarlet or blue, it will prove very powerful uud efficacious. Of course, the colour and contents have no relation to each other."

Mr J. A. Vinoent had a peculiar loss on his farm at Laceby a few weeks ago (says the Melbourne Argus), and incidentally an opportunity for uature-study. He was planting a thirty-acre paddock with lucerne, and, after having rolled half the plot, engaged in other work for a short time. On returning the following day he noticed thatthe rolled ground was covered with miniature mounds, and that no lucerne seed was visible; but the pre seence of thousands ot small black ants—a very oommou species in this district—induced him to make further investigation. Digging with bia neu knife failod to disclose any of the lucerne seed, and be then obtained spade, by which means he discovered heap after heap of seed (each heap about an eggcupful) 6in or 7in. below tbe surfaoe, where the ants had evidently taken it into store. Mr Vincent dug in various parts of the planted area, each time with similar results, and he was so convinced (hat the auta had removed nearly all tbe seed that he made au entire re-sowing.

Aooording to the Hawke's Bay Herald, a trust exists in that dlatriot which affects the timber and building trades. The Herald states that the managers of this trust or combine informed the Education Hoard last week that if that body would not,agree not to accept ten ders for building from any person not a merrber of it, the contractors and timber merobants in thejoombine would not tender for any worK, and would refuse to supply materials for any work undertaken on the Board's behalf. The paDer gathers that much the same ultimatum baa been forwarded to the Borough Council. Tbis, the paper remarks, is a somewhat ourious matter, for the Education Board is continually building, and it is bound not to waste. public money, if the building trust keeps its word the Board mustjagree to pay higher prices than it can get its work done elsewhere (that, we take it, must be the meaning of the threat), or it will find its work tampered in a variety of ways. It thinks that the public is interested iu defeating the objects of this, or of any other trust, and hopes that the Education Board may be able, either by engaging a permanent builder on its own staff or otherwiee, to carry

on its operations withoot submitting to tbe dictation of a trade combine. : The deficiencies of the Dunedin joutb, who seeks a position in a mercantile office were shown up at a meeting -of the Dnnedin School Committee Association on Thursday night. A Bond street merchant eaid: —"There -is a great inarticulate growl abont the instructions given in our publio school. On behalf of the merchant class, I may say that, when we get a boy from the primary sohoola in the office, we have to begin to teach him the things be should have learned long ago. My expeiienoe is that a boy from the pecondary schools is even worse than one from the primary school. I have had a good many boys through my hands for office work, and it is my experience, as well as of all the men 1 have met, that when we get a boy from the public schools, we have to begin again to teach him simple addition, and it is three or four years before we can break him of tbe abominable writing be learns at school. It -is a third fact that we have to teaob him manners."