TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8160, 16 June 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

A division in the British House of Caramons now consumes 20 minutes. Tbe mode of taking divisions by the members walking through "Aye" and "No" lobbies and having their names reeorded baa been described oy the Prime Minister as "cumbrous, tedious and inconvenient," and he ha 9 promised to have the subject considered. In Germany voting usually takes place by members stauding up or sitting down in the Chamber ■and being counted by the teller. In Austria voting papers are used. When a question I=l submitted to the ballot each member is palled up to tbe table and he places id an urn a paper marked "yes" or "no." This system, whioh is iolloyved in Hungary, takes up as muoh time as walking through the lobbies. In the French Ohamber of Deputies each member has a supply of voting papers on which his name is printed, white for "aye" and blue for "no," and when a ballot is taken urn 3 are carried round by ushers, into which eaoh deputy drops a blue or a white ticket.

To show how the export of poultry to England is progressing, it may be stated that tbe New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agenoy Company, Ltd., at Auckland, was appointed some time ago by the poultry expert and agreed to undertake a shipment of poultry to England. This company has recently received from London returns of the first shipment of 447 ducklings and 30 ohiclcens.' The cheques for tbe net proceeds have been sent to tbe shippers. Ducklings realised in London 3s 2d to 4s per bird, and after the deduction of all charges at Auckland and London, on an average they bring to the shippers 2s 6d per bird. The parcel of chickens shipped, though very small and not in r,he best of condition, realised 2s un tbe London market, and after taking off London and Auckland charges, left the shippers Is 6d per bird. These returns [are very satisfactory, as the birds from Auokland are new on the London market, and have yet to get their reputation. They are apparently succeeding in this, as reports reoeived from London on the birds speak very highly of them.

The world's stock of diamonds baa increased enormously in the last 15 years. In 1876 the output of the Afiican mines was about 1,500,000 oarats; in 1889 it was over 4,000,000, and the great; trust which controls all the principal mines asserts that it has 16,000,000 carats in sight at the present time. Meantime, says "Iron," the demand for diamonds has greatly increased, and |they are higher to-day, partly because of the trust, but also because of the increased demand—than they were a year or two ago. In one respect the diamond industry is different from all others. Its product, that is, of gems, is never consumed, Of gold and silver a much larger amouut than most people would believe is literally consumed in the arts past recovery, but a diamond once out goes into the world's great stock, and is liablejto come upon the market , at any time. Hence the world's annual taking of diamonds, which appears to be steadily on

creasing, even at advancing prices, is an index of how much of its sdrplas earnings it can afford to expend yearly in this particular form of luxury. The romanoe of diamond mining is all gone. It is now a matter of excavating vase beds of blue day by maobinery, washing it, and sifting out ) tbe diamonds, which, after being roughly sorted for size, are sold in balk by weight. The men who do the aotual work are mare, labourers, and their pay is proportionately small.

In Viotoria efforts are again beio£ made to start the beet root sugar industry. To assure farmers against loss tbe Government proposes to give 16s a ton for beet roots delivered at the factory. A fair crop is 12 tons per acre, and the 12 per cent, sugar contents tbe beets are required to show is well below tbe average results (14 per cent), obtained from experimental plots in Gippsland. Tbe average price paid by tbe beet sugar factories in the United States is 16s per ton. in addition to this fixed price for beets, tbe Government proposes to divide all profits over the oust of working and a deduction of 10 per cent, on the capital cost of the factory amongst the growers. The sobeme, therefore, is really a, oo operative concern, with Government assistance added. The bonus of £2 per ton paid by the Commonwealth Government on sugar grown by white labour, it is anticipated, would pay the 10 per ent. deduction if a fair output can be secured. If 4,000 aores of beets are grown and these average, as they ought to do with proper cultivation, 12 tons per acre, that would give 50,000 tons of roots, aod with %% per cent. sußar yield would give 4,500 which at present market prices would yield £90,000, irrespective of the Comonwealth bonus. The department will not go on with the scheme unless the cultivation of 3,000 acres is guaranteed. A fair number of tbe staff required for working the faotory could be obtained in Australia, but several experts would have to be brought out from Europe or America.

Letters from residents in South Africa, which are quoted in the Standard, show that the situation has been regarded with the greatest anxiety by those who keep a close eye on native movements. Thus one writer indicates the feeling in Southern Natal. "There is a very nasty feeling showing itself among the natives," be says, "and the Zulus are not quite satisfactory. The Native Commissioner had arranged that a Zulu contingent of 2,000 men was to 00-operate with the Natal force against the Mapolulu natives, hut, to the surprise of the authorities, the Zulus did not respond. The fact is that the temper of the natives everywhere is very uncertain. There may be no very seriovs trouble, but, on the other hand, there may be a widespread outbreak." This is, of conrse, the feeling all through Natal, and other letters show that the anxiety is by no means confined to one colony. A writer, stationed in the Northern Transvaal, declares that there is a possibility of a general rising. ''This native business is very serious," he says. "News has ocme from Zaluiand that the natives there deulare that war is imminent. Znlus, the Natal natives, the Swazis, Umbigisas, Zambaans people, and the tribes in the north of the Transvaal are in it. This may hang over until 1907." The authorities in Natal admit chat the suppression pf the disaffection will involve long and arduous work.