TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8172, 4 July 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

In his report on the foreign commerce of Russia and the trade of the consularjdistrict of St. Petersburg for thelyear 1905, Mr Consul Wardrop says the year 1905 has been described in the Russian press as "Ruinous," on account of the naval and military disasters, politioal disorders, strikes, great destruction of property, and a failure of the harvest in a large part of the empire, 'ihe greatest prudence is necessary on the part of those engaged in oommeroe in Russia. It must not, however, says the Consul, be supposed that anything like a commercial and' industrial crisis has been reached. Up to the time of writing—the middle of last March—the number of failures reported has been small, and, though there is much anxiety aoout the immediate future there has not been hitherto any panic Wherever pood business is to be done Bri tish firms seldom fail to secure a proper share of it, "The Russian territory," concludes the report, "ia the new worll of the twentieth century, and much of it haß not been thoroughly pro3yected for commercial, industrial, and engineering purposes."

The Department of Pnblic Instruction in New South Wales is issuing a wall-chart calculated to warn the young and thoughtless against the careless use of firearms. The document starts off, says the Sydney Daily Telegraph, by asking the reader to assume that a weapon is always loaded, and consequently sshould never be pointed at anyone else, nor ever carried by any person not conversant with the vagaries of salf-firing guns. Speoifio instructions are given for nearly all ciroumstanoes.f rom crawling through a fence to tumbling in a bog, and the shootist is warned specially against the fatal pea-rifla. A facsimile of a detoaator'accompanies the sheet, but if the sight of means to do iil deeds makes ill deeds dune, and lends a knowledge-seeker to find no resulting accident from his experiment with the school dummy, he will probably feel a contempt for dynamite caps that will lead to future familiarity.

The beauty of the Ameroan race (writes an American exchange! has for a long time been the wonder and th&envyof the world. The tall, lithe, young mea of America with their bold, intelligent faoes, and the tall and graceful young women, so pretty and clever, have impressed foreigners profoundly. It remained for a distinguished foreigner, Dr. Emil Reioh, the Hungarian philosopher, to tell the world the secret of American beauty. Dr. Reich, in conversation with an Amerioan woman, in New York, said:—"The beauty of nations differs very muoh. The Latins are less beautiful than the Anglo-Saxons. The angularity of the North German woman is notorious* Money bag married money-bag, and the result is a people of severely plain aspeofc. The Americans are a beautiful race. The Amerioan marries beoause he loves the woman, and she loves him. The Amerioan is insulted if any mention of dowry is'madein his wedding arrangements. Hence, the Amerioan people have become exceedingly beautiful. Love is at the bottom of it all, Dr. Reich ended. America is the one country where love marriages prevail. Henoe, the Amerioan is the world's most beautiful race,"

The question of corporal punishment was referred to at the meeting of the Auckland City School Committee last week, states the Herald, and divergent views were expressed. Some of the Committee were strongly of opinion that corporal punishment should be abolished altogether in schools. A member deolared, "A teacher who cannot teach without corporal punishment should be out of the service altogether. I look upon the man who is always using the cane and strap as a very weak and inefficient teaoher." A member who had apparently had an insight into teaching rejoined, "1 wish I could make you teachers for a little while. You would alter your opinion very quickly." Another committeeman evidently reflecting on the time when he was at school remarked: "You do not know what corporal punishment is nowadays." Members, however, appeared to be nearly unanimous that if it was necessary to inflict punishment, headmasters should do it, or that it should be done under their supervision, while pupil teachers should not on any account be allowed to inflict punishment.

The 29! h annual report of the Registrar of Friendly Societies was laid on the table of the House on Friday afternoon. The report almost wholly covers the year 1904. The number of members in the 479 lodges of the 12 societies in the colony at the beginning of 1904 was 45,253; the members admitted by initiation and reinstatement were 5,264; those admitted by clearance were 360; total admitted, 5,624. The number who left by arrears, resignation, and expulsion was 2,965; by clearance, 263; and by death, 347; tutal left 3575. The net increase for the year was'2o49'or/lightly over 4>£ per cent, and the number of members at the end of 1904 was therefore 47,302. The death of members' wives during the year were 155. The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st Deoember, 1904, amounted to £936,388 made up as follows: Sick and funeral funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to speaial funds out of surplus), £858,624; medical and management funds, goods, etc. £77,764. Dividing the total fund by tne number of members at the end of the year, it is found the average capital per member is now £l9 15s lid;.''