TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8173, 5 July 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Time was, and not long ago, when smoking was regarded in England as a "nasty" habit, and the devotee of pipe or cigar was banished to the garden or the stables. Nowadays smokers are in the majority, and it is not surprising that they should not war against what they regard as che intolerance of the minority. Middle-aged smoKers remember their banishment to the stables, while the younger generation, although not lacerated by memories of persecution or intolerance, claims, in the spirit of the age, the right to smoke almost everywhere. The attitude of Mr Orombie, M.P , who recently raised the question of smokinc in the libraries of the House of Commons, suggests that the reformed smokers may become even less tolerant of the use of tobaooo than the man who has been a lifetime abstainer from the weed. Mr Crombie's protest against permitting one Parliamentary library out of five to be smoked in, although supported by 119 members, was rejected by a majority of 125. It is evident from the remarks of Mr Harcourt and ohter members that the "beet club in Loudon is overcrowded; but members of the House who objeot to the use of tobaooo—and it must be confessed that many people are nauseated by the smell—will have no serious grievance in surrendering one library out of five to the smokers.

In an ago when grey hairs, however picturesque and Honourable, are nut usually regarded as a commercial asset it is of some importance to learn that Professor Metcbnikoff, of the Pasteur Institute, has discovered the cause of grayness and' a possible remedy. Hirsute pallor is, the professor asserts, due to certain cellules which absorb the pigment, leaving tbe hair literally colourless, and its possessor under auapioion of having attained to an ace he or she may be far removed from. To execute vengeance on, the colour-absorbing oellules something hot is called for —not necessarily boiling oil, but a gently persuasive red-hot iron. If this is applied with discrimination (detailed direotons are not yet forthcoming) it should destroy the celulles. We confess we should have some fears for the hair itself. The obromuphage, or colour swallower having been destroyed, it becomes neessary to coax the pigment back in w o the hair, and we presume the professor is devising some method of achieving this, which, we may hope, will be less terrifying than the first part of the cnre. Aud now, having put hoart of graoe into the gray Professor Metchinikoff will perhaps consider the equally bard uasse of the bald.

In the oourse of his address ou "Parasites," at the Wanganui Winter School, last week, Mr Grant re-' ferred to tbe incalculable value of the ladybird as the natural... enemy of the family of aphides, and said that the agriculturist possessed no more useful ally. Questioned as to its diet, he informed tbe class that the ladybird was entirely carnivorous. One of the teachers remarked that in at least one part of Canterbury farmres were inclined to regard it as being partial to young mangolds and described his having found one apparently gnawing at a fresh wound on a mangold. This elicited the statement from another teacher that in Queensland the ruin of pumpkin orops was sometimes attribtued to the attacks of ladybirds, which were supposed to devour the leaves, the midribs and reins only being fejected. Mr Grant said it was the first time he had heard anything said in disfavour of the ladybird, which had hitherto borne an unblemshed oharaoter. He was inohned to agree with the [the suggestion made by Mr Braik, that its presenoe in the suspicious cironmstnnces described by the teaohers was probably due to its being in search of tbe insect enemies of the pumpkin and tbe mangold.

"The trouble is that we haven't got enough married teachers in the service,," was the remark of a member of the Auckland Board of Education last week when a bachelor teacher's letter askitfg leave to let the school residence was before the meeting. Then the Board entered upon a discussion upon the relative the married or unmarried state amongst male teachers, but (according to the Herald) no one seemed inclined to advocate celibacy. "Pity Jie wasn't married " said another member. "These young teachers ought to get marriied." This made the secretary reminiscent, and he mentioned the case of a teacher who was elected, very many yearss ago, for a position at Panmure, and who was given six months to get married. The teacher, however, had no "intentions" and someone else got the position. A member of' the Board thought something should be done in the case under notice as if the teacher was asked to do for himself" at the residenoe his school work might suffer, but it was not clearly skated whether this indicated probable indigestion or frequent departures for a few minutes to see if the potatoes were cooked, or the solitary chop nicely grilled. It was then suggested that the teacher might board with his tenants, but eventually it was agreed to permit the renting of the house, subject to one week's notice on either side of termination of tenancy.