TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8199, 1 August 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The Season, Dunedin, writes:— The reasons which call for the ore ation of an Independent Labour party iu politics are now clamant. During Mr Seddon's lifetime the creation of suoh a party might have been impolitio. The conditions which called for it in Australia did not exist in New Zealand. When the Labour party first emerged in New South Wales it was able to control legislation to some extent by lending its weight to either of the nearly equal sides, There was possible no suoh counterpoise in New Zealand, because the Liberal party was strongly dominant. But all Labour representatives know how the party chaffed under Mr Seddon's benevolent autocracy. Of late years the party took merely what it could get. Mr Seddon's personality dominated everything. The Labour party desires to emerge and put its claims before the country, if neoessary enforcing them as occasion dictates. The opportunity was lost in 1890. The Labour party should then have maintained its entity. It did not do so for the reasons already stated.

The policy 'of the New South Wales Government, remarks the Aj.'fjus, in partly paying passages of immignuita approve;! of in Groat Hritan is not likely, it would eeom, to lead .to any considerable influx of population, and it excited some surprise that the system wbioD was onoe tested in Australia, and which gave highly satisfactory results, h not resortid to. That, is to allow colonist's themselves to nomluate frieuda and relatives for whose immediate future in Australia they would Co respoflsiDle. At the time in question every pound the Government voted for the purpose was eagerly applied for, and no ooinplaint wtls ever heard as to the quality of the immigrant on the one hand, or of an undue flaunting ] uf local attractions on the other. Friends and relatives did not bring out "waiters" to loaf at their expense—and if there was any painting of the scene in' rose colours, a oomplaint never really made—the Government was not responsible. The scheme was automatic and successful, and was only dropped because the party that htilrms ''we do not want population" obtained the upper hand. But any State returning to immigration ideas might well give this 'system of the past careful attention. A Reuter'a message, dated Berlin, June Bth, and published in English journals, rays:—The friendly

attitude of the British Press with regard to the Emperor William's visit to Vienna raises once more the qaeßtion of Anglo-German relations, which it is obviously the objectof Germany?s ' present polioy to improve. The Vossiohe Zeitung notes that the feeling between the two coun tries is mach better than a year ago, and urges that if three nations like Great Britain, Germany and Austria, possessing the greatest navy and the greatest combined army io the world, ( united, they oonld ward off. any danger that threatened the maintenance of peaoe, The journal expresses the hope that a meetng will be arranged between King Edward and the Emperor, although it admits that the time for it has not yet arrived. The weekly potltioal review, the Grenzoote, publishes a remarkable article by a contributor who stands in the closest relations with the Foreign Office, urging that the Bagdad railway question affords an excellent opportunity for the conclusion of an Anglo-German agreement. The writer' says that Great Britain has both a financial and a political interest in the enterprise.

During the last three weeks, says the New Zealand Trade Review, there has been an exceptional demand for batter for local purposes. In consequence market prices have steadily increased, until they haye raaobed a level that has not bven exceeded for some years past. It is oontldently anticipated by holders that butter will be retailed at Is 6d before the new season's supply can affect the price materially. Ihe position is unprecedented in, the 'face of the fact that on June 30th last here were 32,000 boxes in cool stores. For the last iortnight business, has been brisk for the English market, and it is now apparent that factories are to have a .phenomenal season in regard to price. Factory outputs for the coming year 1906-7 have already been arranged at least four weeks in ad vanoe of the dates at which contracts have been made in previous years. Several of the leading factories in the Taranaki and Wellington district have sold at from to 10% d f.o.b. It ia also rumoured that in a few instances, for special quality, these figures have been exceeded. Corroboration of this is afforded by the fact that 10% d is now being asked. When it is considered that in many instances the contraofc covers the period from September Ist, 1906, to April 30th, 1907, the dairymen of the colony are to be congratulated on the favourable prospects ahead.