TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8265, 19 October 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

A handsome price is being placed upon the head of the colonial kelson in embryo, and be is being offered inducements to join the Australasian squadron far more tempting than are possible to be obtained in shore going billets, where manual labour is the only sort of recreation distributed to him and his fellow endeavourers. The idea of making these ships entirely with colonials is an excellent one, and does away entirely with the fr'otion that is certain to arise Jwhen differential rates are passed to Imperial men' and those hailing from beneath the .twinkle of the Southern Cross. While Jack recruited from Jiormondsey or nituic sound of Bow Bolls must be content with sixpence or a shilling a clay for the privilege of assisting

Britannia to rule the waves, bis prototype from Sydney, Melbourne, Ounedin or Auckland, reoeives tbis sum with another shilling or two per diem thrown in. Naturally, tbe former feels irritated, and says so when compelled to work alongside of ibis more fortunate colleague from this end of the Empire. Electricity is so generally recognised as the coming motive power of civilisation that when the Minister for Publio Works spoke on Saturday of applying it to our railway systems it was naturally accepted as a common-place. The importance of bis statement to the Masteiton Jrailwty deputation lies in the evidence it affords that tbe Government bus not forgotten that natural water power may be used to work railways, which forget fulness might easily have been asaamed by tbe observant publio. Tbe electrification of ths railways hiid the supply of electrical power to all forms of industiy have been officially promised for years. Various costly reports have been obtained, and whenever there was nothing else to detract tbe publio mind from criticising administration tbe wonderful possibilities of electricity were proclaimed. Nothing, however, has yet been done, and Mr Hail-Jones goes no further than a belief that in "twelve months' time he would bave formulated some definite proposal" for the electrification of the railways. lo the unionist the mere suggestion of overtime is anathema marautha. lie regards it as a dark and deep design of capitalism to rob him of hisjliberty, acid to keep bis brother worker out of a job, says the Christcburoh Truth. A good many amatrue educationists like T. M. Wilford, G. Laurenson, and others seem to regard school home lessons in much the same light, and want to see them abolished altogether. In fact, there is a disposition to show suah a tender solicitude for the present day school boy, that be is beginning to think that be is paying tbe country a compliment in consenting to absorb education at all. The school curriculum, which , was once so simple, and consisted of a few practical; branches of study attention was concentrated largely by the stimulating influence of the strap, is now tricked out with all sorts of attractive devices to make the road to learning easy and entertaining all tbe way. With corpora! punish ment largely in disuse and recre ation catered for at every turn, the school life of tbe present generations of children is getting to be one long holiday.

M. Paul Leroy-Beaulieu, in discussing tPe past 30 years of Prenoh finance in the Revue des Deux Mondes, observes that £nut of 30 Budgets only two have shown tbe smallest excess of avenue over exDenditure. There has been continual waste of various kinds. There is now greater difficulty iu balancing the nafioual account than there has been at any time during t v e past 40 years. There is a prospeot, aocording to M. Antonin Duboat in his report to the Senate, of new expenditure to the amount of 370,000,000 francs which is the inevitable and automatic result of Jetcielation, plus another 180,000,000 francs for the intended developent cf the services thus created. To this must be added 200,000,000 frauos, the contribution to tbe State towards the old age pension scheme, if this "folly," as the writer calls it, comes into efEeot. To meet all these Additional charges there is a stationary population, a slackening in the acomulation of wealth and a tendency on the part of capital to take refuge beyond tbe frontiers. A complete change of oonduot, M. Leroy-Beau lieu says, is necessary; but, be asks, will the two Chambers, .frivolous/ and dominated by passion as they are, realize this? A neighbouring country, Italy, bas set an excellent example. By diut of 10 years' steady endeavour and wisdom she bas retrieived her endangered finances—an example which France would do well to initiate, if she ran.