TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8281, 7 November 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

We should tie sorry to iutroduoe controversial politics just at this season, says the Ohristohurch Press, and we feel sure that Sir Joseph Ward will be the first to admit that the question of linking up the Empire and fostering the trade of the colony is not a question for party politics at all, but is one to be discussed on the broadest national lines. This being so, we have not much hesitation in saying that we think hie statement at the Chamber of Commerce gathering on Friday regarding the Vancouver mail service is not altogether satisfactory. Sir Joseph Ward says that there has been an offer on the Estimates authorised by Parliament of £2U,000 a year to induce the Vancouver steamers to come to New Zealand. Manifestly that offer has been insufficient, seeing that no company has been induced to undertake the service for the sum named. Oan it be said that the (Government has done its duty iu this matter, when it puts down on the Estimates, year after year, a sum which experience has shown to be insufficient'to produce any tangible result? Again, Sir Joseph,. Ward aays that whether

tbe Vancouver servioejjis eatablisbed or not, tihe San Franoisoo service must, be continued. For our part we fail to see the necessity. A really good service of mail steamets to Vancouver connecting with fast steamers on the Atlantic would carry our maila to London in just about tbe sr.me time us the San Franoieeo line. Sir Joseph Ward upholds the San Francisco service on the score to trade, and says it wi/I be a bad day for England if any of ber dependencies decline to trade with other countries because they do not fly the same flags. We agree, but there is a vast difference between deolining *o trade with America, and declining to pay a special subsidy of £20,000 or so |a year to an American line of steamers which is being supported by tbe United States Government with the express objeot of taking away British trade.

Renent events go to show that British statesmen have a very great deal to learn before they oan be expected to realise the meaning of an Imperial policy. The disregard of tbe proposals made by Australia and New Zealand for the settlement of the New Hebrides quesion, and the final signing of a treaty with Franoe which is quite detrimental to our colonial interests, may seem a very small matter to Little Englanders, but cannot, be looked upon as calculated to exalt the reputation of Imperial authorities. Nor does the refusal of the Imperial sanction to the Australian preference proposals redound any more to the credit of British statesmen. In the matter of tbe New Hebrides, it is altogether probable that the Frenod Government knew little more of the question ihan did Lord Elgin and Mr Churchill, to whom our colonial interests were perforce committed. The French motive was as simple as it was evident-—to extend the sphere of French influence in Pacific waters and to seoure if possble the best natural babour in that part of the ocean. The statesmen of the United Kingdom, confused by tbe magnitude of their colonial duties, looking Jupon territory in g Australian waters with the same vague eyes as those with which they look unon tertitory in Central Africa or Malaysia, were temperamentally disposed to make any arrangement which would save them worry and trouble. They knew little, and could care little, for colonial and aspirations.

India's infinite variety is illustrated by every page of the statistical abatraot whioh has just been issued as a British Blue Book. For instance, no fewer than 185 different languages are spoken in British In* dia, 147 being native vernaculars and 23 European. The most widely used language is Bengali, which is spoken by 44 millions of peuple, though Western Hindi and Bihari ran it close with r 39 and 37 millions respectively. Shekh is the chief caste, with a strength of 28 trillions, Bran man coming second with 14 millions, and Ohamar third with ,11 millions. Representatives of each of these oastes are to be found in most provinces. Out of a total population of 293 millions.literary is only 1 recorded in the' case of 15 millions, while a bare million are illiterate in English. The total strength of the Hindu religion 'is over 200 millions. Mohammedanism claims millions, Buddhism nine millions, and Christianity three millions. Agriculture supports 191 millions of people. "Earthwork and general labour" employs 17 millions, and 16 millions earn their living by the provision of food, drink, and stimulants. Over a hundred thousand describe their occupation as "sport," and there are five million niembers of the learned and Brtistio professions. A rather gruesome chapter catalogues the number of persons and cattle killed in 1904, by wild animals and snakes. The number of persons killed by snakes reached the appalling total of 21,880, and half the deaths were recorded in Bengal. Tigers caused the death of 786 persons, leopards of 399, and wolves of 244. In the same year, however, 65,146 snakes, and 16,121 wild animals were destroyed, £7,313 being pail out in reward of suoh action.