TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8282, 8 November 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

When Mr Mclntyre went round and tried to interest other parts of the colony in the Exhibition project, he was very successful except in Wellington and Otago, says the Ohristchuroh Truth. Wellington was too busy, and hadn't time to stop work and talk Exhibition, while the canny Duuedinites, who bad keen through an international exhibition sixteen years ago, and found it cost them more than they like to think of parting with, would have nothing to do with the project, But now that the Exhibition ia turning out so' well, these two, provinces are just beginning to realize that they have missed the 'bas, and are not going to share in any of the credit. Consequently, the;? are biting their fingers, jumping on their culleo tive hat, and lashing the tabby with a stockwhip till the* pool* creature doesn't know which way to jump. Other provinces have made displays whioh are tbe admiration of everyone who goes to the Exhibition, and after looking at the impooing array of products from Auckland, Nelson, ur Southland, the visitor wants to kno«v where Wellington and Otago are, and then be v learns that the patriots in these provinces calculated it wouldn't be muoh of a show if they stood out, tut still we have been able to get on very well without them.

Tbe joint Reporting Debates and I Printing Committee made comio deliverance in their report to Parliament. They assumed the public of I the colony mere falling over one another to get "Ilandarrl" from the ; Post Offices, and then siUing up at 1 nights road lug all the members' speeches. It was ridiculously funny. In, any library m the colony sard" lies opened by the librarian but unread. In many public and private offices it is neve? opened till its numbers are handed to the charwoman, or sent to he pulped at the paper mill. The Post Office authorities justly complain of the large bundles of this waste paper stuff whioh fills the mail and takes muoh handling. The Committee decided that "Hansard," "to be of any use should reauh the public before the interest had evaporated." The evapqratiou, however, goes on while the wily member is revising his bad grammer and slips of the tongue, and putting in things hu never paid iu his speeohes, and the Committee found thq machinery of the Government Printing Offices included several white elephants, whose >work was very slow and ponderous. It" is unfortunate the Committee found this out, because if there are high speed machinery and type-setting machines ordered, tbe pub'ic, alreidy surfeited with "Hansard," stand a ohanoe to get more of it. If "Hansard" were published at a penny, and the free list abolished, the postal authorities | would be steeped in gratitude. i

Ireland like Africa has been the grave of many raputatious, but as a rule the tragio episodes of its history iu modern time has been quickly forgotten. It may seem somewhat extraordinary, therefore, that the agitation that arose more than three years ago over the appointment of Sir Antony MacDonnell to the post of Under Secretary for Ireland shows no sign of abatement. Sir A. MacDonnell ia undoubtedly au able and vigorous administrator, but he has not yet done anything that would eucourage the most enthusiasts Home-Kuler to talk about him while forgetting Parnell. But the fact remains that for some months past, a vigorous controversy has been raging round him in British newspapers, and the sensation that ought to have culminated with the resignation of Mr Wyndham last year is increasing in intensity rhther than dying away. Just now the trouble is that Sir A. MaaDcnnell has been challenged by Mr Walter Long, who succeeded Mr Wyndham as Chief Secretary, to produce certain correspondence bearing in bis appointment, and so far Sir Antony has not seen his way to comply with this request. To some extent public interest in the mystery has been quickened by a speech in which Sir A. MacDonnell two months ago definitely predicted the achievement of Home Rule within a year; and the pressure now being brought to bear upon the chief actors in this episode to say all they know i§ so strong that we may soon expect to hear further sensational revelations about the methods of managing Ireland adopted by the Unionist Government during the last term of office.

The result of tbe British monloipal elections ia asserted by Mr Bal four to have surprised .both patties, and if this is the feeling of the jubilant Conservative Leader, we oan easily imagine the amazement of his opponents. Yet while it will gratify those colonists who prefer safe and cautious progress to the wild-oat sohemea of ' irresponsible theorists it will hardly surprise them. .For the good old rale onlookers see most of the game npplien in politics as in everything else, and it has lcng seemed impossible—at this distance—to* the reoent ruinous folly* of certain British local bodies to be maintained for ever. There is always a very oloue relationship in the United Kingdom between tuelooalelections and national politics. In tbe colonies we are disinclined to disease tbe politics of a candidate for city oounoil, road boßrd, county council, or mayoralty. We do not oare whether a man is for or against the General Government so long as he makus a good Mayor, aud tbe same broader civio spirit generally partJaea tea our colonial life. But at Home local einotions and general elections are fought out with ths same party organisation and upon the same party divisions, the chief difference between tbem being that the franchises for local elections are more limited. Prom this it would have seemed that, after a general election in which the Conservative-Unionists-—who in the London local elections are termed the Moderates -—had been wellnigh overwhelmed the local elections would indicate the same trend of the mnnioipal voter. That an unmistakable reaction in favour of the Conserva-tive-Unionist has set in is therefore of peculiar political significance and very naturally cives heart to Mr Balfour.