TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8290, 19 November 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The Koelnisobe Volkszeitang publishes a letter from a >correspondeat ia the south of the Chinese province of Shantung, according to which a grant, catastrophe is impend tag ia China. The disturbances of the year 1900 will probably, the writer declares, bejas ohild's play as compared with the foith-coming disorders. A peculiar unrest prevails among the people." A regular rebel; lion has broken out iu Shantung, and at Tsian-chu-fu 20,000 robbers are under arms. The well-to-do people are fleeing into the towns, the villages having been plundered. Pitched battles between troops and brigands hare been of frequent occurrence, the brigands being victorious. The latter characterises the proposed withdrawal of the European troops aq an extraordinarily doubtful Lpfoueeding.

A representative of tha Cleveland Plain dealer has had.a conversation with Mr Jotiu D. Rockefeller with reference to a demand for Government regulation of so-called private industries. Mr Rockefeller said that if limited opportunities were allowed, it would become neoeasary to put the brake on native development, Mr Eookefeller thought that no individual would strive for success if ju the end the prize were to be snatohed by the Government. The nation was still too young to bugin tearing down again; it must huill up tor years. "France, Japan, and other oonntrios," ho continued, "are eager for our trade, and the beof scandal is giving the foreigner a chance to attack America and everything American, especially manufactured products and trade. I do not helieve that any American goods sold abroad are uninjured. America's position is by no means secure; sho cannot consume her- total production, and must sell abroad or reduce her production, which means checking her development, la it common sense to "our export trade and attaok our good name in ,baisness for the benefit of our foreign rivals?" In the course of the conversation Mr Rockoieller is reported to bavo said, "The Fiencb hate us, and will crush us if they can."

Tho Model By-laws brought under the notice of the House during the past session seems a judicious attempt on the part of the Government to deal with an admitted diffiuuity, and more will doubtless be heard thereof ne>t session when the contents of the Bill have been duly oonsidered by the various bodies in whose interests it has been framed. ;A lack of uniformity in the by-laws of the various local authorities that are concerned with their enforcement is neither in the interests of the authorities themselves nor in the interests of |t,hoso bound oy the bylaws. The Model By laws Bill proposes the making of model by-laws for the regulation cf heavy traffio on toads, admittedly a most important matter to all local bodies who are responsible for the proper upkeep and maintenance of road?, and a matter in respect to which their laudable intention is sometimes defeated to the detriment of the thoroughfares of the borough or district concerned.

The Waihi . gold mine, in New Zealand, is probably one of the finest goldmines in the worU, and since the company was formed it has paid dividends amounting to over £2,000,000 on a capital of slightly under £500,000. Tho mine commenced paying [dividends in

1893, with a distribution of 15 per cent; in the following year it paid 20 per cent; from 1895 to 1899, iunclusive, it naid 40 per oent; during the ([next three years the dividend wag 50 per cent; in 1903 aud 1904 it wss 60 per cent, while iu 1905 the total distribution was 13s per share or 65 per oent. At present the company is paying 3s a qaarter, and it is expected that an additional bonus of 3a will be paid this year, making the total return 15a' or 75 per oent. In the last report the Mine Superintendent stated that the tonnage of ore orushed, the total value of bullion recovered, and the total 019 reserves in sight were all greater than those of any previous year , in the company's history. Actually, there are about ten years' ure reserves iu B:ht, the company has £250,0(10 oaeh in lißnd, and the plant |!aurl machinery have bebn written down practically to the price of scrap iron:'*