ACCIDENTS AND COMPENSATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 6, 2 October 1907, Page 3

ACCIDENTS AND COMPENSATION.

Sir,—ln yours of September 27.there appears an extract 011 some of the anomalies 'of above Act, taken from the " JJconomist," wherein it is stated that the said anomaly is likely to be restricted to one year at tho outside.. By last mail from Britain I received a paper wherein.l-see that in the House of Lords, Lord Courtney, of Penwith, moved the Second Reading of the Fatal Accidonts (Damages) Bill, provides that in assessing dnmages in any action brought under the Fatal Accidents Act, there shall 110t .be taken into account any sum paid, or payable, on the death of deceased under contract assurance. The Lord Chancellor pointed out that the object of theßill was to prevent a wrongdoer, who_ was liablo in damages, obtaining the benefit of a proyident fund created by the person who' was killed. The Government was in favour of the Bill. Second Reading carried August 6.—1 am, CtC " ' THOS. M. MILLIGAN. Taitville, September 39. • KIVERS AND RIVER RESERVES. Sir,—As I understand there 'will be a " Correspondence Column,'' I venture to suggest that the Government set up a Commission to consider the advisability or otherwise for taking over tho control of rivers and river reserves. They will be either a blessing or a monace to their country where-they aro located. First, the waste land in the neighbourhood of rivers should be made productive, and mny, by judicious management,.give returns for outlay and recoup the expenditure. In this electorate (Pahiatua), . between the Gorge Bridge, near Woodville and the Hamua Inn, tho rivers should ho gradually straightened (i.e., avoid sharp bends), and the land planted .in, say, native flax, either by letting the right of growing it or by having the same planted by co-operative labour, and an inspector bo in charge of' its cultivation and realised annually after the first three or Tour, years. Second, it would help urotection. A good royalty conld .be to p foster an industry-that, would suit very well our moist climate. Labour would bo employed, and capital could be profitably invested. I venture .to predict that before many years there may be a very serious drop in butter and cheese, and we may be glad -to plant more,of our land with flax, and it may be grown very largely as an nrticlo of export, or the same may be worked up into fibre aud cloth in our own country.—l am, etc., SETTLER. Mangatainoka, September "8.