LIBER'S NOTEBOOK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2169, 6 June 1914, Page 9

LIBER'S NOTEBOOK.

.'To the now long list of books dealing with New Zealand history, which owe their existence to the-publishing enterprise of Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs must be added "The Constitutional History, and Law of New Zealand," of which Dr. Higbt, Professor of History and Economics at Canterbury College, and Dr. Bamfordi formerly Lecturer in Law at the, Auckland University College, are the joint authors. Detailed review as soon as space will allow.

The "Book of the Week" article next Saturday will have for its subject tho latest collection of Mr.- H. G. Wells's sociological, political, and literary essays, the general title of wliich is "An Englishman Looks at the World."

I may be wrong, but I fancy the usually fairly alert "cable man" omitted to recoid the death of Mr. Hubert Bland, a well-known writer on political and sociological subjects. Bland was, in earlier life, a friend and associate of the late William Morris, and was one of the seven authors of the- once famous but now half-forgotten "Fabian Essays on Socialism." Amongst; his fellowessayists were Bernard. Shaw, Mrs. Besant. and Sidney Webb. A koonand ardent Socialist, of the "Collcctivist," and not tho "Red Fed" stamp, Bland was. I believe, in private' life, a bitter opponent of the \ orthodox Liberal Party, indeed, judging by much of his literary work, he was' a curious com.biuation 'of true-blue Toryism and intellectual, ultra-cultured Socialism. Ho was a most industrious literary worker, and published more.than one volume of essays of quite conspicuous merit. Mrs. Bland" (8. , ' Ncsbitt)' is a wellknown writer of:books for children.

Since writing the above note , I have come across, in "The New Statesman" (April 18), an interesting charac-ter-sketch of Bland b.v,"Solomon Eagle." From this I leak" .tfiat jfSrS tfo. eighteen months preceding his death Bland was almost stone blind; But, says "Solomon Eagle," his , 'gaiety and'his zest for life remained undiminished. He could no longer go out! • He had to feel his way from room' to*room; and his articles he had to dictate." In the same issue of "The New Statesman." which contains the article to which I allude, appear '-reviews, from. Bland's pen;, of two Tecehtly-published novels, E. F. Benson's "Dodo the Second" and Violet Mevnell's "Modern ' Lovers'.'- Bland died in harness.