Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1979, 15 January 1907, Page 4

NATIVE LAND LAWS* COMMISSION. Wellington TTco Lanoo. It is stated to bo tho intontion of the Government to set up a Royal Coinunssion to deni with the complex subject ol our native land laws. “ Cu> bono l ono naturally fee's prompted to asK. This field of inquiry lias been oxplortil ns nauseam. Royal Commissions, 1 urliamontary Committees, official and native exports, tho press and privnto laymen, all havo investigated it at ono timo ot another and given tho public tho benefit of tboir advice. Tho trouble is that wo have too many doctors and not pennancnee enough for any definite course, ol treatment. Tho last Royal Commission on Nativo Land Laws was set up m 1891. It consisted of tho present Rati™ Minister (tho Hon. James Carroll), Mitt’. L. Roes, than whom no member ol tiio Bar lias a wider and more intimato knowledge of nativo land legislation, and tho late Mr Thomas Ma-kny, for many years Native Land Purchase Commissioner for tho Government. This Commission visited all the nativo di&ti’icts and took tho evidence of all the leading chiefs. It called before it as witnesses all the recognised nativo experts and tho most eminent New Zealand jurists from Sir Robert Stout, Mr 11. D. Bell and the late Chief Native Land Court judge Fenton downward. It submitted to Parliament u bulky volume of cyidonee and an able and luminous report covering the entire ground. Its recommendations went in the direction of using Nalivo Committees to g. t tho native title individualised.as fpcedily as possible and to lease for profitable occupation all na’ivo lands not required by the natives themselves for their use and sustenanco. Upon these line*, more or less nearly, all our native land legislation of recent years has been shaped. Has tho work not been done already more thoroughly than tho proposed new Commission is likely 'o do it? Why not draw out from the dusty pigeon-holes tho report and evidence furni hed in 1801 and invite ilio loading witch doctors jn the occult scicnco of nativo lai d legislation to state their views upon the scheme therein embalmed ? At the same time they could be asked to suggest tho best means of improving upon it and bringing it up to date. Those who have had most to do with them are largely of the opinion that Royal Commissions arc a sheer waste of time and money. Their Jong reports and ponderous tomes of evidence cumber the shelves of the public departments, but no one ever dreams of dipping into them. They aro closed sepulchres. Com missions aro useful in providing cheap trips at fat salaries. They keep the Government Printing Ofiicc working tit high pressure, In that sense they are tolerable. But are they of any practical public utility ? we liac oor doots.

MID-AIR EQUILIBRIUM. The AVright Brothers, of Dayton, Ohio, who claim to have flown thirty miles with their aeroplane, decline to permit an examinaton of their machine. • According to tho New York Herald’s correspondent they stato that those with whom they are negotiating are already satisfied that it does all they claim. Their only market must be a powerful Government, and publicity would serve to defeat their purpose to make such a sale. They say they have discovered the secret of maintaining equilibrium under all conditions. Even if the machine were to turn half over they declare it is easy to restore it to an even keel.

Mention was made in these columns some weeks ago (says the Stratford Post) that a number of farmers ill Taranaki wore finding sheep dip a sure eradicator of ragwort, but the fact did not occur to many that the use of a poisonous sheep dip might possibly bo injurious to the cattle which were grazing in the paddocks experimented on. It is reported that one dairyman in the To Roti district has already lost seven cows, which were running in a paddock where sheep dip had been put on the ragwort, and if, as it is supposed, tho dip has boon the direct cause of tho death, tho cure is apparently worse than the disease.

Commenting on the New Zealand Shipping Company’s now steamer Ornri an' exchange says:—Some idea of her enormous capacity ill the direction of wool and general produce carrying may lie gathered from the fact that she can stow no less than 16,1)1)0 hales of wool under her hatches, and then have room enough left over to stow away the comparatively trifling number of 105.000 carcases of mutton in her refrigerating chambers. Assuming that each dumped halo of wool represents 100 fleeces, it will bo seen that the now cargo vessel is capable of carrying away from our shores the produce of no less than 1,000,000 sheep in the shape of mutton and wool. As the practical utility and working economy of such large and comparatively fast vessels has been abundantly demonstrated already, we ms- confidently look forward to visits from vessels even larger than the Orari at no very distant date —indeed, it may be said that the sice of vessels will only he limited by the accommodation of the world’s harbors. Lilian Duchess of Marlborough, whoso life-story reads like a threevolume novel, is one of our many American duchesses, and also one of (lie wealthiest women in England. She began life as Miss Lilian Price, daughter of an officer in the United States Navy, and is now a widow for the third time. Her first hushan 1 was the rich Mr Haimnerslby, of New York; her second husband was the eighth Duke of Marlborough; and her third, the lato Lord Wm. Bercsford. Her last two unions were brief —her ducal husband lived but four years, and Lord “Bill” Beresford died after less than five years of wedded iia.pl inoss. Her only child, fho “Bill Beresford” of to-day, is now the chief interest of her life. Lilian Duchess of Marlborough is a fine, tall woman, with dark eyes and an abundance of dark brown hair. She has great taste, and during the time that she was the reigning Duchess of Marlborough, she did much to beautify Blenheim, and actually put a now roof on the vast and stately palace. She owns beautiful jewels, plate, furniture, and pictures; and she has made Deepdene, her place near Dorking, one of the loveliest homes in the kingdom. She is fond of music, and generally has a good box at the Xa; but she spends largely on rs as well as on herself, and belli indness to friends and charity to the needy make her a deservedly popular member of society.

The investigations into the state of lC sowers in Main Street West were continual (states tho Manawatu Standard), when half a dozen joints were exposed a‘ a point some 30 feet nearer to the gasworks than those opened up in the morning. An examination of the joints were mado by I lie Borough Engineer, Mr Jifikcl 1 . He found that the fkst five, those nearest to the sitcof the man ing’s investigations, were in exactly die same state. That is to say, that the couipo was perfectly hard at the bottom and sides and crumbly at the top. A very strange thing was, however, that dip joint farthest away was hard as a rock all round. Mr Jickell chipped off a small piece of the compo with a hammer and chisel and handed the sample up fer inspection. It was like a piece of stone. An explanation of the phenomenon was not readily forthcoming From the rcmaiks let fall by one of the contractors present, it appeared that he entertained lire theory, subsequently supported by Mr Jickell, that tho fault in the compo was due to chemical action. It seemed that the men were in the habit of mixing soda with the cement to assist it in setting, this being done whenever there was water in tho tnneh. On this particular c ntract, tho water gave a good deal cf trouble, the p : pes being covered somrimes two-thirds of tho way ‘up. The theory was that the cement below the water line had set all right, but that above, being exposed to tho rays of tho sun, had become “ dead ” and crumbly by means of chemical action induced. This will be a most valuable experience for us,” said Cr Essex, who watched the proceedings wi'li interest and the Mayor replied heartily, “My word, you are about right,” More time was spent this morning in inspecting the sewers in Pascal Street and Main Street West. The Pascal Street sewer was opened at a point midway between Cuba and Feaiherston Sticets and was found to bo quite good, the compo in the joints having set perfectly. The opening in Main Street was just opposite tho gasworks, and here again a satisfactory state of affairs was disclosed. About four joints were tested in each case by Cr Sinclair, The Mayor, Cr Essex and tho engineer were also present and expressed themselves as being quite satisfied. ANXIOUS MOMENTS.

Ono of the most anxious times of a mother’s life is when licr little ones have croup. There is no other medicine so effective in this terrible malady as Dr. Sheldon’s New Discovery. It can be sal'ely given and depended upon. No mother should over ho without a bottle in tho house. For sale by A. W. J. Mann, Agent, Chemist.