Big Landed Interests

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 344, 4 October 1932, Page 2

Big Landed Interests

Jt is usual to think of the railways as merely a big transport undertaking. But the railways system is also a big landed estate. Its utilisation of its lands — including lands surplus to its present transport needs — involves the maintenance of a Land Office whi.ch has to be versed in everything l.'artaining to land and the laws thereof. In 1904 there were 2000 leases and grants of privileges over railway The corresponding. figures ara now lands, with an annual rent of £24,000. 7500 leases and grants and £60,000 per annum. These facts ara published in the Railways Magazine, which states . ihat tbe Land Olfice dates from 1880. In addition to the leasing of railway land there are innumerable privileges granted by dead, such" as rights-of-way, rights to lay pipes, rights to take water, etc. The Fire-Walkers. According to a Napier business man, Mr. J. Lambourne, who bas just returned to Auckland from a three months' holiday trip^ to Fiji, the small Island of Beqa,. about 60 miles from Suva, is the only one in ihe group where the natives practi&e fire-walk-ing. The natives there prepare and heat stones for about three days, and when they are white hot walk over them without pain," and are unharmed. , ' He said that they once told a white man to follow them whien they crossed on tbe stones and he would not be harmed. The European was afraid to make the venture. The manager said that no one had ever been ahle to learn from th'e natives. how; they did it, since they were extramely unAmerican Bamoa. Sir Joseph Carruthers, of Sydney, who passed through Auckland .last week, visited Pago Pago, American Samoa, and was greatly impressed With the spirit of content' of the Sapioans under the. administration of.the United States. There he was received by the Governor and the chief justice, ahd he met ihe two leading chiefs. They were fine men, both mentally and physically. A wealthy American receritly left the bulk of his fortune to be used for the education of youth in American Samoa. Tha sum was over £50,000. A committee of trustees from Honolulu was visiting Pago Pagp and conferring with the Governinent and chiefs as to the carrying out of the purposes of ihis bequest. Sir Joseph spent about eight weeks in Fiji, which counfry, he thought, was on the eve of much improved conditions in trade. Sugar and copra were bririging much improved prices, and both crops were going to be heavy this year.