MR GLADSTONE AND JESSIE WESTON.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 4, 6 January 1891, Page 5

MR GLADSTONE AND JESSIE WESTON.

Miss Weston sent her novel, "Ko Men," to Mr Gladstone, and theG.O.M., who is nothing if nob gallant, read it, and also wrote the fortunate lady a complimentary letter (nob a postcard) in the course of which he said, "There are few subjects of more interest than the present relations of the aborigjnal peoples to creation. I think you have rendered a real service by bhe exhibition of a very curious portion of tke subject." ANOTHER AUCKLAND AUTHORESS One of the mosb charming Christmas books I have come across is Miss Kate McCosh Clark's "A Southern Cro.s Fairy Tale," illustrated liberally with delightful pictures of elves and children by the author and Mr R. Atkinson. A very notable fact aboub this book, as the " Chronicle " points out, is that it is written to meet the exigencies of Australian children. The scenes of Christmas tales read by English-speaking children have, as the author remarks, been for the most part na,turally laid amid winter snow and leafless landscape. The yule-log and holly-berry have been timehonoured "properties." Bub there are growing up under the Southern Cross generations of children with English speech and English hearts to whom bhe yule-log ab Christmas is unmeaning and snow unknown. "A Southern Cross Fairy Tale," then, is written for such children as these, and also for those in the older land who have any desire to know what Christmas is like among their kin on bhe other side of the world. While seeking to amuse, ib is intended to convey information. New Zealand m» land full of natural wonders and natural' beauty : its flora and its fauna are in every way remarkable. In Miss Clark's volume, though the allusions to these wonders and beauties are playfully introduced, they aro true to fact. The colours and habit 3of plants and animals are in sober reality just what they are made to appear in fairyland. Santa Claus appears to Hal and Cis, the hero and heroine, but to their surprise he appears as a young man ; being in the New World, he is young like it. Santa Claus shows the children many wonderful things which are described and illustrated in a way adapted to captivate the juvenile mind. SIR WALTER BULLER REPLIES, Sir Walter Buller's replies to the extravagant strictures passed upon him in the report of the New Zeaiand Antimony Company's Committee of Investigation have arrived, and show that he was most unfortunate in not being represented at the meeting at which that remarkable document was considered. Had Sir Walter been there himself, ib is morally certain that, whatever else happened, tho motion dismissing him from the Board would never have be6n passed. Ido not say he answers every charge conclusively • I do not know onough about tho various matters for that. But he answers them, and, on the surface 'at any rate, speciously enough. Sir Walter Buller'slanguage is thoroughly robust. He does not pretend that he went into tho Antimony Company for aught but to make money. If the promotion hadn't been a good thing lor him he wouldn't have touched the business. At tho same time there was no secret agreement. The contracts wero open and aboveboard. With regurd to tho directors promising to forego their lees, Sir Walter says, "Fudge." The Board simply undertook not todraw what was due to them till money was more plentiful. As for tho fees being extravagant, Sir Walter claims thoy were normal, viz., £200 a-year. He never pretended Sir Charles Clifford and Sir John Stokes and Mr Gisborne were " cheap men," who would attend meetings and incur heavy responsibility for nothing. NAIDLEY AND CO. RESPOND. Sir Walter Bullor'o reply has elicited form Mr Henry Naidley and his colleagues a long recriminatory and explanatory document of the "You're another "sort. To this Sir Walter may feel ib necessary (metaphorically speaking) to respond "Yah !" and there let us hope the dispute (so far as letters are concerned) will end. The question as to whether Sir Walter and his son are entitled to the £15,000 promotion money, which the new Board allege they made out of the concern illegitimately, is, Mr Naidley says, to be threshed out in tho law courts. Therefore, beyond briefly stating that Sir Walter Buller denies having made anything like such a sum, and claims to be fully entitled to whatever amounts he and his offspring did pocket, it can't he right to discuss the question. I confess I don't altogether understand, by the way, bhe shocked manner in which Mr Naidley throws up his hands in horror at the idea of promotion money having been paid anyone. Few people, I imagine, know better than he does that it is not usual in I the City for people to exert themselves promoting companies in embryo free, gratis, for nothing.

Sir W. Buller's claim that the late Board had really turned the corner of their difficulties, and thab the Company was actually doing well when Mr Naidley kicked up a rumpus, and turned them out, is naturally specially irritating to that gentleman. He may, however, rest assured bhe shareholders will justify him in bhe lubure if his policy can by any manner of means extract a dividend'from the mine. So far his work has been mainly patching up old blunders, and it must be admitted he has cancelled the unlucky Cookson contract, and got rid of an expensive lawsuit on fair terms. Sir Walber Buller, I see, cribicises the new Board's action in arranging to send home 100 tons of low grade ore per month for treatment in London. He predicts what with shipping charges, etc., this won't pay. Mr Naidley, however,explains that the Company haveentered into an agreement with a firm who wish to purchase this low grade ore, for purposes of their own, and offer a price he thinks will pay. RETIRED. Notwithstanding the continuous denials of the officials bhab there was any truth in rumours of the retirement of Mr Manager Stewart, of the Bank of New Zealand, I am told that gentleman has severed his connection with the institution, and gone to live in Edinburgh. It is to visit his aged parents who resido in New Zealand thab little Luscombe Searelle, the composer of "Babadil" and other immortal works, is on his way to visit your colony. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND ESTATES COMPANY. The statutory meeting of the above concern last week was a purely formal affair. Mr B. J. Jeffray presided, and said thab the whole of the million and a-half oi debentures had been taken up, and instalments to the amount of £545,000 received to date. The assets agreed to be taken over had all been vested in the Company, and Major Nelson. George had returned to the colony to organise their business. The directors had every faith in the future of bhe Company. Already bids had been received for several of bheir estates ab prices exceeding the valuation ab which bhey had purchased them, but the directors had declined these, believing they could do NOBLE INVESTORS. An experienced agent will next year visib South America, Australia, and New Zealand on behalf of a syndicate of noblo capitalists, who desire to follow the examples of the late Duke of Manchester and the late Lord Carnarvon, and invest in colonial land. The new Lord Carnarvon is understood to be interested in this venture. If you remember, he was en route to New Zealand when his father fell seriously ill, but bad only (if I am not mixing things) gob as far as the Cape. *' Greater Britain " is the name of A new and inferior »J Colonies and India.'.''