THE WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 191, 12 August 1911, Page 11

THE WEEK.

THE DOMINION. Mrs. Julia Kelly, an old age pensioner, B fod 70, was burned to death in a fire nrhich destroyed a six-roomed house in Upper Queen-street early on Friday morning. Mrs. Kelly lived with her son, Andrew Kelly, a labourer, aged 40, •n-ho was also in the house at the time of the fire, and was dragged from his bed by one of those who first discovered the outbreak. It was then supposed that the man was the only occupant of the house, but it subsequently transpired that his mother remained in the burning building, and when a fireman succeeded in reaching her bedroom her dead body was behind the door. After the fire Andrew Kelly was arrested on a charge of drunkenness. The hearing of the charges against James Edward O'Shaughnessy, Jane Burns Hartley. Charlotte Campbell, and Mary Hassell on Thursday afternoon of being accessories after the fact in respect to the murder of Elsie Alexandra Holland, was concluded at the Police Court on Thursday. The Magistrate, Jlr. Frazer, S.M., held that there was a case to answer so far as O'Shaughnessy, Jfrs. Campbell, and Mrs. Hassell were concerned. Mrs. Hartley's case was somewhat different, and he did not think that there was evidence on which a jury would convict* Phe would, therefore, he discharged. He added that the actions of the police throughout were perfectly right, and that the accusations made nf unfair methods were not justified. The accused were each allowed Ibail in substantia! amount. The Land Transfer and Deeds Registration Department has just issued its annual report, which shows that the total amount of money thus secured throughout the Dominion on March 31st last was no less than £33,530,631. These figures are imposing enough in themselves, but it is even more noteworthy that they represent an increase of £5,764,5U0 on the similar return for the previous financial year. Our readers will naturally be most interested in the figures for Auckland land district, and it is some consolation to point out that the total amount secured on mortgage in Auckland on March 31st last was much less than the total for two of the Southern districts. The leading figures in the list are: Wellington, £25,111,716; Canterbury, £17.579,439; Auckland, '£9.955,870. Of the other districts, Hawke's Bay comes next to Auckland with followed by Taranaki, Southland, and Otago, in that order. However, the increase for Auckland during the previous twelve months is the greatest recorded for any district but Wellington—the figures standing thus: Wellington's increase. £1,375,000; Auckland's increase, £1,263,000. In the appeal of W. F. Massey v. the "New Zealand Times" the judges of the Appeal Court were evenly divided, Judges Williams and Sim being in favour of dismissing the appeal, and Judges Edwards and Denniston in favour of allowing it. Judge Williams announced that, as the judges were evenly divided, according to the Judicature Act, the judgment of the Court below was affirmed. The Court, therefore, made no order, and no order as to costs. Parliament having concluded the debate on the Address-in-Reply to the Governor's speech, has settled down to business, the Town-planning Bill hav-; ing passed its second reading. Sir Jameß Carroll made an important statement regarding the Mokau Black, in respect of ■which Mr. Massey has made certain allegations. The most important question to ba answered was—why, if this land was to be bought and thrown open for settlement, did not Government buy the block itself? To this query, the Act-ing-Premier gives a complete and convincing answer. Government could not purchase from the natives because they were informed by the officials of the Valuation Department that the price asked was quite fifty per cent, too high. If Government had simply stood aside and done nothing, the settlement of the land would not have been secured, and in all probability the Land Assurance Fund would have had to meet heavy claims from the native owners and the lessee. If Government had purchased the interest of the natives instead of buying the whole block and then taken over the lessee's interest compulsorily, it would have had to face protracted and expensive litigation, it would in any case have had to pay the natives more than a fair price, and it would possibly have been liable also on account of mineral rights included in the lease. The course that Government did finnally adopt permitted the natives and the lessees to come to an arrangement under which the claims against the assurance fund would disappear, and the settlement of the block in small areas could be secured. In this way they avoided practically all difficulties and secured what naturally should have been the chief object that from the standpoint of the State Ministers had to keep in view—the speedy settlement of the land.

liIPSRIAL. The Veto crisis is at length ended, the House of Lords, in the face of the Government's determination to swamp the Chamber with new peers if defeated, haV ing consented by a majority ot 17, in which the majority of the Unionists did not vote, to pass the bill in the form demanded by the Government. On Monday Mr Balfour moved in the House of Commons a motion of -eeusure on the Government on the ground that the pledge obtained from the King was a gross violation of constitutional liberty, and precluded the people pronouncing on Home Rule. Mr Bal/our declared that the Government had placed His Majesty in a cruel position, and that the Constitution, mutilated and shattered as it had been, could not remain in the ruined form in which Mr Asquith had left it. Mr Asquith replied that the Government's position had been announced prior to the death of King Edward, aud that when after his death the attempts of the parties to reach a settlement failed, the Government decided to ask for a dissolution, but did not think it justifiable to go into an election blindfolded. In November last, upon the advice of the Ministry the King agreed, if necessary, to create suflicient peers to ensure thb will of the country being cjiven efTe-ct to. 3tfr llalfour's motion was defeated by 3(i.-> vote t" 246. The House of Lords pp = ip .l , sim'lir motion, proposed by Lnr.l Curvrin, bv 2R2 votes to GS. .A very s-rions position has arisen in Eiu 1 >nd owinu to a strike of transporters, ilu'er-i, carmen, carters, and ra-il-waymi'n being all concerned. There has been "onsiuVrable riotine in London and Liverpool, and larcjc bodies of troops hnve been drafted into these districts. food supplies of London are threatened, and much perishable produce has air"idv been destroyed. An "outburst of fire occurred m the Carlton Hotel on Wednesday. The upper portion of the block being destroyed. One guest was burned to death, while m-iny others had thrilling escapes by V'.arjd rjiue.

IN THE COMMONWEALTH. Mr Fisher (the Federal Prime Minister), who has arrived in Fremantle by the R.Mr.B. Osterley, questioned regarding the Stead interview, said he bad nothing more to say. He added: "It would have been stupid of me to say we can haul down the Union Jack, hoist our own flag, and start on our own. We could not hoist our own flag, because it is always flying there. Under the new naval agreement Australian ships fly at the stern the white ensign as a symbol of the authority of the Crown and the Commonwealth flag." Mr Fisher expressed satisfaction at the work of the Imperial Conference. In a match for the heavyweight boxing championship of Australia, Bill Lang defeated Bill Squires in the fifth round after outclassing him all the way. The Queensland sugar strike has threatened to develop into a general transportation strike, but up to the present it has been confined to the sugar trade. Unionists refuse to handle sugar cargo, which is now being discharged and carted by clerks and other office employees. In reply to an inquiry by Mr Tudor (Minister for Trade and Customs) four hi!* shipping companies intimated that they had no intention of reducing freichts now that the Suez Canal charges had been lowered. They gave as their reason the ever-increasing demands of Australia in connection with wages.

The firms of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and Clarke and Meynell have amalgamated in order to reduce the cost of production of plays and to regulate dates and attractions. FOREIGN AFFAIRS. The health of the Pope has caused his medical advisers the gravest anxiety during the week, though the latest bulletins indicate a slight improvement. While a Jewish powder merchant was celebrating his wedding at Sinam, in Yemen, Arabia, a terrific explosion occurred. The bride and bridegroom and 28 guests perished, some being terribly mutilated. During n fog the British steamer Silverton collided with the French steamer Emir, near Tarifa, the southernmost port in Europe. 21 miles south-west of Gibraltar. The Emir was so badly damaged by the impact that she filled and sank instantly. The Silverton's crew sent boats to the rescue, but were only able to Tescue 27 survivors. Altogether 69 passengers and 24 of the crew were drowned.