Untitled

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17430, 15 April 1922, Page 16

Mr H. D. M. Hmzard, formerly Commissioner ,of Crown La,' ds for Canterbury, who has returned from a tour of N California, Mexico, Panama, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, the Philippines; Hong Kong, and Japan, told a representative of "The Press''that land tenures in these countries were nowhere so fully advanced as in New Zealand. In Chile he visited his brother, Mr Reginald Haszard, who received his training m mining at'Waihi, and who is manager and " part-owner of the Condoriaca (',' the Eagle's House") mines (gold and silver) situated; at an altitude of 5000 feet m the Andes. In Chile the production of nitrntes at one period netted the country £27,000,000 per annum, but since the war a big decline has set in. The Chilians are Iceen in adopting advanced legislation and iinder the iioensin'g laws six o'clock closing is. provided, but the law is evaded by enterprising hotelkeepere who sell sandwiches after <3 p.m. and throw in a ' drink. From Chile Mr Haszard has brought some samples of glasses and 'some alfalfa seed he intends to grow in Canterbury. There is an extensive traniway system in Santiago and one can travel tor three miles, first-class, for a halfpenny, and secondclass for a farthing. In Japan Mr Haszard found that the influence of the Anglo-Japanese treaty is distinctly notioeable; the railway time-tables are printed in Japanese and English, the names of the railway stations are printed in English, and many business places bear quaintly worded notices in English—one tradesman announcing: "Beefs in wholesale prices." The finish has come to an experiment which was undertaken a while ago by the Otago Acclimatisation Society (says the "Otago Daily Times"). It sent to India for males and females of the game -bird of Upper India known as the chikor. Twenty-four were ordered. Half the number- perished on the voyX, The survivore did not fare well r landing. One by one they died off, in spite of all the care bestowed by Mr R. Conn, who undertook personal custody and attention in the society's interest. During the summer just departed only one tird was left, a lovely cock, and he was prospering, and was intended to be mated with chikor hens that were imported to Auckland; but a few.'days ago a ferret got into the roost, and that was the end of it. If Otago is to have the chikor they will haye to be reintroduced.