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Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXV, Issue 1929, 20 March 1905, Page 5

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[By Snioer.] The Greaßed Lightning Land Commission when fairly going ia a perfect scorcher. Wonderful to relate opposite the word Sunday in the advertised itinaries of the Commission is marked the one word—• Rest!' Well earned, too, judging by the scampering done on the other six. The Commission is evidently bent on seeing as much of the colony as possible, during their pleasant little government jaunt. The evidence will pile up into huge heaps among which the members must dig and root and sift in order to fix up their report. No one envies them the job. Certainly the un» charatable say that, barring only the necessary signatures, the report has already been written to the dictation of Dick, and that all this eager searching after information is but so much dust for the benefit of the public eye. Be that as it may, any one who has seen the Commission must be struck by the fact that the tax-payers is bleeding fretly to enable Richard to dodge a decision on the Land Question prior to a count of noses.

The Russian Bear has received by the hands of the Japanese Monkey, the greatest drubbing he has experienced since the stubborn fijiht of Borodino. This has been no strategic movement to the rear with a view of enticing the Japanese inland ; if so, the leaving be» hind of 500 guns and 50,000 prisoners is carrying realism to excess. Whether this overwhelming defeat will end in peace is the question now. Russia has won nothing beyond a skirmish in this war, and now that Kuropatkin's army has gone to 'almighty smash,' is not likely to win anything. An army that has had the rough handling and suffered the enormous losses that the Russian Manchurian army has suffered, must be of good btuff if it can come up smiling again, after being repeatedly knocked over the ropes, and, good as the Russian is, he hardly attains that standard. The Czar, stubborn where he ought to be yielding, declares for a more vigorous prosecution of the war ; the Apostle of Peace hankers after more eeas of blood. Why ? because the defeat of Bussia means the downfc.ll of the autooracy. So thousands must did to prop up a rotten throne. The question is, will they do it ?