NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 806, 2 May 1910, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

IBy TelesraDb.—Prosa Ausoclatlon.l 4 MH. MASSEY AT CREYMOUTH, NATIVE LAND LEGISLATION Creymouth, April 30., Mr. Massey returned to Greymouth tins morning, and received a deputation of Greymouth 'Native lessees, who stated their case at length, showing the necessity for obtaining legislation dealing comprehensively with Nativo land which had been so materially improved by Europeans, at Grey mouth. Mr. Massey, replying, expressed the full sympathy of himself and party to the request of the deputation, and. they would support any such legislation. Mr. Massey. subsequently visited tha State mine, and v : i,l proceed to Christchurch on Monday. A PRESENTATION. Timaru, April 30. Mr. A. Beswick, borough overseer, after being for 27 years in the employ of the Timarn Borough- Council, ia leaving to take up farming pursuits m the Nelson district. To-day he was mest by about twenty of his fellow employees, and Mayor Craigie on their behalf presented him with two' substantial tokene of esteem, one for himself and one for his wife. The Mayor said the town was losing a very valuable asset through the departure of Mr.- Beswick, who W2« as honest, capable, and conscientious a public servant as he had ever known. All those who had worked under him spoke highly of Mr. Beswick as a "boss,"and expressed deep regret at losing <h» they had learned to like so well.

A RECORD. Dunedin, Apifl 30. The deaths in the Dunedin district'-' for the month ended today totalled 100, which is a. reoorcL A DREDCE IN ROUGH WCATHCB. Auckland, May L . The Hapai (the new dredge for tha Auckland Harbour Board) arrived from. Greenock to-day, after a rough voyage* - She was hove-to for five days in tha Bay of Biscay, owing to heavy; seas; which swept several casks of oil over* board,. besides flooding. the dredge'a cabin. ; A sailor named Tayior, who was injured, was taken ashore.-at Malta* EMPLOYMENT OF LASCARS. Auckland, April SO. Mr. Kneen, secretary of the Seamen's Union, denies the statement that tho P. and 0. Company employs Lascars because it cannot get a sufficient number of trustworthy hands. Other companies, he says, do not discard whites for cheap coloured labour. If the Lascar was a citizen of the Empire, why was he not treated as such? "Why waa he segregated from the. white crew-? - 'Why wera his living quarters only a tithe of that ordered for each white man? Why did the British Government, when chart*®ing a P. and 0. liner as a troopship for India, stipulate that Lascars mas; be replaced by whites? As to the asser-. tion that the company, did not employ Lascars' for the- reason thai they were cheap, the official figures proved that on an intercolonial steamer the cost of. running the stokehole! alone was greater, than the deck, stokehole, and stewards on a P. and-.0. liner.