THE LAWS OF THE LAND.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 103, 29 October 1900, Page 6

THE LAWS OF THE LAND.

MORE LEGISLATION OF LAST SESSION. The folloAving are the provisions of some more of the Acts passed by the Legislature during * the session just closed : — LOaiSS TO LOCAL BODIES. T.he question has been, raised on more than one occasion whether the Loans to | Local Bodies Act applied in cases Avhere the ratepayers do not exceed 100 in any i pari. of the district. The Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment, Act was 'passed to set at rest all doubts or/ the subject by making it perfectly clear that the Act shall apply in such cases. The Act also provides that the provisions of sections 2y anc 1 30 of the principal Act, relating to the increase or dimiriutionV)f a special irate, shall apply in cases ' where tho annual produce of the rate is diminished or increased by reason of property ceasing to be ratable, or becoming ratable cutting -- *c currency of the loan. This applies to loans current at the time of the coming into operation of the new Act. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. I The Agricultural' and Pastoral Societies Act Amendment Act was introduced in order to encoxvrage the holding of winter slioavs of agricultural produce by societies registered under the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Act, 1877.' With '.that object it provides that such societies may acquire freehold oi leasehold Jand, Avith or without buildings, and equip such holding, either for -the use of the society or its tenants. The societies are also empoAvercd Io raise money ■on debentures, on such lands for the purpose of acquiring the property, and to appoint a sub-committee for its management. The profit arising from the letting and any land or building is to be applied, first to the payment of all necessary outgoings m connection .with the same, and, second'y. in the reduction of any mortgage or other loans raised under this Act, and after payment of such loans, shall be applied to the general purposes of the society, DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY. The Testator's Family Maintenance Act was before the House in 1898, but did not reach the Statute Book uitlil this session. Formerly, amp 1 © proAnsion was made for the Aviie or children of , a person who died leaving property, and disposing of it by will, but in the Went of a person so AvilUng his property that hi# Avifo or family 'Vere left, destitute, there aa i\x no provision by whiijh the*

inequitable . will could bo sei ir--ide. Under this -Vet, however, a deceased person's estate is made noble tor* the maintenance of the wife, husband, or children in cases where no proper provision is made by will, and the Supreme Court is empowered, on application, to order such provision as it deems fit to made out of the estate. Applications must be made within six months from the date of the grant of probate of the will, and orders made % under the Act must not be mortgaged or assigned. THE PACIFIC CABLES. The Pacific' Cable Authorisation Act of 1899 set down a certain sum as the total cost of the Pacific Cable, and provided that the colony of New Zealand should pay one - ninth of the ambuut. YVhen the tenders for the construction of the cable were sent in there Avere indication^ that the „ cost would be more than that provided for in the original Act. The Act just passed therefore provides that New Zealand's share of the cost shall be one-ninth, without specifying any particular amount. NATIVE INTERPRETERS. The Native Interpreters Classification Act is designed to facilitate transactions between Maoris and Europeans. For that purpose it empowers the Governor, or in other words the .Native Minister, to classify interpreters into two classes, firstgrade and second-grade. It is, however, provided that all persons holding licenses at the date of the passing of the Act shall be deemed first-grade interpreters, unless or until they are .reduced ,to the second-grade. ;, Persons, .hqlding firstgrade .licenses will be entitled to act as interpreters in all matters for which, n licensed interpreter is required, but the holders of second-grade certificates will be limited in their, operations by regulations. Under these regulations the Governor may prescribe a form of examination, or the examination may be dispensed Tviczi in the case of any person who is, under the hand of a competent Maori scholar, certified to be efficient. Power is given to the Governor to reduce m grade any person by reason of inconfpetence, or other .good cause, and he may restore to his former grade and interpreter so reduced on his passing the necessary examination,. The second-grade interpreters, it may be added in further explanation, will be permitted to perform minor services, such as interpreting ordi nary • business matters between Maoris and Kuvopeans, which at present can only be performed by interpreters under the native Land Court Act, 'lBs4, and whose engagement for those minor services previously # entailed considerable expense, but they will be prevented from engaging in the larger and more' important matters ■which are specified under the Native Land Court Act. TRUST FUND INVESTMENTS. The object of the British Investors in New Zealand Government Securities Act is to enable trust funds io the United Kingdom to ba invested ih colonial securities. The Act applies to a!l bonds, debentures, scrip, inscribed stock, and other securities heretofore or hereafter created or issued on behalf of the Government of New Zealand, and secured by or charged upon the public revenues tv consolidated fund of New Zealand, or forming part, of the public debt of New Zealand, in respect of money borr6wed under the authority of any Act heretofore or hereafter passed by the General Assembly of New Zealand. Wuenever by the final judgment of any Court of competent jurisdiction in the United Kingdom any sum of money is adjudged to be payable by the New Zealand Government in respect of any New Zealand Government securities, the Colonial Treasurer shall pay the same out of the New Zealand Public Account in London. The Act further states that if hereafter ilie General Assembly passes any Act which in the opinion of the Imperial Government injuriously affects the rights of the holders of New Zealand Government securities, or alters the terms of the contract under •which such securities were created or issued, such Act may be disallowed by Her Majesty.

At the annual dinner of the Wellington College Old Boys' Association, Mr. A. de B. Brandon, in proposing the toast of "The Old School," made reference to the proposal of the Government to take part of the College reserve for a site for the Victoria College. Although 'the nominal area of the reserve was 69-£ acres, he said, less than 17 acres were approximately flat, and of that a large portion was quite unfitted for building purposes, so that there was now no area o-f ten. acres available besides. The growth of Wellington College^ad been so rapid that it would soon be necessary to increase the accommodation, and the flat ground east and west of the present building was Vequired for that purpose. The Government has introduced a Bill to acquire ten acres < of the reserve for Victoria College, but on, the representation of the Board of Governors ifc had not been gone on with in the late session. That 1 was the position of affairs at "present. Mr. W. H. Field,. M.H.R., expressed himself, though a supporter of the present Government, as in favour of granting the Mount Cook site to the University authorities, and strongty deprecated the proposed encroachment on the Collegia reserve for a university site. He fully saw that every inch of the flat and undulating 1 land would ere lang be wanted for building and playground sites, and he thought that the Old Boys' Association should take steps to give expression in the proper quarter to its feeling in the matter. Mr. T. R. Fleming, Inspector of Schools, and member of the Victoria College Council, pointed out that it was a mistake to suppose that the Wellington College and Victoria College were antagonistic. They were, as a matter of fact, complementary, and the success of the one was dependent on the success' of the v other. Each had its • own sphere of Avprk, and to' cramp either '6f them was to 'hinder the other. The feeling of those present was evidently unanimously in favour of preserving the CoHege reserve , infcaet, to provide for the expansion of Wellington College. A Christehurch case is before the Court of Appeal this afternoon, the appellant being the Christchuroh Tramway Company and the respondent John Eldred. The respondent 1 was engaged by ttie company in 1892 as canvasser imd collector in respect of advertisements on the tramways. On the 1 termination of lii&J engagement in June of this year he brought an action against the company for commission due, 'and recovered judgment for £101 2s 10d, being at the rate of 20 per cent, on all moneys uncollected in respect of contracts |for advertisements which were running at the time. On appeal to tho Supreme Court the judgment of the Magistrate was affirmed. The company' contends, in effect, that the judgment is opposed to the terms of the engagement. Mr. Wilding appears for the appellant company and Mr. Stringer for respondent, and argument was proceeding at tho time of going to press. There was a good attendance of members of the Petone Bowling Club on the green on Saturday, when the match Scotland v. the World, three teams a-side, was begun but not completed. The figures for Saturday were : — Scotland, 46 5 The World, 38. In a match for tho Fern-lef Budges, lteiad, Laurie, E. Home, Johnston (skip) beat Castle, King, Marsden, Kirk (skip) b.y 19 to 17. A Buckles j Match was lplaycd, in which Price, Udy, Mothes, Barlow (skip) beat Carter, Manning-, Colquitt, Reynolds (skip) by 24 to 7. ' J

We understand that Mr \T. 11. Field, M.H.R. for Otiiki, is devoting the £40 voted to him in excess of his honorarium, to a charitable object or objects in his electorate. Tbe third party of "Clarion" settlers (brought out under the direction of Mr. Ranstead) arrived last week by the Tokomaru. As AvaS done with the* other parties, the men were and by the officers of the Labour Department, and given advice as to the possibilities of obtaining work in the colony. Some were assisted to', jobs in the country, and a few obtained places in the city. ' , The Government steamer Hinemoa, Avhieh is to leave for the Kermadecs via East Coast ports to-morrow, Avill take back Mr. and Mrs. Bell, of Sunday Island, who have been on a visit to New Zealand for some months. The Cabinet decided to-day to invite applications in the colony for the position of Parliamentary Librarian, at a salary of £400 per annum. In a speech . concluding yesterday's proceedings on the Basin ReseiTe, Mr. J. Mackay, President of the Friendly Societies' Council, referred to the Corporation's refusal to grant the use of the Reserve on the previous Sunday "because there had been some rain." The speaker said the success of the demonstration had been seriously affected by that action of the Council, for 'the afternoon had turned out to be bright, anil he did not think the ground would have suffered. MX Mackay added— "The Corporation should be advised to put the Basin Reserve in a glass case, for all the Use it is to the citizens of Wellington generally 1" The remark Avas received with applause. Mr. C. W. Calo, formerly of Wellington, has been appointed manager of the Hastings branch of the Bank of . New Zealand: ' \ Two prohibited persons, James Armstrong and Hy. Carter, were charged in the Magistrate's Court this morning AA'ith having been found on licensed premises. Armstrong was fined 40s, or' in default seven days' imprisonment. The evidence against Carter shoAved that he was working on a contract for the erection of a neAV bar in the Cricketers' Arms Hotel. His Worship said he Avas aware that ifc would be urged that accused had been on the premises for hnvful purposes. The law, however, proyided /t-hafc a prohibited person should not) be on licensed premises for any purpose or on any pretext. The defendant was, therefore, fined 20s, or in default seven days' imprisonment. The sentence avos afterwards remitted. Alex. Smith, the licensee of the hotel, charged with having permitted the man to be on his licensed premises while prohibited, said he understood that as long as the man Avas working on the premises and Avas not there for the purpose of obtaining drink, he was not breaking ths law. As a matter of fact, the contractor was in' charge of the building. His Worship said he Avas satisfied that tho licensee had acted in a bona fide manner, and he would therefore dismiss the charge. After an absence of six months, Mr. T. Shields, avlJo is well known ' in business and athletic circles, returned to Wellington by the Tokomavu. Mr. Shields combined business Avith pleasure in his visits to England, Ireland, Scotland, and the Paris Exhibition. The , latter shoAV he considers one of the wonders of the world. As he had been same seventeen years away from the Old Country, he noticed a great difference in the appearance of London and GlasgoAV, where municipal progress has made- such distinct impress xipon the thoroughfares and parks. Whilst in London, the Wellingtonian rode in the much - discussed "twopenny-tube" — an, eight-mile ride from the heart of the metropolis, in the daintiest and most comfortable of carriages, for twopence. The journey is all underground, the tube in Avhieh the electrically-driven cars travel being below the sewers. Trains leave the underground stations every two - minutes, and crowds travel by every train. The journey is done in seven minutes. Mr. Shields is keenly interested in aquatic sports, and he found splendid swimming baths provided for the people by the municipal authorities of Glasgow o,nd London. The annual meeting of the TaratahiCarterton Racing Club will be held on Prince of Wales's Birthday and the following day. Acceptances for the events will close on Monday next. The hat sale at Mr. Short t' e Mart, 'Willisstreet, still continues. Ladies can take their families to the top floor of the Mart, Avhieh is quite private, and there can choose for themselves at a fixed low price.