BURDEN OF RANK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17765, 26 April 1921, Page 6

BURDEN OF RANK.

YOUNG BARONET'S LAMENT. SIR GRAEME LOCKHART'S STORY. [from our own correspondent.] SYDNEY, April 20. An arrival by the P. and 0. liner Morea on her last trip to Sydney was Sir Graemo Duncan Power Sinclair Lockhart, a Now Zealander by birth. Ho is only 24 years of age, although ho looks older. Sir Graemo Lockhart, whose democratic homeliness on board tho Morea served to put him on good terms with everyone, from tho magnate wallowing in wealth to the humblest steward, reminded one very much of the man from Mexico who had bars all round and not a drop to drink. Ho has his broad, fertile agricultural acres, 6500 of them; he has his stately home, a photograph of which he proudly showed tho writer; and ho has his coalmine; but ho gave ono the impression that ho would bo happier if, by tho magic of alchemy, ho could turn all these things into burnishing gold beforo a rapacious British Government swallows up tho whole lot in death duties and taxation.

As to his coal pit at Wisliaw, he was not certain whether it had not been flooded in keeping with British striketimo methods, but he hoped to hear more about it later and about the lease which had been grafted of it to a colliery company on a royalty basis. As to his broad acres, lie says he is selling half tho estate in order to clear off tho death duties. "I will not," ho lamented, "havo a penny to spend unless I clear off the death dutiop." " Everything," he proceeded to remark, in the course of a chat on board, "goes in death duties and taxation, and that is the case with every propertied Scotsman. Things, however, will be all right in a year or two." His demeanour doca not suggest that lie is very greatly perturbed about tho greediness of the British Government, His life story is an interesting one. It was on tho death of his father, Sir Robert Duncan Lockhart, iii Auckland at about the time of tho influenza epidemic, that ho suddenly came into the title and estates, under the hereditary Order of Novia Scotia, of which ho is ono of the three remaining holders, and which was instituted as far back as King James, in about 1656. His mother and his brother are living in New Zealand. Tho pressman asked Sir Graeme when he was going back to Scotland. "I am going back there some day," he said, "but I don't know when. All my interests are now there, /however, and in order to get the best out of one's property it is necessary for him to be present to supervise its working. I will go back as soon as affairs are a bit more settled. Unemployment in Scotland is acute just now. In Glasgow alone it is estimated that there aro 30,000 unemployed. The fact that the shipyards have closed down is largely responsible for the position." Officially, tho young baronet is on furlough from his regiment, the Scottish Horse, in which lie holds the rank of lieutenant, having been recommended for a commission by the Duko cf Athol, who met him at a social function in Scotland and discussed the matter with him. Unofficially, he has. to quote his own words, " One or two pals with sheep stations in New Zealand," and, at their invitation, he is going to put in a year or two with them, before returning to his estates.

When war was declared, Sir Graeme, who had not then succeeded' to the title, was workinc on a station on the east coast of New Zealand. Shortly afterwards, he joined the 11th Squadron of the New Zealand Rifles and served with that regiment in Egypt and Palestine. After the Gaza battle, he was invalided back to New Zealand, and in 1918. upon his father's death, he ( went to Scotland to look after the estates which had fallen to him.

Sir Graeme is single, and is likely to remain single, judginc; from his jocular reference to the matter.