TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3746, 22 May 1899, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

WANLANXI WILL CASE

Tho Chief Justice has delivered his reserved judgment in the Wanganui, case, in ro James Alexander’s will, Campbell v. Alexander. His Honor said tne principal question raised in this originating summons was whether the tenants for life under a trust of a testator’s residuary real and personal estate were entitled to enjoy in specie the actual net income from a leasehold (part of tho residue), which leasehold the trustees had left unrealised. His Honor said it was to be observed that the testator, when directing tho payment to the tenants for life, spoke only of the residuary estate, evidently meaning not only tho unconverted but the converted —the invested procoeds of 1-esidue. He thought the leasehold' properties should bo realised without unnecessary delay, tho trustees exercising their discretion as to the time and modo of sale. Ho also thought the proceeds from gravel should be treated as conversion, and dealt with as capital and invested. The costs of the several parties attending the summons were ordered to bo paid out'of the estate. \N IKON INDUSTRY FOR THIS COLONY. It may not bo generally known that Mr Joseph Taylor, mining geologist, of Collingwood, who is announced to lecture in tho large hall at the Technical School to-morrow night on tho subject of manufacturing iron and steel in this colony, is the same gentleman who delivered several lectures on this subject and other cognate mining subjects in 1894, both in this city- and in Nelson and other parts of the colony. Mr Taylor was then newly out from England, where ho had been a teacher of tho principles of mining under the Government Science and Art Department, South Kensington. He was also Travelling Mining Lecturer to the Staffordshire County Council. Mr Taylor’s lectures were spoken of in the highest terms by the English press. The “Staffordshire Sentinel” described them as “both instructive and of vast practical importance to tho mining world.” During the last four or five years Mr Taylor has settled down in the Collingwood district, as wo recently pointed out. Ho has put his special knowledge of mining geology to practical use ,and has become himself tho proprietor of a coal mine at Puponga, on the Golden Bay side of Capo Farewell, where he has been engaged in opening up coal measures which belong to the bituminous ■ variety, and are said to he similar in character to those of Westport. Mr Taylor is familiar with the vast mineral resources of Golden Bay district, haring given special attention to coal and iron, the development of which ho has maintained, both in Wellington and throughout the- Nelson province, is the great industrial hope. The lecture tomorrow* night is likely to prove of importance to tho industrial part of the community, and there can bo little doubt that the subject is one involving considerable potentialities for the people of the colony. Tho lecture is to be given under the auspices of the Wellington Industrial Association, the president of which is to take the chair. No charge will ho made for admission. THE CHIEF JUSTICESHIP. ~lt is understood that Sir James Prendcrgast will vacate the Cliief Justiceship "on the 25th inst. A report is very generally current H. D. 8011, tho well-known barrister, has been approached as to his willingness to fill the vacant position.