The Oamaru Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1913.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVIII, Issue 12120, 23 December 1913, Page 4

The Oamaru Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1913.

On Friday last his Honor Sir Joshua Strange Williams Hade "His Honor." adieu to the law practitioners,, of the Dun--odin, district, with whom lie had during so many years been associated in his high judicial capacity. He no longer sits on the Supreme Court bench of this country, having been called to a higher, though not more 'Jionorab.le, position at the heart of the Empire. It is, in the nature of things, inevitable that even such useful careers, as his must come to an end, but the end is not yet. His Honor's talents and ripe -experience will, in his retirement-from strenuous work, be, available in the in- , terests of the Empire's highest Judicial tribunal.-. Thig unusual promotion to the judicial bench of the Privy Council of a colonial"judge is due to the growth of the Imperial sentiment and! the recognition that Britain's constitutional dependencies are a part of herself,; with privileges as well as obligations.-, ~Sucli a development is the outcome • of a national ' consciousness that Imperial safety., lies in no other direction,-, and ■that there must be co-operation .of all the Empire's parts to protect her name and those substantial interests\which enable her to maintain it. It was the late Richard':.Seddon who established this new and more intimate relationship between Britain and her based upon affection in the first- placit, it is true, but also upon self-protection and j it was' Sir Joseph Ward who crystallised I .tlie ldeaXat the Imperial Conference by I suggesting a Pan-Britannic representaLtive Parliament- at the-.Seat of Empire f as the rightful compleineiitof-i increased Colonial responsibilities'.The. .distinction which. has\hepn.-conferred.upo\ihj-s ' Honor Sir Joshua Strange Williams is : an agrwable acknowledgment of the rights as well as. the importance of the colonies, and will do..much to weld the nation "in all, its parts into-ari impregr liable whole, prepared to defend itself and ; thCi-rights of others for the betterment of humanity. Sir Joshua will carry-with-Aim-. the. affectionate regard, of the people of New Zealand and the sincore-st wishes that lie and his may long be preserved in happiness and health." I The 'Qamaru -Mail staff reciprocate

the kindly wishes of the officers and members of the Oamaru Fire Brigade and" Mr Charles Haines (Wellington) for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. -

r A somewhat remarkable shooting is credited to a Ma boron, senior cadet, who had never previously used; a service rifle. During the musketry course he scored the possible in >-the slow firing, a.nd one less than-the i possible in the rapid firing. In a sub-

sequent nratch, under' service conditions, he hit the target six times in ten shots. •

• In accordance with our usual cus--1 torn tile 'Oajnaru Mail will hot be published «6n Christmas Day, and Friday's edition will! ■ he published in the morning. Advertisers are requested to note the changes. A similar arrangement will obtiuti tit connection with the New Year holidays. An Old Uovs' Association has been , formed in connection with the Waitaki'Hiigh School, a -meeting for that pinpose being held in the Balfour Tea Rooms last evening. Mr Walter Similiter occiipied the chair. Several tending membirs wrote apologising 'for their liiabilitv'ito be present, and 'Mr M i.hiier wii-ed from Christch urch, wishing the Association every success. The , motion that the association-be formed was moved I byMr Walter , Sumpter and by Mr James Miller. ' The annual subscription was fixed at ss, this sum to include the subscription for the magazine; while a' donation of £3 3s' will entitle a person to life membership. The election of officers resulted; as follows Patron, Mr F.'Millier;' M.A-.president, Mr W. .Slimptor; T. H. Wilson (Auckland), Messrs A. J. Crave (Oamaru), E. E. Clowes (Dunedin), H. A. Chapman .: T..: A. diailby,' (S'.M.'; ! '•(Christchurch), W. J. Jones (Inveroargill), A.' C. Middleton (Waimat-e), James Emslie (Tima.ru), R. C. Ongley (Taihape), D..' A. Sellar R. "Grumitt (Wahganui). C. N'.'-'R'O'ul?; (Nelson), A.. M'Phail (Blen- • heim), C. Robinson (Masterton), G. Cnawshaw (Napier) secretary and treasurer, Mr W.- Atkinson; eomm.itteeJ—Messrs W. G. 'Alexander, Jas. Miller,- Jas. M'Laren, F. Jones, G. MiDouall, A. W. Moss, P. Cunningham, T. Creagh, and H.-B. Reid; auditors— A. Sutton and R. K. M'Ciylloeh. The committee submitted a list of rules, and these with several alterations:were finally adopted, on the motion of Messrs Creagh and Ward. Ex pupils and past amd! present masters are eligible for membership in the association. The urgency of making the pastoral runs, as the leases expire; as small as possible, as long as they are in payable areas, is shewn in the last of the Lands -Department, which states that only 4,500,000 acres of Crown lands remaining for subdivision and settlement, .and; that only IfIO.'OTX) acres of this area consists of -first-class land. This, we remind our renders, is ths conditions ; whipli has to be faced and which was.produced by the active settlement policy which was- prosecuted bv the Liberal Government. 1 Saich a-small Temnant of lands, mostly^i:indifferent and remote from communications. with

markets, does not provide much material for the carrying out of the specially grand and vigorous settlement policy to which the'" Government pledged .itself in a fit of thoughtlessness. There can he no settlement without

land, and another New Zealand cannot in these unmiraculous days Be fished up out of a. canoe, as the Maoris dragged up- the land in which we live. .It is more than ever imperative' that large holdings, whether State' or private, should cease to exist. As we stated some

weeks ago, the members' of the Land Board "who recently conducted the classification of ■ Omsirajna decided that it;- was advisable to subdivide the big holding;-and there ; is little doubt that it will not be let in ohe lot. again, but what '.concerns' us together with all- who desire; tho prosperity iof 'the 'district is that the cutting'up .may be effected to the greatest advantage. ThU 31unicii3al. , 'G'ai'(lens are at their loveliest. Diiiraling - white paths -wind through trimjjans 'wad. well-kept beds, and the gloom and «oddenness of the past .month might be: a: dreani\ for all the effect: it appears to have had on the ; sun-flecked • glades. - Roses are in great evidence, the rose arch being especially . w'elit ■ covered ', with heavily-scented ' blooms. The 'lake has been cleaned out and everything is ready for. the pic--1 nickers who, with reason, choose this as the spot for a Christmas al fresco. The hildren's playground, the happy inspiration and gift of Miss Chase, is already partly in use, two double swings and a 20ft. see-saw having been put up. Other diversions for young folk tohait ■ wilil' shortly be -installed arc American double chairs, a giant stride, parallel bars, "an ocean wave, many sriiallr.box sivings under the trees for ; the; tinier mites, s and a fenced-in sand-pit in a sunny hollow where : castles may be made quite as effectively as 011 the surf-fringed beach of reality. The playground is an open grassy spot, just across the creek from . the band rotunda', enclosed by a semicircle of silver poplars, firs, and oaks oil the sunny side and the fenced creek o -nthe other, and is an ideal corner for r&jreation. 'and rest. The Waimate picnic is:', coining to the Gardens on January • . i; Yesterday the Oamaru Mail referred to the inconvenience caused owing to there being no bridge suitable for crdijiary vehicular traffic across-the : Otekaike River. In this connection the Clerk of the Waitaki County Council state® t3iat plans of a light traffic bridge-'were-' prepared over two months ago and submitted to the Public Works Department for approval, but they : have liot yet been returned. The, plans .'submitted-were of a bridge 450 feet :n length. *; Mr R. Milligan has returned to New Zealand, via Auckland, and his arrival back in Oamar-n is : looked for about the end of the week.

, -Mr W. Gibb, secretinry to the Hospital Trustees, asks lis to "acknowledge; "a gift of -£8 4s to the hospital from the 'Oaniaru Woollen Factory; employees.' Sergeant G. Swiinard, of AVGohipany, 10th (North 'Otago) Regiment, and Rifleman,-Drennan (North Otago Rifle Club) will compete at the -WeHingtaft Rifle meeting on the' 26th and 27th inst. Sergeant Swimard will compete also at tli« Auckland Rifle meeting on January Ist, 2nd; and 3rd.

Th& Waitaki is in heavy flood: just now riiid if tlie warm weather lasts will probably Msehstill further. No reports of ; fislierWe.n's.', success*' have : c'oi.ne to hand from that quarter save in regard to Messrs Geo. Tomlinson. 13 fish up to G.Vlb and W.. B. Hutchison 6 fish. The Eakanni, bow-ever, is clearing 'up and Willi be in first-classorder-foiTtlio-hoHdays if "the weather holds. Superintendent-, Mitchell succeeds Sunerintendent J)wyer in Dunedin. We have-*received from Messrs W. and R\ Chambers, Ltd., a copy of "Hilda's Experiences," by Mary Baldwin; which i.3-*a splendid holiday story for schoolgirls. The heroine, Hilda do Trafford. a- typical English girl, 1 on' ac-, count of ill-health, has to leave her stately home in England to go to relations who live in a very happy-go-lucky bush home at Attunga, in Australia. From Hilda's arrival at her aunt's until her departure some two years hence, we have a. very humorouk and interesting narrative, and excitement is not wanting either, for in the chapters- entitled "A Flooded Township," "A Bush Fire,'' -and "'A Snake Bite." the reader becomes quite thrilled with the adventures, and enioys every part of them. Rut we must not reveal any more of this delightful book. We will leave its prospective- readers to find out for themselves. ~

Miss Hannon notifies ilj'e public that she has engaged Mr Trillo as foreman pastrycook. and solicits a fair share of Xmas trade. '