ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12989, 2 June 1904, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Om Ow.vCop-respoxdent.) LONDON, April 23. Jn the House of lords the doy before, yesterday. Lord Uoauohamp asked whether tho (jorci'iiinciit would communicate to the House the correspondence between the Colonial Office and the New Zealand Government with regard to the Preferential Trade Act. The Duke of Marlbnrough pointed out ■ that (his act \«i<s passed by the New Zoalund Legislature nt the end of last your,, in piiraiuiiioo of tho deoision of the Conference of Colonial Premiers that they would recommend to their respective (lOverninents somo system of preference) to the Mother Country. The Colonial Oflioo lind no correspondence with regard to this particular bill till they rcceivod u telegram from .Lord Raiifurly, the Governor of New Zealand, on November 21—two or three daye after tho measure was passed,— announcing the fact. The preference granted to fireat Britain and her colonic* as compared with foreign oountrios was considerable—the third schedule, indeed, providing that British goods should come in free where foreign goods had to pay 20 per cent. Lord lieauchamp would therefore not be surprised that, in reply to the telegram front the Governor, the becrofary of Stato telegraphed that "the Government have received with much satisfaction your telegram of November 21, reporting that tho Now Zealand Legislature has passed a bill giving preferential rates of C'nslonw duly to tho United. Kingdom. They regard this spontaneous concession as a further proof of the steadfast determination of the

people of Now Zealand to promoto tho strength and solidity of the Empire." There wore ono or two other telegronw and a Government despatch, and be would have them all printed and circulated, together with a copy of the dobates in the New Zealand Legislature, if it could be obtained, In " Getting a Living (says a London paper) Mr Bolon, an American writer, has given us a very interesting and important treatise dealing with tjupstiona of social economics in a thoroughly competent manner. Though tho English in which the book is cast is somewhat difficult to understand, this- work merits the most careful etudy. On many points it meets and rohuta the statements of Mr Ghent's "Benevolent Feudalism." Mr Bolen is not enamoured or modern municipalism, which, he thinks, tends to favour a small number of workers at the expense of the community; holds that the living wage theory is thoroughly unsound: and criticises tho econonuo position of Australia severely. He thinks that New Zealand is creating pauperism by her old-tee pension system, and points to the heavv debts of those new countries as disquieting. "The Stato's advantage, emphasised bv Socialists, of being able tobovrov at low "interest disappears when it tries to do too much," he says. 'flint is (he explanation of tho embarrassment in wnicli our municipalities are finding themselves today And repudiation, moro or less veiled, is tho invariable sequel of excessivq bor"under the heading "Maori, Maori,' , the .Morning Leader says: "A fw days ago an advertisement was appearing m (no columns of a contemporary inviting tlio services pf a young man aa \n tho office of a. company, tfio stipulation being that tho selected candidate should invest £75, repayable on his leaving tlio post, fhe Kilary promisod was £2 por week. Wo havo frequently warned inqmrors against making investments in obscure undertakings as a condition to employment, and that general warning appears specially applicable- in tho present ease. An entorprisins; young man with'whom spelling wa3 admittedly not a strong point, and , whoso handwriting is hardly worth speaking about, but who is the fortunate possessor of seme small means, had tho curiosity to apply in terms of _ the advertisement, aiid in due course rc-eeivcd tho offer of. the vacant under-sccrotarysliip. contingently upon his leaving his £75 with a oertain Mr William Ramsey, who is anxious to become the promoter of the New Zealand Exhibitions (Limited). It may bethat Mr Ramsey required tlijs trifling loan to enable him to register his company at Somerset House, and to nay tho necessary stamp duty on the proposed" oapital of £25,000. Ho has, however, gone so far as to produce a proof prospectus 'subject to modifications,' in whioh the r'ousli outline of hie project is rc-vcaled. The "object of tho New Zealand Exhibitions (Limited)," continue* 'ho Mopiing Leader, "is boldly asserted to bo • 'to advauee trade with New Zealand and to Rive entertainments in London during'the season of 1505.' Mr 'William Eamsc-y appears to bo gifted with a vivid imagination and a keen cyo for theatrical effect. " The wain features of the entertainments which he will place bofore the public—when be has found a staff to provide him with tho wherewithal —will include tho dramatic representation ot tho landing in New Zealand of the first Maoris in their -famous war -anoes; tho arrival of Captain Cook in Now Zealand; tho Maori as a- sayago warrior, introducing historic episodes of tho war with tho British; fesliyal dances by warriors and women, including tho ' halca,' tho ' poinbi,' and others that are "intensely dramatic in their weird and picturcequo barbarity'; and last, but not least, Maori wedding feasts, which are still ' charaotcriMxl by the barbaric observances of their .early history.' Then thoro is to bo a faithful reproduction of a Maori na, or village, in which will ho dopietod 'the domestic- lifo of this physically noble and interesting race.' Mr Ramsey is sanguine .enough to assert that ' thi» exhibition will'bo the.most interesting and novel spectacle over presented ■ before- the people of this country.' His intention—or perhaps •wo should' say, his after the London season has,expired, to exhibit at some of the large provincial contree, and. if advisable, at Continental -towns, during tho subsequent 12 months." . . .

This week a- case of fome- interest to Xew Zealand and involving the Question of what is sufficient notice of an accident under the Workmen's Compensation Act, camt- before Mr Justico Sinyly at Bow. County Court. The applicant, a man named Rowlands, who v/as injured in the back on the 7th of Ootooer

last lyhilo his ship was in dock, failed to jjive notice of t!|6 accident in writing, inn. informed "tho engineer vertajly. Thinking that Itowl.rids referred to a similar accident which lie met with some months earlier, and which his employers, the Xew Zealand .Shipping Company, werq not ]inh|o for as ;lio ship was tlion at sea. the. engineer did not report tho matter. Mr Fifminger. who appeared for the company, contended tlwt tho company was prejudiced by tin absence of written notice, as it was unable to have tho man medically examined. Mr Justice Smyly, however, held that tho verhal notii? was sufficient! anil msfflo an awnrd in favour vif Rowlands.

Yesterday Mr Justice Kekowich resumed the bearing of the action of Tuit versus Macleay, in which the plaintiff, Mr William Tnit, sued Mr Sinclair Madeay, claiming compensation for loss alleged.to have been hUituinod by him by reason.of untrue statements contained in the prospectus of the Standard Exploration Compiuiy, of which the defendant, was a director, and which was issued by the defendant, and on the faith of which the plaintiff was induced to subscribe for 200 snares in the company. For the defonoo it was pleaded that no statements in tho proopeotus wore untrue, ami that every sliitnmcut was correct in substance and fact, and tho defendant, had ovci'y groiiml for believing that the statements inado were true. In giving judgment, Mr Justice Kekcwich said the plainiiff must pruvo that he did take the shares on tho face, of the prospactus, and there seemed from his evidence that there waa no room for doubt on that point. They must, regard thi> whole, ease as a whole, and the evidence- as a whole. Here the plaintiff had sworn pesitively that his attention was called to tho statement of tho share iicp.'irtmciit paragraph that Iho company had already acquired largc holdings in various prommiiK companies, including the London and filolm, which tho plaintiff supposed had met, with coroiidcrablv success. Tho plaintiff's attention was n'.w called to tho important fact that these Holdings had been acquired on such terms that between tho date of iho issue of the prospectus and the acquisition of the shares there had been a ]jrofi!, (>f £150,000. The plaintiff said be believed that profit to havo Seen realised in tho ordinary sense :>f the word, and that tho dirootors, fioing nstute men, had secured that largo advantage. The slatemont in the prospectus in this rrsprJ waß untrue, the shaves not being held by tho Standard Company. He found, thi-rii-fore, that tho. statements .were untrue in that, respect, and on that ground the plaintiff was entitled to recover damages. Again, tho statement that the.ro were properties ■which bed teen acquired for the consideration of 775,000 fully-paid (shares was not the exact truth, and, .is regarded Hint charge, , under tho Directors'-Liability Act the plaintiff was entitled to succeed. The defendant said that by May 12 ho had forgotten an agreement made in October, but in a Mt?.e liko that a director could not bo allowed to say that he sat- down at a mooting and forgot the existence of an agreement which was referred to in the minute; read at that meeting. Ho must, therefore, bo held to have knowingly omitted to havo stated tho contract in the prospectus. Defendant showed a certain amount of earo-lessnoss and submission to the assurances of higher powers; therefore, the learned judge could not condone him under tho net. and mutt hold him liablo. There would be a :loclaration that, .the defendant Was liable to compensate tlic plaintiff for loss and damage" sustained by him by reason of the untrue statements in tho prospcctu3, and an inquiry would bo ordered. Tho declaration would carry costs, but the costs of tho inquiry would be reserved.