ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13263, 20 April 1905, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

•|From Odp. Owx Correspondent.) LONDON, March 4. The form of statute establishing the Beit Professorship of Colonial History in connection with the University of Oxford v,-as promulgated in congregation on Tuesday, and the preamble was approved. " While largo cities and towns like Liverpool, Brighton, Plymouth, and Portsmouth, and far distant places like Port Louis in Mauritius, and Wanganui in New Zealand have for a long time used motor fire apparatus, London, with the largest lire brigade in the world, will receive i!s first motor steam fire engine to-day" (remarked a London paper last Tuesday). A'trial of this powerful machine was made at tho works of the builders at Greenwich, Messrs Merryweather and Sons. Tim motor principle has already been applied to fire-escapes. Tho new dredger, Murihiku, which'has been supplied lit Messrs "William Simons and Co.. of Renfrew, to the order of.the •Bluff Ilarhoar Board, left the Clyde vocently 011 its way to the colony. Tt is a twin-screw combine and bucket and pump hopper dredger, whose dimensions are: Length i62ft, breadth 30ft, depth 13ft DimIts speed capacity is 7ji knots an hour. "If tho year 1901 was remarkable for the output of turbine steamers for-ocean traffic, tho year 3905 will bp still more so" (remarks The Times in the fir<t issue of ils Engineering Supplement), ft is added: " Messrs Denny and Co.. Dumbarton, last year launched seven turbine steamers, one of which, the Loongana. steamed out to New Zealand at an average speed of something over 16 knots. This is noteworthy as

the longest voyage yet made by a turbine steamer. Willi four boilers ai. work the Loongana can sustain a speed of 18 knots, and her voyage demonstrated that- at 16 fcnota and over (lie turbine is more economical than the rccipiocaiing engine. Under 16 knots the economy is less certain. Messrs Denny and Co. are building another turbine steamer for the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand. The adoption of the turbine for large cargo boats is being seriously considered by many shipowners." Mr Justieo Kekewich this neck beard motions concerning 77 actions which were now before him arising out. or the Standard Exploration Co. The company was promoted by the late Whitaker Wright, and actions of Treehmann v. Callhorpe and de la Court v. Clinton were heard by Mr Justico Joyce, by which relief was claimed by reason ot the issue of a prospectus on faith, in which (he plaintiffs alleged they liad taken shares, and this prospectus omitted the Austin Friars contract, which by statute it ought to have mentioned, and plaintiffs claimed they had suffered damage thereby. Mr Justice Joyce found [or the plaintiffs, and his decision was upheld by tho Court of Appeal. The defendants then wont to the House of Lords, where the cases havo not yet been decided. Tile motions now made were that tho hearing of tho oilier actions might stand over until Hie judgment of tho House of Lords hail boon given. The plaintiffs opposed the application, as in 12 actions an undertaking had been given to submit to judgment if tho decision of the House of Lords was against tho appeal. Mr Justice Kekewich ordered tho actions to be at the head of the daily cause list on tho 14th inst. All parlies by that time would lx> in a position to know whether they would bo prepared to submit to judgment, and whatever else remained to be tried could stand over until after the judgment of the House of Lords. On Wednesday the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council gave judgment respecting the claims of Natives of New Zealand against the Assets Company. Tho question was whether tho Supreme Court of Appeal rightly ordered tho conrcllation ot a certificate of title to certain lands which had been issued by the Assets Company. The parties to the. actions, which were consolidated, were;— The Assots Company versus Merc Roilii anil others; the Assets Company versus Wiremu Pere and another (consolidated appeals); the Assets Company versus Paiiapa Waihopi and others; the Assets Company versus Wi Pore and others (consolidated appeals); the Assets Company vers'.iji Teira Ganginui and others; the Assets Company versus Ileni Tipuna and others (consolidated appeals). The arguments, which lasted six days, were heard in November last before a board composed of. Lord Macnaglifen, Lord Davev, Lord Robertson, and Lord Lindley. v.'lien judgment- was- reserved. Counsel'for the a'ppel. lants were: Mr Ilaldane. K.C., Mr H. D. Bel! (of the New Zealand Bar), Mr Ocorge R. Northcote, and Mr J. Smith Clark; ■while the respondents were represented by Mr AV. L. I'ees (of the New Zealand Bar), Mr Lusk (ot the New Zealand Bar), and Mr Edward Bray. In delivering judgment this week the Judicial Committee said the substantial question was whether tile Assets Company liad acquired a good title as against the plaintiffs (the Native Maoris) of certain lands of which they bad been long out of possession. The. Assets Company'bad been for many years not only in possession, but also registered 111 the land registers of the colony as owner of the lands. The Natives brought actions to recover the land which formerly belonged to them. Certain irregularities were relied upon, and the C'our.t of Appeal gave judgment for the Natives. The Judicial Committee of tho Privy Council held that there might have been irregularities, but nothing substantially to affect the titlo of the Assets Company to the ownership of tho land. Their Lordships cculd not help thinking that the equitabledoctrines of constructive fraud bad weighed too much with the Court of Appeal, and had induced them to impute fraud to the Assets Company, although no dishonesty ■was established. Their Lordships based their judgment on the conclusiveness of the registered title in the absence of fraud. Judgment against the Natives, with costs, was pronounced accordingly, tho Judicial Committee humbly advising his Majesty to allow these appeals and to reverse the judgments appealed from, with costs, and to 1 enter judgment, in each action for the defendants (the Assets Company), with costs, and the costs of each appeal must be borne by the respondents thereto. The judgment was a very lengthy one, occupying

several columns of The Times when published tho day beforo yesterday. It was delivered by Lord Lindley. Last Monday evening Mr Henniker Ilea ton occupied the chair at a dinner which was given by the New Vagabonds' Club to t Lord Roberts, to Siguor Marconi, and to . the Hon. Beatrice O'Brien, who is shortly s to become the bride of the inventor of wireless telegraphy, In the course of a speech > the Chairman observed that Signor Marconi, who bad annihilated distance and time, - said that in time he would give a penny , wireless message to New Zealand., Signor 1 Marconi, in the course of his ieply, said j that his expectations were more than fully e realised. This new method' of communica--0 lion bad reached the stage of being in t ordinary practical use as a means of com--1 mnr.icction bet-ween ships and the shore, f ?ml also between certain islands and q countries. Ils 'extension to greater s distances, such as those dividing ■ England from the colonies, was, ;. in his opinion, only a matter of time. .Tie s was very'rony if in this matter he differed s from those interested in the cable come panies. In reference to the appointment of Mr A. 1 M. Mitchison to the vacancy 011 the board 1 of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile : Agency Company, caused by the death of Mr A. C. Carrick, a writer in city matters remarks that. Mr Mitehi-ou " is well and r favourably known in city circles, and should 1 provo a valuable acquisition to tho direeto- ' rate/ For many years lie lias bo-en chairman 5 and managing director of the New Zealand : and River Plate Land Mortgage Company, t and is also 011 the lioard of a number of [> New Zealand mining enterprises." 3 In the course of a lengthy statement - explanatory of Navy Estimates and navy s matters generally, Lord Solborne referred s to recruiting for the royal naval reserve, f which lie said had been satisfactory, but it , was not necessary to increase the numbers 6 beyond what i.liey were at present—29.soo e men.—owing to the steady increase of tho . royal fleet reserve. The branch of the . Royal Naval Reserve in Newfoundland con1* tiiiued to make uood progress, and the 1 branches in Australia and New Zealand had e been well started during the year. The ; enlistment of Australians and New Zealanders for non-continuous service in the 1 royal navy began during the year, and an a excellent class of men bad presented lliem--1 selves. Prince Alexander of Teck showed practical 1 interest in the Diocesan Church Lads' J Brigado by attending a display given by i" the North London companies in the PolvI teehnio Institute, Ilollowny, on Thursday • night, the entertainment having been r organised with a view of making the work ' of Ibe organisation more widely known. 1 Prince Alexander gave a short address, and I said that ii'is interest in this and kindred 1 institutions was stimulated by what bo saw 3 of the cadet corps in New Zealand l and ' Australia, ihe value of which could not be 1 over-estimated. It, was ihe duty of every 1 lad to fit himself to defend his native land. ' and for that purpose gymnasia and military V exercises v-ere imperative. Th"* (audit J discipline and inoulcatcd patriotism. He 1 advocated miniature shooting ranges for the - boys where they could compete for prizes, j: and said he should lie always glad to ' encourage the movement. ' Under the beading "The Marine Tnsur- ' ance Market ' The Times yesterday nublis.hed the following remarks by one of ils correspondents: "The fight between the | New Zealand Slaie Firs Insurance Department and the- insurance companies doing j business in ibe colony is now developing, 1 and the progress of hostilities will be watched with much interest. The State Department has since January 1 been freely [ accepting eily risks at 10 per cent, below the companies' tariff charges, and country I riiks at a reduction of 20 per cent. The Times correspondent telegraphs to-day that j the Fire Insurance Department has now | ics'htced the rates 011 the better classes of risks by 33 1-3 per eent. A few weeks ago, at a meeting of representatives of lire Insurance companies in New Zealand, it was decided not to accept, ihe State Department as a- co-insurcr on any risks, and to refuse any business on which the department had taken lines. It was also decided to reduce iho tariff rates in ordsr to meet the fiovernmont's competition. As Ihe Siate Department cannot share risks with (lie insurance companies, since they refuse to havo anything to do with it, it can only reckon on the reinsurance facilities granted to if bv the recent contract with members of Lloyds. But as in this conlract the reinsuring underwriters require to be paid premiums 10 per cent, only lower than the insurance 'companies' tariff charges, it is difficult to see bow ibe State Department is going to get rid of its excess lines on the risks which it lias cut to the extent of from , 20 per cent, io 33 1-3 per cent. If Ibis fight, continues, and New Zealand fires keep up their character for severity, the colony's taxpayers will have a long bill to meet. Of course, the State Department has 110 funds to meet fire losses except I hose formed by current premium*." It is reported that tho accounts of tho Bank of Australasia for the half-year lo October 10 last show a profit, including £16,385 .brought forward from tho previous half-year, which enables Ihe directors to recommend a dividend of £2 Es per share, being at the rate of 12 per cent, per annum, placing £30,000 to reserve fund (raising it io £1,190,000) and £14,000 in reduction of bank premises account, leaving £16,951 to be carried forward. Mr P. Faithful! Begg, the chairman of the committee appointed to examine into the affairs of tire West Australian goldfields, - has issued a circular to the shareholders, in which it is stated that the committee has concluded that the assets of the company, taken as a whole, are well worth preserving, and should realise more than the amount al; which they are valued in the balance sheet. _ The'second part of the committee's duties is now engaging its attention. As this involves the question of providing the additional funds required by the compauy, more detailed consideration i's necessary. A full report, with the committee's recommendations, will. bo submitted as soon as possible. At a mooting of the Association of Young New Zealanders in London, held last Wednesday evening under tho presidency of Dr Purdy, it was decided to ask Mr Spencer Gollan if he would attend the next monthly moet-ing of tho association, for the purpose of receiving a photographic shield sent by tho Napier Rowing Club for presentation to the New Zealand sportsman. It was also agreed to oommunicate with the New Zealand Natives' Association asking that the existence of tho Association of Young New Zealanders in London should be made known. Mr W. P. Reeves has accepted the office of president. ;