SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13812, 28 January 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

POLITICAL AND GENERAL.

The principal political event of the past three- weeks consists in the appointment of fourteen new members to the Legislative Council, in order to tho necessary strengthening of that Chamber. We give in another part of this issue the names of tl|o new M.L.C.'s and the different localities in which they reside. Tho appointments were announced by the l'rimo Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, at the social given by tho residents of Wellington in his honour before his departure from the colony to attend ilie Prime Milliliters' Conference in England. Among tho appointments there in representation of the legal professions and journalism, the farming interest, and other sections of the community. On the whole iho list of names has been received with satisfaction. Thero has been a protest from Auckland at the fact that that province has been practically ignored in the selection of the members.

Some other rather important Government appointments have- been made within the past week or two. The appointment of two additional Native Land Court 'judges lias becomo an accomplished fact, the selection having fallen upon Mtssrs 31. Gilfcdder, solicitor, of Invcrcargill, iindi Jlr T. W. Fisher, district agent for the Public Trustee at New Plymouth. The death of Dr MacGrcgor, Inspector-general of Hospitals and Mental Hospitals, has led to the making of some changes in affairs under tho control of the Health Department. In future the two different classes of institution aro to bo under separate general supervision. Dr Hay, Assistant Inspector of General Hospitals and Charitable Aid, has been appointed Inspector-general of Mental Hospitals, and J)r Valintinc, Assistant Chief Health Officer, has been appointed Inspectorgeneral of Hospitals. In his address at Dmiedin on tho 18th Sir Joseph Ward made public tho fact that Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice, and Jlr A. T. Ngata, M.H.R., had been selected as members of the Native Lands Commission. This ensures that the personnel of the Commission will inspire confidence. Sir Robert Stout will act as chairman of tho Commission, and to the fact that he lias tho confidence of Maori and European alike he adds a wide knowledge of Native affairs and laws, Mr Ngata is an earnest young Maori reformer, with a brilliant scholastic record. It was originally proposed to appoint a third commissioner, but the intention has apparently now been abandoned.

The Prime Minister has made public Bomo further details of interest as to the method upon which the Commission is to proceed. It is expected (o complete its work in two years, but it will not be necessary to wait until 1909 before throwing open Native lands for settlement. It will be the duty of the Commission 1o investigate tho conditions of .present holdings, to v decide what areas it will be necessary to retain foifcthe fribes, what individual Native claims are valid and what areas can be thrown open to selection, tho records o( the Native Land Court being the basis of its operations.. Tho Prime Minister explained that as soon as any block lias beeii dealt with in this manner tie Commission will forward an interim report to the Governor, and Parliament will be able to give legislative effect to its recommendations. As tho first of these progress ■ reports is to bo presented in July, it may bo anticipated that tho present year will seo the new policy fairly initiated, always provided, of course, that the present programme is adhered to.

Tho Prime Minister of the Colony lias had a busy time of late, and the centres kvo vied with one another in holding recaptions in his honour prior to his departure to represent tho colony in London at the Imperial Conference. Sir Joseph Ward has. thus heen called upon'for a good many public speeches, which have served to strengthen the iniiwtsion that he ■ ias a statesmanlike «ra6p and view of matters Imperial. The services which Sir Joseph has undoubtedly rendered the colony in his public capacity have been widely acknowledged, and thej are such as readily appeal to all classes. Feeling in the colony is undoubtedly very decided on tho subject of the exclusion of .aliens, and Sir Joseph Ward has it at his back- as to the motion of which lie has given notice to move on this subject at the approaching Conference, His opinions in regard to'defence and colonial contributions to the Navy likewise meet with the approval of popular sentiment. The Prime Minister will leave Auckland today en route for the Old Country, and will take- with him the recollection of a remarkably cordial send-off from tho colony, Tho Minister of Lands (tho ITon. Mr M'Nab) has been continuing his platform exposition and elucidation of the Government's Land Dill, and incurring naturally plenty of criticism in so doing. Mr M'Nab's principal critic of late has been Mr James Allen, the member for Bruce, and a very prominent figure in the Opposition. Under the auspices of the Wilton Branch of the AW Zealand Farmers' Union Mr Allen gave a telling speech at Milton last week, in which* he dealt at length with the Government land proposals, and at the close of which a motion was passed approving of the optional system with right of acquiring tho freehold with limitations «& to area, of land purchased from the Crown, and condemning the proposed Land Bill as destructive of that option and inimical to the befit interests of permanent and successful settlement.

The annual meet ing of the Senate of the University of Sew Zealand is being held this year in Christcmircli. A grievance which tho Senalo not unreasonably entertains k in connection with a rebuff it has received from the Privy Council over new degrees which it has parliamentary sanction to confer, and in respect to which it forwarded to the King over eighteen months ago a petition praying for a charter or other authority, securing for these degrees recognition throughout his Majesty's dominions. The Privy Council lias adopted a method of procedure in this matter that seems very unusual, and is considered by the Senate to amount to a display of distrust of the New Zealand University. Therefore the Senato will consider a motion that the petition bo withdrawn and the charter dispensed with.

The season continues remarkable for its dryness and warmth, and the elements of drought and lush fire have been rather prominent of late. To these have been added floods in the North Island, the Waikato district suffering severely. In Otago a good deal has been heard of the effects on the harvest likely to be caused &iK e - dj£ £j£tli«r ; and ferjneos

will ]>o doubt suffer to a certain extent. In Xorth Otago, whero tho drought ]ius probably benn most severely felt/ it is slated thai, its results, while they will not bo disastrous, will cause a big Bet-back. The outlook for stock in Xorlh Otago is not very bright. Southland reports are much better, though from that province comes word of tho most serious of the numerous hush and grass fires that have occurred recently. After burning for days the five- at Seaward Bush, ilie most destructive of the kind that has occurred in Southland, is reported as now under control, The aten affected in Southland is over 40,000 acres. There has been considerable loss of sawmill property, and many hands will be thrown out of employment. Oilier fires avo repot led from Canterbury and tho North Island.

A measure of success is at last attending efforts to recover treasure lost at the Three Kings Islands. It will be remembered that, tho Huddart-ParKer Company's steamer Elingamite was wrecked at the Three Kings, a small group of islands lying directly north of New Zealand, on November 9, 1902, and since that time six unsuccessful attempts have been made to recover the £17,000 worth of treasure that went down with her. The latest expedition by tho schooner Huia is proving more successful, and already some £2500 worth ol coins has been recovered. Given fine weather the treasure-seekers are confident of regaining the greater part of the money. A tragic event has now, however, overtaken the expedition in the sudden death of diver E. G. Harper, which took place subsequent to a prolonged descent, and was attributed to heartfailure.