ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10539, 14 August 1912, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

PERSONAL AND GENERAL. [From Our Correspondent.] LONDON, July 5

Mr Bernard Tripp aud Mr H. D. Acland returned to London a few days ago from a tour in .Denmark, whither tney went to " tpy out the land," not with a view to purchase or to conquer, but simply to tor themselves the co-operative agricultural system m vogue there, and the land question. The Danes welcomed tuein as Visitors, and everybody, irorn Government Glacials down to small lanuers, gave them every assistance to ootuin the. Uiiormation they deaired. bom i\ew Zeaianders returned very muca enamoured with the excellent co-operative system of collecting and marKt&uig ail kinus of farm produce, and tor the instruction of New Zealand farmers Mr iiipp proposes to write a series- of articito on liia experiences 111 Zealand and Jutland, wnere co-operation rules the roost in connection with almost every department of farming. These y>ill prou&bly appear in the "Jjytteiton iimes" sliortly. As regards land matters, Mr Tripp tells me tliafc there is no system of compulsory purchase in operation in Denmark. At the same time, the Government gives farmers every opportunity to become owners of suitable land up to a certain acreage. If a farmer or a group of farmers can lind a suitable area for agricultural operations, the owner is willing to sell, and -the Government thinks the land is suitable and the owner's price fair, the Government only asks the farmer or farmers to pay down 10 per cent of the purchase money,, and will advance him or them the balance a I 3 per cent for the first five years and 3i per cent thereafter. The I per cent is used, it seems, as a sinking fund, and the Government terms are such that the buyer can, if he choose, take over ninety years to complete his nurchase of the freehold. Thtere are no leaseholds under this system of State-owned purchase. The farmers in Denmark ail seemed to be thriving, and, according to Mr Tripp, they work on i-he most up-to-date lines, use the latest notions in farming implements and machinery, and co-oper-ate in every ossiblo way to secure the best results.

Mr Tripp, who contemplates an early visit to Paris, and also tours in Wales and Scotland, proposes to . leave England at the end of September, spending some time in Ceylon and Australia on the way home. Mr Acland will leave about mid-October, and will join his friend in Ceylon. The youngest commander in the Royal Navy is, for the time being, our old friend Lieutenant E. R. Evans, R.N., who was second in command of Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition. Lieutenant Evans arrived in England from New Zealand a few days ago, and, at the King's command, repaired to Cardiff, where he was received by his Majesty on the Royal yacht, and, to his great gratification, received the announcement of his promotion to the rank of commander. Commander Evans was senior officer on board the Terra Nova on her outward voyage from New Zealand, and accompanied Captain Scott on the southern journey, taking charge of the final supporting party. He was the last man to see Captain Scott,' having left him on January 4, in latitude 87.35 south (145 geographical milps from the Pole). At that point Captain Scott deputtd Commander Evans to return to the base at Cape Evans with two companions, while Captain Scott proceeded on the final stage to the Pole. The general outlines of the seven weeks' hazardous return journey, when Commander Evans and his two companions, entirely without animal transport, had to haul their ono sledge, are familiar to New Zealanders. It will be recalled that Commander Evans developed scurvy, and that eventually he had to be carried for four days on the sledge, and ultimately was conveyed to safety with the assistance of Dr Atkinson. After a week's care at Hut Point, Commander Evans improved sufficiently to be carried on board the Terra Nova. During the voyage to New Zealand, he was wholly incapacitated. _ but after a few months' careful nursing in New Zealand he was well enough to travel Home. He has now practically recovered, and intends to leave England in time to command the Terra Nova when she leaves in Decsinber to pick up Captain Scott and his party returning to New Zealand in March next. Dealing 'with Captain Scott's plans, Commander Evans savs: "I expect Scott reached the Pole two weeks after I left him. When I parted frpm him, his idea was to go to the Polo and back as soon as possible, so that I imagine he probably returned to Hilt Point about March 10, just too late to send back liis final news bv the Terra Nova. 'The organisation of the southern journey was splendid, every detail having been thought out by Captain Scott." Mrs Julius and the Bishop of Christchurch left Auckland for Vancouver on April 12, and had a delightful journey across the Rockies, sleeping at Siccamous, Field and Banff so as to secure daylight for the enjoyment of the magnificent scenery. They spent some days at Toimto, Niagara, Montreal and

Ouebec, and arrived in England on Tune 7. Since tliey arrived they have

: >?nt most of their timo with the iishop's brother at Ham, and in Lonlon attended the Church Workers'Coiv ?rence and visited the Rev E. A. Scott ■t Bury St Edmunds. They attended lie Christ's College Old Boys' dinner nd were delighted to meet there many iid friend.?. Later in the month they

-.-ill go to Worthing and Bournemouth, nd in August will visit Bishop Wallis t Devizes. They have taken passage? by the Orama lor Australia, sailing on October 25, and propose to visit Ade'>ido and Sydney, and to arrive in Ohristchurch by the end of the year ir very early in January.

Mis? Talbot, of Timaru, and her couin, Miss Gwon Taylor, of Ternuka, arrived on May 25, and are returning late in October by the Orama. They nro travelling with a party of New Zca'anders. including relatives (Mr and Mrs Marshall and a friend, Miss Stevenson, ail of Timaru). Miss Talbot and Miss Taylor will leave here in a fortnight for Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh) and from thence they intend doing the Highland trip, going through the Caledonian Canal and then on to Ireland. They will return via Wales and intend spending there some time in the west of England in Somerset and Devon. Paris will follow, and a short time in Switzerland, Holland, Germany and the Riviera. At a special meeting of delegates held at Aberdeen University a few days ago, the degree of LL.D. was conferred upon Dr Charles Chilton, Professor of Biology at Canterbury College. Dr Chilton already boasts a lengthy alphabetical honours tail, being M.A., D.Sc. (New Zealand). M.8., C.M. (Edinburgh) and F.L.S. Callers at the Hirfi Commissioner's offices this week hove been :—Mr and Mrs W. Thorne, Miss J. and Mrs F. Casey, Mr and Mrs H. Haslett (Foxton), Mr and Mrs W. F. Evans (Hawke's Bay), Mr and Mrs D. Watson (Christ-church), Mr and Mrs S. K. Garrick (Christchureh), Mr R. E. M'Dougal (Christchureh), Miss E. Standish, Mr J. Jenkins (Christ-church), Dr Charles Chilton (Christchureh), Miss Talbot (Timaru), Miss Gwen Taylor (Ternuka), Dr Alexander Douglas and Mrs Douglas (Oamaru), Mr and Mrs Ambury (Auckland), Mr R. O. Phillips (Auckland), Mr I. E. Liebermann (Wellington), Mr P. R-eritles (Wellington). Mr and Mrs Irvine, Mr H. D. Cook, Mr and Mrs George Smerdon (Auckland), Mr W. R. Hayward (Christchurch). Mr George Parvin (Auckland), Mr F. Binns (Auckland), Mr J. Mitchinson (Stafford), Captain and Mrs Grey (Wellington), Mr C. Maling, Mr and Mrs M'Gill (Milton), Mr John Wright (Otago), Mr, Mrs and the Misses Barnett (Wairarapa), Mr and Mrs J. Moore (Wellington). Mr A. R. Hislop (Wellington), the MiVrs Smith (Dunedin), Mr Harold Runell (Napier), Mr and Mrs Fergus Macleod (Auckland), Mrs Stuart Hawthorne (Wellington), Mr and Mrs R. B. Lttscombe (Canterbury), Mr A. Sydney Watson (Wellington), Miss A. Daly (Wellington), Mrs C. F. Gawith Mr and Mrs F. J. Lysnar (Gisborne) and Miss G. Westall.