The Land Commission

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1347, 8 June 1905, Page 3

The Land Commission

A Clsver TaKe-Off

Tna following isfrom the Wellington Post : T-A sifljgiilaf, case caino before tho Police Court, y'eslwday. A. withered arid bent old: man-was'charged with having no lawful visible means of support. The police said the old man had been found wandering.about Wellington in a helpless condition, aud that he had boeu sleeping at;nights in a disused boiler on the reclaimed land on Thomdon-quay. When asked his name he said ho had forgotten, but he mutiored something about freehold, He was in the habit of stopping people, oh tho street mid asking them to giye their views on the " lease-in»por-petuity," Examined by the Magistrate, tho old man unfolded a curious story, •' It was in 1905, or 1906, 1' am not sure which," he said in a quavering voice, '■ that I was one of a Koynl Commission, That was long, oh! so long ago. I forgot what the Commission was for, or who appointed it, But! femeuibor we tnwellod-oh, miles and miles and miles—it was a long, long way. There were ton of us at fiist, but they divided us into two, and wo travelled und Iravolled, and then years aiior they divided us iigain, and wo went round in. circles, and they divided, us again, and at last I was alone. And theu I was lost, but I had to keep travelling and asking about lease-in-perpe-wily, and nobody would answer me, I have been ovorywhere, but don't know where lo go." His story, told with many pauses, made tho Magistrate curious, and further investigation showed that the old man was once a member of n Boyal Commission appointed last century to enquire into tho land question, and Which was lost sight of in 1920, Tho did uiari was taken caro of by tho Salvation Army.—tfrorn Evening Post, 2099, A.D.