News of the Dominion.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 16, 18 October 1911, Page 4

News of the Dominion.

OUR WEIXINGTON LETTER. WELLINGTON, October 14. A Noble Gift. THE most interesting announcement made in Parliament this week was the Ministerial statement concerning the splendid gift of Maori antiquities made to the State by Mr Geo. Buller, son of the late Sir Walter Buller. Mr Buller, with publie spirited and patriotic generosity, has decided to hand over to the Government. for exhibition In its National Museum. the great collection of Maori carvings, weapons, greenstones, native garments of the olden days, and specimens < t native arts and crafts generally. This collection is the accumulation of a lifetime; in fact, it was begun by Sir Walter’s father, the Rev. James Buller, who was one of the early Wesleyan missionaries to the Maoris. Mr Buller only makes one request, in handing over the gift: he wishes to see it properly installed in a suitable building, and that it should be known as “The Buller Collection," in memory of his father. This the Government has promised to do. “I believe,” says Mr Buller, concluding his letter to the Prime . Minister, “that in giving the collection to New Zealand I am carrying out the wishes of my late father, and I also have a patriotic desire to benefit the country of my birth. I think that it will be the means of attracting other collections, which may eventually form a museum of the arts and industries of the Maori race, which will be renowned for all time to come, not only in this but in other lands.” The gift is certainly the most valuable historic present made to the people since Sir George Grey gave his great library and his collection of Maori relies to the citizens of Auckland many years ago. The exact number of articles in the Buller collection is not known, but it eomprisss every description of Maori weapon and implement and garment; in fact, it will be a complete epitome of tin? picturesque native life of old New Zealand. The most valuable items are a beautiful carved store house or pataka, which has for many years past stood near the Buller homestead, on the shores of the pretty little lake Waiwiri. better known as Papaitonga. in the Horowhenua district, and a large carved war canoe, kept on the same lake. The big canoe was built and carved on the Wanganui River many years ago. and formerly belonged to Major Kemp (Kepa te Rangihiwinui), the celebrated Maori soldier who fought on the Government side in the troubled “sixties.” Then there is a large and representative collection of greenstones, including both personal ornaments ami weapons: there are a large number of tools of the stone age. including the largest stone adze at present known: there are weapons of all kinds in wood ami bone and stone: and there are amongst the Maori-made garments two very fine dogskin cloaks, acquired as far back as the year 1838. Tn addition, the collection will include the specimens which Sir Walter Buller lent to the Imperial Institute in London some years ago. Truly a notable gift. Mr Buller’s presentation will have the welcome effect of hastening the construction of the long-promised new Dominion M useuni to replace the present antiquated and inflammable building. The unprotected state of the treasures already stored in the museum must give the director, Mr Hamilton, many anxious nights. But now the Government is going to push on with the erection of the new fireproof structure, which will, in all probability stand on the site of the existing building. The new building is needed badly ami urgently, and it is good to hear, therefore, that plans are now living drawn by the Government architect for a museum which will worthily house n series <,f collections. the value of which Is not to be measured in money. The Tail-end of the Session. Parliament is lieginning to hustle along wit hits work now that the summer is coming', and members are turning their eager eyes to their constituencies, ind as there is a Parliamentary programme of considerable length still before them, they are exhibiting an anxiety to

push the work through without delay. The Premier yesterday gave the House a list of the Bills he wished to put through during the next week or two. Tlie principal measures mentioned were the Land Tax and Income Tax Bill, the Widows* Pensions Bill, and the Tramways Amendment Bill. The second reading of the Farmers’ Bank Bill is to be taken this session; the Premier proposes to leave the final stages to the next Parliament. The Public Works Statement comes down on Monday night, and members are anxiously waiting to see what the Statement has in store for their districts in the way of roads and bridges and other little gifts. In answer to a question by Mr Ross yesterday, the Prime Minister said the Government intended to pursue an active settlement policy in respect of native lands, as well as other lands. They would go to the fullest extent of the powerse vested in them. The Wreck of the Elingamite. Last evening the Elingamite Wreck Inquiry Bill, which permits a rehearing of the Inquiry into the sensational wreck of that Huddart-Parker steamer at the Three Kings, passed its second reading, and it will be put through its final stages next week. Various members expressed their pleasure at this Bill, which aims at giving simple justice to Captain Attwood, who was commander of the Elingamite at the time of the wreck. Sir Joseph Ward, in moving the second reading, reminded the Honse that it had been ascertained recently that the island of the Three Kings, on which tire Elingamite struck, had been wrongly charted, so that it was quite possible that a grave injustice had been done to the captain by the Court of Inquiry in holding him responsible for the disaster. The Minister of Marine, Mr Millar, announced that the Government would pay the cost of the re-hearing to enable the case to be thoroughly gone into, and everything possible would be done to secure a thorough investigation. Which is good news for our mercantile marine officers. and for Captain Attwood in particular. A Hunt far Sunken Treasure. What a fascination lost or buried treasure has for the human kind! One would have thought that the three or four or live unsuccessful attempts made fo salve the treasure of the celebrated old ship General Grant, wrecked on the Auckland Islands in 1866. would have satisfied people that the gold which this vessel carried was lost beyond possible hope of recovery. Yet news comes of still another hunt for the £160,000 worth of gold from the Victorian goldfields—the ship was bound from Melbourne to London—that was known to be on board the General Grant when she struck the fatal west coast of the A nek lands. A company called the Sorenson Salvage Co. has been formed in New York with a capital of £3OJMO, for the purpose of recovering the General Grant’s golden cargo. The company’s managing director, Mr. May. thinks there was much more than £lOO,OOO in the ship. Besides the specie pn the ship's manifest, there was also an entry of 15 cases of sundries, which they firmly believe also contained gold.. Then there were also the private holdings of the miners themselves, and the members of the syndicate do not consider £3.00,000 to £400,000 wide of the possible mark. Mr May. who is expected at the Bluff in a few days, holds most of the shares of the company himself, and has sole control. He has brought an expert diver with him. and is going to hire a small steamer, such as the ex-French gunboat s.s. Loyalty, now trawling at the Bluff. It will be a tough job, that salving of long-sunken ship’s treasure. The place is such an exposed and stormy- one that the chances are all against the hunters. The ship, with l all it containsd. has been driven by the seas no one knows whither, probably battered into fragments long ago. But hope springs eternal in the human breast.