THE LAND BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2042, 30 March 1907, Page 3

THE LAND BILL.

AIR. AIcNAB INTERVIEWED. I Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Inst night. . Tho Alinistor of Lands arrived lioro r on Wednesday night and spent tho l day in official and private business. ■ Interviewed, ho expressed sntisfuc- • tion at tho results of tho Land Bill tour. Tho provisions of the Bill, ho said, had met moro approbation ■ after they had boon explained. Ho mentioned a case in point wlioro lie i converted an opponent who laboured under the misapprehension that tho Govornmont was, forcing settlors to surrender into 66 years leases botore they got tho concession of paying off 9 per cent. The Alinistor also explained that some of tho “hostile” motions carried' at meetings were the result of objection to only one point or so in the Bill. The misapprehensions in regard to the Bill wore sometimes erroneous, and he had, specially looked up the law oil tho question whether the Alinistor could terminate a 999 years lease on tho death of a tonant by refusing a transfer to tlio person named in the testator’s will and found that tho Alinistor has no say, and the Board cannot prevont a right of transfer by the death; in such a case it was greater than that of the living. Asked if the Land Bill would bo the first business of tlio session Air. AlcNab said that it would come on immediately after the Address-in-Roply. Ho did not see how the present house could stop it going through as it was “without giving tlio option.” He considered the Bill, made sufficient provision lor freehold. If any one party, succeeded in getting a material alteration in the Bill in this direction then it could not go through as far as the Government were concerned. Parliament would probably open in the last week in June, and be anticipated tlia* tlio Premier would be hack in timo for the opening. Air. Alillar was at present engaged on the tariff, which' would come up for re- 1 vision. Air. AlcNab went borne for ; Easter. Next week lie will go ( North, and a week after visit the South of Auckland district and tlio ■ main trunk line. I

RAILWAY COLLISION. DRIVER BADLY INJURED. * ENGINES "SMASHED UP. PASSENGERS ESCAPED. Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH? lust night. About 1 o’clock this morning a train from tlio South carrying vouuntoers to tho Easter camp at Sheffield ran into another from Christchurch between Banksido and Kakoray at a point about a mile North of the latter station. It seems that the train from Christchurch should

have stopped at Banksido in i 'lor to allow the up train to pass, but ,l - .l not do so, and a collision was the iosult. Tlio impact was a very severe one, both engines /were smashed up very badly, and also the carriages next to tlio engines. The first carriage on the troop train happened to be empty at the time, the volunteers having changed tlici:' qn-iriors only a little time before. Had me carriage been occupied all the passengers would have been killed, for the force of the collision drove the

under part of the carriage right under the engine, while the roof and upper part were knocked clear off. None of the passenegrs were injured, but Alicklc, tho driver of tho train from Christcliufch, sustained a number of bad bruises through being pinned in his cab, and also injuries to his legs, and is suffering badly from shock. A tickle qualified as a firstclass engineer 18 months ago, and was to have reached the maximum salary on Alonday. AlcGratli, the, fireman, on the same train, was cut about the head, and the guard was also severely injured. Two or three of-the passenegrs were injured, lnik. not to any extent. On account of the blockage on the line the passengers by the night train from Dunedin did not reach here until 11 this morning. The train could not get through, and the passengers had to bo transferred from one side of the wreckage to the other. The passengers by the first express for the South also had to be transferred, but the midday express passed around the shattered engines on a temporary track that bad been laid down in tlie meantime. .The wreckage was cleared away this afternoon, and .the trains will run through as usual from to-night. The district traffic manager left for the scene of the accident this afternoon.

RIFLE SHOOTING. AN EMPIRE MATCH Press Association. AVELLINGTON, last night. With reference to the projected team of shooting men from Great Britain and Canada to the Commonwealth in Octobor next, an Empire match of 8 men from any State, colony, or dependency of the British Empire will be fired. The conditions will be 700 and 600 yards, 7 shots at each, and ten shots each at 800, 900, and 1000 yards, with two sighters not to count. Valuable arid special prizes will he given at various State meetings, all of which will be open to New Zealanders. -

WORK AND WAGES.

Press Association. AUCKLAND, last night. Mr. Justice Sim, president of the Arbitration Court, has forwarded to the Auckland Registrar an anstyer to the application for interpretation of the Tailoresses’ industrial award. The point to be decided was what constitutes a first-class trouser and vest hand entitled to tlia minimum wage of 30s per week. His Honor replied that the question would have to be determined, if necessary, by the Court on evidence in each case in which it arose, but it might be taken ns a general rule that', a. worker, of .three years, and had thereafter worked two years at her trade, and was a' competent worker, ought to bo treated as a first-class hand.