The Revlei^ of Reviews. 



December, 191: 



friend ot all and the enemy of none. In pnblic 

 and pri\-ate, Ijoth Lord and I.ady ('heJmsJord have 

 li\ed up to high ideals. A.s a s[5eaker. Lord Chelms- 

 ford has also distingui.shed himself. His public 

 utterances are alway.'S fresh, racy antl practical, and, 

 being a shre«d observer and a close student of 

 human nature, he manages \^■here^■er he goes to 

 extract honey from e\-ery kiml ot flower. His re- 

 pertoire of stories is stupendous, and he eschews 

 chestnuts. Inde-ed, the Sydney papers will be dull- 

 reading for a 'ong time after his departure, for the 

 public have as naturally turned each morning to 

 be regaled with Lord Chelmsford's latest parable or 

 story as to the weather chart. 



'i'he missicMi of King W'atriama to 



° .Meltonrne has about it all the spice 



Watriama's r t 1 w-u- m: 4. 



. .. ot romance. Jacob William Wat- 



riama is king of the Loyalty Is- 

 lands, that small group lying about 60 miles to the 

 east ot New Caledonia, and about two and a-half 

 days' sail from Kockhanipton. France has held a 

 protectorate over the group ever since her occupa- 

 tion of New Caledonia, and English missionaries, 

 at least, have had nothing to thank the French 

 ("'■overnment for. Now, it seems, the natives desire 

 to come under the Commonwealth flag, and to put 

 their case before the Government was the object of 

 King Watriama's visit to Melbourne. The popula- 

 tion of the five islands forming the group, is about 

 half a million. Principally, the trade is with New 

 Caledonia. Coffee, rice and copra are the staple 

 products, but the pearl-shell industry, gold and 

 nickel mining, count for something. The chief rea- 

 son assigned by the inhabitants in their de.sire to 

 come under CommoiuTOalth jirottKtion is their fear 

 of the Jaj)anese. King W'atriama says there are some 

 6000 Ja))ane.se already in the group, finding employ- 

 ment, mainly, in the^ nickel mines. " Many of 

 these," he declares, "are soldiers and spies; and 

 if the Commonwealth does not soon take action, the 

 Japanese will take jx>s.session of the group." Wat- 

 riaraa, who apjx-ars to rule by proxy, for, on his 

 own admission, he lives in Sydney, and has not 

 \nx-n to the islands for .som<- time, saw service for 

 lli<; IJriti.sh with the mounted rides, and in the Boer 

 war. Evidently he regards his proposal as one to 

 Ije easily brought alx.)Ut, but nations do not relin 

 quish protectorates to suit anybody but them.selves. 



'J'he new Copyright Bill which lias 

 Universal passed the Commonwealth I'arlia- 



Copyrl(5ht. nieiit brings Au.stralia into line with 



Oreat Britain, -France, Germany, 

 Italy and most other important counlries. It affords 



these further advantages that it has simplified the 

 whole law relating to copyright, and abolished what 

 the Attorney-General designated "antitjuated form.ili 

 ties." There is now only one form of copyright, 

 which is practically extended to everything, and it 

 does not cost anytliing; as Mr. Hughes expjes.sed it, 

 the author gets his copyright by the fact that he is 

 an author. At present copyright on an author's 

 works is extended for the author's life and fifty 

 years, instead of the author's life and seven years, 

 or 42 years, whichever might be the longer. At the 

 end of 25 years after the author!s death, however, 

 any person may reproduce, on notice to the holder 

 and the payment of 10 per cent. Power is reserved 

 to the Privy Council to grant the right of publica- 

 tion on terms, but not during an author's lifetime, 

 on the payment of a royalty. An author may not 

 assign his copyright for more than 25 years after 

 his death. After that the copyright passes auto- 

 matically to the family of the author. Public. ition 

 of collections for schools will not be infring<fments, 

 but there must not be more than two selections in 

 five years, and the source must be acknowledged. 

 Under the English Act registration is not necessary. 

 For example, it is sufficient to write a play to secure 

 copyright. There will not have to be a first per- 

 formance. Lectures are now copyright, but will not 

 be, under the bill, an infringement if a newspaper 

 publishes unless the lecturer gives it notice. Poli- 

 tical addresses are exempt from copyright. 



Mr. T. A. Dibbs, general manager 

 Eighty ot the Commercial Banking Corn- 



Not Out. pany of Sydney, who has just been 



celebrating the 80th anniversary of 

 his birth, is the oldest bank manager in the Com- 

 monwealth. He has been over sixty-five years in the 

 service of his bank, anil for 45 years its general 

 manager. He is still in harness, and has in no way 

 relaxed that close attention to tlie details of his 

 ojUce w-hich has characterised him all his life. Mr. 

 Dibbs is a brother of the late Sir Cieorge Dibbs, 

 one-fime Premier of New South Wales, and has 

 exhibited the same robu.st patiiotic and jjublic- 

 spirited characteristics as his broth<'r. . There is 

 no man in his State held in higher esfeem. His 

 official watchword has always been common-sense 

 adaptation to local conditions rather than a stereo- 

 ixjied following of the institutions of older countri' v 

 His record is unique inthe history of Australian bonk 

 ing — accountant in the fifties, insjDector and assistant 

 manager in the early sixties, and manager in 1867 

 with the title of general manager conferred in 188- 

 When he entered the service of his bank, the de- 



