ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 308, 30 December 1891, Page 9

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(FROM OUK SPECIAL COREESPOXDEN*.)

Londox, November 13. MR KEMAWAY AND THE AGENTGENERAL'S OFFICE. Mr Kennaway is nob at all grateful to the Wellington "Post" for usiug him as a stalking-horse through which to have a slap at the new Agent-General. Sα far from feeling himself aggrieved at; the appointment of Mi Perceval, Mr Kennaway considers it an excellent cne, and has said so from the first. Hβ does not, it is true, know his new chief personally, bub he has heard he possesses wealth, administrative exnerience and tact, which are the three essential qualifications for the figurehead of the New Zealand Governmehb in London. The suggestion that Mr Kennaway himself should have sitccecdorl Sir Francis Bell shows the " Post " altogether misapprehends the assistant Agent-General's position. Mr Kennaway would nob say -'thank you" to be made Agent-General to-morrow. Why should, he throw up a fairly-well-paid permanent billet for three years (possibly less) of expensive responsibilities ? Agents-General may come, and Agents-General may go, bub Mr Kennaway stays on for ever. He is the permanent head of the New Zealand, Government staiF in London, and hia duty is to be a loyal assistant to the figurehead of the Government for the time being. Who that figure-head happens to be (so long; a3 he is a courteous gentleman ready to co-operate cordially) matters to the assistant agent not at all. For Mr Kenuaway to covet the office of Agent-General would be almost as absurd as for Sir Trtoberfc Herbert, who is the permanent head of tha Colonial Office and practical- "boss," to aspire to change places with the temporary Colonial Secretary and theoretical chief, Lord Knutsford. THE LAND TAX BILL. The directors of the Otago and Southlands Investment Company, Limited, make reference to the Land Tax Bill in a circular issued this week. They say that the heavy charge of the property tax and the uncertainty with regard to increased taxation in the colonies has prevented purchasers coming forward to invest in landed , property. In their opinion the scheme of taxation passed this session is calculated to cause tha withdrawal of capital, and thereby retard the revival of business in the colony. In view of these circumstances combined with the lower rates of interest now ruling in I-ew Zealand, the directors have considered it prudent that tha interim dividend should be at the rato of four per cent.

Concerning this samo Bill there has been much rebulosity in. the English editorial mind. In an article on tho sublect, the " Times " of Monday spoke of the Bill as having passed the Lower House only. The "British Australasian," of November 6th, in a paragraph headed "From Our Special Correspondent, Wellington, September 28th," said the Bill " has been thrown out," and gave, circumstantial .-details.- The "Financial Times" (after telegraphing to Mr W. Kennaway) took the " British Australasian" to task for its ignorance, and says that it "would be very glad, in the interests of the colony itself as well as those of the British investor, if this preposterous measure had really mob the fate our contemporary assigned to it." Mr Kennaway wrote correcting the "Times" mistake the day ib appeared, but his letter did nob see the light for a day or so, and, in consequence, many city and provincial journals circulated the " Times" blunder. NELSON BROS.' NEW STORES. I recently paid a visit to the new cold storage rooms in process of erection by Messrs Kelson Bros, afc Nelson's Wharf, Biackfriars, as a necessary addition to their Cameron-street depot-. As the frozen moab i.raJe intimately concerns New Zealand. I give a few ijnrticulj\rs of this new establishment. The building, which is of entirely ne'-v design, may be best described as a, brick tank, 150 ft long, 150 ft broad and 40i'b deep. Or;ly 20fb or so is above the Cjroundline, and tho only openings into tho I cold rooms aro at this elevation. Inside I the brick walls, bub entirely disconnected I therewith, is a wooden box, having six I wooden floors in it, these being so • constructed that cold air can circulate through them, and on these the carcases will be ' stored. The total cost of the building which wi)i have a storage capacity of about i'?fesJij£O carcases, will be about £100,000, ;of machinery. To facilitate the unloading lof the ineab there is on the river front a ! pier or jetty, and there is also a dock for I barges, so cbab in all 11 barges can be unloading into the stores simultaneously. Afa the other end of the building, which I abuts on to the Commercial Iload, there is sufficient room for'2o waggons to load at the same time. Wood is used throughout for. the internal box and floors, being the best and cheapest material available. Two ammonia comoressing engines on the De La Jergne system, for producing " cold " by the direct expansion of aquaamuronia, in pipes carried under tho various floors, have been erected on the river frontage. As a precaution, in case of mis-" hap to these machines, the establishment also boasts a "cold air machine," by Haslam and Co., of Derby. The outside light being denied admittance save by the openings at the top of the building, an electric installation, consisting of 1,600 incandescent lamps, is supplied. A sufficiency of hoists guarantees despatch in unloading into and loading from the stores. Messrs Nelson's new depot is certainly a great advance on anything of the kind in this country, and experts aver that ib willl be j.he model for future erections uf a similar -haracter.