CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

TENDERS FOR PUBLIC WORKS,

REVIVAL OF TRADE IN AUCKLAND.

THE KAURI GUM BOOM

(BY XELEGEAPH.-OWS CORRESPONDENT.)

Christqhurch, this day. The Minister for Public Works to-day accepted the tender of Messrs Nicol and James, of Ngaruavrahi a) for completing bridges on tha unfinished portion of the Rotorua Railway- •lbofe were tnreo other tenders. To-day tenders wofo opened for acontract to supply 500 bedsteads for the Porirua Asylum. Scott Bros., of Christchuch, were successful, an Auckland fi xca being secot.d. The "Press" to-day devoted an article to the revival of fade in Auckland. It says : " Recent visitor to Auckland have been struck with the marked sijrns of revival to be witnessed i n that city after a prolonged period of depression. There are several cauoes contributing to this improved state of thir.gs, which there is every ! reason to hope will be lasting. The most gratifying cause, and the one giving the) most hope for the future, is the fact that more attention is being f ri Y en to utilising tho land of the ptovinco. Improved methods have been brought to bear ou largo estates i n tho Waikato for example, and, chiefly by aid of turnips, their sheep carrying capacity has been enormously increased. The dairy industry promises to confer great advantages on settlers in tho Auckland district, as well as other parts of the colony, and the benefit of iuiprovod pricos for wool has been found there as well ao elsewhere." Tho article proceeda to refer to the boom in kauri gum, and says, as to the cause of the present rise, " Opinions differ. Mr C. J. Hutchinson, a loading Auckland merchant, who courteously afforded our representative gome extremely valuable and interesting information regarding tho industry a short time ago, stated that it was chiefly owing to the Amorican demand, and ho was inclined to attribute it to tho operation of the McKinley tariff, and to the near approach of the Chicago Exhibition." If half ono hears about tho Chicago Exhibition is true, the consumption of varnish in connection with tho buildings and articles which are to fill them ought to be prodigious. Mr Hutcbinson is lookod upon in Auckland ns a very shrewd, well-informed authority, and we have no doubt his explanation of the boom is pretty near the mark. In any case, whatever may be the cause of the boom, Auckland t3 reaping a substantial benotit therefrom. The export of gum last year, reached over £517,000, and this year it ought to be more. A special feature about this is that nearly tho wholo of it goes in wages to the mon who find the sjuoi and those employed to sort and pack it in the warehouses.