ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 43, 22 February 1897, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(FROM OUR SPKCIAI. CORRESPONDENT.)

London, January 8. - WELCOME TOM MACKENZIE. There waa a smarb little dinner ab the Cafe Royal on Tuesday evening arranged by Mr Geo. Jameson, the Loudon representative of the New Zealand Farmers, the Canterbury Farmers and the Hawke'a Bay Co-operative Associations in honour of his euccessor, Mr Tom Mackenzie, of Clutna. Amongst the guests, who numbered aecoro, were the Agent-General, Mr O. H- Otricaland (of the New Zealand Shipping Com. pany), Mr Charles and Mr Nebbleton Ba.ma (the well-known wool brokers), Mr tonerwood (representing Messrs Hurst ana Sons, the great seed factors), Mr Alex. Solanders, Mr Fred Brient, Mr H-.• v. Gosse (the Co-operative Association solicitor). Mr A. Moao, Mr W. H. Wilbams (Chairman of the London Chamber of Commerce), Mr Frank Abrahams, MrWyndham Hart and Mr Rous Martin. The only man invited who could not pub m an appearance was Mr Potter of Shaw Savills. An excellent dinner having been dißCUssed the Agent-General called upon those present bo drink the hoalbh of Mr Tom Mackenzie. Mr Reeves, of course, made a libble speech, and as usual it was a happy effort. He paid a warm tribute to his erstwhile political opponents business capacities, and reminded Mr Mackenzie of the occasion when they both made their maiden speeches in the JNew Zealand Parliament. Mr Reeves acknowledged that he was bashful to the verge of funk on that occasion, but he thoughti Mr Mackenzie was even more bashful than himself. The Agent-General proceeded to refer to the many stiff verbal fights he had had in days gone by with the man whose healbh he was proposing, and to Mr Mackenzie's work in exploring and opening up the remote districts of the colony. Ihfl giasees having been emptied, Mr Mackenzie rose bo reply. He was nob bashful. He thanked the Agent-General for his kindly references, and bhe company for their reception of the toast. As to the political warfare between Mr Reeves and himself, that, he Haiti, was now over for a time ab all events. They were now on a common footing, and had a common object, which was to do the best they could for New Zealand, and in a more modesb way for the Old Counbry. Mr Mackenzie placed on record his opinion tbab ib was a good thing for bhe sons of early colonists to come Home and exchange views with their contemporaries in England, Touching upon the matter of closer trade relationship between the Mother Country and the colonies, the man from Clutha ventured to say that the Imperial Government must adopt a broader policy than at present. Today her dependencies received no more from her than other countries, and her treaties precluded the colonies from giving the Mother Country the benefit of preferential tariffs. On the question of the government of the Empire, Mr Mackenzie said he thought the time was rapidly approaching when, in some form or other, the voice of the people of Greater Britain would have to be heaid in connection with the Mother Country's foreign policy. Turning to the co-operative associations of New Zealand, Mr Mackenzie deemed they were doing work of great importance by assisting the New Zealand producers in the development of thoir land, and by placing tbeir produce in the markets of the world at the lowest possible cosb. He wound up by expressing his indebtedness to Mr Jameson, who had, he said, earned a worthy place in the estimation of all who had come into business intercourse with him. The esteem in which Mr Jameson was held was reflected in the welcome extended to himself, and he hoped he would not prove an unworthy euccsseor to tbab able gentleman. Mr Sclanders then proposed the health of Mr Jameson, to whom he paid many compliments. Mr Jameson replied with characteristic brevity. He is a man of few words, and would rather face soiling a cargo of batter on a falling market than make a speech. But he will have to make one on the 15th instant, for on that evening he is to be the victim of a valedictory banquet at the Athen&urc Club.

When the banquet was over I made an attempt to interview Mr Jameson, mainly wibh a view bo find out whether be had any suggestions to make regarding tho distribution of New Zealand produce here. Bub Mr Jameson wasn't in the humour bo be pumped. He, however, told me that he had a scheme in processv of crystallisation which would he thought be of considerable beneiib to colonial exporters of all kinds of produce, bub of which he could nob ab presenb speak more definitely. Mr Mackenzie, by the way, has spent a good deal of time since bis arrival Home inspecting bhe various cold sbores in London, and making th» acquaintance of bhe brokers and commission agents band-; ling New Zealand produce. He has also visited bhe docks in company with Mr McEweu, and bells me he has made an important discovery in connection with cheese consignments frosa Now Zealand on which he does nob feel ab liberty to speak ab presenb. With Mr Sbrickland, Mr Mackenzie went down to inspect the new cheese chamber which has been fitted up in tho Ruahino. Part of the hold of bhe vessel has been partitioned off to form a cheese-room of 400 tons capacity, and arrangements have been made so that the temperature iv this chamber will never go above 45 or below 40 degrees. As you know, this temperature does nob moot wibh my own views on the quesbion of cheese carriage. Personally, I bhiok cheese from New Zealand oughb to bo carried ac a temperabure between 50 and 60. PERSONAL MOTES. The many friends in New Zealand of Professor F. W. Pennefabher will be glad bo bear thab he has sufficiently recovered his health bo admib of bis accepting the position of honorary lay secretary of the approaching Lambeth Conference. His large colonial experience should render Mr Pennefather a valuable adjunct bo this conference of church dignitaries, and if his knowledge of colonial church matters fails in any particular the late Bishop of Adelaide, Dr. Kennion, who is one of the episcopal secretaries, will be at hand bo imparb information. Lord Onslow, who is in bad health and has been ordered abroad, has leb bis town house in Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, to Sir William Harcourb for bhe season. The following appointments to H.M.s. Taiiranga bave been made tbia week:— Chief engineer, Mr Ernest J. Taylor ; engineer, Owen A. Morris. The former will act as additional engineer during his passage out to Australia in the Orlando, and bhe labber will do duby on bhe Flora on bh voy age to Australia.

Your old acquaintance, Mr Thomas Spoirgeon, is greatly beloved and respected by bis huge congregabion ab bhe Tabernacle. I hear that the other day he took hie little son to witness the festivities ab Spurgeon's Orphanage. No doubb Master Spurgeon has a very happy home, but when he saw the array of boye, Christmas trees and the general jolliby in the institution which his grandfather founded, he looked up in hie father's face and made the unfilisl remark, "Oh! don't) 1 wish I was an orfling."

Hon. W. P. Reeve? informs mo that he has persuaded Messrs Carrubhers and Wilson, the engineers to the New Zoaland Government, to forego the £500 a year salary which bhey have hitherto received, and be contented with their commissions on,y«

The Rev. R. Wardlaw Thompson, Becrebary to the London Missionary Society, accompanied by Mr William Creaafield, of

Liverpool, will leave Engla_d\_ll^T visit, bo bhe churches and -t„H^l,on» Society in the South Seas Th° D Bof «* via Australia, and intend to inS'^J E» time in the principal cities of the „*, "^ prior to visiting Samoa. N BW «!• olooi« the other islands in which the & M°* an interest From Smo^Sj* will make hie way Home b y . eld America, bub Mr T_om_aon rL y °f Colombo and Madagascar^ etum v« In a sense I'm Borry for Mr ArU, I Potts, of Wellington. This 3'E' has just come Home from the > to endeavour to do t_«U which Mr ft Smith failed to achieve, namely^' company to work the fdmous Z'l i at 8 notorious - ironsands of Taranaki n* newcomer is, I'm afraid leading .j tlii atelyforlorn'hope. Afno^wofc flotation of such a company aaMrtt proposes have been an easy task, but 33 ab present it will be oneof enormou.JS culby for a variety of reasons, tRS public may be den ßely ignorant o^g Zealand things generally, but the''BritS investor, as a rule, has heard som^KF aboub bhe New Plymouth lampSS and Taranaki ironeand, and more H the .money which has been 'fi therein. And as a result be will ■? quire a tremendous amoswt of -__ suasion to ruk any of his own cash hi. venture so full of 'er-" possibilities." <v course, I won't say tbab Mr Potta will r« succeed where " He-Hem " failed, for_ latest exploiter of Taranaki is one of thob quieb men who most often '• get there"! spite of all difficulties, and be does not m, pose to ask the B.P. for a vast bdb> f ot Z privilege of risking their money in »y has been up to now a veritable qtsicksand lor capital. Moreover, he comes »i_ excellenb introductions. Still, pergonal!? I'd rather face bhe task of floating the Waihi Pinnacles (a gold mine which i Potts has brought with him also) withini month than of bringing an ironsand com. pany into being in the space of six, A lb is an open secreb that the Csoadiat Commissioners carried all before them &i the Pacific Cable Conference, and that th« report will be strougly in favour of t)h, immediate completion of the.work. Canada stipulated that the cable should be ab .h. mercy of no foreign power, and this pntonj .of the question the easiest and, comme^ cially, the most advantageous route, via bhe Hawaiian Islands. There remained.how. ever, tho'route via Fanning Islands, which, though the longest, 7,145 nautical miles, q againsb 6,246 miles along the shortest route, made an all-British cable perfectlj feasible. The lowest tender for thi» 1W ning Islands route ranges from £1,6-7.00. to £1,880,000, according as the cable, i* t 12, 15, or 18 words per minute cable.