ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 227, 26 September 1898, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

■ ' LONDON, August 19. 'MOKAU' JONES AND THE NEW

ZEALAND PARLIAMENT

Ml- Labouchere reverts this week in seven solid columns of 'Truth' to the grievances of our poor, old friend Mokau Jones. The Incorporated Law Society'having declined for the best of all reasons (i.e., because their charter won't admit it) to adjudicate upon Mr Jones' allegations against Mr Flowers. 'Labby' suggests that the New Zealand Government might lend a helping hand. He adds: 'I am giad to be able to state that this has been in some measure recognised. Immediately after the publication of 'The Story of a New Zealand Estate' in 'Truth a number of members of Parliament took the matter up and conferred with Mr Jones on the subject, and the result was that representations were made in influential quarters which can hardly be without effect of some kind.'

THE NEW STEAMSHIP LINE

The arrangements for a direct steamship service twixt New York and New Zealand—a project that has been in process of crystallisation for some time past, and in which the Tyser line people are considerably interestedhave been concluded, and the first sailing is scheduled for September 15th. The steamers of the new line which will run the aegis of Messrs Norton and Sons Avill call at Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Lyttelton. The establishment of this new service marks a new move in the steamship war among American-Australasian lines which was commenced in the latter part of last March. The fight was precipitated by the establishment of a regular steamship service by Norton and Son, to Australia, known as American and Australian S.S. line. Previous to the inauguration of that service the trade with Australia had largely been in the hands of four exporting firms, each of whom operated a sailing vessel line. These firms it was alleged had an understanding on rates, and that many shippers regarded th* charges as excessive. However, that may have been the appearance of the American and Australian line, with its steamer service was at once followed by the establishment of a joint steamship line by the four firms mentioned, the various sailing lines being operated separately as before. Besides establishing the Australian line, however, the firms also started a steamer service to South Africa where Norton and Sons have for some time had a line, thus carrying the war into the enemy s country. This compliment has now been returned by Norton and Son in the establishment of the New Zealand service. The fight has aroused much interest in shipping circles. It was predicted when the fight commenced that the establishment of African service by the combined lines was (merely a scheme to induce Norton and Son to abandon their Australian service Both parties, however, declared at the time that the new lines were put !on to stay, and that intention is still (maintained. As mentioned elsewhere, i Messrs Morrin, of Auckland, have secured the New Zealand agency for the new service. AN OLD STORY. How often, I wonder,,have I inveighed against the folly of New Zealand I youths venturing on a trip to England without taking precaution to provide themselves with a return ticket t It is of course on the cards that the boy who ventures Home and lands with the proverbial sixpence in his pocket may fall on his feet and become wealthy; but the chances are a thousand to one that he will, become stranded in London and unable to earn sufficient to pay for the humblest board and lodging. A young follow j who recently worked his passage Home by the Kaikoura and meant to Igo back to the colony in that vessel ! after having- a look round London was in the /\gent-General's ofliee the other I day. He had been paid off on arrival here, and not knowing the methods of the 'company in re-engaging handsonly applied' for a berth the day before the ship sailed. Naturally the vessel's crew was then completed and the young fellow is now wandering about town without a penny in his pockets searching for work and find- ! ing none. He, like many of his pre- ' clecessors, seemed to be under the impression that part of the- AgentGeneral's duties consisted in the administration of a fund for distressed New Zealanders and that Mr Reeves can, if he chooses, find employment for colonists. It was just as hard to convince him that he was labouring under a misapprehension on these points as to persuade him that he had j done a very foolish thing in throwing up a reasonably good berth in the colony upon the very 'off chance' of finding something more congenial to his tastes in London. In hopes of detering other venturesome youngsters let me state once more that the AgentGeneral has no money in hand for the relief of stranded colonists, and will certainly not use his influence with the shipping companies for the benefit of people who get into difficulties here by reason of their foolhardiness. As for. finding employment for those who fail to find it themselves Mr Reeves cannot do so. He may once in a way know of a vacancy in some-business house, but even then he cannot possibly recommend an applicant of whom he knows nothing merely because he happens to be a New Zealand er. ANOTHER GOOD SCHEME GONE WRONG. On Monday last the London Committee formed by Mr R. E. N. Twopeny to assist in placing the realisation of colonial meat on a more satisfactory and remunerative basis met at the Bank of .New South Wales for the purpose of considering an important communication from Lloyd's Register of Shipping1. But they never got to that business, the proceedings of the Committee being limited to committing suicide—the only course open to them in the face of the letter received- after the summonses to the meeting had been serVt out from Mr Twopeny. Under date Sydney, July 10, that gentleman wrote informing the gentlemen that owing to the fact that the four freezing" companies in Sydney had refused to join the Association, which also lacked the support of Mr John Cook and the Riverina Frozen Meat Company, the A.M.E.A. considered it impossible to organise effectively and had therefore resolved to dissolve. It was suggested by one gentleman at Monday's meeting that the London Committee might be reconstructed to act independently, but the feeling of the meeting was that.no Committee could act usefully without Australasian support, and therefore decided on immediate dissolution. So ends yet another attempt to introduce the principles of organisation and union into

the frozen meat trade. That I prophesied the break up of the Committee gives me no satisfaction, forT believe that in conjunction with the Australians interested in the trade the Com-, mittee formed by Mr Twopeny,-repre-senting as if did almost every commercial institution of importance having an interest in the well-being of the trade, would have done a great deal of good in process of time. As it is the only thing the Association has been able to achieve is to lead Lloyd's register to take up the question of officially surveying ships refrigeration and insulation _ which should be the means of reducing the trouble arising out of damaged cargo to a minimum. Mr Mennell, in the current 'British Australasian,' remarks on the dissolution of the Association thus: — 'If one were ignorant of the parochial feeling which reigns supreme so frequently in Australia it would be a natural thing to express at least a mild surprise at the action ot the Sydney companies in breaking up this excellent organisation, which promised so Avell for the meat trade. But Sydney cares for Sydney, and not lor Australia, as recent political events have shown. With the example of the United States and Argentina before them in concentrating and organising their respective meat trades, the bydney companies have deliberately reiec'ted an opportunity of improving "the Australian meat export trade with .scant consideration,. by the way, lor the gentlemen who have devoted many hours from busy lives to debating matters at the meetings. The Sydney companies were not asked to .pool their interests, nor had the London committee power to commit them to any new methods; its functions were purely advisory. It is clear that this is the last attempt that will be made to get representative London AngloAustralians to sit in a similar capacity the 150 or so Australasian exporters of meat will continue their operations in their own way, and the four River Plate exporters with their rapidly increasing business and the half-dozen or so United States companies will'continue theirs. A P. AND O. RECORD.

Some day no doubt it will be possible, if one is in a hurry or dislikes the sea, to cross the English Channel, slip into the overland express at Calais and be whirled across Europe through Asia. Minor, Persia, Beloochistan, and India to Madras, or maybe by way of Calcutta and Mandalay to Singapore en route to Australia In those days it will be possible to get from London to the principal cities in Australia in 20 days, maybe less; but they are far off, and meanwhile we must be thankful for small accelerations. The passengers who left London last Friday evening by Ihe P. and O. weekly express for India and Australia arrived at Port Said on Tuesday eveningfour days all told. Of course, the train service to Brindisi was carefully arranged, and the new steamer Isis in waiting to receive the passengers at the Italian port. But this performance will be continued, and it will in future be possible to take an early dinner in London on Friday and a dinner at Port Said on the following Tuesday. THE CHINA MISHAP. The Board of Trade has at length issued the text of the report made by the Court which investigated the cireumstnnees attending the stranding of the China on Perim Island in March last, which sat at Aden in May. _ The Court, it seems, was of opinion that the-supernumerary second officer (Mr Crawford) was greatly to blame and deserving of severe censure for not impressing on the captain that the course he was steering was too fine and would shut out Obstruction Point light. The Court considered that nn officer of the watch should have his responsibility fixed as well -when tho master is on the bridge as when ho is not. The Court found that the stranding of the China was caused by the grave error and default of the master in that he set and proceeded on a course on which he" expected to sight Obstruction Point light, but that course being outside the arc of its visibility he could not possibly sight it. The Court considered that the master did all that was possible to get the ship off after she stranded, and all that it war. possible, to do after stranding to allay panic and save life, specie, and mnils, and that he averted by his prompt and judicious measures what miirht have been a serious loss of life. Taking into consideration also that the roaster had been in command of large ships for 17 years, and had always borne the character of a careful and skilled navigator, and that he was not well served by his subordinate (Mr Crawford), the Court suspended his certificate as master for a period of six calendar months, but recommended him in the meanwhile a certificate as first mate.