MAIL SUMMARY. FOR EUROPE AND AMERICA

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 33, 7 February 1906, Page 9

MAIL SUMMARY. FOR EUROPE AND AMERICA

o ;. OUR HOME LETTER.

•■■'-" ; AUCKLAND, February 7. ■ .:%$, official estimate of the populi .:■ £ -the colony on December 31 las ' rtrf iD o {o slatLstk ' s a PP l ' arin S in tl Lette,°is 937,892. comprising 490,85 . „ nnd 441,03!) females. These fi{ males, »"*" . , , , r . , jes however, include a Maori populi "l oi . S et down at 43.143. together wit M 292 inhabitants of the Cook an .. iL T Pacific islands. The estimate ■Lolatioa within our own shores fes ■>diDS- 3 ' laoris - , wap - lhercfor£ - 88 -' 45 : tlie date mentioned, an increase o 54J11S in tho 12 months. This inereaa %& made up of an excess of bu-ths ove Heaths amounting to 15,616. and an ex was of arrivals over departures to tv fitaifc of. 9302. jlr Buller, manager nf the Aucklan* ],wae)i of the Bank'of Xew Zealand, h:i been' twelve months' leave o absent- and I< " live - s for I'^g' ll " ,l witl to family next, month. Mr 11. Buckle - fon/acting chief inspector. ha.s been ap ■Minted to'take charge of the Auoklam •Sinch, and Mr A. E. .Mills, manager aBleoheim. has been appointed an in >mmr of the bank. The ■•Post" under ..Sands that Mr Atiobia will sever his Suction, with the bank a. the end oi ''ihe year and reside in England. ADTOPOS of the announcement by cable m S that Mr. Milwood, clnVf clcr, £f to the PaeiQc Cabfc Board, con-lidert-the existing cable companies have BflfhiD" to for from the. competition ot ■■JSU- telegraphy, the rostinaster General, Sir Joseph Ward snya 'tbat -JliP ' lin rpason vv - I;llrvrr •rhr the proprietors of the present cables should do other than at nil event' ■"rive-US their best wishes in ihe establishment'of Eh» u<-«- Byntrm. In any ease jj c j 5 persuaded that, with the co-opera-tion'of Australia, we ?un put the wbole of. the great continent of Xew Zeil.ind into pemtanont connection in thii wny jmdatvery small cost ind?ed. Whatgxx we finally tiecuJe to rio. ?aiil the Jlinister, we will invite public offer = for if.. I Bare already had specifications ..prepared with a view to this hpiuj; done. •The matter was before the Govvument Eonre-time ago, and 1 hare tlie full auttority of ray colleague's to n<3 into the Thofe'of. the preliminaries with' a view io.getting.some practical offer J>r fln.il consideration. I am wry hopeful that before long we will have something tangible: in tlus respect. The. annual balance-sheet of the .'Auckland Savings Bank for the year . wded. Dec. 31, 1905, contains figures jhowing a year ot' great prosperity, ' iie to.tal funds of the institution 'amounting to £1,013,7"2 C l' 2/4. The imouiit of the deposits ha« incrrased siii'ce 1572. with the exception of one' jear (1879) until for the twelve months ended December 31 Inst, the deposits totalled', £810,002 11/10. In 185)S the amount'of- the deposits was £oPO,:33!) '••12/lj from which it will be seen- that ."the deposit-have .in the course of ten ~ .yeiri.Tnore'thaTyrlotiblptl. During 1003. ■j.^sfljaertf ; ttceourrff. 4rfifc opened, -f fie dc™;jlOT?Qts;''rrQ'rhbeT.iTig' ; 33.'totf, shnwiag-, an.Jncrkse of IT4U over the preceding year ■ With inteTPst added, the deposits total--1e:£034.274 d 3/4 (35,450 depositors) ■aismtsi £302.765 (i/10 (33,713 dsposi"tora)-,- for 1004. an increase for 1905 of £31.508 10/(5; £30,900 0/0 was credited to"depositors as interest at 4 per cent, during the yeas:, and the accumulated profits amounted to £79,452 9/,. again-1 £74,867 2/, in 1904, an increase in profits of JE4585 7/. The preparations for the International Exhibition to be opened in Christuhurch • tmtard' the end of- the year are going ■ on- apace, and everything at present points to the success of this important . ; imdertaking, --At thn scene of action, the Exhibition buildings, in spite of unfortunate hindrances,- are making gooil progress, and "the many committees are . poshing pri their arrangements with a-ray creditable display of energy and enthusiasm. However, to make the Exhibition the-'success that it deserves " to be, it will be necessary to secure the active..support of every district anil important centre of population in the colony. With this purpose in view, local- Advisory Boards have" been ap.pointed, and the Auckland committee, the Jlaynr at its head, has just lashed ar. appeal to tbo mannfactuxers,. employers, and commercial men of the "wj , and district calling upon them to pomote the objects of the. Exhibition by every mean? in their power. ' 1 I J e . Customs duties collected at Auckm, m t ijanuary last amounted to "8,455 8/6, compared with £53,055 is month last year—an increase of £5400. The heer duty Mjowted to £1740 17/, as against Pior ~- increase- of about i T aerc was ; , substantial increase m the-exports a-s compared with «c same month last year. Twenty • tousand six hundred nnd one ounces {"to of gold, valued ut £84,113. was ported last month, and 85.5520z 4dwt '•lalver, value £8706. Tn the month January, ]nOS, 16,0300z lodwt of gold. ■•Jn? -£«4,9Q8, ami 43.5020z lodwt of « iv er, raluß £4427. vrere exported. The exported was as follows: gjßi lQ,lo.ocwt. valued at £77.800, with 10.820ewt. valued at £44,- ---.^~ aß increase ofo2Socwt and £-22,977: valued at £510: oats. 427 bushWt, , e<l at ' £54 - oomuared with 2:?6 Jjhes, valued at £31; wheat. 156 )Talned at flu. potatoes. 7 tons, ™«ed at £fli, compared with 36 tons, ■; wined at £301. -in 'f I>remier - speaking at Tahia-tua. ' that 26 ' Sald IIP w:,s satisfied ■\ tTB Xh l Producers of the country jrdfli " ettin K fair value for their thro , ? nd 9toek. which had to filter EW w certai n channels. The ilan■teeip. aofc onl - y from the meat cora- *»' 'Vif I ?.* als ° from the shi PP in K ha>" were goin? to En»i-, a / c - rvif,,? wiHl ,bo Wp3t CoaKt of CtT t ln * ho Interest* of the pro,«him,s n * w Zea land despite any ■ bejf f e °mbinp. Hn. knew on the r eon,n, • autnor ity what the shipping - iij ,ll -? 5 would do. and he warned '--■*ouldl- 0 Proceed too far or there : c - SOBIf wry cheap frergh's to to com her thail al,ow th e colony Ete am " y, £ we mi ° ht as well i» ave n _ "W: ol our own and take freight. Xfte L Premi(!r, affcer conferring with - ;i, *in2d t si, P o omier (Mr Deaki n.), has. ies ti,T l- c Secretary for the Coloii'toHie ew Zealand did not object - fcrnJ? penement ti!l n,7Xt y pav of ,;■>, >*mferenee of Colonial Premiers,

; although it was a violation-of the conditions laid down at. the firet conference, in view of the dissolution and elections in G-Veat Britain. ' I The Auckland Harbour Board had a A J special meeting on January 25 to deal ft J with tenders for the reconstruction of Queen-street Wharf, which were as follow:—John McLean and Sons.. I Auckland; £80,075 14/; Ferro-Con-iCrete Company, Auckland, £89,211 14/; JNewsome and Colson, Auckland. £80,----,520 17/; Gumow. Forest, aud Co.. Syd- • iney. £119,603 5/; Carr. Smith and Co.. la- ! London. £281,343. The chairman (the st, ; Hon. E. Mitfhelson 1 said that, a-evord-he lv % '° pn oi neer - the meaning of the j specificcatioH.s was clear and-distinct,. °" ! but iv view of other opinions received ig- i there seemed a as to whether a . the interpretation was a fair. one. Messrs McLean and Sons and the. j Ferro-Concrete Company's engineer ll * j were invited to appear before the ed j Board, aud took part in a discussion x . (chiefly on the clauses relating to the -_ I factor of safety. Tho Board, on the ■ casting vote of the chairman." decided' of ;to call for fresh tenders locally, re;<e : turnable within a month. Tenders cl j were received on February H for' extension of the Railway Wharf, com- '" 1 prising about 000 ft ill length. Two Je j lenders were received , , viz.. Ferm-Con- : iTete Company. £02.640: Xewsome and "'iColson. £07.992 4/0. The engineer's l *! estimate was .C t>9.000. -The-1-enders " were referred f. the Works and Tariff ( 'Committee for their report, p. I At the inyitation of the .Mayor of J 1( j i Auckland (Mr Arthur Myers), repre- j lt i sentatives of eleven loon? bodies out- | v j side of the City of Auckland met on j r . j Januurj' 24 to discuss a •svjheme sub- 1 jgfmitted by the Mayor for the aiiialjfjgnmation with the City of Auckland Jof the boroughs and road districts of c j Parnell, Newmarket. Grey Lynn. Remu- ; [era, Orje-Treo Hill. Epsom, Mount . ! Eden. Eden Terrace. Arch Hill. Mount " "i Albert, and Point Chevalier. Tho ]inpu- ■ . I lation of theso district«, aceordin-c io ! r ; thc hist c-ensr,s. is 26,03>5. and of Aurk- : , iliind City :;4.213. biw an estim.ue of j ; I lie presit'iit papulation jn the | four boroivghy alone- an- increase- of ,('(128. The property valuations of the I HfT were set down at CC>.?)08.213. and jof the outside districts at £4.0&i,072, j a total of iM1.331.255. The n ; annual raring value of the City is "\ £424.140, aud of the outside districts'! I I £207.400: total. £ Oft 1,54 ft. The con- ! ferenc-p having passed its beany thanks J t;. th<» Mayor for tbr> very comprehen- ' I sivß manner in whirh he had submit- [ jtoil his scheme, adjournpd for six "weeks 1 j -jo that tbe dolegatrs might report to •_ i,hcir respective local bodies. J The New Zealand football team on _ 'heiT return to the c-olony will be :u- ---; ccrdotl a reception which promises 10 Ii be fairly commensurate with their | great record in ihe Old Country. They \ | will bo welcomed by His lixcellency ' j the Governor Lord Plunket. the Itiijht I • Unn. the Premier, tho "resident of. the ■ Xew Zealand Rugby Union, anrl representatives of (he affiliated unions. Each member of the t.eum will, be.rre- • , sented with a gold medal PinbloT.atic iof the tcaiii's victories over England, ' llToland. Scotland, and France. '. The anniversary of the. foundation of five colony was celebrated on January 2f> with the annual regatta, which was one of the mo>t successful, hold for t some years. The principal event, a race for trading vessels, was won by tho Vesper, thp Kahu being second, ;iml the third. Huddurt- '. Parker C<»nip:>ny's fine steanffr ■ Zea- _ T;in(Jia was .flag-'sbip. ' A petition against the Invprcmrjrill licensing poll, in which prohibition was carried by a small margin, \v;is leeided on tho "Ist. the Court tinrling vhat two votes prilled for no-license xere invalid. The-e were disallowed, out the majority in favour of- prohib:I tion wa? fixed at nine, and the poll holds good. The industrial conference proposed by the Oowrmnent. to which the- labour unions, employers, and farmers' . union were asked to send ropresenta'ives, has been abandoned, chiefly owing to tbo attitude of the employers' associations, though . some of the labour unions- made what were .regarded n> unreasonable demands in the rtiater of reniiineration of the involved. " ' I