ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 162, 11 July 1910, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

, — .. ■■; ,;..,....; > ; (From Our,., Special Correspondent.) ; --.'". .-XONIXXN, June.* . ■ NEW ZEATiAND APPLES IN _X>NDO_J. An. experimental shipment -of apple* from the Nelson district, in New Zealand, has been made to London. It is said-t» have.,been guaranteed. by ~tlie.,Depa,rJr nieiit .of Agriculture :to;tlie .extent,, ._| Id per pound.: The apples, which comprise a large-number of small-parcels sent hy Nelson growers, reached. London ■by the Paparoa on the-17th. inst., under consignment to Messrs. Sanderson, Mur-i ray and. Co.j.and^ere'.prpmp.tly'unloaded ■ and sent to the salerooms. The shipment was by-no means-'-an unqualified success, and the prices realised were onthe- whole less-than- those ruling at the time for Tasmania-, and Australian ■ apples. ..Tie. appearance of a'quantity _. of the fruit was spoiled by condensation:, due, it is said, ■to the temperature' at ; which tbe apples were kept on board ship being too low. They were-carried? lat a temperature of from 33-to 34 de- , grees, rising occasionally to :3S'degrees, ' whereas, according to experts here, the normal temperature "for fruit-in cold ' storage should be from 3S to 42-degrees.' ' Condensation did not injure the apples | seriously, .but it gave -them a damp and L unattractive appearance, ' which told , against them"in the sale room,.,.'More> • over, a number of them had been packed [ too loosely, with • the • result •' that : they . were Ibruised and discoloured when' 'turot ed out. at this end"." Most'of/the spears . inc-uded in the shipment were. damaged j in transit;.- "No fault was found. • with , the cases in which the fruit was packed, or-with the cold chamber ; on the __.p_I roa. t Prices varying <rom 5/- to 10/- a box . were realised. . The shipment reached . London at'a time when there were heavy , supplies on the market,'no fewer than , .150,000 cases of fruit arriving that week . from overseas"—___un_rtance_ which. . tended further to reduce prices..:. t_li though the New Zealand shipment was . only partially successful, the faults dis- »•"-':•'.':■ [ covered are such as can be' remedied r by experience. Thus if the fruit- is sent t over at a-bigHer temperature, "packed . more carefully, anii consigned in larger : lots, there seems no reason ■why profits able prices should not be Realised and an . .export trade built up. - \ THE DOM-KIONS DEP__"CT*MENT. ."'" An interesting departure^''and one on ; which the Go rernm'ent may be 'heartily ■ congratulated, ibeen made ,byj r the "Dominions Department: of .the 0010----1 riial Office. For *:the first time a report*" I has been issued dealing with the pro- - gross of the Dominions during the past i year, and its appearance ii significant ".- of tbe increased interest now shown, in • this country in the affairs, of-the. Do--5 minions. Here in a'few pages all th_ ' V most important facts, are summarised, . 5 so that the British citizen is able to - gain sonic general idea'of the advance. ! of the self-governing portion of the Em--3 pire within the past twelve months.- , This report is to become an annual feature. As Sir C.'Lucas states-, "The * great want of tbe Empire is the inter-. change of- .information/ and a clear and , dispassionate summary of "events in the * Dominions will be,..of real help to all. The value -of -the Blue-book is en- . . handed by '.'"a reprint of.'. ■ the r ' * most important Acts passed in thV.Dp--1 iminions in the past-year, and by a list of the chief official dealing with..the affahrs.of. the-Dominions, published in that period. . , *"•: .A ;'.;.. , Of the'lmperial "Press" Conference, Sir "_ C. Lucas says:—"lt is doubtful whether x any gathering-within the Empire, official" 'V or unofficial, has ever -been more- conducive to good tuide'rstandin'g.'. arid'.'-*&> j sound practical -results.. The .Mother Country' and ■ the Doininioris beyond the sea want-to know, more of each .oiber, and probably the. mutual knowledge., of ' the different-Dominions is even less than the mutual knowledge of anyone of them and the United. . Kingdom. ' Misunder- . standings tend- to" be created by insufficient, telegraphic" 'ifitelligerice,'' and "when once created they..are._rio.t. easily,;,d"S> pelled- through L -the_- post. Therefore; "it was "of riiuch importance that - the . .ferenee, .'"among 'other "subjects, dealt with, the question of cheapening ■ telegraphic communication." . I NEW ZEALAND 'TRUST AND LOAN. i The report _of the New Zealand' Trust and Loan Company, Ltd., for 1909, to be , presented to the--meeting-on.June Bth, . states that.the balance of undivided profits, after of.aU;. current.','.ex--1 penses, is £20,805. The directors recom- -■;". "mend that £2000 be now Appropriated for the paj__ent of a dividend on the £1 '* fully-paid '■■ ordinary shares of -1/- per share, free of income tax, being 5 per cent < - ; ".- for the year.l9o9",:' and that the."theri. : .'•'.. ' remaining balance—namely, £18,80"! —be 'carried forward.""" In addition to the dis: ? tributiott' of 15*/ "per 'share but' Off _n_3 " 2 in hand made.during, the .12 months ; '» covered by these accounts; the directors D .have since, during the current year, made 1 a further distribution of o/.per share on . 1 Ist March, 1910. This -brings."the ."return. . 1 of capital and other distributions to._£ 7 • per share to this date. Thesettled policy ' of reducing.remaining mortgages'by.in- [ stalments has been further pursued, .wii?h 1 the result that the company's'"Commit- - 3 ments have been brought within so nian- ' ageable a compass .that the directors 1 have felt justified in entering.upon.nego- > tiations for the final closing of the.com--1 pany*s business, a; 3 anticipated in --last " year's report.- On the conclusion of such i negotiations the- directors will summon"'* - meeting of the shareholders'with a view 1 of passing the'necessary special resolu- " tion for the formal liquidation of. tha i company. THE S.s. PA___HA. . -"'.; c Messrs Harland and Wolff, the-well- ■ known' Belfast shipbuilders, have launch- - ed the s.s. Pakeha, which they nave built j 'to the order of the Shaw, Sayill and Al- . bion Company, Ltd., for their New Zea--1 land trade."The Pakeha' is a twin-screw . steamer of about 8000 tons displacement, E measuring 500 ft in length and 63ft beam. 3 She will carry a number of passengers, i for whom comfortable accommodation , will be provided, and she will have a large i cargo capacity, and will he fitted with l the C latest in refrigerating machinery and insulated chambers. She will be lighted : throughout by : electricity. The, engines - consist of two sets of quadruple expan- . sion type, constructed by the builders.