SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9126, 10 June 1895, Page 2

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

POLITICAL AND GENERAL. Political oircles have been ia a state of stagnation for tbe last few weeks, tbe prevailing calm being only broken by tbe Premier's tour on the TV est Coast of the North Island. As Mr. Seddon said nothing fresh in his speeches his trip would have passed almost unnoticed by the rest of tbe colony had it cot been that he iucurred the displeasure of the loyal natives by calling, as Native Minister, on the old Maori "prophet " Te Whiti, at Parihaka, and that the latter and his lieutenant snubbed the Premier rather unmercifully when he waited upon them. Tho incident caused much amusement throughout New Zealand, but Mr. Seddon's dignity suffered somewhat considerably. It was generally felt to have been a mistake ou hia part to have put himself iv such i a position. Te Whiti's influence over all but a small section of the Natives is a thing of the past, and the Qu__n's Maoriß, as they call themselves, who resent his pretensions as a leader, objected strongly to the Premier and Native Minister of the colony going on a visit to " small men." - The Hon. J. M'Kenzie, Minister for Lands, has had to relinquish busincsa matters for a while, owing to the very indifferent state of hia health. He has been resting and recruiting at his home at Shag Point, Otago, and is said to be regaining health. The Colonial Treasurer ia expected to arrive in Wellington from London via Canada on July 7th. The Vancouver-Sydney liner Warrimoo, by which* Mr Ward will travel, will, on this occasion only, touch at Auckland on the voyage to Sydney, permission for her to do so having been granted, as an act of courtesy to Mr Wasd, by the New South Wales Pcstmaster-General. Although dull politically, the jjnonth in other reßpects has not been without incidents, of which the seizuro of the Midland Railway by the Government was oue of the moat prominent. Another was the receipt ot uews of the arrest in Jersey of Leonard Harper, of the Christchurch firm of Harper, Harper and Maude, who failed some two years ago. Particulars of both these affairs wiU be found in another column.

A movement is on foot in Wellington to tender Mr Wap.d a banquet on his return, and there is some talk of celebrating tbe Premier's fiftieth birthday in the same

manner. A reoent meeting of subscribers to the proposed memorial to the late Bishop Harper waa held to consider a motion by Bishop Julius, that a cenotaph be erected in the Cathedral with the recumbent figure of the Bishop, but it was decided after some discussion to adjourn the meeting until the Diocesan Synod meets.

The trouble which has arisen in Auckland over the weekly half-holiday rendered compulsory by the Shops Act of last session has culminated in a decision by the local Magistrate that section 9 of the Act, requiring the looal authority to fix a day in " January next " _ade the Act inoperative until January, 1896. He therefore dismissed the case brought by the Labour Department against a shopkeeperfor neglecting to olose upon Saturday, the holiday afternoon in Auckland. The Labour Department intend to appeal against the decision.

The preliminaries have been completed for the first case of arbitration of the value of an estate whioh the Government wish to resume under the compulsory clauses of the Lands for Settlement Act. The property in question is known as the Ardgowan Estate, belonging to the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. It comprises 4200 aores of first-olass agricultural land, highly improved, admirably suited for close settlement, and situated within easy distance of tho town of Oamaru. As the Government and the vendor Company could not agree as to price, it has been determined that it shall be fixed by the Court of Arbitration, whioh will con ist of an assessor representing each party, with a Judge of the Supreme Court aa President. The case is believed to be the first of its kind which has occurred in the British Dominions, and will be of great interest to all landowners in this colony.

What is considered to be payable petroleum has been struck olose to the breakwater at New Plymouth. An expert who was sent over by a Sydney syndicate, and who has had large experience of American and Canadian oil fields, says that the crude oil, of whioh at present comparatively small quantities have been obtained, is worth 15s per barrel. Tbe oil is like the Indian, but of a better quality, and it con tains 75 per cent, of pure paraffin. He asserts his belief that Taranaki will develope into the best oil field he has ever seen. It is said that a Company with a capital of £50,000 is to be formed in Sydney. The present well yields from thirty to forty barrels of forty gallons each a week as it at present stands.

At the last quarterly meeting of tbe Canterbury Chamber of Commerce the President, Mr Geo. Huhphukys, after reviewing the present atate and future prospects of trade, said—"Viewing the present upward tendency in price of nearly all onr staple productions, combined with other circumstances, I think we can now safely say that the long looked for revival is at last at hand, and I believe tho colony will very soon be able to congratulate itself upon having unmistakeably entered upon a long period of solid prosperity."

The Natives holding lands along the main trnnk line of railway are said to be making an unusually large number of transfers of title to the Government, and it is conjectured that this is being done in anticipation of their presently being asked, at tbe instigation of tho Maori members of Parliament, to pledge themselves not to sell any more land to the Crown until tbey shall have been conceded tbe same rights as Europeans as to the transfer of real property.

Daring a Maori Parliament held recently at Rotorua a petition for presentation to the Premier and Parliament was drawn up, asking that a clause be added to the Licens* sing Act that no intoxicating liquor be sold or given to any man of the Native race, and that no license be renewed or fresh license granted within a mile of Maori land. A Urge number of Maori women, who were present, drew up a similar petition on their own behalf. A resolution was adopted deploring the effect of drink on the Maori race, and appealing to tbe Premier to provide in the new Licensing Bill that the sale and snpply of liquor to Natives be prohibited, as is at present the case in the three licensing districts of Taupo. Waiuku, and Moawbanga. The petition was signed by thirty chiefs and over sixty other representatives of the Natives from all parts of the colony.

The unemployed difficulty is increasing, and at each centre in the colony there are numbers of men out of work. In order to make room on co-operative contracts for as many unemployed as possible during tbe winter months, the Government have decided to reduoe tbe working time for each man to four or five daya a week. The result will be to largely increase the number of co-operative workmen. - The Gear Meat) Company declare! a divi*

dend for the half-year at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum.

Tu-» Perpetual Trustees declare a 12. per cent, dividend for the year and carry forward £1857 5s Id.

The rainfall for April was:—-Auckland 1.78 in., Napier 4.21 in, New Plymouth 3.73 in., Wanganui 7.06 in., Wellington, 11.23iD., Christchurch 1.71., Oamaru 0.44 in., Dunedin 1.72b., Invercargill 4.04 in., Westport 4.50 in., Hokitika 5.44 in., Greymouth 4.04 in. The Government have taken over the accommodation house known as the Hermitage, at the foot of Mount Cook, from the Proprietory Company, who lost considerably over it. Daring May 1503 persons arrived in the colony, and 2359 left. The figures for the same month of last year were 1386 and 2499. An unusually large number of deaths have to be recorded this month, among them being those of Dr. Moran, Catholic Bishop of Dunedin; MrH. J. LeUren, of Timaru; Mr A. J. White and Mr Hyman Marks, of Christchurch ; and several other old settlers, including Messrs John Thompson, of Lyttelton, J. D. Hean, John Gunn, and Mrs Hadfield, all of whom had been in Canterbury for thirty years or more. The Directors of the Bank of New Zealand have resolved that for the twelve months following upon the Ist of June the salaries of all officers above £200 per annum shall be reduced by 10 per cent. Further the Directors, President, and Auditors have decided that their fees and incomes shall be similarly reduced. The following is the acreage under grain, &c., in the colony, with the gross produce for tho seasons 1895 and 1894 .—Wheat, 1895,148,575 acres, 3,615,037 bushels ; 1894. 243,737 acres, 4,891,695 bushels. Oats (for grain only), 1895, 351,852 acres, 10,221,393 bushels; 1894, 376,646 acres, 12,153,063 bushels. Barley, 1895, 35,519 acre 3, 1.000,612 bushels; 1894, 28,857 acres, 724,653 bushels. Maize (for grain only) 1895, 5,525 acred, 254,890 bushels ; 1894, 4,116 acres 224,559 bushels. Rye and bere, 1895, 3,908 acres, 56,169 bushels; 1894, 4,589 acres, 73,693 bushels. Peas, 1895, 6,808 acres, 161,331 bushels ; 1894, 5,665 acres, 1-16,251 bushels. Beans, 1895, 6,742 acres, 233,350 bushels; 1894, 5,673 acre 3, 224,208 bushels. Hay, 1895, 56,614 acres, 79,489 tons; 1894, 60,740 acres, 86,198 tons. Potatoes, 1895, 25.339 acres, 139,859 tons ; 1394, 21,121 acres, 126,540 tons.