ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11441, 27 November 1902, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(nox ora oww coßßEeroroxxT.) LONDON, October 17. A beautiful set of New Zealand photographe, enclosed in a handsome Maori-carv-ed case, has just been received at the Agency - General. It has been sent by the New Zealand Government for presentation to Lord Rothschild, who, it will be remembered, gave tie colony, through Mr Gilrofcb, a couple of Shire horace last year. New Zealand should soon be in possession of statoary such as is owned by few coloniesBy the β-s. TuraJtina, Luocheei'e work for the Albert Park, Auckland, was despatched, and Mr Drury's statue for the came place is promised for the end of this month. The pedestai for the Queen's statue at Christchurch was shipped by the M&tatua, and Mr Williamson hopes to have the statue itself ready in the oourse of a fortnight. America is such a keen competitor in the English meat markets that tne report of Mr Erekine, the Acting-British Consul at Chicago, will be read with interest in Xew Zealand* Mr Erekine thinks there is no immediate prospect of a. marked decrease of the supjhy of beef and mutton in «ie "United States. He admits, however, that since 1892 the number of beef cattle in the country has fallen from 37,651,000 to 27,610,000, and that the population is at the same time increasing by 1,500,000 every year, so that it appears to be oorrect that the recent rise in prioea has not been altogether due to the operations of the trust. It is estimated that the roulion and a half of people who are added to the population every year will require an increase of meat supply of about 105,000,0001b, allowing an average of 701b. per head annually. 'ihis, in cattle only, means that over 200,000 more will be required each year for the home supply. The report on the oattle and meat trade of the United States, front which the above is quoted, is a small mine of information on matters connected with the slaughtering and packing industries. At the present time a "beast weighing about 1500.b alive returns 9001b dressed meat. At a n average price of £1 lls per 100H> on the hoof, this dressed would cost £2 lls Bd, or over 6d per lb. In 1901 beef of this class was valued on the hoof at £1 2s sd, end dressed at £1 15s 64 lam informed that this class of meat was exported to the United Kingdom and sold tflwre for £2 7s 10d in AuCTist, showing a dead lose to the shipper of all expenses and fle per 1001b. What' ever the loss on meat alone, however, tne biz racking houses are by no means nearly reluced to* beggary. . *h* census returns for 1900 show that with an erpenditure eomewhat over £150,000,000. their receapta, for meat and. by-produota, totaled £157,000,000, leaving a profit of nearly seven millions, though the loss on meat alone was neariy £26,000,000. Next year. in September, an InternattoSfß&y CongreaT will be Ms£*£ sels for the purpose mainly of discussing international regulations to prevent tnte adulteration of butter. The announcement in opportune in that it is made almost simultaneously with the statement that a ■process has been discovered by winch any trace of a mixture of margarine-.may be detected. It has not co far been found to be absolutely effective in every case, but its value hae been anrply demonstrated, and Mons. Dentien, Director of the J*eljmim State Analytical Laboratory, wOl /shortly publish a treatise on the subject. On Sunday last the Johannesburg correspondent of the "Daily Mail" cabled that 'Messrs Orart and Bergl, who originated the imperial Cold Storage Company, but severed their connection with the concern at the time of its amalgamation with tho other South African Supply ana Cold Storage Company, are now forming an opposition company to break the existing ."ring." They have already started negotiations foe buying out a number of established 'butchers' businesses, and are meeting with considerable support. In reference to this, •■Oβ '•'Daily Mail" comments.—The South African Supply and Cold Storage Comipanv practically controls the importation of frozen meat in. South Africa, wihere enormous quantities are consumed every year. A large proportion of the supply is received from Australia and New Zealand, and a quantity from Argen tins*. Another competitor in th« South African market will be New Zealand. P.Jvate enterprise hae already made arrangement* to import,vast quantities of New Zealand meat into South Africa, and, if it is neoessarv, Mr Seddon ia prepared to back the undertaking with Government support." With the dose connection now established: by the New .Zealand Government with the Imperial CoM Storage Company,. through the direct steamship contract, it is thought here that it is mghly improbable that there is any troth in the statement. '■;' •. ' .■'■ •■■■■>.■■ r.;.: • I learn that the steel steamship Otarama, 3935 tone grow, 2637 torn nett, built and engined by Messrs W. Doxford and Sons, Sundertand, in 1890, witii enrinee 27m, 44in, and 72in, by 48in stroke, steams about 10$ knots, fitted witib, refrigerating machinery and electrio flight, and owned by the New Zealand Shipping Company, hae been sold to the Nelson , * Line, of Liveripool. It ia stateii that the purchase price is about £24,000. "Pen' Pictnree" of dharacteristio scenes and experience* in New Zealand frequently now find a tAace as the subjecte of the well-known "Turnover' , articles on the first page of the "Globe"—*he doyfn of London evening papers.. Uhey ere very well and graphically written, and are evidently dewed from the writer's personal experience. The latest, which appeared the day before yterday, is entitled "A N«w. Zealand Winter's Iji describes ■ with picturesque vividness the doleful experiences of a country settler who, riding to his home in a remote country district late on a wet winter night, becomes drowsy in the saddle, and is awakened from a temporary snodze by the cessation of the "plop, plop," caused by the suceeesive withdrawal of the horse's hoofs from the deep mud of the so-called road along which it las been plunging its way for many .hours. The waking rider 'discovers Mat his eteed has strayed off the track, that ho ie hopelessly lost, and that he has to camp out for the night in some manuka scrub under a ipitil ess downpour. At daybreak he finds the has been all the time within a etone'e throw of his own cottage. The tale is really well told, with much effective realism. .