ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11691, 18 September 1903, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(TRO.tf OUB OWN' COBRESPONDKXT.) LONDON, August 15. A Dundee paper, the "People's Journal," recently offered a prize of half-a-guinea for a contribution. It is now announced that ibis prize has been won by Mr W. Paterson, of 37 Grange street, Dunedin, New Zealand, who has -written on " Life in New Zealand,*' the good wages and food there, and the chances for tradesmen. The following paragraph is going the round:—"Several of the pictorial stamps of New Zealand have been surcharged for use in three islands in the Pacific, peveral hundreds of miles to the north-east, of New Zealand itself. With regard to the surcharge for New Island a terrible mistake was made in over-printing the shilling stamp. Instead of the surcharge reading 'Taha e,' meaning 'one, it reads 'Tabs*,' which means 'thief.' The authorities are said to be. greatly distressed about, it. and to be trying to get back all that have been sold. As the mail clows, Mr W. P. Reeves and Mr Walter Kcnnaway are engaged in interviewing candidates for the headmastership of Christchurch school. They will report to the authorities in the colony regarding th.-? candidates they deem best, [caving the final selection to be made by the authorities in New Zealand.

Mr Seldon's Budget, speech is reported by cable at. considerable length in most of the London papers. "The Times," of course has its own special cable, message on the subject, The new loan of £1.000.000 that is foreshadowed is greeted with some derision, and plenty of forecasts are. not wanting that, if New Zealand does appeal to the London money market she will receive another snub. Those adverse critics who have sn long been declaring that New Zealand is living entirely on borrowed money, and could not carry on were borrowing to be suspended, are. indulging in gratified chuckles over this fresh proof, as they take it to be, of tho soundness of their views. T must confess that this continuance of borrowing is viewed with much regret by most -New Zealanders now in London.

Recently, when dining at <he country seat of a. Bedfordshire landowner and magistrate, I was interested to notice that all the silver fish knives and forks had handles of New Zealand greenstone. My host informed mo that he. had made a. short stay in New Zealand a few years ago, and was so much struck with tho beauty of New Zealand greenstone that on his return to England he arranged with Mr F. Hyams to make a set of fish knives and forks with handles of that; stone.

Some sixty or seventy applications havo been received for the' headmastership of Christ's College, and the Agent-General ami Mr Kennaway have selected about five or six of tho best candidates, and in duo course will submit recommendations to the Governors of the College. A valuable thoroughbred horse is being shipped hy tho s.s. Papanui to the order of the New Zealand Government.

Mr Percy F. Rowland, writing in a London paper on "Protection or Free Trade," and tho influence of the question on tho future of tho Empire, remarks: "It is easy to decry, easy to condemn some of the methods of the expressions of loyalty lifter the relief of Mafeking, hut to me at least that passion of enthusiastic patriotism that swept over the English world at tho touch of tho message-wires is nothing to bo laughed at. To me at least the Mafeking outburst had something of a Pentecostal nature;, from it I date the gift of tho Imperial spirit to the scattered nations of the Empire. I shall not readily forget that afternoon when, after weeks of waiting, the little 'New Zealand town of Christchurch was kindled into a wild burst of joy by the tidings that Mafeking was safe. "In an instant business was suspended. Every bell clashed the news. Every house poured forth its inmates. Every heart was warm, every eye was moist. Tho city assembled in the Cathedral square and mingled rejoicing and praise. The whole thing was perfectly spontaneous, and, when one remembered that all this was a tribute

to the pluck of a handful of soldiers from a distant northern island that few of those

present had ever seen, or even hoped to see, although they called it home, infinitely touching, a tribute to the imagination of our people, the essential feeling of Imperial unity, a triumph of mind over space. Similar scenes were repeated throughout Australasia. Their spontaneity and transparent sincerity were enough to convinco all who saw them of the reality of colonial patriotism. Tho question is whether we shall utilise the forces of this burst of patriotic enthusiasm, before they die low, to forge a lasting bond of Imperial union. It is useless to deny that such welding process, if it is to be sure and permanent, must needs be of great difficulty j it must involve our putting ourselves out not only to consider the welfare of ihe several colonies, but to learn where they are. and to understand their different points of view." At liord Chesham's place in Buckinghamshire, during the past fortnight, the King's Colonials have been in camp. The four squadrons are representative of the four great divisions of the British Empire. In the "A" section are the Asians—men from India, China, and the Islands of the Pacific. "B" claims American-Canadians and the "Yeomen" from tho West Indies. To "C" is allotted Australasia, and "D" aro those who have come from Africa; many of the men served in the late South African war. Colonel Willoughby Wallace is m command, and has as his Adjutant Major Thompson, who, in tho Ist Australian Horse, served against the Boers. Tomorrow the camp breaks up after hard work, in which about 250 rank and tile, out of a total of 500, have participated. Indeed, had the regiment not been strictly limited to men who were, born in the parts mentioned, who have lived in them, cr who are closely connected with them, the muster might have been moro remarkable, for over a thousand applications to join have had to be refused. "If you want evidence as to horsemanship, you will find it in the fact that there are no sore backs after all the duty done," remarks the "Daily Telegraph" this morning. "Better still, it can be seen as the regiment moves over the ground. There, is the light hand, tho firm, easy seat, the 'give-and-take,' the oneness of mount and mounted. Ho much for their constitution, and what it has svmbolised. Now as to what

they have done," continues the writer. "Friday was their inspection, but the whole training has been one of careful examination, for their camp is on the estate of Major-General Lord Chcshani, in Buckinghamshire, and under the. General's eye they have been from first to last. They have fought for and against each other. They have, covered the reconstruction of bridges until the infantry came up, have convoyed supplies to an army, and have opposed the passage of food in similar circumstances: they have encountered the Bucks Hussars, and been beaten by lack of knowledge of the country: they have turned out to repe! a night attack by members of the county regiment, and, come wet, come dry, have gone, cheerfully through it all. Small surprise that Lord Chesham lias declared "they compare, favourably with any Yeomanry in the country, and progressing in the. future as in the past may soon excel any similar body of troops.'" j One rather unpleasant incident, however, has been |ho arrest of two of the bandsmen of the. King's Colonials for being absent from the camp without leave, they apparently being unaware of the fact that during the. period of training, Yeomanry are. under the same discipline and law as militia. A day or two ago I had a chat, with a gentleman closely connected with the colonial butter trade, through .whosehands pass year by year thousands of tons of New Zealand butter. From him I learned that there were prospects of a fairly good time for butter products during the. coming season. "There is. however," he said, "a tendency on the part of producers to change their methods. Those who sold ci.f. tiiiak Uiej had bctier maiaua change.

But I should adviso them to do nothing of the sort. Stick to the same method, and although you may lose one year you stand to make good your losses tho next year, whereas, if changes were made, they are pretty certain to he made just when things are turning." New Zealand cheese producers will hardly want to change," he added, "for they did so well last year. But butter producers would do well to ponder my advice—experience teaches that those, who try to dodge the. market generally get caught, by the market." The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company have sold two of their smaller steamers. the Matatua and the. Mamari, and there will be replaced by a. new and thoroughly up-to-date steamer, also to be called the Matatua. The two older vessels have now been called the. Rhodesian and the Hessione respectively, the former lying engaged in the Cape trade, and the latter in the River Plate, trade; both have been sold altogether out of the New Zealand running. The new steamer Matatua will be 448 ft by 56ft by 33ft sin. She will be twin screw, have, a speed of knots, and will be possessed of cargo capacity equal to from £O.OOO to 100.000 carcases of meat, A special feature is being made of the cool chamber for the carriage of dairy produce.