The Daily southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4602, 24 May 1872, Page 2

The Daily southern Cross.

JuUGSLO, NON TJBO. It I hitra bten extinguiihed,y«t th«M ri«6 A thousand be»con» from tk« ipurk I bort.

FRIBAY, MAT 24, 1872.

An. item of information in our telegraphic columns vrith reference Jo the New Zealand loan will "be** perused with unraingled feelings .0/ eatiafaction by all "who wishweii to tie progress of the' colony. It appears from special telegrams from London that theeecond instalment of the loan has been placed at a rate over par.. jTh« rate at whioh, the first million irid pkced disappointed the floomy Taticiuationi whith

oracularly declared that it would uofc be floated at all ; but the greatly enhanced price of the second instalment conclusively shows that the conviction of the stability and wisdom of our colonisation scheme must bo based on evidence conclusive to the minds of English capitalists. The first instalment appears to have served to direct attention to the position and prospects of New Zealand, and the result of the second call for tenders has elicited the verdict of those whose life-study is given to the Stock Exchange. It may seem indeed that within the colony itself -we should, from local and personal knowledge, be able to arrive at more correct conclusions I than people sixteen thousand miles* I away,but there will be few reflecting men who will dispute the fact that those who are far removed from the influences of I party and political feelings, and look at our prospects only as a matter of business, have taken means to have the most reliable information, and that their conclusions are far more likely to be impartial than any we can form who are in. the midst of party strifes Nothing is more sensitive than capital, and capital has unmistakably given its approval to our scheme of immigration aud public works ; and we do not hesitate ( to express our anticipation that, if our colonising policy is carried out gradually and steadily, each future instalment of the loan will give similar esidence of increasing confidence in the future prospects of New Zealand.

The recent improvement in the price of wool is not among the least of the collateral benefits to New Zealand and Australia springing more or less directly out of the establishment of a Californian Mail Service. The increase this year of gross returns on the sale of wool the produce of New Zealand is estimated at £400,000, if only onefourth of which amount is credited to the American connection (and we do not hesitate to say that this is below the mark), then the entire oost of the existing mail service, even if New Zealand had to bear the whole of it, is not to be contrasted with the immense commercial advantages accruing to the colony. Never before had Australia and JN ew Zealand produce made such a figure in the markets of the United States. "We gather from the latest reports that in the month of April about 200,0001b. of Australian and New Zealand wool was disposed of in Boston and 3Sfew York alone. Advanced rates were obtained of from 50 to 70 per cent, over previous quotations. The prices of wool at latest dates are quoted by American brokers as ranging from 62 to 75 cents per lb. for JSew Zealand, duty-paid ; Port Philip, 60 to 73 cents ; Sydney, 58 to 67 cents; Adelaide, 55 to 65 cents. The future prospects of the wool market continued cheering in all the manufacturing States. Messrs. Arkell, Tufts, and Co., of New York, in their monthly circular, refer to the wool market, and especially to Australian wools, as follows : — " Perhaps at no " time have the markets of these States " presented more encouraging features " to the growers and shippers of this " article. The over-pi-oduction of two " years back in all parts of the world " has been more than neutralised by in- " creased consumption. Accumulations 11 have been exhausted, and manu- " facturers are now bare of stock." In regard to New Zealand flax, we read : — " The importation of this aiticle is "growing. Thus in 1871 we received " 12,600 bales, against 4,575 bales in " 1870. The consumption in 1871 has " been 10,571 bales, against 3,000 bales « in 1870. Of New Zealand flax there " is no stock at present in first hands." Prices are quoted at from d} to 10^cents per lb., or ,£42 to £-18 per ton. Kauri gum is reported in full supply, " owing to the high price of turpentine " restricting the manufacture of var- " nish. As, however, turpentine is " declining in price, the demand " for gum may be expected to rise." An effort will be made, ifc is understood, in Cougress during the present session, in the interests of the manufacturers, to reduce the import duty on wool and other raw material, and there is good reason for believing that this object will be accomplished. This would throw open the markets of the United States still more widely to the several products of these colonies, and would result in material advantages to New Zealand and Australia, to an extent far beyond what most persons had dreamt of on the first establishment of the present line of steamers. This view of the question will, we should say, weigh more forcibly with the general public than the petty considerations of party, and the miserable squabbles of a few politicians over the ias arid outh of office. Any Government or party, which for merely political reasons of an ephemeral character will sacrifice the best interests of the country, and stand between the productive industry of the people and its legitimate reward, is «ertain to meet with its deserts in due course of time. The inatance of the Uto Government of New South Wales ia a case in point, and we have no hesitation in saying that a similar course of action now in progress in Victoria, f persevered in, is destined to be followed with the same results. There the Opposition and not the Government, however, are the obstructives of progress ; but the object is the same, the sacrifice of commercial prosperity to mere temporary party interest. The defeat of a Ministry or the embarrassment of the Government is of greater importance apparently in the eyes of some than the acceleration of trade, or the opening up of an improved market for the staple products of the! country, ,• In the case of the Melbourne Press and the Oalifor'ttian mail subsidy; a little sober reflection \rill, we believej as was the case heretofore, be followed by a considerable qualification of its later pronouncements. But, however ;that may be; and whatever might be the value in local political circles in Melbourne of the storm of false reasoning and lame logic levelled against the Duffy Ministry ...and , the * Californian mail . contract, . ifc r fy c certain that that 1 «pnfr*ct, «ven in its initiatory stage, has

already done more for the pastoral, agricultural, and commercial interests of Australia and New Zealand than any other step "which has been taken heretofore of a similar character to connect these colonies with the outer world.

■Recent despatches from the AgentGeneiiil in England speak of renewed efforts having been made for obtaining emigrants for [New Zealand in various parts of the United Kingdom. Several ships with emigrants on board for Wellington, Otago, and Auckland, it is advised, were to sail for the colony in April and May ; and, as some of these may be expected within the next six weeks, it is reasonable to inquire, what arrangements are we making in this' province for receiving such immigrants as may be sent here 1 We do not allude simply to their temporary accommodation at the time of disembarking, but we refer to the more important point of their permanent location. It is not intended, we presume, to turn new arrivals into the streets to look for casual employment, without any offer of assistance on the part of the local authorities to enable them to eettlo down on a piece of land on terms such as would afford an industrious man an opportunity for making a home for himself and his family. We trust the Provincial Government, if they have | tiot yet given this subject their attention, will see the necessity of moving in the matter without delay. Most of the leading provinces of the colony have already taken this precaution. In Otago, Canterbury, Nelson, and "Wellington, arrangements with the General Government have been como to, more or less deflnite, with a view to the reception of immigrants, and to their being located in some particular district. We have still a large amount of land here in various directions, owned by ihd province, which it -would be far better to have occupied, and improved by an industrious population, than held over unutilised from year to year. At the present time an excellent oppor tunity is afforded for bringing these lands into use, if there is any energy to be found in our provincial system Immigrants are being brought oiit to the colony for distribution among the provinces wherever a desire is expressed for having them suitably located, and proper arrangements made for finding them employment, or settling them down upon land. No doubt employment will become more plentiful in the colony as the public works are more fully entered on in the various localities ; but, independently of this, it is the duty as well as the interest of the provinces to make the introduction of immigrants an occasion for extending settlement, by multiplying the number of holdings and consolidating population within the several districts. If employment on the public works were the only resource we had to fall back upon, the permanency of such additional population as wo could induce to come to New Zealand might well be considered doubtful. As regards the other provinces, the location of the imini grants, as we have seen, is being systematically attended to, and doubt, less this n the best feature in the scheme. The advantage of employment on the public works for a time need not be overlooked, but the object should be, not simply to draw population to a district, but to retaiu it; there, with a view to the effective development of the wealth and resources of the country. We should like to see the principle more fully recognised amongst ourselves. Our local Government will not be true to the interests of the province if it neglects the present opportunity for at least attempting something in the direction of utilising waste lands. "We know it is a favourite plea with some people that we have no good land available for purposes of settlement, but this is altogether an ex parte statement. Out of the seven or eight hundred thousand of acres of public lands within the province there is a fair propoition we believe well adapted for settlement, not in large blocks, it is true, but in moderate areas in various localities north and south of Auckland^ A large proportion of these lands has recently undergone a systematic survey, and we know of nothing to prevent their being turned to account in the manner we have indicated, if only an effort ia made bo organise a settlement scheme for the province such as has been resorted to elsewhere, and the measures agreed upon are carried out with prudence and energy.

It is impossible at the time of writing this to say how the morning which ia to commemorate the natal anniversary o! the Queen is likely to open. If the day sets iu wet, and looks likely to remain ao, then all tbat'-bas been set down on the cards may be looked upon as wiped off, except, perhaps, those amusements which will be in doors and under cover. Of what ia to be alfresco, we begin with the review on the J]psom racecourse. Major Gordon and the officers have left no effort untried to make the affair x success. At least 800 men, officers, and Cadets are expected will be on the ground, all in full regimental uniform, with artillery and cavalry. Volunteers not attending will render themselves liable to a fine. The march past, the presentations and manoeuvring, and the martial strains of the Volunteer bands, will present a very pleasing sight from the grand-stand and other vantage points on the ground. Should the weather at halfpast eight o'clock a.m. prove unfavourable for the review three guns Mill *>e fired as a signal for " No parade." We hope so much powder will be s*ved. At the Albert Baraacks a aeries of athletic sports have been arranged, whioh ia certain of drawing a crowd from the large class in our midst who love manly sports, and feats of strength, endurance, and swiftness. Arrangements have ' been made for the racing coarse to be well kept. The Coromaudel races will doubtless draw some of our population away from ug : the 'Golden Grown' has held out inducements by announcing a cheap excursion trip to Ooromandel, leaving our wharf sufficiently early in the morning for visitors to witness the first race, and not returning until the last event has been run for. There is an exciting pigeon match to come off at the Whau, and we helieve something is to take place at the Cremorne in the way of athletic sports. The day -will be observed as a., general holiday. -All .the public offices, banks, merchants, stor a, and wholesale houses will be closed; Wermay presume that very few of the retail establishments will be opened. At night the Prince of f Wales Theatre opena with the •

drama of " Jessie Brown," with Miss Aitken as tho heroine. At Onehunga the Choral Society will ro-open thsir bazaar. Some few weeka back we gave the statistics of police crimes and offences committed in tho city of Aucklaud for the year 1871. Wo now give the statistics of the districts which are inclnded in the city of Auckland, the Thames, Coromandel, Buy of Island*, Onehunga, Otahuhu, Howick, and Papakura. These are—drunkenness, 1,482; drunk aud disorderly, 307 ; breach of Municipal Police Act, 54 ; threatening language, 19 ; Vagrant Act, 204; assaults, 80; maUcious assaults, 3 ; larceny, 155 ; forgery, 24 ; maUcious injury, 48 ; burglary, 10 ; horse-stealing, 1 ' perjury, 5 ; neglected children, 20 ; Passengers and Shipping Act, 55 ; other offences, 28 ; lunatics, 46 : total, 2,805 persons arrested. Of these there were 2,301 males and 004 females. Out of these 2,068 males and 478 females were convicted, ; 233 males and 26 females discharged. Summonses for various offences, 842 ; of which there were 753 convictions and 88 acquittals. Of these there were 56 convictions under the bylaws of the Municipal Corporations Act. A requisition has been signed by 20 mombers of the Auckland Mechanics' Institute requesting the secretary to convene a special general meeting for this evening week. The object is to appoint a committee to draw up a freah set of rules, that the Institute may be placed upon a popular basis, and to make au effort to revivify an effete institution fast verging into obscurity and threatening to become defunct. Among the objects contemplated is the sale of the present property, the purchase or leasing of a more central aad convenient buildiug, and the establishing a free library. To effect this all those who are in favour of the proposed undertaking aie called upon to lead their aid aud use their beat efforts in the cause. The present Mechanics' Institute has been in existence thirty-live years, and will not compare in usefulness in extent with many institutions in the smaller proviuces which were formed more than a quarter of a century later. It has a library of ragged books, the greater number of them only fit for the auction loom. It is a reading-room with a couple of hard benches for seata, and a news-room with accommodation to about the same extent. There ato no classes for instruction, no lectures for amusement, aud thero is, in fine, nothing that should perbiintoa largo and wealthy city inhabited by an intelligent people. It would be sheer waste of time to state the cause of such a disgraceful state of things. What now has to be done is to endeavour to remedy them. It would ho as useless to patch up the old rules as it would be tho building, or the tatteied and brokenbacked books. The newly-elected committee fe«l this, and they now appeal to tho subscribe) s and the public to come forward and cay that suck a state of things shall no longer bo allowed to continue. Mr. Maxwell, butcher, Victoria-street, waited upon the Superintendent yesterday, .md presented a petition signed by nearly all the butchers in the city, setting forth the disabilities under which they labour in respect to the Slaughter-hou^e, and asking for redress. The present slaughterhouse is most unsuitable, and the water they have to use there is most impure, and it is even ; asserted that it verily stinks. The butchers i asked that either of two allotments named should be used for the erection of a slaughterhouse upon. If a long lease, say 200r21 years, wore granted to them of either of those allotments, they would even erect a proper slaughterhouse themselves, and engage not to charge higher fees than those which aie now paid, and would in the course of a certain number of years considerably reduce them; or they would pay the same fees if erected by the Government. As both the allotments named were at Newmarket, his rlonGr declined to grant them for that purpose, but asked Mr. Maxwell and bis fellowtradesmen to look out for other suitable sites, but considerably more distant from the city. Mr. Maxwell failed to see why the slaughterhouse should bo distant from the city, as a slaughterhouse was no greater a nuisance than a butcher's shop in the city if it were kept propeily clean, and the places he had named were admirably suited for cleanliness, as tho drainage was excellent, and the supply of water abundant. He in- [ stanccd the abattoirs of Glasgow as au illusti ation of what he nie.mt by a properly constructed slaughter-house, and how free from being 'a nuisance such places might be when kept perfectly clean. The diacussion was a somewhat lengthy one, in which JMr Hurat joined, but all Mr. Maxwell's poweis of pei suasion failed to change his Honor's mind that a new slaughter-house ought to be more distant from the city than Newmarket. The Onehunga Choral Society's bazaar was continued on Wednesday, with good success. Upwards of £80 has been realised, and the stalls are still well covered. The evening having proved so very wet, many from Auckland and a distance were deterred from paying it a visit, and the committee have therefore determined to open again this evening. Catherine Townsend and John Grey, for using obscene language, and two inebriates, were on the charge-sheet last ni«ht, and will appear thts morning at the Police Court to answer to the charges to be preferred against them. Accompanying a receipt for the annual subscription to the funds of the U.K. A., Tiiomas H. Barker, Esq., necretary, wiibes : — "Glad you are making such uoble progiess. Have not time to write you at length. Am overwhelmed with work and correspondence. Work on and hope on.-— T. H. B. Manchester, March 11, 1872. William Rayner, Esq., M.H.C.S.L., honorary secretary New Zealand Auxiliary of the United 1 Kingdom Aliauce." The Harapipi correspondent of the Waikato Times says: — "The quantity of land sown, with wheat in this district this year i 3 larger than it has ever been since it was settled ; ono settler has put in from 10 to 12 acres. Owing to the late failure in so many of the crops of potatoes the growing of wheat is receiving more attention in mosb parts of tho Waikato."

Mr. Edger will preach at the City Hall on Sauday morning and evening. The subjects selected are— "Believing and Working the Works of God/' and a sermon to women with hints to men. Notice is given that a Court will be held at Ngaruawahia on 13th of June, to revise the l'st of voters for tho electoral district of Waikato Mr. Thomas Macffarlane hag been ap-i pointed Provisional Trustee in the estate of Joha Hill Symonds, of Auckland, hairdrebser. The transfer books of the Mutual Mining Investment Company are to be closed at noon on Monday, and will remain closed until Thursday, the 30th inat., when a dividend will be paid at the office of the company. The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Imperial City Goldtniniug Company, is announced te be held on the 31st inst. , in the company's office, Grahamstown, to receive the directors' report and balancesheet. An entertainment is to be given in the Whau Hall this (Friday) evening, when various comedies will be performed. In our advertising columns is an intimation 1 ] that a sum of between £60 and £70 has been; lost, and a reward of £5 ia offered. TheJ case'is a rather hard one : the money lost, we 1 understand, was trust money. ; Tenders are called for the renting on build^ ing leases the lands of the Melanesian I Mission Tracts. - ' % ' «* Notice is given by the Secretary of the' Waiuku Highway District th*t unpaid, r&jias after the 31st instant will be sued for. j A call of 3a. per Bhare ia made by thei j Thames-GaB Company, to be paid to MrJ I Owen Jones, Secretary, Vaile's Buildings, oi^ or before 22nd of June. , ! An extraordinary meeting of the &***•. holders in the Coromandel Beaoh Goldmining Company is announced -to be held iu the office of Mr. James Maok»y, jon ? , Qneen-t street, on the, 10th June, at noon, for thepurpose of increasing the capita! of the company from 12,000 t<rl6,000 shares ; and to arrange for the-working of t&e mine, y . f