LATE COMMERCIAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1904, Page 6

LATE COMMERCIAL.

fI'RKSS ASSOCIATION.] (Rocoived Juno 27, 10 a.m.) LONDON, ii6th June. Medium Canterbury sheep, l)-16d ; best North Island, 4 1-loU; heavy River Plato, did. Beef— New Zealand hindquarters, 6 11-lud. Mew Zoaltnd hemp is very quiot, and prices aro unchanged. There is a poor oupply of hides ; Quctanslwid, wet tailed, heavy s^d, light tyd; cow, 4jd. Australian cargoos of wheat sold at 28s bd to 28b 9d ; 12,000 quarters, July mid A-ugust uhipmonrt, 295. Silver ifl quoted t»t 2« ljd. Tho Department of Industries and Commeroo h*e rocoivod tho lolloping cablegram from tho Agont-Gonoral, dated London, tl»o 25th instant: — "Trade for ali dtueees of mutton hns bcou slow, and recent price* are baroly niain-tnincd. Tho tondonoy of tho market 6ccmq to bo to dtoelino. Averago price to-day for Canterbury mutton is 4£ci' per lb; for Dunedin, iiou'thland, and W.M.B. Co.'s brands, 44d ; for othor North Island brands, 4tl. Tho lamb market is steady at quotations cabled you last week, but high prioee are r«--strioting business ; this son-.son's New Zealand lamb is giving satisfaction to buyers. Tho beef market is very dull ; supplies of Rivor Plato l>eef aro heavy ; avcrago price to-day for hindquarters New Zealand beof 3gd' jjor lb, foroquarters 2W. Thcro i» a better domand for butter ; averUgo i>rieo choicest Now Zoalnnd butter today is 87s por cwt, Danisli 101s. Tho eho«so inarJcot jb dull ; averago prioo of finest Now Zoalaiul cheoso to-divy is 41s per 'cwt. Tho hemp market is steady ; _j}rico of Kow Zealand homp, good fair Wellington ■gi'ttdo, on spot to-day is £30 per ton ; July to Soptombor shipments, £29 10s; Tho prico of Manila hemp, fair curront grado, on spot 10-day is £33 10s por ton. Buyers havo been enquiring moro freely for coekafoot eeod ; average prico to-day for bright, clean Now Zealand sepd weighing 171b per bushel on spot is 54s per ewt."

Tho discovery that Pilot Denis, who was in charge of the P. and £>. liner Australia when klio was wrecked last week, was practicnlly blind has led us to enquire as to whether steps are taken in Now Zealand to guard against the holding of a pilot's license by a man whoso vision nmy havo become impaired. The position in this colony, as in other parts of the world, is that no ono can bo granted a master or mute's certificate unless ho possesses perfect eyesight. When a shipmaster applies for a coastal pilot's licehw he is required to submit .himoelf to a visual tost, but is not called on again for the same purpose in after years nnlcws there is good reason to bo- | liovo that his siglit has become bad. No one can obtain a position in tho Wellington^ Harbour Board's pilot scrvico \uilcwT he has a certificate showing Hint ho is medically fit and has perfect sight, and tho Board reserves the light to call upon tho pilots at any timo to undergo* another sight test. Under the Shipping and Seamen's Act of last session power is given to tho Minister for Marine, at the request of the employing shipowner, to order a master or mate to submit himself to a test to decide whether his vision has become impaired since- tho issue of his certificate. It is understood that Mother Mary Joseph Aubert's Home for Incurables will benefit to tho extent of about£2oo by tho social galhoring recently held in thovDriHshe'd in aid of tho institution. The fifth annual meeting of the Wellington Lawn 'J^nnis C-lub will l»o hold in the Allinnco Rooms, Willis-street, tonight, at 8 o'clock k

Dr. Findlay, who has been indisposed ior sonio dnjs, will leave on Saturday on a short visit to Sydney, returning in a forlnighl or three weeks. The work of suiveying Wellington luubour is being cuiried on by Mi. Giecnwood, on bciinlf of the Harbour Bcmrd, at a satisfactory rate of progress, and v. ill probably be completed in a. few months. Tho scrives rendered to the Ohariu district by Mi. C. C. Wnckrow as late Chairman of tho local School Committee have boon suitably recognised by the residents, who on Saturday niglifc held a social gathering in liis honour and presented him with a. marble clock. Mcperc. Sidey, Mcech aiul Co. advertise a. r.alo of household furniture, blankets, and goods of all descriptions at their rooms to-morrow, commencing at 2 p.m. sharp. The Reyifctrar-Gencral this morning proceeded on two informations against Jas. Robertson, Secretary of Court Siv George CJiey of the Ancient Order of foresters, for having failed to &pnd in the annual returns of the society for the years 1902 and 1903. Mr. Myers, Vho prosecuted, .said the absence of ' this one report had prevented the Regi&trar from making bis printed return to Parliament complete for the ltiit two yea/rs. There was juothing excepting negligence suggested ngiiiusL defendant. This, however, vas no excuse for the breach of the Act, for he had received several warnings fiom Ufc Registrar about hii dilatoriness. The defendant jiracticaily admitted tho facts, and pleaded pressure of private business in mitigation of the offence. Dr. A. M'Arlhur, S.M., imposed n fine of 20s in each case. The total costs amounted to £'6 17s: It was jjoinled out that since proceedings had been commenced a return had been made out. This, however, did not meet the requirements of tho Registrar. Referring to the death of Mr. Robinfioii, at New Guiiwa, the Otago Daily Times states that the deceased gentleman wns only 35 yours of age. He was, at a comparatively early :>gv, admitted as v barrister of tho Supremo Court of Queensland, in Brisbane, and aomo time ago received an appointment equivalent to a Oliii'f Justiceship in New Guinea, whoro he administered his department with tact and discretion. .During the period between the 'departure- of tho last Governor and the arrival of the present one, Mr. Robiivoii held tho position of Acting-Gover-nor, and filled it in such a lmuuier as to win the most cordial approbation of the high authorities. Mr. Kobincun spent a fhort holiday in New Zenlnnd aomo timo buck, and impressed every one ■who- uiet him on that occasion as n, man of great ability, but of very quiet and unassuming character. There could be no doubt that Iu v worried a gr'ea.t deal about the Mcrria England affair, and that his mind was a good tl<?al depressed by the circumstance ; pat ticuhiTly m> as ho liad just previously suffered from sever© malarial fever. IT© had been several hundred miles up tho iiuilaaiiil rivers in the interior in an open boat, and was tomewhat atone, as Ins private wcretary had caught the fever and hud been sent by Mr. Robinson to Australia to recruit. After tho Memo England affray lie seemed very melancholy, and (here can be no doubt but that libs mind was very much depressed, and tfiat lie was in very feeble health at the- timo of his death. In tho Commonwealth Gazette thoPost-mastor-Gonernl invites 'Skilled artists, resident in any of tho States of fche Commanwcalth" to submit designs in co'oura suitable for reproduction on post cards of the regulation size. Tho designs muet leave a space available on tho post cards for a brief communication, and, of course, the subjects) must bo Australian, "rcproKPiiliug striking and readdy identifixble places and objects." Premiums of J3s'are offered for each of tho best designs, not exceeding four, accepted in each State. The competition closes on Ist September. The advertisement conveying these particulars is quite refreshingly unconven- | tional. It states, for example, that "no \ crudo, inartistic or obviously unsuitabledesign need be submitted." The Court of Appeal, consisting of tho Chic/ Jcitftice and Justices Williama, Denniston, and Cooper, this afternoon is occupied in hearing argument for settling judgment and costs in tho ense c.|s William Patterson v. Alex A. Fleming, an action which nxo&e out of a trespass. Previously the Court decided to hear tho case of Lobb and others v. R. Richmond to-morrow; that of tho Justice of tho Peace Act and in ro I'airburn v. Stead o)i Wednesday, a native land case on Thursday, and that of the Eastern ExteiksioA. Go. v. thq Commissioner of Taxee on Friday. The appeal re Deceased Persons' Estate*' Unties Act 1881, and in ro Williams and others was allowed to stand over until tho next sittings, and that of the Hutt River Boaxd v. Kingdon will probably be specially heard about tlu\M> weeks hence by three Judges. The case of tho King v. Price was added to the list. The Ilarbour Board has accepted the tender of Hunt and M'Donald, at £8519. for the erection of its new brick stores (V and W) on Customhouse-quay. . The estimate, of the Engineer was £8300. Tho unsuccessful tenderers were : —^Messrs. Sanders Bros., £8794 6s; Mr. Donald M-Lean, £8858' 7s; Mr. Alexander M'Kechiiic\ £9153; Messrs. Trevor nnd Sons, £9192 19s ; Messrs. J. and A. Wilson. £9325 Os lOd; Mr. T. H. Meyer. £9466 In 2il; Messrs. llowio and Matthews, £9480; Messrs. A. Cooper and Son. £9888 15s; Mr. John Moffatt. £10,392 12« lOd; Mews. Davis nnd Browman, £11,033 13s> 4d. The Public Health Department last week proceeded itguiust Patrick Cavanagh, a Kaiwiirra milkman, on two informations charging him with having failed to proviso suflicient privy accommodation at hia dairy and dwolliiigliouse. Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M., who heard the ouse, reserved his decision until this morning, when ho convicted defendant on both informations nnd imposed a lino of 40s whh £3 10s costs on one information. Mr. Myers prosecuted and Mr. Brown defended.