The Hawke's Bay Harald. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18,1895. HOW VALENTINE WAS VANQUISHED.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9891, 18 January 1895, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Harald. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18,1895. HOW VALENTINE WAS VANQUISHED.

Perhaps tho Premier will explain tonight what Is tho important colonial

business which the Agent-General appears to be unable to manage, and which has.taken the Colonial Treasurer Home at> such an inconvenient time. Perhaps, also, he will be able to give a positive assurance that Mr Ward, when figuring ab Home as Colonial Treasurer of New Zealand, will not make nee of the influence which his official poaition will give him to forward any big private schemes, such as the hung-up Valentine Distributing Company, of which the J. Q. Ward Farmers' Cooperative Association was to ba the colonial agent. It would also be satisfactory if he would explain all about Mr Valentine's appointment. He was engaged la England at' a handsome salary to come to the colony to teach our farmers how to make butter and oheeoe, He came, of course travelling at the publlo expense. He made a flying visit tound parb of the colony ■ bad so far aa we know did no workSuddenly he was appointed dairy expert to attend to the colony's produce on arrival in London, still receiving a handsome salary tor work which Mr Lowe had performed perfeotly well for £100 per annum. When he god Home— of coarse travelling at the pabllo expense— he threw np his appointment and endeavored to float a company with a trifling capital of a million or two to handle all colonial produce and distribute it throughout Great Britain. All seemed to go swiniingly for a time, and Messrs Nelson Bros, and Co. gave a provisional adherence to the scheme, whloh was itself of Immense aid. Then tho cable told ns that the ! projected company was in a parlous way, and that Messrs Nelson Bros, had withdrawn. Simultaneously there came rumors of a visit of the Colonial Treasurer to London, and as it was an open secret that he was largely Interested In the Valentine scheme it was naturally assumed that his visit had come reference to it. It wonld be most improper for Mr Ward to go Home to push such a scheme in his capacity of Colonial Treasurer, but so far no contradiction of the report has appeared. One leading Ministerial organ stated explicitly that if Mr Ward went Home he would resign his portfolio. He has nob resigned, and is not going to resign. Will tbo Premier explain why ? The Wairarapa Daily Times of Tuesday tella ns how Mr Valentine's company came to grief. It appears that he was out-generalled by Mr TallermaD, who many years ago was very prominent in pushing the Australian tinned meat trade. According to our contemporary, on the 23rd November last Sir Saul Samuel, Sir James Garrick, and Sir ' Weat-by Perceval met by appointment. Mr Tallerman, to afford him an opportunity of submitting a scheme for the better development and regulation of the frozen moab and colonial dairying trades In the British markets. Mr Tollerman pointed out that the industrial organisations throughout the Kingdom had not yeb been reached by the trade. There were, ho said, lasb year, 1577 industrial co-operative sooietles numbering 1,232,431 members^wibh a aapital of £18,173,135, whoso sales aggregated to £48,931,000. In addition the trades unions uumbered 599 societies with 1,237,367 membors. It might, he thoughb, be roughly estimated that theao beads of families represented 10,000,000 persons possessing a concentrated purchasing power exceeding £60,000,000 per annum. Mr Tallerman alms at bringing colonial produce into more direot communication with Homo oonsnmers ; to ensure that colonial prodacts are sold as such on their merits ; to simplify and improve tho syßtem of distribution go that shippers shall secure a fair proportion of tne value of their consignments ; to render importers! independent of tho market and dealers ; to ensure that inferior products are not sold as colonial ; to create an interest among the working classes in favor of the colonies and their products ; and fo regularly advise colonists as to the best means of preparing, transmitting, md packing their produce. To attain those ends there ought to be efficient official and commercial organisation. Mr rallerman thinks the former might be provided by the formation of a council to which all the Agents-General should aelong ex officio. This council ought to iducate the people lv the advantages which they would derive individually and sollectively by the consumption of solonlal instead of foreipu products. A sommerclal committee suonlrl likewise )e established to whloh every Importer vonld belong. This would entrust to an ileuted oxecutive the conduct of all necesury arrangements, and wonld also eotire increased prices. In that way Mr fpillcrmun hoped B*oa lo eecuro on im. irovemeno ol from 2a Cd to 3s 61 in tho narked value of frozen sheop, and 30a to 0a in the value of carcases of beef. Mr Fallonuan waa ueked by die Ageuts*emual tofoimulale a complotu echeit.e or their consideration, and tho produciuu ol this scheme uo doubt killed Mr fulontiue's venture. 'i'lie proposals of

Mr Tallerman are tar-reaching and comprehensive, and if they could be carried out— ob, the potentiality of that little word "It 1 !— would uo doubt; do a great deal to put the trade in colonial produce on a better footing.