ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9186, 16 October 1888, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

NEWS AND GOSSIP. [FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London, September S. NEW ZEALAND TIMBER IN LONDON. Mr. Laurie's attempts to introduce the Australian hard woods into the British market are proving more successful than they bade fair to do at first. He was considerably discouraged until quite recently, and seemed to anticipate that he would have to return to the colony with a sense of failure. But lie has now succeeded in making some advantageous sales, and in securing several large orders besides. The Midland Railway Company have been induced to purchase enough hard wood to make a hundred waggons, and the German Government has ordered a trial shipment of wood to be used for paving purposes in Hamburg, so that there may be a future before this trade. FREETRADE AND PROTECTION. The current number of the Nineteenth Century contains an article entitled "An Australian Lesson,' in which an elaborate comparison is drawn between the results of the fiscal policy of Protectionist Victoria and Freetrade New South Wales since the year 1806", when Victoria adopted a Protectionist policy. He rinds that \ ictoria in every possible particular— wealth, revenue, exports and imports, manufactures, and indications of general business activity—is far behind her older rival, and he attributes this inferiority to her Protectionist policy. IMPERIAL FEDERATION. The Spectator of August 25th contained a letter from a gentleman named Grainger Hargreaves, who has lately spent some time in travelling about Australia and New Zealand, in which a very despondent view is expressed of the future of Imperial federation. THE 'FRISCO SERVICE. Some little alarm was occasioned recently amongst New Zealanders by the announcement that the Frisco service was to be discontinued. But this was allayed by the publication a day or two afterwards of a | telegram to the "effect that the Australian ! Governments had extended for one year from j November next the contract with the Oceanic 1 Steamship Company for carrying the mails between San Francisco, the Sandwich Islands, and the Australian colonies. KING MALIETOA. Poor Malietoa and the two other native chieftains, whom the Germans seized at Samoa, ax? being kept in durance vile at Wilhelmshofen, a port on the North Sea. They will rind a great difference between the delightful climate of Samoa and that of the North Sea. THE ABT SYSTEM. The Agent-General has visited the Hartz Mountains, where he thoroughly inspected what i≤ known as the Abt railway system, which is an electric mountain railway. Sir Francis is believed to have been favourably impressed with it. as being likely to be of advantage in New Zealand, particalarly in connection with the Midland Railway. The Abt system is especially useful for the ascent of high mountains. THE PANAMA CANAL. The crash in the Panama Canal scheme is said to be approaching very rapidly. The tinal collapse has been temporarily postponed by tne authorisation of a lottery loan by the French Government, though without any guarantee or responsibility by the State. A vast cash investment of about £50,000.000 drawn mostly from the savings of the French poor and middle classes will be utterly wiped out when the inevitable end comes, and a terrible blow will have been indicted on the French nation. There is said to be no hope for the enterprise unless one or more of the Great Powers outside France come to its relief, a thing which the United States Government might not approve of, inasmuch as all the plans are prepared for the Nicaraguan Canal scheme, whica would be carried out under the direct sanction of the Washington Government. LORD SEAFIELD. It is stated in London that Lord Seafieklis coming to Scotland very shortly to take possession of his Scotch estates, but that he has no intention of residing on them, and will return to New Zealand as soon as he has arranged all his business matters here. His family will not accompany him to Scotland, and during his absence a rice mansion will be built tor him in Otago. Lord Seabeld will thus follow the example of the eleventh Lord Fairfax, who, when he succeeded his brother in the title in 1569, refused to leave the United States, where he had been born and bred, and who is practising as a physician at Maryland. THE NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY. I hear that Mr. Russell has become, or is likely to become, a director of the New Zealand Shipping Company, so as to represent on the Board of that concern a large New Zealand financial institution, which has had con- ; siderable dealings with the Company in the ! past. It is stated that satisfactory arrange : merits have been made for the payment of the liability due to this institution, a considerable portion having been liquidated already, and arrangements made which will secure'the repayment of the balance. . One result of the change in the management of the New Zealand Shipping Company is that this company and the Shaw, Savill, and Albion line have jointly agreed to put up the price of ireignts on all ships to New Zealand THE MAORI FOOTBALLERS. The following is the list of matches arranged for the Maori Football Team during their tour in this country October 13th, v. Midlands ; 24th, v. Hull; '27th, v. Dewsbury ; 31st, v. Waketield Trinity ; November 3rd, v. Northumberland County ; 7th, v. Borough of Tynemouth; 10th, v. Durham County; 17th, v. Westmoreland : 24th, v. Cumberland; 28th, v. Swinton ; December Ist, v. Ireland (international); 3rd, v. Trinity College, Dublin sth, v. North of Ireland; Bth, v. Lancashire County ; 12th v. Batley ; 15th, v. Broughton; 19th, v. Llanelly; 22nd, v. Wales (International); 24th, v. Swansea; 2b'th, v. Newport; 29th, v. Cardiff. January 1, 1889, v. Bradford ; 9th v. Halifax ; 12th, v. Cheshire; 16th, v. Runcorn; 19th, v. Yorkshire County; Kith, v. Spen Valley; •26th, v. Somerset County ; 30th, v. Devon County. February 2nd, v. Gloucester County; 13th, v. Oxford University 16th, v. England (International); 20th, v. Cambridge; 23rd, v. Manningham; March 11th, v. Manchester ; 16th, v. Salford. BISHOP NEVILL. The Bishop of Dunedin and Mrs. Nevill ire spending some little time at Torquay. GOLDMINING IN WALES. The first meeting of the shareholders of Mr. Pritchard Morgan's Welsh Goldmining company—the Morgan Gold Mining Company —was held on Friday, August 31, the chair being taken by the Earl of \rVinchilsea. The noble lord has been spending some time on the company's property in'\\ ales, considering the best means of developing the same, and he gave a most glowing account of the prospects before the company. During the previous week, he said, more gold had been drawn from the mine than in any other week since the mine was opened, and nineteen days work with the mill produced a result of f>ll* of gold, worth over £2000, while a fresh lode has just been struck. Lord Winchilsea says the company can work to a profit ore containing anything over 4dwt of •gold to the ton. The day after the meeting the company's shares were quoted at one-halt discount. One would have thought they would have been at a premium. NEW ZEALAND ANTIMONY COMPANY. The shares of the New Zealand Antimony Company continue to stand well with the market, though as things are so quiet just now on the Stock Exchange, there have been few dealings in them. Tnere are, however, very few shares on the market, for most of the holders are preferring to keep, them until they see what are the results of the crushing of the specimens of gold quartz which have just come over by the . lonic. From the colony we hear very satisfactory reports of the company's gold-bearing property. THE QUEEN AND THE GOVERNOR'S SALARY. It is reported over here that the Queen lias refuaed to assent to the reduction of Sir William Jervois' salary from £7500 to £5000, bo that it will remain at the old figure. NEW ZEALAND CROWN MINES COMPANY. The prospectus has been issued of the New Zealand Crown Mines Company (Limited), with a capital of £65,000, in £1 shares. It is stated that the vendors are prepared to accept the whole of the purchase money in shares, except £5500, which is to be paid in cash. The company is formed to work the Crown, Welcome, Sutro, Retreat, and Sunny Corner properties, in the Hauraki district. A NARROW ESCAPE. Lady Bo wen and two of her daughters were in the terrible railway accident at Dijon this week, but escaped without injury, though terribly frightened. NEW ZEALANDERS IN ENGLAND. The Hon. G. R. Johnson and family, of Wellington, and Dr. Green, the Rev. Chaffers Welsh and family, from , Christchurch, and. Captain Coward, of Gunnislake, have arrived in England. THE AGENT-GENERAL. Sir Francis Bell returned from his holiday yesterday.

THE UNION INSURANCE COMPANY. One of the financial papers contains a detailed, and not particularly favourable, criticism of the recently-published statement of the affairs of the Union Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND. The Bank of New; Zealand shares were quoted yesterday at £13 15s.