ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10426, 26 April 1897, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

(from our own correspondent.) London, March 20. GENERAL. At a meeting of the Council of the Royal Colonial Institute held last Tuesday, Sir C. C. Smith in the chair, Dr. Alfred K. Newman, Mr. Walter Savill, and Mr. James B. Westray, all of New Zealand, were duly elected Feilows of the Institute.

It has been decided that the annual conversazione of the Royal Colonial Institute shall be held on the 18th June, at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, the customary locale of these pleasant gatherings. It is intended to use every effort to render this year's conversazione even more brilliant and successful than usual, in view of the expeoted presence in London of exceptionally large numbers of colonists,

I am informed by the secretary of the Royal Colonial Institute that H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught has consented to preside at a banquet to be given by the Institute at the Hotel Cecil on the 2nd July next, in commemoration of the sixty years of the Queen's reign, to which banquet the colonial premiers visiting England on this occasion, and their wives, will be specially invited, as also the officers commanding the detachments of colonial troops. The occasion should be an interesting and memorable one.

There is not very much to record as regarde fluctuations in the price of New Zealand securities. New Zealand Government threes are quoted at 99i-10OJ; 3J per cents, 105-107 ; fours, 114-116. Of municipal and harbour stocks Auckland City sixes are quoted at 132-135; fives, 118-120; Auckland Harbour fives, 116-118; Christchurch City sixes. 125-127 ; Lyttelton Harbour sixes, 122-124; Dunedin City sixes, 128-131; fives, 111-113; Otago Harbour sixes, 114-116; fives, 104-106; Bank of New Zealand 4 per cent, guarantee stock is at 103-105 ; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile prior lien 4 per cent, debentures, 93-95.

An inaugural luncheon was given on Wednesday last on board the s.s. Aorangi by her new owners, Messrs. Huddart, Parker, and Co. It was not very numerously or influentially attended, especially from the Colonial view point. Only one Agent-General (Mr. Reeves) was present, the others being conspicuous by their absence. I have already described the alterations made in the Aorangi, which have completely metamdrphosed her into a modern vessel, wholly unrecognisable as the steamer built for the New Zealand Shipping Company fourteen years ago. Nothing very remarkable wis said in the speeches. Sir Albert Rollitt proposed success, to the colonies, and Mr. Reeves responded in his usual felicitous strain. Ho predicted that the day would come when it would take only twenty days to get to New Zealand. Mr. James Huddart mentioned that Sir Edwyn Dawes, chairman of the New Zealand Shipping Company was associated with him in the Canadian-Aus-tralian mail service, and he expressed a hope that tne New Zealand contract would be duly ratified by the Parliament of that colony, and that both the Agent-General and the New Zealand Premier, when Mr. Seddon came to London, would celebrate the Diamond Jubilee year by giving the present company a share of the mails to and from Europe, He also mentioned that the Aorangi was already booked to convey fifteen hundred tons of flour on her return voyage from Vancouver to Australia. In my last letter 1 gave a summary of the important law case which bad recently been decided between Mr. W. Friedlunder, the well-known Anglo-Colonial merchant, and the S.S.A. Shipping Company. But as the question at issue is one of much importance to New Zealand shippers, I should like to add a few more words this week as the result of an interview with Mr. Friedlander. He tells me that the action was fought out in a perfectly friendly spirit between himself and the S.S.A, Co., it being deemed by both sides desirable that the long vexed question at issue should be definitely and finally settled. The caße, in a nutshell, is this : The shipping companies are naturally anxious to discharge cargo with all possible celerity after arrival in dock. The sacks, bales, etc., of colonial produce are not addressed directly to tbo consignee, butsimply bear distinguishing marks. W hen delivery is taken of the goods, the consignees' representatives have of course to sign receipts. It is a matter of some little time and trouble to verify all the representative marks, and so the shipping companies, with the object of ensuring greater expedition, have been in the habit of insisting that the consignees shall sign specific receipts for the number of bales or bags delivered to them with their marks, whether the correctness of these had been verified or not, and have refused to give delivery, or to allow goods to bo removed, until such detailed receipt should be given. But, as Mr. Friedlander pointed out to me, it was not uncommon for there to be in the same cargo a number of sacks, etc., of the same article of produce, but all greatly varying in quality, and addressee! to numerous different consignees. The consequence was that it was often found that among the bales or bags delivered, there were several bearing other marks, and containing beans or grain, or whatever it might be, of totally different quality, thus spoiling tho uniformity of the consignment. In this case, when the consignee's representative had given an explicit receipt for the marks as well as for the number of bags, etc., neither the consignees nor the consignor had any redress ; recourse against the shipping companies being barred by the express receipt given. If, on the other hand, the receipt was given as Mr. Friodlander contended it ought to be, simply for the number of bags, etc., delivered, then if any were found to be wrong the shipping company could be required to set things right. And this is how the case has been left by the judgment of the Court. " The shipping company," said Mr. Friedlander, " failed to prove that any such practice or custom existed, as that on which they took their stand, although they brought forward representatives of nearly all the principal shipowning companies trading to the port of London. And so the case went dead against them. I need hardly tell you that although I won the case, the battle was not fought without its involving a considerable expenditure of money on my part. However, lam quite satisfied with the result, and all shippers of New Zealand produce will share in the benefit." Everybody interested in New Zealand produce and its conveyance, and indeed in any kind of merchandise carried by ship from New Zealand to London, will, I think, agree with me that Mr. Friedlander has conferred a very substantial benefit upon the Anglo-colonial trade by taking so resolute a stand and fighting out to a victorious issue an action at law against so powerful and influential a shipping company. A very successful smoking concert was given by the London and Colonial Club on Wednesday evening at the Westminster Town Hall, at which it was estimated that "five hundred colonists" were present. New Zealand, however, was by no means largely represented, the only New Zealanders or quasi New Zealandert whom I noticed there, being Mr. Henry Wilding and Mr. C. G. Tegetmeier. A new " radiator" for butter-making—an improvement on that which I described some time back—is just being brought out. If it fulfil all that its inventors claim for it, it will pasteurise the milk at small expense by means of exhaust steam from the engine, and will turn out pure butter of the finest quality and flavour, the cream being suddenly cooled so as to prevent any taint of burning, and the whole process being completed in a single minute. It is claimed that butter made by this process will keep better, that the yield will be larger, and that there will be material saving in labour. I may have more to say about this new radiator another day. The Agent-General is advertising for a successor to Mr. Henry Gray. The advertisement it worded thus: " New Zealand.— Applications are invited for the Appointment of Inspector of Produce. The duties require the Inspector to be resident in or near London. Candidates, to be eligible, mast have a thorough knowledge of the meat and dairy business.