ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11534, 20 November 1900, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[FROM OTTB OWN" CORRESPONDENT.] - ■ ; ■, London, October 12. NEW ZEALAND'S : MEAT EXPORT. "New Zealand is now; discussing seriously the question whether, in exporting huge quantities of frozen meat, she is not-(to make an Irish bull) killing the goose'; that lays the golden eggs," remarks a city paper, which proceeds: "Upon this point there seems to be a unanimous opinion among the flockowners that no country could stand the depletion which has been 'going on. In 1899, 1,238,925 carcases of Canterbury lamb were exported from the colony, while in the same* year 2,011,175 carcases of 'mutton were shipped. New Zealand slaughtered in 1899 no fewer than 3,250,100 animals out of its flocks to help to feed the world, while Australia, its near neighbour : and ' competitor, exported in the same year only 233,500. Those who have eaten Canterbury lamb (and most people who dine in the city have* eaten it, whether they know it or not) have been struck with the delicacy of its flavour. It was the high character of the export which has sent the New Zealand frozen meat trade up by leaps and bounds, but this wholesale slaughter of the innocents cannot go on for ever." NEW ZEALAND MEAT COMPANIES. *' Another city paper observes: "An amusing discussion has lately been going on : in the New Zealand Parliament regarding the profits made by the Wellington meat companies. Relying, possibly, upon the advanced oha*aoterl of the Government's legislation, a member proposed to introduce a Meat Export Companies' Limitation of Profits Bill. There was a discussion, in which some extraordinary statements were made. One M.H.R. stated that sheep worth 19s in Christchuroh only fetched 8s in Wairarapa, and by some queer reasoning he charged this to the Wellington companies. But Mr. Lewis told him thai if that state of things exists, his constituents must be idiots; and, having regard to the i epresentative of the said constituents, ho was not prepared to dispute the statement. Mr. Seddon was against the companies, and agreed to a committee being appointed. Mr. Seddon will meet with not an atom of support from his sympathisers on this side if he advocates any such measure as the one referred to. The Now Zealand meat companies enjoy no monopoly of any kind; any one is open to start an opposition show, and if the companies make profits, it is by fair, if smart, trading. If the sheep farmers in the Wellington districts do not get good prices foi their stock, why don't they ship them to Christchurch? And if the State is going to limit profits, it should also undertake to limit losses." PRICES OF MEAT. An Anglo-Colonial-journal says:—"There is taking place just now an upward movement in meat prices, and agents here, acting under authority from New Zealand shippers, have been holding up prices, somewhat to the annoyance of buyers. Shipments for the next three months will be on a reduced scale, and shippers knowing this naturally desire to secure a rise in values as early as possible. Retailers will soon have to make up their minds to pay enhanced prices, but for the moment they rebel. So market prices are under ex ship values. Prices for fat stock in New Zealand for some time have been abnormally high. Something like a general rise in retail meat prices may be expected— butchers in some parts of the country have already taken this step. I hear that Messrs. Hill have notified their regular customers that their restaurant prices are to be considerably raised, on account of the rise in the wholesale prices of meat. The importation of pork from New Zealand on a commercial scale is recorded recently-arrived vessels had some 200 odd carcases on board. As pork is scarce and dear here this season, the colonial article has fetched good prices." COMMERCIAL COMPANIES. The Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company announco to holders of an issue of £150,000, first mortgage debentures of the Real Estates Mortgage and Deposit Bank, that in accordance with an agreement, dated November 26, 1896, interest of 3 per cent. ' per annum for the six months ending October, 19, . 1900, will be paid at the National Provincial Bank of England on and after that date, and that the relative coupons must be left there at least three clear days for examination. On Monday last the twentieth annual meeting of the Northern Investment Company of. New Zealand .vas held at 4-, Albyn Place! Edinburgh, when the report ot the director" (details of which I have sent you), recommending a dividend of 6 per cent., was approved, there being carried forward the sum of £4894 12s. The amount of the reserve fund remains at £60,C00. Professor Crum Brown occupied the chair, and moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Mr. Montgomery Bell. Mr. Laurie, retiring director, was re-elected, and the auditors were reappointed. TEMPTING THE DOCTORS. That well-known organ of the medical profession, the British Medical Journal, draws attention to a subject, which has been described here as "Tempting the Doctors," and which possesses considerable interest for New Zealanders. This «.paper says:—"We are sorry to have to draw attention to a gross instance of an offer of , commission to medical practitioners. A prominent physician has sent us a circular received by him from a firm which is organising, personallyconducted visits to the thermal springs of New Zealand, for which the first-class return fares, not including medical attendance and hotel expenses, are to bo 300 guinea?. The circular is headed ' Private—an honorarium of 5 per cent, will be paid to medical gentlemen on completion of all successful business introduced by them.' This is a very serious matter, as the honour of the profession is gravely concerned." WHERE TO WINTER,

Under the heading " Where to Winter," the Globe discourages the hackneyed sojourns in French or SwtSs territory, and suggests that people should turn their attention to Australasia, remarking it " has the disadvantage of being many miles from English shores, but the invalid will probably derive more benefit from the long voyage on ' Hor Majesty's seas' than from any number of weeks spent in the enervating climate of Southern Europe and the irritating society of frantic Anglophobes." But the pith of the article is in its conclusion. The writer says: "The land of all others for a long holiday is New Zealand; the climate is that of England made perfect; the scenery is that of Switzerland enlarged; and the people are more English than the English themselves." THE BIRTH-RATE. Frequently, and in most unexpected places, I have heard New Zealand's low birth-rate commented upon. This hag been the case even at meetings in the city. The other day I learned that one of the leading thinkers of the day, who is a professor at one of England's oldest universities — not the oldesthad been giving the subject careful thought. His suggestion to remedy the present state of things is somewhat an adaptation of the French method of bachelor taxation. l\'ow that New Zealand has an old ago pension scheme, ho says, let a bonus be offered to persons who have been married and who have brought up the largest families. This is a suggestion for New Zealandors to ponder over. NEW ZEALAND AND THE COMMONWEALTH. Commenting on Mr. Seddon's. proposal to set up a Royal Commission to inquire into the advisableness of the colony joining the Australian Commonwealth, a London paper remarks:—"lf the Commission be appointed, and its composition be intelligent and free from bias, there is every reason to assume that its decision will be in the affirmative; for New Zealand has more to gain by going into the Federation than by remaining out in the cold." TROOPERS IN LONDON. Some time ago I drew attention to the faot that men of the colonial contingents in London were short of funds. It is now stated that there are at present about 170 wounded and invalided colonial soldiers in England. Some of these men are in serious temporary financial difficulties, as they are unable to obtain their arrears of pay from their own Governments in the colonies. These arrears range from £25 to £115 per man, of whion only a small percentage is obtainable in London. Lady Carrington was informed of this fact by some Australian soldiers who are in her convalescent home, and on Tuesday last she called the attention of the Lord Mayor to their hardships, and asked him whether it would be possible for him to advance enough money out of his " discretionary fund" to ensure a loan of £1 a week to each invalided colonial soldier while in England. This loan would be repaid by him when he got home, and was finally "settled up with." The Lord Mayor approved most heartily; and generously granted the loan. A committee 01 colonial non-commissioned officers was formed on the same day, and yesterday _ the _ first weekly payment was made to invalided colonial soldiers. The colonel commanding has kindly granted a room at the Commissionaire Barracks as an office. Lord Carrington is acting as hon. secretary to the fund, and Lady Carrington will personally superintend the weekly payments of the temporary loans, which will be paid every Tuesday between

eleven a.m. and one p.m. at the Commissionaire ; Barracks, ;in the Strand. VI; may say that '; New Zealanders -who have applied to their Agency-General have had their : wants attended to. Some well-meaning folk are agitating for a "Colonial Soldiers' Home" here. -But it seems hardly wanted. Many of the men have friends to stay with, and there is plenty of accommodation for the rest in the other joldiers' homes which London possesses. . : . N. - .'• . THE MARKETS. v.,"

From Messrs. Charles Balme and Co. I hear that the fifth series of colonial wool sales for the present year opened on Tuesday evening, with three catalogues, totalling 11,571 hales, to which New Zealand contributed 7173 bales, Victoria heading the list of the Australian colonies with a total of 1148 bales.' Messrs. Balm© write that although there was a very large attendance of buyers from all quarters, competition was confined ' almost exclusively to th» Home trade, which operated freely in both fine and coarse wools. As compared with the rates current at the close of the July auctions, Messrs. Balms quote:—New Zealand and Australian merino wool, 10 to 15 per cent, lower fine crossbred, 10 to 15 per cent, lower; coarse crossbred, unchanged. South African produce is said to be lower to the extent of 10 to 15 per cent. The net available supply .. for the series, including old stock, totals about 366,000 bales. There have been no arrivals of New Zealand sheep this week, the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company inform me. They-proceed to remark that trade has been very quiet, this week remarkably so. The higher prices demanded have much checked the output and deliveries at Smithfield get smaller and smaller week by week. Several large buyers are now taking River Plate mutton instead of their usual supplies of . New Zealand sheep. Holders continue very firm, and this week they are seeking a further rise, many of the best Canterbury sheep being now held for 4-Ad per lb., which, so far, is but seldom obtained, though a sale is reported of small choice weights at 4gd per lb. Sales of fairly large lines have been made at 4id per lb for light and medium weights, heavier sorts at 3|d per lb. Very few Dunedin and Southland sheep have been put on the market. North Island mutton has made from 3|d to 3fd per lb, while small, fresh, bright carcases are reported to have touched 3|d per lb, but the numbers sold are comparatively small.

The continued long spell of fine and bright weathei has favoured the lamb trade, and considerable numbers of lambs from New Zealand are said by the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company to go into consumption; deliveries last week were very heavy, considering the time of year, and the competition of game, poultry, and pork, all of which are plentiful. This week the demand has been hardly so good, but prices keep up well, and for any really choice and small weights 4£d to 5d per lb can be made; for medium weight Canterbury lambs about 4fd per lb, and heavier 4id to 4|d per lb is obtainable. MISCELLANEOUS. Yesterday the New Zealand Shipping Company's new s.s. Rimutaka, a description of which I have already sent you, was successfully launched at the Dumbarton yards of Messrs. Denny and Bros. She is expected to make her maiden voyage about January next. I learn that the New Zealand Shipping Company has informed tlTe New Zealand Government tkat the s.s. Papanui, which leaves the Cape about December 1, will have accommodation for about 80 passengers, so that possibly many members of the contingents may return in her to their homes.' It is noted by Land and Water that New Zealand orders for mining and dredging machinery are being placed in America, and it is thought that Americans may find their way into a new foreign market." "It seems curious,*' says this paper, " that Home manufacturers have not been able to compete with Transatlantic ones in the matter of supplying dredges." It is announced that the share transfer books of Mellin's Food Company for Australia and New Zealand will be closed from Wednesday, the 17th inst., to the 31st inst.. both days inclusive, for the preparation of dividend warrants.