ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12000, 24 June 1902, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

[FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.! London, May 16. SIR GEORGE GREY. VISITORS from Now Zealand, in their round of sight-seeing in London, generally make a point of visiting St. Paul's Cathedral. Ant.,, of course, two of the objects of most interest to them there are the bust and grave of the late Sir George Grey. Astonishment has been expressed to me that there is nothing whatever to mark the grave—not even a simple brass inscription— all that denotes the bust are the words The Right Hon. Sir George Grey." Surely the colony only requires to know this to see that tho palable omissions are remedied. With, reference to the statue of the late Sir George Grey, for Auckland, I bear that Mr. Williamson, the sculptor, is getting on well with the work, and is awaiting a visit from Air. Seymour Thome George in order to take his suggestions, and so perhaps make trio statue more lifelike than it otherwise might be. BUTTER. On Wednesday, in the House of Commons, Mr. J. Redmond' asked the president of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention bad been called to the paragraph in the interim report of the Butter Regulations Committee, in which it was stated that the committee understood that the vendors of & certain type of,butter containing water in excess of the proposed official bmit would be legally protected provided that a sufficient disclosure was made to the purchasers. And whether the legal advisers to the Board of Agriculture agreed with this view. In reply Mr. Hanbury said that be had no power under the statute to do more than state what the standard should be. • The opinion of his legal advisers was to the effect that fixing the standard did not necessarily prevent disclosures of an excess of water being a sufficient defence. But he could not say what view the Courts might take. Mr. Redmond remarked: Then in the opinion of the legal advisers of the Department such a disclosure is protection? Mr. Hanbury: Yes, that is so.

NEW ZEALANDERS AND THE EMPIRE. According to the Canadian Gazette " there is a good deal to be said for the suggestion which a ' distinguished New Zealander' puts forward in the National Review for May." This "distinguished New Zealander" says that he hopes that " when a suitable opportunity presents itself, you will use the great influence you possess in impressing on English public opinion the necessity of doing something to draw the Empire together in peace time as well as in war." He urges that there will bo a great deal of disappointment in New Zealand, at any rate, if after the war is over there are no openings in the army and navy, or in the Civil Service, and if the present disabilities against colonial barristers practising in England, or oolonially ordained clergymen taking duty in English parishes, are still maintained. MR. SEYMOUR THORNE GEORGE INTERVIEWED. Mr. Seymour Thorne George ha- been interviewed by an Anglo-Colonial journal. Mr. George speaks principally of the mining industry, and says that the developments in the Waihi have doubled the value of the mine in the last year. He expresses wonder that greater attention is not paid to the coal deposits of the colony. The paper in which the interview appears says it is not " unlikely that Mr. George may attempt to enter tho New Zealand Parliament." This would be a novelty! Yet I seem to remember him there for years? THE FUTURE OF NEW ZEALAND. "Under the beading, "The Future of New Zealand," Mr. James Freyberg writes to a London paper as follows:—" Two movements of considerable importance are progressing that will have an effect upon the future of New Zealand. First,, the Labour party is now tho special subject of 'Tom Mann's' attention and care, and a much more independent attitude is contemplated in the future; as tho honorarium attached to a seat in Parliament has been largely increased, therefore some of the ablest trades unionists may bo expected in the new House. These unions were greatly displeased at tho summary dismissal of so many workers by the Government recently, and the leaders suggest that the large number of men sent to the Transvaal was a clever move to cover ail awkward position. The Labour party commands quite an equal number of female votes, therefor© their power is immense. Secondly, the agricultural party, largely composed of small dairy farmers aiid settlers —is also striving to organise unions for the furtherance of their interest in the House, and as tho wealth and number of each party is nearly equal, a pretty sharp contest is quite certain." ' MISCELLANEOUS.

In a recent letter from Sir Clements R. Markham, the President of the Royal Geographical Society, ho strongly urged on the public the imperative necessity of immediately completing the fund for providing and equipping a relief vessel to communicate with Captain Scott and the crew of the Discovery, next year. Sir Clements then stated that the sum needed to complete the fund was £6000. I learn to-day that this amount has now been mad© up chiefly through the munificence of Mr. Edgar Speyer, of Messrs. Speyer Brothers, of Lothimry, who on Tuesday contributed £5000 of the total sum required.

A trial shipment of hard fruit—apples and pears—from New Zealand, sent Home by the New Zealand Shipping Company, has arrived here, and I. am told it was landed in good condition, only a few boxes of the fruit having caught the frost. Another new steamer for the New Zealand Shipping Company— Turakina— been, launched at Messrs. Hawthorn Leslie's yard at Neweastle-on-Tyne'. The tonnage of the new vessel is about 8500 tons, and she is expected to sail for the colony on August 14. Captain Fisher, late of the Papanui, will command her.