ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13399, 30 January 1907, Page 8

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[KROM OCR OWN CORItKSPON'DKXT.] London, December 21. ANGLING IN NEW ZEALAND. "Those English anglers who are visiting New Zealand in connection with the International Exhibition, which is now being held at Christchureh, or to see the bean tins of one of our most lovely colonics, should not fail," .'•ays a London paper, "'to take both fly and spinning rods with them and the usual tackle required for trout, big and little. Many of the rivers abound in trout, both our English fario and the American iridcus. These grow to an immense size, and the acclimatisation societies are constantly restocking their rivers and lakes, in most of which the fishing is free. On the usually difficult question, where to go, information con be easily obtained. The colonial Government is fully alive to the advantages to the country of visitors, and has a Department of Tourist Mud Health Resorts, the head office of which is at Wellington. It exists, among other reasons, to make easy the path of the traveller. Information can, too, be obtained from the agent for tie colony in Loudon. New Zealand anglers swear by a certain minnow, rather sombre in colouring, which i.*, of course, obtainable in the- colony."

PROPRIETARY MEDICINES LEGISLATION. A London paper notes that the High Commissioner for New Zealand has been asked by the Proprietary Articles Sub-section of .the London Chamber of Commerce to receive. a deputation with reference to Now Zealand's proposed legislation, requiring the disclosures of the foimulue of proprietary medicines and foods imported int.o" l, that colony. "A fow weeks back," Tays the same." journal, "we printed a report of a meeting of members of the sub-section, and it was obvious that while New Zealand was quite justly determined to keep out- quack medicines anil ' fake' panaceas, the new legislation might, very ea-siiy be a. real and, perhaps, unjust hardship to the makers of medicines whose purity and efficacy were above suspicion."

AN AUSTRALASIAN CLUB. Now that a number of colonists have settled down in Newcastle for a lengthy stay, if not, permanently, an Australasian Club has been formed in that city, with headquarter- in St. Mary's Place, at the Geographical Institute. About 50 members dined together -me evening recently, Dr. F. Page, president of the association, being in the chair, and those present were representative of all the Australasian colonies. Dr. Leijthtou (vice-president of the Edinburgh Australasian Club) remarked that the Edinburgh Australasian Club was the oldest Australasian club in Great Britain. He was instructed by " the boy." in Edinburgh to wish the members good luck and many happy returns of the day.

NEW ZEALAND'S BUTTER-GRADING

SYSTEM

In the House of Commons, Mr. .1. P. Bollard. M.P. for South Kerry, asked the Unde.r-Sccreiary of State for the Colonies whether he could state- what .was tho proportion of first-grade butter to the total exported when grading was instituted in New Zealand, and what was the proportion in the present year, according to the latest information: and could he state what, was the difference in the price of first-grade New Zealand butter now and that current when grading was instituted? In reply, Mr. Winston Churchill said:—'' Couipul.sorv {Trading was instituted in New Zealand bv the Dairy Industry Act of 139*. The first year for which full statistics are available is that ended March 31. 189b. when the percentage of first-grade creamery butter was 93 per cent., while that for tho vear ended March 31, 1906. was 97.85 per* cent. (li should be noted that the grading standards were raised in 1899. i.e.. the judging was stiffened.) In regard i-> tho difference in price as between these years, no precise figures can bo quoted as a guide, a- values fluctuate from year to year, according to the general state of the market, irre.spei -ti-,e of such influences as grading. I; may InStated in general, however, that New Zee laud butter, Mine the institution of grao'iuj. has attained a higher tandard of value, represented by many shillings per huiid;vd>s eight." Mr. Bollard funnel asked ih» Under Secretary for the Colonies whether he could state the cost per hundredweight of grading butter in New Zealand, anil what was the proportion borne by the producer and the New Zealand ( kivei tiinent respeclively, to which Mr. L'liurchill replied: -.- "Tile post of grading butter in New Ze;. land by the Government of thai colony is stated to be approximately I,'ri per 1-wt. The whole of such cost. is I ionic by the Co. \ -eminent. The figure named dots not 'nclude the com of cold forage, at the grading dpjxrts at toe porta of shipment. J'raetfcally, the wlmie of such cold storage charaes »re now borne by tin? producer or shipper, and are considered as pertaining in greater degree* to the business of oversea export than to the official grading system of the. colon v."