GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 20

GENERAL NEWS.

: V —*.ljL At- last meeting of St. Mary’s branch H.A.C.8.5., the resignation by Miss Norah Dwyer, who is leaving Wellington, of her position as secretary., was accepted with regret. Oh the ocasion of liis recent marriage, Mr Gvles accountant of the " New Zealand Times” Company, was presented by the members of the publishing department at the company’s office with a Bnismaii leather tobacco pouch,. bearing a si - ver plate on which was a suitable nisei iption.

At St. Paul’s pro-Cathedral on the 10th Mr D. W. Anderson, of the firm of Messrs D. Anderson and Son, Molesvvortli street, was married to Miss Nellie C. Moginie, eldest daughter of Mr J. C. Moginie, of Belmont. The bride was given away by her father. The ceremony was conducted by the Rev T. H. Sprott. The guests were subsequently entertained at Adrangi House. . The wedding was celebrated at Te Horo of Susie t eldest daughter of Mr J. R. Stans ell. and Mr Wilfrid \ ickers, third son of-Mr S. G., .Vipkei's, ,of Khandallhh. The bride, who was .attired in a grey tweed travelling' costume,||was attended by Miss Ada-, and May Sth|isell as bridesmaids. Mr E, T.wiss; of ellingtdn," acted as best man. The ceremony was performed by\ the Ven -Archdeacon Ffincoiirt. l \ . ■

.■ Speaking at the Zealand Institute of Accountants last week, Mr W. Brown .(pf Bh%chn) referred to the high place taken by New Zealand candidates in the Australasian examinations. Of the sixty candidates, presented by all the colonial institutes, twenty-one passed, a percentage of 35. The New Zealand candidates numbered eighteen, and of these six passed, some with great credit, while two others had been advised to go up again for examination in one branch. The New Zealand average w r as thus 331 pel The average marks of the six successful New Zealanders was 497. and that of all the other successful candidates 489. Taking into account also those who were commended, the New Zealand average was 4871 marks, and that of the remainder 473. Among the successful candidates, a New Zealander topped the list with 563 marks, an Australian was second with 561, and a New' Zealander and another Australian tied for third place with 528. The examination, Mr Brown considered, w r as rather a difficult one, perhaps more than necessarily SO..

The memorial to the late Lord Russell of Killowen has been fairly well started in London ; but in order to carry out the plan adopted at the meeting held in the library of the House of Lords under the presidency of the Lord - Chancellor, a large sum will be necessary. The proposal is to place in the Royal Courts of Justioe a statue of the ■"" ‘late ’Lord Chief Justice, and in the Na-h-Hional Portrait Gallery a replica of the -- fine portrait by Sargent exhibited in -- the Royal Academy last year, and now • possession of Lady Russell, yd Amongst the first list of subscribers two fqr one hundred guineas each. -Thby are Sir Ernest. Cassell, the finan- - cie#- jof the Central London Railway -o-hnd ’of th© vaster irrigation works in jl ...Egypt; - -and Sir George; Lewis, who £%briefed Charles Russell in most of his famous cases. Lord Rosebery and Mr % Choate, the American Minister, each L- subscribed £SO. Donations of twentyt : "five guineas are given by Lord Russell’s U successor in the Lord Chief Justiceship, *l' the Attorney-General, and the Master of •A the Rolls.

" Before Dr. McArthur, S.M., on the- ; 10th instant, the' Stamp Commissioner (through Mr Myers) sought to recover II- £lO 2s from Hugh Fraser, John Bar- . tholomew, George'Bartholomew, and Arf- .thur A. Gray, parties to two documents executed" between them and (years af- ;* terwarcfs) put before the Palmerston Disi trict Court. The document when exe- ’' Seated was not stamped, but on its bemg tendered to" the Clerk of the Court us evidence in a certain cdtee, it _bo<re the necessary shilling stamp—but the stamp of an issue that was not available V for some years after the date on which the agreement was executed. The Commissioner claimed £5 Is from Ba/rtholomew Brothers, and £lO 2s from Fraser. Mr Tripe, who appeared for Bartholomew Brothers, submitted that the error t, as that of the Clerk of the Court to whom the document was brought ; it was his duty to have seen that the document was not admitted as evidence unless it was properly stamped. Further, the document was not produced by Bartholomew Brothers, nor with their consent-, but by the defendant Fraser, and his client had done no act which entitled him to be fined. Mr Myers said it was a generally accepted axiom that any and every person who was in any manner a party to an evasion of stamp duty could be held liable therefor. If the Court had noticed the error in the document, the consequent rejection of the evidence would no doubt have been the punishment; but inasmuch as the Court had been misled, a legal fraud had been perpetrated, and the parties to the document were liable to be cast in fines as* well as unpaid duties. The Magistrate reserved judgment for a week.

A post office has been opened at Waingava and a telephone office and bureau at Te Horo.

Among the lands being tin-own open for selection are 3000 acres in the Tanakira. district, 8000 acres at Waipakura, 1650 acres at Mangawhero, and. 2600 acres in Taranaki. Parcels of land have been permanently reserved in the places named for the following purposes: —Public buildings for local authority at Pongaroa: preservation of scenery at Makuri; support of Tira Koroheke at Manganui: preservation of scenery at Apiti and Urautoi; public school site at Hantapu. Among the officers recently appointed in the Post and Telegraph Department are the following:—W. A. lorns, lettercarrier, Masterton (permanent); A. F. Brown, postmaster and telegraphist, Greatford; Caroline PI. Kelleher, postmistress, Waingawa; Mary Go wan, postmistress, Juclgeford; J. O’Leary, postmaster, Wangaehu ; J. P. Aldridge, postmaster’and telephonist, Taihape; Eleanor Paterson, postmistress and telepho_ nist, Otakeho.

s' The Mangaweka “Mail” reports that 5a large quantity of iron intended for '■the construction of the Mangaweka Viaduct has arrived at the Makohine workshops, where all will be prepared ready for erection, and taken through by rail after the train goes as far as Mangaweka. Our contemporary adds: —Tiye Department says that this viaduct can be constructed m twelve months, but we have it on good authority that it- will be nearer five years.

. The following appointments appear in ’tins w-eek’s Gazette: —Aubrey Cross and William Bremner to be trustees of Opunake Cemetery (vice PI. H. Seccombe and W. Mann); Charles Nolan to be a trustee of IPunterville Cemetery (vice John Hennessy); Dr J. G. Jeffreys* to be a public vaccinator at Mangaweka ; Ralph R. Armstrong to be'registrar of electors for the district of Wairarapa. (vice Adam Armstrong) ; David Syme to be a trustee of the Eltliam Cemetery (vice P. H. Pease). The remarkable advance made of late years in commercial and general progress by the Poverty Bay district has encouraged the starting of a morning newspaper in Gisborne. The new journal, which-is entitled “The Gisborne Times,” is owned by Messrs Jones, Anld and Slack, and is a fottr-page shpef of most respectable dimensions, ed. and containing the latest—•able and/’ telegraphic news. The political tone of ' the paper is one of dignified ence, and the number and variety of the advertisements is a striking proof of the favour with which the new r venture has been received by the business people of the district. With the r ‘Gisborne Times” is incorporated “The- Telephone,” a triweekly paper which has been in existence for some years past. We must congratulate the proprietors of our Gisborne namesake upon what is in every way a very creditable production, to which we wish unqualified success. Regulation*, have, been puhlished urrder the Government Railways Act of 1900"" having reference to the conveyance” of" luggage and admission to railway platforms. Luggage may now, at the traveller’s option, be checked between any two stations on a continuous line of railway, and 1 such checked! luggage w'ill thereafter be held and conveyed at the risk of the department, and will only be- delivered at the end of the journey on production of the check-ticket. Pas_ sengers are not . bound to see personally to the checking or claiming of their luggage. In future nobody except passengers will be allowed on the platform of a railway station for a period of fifteen minutes before and after the arrival or departure of a train unless he holds an admission ticket, for which a fee of twopence has been paid, and any stationttnaster may, at his discretion, limitthe issue of tickets^,-Notices will be posted up at all stations to which this regulation will apply. ■%

Am-ongsc those who| returned by the* Mokoia. last week was Mir Andrew Collins, .of this city., Mr Collins reports having had a “right royal time” in the Mother Colony during the ypcent Commonwealth celebrations. HexVyould f ‘not have missed-'the Sydney carnival for .worlds.” , Last Sunday week Mr Collins addressed the populace at 3 p.m.• and 8 pan. on New Zealand labour legislation, making special reference to the operations of the Arbitration and Conciliation Acts, and refuting the statements of a New South Wales Parliamentarian, who had opposed the passing of a similar measure through the Legislature. Our townsman was informed by one of the members of the New South Wales Cabinet that the celebrations at Sydney “had already cost £200,000.” Mr Collins left this colony an anti-federalist from the labour point of view. He conies back with his views in that regard confirmed and strengthened. /He found amongst the labour leaders on “t’other side” a lamentable ignorance of the progressive legislation of New Zealand; and discovered that, notwithstanding that labour has had large representation in the New South Wales Legislature for some years past, it has, owing to the peculiar political conditions prevailing, been unable to make its influence felt in the direction of ensuring reforms of a progressive character. T . V

A fifty-acre section in the Pongoroa Village/ Settlement is open for settlement on the lease in perpetuity sys_ tern.

Mr Isaacs, one of the inspectors appointed under the. Manual and Technical instruction Act, is at present on the staff of the Nelson Boys’ College. His colleague, Mr Brown, is science master at the Timaru School. On the occasion of his transfer to Oamaru, Mr R. de Lambert, of the Ae_ countanis’ • branch at the Office, was presented by his friends in the service with a portmanteau and pocket-book, suitably The presentation was made by Mr TV. uallaghan. A portion of the community appears to labour under the belief that the rates of postage to the Australian colonies have been reduced, as quite a number of letters for the neighbouring States are being posted with only Id stamp affixed. The rate of 2d per half-ounce letter is still in force.

Powers, have been delegated by (lie Governor to the following Boards: Taihape Domain Beard (Messrs TV. A. Ellis, R. B. Cole’, NT. J. H. McCormick, J. Sinclair, and'D. Scott); Pohangina Domain Board (Messrs J. Shadbolt, A. A. Wagstaffi, R. IT. Brown. TT . Lucas, L. Esbenson): and the Makuri Domain Board (Messrs J. Perry, J. D. Murphy, W. E. C. Tylee, G. Allen and F. L. Anderson). The address presented last week to

the ex-Solicitor-General, Mr Reid, by the members of the Wellington .Law Society is a beautiful work of art, the production of which reflects the highest credit upon Messrs TV hit combe and Tombs, who were responsible for its preparation. The address itself is exquisitely illuminated in colours and gold, and is enclosed in a handsome case of blue morooco chastely inlaid with brown and red calf, with gold floral designs and doubiures, the whole constituting one of the most beautiful specimens of high art bookbinding it has been our lot to inspect.

The position of life assurance offices trading in the United Kingdom with outside connections is one not altogether regarded as satisfactory to them. The case of the Gresham Life Assurance Society, Limited, v. Bishop, Suryeor of Taxes (says the “Financial Times”), lately camp-before the Court of Appeal composed of the Master of the Rolls and Lords Justices Collins ana Stirling, on the /-appeal of the Assurance Society from (the decision of a Divisional Court of Queen’s Bench in August last. The question raised by the case was cue of considerable'interest to life assurance companies in ’England which also carried on business abroad, and shortly put was whether certain interest or dividends which xhadXaccrued in foreign securities of the, appellant society could be said te have been _ “received” in rue United Kingdom within the meaning of the Income Tax Act. The contention of the assurance company was,, that there could be no “receipt” ef the money oy the society so asJtp" entitle the Crown to levy" income tax upon it unless it was actually" received bv the society in specie. The ..Divisional Court held that'” such-—money swefg liable to 'be assessed for income tax, and the Court of Appeal affirmed this decision and dismissed the appeal with costs. While there was a numerous list of oompanv formations in the United Kingdom in 1899, the number of liquidations was also very considerable. The •‘Economist” gives thei new capital applitions as £109,000,000 (exclusive of foreign and colonial Government and British and foreign municipal loans). The annual report of the Inspector-General on Companies in Liquidation, which brings the bad side of the company enterprise into, 'prominence, . states that liquidations amounted te £33,405,000 of, public capital ana £43,522,000 of vendors’ capital, being a total of £76,927,t 000. The figures must not be taken as indicating correctly the loss to- the contributories. In the first place, the amounts realised by the liquidation are not deducted, and in the second a certain proportion consists of reconstructions or amalgamations which are' not necessarily attended with less to the shareholders. According to Mr McArthur's return, “about one-fourth of the 'number and about 37 per cent, of the capital belong to the more or less solvent class, while the remaining threefourths in number and 63 per cent, of capital would represent the insolventclass. Nevertheless the growth of companies falls very far short cf the actual number formed. It appears that the mining and exploring section forms a perennial class of failures, but it appears that the cycle companies run the mining a very close second, the depression in that ‘industry being the natural result of the inflation which attended its development a few years ago. Many of the companies came to grief through lack of sufficient capital. It appears that the trend of company promotion for some time past has not been in the . direction of developing new enterprises so much as in that of the conversion of old businesses into the form of limited liability and of financial operations based thereon. Whether this tendency has operated for the benefit of the industrial enterprise of the country, remarks the Inspector-General, or has provided an adequate substitute for the personal initiative and control which it has displaced may be an important question for consideration. more 1 especially in view of the increasing force of foreign competition; y ' r ' mori ’ V

Mr W. O. H. Tonking, of this city, who has been on a visit to the Old Country, accompanied by Mrs Tonking, has returned to Wellington.

The appointments of Mr James Duncan as registrar of brands for the Rangi-t-ikei district and Mr John Thomas Stone as an inspector of stock are gazetted.

The Inspector of Factories has. refused an application by Messrs E. H. Crease and Son to be exempted from the provisions of the Factories Act with respect to the hours of labour of persons employed in the company’s jam factory.

The estates of sixteen deceased persons have been placed, in the hands of the Public Trustee for administration, the estate of Thomas Walsh, of Tenui, included. Elections have been filed to administer eight more intestate estates.

The date for receiving competitive designs for Wellington City Town Hail expired on the 10th. Thirteen designs had arrived at the City Council offices up till five o clock in the afternoon. It is expected that a number cf other designs will be forthcoming.

Some three years ago Sir George Clifford. who was then a member of the committee, urged upon the members: of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association the necessity of stringent measures being taken to eradicate the barley grass pest, but without any effect. This grass has now spread to an alarming extent, says the “Lyttelton Times.” Most of the waste sections in the city and suburbs are now full or it, and it is making its appearance ui many of the pastures of this province. Hagley Park South has several large pdtehes of the grass, and the path leading across from the hospital to the Addington saleyards is almost overgrown with it.

Two informations under the Factories Act were brought against Warnock and

Adkin in the Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning at the instance of Margaret Scott Hawthorne, an inspector under the Act. The cases were heard by Dr A. .McArthur, S.M., Mr Dalziell prosecuting., Mrs Hawthorne deposed that on the evening of December 13 she entered the premises of Warnock and Adkin and there found two 1 of their employees working during prohibited hours. The defence to the charges was that the women were doing work for tliem-

selves. It was, defendants alleged, * through a misunderstanding that a permit had not been obtained from' the Department for the employees to work overtime on the evening in question. His Worship said it had been proved beyond doubt that at least a technical breach of the Act had been committed. Fines of 10s and Is were inflicted on the charges, with Court costs totalling 14s, and professional fees £2 2s.

The case against George Scott, that he did wilfully and falsely pretend to be a general medical was called on at the Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning; Two further charges were pre_ ferred; That defendant didi wilfully and falsely use the title of bachelor of medicine ; and that he did wilfully and falsely use a description- implying that he was recognised by law as a practitioner in medicine. Mr Menteatu, counsel 'for defendant,. made application . Arthur for a remand for afbrtniglifc.> It ; was necessary. for his client ; to obtain letters and 1 documents from- England, ■ and he (counsel) was of opinion that these would not bo to hand! before a • fortnight. Mr Myers, who was present to prosecute, said! he did not- propose to make any strenuous opposition tif the adjournment, drat he thought the period .. indicated was too long. If the case were adjourned, for a week the defendant’s counsel, could then make further, repre- ■ sensations to the cCurt. The magistrate : ■ decided; to grant a remand for seven udaysi The person accused has for a. considerable time past been practising in Aro street of this city.

The United States Presidential election being over, the question of the form which legislation is to take to t-hor. oughly establish the gold 1 standard is being considered. We have already explained the operation of the refunding of the bonds cn a 2 per'cent. ;basis, with powers of note issue up to the face value. But it is felt that there is no adequate elasticity to the circulation on such a basis. A’ New York writer says that the recommendations likely to come from the House Committee may consist of a proposal that national banks be permitted, in emergencies, to issue additional circulation to the amount of 10, 15 or even 20 per cent, of their capital, as the case may be, either unsecured or secured by some form of collateral other than United States bonds. This additional issue of circulation under the restriction of a tax—not too high to be prohibitive when needed by the business world, nor so low as to be no deterrent at other times —would certainly be of decided benefit to the finances of the country in times of great stringency. There may also he a provision requiring banks taking advantage of this provision to contribute their proportional share to a safety fund for the insurance of their issues unsecured by Government bonds. This would bring the banking system in a measure into line with that of Canada, and might be more fully developed in that direction.''; ;. 1 ; r ‘

Mi' P. R. Sargood, who for some years has been manager ,of Messrs Sar«ood, Son and E wen’s Dunedin branch, as been transferred to the firm' 5 London house, and will leave shortly to enter upon his new duties.

A contemporary states that a recent visitor to the ruins of the village of Wairoa, which was destroyed in tne Tarawera eruptions fourteen years ago, discovered the mummified body of a cat, which had been kept in a perfect state of preservation by the volcanic lava.

At last meeting of the Wanganui Presbytery, the following grants in aid from the Church extension fund were made : Eltham £2O, Manaia £ls, Aramoho £ls, Fordell for settled minister £25, Hunterville do. £2O, Mangaweka £25, Halcomb© £25, Bulls £ls, Kiwitea £2O, Foxten £2O, Shannon £2O, Opunake £2O.

The City -Council has made a start towards widening Riddiford street and Adelaide road. A building at the corner of. Gordon street is in process of demolition, and the first section of widening to be undertaken will be from Russell Terrace bo Constable street. The Council has acquired all the properties between Gordon street and the Newtown Post Office, with the exception of one, which will be taken under the Public Works Act.

Some Indian industries seem likely to benefit by the misfortunes of their neighbours. The disturbances in China have given a fresh advantage te the tea planters of India and Ceylon. Even Russia, hitherto a conservative patron of the Chinese leaf, is reported to have become a buyer in the rival market. Judging by what has happened elsewhere, the excellence of the Indian teas will secure their position if once they get a footing in Russia. They are already well known and appreciated in Central Asia, but have latterly been shut put by the jealous policy of Russia and the prohibitive transport duties levied by the Amir. The high price of English coal is practically excluding it from the Eastern markets, and the Indian coai mines have not only secured the local demand, but are able to " supplant English coal on the Persian and Arabian coasts.

In speaking at Hastings to the Heretaunga" school boys the other day, on the subject of their personal influence upon each other, Captain Russell recalled to mind his own college days, and the influence whica had been exerted upon him by White 19. In the Royal Military College at which he was educated cadets had their regimental numbers, • and if there were more than one boy of the same name his number was added to the surname, and so was the boy known. This particular White 19, Captain Russell said, was one of those leaders of boys whom he almost worshipped. Older than the hen. gentleman himself, his doings in the cricket field, at football, and the other college sports were a theme of general admiration and gratification, and now, although after years •of indomitable work, he had developed into General Sir George White, the heroic defender of Ladysmith, to the speaker he was still “ White 19/’ an example of all that a it an ought to be.

At a meeting of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, the cnairoma referred to the loss the college had sustained in the death of Professor Michell Clarke, who was a young man highly esteemed by all who knew him, and Bishop Juliry mo-ved—“That the Board of Governors of Canterbury College desire to place on record their sense of the great loss sustained by the college by the untimely and lamented death of Professor Michell Clarke They warmly recognise the value of his services, the interest which he has taken in all matters affecting the welfare of the college, and the happy mfiuonce of his chiracter and work. That the chairman of the Board be requested to convey a copy of this resolution to Mrs Michell Clarke, with an expression of their profound sympathy.” The m iticn was seconded by the Hon W. Montgomery, and passed unanimously, the members of the Board standing If anyone wishes to realise in a scientific way what overcrowding in the towns means, let him (the “Saturday Review” says) read Mr Welton’s address to the Statistical Society on the population of England and Wales between 1801 and 1891. In 1801 the total population of England and Wales was 8,892,536; today if is estimated at over 32,000,000. But this increase of nearly 400 per cent, is confined entirely to the towns, the rural districts remaining pretty much as they were. “Hence five-sixths of the area in England and Wales showed very little change in the 90 years, and the active progress of population had been restricted to little more than four millions of acres out of 37 millions,” says Mr Welton. If this rate of progress is maintained, the close of the twentieth century would see some 120,000,UU0 human beings in England and Wales, of whom five-sixths, or 100,000,000, would b e living in our towns. Unless emigration and electric tramways correct tins state of things, the prospect is net pleasant. It would be curious if the science of the next century should give back to the country some of the millions who would always take place ; the price being subject to the law of supply and demand. The present price of their meat in London was greatly upheld bj r the expected shorter outputs.

A visitor from the Old Country, at present in Wellington, states that in his opinion the mineral waters at Rotorua are much superior to the. waters at Carlsbad. The great drawback he noticed at Rotcrua was the waiit of scientific administration. A few particulars he gives about Carlsbad are interesting. Fully 42,000 people visit the place annually, and there are 101 resident medical men 1 whose consultation fees vary from five shillings to fourteen shillings. We gather that the freezing companies in Hawke’s Bay have not had tilings their own way this season, as has oeen the case in the past with regard to tne prices of fat sheep. Several Canterbury sheep-buyers have been operating‘freely there, but the most extensive purchases were made by Mr John McCarthy, of Christchurch, who during the past week sent four special trains of freezing sheep to the Wellington Meat Export CcmCompany to be frozen for shipment. From one station alone (one of Mr G. P. Donnelly’s) Mr McCarthy bought 16,000 sheep. The tramway officials failed to rise to the occasion again on Sunday, and much inconvenience was caused to those who wished to visit- the encampment at Newtown to visit the encampment at Newtown Park, while the cars themselves were again disgracefully overcrowded, inflicting undoubted cruelty on the horses and constituting a positive danger to the passengers, who, assisting the City Council to flaunt its own by-laws, clustered, beelike, about the footboards. Numbers of people who wished to go to the camp entered the trams in the centre of the city and rode to the Thorndon terminus, thus ensuring a seat. By this process hundreds of Thorndon people were debarred from riding altogether. As some of the cabmen refused to go to Newtown Park except at exorbitant fares, the least athletic of the general public had perforce to alter their programme and seek quiet Sabbath recreation in other directions.

The tourist traffic on the Wanganui River this season has been the largest on record. Messrs Hatrick and Co., the pioneer steamboat owners on the Wanganui, have enterprisingly extended the steamer traffic some twenty miles be-, yond Pipiriki. This extension embraces all the best of the beautiful scenery on the river, including the magnificent Te Wahi Pari (the place of Cliffs) Manganui-o-te-ao, (where- two rivers meet), the big* Ngaporo and Paparca rapids, and the caves. Now that the part of the Wanganui River so ably described by Jerningham Wakefield in his “Early History of New Zealand, 1 ” can be visited by steamers, his splendid description is well worth referring to by anyone who contemplates making the trip. Only Messrs Hatrick and Co.’s steamers make this run, and intending passengers can arrange with the firm or with Messrs Cook and Son for passagas, and thus ensure leaving by the first boat after arrival.

The report and balance-sheet of the Equitable Building and Investment Society of Wellington for the year ended! 31st December, 1900, has been circulated. In their report the directors say :

“ The profit and loss account, after carrying £1725 to the reserve fund, shows a credit balance of £5031 19s. An interim dividend of 4is per share was paid', and your directors recommend a further dividend of 6s per share. It is with deep regret that the directors have to record the death of two of the oldest members of the Board —Mr John Elisha Smith and Mr John O’Meara, Mr Smith having been one of the founders of the company, and 1 also of its predecessor, the Permanent Equitable Building and Investment Society, and a director of both institutions from their inception. Both gentlemen have always had the best interests of the company at heart, and the directors desire to express their sincere appreciation of the services rendered by them to the company. Messrs Beauchamp, Brown and Kebbell are the retiring directors, and, being eligible, offer themselves for re-election. Our Palmerston North correspondent writes as follows: -—Some few months ago the Borough Council, with commendable spirit, decided to remove a longstanding reproach to town and district bv establishing a public library and read-ing-room. The Councillors were fortunate in securing suitable premises by taking over the handsome brick building formerly used by the Colonial Bank, inis was purchased "at less than the original cost, and by the expenditure of about £IOO was slightly altered and' renovated. We have now one of the best readingrooms in the colony. The newspapers and periodicals to be found in the readingroom are, without doubt, equal, in selection and number, to those in any other institution in New Zealand. Besides the principal New Zealand editions, all the leading- British, American and Australasian magazines are to be found on tlie tables. Although the library books are at present limited, a parcel of seven hundred well-assorted volumes has just been ordered from England. These have been chosen by a committee of Councillors and citizens who donated £IOO towards the purchase fund. I learn that a public meeting will-shortly be held to arrange an entertainment to raise more funds, which it is hoped will add about £IOO to the £SO already in hand for the purchase of up-to-date fiction. Councillor R. Edwards, who is chairman of the committee, is evidently steadily pushing the library ahead.

r Mr J. McCarthy, a Canterbury sheepbuyer, who is at present largely operating in the Hawke’s Bay, shipped to j yttelton 011 Saturday 850 sheep by the Elingamite ana 400 by the Tarawera), which are evidently intended for conversion into “ Prime Canterbury ” mutton.

The New' Zealand Flour Millers’ Cooperative Association nas been registered, with, a nominal capital of £25,000 in £lO shares. Eight shares have been allotted, and the names 01 the first seven subscribers to the articles of association, and the number of their shares are: Evans and Co., Limited, millers, Timaru and Dunedin, 1: Thomas Meek, miller, Qamaru, 1 ■ John H. Barr, miller, Oamaru; Robert Milligan, miller, Oamaru, 1; Hy. Harraway, miller, Dunedin, 1; Wilkie, Sc-otfc and Co., millers, Mo.sgiel. 1; John A. Brown, miller, Christ-

church, 1; W. G. Aspinall, miller, Temuka, 1. The objects of the association are to make, buy and sell fiour, oatmeal and other products of milling, to es_ tablish agencies, to receive cAteals for storage, and to take shares in any other association having similar objects. Mr Thomas P. Purves, general manager for Australasia of the New York Life Insurance Company, has received a cable, gram from his Home office in New York, stating that at the close of the company’s books on December 31, 1900, the new paid-for business of the past year amounted to £37,740,000. and the insurance in force at the end of the year to £247,000,000, being a gain over the pre_ vious year of £28,800,000, and equal to a saving of 80 per cent, of the new business of the past year, which is phenomenally large.

One of the grievances of British capitalists against the British Government for offering a portion of the £10,000.000 loan in the United! States was the fact that some of the bonds were re-sold to London at a profit to the American capitalists who took them up. To make the retention of the bonds there more effective, it is urged b} r the “Financial Times’’ that steps should be taken to have the bonds officially quoted in New York. That would give them a greater value there and consequently make a better market for those who take them up, ancl thus make it less necessary to seek their sale in Europe. Certain formalities have to be gone through, for an important financial house has to stand sponsor, and it is necessary to obtain the signature of the fiscal agent of. the country issuing the bonds, but if it is really desired that the bonds sold! abroad should 1 be kept .there these formalities ought to be observed. People who should know assert that even a security like a British Government bond suffers on the New York market through not being quoted, inasmuch as many investors do not care to buy a security which has no official recognition.

At the opening of the conference of delegates from Chambers of Commerce at Christchurch on Wednesday, the chairman, (Mr W. Wood, of Christchurch), in the course of his remarks, said the total exports of the colony for the yea r ending November, 1900, showed a decrease coin, pared with the previous twelve, months of 313,500 sheep and an increase of 106,500 lambs. The actual figures for the year were 1,673,500 sheep and 1,358,5000 lambs, as against 1,997,000 sheep and 1.253,000 lambs. ‘ The imports of live sheep from all countries into Great Britain from January to November showed a net decrease of 208,000; of frozen sheep a net decrease! of 375,600 and of frozen lambs a. net increase of 160,000. The supply for North and South America and Holland showed practically no al_ teration, while Australia showed a decrease of 372,840 sheep, and an increase of 109,000 lambs, compared with same term last year. In the butter and cheese export the tug-of-war would come between Australasia and Denmark, when exports of butter increased to such an extent as to drive the price to 9d, at which the Danish producer would have o cry “Halt/’ unless he still further improved his methods. Turning to New Zealand hemp, the industry was in a sorry case. After exporting fairly well for 1898 and 1899 they were falling-off rapidly now, for Manila had increased its output, and the receipts to November 19, 1900. were 850.000 bales against 486,000 for the corresponding term of last year. Their export of New Zealand hemp for twelve months ending September 30 1900, was 10,840 tons ; 1899. 9116 ; 1898! 3395. It was satisfactory to think they valued their own local-made binder twine, and that Australia also made a leading line of it. The output of binder twine per annum from New Zealand mills had averaged 2400 tons for the past tenyears.