Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4767, 3 July 1876, Page 2

We have noticed a gratifying proof of the safety of the Ministry for the rest of the session. The Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times, in his last letter to that paper, describes the Ministerial majority on the Piako Swamp question as unsatisfactory, though large, and thinks the position of Ministers, despite, that majority, to be by no means a very safe or assured one. It is pretty well known that the opinions, or prophecies of this correspondent resemble the indications of the “De Robinson's” barometer in that they require to be read in the opposite directions to those in which they point. He was assiduous in prophecy, and the expression of opinion in season and out of season, last session, and in all cases was incorrect. Indeed, it was a popular thing amongst Pressmen to ask, “ What does (meaning the correspondent) say.” To which, when some such answer was returned as, “ Oh, he thinks Atkinson made an awful failure, and the Ministry will go out next week,” the enquirer immediately said, “ Ay, well, of course, now we know they’re safe for some time. And the enquirer was invariably right. But the beauty of it was that though the expiration of the time allotted for the fulfilment of his prophecies or the endorsement of his opinions invariably showed them to be , mistaken, he was himself oblivious to the fact, and started to prophesy afresh with ah indifference to the past which was the result of a boorish and ignorant self-esteem that made its owner happily unconscious of the position he occupied in the minds of others.

The cultivation of the sugar beet for the production of sugar has long attracted attention in California and the Western States and districts of America. The Santa Rosa Democrat thus recommends the establishment of the beet sugar industry in Sonoma county : “ The sugar beet will grow finely in Sonoma county, and in the experiments made, those grown here show a very fine percentage of saccharine matter. That.fhe raising of this crop is a profitable industry in this county we think there is no question. The average yield of sugar to the acre of beets is about .2500 pounds, and even at a low price per pound this would pay very handsomely. The consumption of sugar in the United States has _ increased several hundred per cent, in the last ten years. The value of foreign sugars consumed in the United States has increased several hundred per cent; in the last ten years. The value of foreign sugars consumed in. the ’ United States.in 1870 was nearly seventy-two million dollars, and the quantity of sugar and molasses imported into San Francisco during the year, ending the 30th September, 1874,' :was over sixty-four million pounds of the one and about seventy-five thousand gallons of the other. These figures show that the raising of the sugar beet,' wherever it can be grown successfully in the State, must be a profitable business, and is likely to be go for all time to come.

We have been requested to publish the following letter, received by Mr. M. R. Miller, of Hawke’s Bay : “ Office of Chief Inspector of Stock, “Brisbane,,June 5, 1876. “.Sir, —I have to acknowledge receipt of your monthly circular. “ It has been suggested by some of our sheepowners that I should bring the following under your notice ; - “ At the General Conference of the colonies, held in Sydney in 1873 (at which New Zealand was represented in the person of Mr. Vogel), it was unanimously agreed to, that all the colonies represented should take powers to prohibit the importation of sheep, cattle, and pigs for two years, or ' until the disease called ‘ Foot and Mouth Disease ’ had subsided. ■ , “ All the colonies, with the single exception of New Zealand, at once took the necessary powers, and a close prohibition has been since carefully carried into effect, ’ ’ i “ In consequence, however, of Now Zealand refusing,- or neglecting to place an embargo on European sheep and cattle, the other colonies were under the necessity of prohibiting the importation of New Zealand sheep, cattle, and pigs.; This has limited' our. field for the selection of 1 rge-framed sheep. Prior to the date

of thp'conference we trusted toNew Zealand almost solely for our supply o£\heavy carcase stud sheep, /.At the present time.the demand for Liuboln" stud/sheep in Queensland is considerable, and cannot be satisfied until the New Zealand ia,again - “Under,these circumstances it has-been suggested, whether with risk of introducing foot and mouth disease into New Zealand, from Europe, and with a. sure market, for, Leicester and Lincoln stud sheep here, it would not be a wise-policy for your colony to reconsider the subject of prohibition until such time as the foot and mouth disease had, so far abated m England as to render importations free from risk of infection.—l am, &c., - « p. P. Gordon. “ R. Miller, Esq., “ Stock and Station Agent, “Napier, Hawke’s Bay, N.Z.” The amount of Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington during the financial year ending June SO, was £162,399 16s. lOd. During the September, or first quarter of the year, the largest amount was collected, viz., £42,541 16s. 9d. The third quarter stands next, with £41,167 9s. The first half of the year also contributed the most revenue, viz., £81,795 7e. 7d.. £80,604 9s. 3d. was collected during the latter half-year. The ■ largest amount received in one month—l ebruary was £18,991 6s. 7d.