NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8523, 1 November 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE

Matters in the Colony, political and social, have been unusually quiet dur ing the past month. The Cabinet has been sitting dady, getting through a lot of routine work. Toward the end of the month several Ministers left fora holiday, some of them going over to the Melbourne Exhibition.

One of the principal items of the month was the special meeting of the proprietors of the Bank of " New Zealand at Auckland, on October 11, to confirm certain resolutions passed at a previous meeting. The half-yearly meeting was held on October 22, of which a full report appears in another part of this issue. The general opinion in the Colony is that the Bank have done well to lay bare the facts of the case. Theresult has beeutogive increased confidence in the Bank by the public,oneproof of which is shownby the fact that the Bank’s £7 shares are now worth locally £9 2s 6d, cum div. (with right to new issue). At present sellers are very firm, and it is believed prices will be higher shortly. Since October 22nd we have been without European news by telegraph. On that date the duplicate cable between Port Darwin, in Australia, and Banjoewangie, in Java, suddenly failed about 41 miles from the latter place. For some days previous the repairing steamer Sherard Osborne had been at work on the old cable, which broke some weeks ago. There is a general feeling throughout the Colony that another cable is required, which will lie in a part not so liable to be effected by submarine disturbances as the sea bottom between Java and Northern Australia.

Mr George Dixon, M.P. for Bdgbaafcun, Birmingham, is on a visit to New Zealand, and has interviewed the Minister of Lands on the question of assisted emigration to this Colony Mr Dixon is the owner of an extensive sheep run in the Wairarapa, some 80 miles north of Wellington. It is probable that his son, who accompanied him on this trip, will remain in the Colony as manager of the estate Mr Dixon returns to England early in the new year, to be in time for the opening of the British Parliament. During the month earthquake shocks have been felt several times, but in no case has any damage been done. The shocks have been very general, extending over a large area of, country. The heaviest of the month was on the evening of the 24th inst. It was felt from Napier in the North Island to a little south of Christchurch in the South Island. Mr John Blackett, Engineer-in-Chief ot the Colony, has been offered and has .accepted the position ot o°nsuiting Engineer in London for the New Zealand Government. He. will leave for London about the middle of next March. Mr Blackett’s long experience with New Zealand railways, and his intimate knowledge of their requirements, render him clearly the most suitable man for the post, The Customs returns for the past quarter (the dullest portion of the year) show that the revenue accruing from the ad valorem and miscellaneous duties was larger by 30 percent than the September' quarter of the previous year, there being an increase of L 35,000. There was a slight falling off in the tea and tobacco revenue. The Saving Bank returns for the same quarter show that the three months’ deposits were 1211 more in number and L 43,578 more in value than those of the September quarter of 1887, while the deposits exceeded the withdrawals by L 33,659. The prospects of the coming summer are very encouraging. The wheat and other grain crops are \n excellent condition. The fruit crop promises to be the heaviest on record. For several years past the peach crop has been a failure, owing to a peculiar blight attacking the trees, but this year the blossom is the heaviest known. The lambing season is now a settled success, the. of lambs in some cases running as high as 13-2. The wool crop promises to be a heavy one. Some hoggets shorn in the Hawkea Bay district last week gave from 181 b to 251 b of wool each.