THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1891.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9293, 8 December 1891, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1891.

It was only right and proper that the speech of the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce should be in the key of rejoicing. For several years past both here and in Canterbury the presidents of tho respective chambers, while noting the steady progress in production, which has been so marked a feature in New Zealand, have dwelt rather upon the future than tho then present, and upon hopes and expectations rather than actual possession. This year it has fallen to Mr Patcrson, as president, to comment on tho export figures of the colony as having.reached ten millions sterling for the year endding September; on the frozen meat export as representing just over two million sheep of GOlb weight; and on the most satisfactory prospects for graingrowers that we have had for very many years. Only wool is " down," and, as the president remarked, the price of wool is a matter which no one can ever safely prognosticate : it is affected by so many and such far reaching causes, that it is impossible to foretell the probability of a rise or fall in the market price. Those who have attentively watched tho progress of the frozen meat industry will probably not he surprised to learn that frozen meat from New Zealand is quite a factor in the total mi at supply of Locdon, while as compared with tho meat sent to Great Britain from other parts of the world, we occupy a more than respectable position on the list. We are glad to see that one of the direct steamers is to go to Liverpool in January instead of to London. There has been, no doubt, far too great a concentration of the trade in London in the past. Glasgow,' Hull, JJristol, Cardiff, Plymouth, and a variety of other ports suggest themselves at once as proper places to take an important share of the frozen meat trade. Distribution of our mutton over a wider area would certainly follow if vessels were sent from time to time to such towns as we have mentioned. We doubt whether farmers generally were aware of the considerable clearance of oats for the Home market which has taken place, improving the prospect of better prices being obtained here this next harvest very considerably indeed. The prospects of the farmer are very good all round —better than they have been for many years, since for once a good season seems likely to coincide with good prices.

The Chamber took into consideration the question of our bankruptcy laws, particularly with relation to tho careless and inadequate bookkeeping of many traders, on which subject it afforded Mr Ashcroft an opportunity of explaining his views. There is no reason why this question should not be discussed at the present time, and the best methods of preventing, or at anyrate regulating, its worst evils, be carefully considered. Although the number of bankruptcies has of Lite very sensibly diminished, it is of course certain that they must always continue in every modern community. No doubt the Official Assignee has hit upon the cause of a very large number of tho failures which takeplaco. 11 may be taken for granted that at the present time what we may call a rule of thumb trade is seldom if ever carried on for a long period. As a rule bankruptcy must eventually result. With proper books of account, it would be impossible for a merchant or a tradesman to plead as lie of(eu does now, tliat he did not know lie was losing money until a few months before his insolvency. By shutting their eyes to expenses and losses, and dwelling persistently on the gross profit of their sales, men often persuade themselves that they are doing very well when they are really doing very baUy. Nearly all merchants and other traders have at one time or another probably felt very considerable surprise at the information they have received at balancing time about the various partsof their business. The most careful of business men must have experienced such surprises from time to time. If this be so with large concerns in which trade expenses of all kinds are carefully distinguished from personal and household expenditure, it is still more the case with smaller businesses where the attempt is hardly ever made to keep apart the private and the business outlay. We bad an instance the other day of a tradesman who tlought he was drawing 30s per week, or at least said he thought so, when he was really taking L7 a week. There is no doubt that in tho interest of trade at large, this sort of carelessness or dishonesty, or at least a sort of admixture of both evils, requires to be placed under some restriction. As was very well said at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, if a trader is quite unable lo keep books, he can always at a very slight comparative cost obtain the skilled assistance he requires. There are plenty of competent bookkeepers in our midst whose services can be obtained for a small fee, and who would gladly spend some of their evening hours every week in putting a tradesman's accounts straight. If it be said that the business will no!, stand any such increased expenditure, then all we can say is tho sooner it is discontinued entirely the better for everybody. We arc no friends, as a general rule, with the increase of Legislative interference with individual enterprise, but it seems that some- strict Legis'ative enactment is becoming necessary to secure the community again t the annually recurring loss of which commercial lueu complain so bitterly. 'I'lit! clauses in the bankruptcy Act dialling with this dillicult subject have not proved eli'uutivi-, and it is ovidi nl. that koiik; inur<! stringent methods Will have lo h>' nd.-.p'cd than has bien the case in tin- past. It was EUg-estcd that tliure should be a bookkeeping cla'-siu tin: University, not, curiously enough, in ih- High Ncliool. Wo have little or no faith in the bookkeeping which is taught at school or college. T.ot.kkcoping disassociated from practical work is at iho best only a lesson in neatness, accuracy, and t-o forth. A" v.-(i l;nvc y,-,u\, "where a

business ni.'.n v iu;C .oujettnt to

keep his own books, mnl has not sufficient employment for a regular book

keep: r, there are. plenty of men in every community quite ready to.undertake tho work. The question is how to insist on their being employed. Mr Ashcroff, wo think, has done excellent service in drawing the attention of the Chamber of Commerce to tho subject.

The Premier arrived at Pa tea yesterday morning. The Appeal Court has been further adjourned till Thursday wsjck, when the remaining judgments will be delivered. Home letters by the mail delivered yesterday contain many expressions of surprise from leading commercial people to their agents and correspondents here at the legislation of the past session. We have been shown several letters, which] strongly confirm the opinions so generally expressed in the colony that the new taxation has had a most disturbing influence in financial circles at Home. A meeting of delegates of contributing bodies was held at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon for the election of representatives upon the Benevolent Institution Trust and Hospital Trust for the ensuing year. There were present—Messrs J. Robin (in the chair), Harold, AY. Snow, J. R, Monson, P. Miller, W. Wardrop, W. Wills, H. Gourley, J. Green, S. Myers, and J. 11. Murdoch. Messrs H. Gourley, R. Wilson, A. Solomon, J. Green, R. Chisholm, and G. Calder were re-elected to the Benevolent Trust, and Messrs H. Clark, P. Miller, J. Green, S. Myers, W. Wills, and J. Robin were appointed trustees of the hospital.

A large number of bankruptcy cases came before the Supreme Court yesterday and were dealt with. It was expected that the court would be occupied until late in the evening with the public examination of Jtr S. G. 11. Smith, as in connection with this matter a number of witnesses are to be examined. Four members of the bar are engaged on one side or other in these proceedings, and were present; but the examination could not be gone on with, as Mr Smith is suffering from an attack of influenza. The matter was adjourned until next Friday afternoon, and it is likely to occupy the attention of the court that afternoon and the greater part of the following day.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday morning judgment was given for the plaintiff, with costs, in the following undefended cases : —Herbert, Haynes, and Co. v. Emma Kerr (West-port), claim £74 8s Id, for goods supplied ; R. Hudson and Co. v. George Edwin Oldham (Woodville), claim £8 3s sd, for goods supplied. Mr E. H. Carew, R.M., occupied the bench.

A correspondent residing at Corstorphine writes that he felt an unmistakable shock of earthquake on Friday morning, the time by his watch being 4.50, but the exact time may have been a few minutes later. He communicated the occurrence to his friends, and afterwards found that there had been a lively earthquake at Wellington and other parts of the North Island about the same time. The shock he felt was so decided that ho cannot but think others must have felt it. Our correspondent may be correct, but inquiries made have failed so far in getting corroborative statements. None of the many persons working iv our office at the time he states felt the shake.

The Oamaru Mail gives the following as the results of three trials by the Rainmakiiig Committee:—" The first explosion, on the 27th ult., was iv the face of a rising nor'-wester, with a quiet, wet atmosphere, it being Ideg from saturation, and rain fell during the night. The second, on the 30th ult., was under clouds, though somewhat broken, and with an atmosphere almost at saturation, and rain fell in torrents in about half an hour. On Friday last, with an atmosphere 4dog from saturation and a perfectly clear sky overhead, after the first explosion the clouds gathered quickly, and the committee donned their overcoats with the prospect of suffering a drenching, but only a few drops fell, and the second and third explosions had a similar ending, but not so marked as the first."

The Union Steam Ship Company notify thai during the summer season the Tuesday steamei will be despatched from Lyttelton in the after noon, instead of waiting the arrival of the ex press as hitherto.

The usual excursion trips to the West Coast Sounds are announced, the Tarawera being, as usual, the steamer selected.

Mr Sydney Black, who lectures on prohibition at the City Hall this evening, is, it should be mentioned, a delegate from the churches of the Disciples in the old country to the various colonial conferences conveying fraternal greet, ings. In Melbourne, where the Disciples have 29 churches and 4000 members, he preached iv the Theatre Royal to an audience of 3000. The community numbers 800,000 in the United States and 10,000 in the United Kingdom.

The Woodvillo Examiner states that Captain Kennedy has selected a.block of 9000 acres near Waikauui for a co-operative fruit-growing settlement. The land is to be cut up into 100----acre sections, and the association will establish a sawmill on the block for cutting timber for the houses and manufacturing fruit boxes, &c, a jam factory, fruit and vegetable canning and preserving factory, a fruit and vegetable drying and desiccating works. Each selector binds himself to plant and maintain at least five acres in orchard, and this will therefore give an assured minimum of 500 acres of orchard to the block. This season the association is to throw down 1500 acres of bush in a continuous strip along the front of the sections, so as to ensure a good burn this year. Then a small portion of each section will be grubbed up for immediate use as a nursery. Constable Burnett, who has for some; time been stationed at Woodhaugh, has been transferred to Invercargill, and takes his departure this morning, and he will be succeeded by Constable Nolan, now of Dunedin, but for many years of Clyde.

The last of the British officers who fought under Wellington at Waterloo died at Southampton on October 26. Lieutenant-Colonel William Hewett, late of the Rifle Brigade, who was born at Parkhurst, in the Isle of Wight, on July 2, 1795, spent the declining years of his life in Southampton, ministered to by his daughter. A question arose after the death of Colonel Whichcote as to how many survivors of the great epoch-making battle remained, and it was ascertained beyond the possibility of a doubt that Colonel Hewett was the only one. In June, 1815, Colonel Hewett was already a captain, and the late Lord Albemarle served under him as a subaltern. He also took part in Sir James Sauniarez's Baltic expedition, and was with the British army which suffered so severely in its retreat through tlu> Netherlands across the frozen Scheldt. Until very recently Co onel Ilewetl's memory was perfect, and he entertained a vivid recollection of the momentous events in which be look part.

We have received a circular letter from Messrs Barnum am! Bailey intimating that the "greatest show on earth" is likely to pay a visit to the colonies next year. This is the same show that was exhibited in London, where 1200 people were engaged, with 480 horses, 50 ponies, and elephants, camels, &c, the whole show covering 15 acres of ground. Messrs Barnum and Bailey stale that they give early intimation, as they have reason to believe that attempts are likely to be made to use their name in conjunction with inferior shows.

Thousands of Homo ami Continental Xiims novelties opeuiiiK diiilv at I'.raitbwaite's Hook Arcade. You should sue them ! No one asked to buy.—lA DVT.] * Mr Jlay, dental surgeon, desires to announce 'that hu has secured and equipped, with the most)': npimived appliances in liivli-iliiss dentistry, suit-, able ollices at 11:2 Princes street, immediately opposite Carom's monument.—l A»vt.] Established over a quarter of a century. Of other soda waters that have come under our notice and take a very high place in Australasia, we would be remiss if we did not mention that of .Messrs Thomson and Co. Dunedin.—Brewers Jmiriiiil, ISHI.-tAnvT.] O. and T. Young invite inspection of their new Roods just received per s.s. Tainui, ami selected by their Jlr»ieorseYciuiiK.-[AI)VT.] Eden Cioorge and Co. (Limited), the leading photographers of lliineilin, who produce by far the best work in New Zealand, take one dozen beautifully enamelled cabinets in any position or style, for ]. r«. One price list adopted, and no extra charges are made to visitors from the country.— \toi'in Hisi.ol-, Watchmaker and Jeweller, 74 Princes street. The oldest established house in town, liepairs of all lands. Wood assortment Watches, Clocks, and Jewellery. Spectacles to I suit all siirhts.—Advt i- Four lamo shipments of prize and gift books, annuals, and beautifully-colourc 1 picture booksi n unique designs just opened at liraithwattc s Book Arcade.-[Ai)vr.J