OUR CANADIAN LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10755, 20 March 1897, Page 2

OUR CANADIAN LETTER.

(Fkom Our Ottn Correspondent.) * Ottawa, January 28. The Christmas and New Year holidays are over, and the country has settled down in the quiet yet useful -work of the ■winter. Thousands of men are ju3t cow living far beyond the pale of civilisation hewing oat the season's harvest of timber, for aext to our agricultural productß comes the outyut of the forest. Snow held off until about the middle of this month, and this must have greatly hindered lumbering operations. It is the snow that makes roadways into the unsettled districts, aud renders it possible to go with sleighs where wheels could not be taken. As I write the country is well covered with pnenv, aud the cold weather has bridged over all the streams and waterways, This brings ns into typical p.nd normal winter conditions, and means much to the whole of Canada. Thus far there has been but one very cold dip of 30 below zero. i The gathering of the ice crop has begun. This would be aa interesting sight to the people' ] who live at the antipodes. The cold weather freezes our rivers and lakes to a depth of two or three feet as the surface, and this ico is of great economic value to the country. Gangs of men go upon it at this time oE the year, and with saws cut it into great crystal blocks weighing'about 1501b each. These they load ; upon sleighs and carry, to the ice-houses. ' They are packed in sawdust—a layer of ice blocks and a layer of sawdust. This keep 3 the I ice irom melting to any great extent during the j summer, when it is sold at the rate 101b each i morning, delivered at your door, for 63 a 1 month. ; Vessels going from Canada to Australia coa- ; tinue to carry full cargoes, and they are unable to meet the demand for space. This state of 1 thing 3 will probably be relieved when Mr Huddart starts his third vessel in tha service, j which may be in February. On the other hand, the business in this direction has manifested no material change. The last steamer from Australia came iv loaded to her fall capacity with wool, most of which was intended for the United 1 States; bus as a tule the vessels carry light cargoes. If such a cargo could be assured for each northern voyage, even nt low rates, is I would help, the ship's people, and benefit shippersat the same time. lam aendiog copies *oE the latest report from our Canadian commercial agenfi in Australia, which is too long for incorporation in a letter of this character, and which deals with many features of the trade in both directions. Farts of it might be given to ! your readers. You are aware of the interest I have for some ! years felt in Australasian canned meats. They I should be largely sold in Canada. I went into I one of our leading grocery stores yesterday, and I found a fair supply of tinned Australian mutton on the shelves. The grocer told me that thete was a good demand for corned mutton" during the summer months, and those who got it once came again'for it. This is encouraging. . Australian mutton is now to ba bad in all the lead" ing cities; but. I did jiot know till yesterday that it could be had in Ottawa. There has been .no advertising , nor pushing of such goods. Chicago sends nearly a million dollars' worth of tinned meats into Canada annually, and none of it ia equal to your'best prepared mutton. But the people of Canada know very little eboift the matter. I askad the price of the lib tins of mutton and was told that it was 20 cents—or say 10d in your money. This must leave a large margin between the selling pries iv Australia and the cost to buyers here; and shows the room that exists for pushing trade. During the month now all but closed there have been several serious accidents. A train on the Intercolonial jumped the track, killing a mail clerk, a woman passenger, and injuring a score of persons, among whom were the Minister for Militia (the Hon. P. W. Borden) and the Hou. Senator Wood. On the new Parry Sound'railway a collision occurred, killing three men. In the town of Berlin the gasworks blew.up, killing one man and very seriously injuring the manager and a workman. At Shelbourne, Ontario, a fire started by incendiaries destroyed 100,000dol worth of property, and several men are now on trial tor the alleged crime. The usual winter carnival in some of the large Canadian cities has not been held this year. It brings many visitors. The chief reason probably was the lateness of the winter's snow fall. Parliament will nob meat till about the middls of March, whea many important measures will be introduced.. . ( CHAEITABLE AID BOAED. The ordinary meeting of the Charitable Aid Board,held onThursday, was attended byMesers Robin (chairman), Haynes, Snow, Baxter, Begg, Hardy, Gonrley, Chisholm, Miller, and Hazlett. Apologies for the non-attendance of Messrs D. H. Hastings and D. Robinson were received. - . ■ Requisitions as under were psfcsed:—Benevolent Institution, £937 Oa 3d ; Temaie Refuge, £10; St. Mary's Orphanage, Nelson, £118 17s. Mr Snow withdrew the motion of which h« had given notice—namely, "Thstthfc offices of secretary of the board and o£ the Benevolent Institution Trustees be amalgamated." HOSPITAL BOARD. The Hospital Board ihr.n met, and there were present Messes Robin (chairman), Haynes, Snow, Begg, Chisholm, sad Morgan. The requisition pf the Dunedin Hospital, amounting to £400, was passed for payment.