SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11301, 20 December 1898, Page 2

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

SOCIAL AND' GENERAL.

The. report of the official liquidator of .Walter Guthrie and Company (Limited) and allied companies—the New Zealand Pine Company, the Colonial Hardware, Wdodware, and Implement Company, and the Southland Farmers' Implement and Engineering Company—was filed in the Supreme . Court on the 24th ult. At the same time an answering affidavit was filed by Sir-Robert Stout, Messrs Walter Guth--lie and George Mondy, the late directors of Walter" Guthrie and Company (Limited). The- documents are of forbidding length, and, published in full in the Otago Daily Times of the 25th ulv., occupied 45 columns of its -space, the issue' of the paper on

that day comprising twelve pages of nine

columns each—the largest issue which any daily paper has yet presented ;in the colony Summarised, the report of the fiquidator alleged that none of-the Guthrie veompahies had. : sufficient capital for the Requirements of . their business, - and that large losses made in trading had been concealed ,by inflation of .stocks, 'and that

proper provision had not. been made for depreciation. He. also alleged that dividends and bonuses had been paid out of supposititious profits, and that the management and directorate had been expensive. The late directors in their reply categorically traversed the allegations made.in the liquidator's report, and, carrying the -war, as it weic, into the enemy's country, im : "pugned the conduct of the. liquidation, amiasserted that the. actual cause of insolvency tvas the policy adopted by the Bank of New Zealand,'and that the reason must be sought outside prudent or profitable. banking or, business considerations. In terms of the Banking Act passed last session the directors of the Bank of NewZealand then ia office were, removed from their positions, and it was enacted instead that two directors should bo appointed by. the shareholders and four nominated by the Government. Mr William Watson (the ex-president) and Mr Martin Kennedy iavo been returned without opposition as. the shareholders' directors. Mr Kennedy, \n the course of some remarks made by him in returning thanks for his election, ■challenged any charge against the management of the . bank by the late directors, of whom:•■' he was one, nnfi declared that, many .:.,, of ; the shareholders would have been-better off if the bank had Jiofc, been assisted by the Government, for ' aiany" 6f them had to sacriSce their everything in order to mccc ' calls w> assist to save the bank. It was the community generally which had benefited largely by the bank being saved, arid now'that the hour of trouble had passed there vero people who were ungrateful enough not to acknowledge:it. Politically * there has been during . the past month a calm, disturbed only by / a series of characteristic speeches '■ from the Premier, who has been moving about with restless activity in the North, and doing - his best to arouse some enthusiasm over the work performed by the "great Liberal party." In Auckland he has; - addressed select" meetings'of supporters called under

'$$'■;;■'. the-,.■" auspices of the Trades : amj s. Labour; \ 4'.:" f~ Council and Auckland Liberal Association, ?>/■>, and at the Thames, Paeroa,' and .Gisborne |J ;VvTie:-has; delivered speeches which . were ■Sv; Marked by the customary misrepresentation |>:: of the and by a good deal of g'.v. self-glorification. Expressions used on two 'fjc\ . ; or three occasions indicate that Mr Seddon ■^;;i : ':<;l'.is;:feeUng"the. pnlse. of the. community- in

il;;?;' order;to ascertain, if possible, -whether it S:i: would be.-safe for him, on the eve oifnexc ■f ij y?^'? -general election to enunciate a large ji?; borrowing policy. The safe^.course- with

; ;; :i : -Mr;-Seddbn,i it will be understood,' is the jlv&C- OTurse!: "which is nibsi likely to enable him 5'.r;i;: Cto'retain what is afi increasingly., precarious office. . . ■•. ~- . ''. ■■■■■ ■ Wi '■)' 'i i/Twp : fires ■ have '■ occurred during

%p:;i', £hV Pa.st four weeks .'at Wellington, each ;|/%:JiWolving the practically total' destruction V;-s';/;~of'a" valuable, building. The first of' ( these i| -';;' fires '' ' occurred in daylight,1 : and'•■'., resulted U;f : /'.:;. in:-the destruction of St. Mary's \(Roman {,«<:.;>').; Catholic) Cathedral. . The origin. o_f the.

p^'^fire^AV.as .peculiar. : "A ;man ,was engaged -off .the' .old paint, bn : the toiyer, *^ jv i; 'and the flames, from his lamp got;through :^!j v::'a' Kole .and ignited-thel timber inside- the

hollow buttress. The building being a wooden one and 40 years old,, the fire

i:^;t*-spread -very: rapidly:\-Vigorous steps -are |(<;;:'vl3elng^taken- to, raise a" fund for the ereccathedral to' replace, ij;: The 'fe^'-V'fotlier'-.firevsTrep't' away the Oak Hotel, 4x<V';jV"'O' place much favoured by--visitors to, Wei-. J||m - and this' one' was unhappily' at-. ||;!; S">-tcnded.;by^l6ss'.of ljfjs. ', .Nominally the hotel i v}vas; a,, brick ibuilding,- but- actually- it was Ap ;Konly '.the- politer shell' that' was ■ brick,' th_e |^ift=;:;antenbr being mostly it.netwbrk of ? wooden §%Y-r6omsk and ' corridors. r The fire was; dis-Sgjli^i.-'jcqve.red about1 1 o'clock in the morning, i|i'j'i|,r?*^iliphVtime". it/had-'a 1 strong' hold,: and |||iYt]ie;-wMe buiMingywas very speedily en-. ;|,3 v!^- ifeloped' in 'flames. 'Many* of the boarders. sfgy*vilarrowly] escaped with.their lives/ and two .^"fifp.eriShed,. these, being MrG. Blandford, of l^rS Dunedin v (manager" of •' the firm 0f ... Bing, |p';f::--;-Hari-iBJ and'Co'.), and' Mr,H.. E. Grear; ;pf |||s,S^SydnDy;;.''■,.',.,., -■'''. .../;..'.- '""-.■■ ■^'I'.f-Vt^irHo.;."- polling -for-:the election of mayor ji|C; j:dt^ .D.unediiv lot next year took place-on jg&ifi:.k thevlst •; mst.V and resulted in "the elect-ion IfijVorjMr^yiSwan, who;defeated Mr' GV L. ij|i?:«;:.;Deniiiston',by j .a. majority of.- 351- votes.. |i jiS':y\The i mayor-elect .had ■ continuously served JJyy-'yih^th'e;. douncil. 'as a' representative of Leith jg^tyfard . for .ten. years, and ihis'.fact -weighed MS.ty. considerably^- with "thY ratepayers in- the if-y. iAelection;.- On ' the same'day a poll was <%■£;':■ .takenv'jn the city and,l suburban -.boroughs Hiri-;'"-,upon.:the proposal.to "levy:- a r.ate: to carry pi^ij.'. ,-quj;|i^scheme p'repareil. by; Mr Leslie, Eey-,

|:'.; jnoldir for protective works at' St.-'- Claitv *-i'-':'v'-tfhe->proposal was lost by 1534 votes to :1019:->-' •\:]Y- ' ■■' \":'"" ' " ..';" Y•'

6pV■■;&*:■•:An.;-industrial, aud mining '.exhibition on fetv:;;,'i large-scale- was opened.by his Excellency feC1..; the; Gbrernor at Auckland'on the Ist inst.

|SA::-^slle; rniiih' portion".-of'-'.the ; exhibition con|fV s spsts-.'of: manufactures, and natural products

.'o£.-,th6.. Auckland-., provincial district, its

$Korci ;&toorhrirestmrce3 .in particular, being ad-||:S;;/:;jnirablj'-displayed;.-.but there is, also, an ji-^:; .'interesting .'exhibition;, of British and I'y;.., -roreign.mairafitctures'and of goods'.maim-: IjgiU'factu'red-in.New -Zealand outside Auckland. ;Jfii;;V.:. : lt.: is-'claimed that, with the single, excepi":Sa v'.tiori ;'of 'the, .New Zealand and South - Seas

if :-Exhibkion in Dunedin in 1889-90; the cs-v^-'fiibition.is .the 'best tiiat has been. held in

'%':'.■'■ $ia. colony.-^ '•';.. '■„■'' ..' '•..■''.'■.'.•• ;;.>.j4;li'rpm one end of the colony to the other ;;■;';" industrial disputes have been engaging ,the •r::'ii';>ittentioh .Of the boards, of conciliation.

AtcAucklniid. and New Plymouth an ad

jufitinent has been invited ot the conditions --'^-- of labour' of bootmakers; at..Wellington. .*/_ there is a^painting trade dispute; atChristchurch^ the Conciliation. Board has .no booher finished -with a reference from the

•furniture^trade workers: than it is asked

i't-f-' v;lo; deal -with the terms of employment in |v;,:';lhe,J:inßmitlls' trade; 'and in Dnhedin "the

*'■.;.; -[[Uestioh ;of the terms.. of employment r-f &': - f linotype . operators has-been exhaustively f?;'. :;J discussed,: and the board will after . tliu

;';.;:■.,;.;-^few-Year be' requested to consider the ■jA- ■ eqnditwns of labour of the coalmincrs :it |'4;"i:'Kaltangata. '' '■ ■■■■■"•: _. , ■../ ~ ,

-The.'Midland:.railway, is the subject of

..which, it is understood, is to be■ carried to the Privy Council. The i" Chief Justice and Mr ■ Justice Edwards "": lave had before them two applications — .! i.one,. a 'summons directing the Crown to , shbw- causewhy an absolute sale of the ;; : v;; iailway Jshpiild .not take place, under which ; : the receirer should obtain possession of the -;':, railway and sell it if he thinks fit; and v-;;tliß;qther a summdhs by the Crown to the •y-'.:-V receiver^ tb show cause why-^an order ap-h-K pointing liim should not be rescinded or '-;;. ■:'■ varied, inasmuch as that order directs V; absolute^-sale- of the" railway, which, the ;^"'.t'rpwnj:alleges, court had no power ;-..>:to'Jorder. The court has.reserved its judg'YV:thont/;: . - ■ '■' :;,f J; The disappearance- from Wellington of '% a>nian named Joseph Myers, a member of £ ":-1-!>0: City ;oauncil. has caused a ssreat deal

of talk there. He was admittedly addicted to gambling, and this was alleged to have caused his ruin. Before his disappearance he provided himself liberally with; funds under circumstances that caused the issue of several informations charging him with forgery arid false pretences. He was supposed to have left Wellington by the ocean steamer Maori. The interest in his case became general when it appeared that the Government placed obstacles iii the way of extraditing him in the event of his being captured at' Monte Video, where the Maori was to call. The Government insisted on the , .fugitive's creditors entering into a bond for the payment of the extradition expenses. This :was done, and the long arm of the law being extended as far as Monte Video secured Myers- there on. the arrival of the steamer.by which he was—correctly, as it proves—believed' to have departed.

A. good citizen, a sound lawyer, and a painstaking legislator was lost to the community, on the 25th ult:, when the Hon. William Downie Stewart unexpectedly died from heart disease.. He was.only' 57 years, of-age. Touching tributes >.to his memory wevo paidby Bench and Bar at tho .first" sitting of the Supreme Court' after Mr Stewart's death, and at his funeral there was, a large attendance \of mourners, representative of every shade of thought and of all classes; , v ""'

.Tie festival of St. .Andrew was celebrated on the evening.of:the 30th ult. by the Burns Club by a dinner at which the menu was" strictly of a national character. Members of the • .Legislature " and civic authorities united with members of the Burns Club in doing honour to-, the occa^ sion. An interesting feature, of the gathering was the distribution, among those'present of heather which had been collected at. Gallochhead,- Dumbartonshire, and at -Logic, near Kirriemuiv, Forfarshire.

A; theft of. a peculiarly impudent; character, and of a kind .which has been at rare occurrence in,, this colony, was. committed on the 28th ult: at the Newton (Auckland) branch of the .National Bank of Now Zealand., .In' the. absence ajt lunch of the agent in charge, a cadet was. the sole official in the bank, and.,'while one stranger, who drove up in a cab, engaged him in conversation as to the- terms oh which the bank did business'withy large depositors, .another abstracted £930 in notes from a drawer underneath the bank counter. '