ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11935, 8 January 1901, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Otm Owk Coheespoxdest.) GENERAL. LONDON, December 1. I learn on good authority that the Imperial Government has just placed with the New Zealand Government three orders for New Zealand oats for the use of the British cavalry and mounted troops in South Africa; and that another order of the same kind has been placed with a private firm. That is to say. as I 'understand the matter, the Imperial Government has requested the New Zealand Government k> procure and ship the oats for them to the seat of war. # Commenting upon the new engines mult lor the New Zealand railways to the design of Mr T F Rothcram, "The Engineer remarks that '" the desig-n gives a very even distribution of weight, the load on the rails at each pair of wheels being very moderate in accordance with the requirements of the permanent way and bridges." Further, it notes that this " disposition of the wheels provides for a good lenpth of connecting rod." and in conclusion it observes: "It will be seen that these engines have not been built with the conservative' notions regarding English practice sas being the best for the colonies, with which British locomotive builders have been discredited. All that appears to be best for colonial railway l work has been used in the design, and in addition to the best features of American engines we have that excellence oi workmanship the absence of which is a conspicuous feature in the engines of American builders, who claim that it bad policy to build locomotives to last long." Some interesting, information touching the progress of the Panama Canal, together with illustrations of the works actually in hand, will bo found in a recent number of I lie Engineer." You may remember that a year or two back I sent you a good deal of information, derived from trustworthy sources, which showed that, so far from the Panama Canal being a totally derelict undertaking, the work of construction has boeu steadily, if slowly, proceeding for a considerable time, and an extension of the concession period having been attained, those who now have the matter m hand are sanguine of ultimate success. The Engineers appears to have become awake to this fact, and concludes a long article on the subject with the remark that the illustrations presented of the substantia! work already accomplished and in progress, " clearly show the belief that the Panama Canal is an abandoned enterprise no longer worthy of serious consideration " to be 'distinctly erroneous. Last Tuesday evening, at a meeting o£ the Royal Colonial Institute, Mr Morgan I, Finucane read an interesting paper upon the "Islands and People of Fiji." But while giving a very full and instructive description of the islands, their inhabitants, progress, and industries, Mr Finucane distinctly declined to enter into the question " whether annexation to New Zealand and eventual incorporation into the Australian Commonwealth is desirable." Nevertheless, he proceeded to say: "There seem to me well nigh insuperable difficulties to stii-li a course, owincr largely to the fact of the main question in Fiji being a ' native one. And I maintain that even under such a confederation or annexation as regards the native question no better solution than the present one could be applied for a long time to come. Nevertheless, the suggestion presents many thoughts of great interest, and eventually, I feel sure, will have to engage the consideration of the Australasian Commonwealth ; the geographical position of Fiji, its relations to the French possession of New Caledonia, tlio advantages which it offers as a coaling station for our fleet in these waters, and-the future cable route to Canada are all matters of high Imperial policy which must follow as a result of colonial federation. It was announced yesterday by the New Zealand Trust and Loan Company that an interim dividend of 2« 6d per share, free of income tax, on thefnlly-paid ordinary shares, being at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, had been declared. , Numbers have just been announced of debentures amounting to £5700 of the Colonial Consignment, and Distributing Company, which hove been drawn for payment at tlUo per cent, on Ist January next. It would be well for New Zealanders who send newspapers to friends in this country to see that they ore securely fastened before posting. Numerous complaints have reached mo of the non-delivery of looked-for papers, referred to in letters, thus causing' great disappointment. In some instances the torn wrappers only have arrived-of course., minus the newspapers. Is this the fault pf the post office or of the senders? " . Jlanr inquiries are still being made, in msponse'to advertisements inserted in the daily papers, as to the suitableness of the New Zealand gumfields for emigration and for acquiring an independence. The latest advertisements are addressed to those disappointed of getting into General Baden-Powells police force; such are'invited to become gumOn Saturday last, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, the New Zealand Shipping Company's new twinscrew ship.Tongariro was launched, lms latest addition to the company s fleet is on the same model as the new Rimst-ala, a description of which I have already sent you. Tho Tongariro is expected to be ready by about the middle of February next. Still the lightermen's strike at the London docks is causing great delay to shipping, Aew Zealand vessels falling in for a full share of the inconvenience. Particularly so is this tte case in regard to vessels with wheat cargoes,, though meafand other produce are suffering. Three vessels from Timani-the Peri, Aberfoyle, and Liv—have been discharging wheat ori to the wharves, instead of into the granaries, which, of course, means a lot of extia expense. The same, I hear, was the cafe with the 50,000 sacks from Christchtirch brought by the Karamca. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's vessels the Pakeha, Rangitira, Gothic", Waiwera, and Aotca, as well as the Karamca, have been affected both for inward and putward cargo, but the difficulty is now being to a great extent obviated. Great inconvenience has ako 'been felt by tho New Zcnland Shipping Company. Un Thursday in last week the committees tho Incorporated, Law Society opened an jnquirr into allegations made as to the conriii'lt of Mr Wioklwm Flower, who acted as solicit tor to Mr Joshua Jones when the latter first came to Eurliuul. It is unnecessary for me to go into details of the " Mokau scandal," as it has long been termed: How the Mokau estate passed from the hands of Mr Jones into those of Mr Flower and Mr Hopkinso'n. the banker: or of how tho matter was taken up in Truth and also by the present Lord Chief Justice. The inquiry being hold into Mr Flower's conduct, for it is still proceeding, is, of course, kept strictly private, , in fact, everyone has been warned to say nothing about it to the press. Thursday in last week and Tuesday in this week wore taken up entirely in going through tho documents connected with the case. On Wednesday morning Mr Joshua. Jones entered the witness box, the whole of the day being occupied with liis cvidence-in-chief, and tho entire sitting on tho following day by his cross-examination. On Thursday evening the inquiry was again adjourned till Tuesday next. The proceedings at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Compnny. held this week, were most encouraging. So satisfactory, indeed, was the slate of things to be reported that tho meeting only lasted about half an hour—not a bad criterion of the feeling-; of shareholders. Mr John Beaumont made a model chairman; in every way he is a worthy successor to the late Mr Edward Martin. Heartiest thanks were accorded to tho directors and staff, and the report, a copy df which I sent you last week, was unanimously agreed to. Two meetings of shareholders in New Zealand gold mining properties wore held in the City this week, The first was that of the Royal Oak, of Hauraki, which company it was determined to reconstruct. The other meeting was that of shareholders in the Taitapu Gold Estate, where large developments were spoken of. This week'a case was down for hearing in which Messrs .T.imee Huddart and Company n-ern the plaintiffs, and the Canadian-Aus-tralian Company (in liquidation) were the defendants, the claim being in respect of the time of tho Vancouver service to New Zealand and Australia. A few minutes before the opening of the court, however, an arrangement to settle the case was come to on terms which" were not allowed to be divulged.