MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1713, 20 September 1884, Page 22

MISCELLANEOUS.

M. de Harven, who is at the head of the movement in Belgium for opening up commercial relations with Now Zealand and forming aettlomenta of Belgian colonists there, has been in London for a few days, and has corresponded with a largo number of wotlknown colonists, including tho Afjent-gonej&l, with whom ho had a lengthened interview cm the Bubjoct. There is no doubt that in its present shape the schemo of M. do Harven would encounter considerable difficulty. But tho mission is backed up by largo capital in Belgium, aud they mean business. Two thousand pounds (50,000 francs) have been contributed by the promoters to pay M. de Harven's personal expenses, and considerable contributions are being received for tho purpose of adding' a number of experts to the party. He will leave for America in Septembar, stay there a month, and go on from San Francisco by the October mail, The Anglo-New Zealander and Australian Times has made its first appearance to-day. It is a large paper of 48 pages, 23 of which are advertisements. Its 25 pages of reading matter contain an immense _ mass of information about New Zealand primarily, and also about the other colonies of Australasia, even Fiji and Oceania having their section. For a first issue the number of advertisements is rather startling, and it is understood that some have been held over from first issue in order to to conform to the Post office rule, which is de rigutur that a newspaper must contain more reading matter than advertisements. The paper contains s, largo amount of Home items bearing on colonials and Colonial inteieat3 in London. The hotel advertisements are quite a picture gallery. It goes out by this mail to the Colonies. Probably it is not news to inform you that tho special HotUnment that was projected in oonmpMoij with tho New Zealand Thames Valley Land Company, for tho maintenance of young settlers who niipht desire to acquiro a knowlr.dgo that, would fit thorn to take_ up land of their own, has noi, fulfilled tho anticipations of llio directors. It has been found nacossary to call up another £I— making £5,-— in ordor to meet tho amount of the purchase- monoy due to the vendors; of the land acquired by tha Company. * At thn twelfth ordinary general meeting of tho National Bank ci Now Zsaland held on July 28, tho chairman, Mr E. B, Hoare, paid a high compliment to Mr Hcan, the Bank's most .iblo and capable manager at Auckland. No branch of tho Bank had boon so uniformly wo'l managed as the Auckland branch under Mr Hmn's administration, and tho directors appreciated the sacrifice ho had made in temporarily as3iiinirjg Mr Dymock'a duties as inspector, thereby heipp compelled to cope with difficulties for which ho was not in any way directly or indirectly 1 responsible. He had, however, filled that post with great ability and thoroughly to tho satisfaction of tho directors, who, when he camo Home in tho course of a month or two for a well-earned h.-.lid.vy, would receive him with platitude. Mr jDymock's vißit was mentioned wo' h satisfaction, and he wan referred to as a faithful and loyal servant to the Bank. The directors, after going through every i\dvancs account with the inspector, felt satipfied that in the great majority of instances their business was thoroughly sound, well managed, and in a position to expp.nd when Rafa opportunities I arose. Out of 27 branches there were not more than three or four where thei business was not ! thoroughly good and satisfactory. Mr Hoare ' expressed somo doubt about the wisdom of investing £700 in building a branch bank at Hokitika. He would have preferred that a shanty had been takon at a low rental until their prospects were assured. Tho City of Dimodin Suburban Gas Company (Limited) has been successfully floated. Th 9 allotment of shares wao mado on July 22, the amount subscribed being £50.000. The balance of the original issuo of £75,000, in 750O 1 shares of £10 each, has been taken up by the City of London Contract Corporation (Limited), who had the launching of the affair, aud whose clients have taken up the whole amount subscribed. FROZEN- MEAT TRADK. I Bni again compelled to write in a somewhat dolorous tone respecting the_ prospects of thia great industry. Prices continue very low, and f.a tho London season is nearly over, are not likely to improve for some time. Frozen mutton is still being unduly forced upon the market, though not to the exteut it; was a few weeks since. The best New Zealand is only making from Sd to s^d per Ib, Tho position of recent shipments is as follows :— The Canterbury cargo is cleared - the mutton averaging tyi to Cd, beef 6d to GJd for hindquarters, and lamb from GJd to 9d. The Tongariro is also cleared at from 5d to 6d, the meat being in good condition. The Liguria'a cargo arrived in excellent condition. The Sydney portion has been sold at from 4d to 4id, nnd the Melbourne portion realised from 4|d to s£d ; but about 700 carcasses remain on band. Of the Oamaru's consignment, about 2000 carcasses have been sold at from 4d to 6d ; its condition waa not satisfactory. The British King's arrived in good condition, bufc has noi sold well, somp 4000 carcasses having averaged from 3Jd to sid, A largo proportion of the Aorangi car?o remains on hand; it isi selling at from 2n Sd to 3d 2d por ntone of Blb ; its condition is fair. The Opawa consignment has not yet been offered ; il is reported to bo in good order. Tho Ibeiia has brought about 5459 carcassnsfrom Melbourne and Sydney in oxcellont condition ; about 1800 carcasses have been sold at from 2s Sd to 3j 4d per Btone. The Turakina's cawo from Hawke's Bay has not been offered. The Lady Jocelyn has brought 7400 carcasses from Wellington, but the. condition is irregular j about 1000 have been sold at from

Id 8J to 2-s 4d»p cv"c v" srouo. The cargo of Queensland ir.uat ex Doruuda is titill in store. Tho consignments brought by tho Potosi (from Melbourne) and the Wellington (from Lyttelton) aro alfco held back. The condition of the laotnamed has nofc yet ber j n ascot tamed. A meeting of New Zealand settlers interested in tho eala and distribution of New Zoaland frozan meat was hold at the office of (ho Agont-genoral on July 19 to take into consideration the present rnoda of disposing of tho meat, and the advisability of forming a company for the purpose of receiviuß and distributing it to better advantage than at present. After some diecussion of a preliminary kind, the meeting adjourned until Only 2(5, when it met and adopted the following resolutions :— l. "That, iv the opinion of this meeting of persons interested in the development of the Now Zealand frozen-meat trade, it is desirable that stepß should bo taken for the purpose of securing combined action by the consignees of this meat, with a view to the removal of several disadvantages under which the trade labours, and generally for placing it on a satisfactory footing." 2. "That, iv the. opinion of those present, there shoum bo in London a special store exclusively for Now Zealand mutton." 3. "That Mr John Studholme, the chairman, bo requested to sand a copy of these resolutions to tho several consignees; of Now Zealand mutton in London, and to convene a meeting of this committee' nnd of tho consignees at 52 Lombard street (Dalpwty, DuCroz, and Co., Limited) on July 31." The New Zealand settlers who attended the meeting of July 26 were tho following :— Sir John Hall, Sir Charles Clifford, Messrs Nelson, Chambers, A. Doane, Barkley, G. Clifford, Allsup, Johziaon, Banks, Rich, Nairn, J, Alexander, Studholme, Campbell, G. Gould, and Dalgoty and Co.'r representative. A meeting of tho consignees was held yesterday at Dalgety, Da Croz, and Co.'s offices, and Messrs StudhoJme, G. Clifford, and Rich attendod it. It w&a decided to appoint a committee to draw up a •scheme by which the trade may be improved. One proposal is to establish a Rpecial depot for the reception of New Zealand frozen meat iv the vaults under the Cannon streot railwaystation. The meat would be placed in these refrigerated chambers as soon as landed, and would be removed to tho Central Market as occasion required. It is believed that by this plan tha charges for storngo could, be considerably reduced, aad the market be regulated better than at present. When it is remembered that every per lb saved to the consignor means an. addition of £50,000 or ,£60,000 on the gross results of the frozen meat exported from New Zealand during the year, the necessity for a better system than prevails at present will be apparent. Seeing how persistently the Preas have advocated tho frozon-meat trade, and the valuable assistance they have undoubtedly rendered to its promoters, it certainly seems unfair that certain firms largely interested as consignees should systematically do their best to prevent reliable information respecting the trade, aud movements connected with it, being obtained by the London representatives of Colonial papers of influence. Dalgety, DuCroz, and Co. are notoriously disobliging m this respect. The officiala who conduct this portion of their business seem unable to grasp tho national importance of tho industry. They seom to think a newspaper has no more right to learn tho price of a cargo of mutton than it is to ask them the rate thoy aru selling tea or sugar at. It ia the same with respect to meetings held at thoir offices ia connection with tho meat trade. Evory_ obstacle is placed in the way of obtaining information, and yet tho bumptious officials who refute it are the first to complain it" any inaccu.r%cy should creep into a report owing to information which should have been readily supplied at first hand, being obtained from less 'direct and accurate sources, If the heads of the firm were wise they would correct this state of things. Tha days are gone by when legitimate information can be withheld from the public without good and sufficient reason.