ANGLO- COLONIAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 55

ANGLO- COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Our Otto Correspondent.) London, February 22. Some amusement and a little derision has 'been excited in London by the announcement attributed to Mr W. P. Reeves, the new Agenfe general, by a Sydney interviewer, that with reference to the New Zealand frozes meat trade " Mr KeevfS sxpmscs a determination to learH everything which is to be learned of the of Smithfield and the other haunts df the Lon^?" 1 batcher and abiding places *of "the colonial meat, aL'5 to discover the reasons for the l»rge .differences S*£^een the retail prices and tihose which the sottlt-r receives." This "is rendered mysterious by the additional statement bhat ".Mr Reeves is quite-seized with th« difficulty of the task he has underUkeo an this regard, but he e^ya tbat if he oanunt »ccotnplish it Jay ordinary means he will take extraordinary ones." Ke^facdipg-bhis .statement one "London Anglo-colonial paper remarks with some re*eon ;~"Ib will i 2i 2 interesting .to learn :in due time wiiab -sue the ' extraordinary -raeaßS ' by which Sir Reeves will jnaster the intrioate- meat problems which have jna.de -the boldest '.spirits quail." Commenb has also haen-excited by the following paragraph with reference to Mr Reeves :—: — "A. further >Setermioabioa of the .new Agentgeuera.l 'is to watob. carefully, on bthalf of the New Zealand ' Government, the new departure of the Canadin Government in t^k'ng chsrrge of the distribution of (Dnuadiafn produce, and he 'will report 'fully to .his Governnvnb as'to-fchs -working of the system, with a view, should it be deemed advisable, of adopting it for New Zealand." About this it is remarked bj one commentator : — " As to the reference to the Canadian proposals, it is understood that they -exist on-paper only, -so far, ■and-their*scope *was so extensive that no one bub a Tupper would be ilikeiy 'to take active measures;" Still everyone gives Mr Rice vts 'credit for excellent intentions and is pleased to learn from his own lips that -he " will he jglad -.to follow in ;tbe -footsteps -of bis predecessor— liis old friend and school-fellow "Sir Westby Perceval." 1 He-could nob possibly begin wibh a -wiser resolution.

Admiral Falliser, whohas'jusb been appointed $0 the command of the Australian naval station, as a cousin of "Mr C. Wray Falliser, of tha New Zealand .civil service, mow in t/heAg&nb^general's department, London. Sir JuliasTogel is/Iregcet to say, seriously ill, .although .my latest bulletin is al ■*. mccc hopefulnature than those earlier in tha week. Sir Julius was visiting his eißter, who resides in fowls square, Bayswater. He contracted & «evere cold, which so rapidly developed into congestion df the luoga tbat he was unable to return home, and his condition soon became very critical. At thebegiuning-of tbis weuk ib was deemed necessary to call in Sir 'William Bro*dbeat for.conßutbitioa with Sir Julius's regular medical attendant. Sir William took a very grave View of Ahe case, and, in point >of fact iboth doctors virtually gave up jajl-hopes of 'the patieat'sirecovery. Bub be must 'have wondertul ivital and recuperative power, ior shorbly id ber I |this he began to mend, aad then owde rapid inijprovemenb. Ib was reported th&b on Wednesday •n^ht he suffered .* relapse, and yesberday tawoicg he was said to bo io imioiaeat d«nger j

but inquiries in the afternoon elicited the reassuring information that Sir Julius waa much better and was going on very well, and to-day he is considered to be on the high road to -recovery. Lady and Miss Vogel and the patient's sons, Messrs Harry and Julius Vogel, have b?eu unremitting in their attention to the sufferer, who also has the best professional nursing. I So far as can be judged, Mr. EF. Wright is at ; lasb on the high road to a complete recognition of the value of his " consumptive cure." It has been tried by an eminent doctor in five oases among his own patients, the drug being made np by himself from the prescription supplied by Mr Wright. He informs Mr Wright that the results have been in all cases most satisfactory. Four of the cases were in an incipient stage ; the other was in a more advanced stage. In each instance the administration of Mr Wright's remedy was followed by improved appetite, steady fall of temperature, cessation of night swea's, loss of oough, increase in weight and strength, and apparent cessation of the disease of the lungs. Four of the oases are virtually cured. In three of them 'the patients bave returned to their regular nvork. The experimenting doctor writes -that he considers the drug mosb valuable, especially iv oases of incipient phthisis, and that he thoroughly agrees with Mr Wright in his estimate of the value of his discovery. I have myself read the letter, so -there can ba.no mistake ' aboub the matter. .Mr Wright has iconfitied to . me the secret of his method, and I am therefore able to say that it is no mere quack experiment, .but 'is based upon nound^ scientific principles, ■and has (been at hy« .strict process^tof chemical and scientific induction. This view is strongly held by the Sector (who,has tried -the remeily, and by the experts' who have reviewed tho "general -principles of »Mr Wright's theory.

Ib really seems therefore ai if a New Zealander were in a fair way to win ihe honour, of being one of the greatest benefaotors of the human rsoe. A cure Tor consumption would get rid of one of mankind's most dire scourges, •and if Mr Wright's system prove permanently successful it will be applicable, varied only in detail, to other diseases hitherto incurable.

Mr H. Dillon Bell has settled down for the present, and has taken a " bachelor's flat " in Queen Anne's Mansions, that mighty congeries of fiats close by St. James's Park, where he is very comfortable. Some enterprising person has been moving the Imperial Institute to inquire whether any ambergris is to be obtained in New Zealand, and the A^ent-geneal has received a communication. 0/1 the subject. March 1. Everybody concerned with New Zealand affairs is locking forward with much interest to the arrival of Mr W. P. Reeves, the new Agent-gervei"«l, who is expected here early next - week There is' a decidedly friendly and favourable sentiment prevalent toward Mr Reeves, who will be very cordially welcomed in London. Everyone is prepared to find that he will maintain the high traditions of the office -and -will -do -himself -a-nd - the -colony -credit.

It is within my knowledge that some of those worthy wiseicres who, in their estimation, know everj thing have sneered at the praise given to Bir Westby Percoval as mere " butter." I do not say that I agree with everything Sir Westby has 'done .in his official capacity, but I do say, and everybody conversant with the facts will* entirely support me in saying it, that be ha* proved himself one of the best Agent»-gener*l New Zealand has ever had,' and that he has done services to the colony, its people, its interest, its industries, and its commerce that will nob be fully realised uutil all their results accrue, which may not be wholly until come years have passed ; and I say this advisedly and without .bias, from direct personal knowledge of the f Acts.

Xhe London papers agree in adrtritting that ithe wheat crop this year in New Zealand is one ■of the finest for some time past, and without in any way incommoding themselves, the colony will be able to come to the rescue of New .South Wales.

Sir Maurice O'Rorke is staying just now at I Felfcwell Kecborf, near Brandon, in Norfolk. He c*me to town to attend the dinner to Sir t "Weatby Perceval and Sir James Gatrick, given >at the Windsor Hotel l»st Monday, and he is ito address a meeting of M P's. shortly with I .reference to the parliamentary procedure of [;New Zealand, which ia excitisg muoh »at?W9t 1 ju?fc-now. A meeiiug _?f th© holders of the 4 oertt. idebenbores for d8750,Uu0 of the "Bank of ' New iZoaUnd Bsbates Company (Limited) will be theld a(< company's office, 1 Queen Vnjicria nstreet, en March 16, for the purpose of contfiideriag and, if thought lib, .sanctioning, with or modifisation, an arrangement 'for ithe -accfclcrfttion -and payment of the .priuoipnl eof the debentures on June "30 next, with, •accrued interest to that date auda bonus, of v 3 psr cent.

New [Zealand raining business is good, and ithernacket is very steady with a fair number of .transactions going on. A big advance in prices unay be expected .shortly. There are vstreng .signs of a boom in 'New Zealand <mines — sb {goes my latest bulletin Item the city. Among itbe lament registered«ompaqiesarelb.e'Sofltb«rn (Star gold mines to work part of the Success anine sad other properties on the Coromandel ffield, the New Zealand V-entupe Syndicate, atnd fcbe Consolidated GoldtieWa of 'New.Zealand, with a capitalidf in £1 shares, ' !to take over and work Mr D. Zinian's puricbaaes on the West Coaft.

Mr H. D. Bell called at this office yesterday, ' sand we .had ia It ngthened talk. Mr Bull ins jjusbjreturned from a short visit to bis old Alma Jiater, Cambridge. He mentionrd having -met - (Sir lYaacis Dillon .Bell in Melbourne on .his »way .-Home, tand expressed his pleasure 'ab finding 3iis father so -well .and -vigorous, looking ijovujger th»n ever, he said, which you .may .•remember was 'just what 'I remarked after itne&tiog SirFraecis 'one day nm the Tbamest [Embankment.

Tbab ersbwhile favourite White St»r steamer JnthfiS., S.,'and A. New Zealand" direct-service, ithe Dorte, has just distinguished herself-greatjy in her .new sphere of operations. She has comipleted a voyage of 13 r 6QO miles in 41 days, (Steaming bhe entire distance without a .single -.break ab the average speed ol 14 knots per hour. 'Thb, I*m told, ia without any precedent in .ocean -steaming. The Doric > has -been altered lie many ways for her new work, And .her .measurement is now reckoned at 4675 tons.

It -may be remembered, or probably will not be remembered, that the lonic, a sißber'sbip'to ■theiDorio, when the- late Captain Hallet •brought 1

Advice to Mothers !— Are you broken in your i rist by a sick chik! suffering with thepain of cut- ! ■ting teeth ? Go at once to a chemist and get a l ■bottle of Mrs Winslow's Soothing Syrup. It 'will relieve the -poor sufferer immediately. It 4s • -perfectly harmless, and pleasant to thelaste; it produces natural quiet sleep by relieving bhe child from psin, and the little cherub awakes ".as •bright as a butbon." It soothes the child, it' ;softens the gums, allays all pain, relieves wind, .regulates* the -bowels, and -is the best .known (remedy for dysentery and diarrhoea whether arising if rom teething or other causes. Mrs Winslo-w'a Soothing Syrup is sold by medicine dealers every i where at Ia lid per bottle— £Advt.] '

her ou^on her first voyage to New Zealand also accomplished what was then a record in longdistance continuous .steaming.

There is .every likelihood of your seeing the namo of Sir Westby Perocval era long on ■everal important directorates.

The cargo of the barque Coromandel, which went ashore while leaving Westport, is insured in the United Insurance office for £900.