OUR LONDON LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 24

OUR LONDON LETTER.

fFJioM Our Own Cok respondent.) London, November 5, MINISTERS AND SYNDICATES.

Great interest was excited iv London by the cable messages from New Zealand — the news being bo'^h through The Times special and Eeuter's Agency — to the effect that the Seddon Government had only escaped defeat on a want-cf-coafidence molion by the narrow majority of six. Bo much special attention had been attracted to New Zealand by recent event I*,1 *, including tbe presence of the Premier and the New Zealand troops during the Jubilee, and the prominence given to the New Zealand labour legislation by tbe applicability of analagcps measures to the present disastrous strike of engineers, ths.t any news from or about New Zealand is read far more readily th*n it would have been a year ago. Moreover, Mr Seddon penonally attracted a great deal of Eotica during his sfoy. Further, the special ciicu instances of the hob tile motion were such as to appeal very strongly to commercisl feeling in the city. The recent death of Mr Munfiells, attributed by many to worry in connection with fcfce stigma "that ■attached to him through his unfortunate connec'ion with the disastrous old New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, still remains fresh in Ihe people'a memory. Mr Mundella's unhappy experience has tended to accentuate tbe Btropg filing ■which prevail* tLat Ministers of the Crown cugbfc not to be connected with public companies or svdicates aB directors or advisers. Strong regret is expressed that nothwifchstaod-

ing the intimidatory action of the Government in making the question one of want of confidence, tho New Zealand Parliament did uofc treat the question on its merits and piss a vote in strong condemnation of so very undesir-ible a practice.

TBABE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

During the stay in South Afcic* of Mr John Holmes, New Zealand Govcrnuien'; Comuiiieioner, he found opportunity to mako extensive inquiries as to the prospects of establiihing a trade between New Zealand and South Africa in fr. Zen meat. He was met with tho general

statement that New ZeaUnd meat was not

liked in South African That is to say they did x>ot care for the type of New Ze&Knd mutton which best suits the London market — namely,

Fairly fat carcases weighing from 601b to perhaps 641b or 651b. The South Africans' prefer merino wethers or mutton ewes weighing nob more (hsn about 501b per carc&se. They do import a good deal of mutton of this clans from

Australia, purchasing at the rate of 3d per Ib,

c.i.f , from Melbourne. The import duty, however, is as nvuch as 2d per )b, but meat imported from tbe Transvaal is bonded and forwarded

thither, tbe Transvaal duty being at the smaller ra»e ot 7£ per cent, ad valorem.

Mr Holmes is of opinion that there must

uecc-s sarily be an increasing demand in South Africa for imported meat owing to the frightful ravage? caused among the South African live Stock by rinderpest. He tells me he pointed out to his -intervieweri-at the dape that New

Zealand could supply any quantity of meriuo jnutton if thiß were desired, which was -not^the • case so i*r as London wns concerned. He found that South Africa was importing not enly merino mutton, bat also rabbits and dairy pro- ■ duce from Australia, the Blue Anchor and Aberdeen liners keeping them supplied. Should anything definite come of tho proposal of establishing a trade in colonial 'fibres between New Zealand and South Africa, it seems probable a good deal might be done in the way of other prtduce. The whole matter appears worthy of careful attention. new befbigerat;nq stohes.

With reference to the project, to which I referred at some length in a previous letter, for

the establishment of a new refrigerating store at

the docks, I learn that a private meeting of .persons interested was held yesterday at the Agent-general's office to consider various important details of the proposed arrangement.

The opinion, I hear, was generally expressed

that if -the movement were to be successful it mast "ha ve the assured support of all the shipping and freezing companies 1 , .except perhaps in the case of the CO. and D. Company, which tad its own stores and appliance*, and which, therefore, could hardly be expected to come in with the present scheme. It was penerally thought that there would be little difficulty in securing the desired concert of action.

Oue "valuable sngge&tioa was put forward by Mr Thomas Mackenzie »t the meeting. He proposed that if .this store were erected by 'the dock companies insurances on produce from New Zealand should be placd on a new basis, the original policies extending only to the delivery of the meat within the stores, fre«h policies to be taken out from that period of delivery. In that ease there would be less difficulty in Adjusting 'claims, because the precise period when .any damage occurred could be more satisfactorily located.

MINING NOTES

Generally speaking, I have nothing to add to what I have said with reference to the position of New Zealand mining enterptises in London.

ThH pitaation remains practically uncbaDg. d, scd it is not necessary that I should waste ppace by reiterating what I have already said Score than once. Achilles shares have been somewhat firmer flu ring the week, this being largely due to the statement by the secretary (1) thafc orer £60,000 had already been spent on the development of the property and on the plant -- belonging to the company ; (2) that development work, according to the rc-por's from the managing director at the mine, had -proceeded in the moet satisfactory manner during the past two years ; (3) that the water race constructed for the purpose of working economically by water power instead of by electricity as bitberto w*s completed, and the 30-etsmp mill was ready for working to its fullest capacity ; (4) that there was now fully developed and ready for milling a large body of very valuable ore.

AXGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

A New Zealand inventor sometimes has itrange experiences. Mr Harry Porter, of Balclutha, Otago, the inventor and patentee of the cbainle6B cycle, first went to Melbourne to sell his patent, and while there was induced to take a certain perf on into partnership. He then ceme to England to fell the patent, and on arrival found that his partner in Melbourne had sold the whole of the patent rights for the entire world for JE4OCO, and had Uien vanished from mortal ken. This was rather awkward for Mr Porter, who found himself alone in London absolutely penniless. He went through numerous hardships. After a, time he secured a situation in a eh.ot tower/*and had to work da-.ly from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the munificent wages of £1 4s per week. Fortunately for hina, he fli?covered that the ex-member for Balclutha, filr Thomas M'Kenzie, was in London, and he called upon him. Mr Mackenzie interested bimself in his fellow townsman, and soon obtained a better position for him. Mr Porter then invented a cjtls oiins, which he patented With tbe financial assista.txc of a friend. Thi*

invention has been taken up by a London firm, who have agreed to pay him a sum of money down Mid to give him a partnership in the firm, which i« to bs called •' Porter's Patent Cycle Oiler Company." Stalls have been taken at the Pal.ice and tbe Agricultural H*ll, where tbe new oiler is to be exhibited. Aud it is expected to prove a great succpsj.

Colonel Wales, ex-Mayor of Dunedin, who camo to England recently, has decided to winter in the South of France, returning to England in the spring, spending some months in this couutry, and leaving in the autumn for Now Zealand in time to come in for the summer of that country. I am glad to learn that Colonel Wale&'s health is somewhat improved.

Mr William- Dymock, of the National B*nk of Now Zealand, is now on a visit to the mother country, and is staying ab Piincss Mansions, Westminster.

At a public dinner last Wednesday evening Mr Thomas Mackoi zie was entrusted to reply to the important toast of "Greater Britain." Tbe proposer, in cor.cl ding his remark*, said : " I have the honour to associate this toast with the name of tbe H'>n. Thomas Mackct z> •, tbo Agr.nb-gen.eral 0° Ne.v Zoaluid." Mr Mackei zi?, in reply, remarked that, paradoxicl as it might appear, though he was a gener*! agent for New Z=>a.l*Kd, he whb not the Agtat-geaerßl of Nsw Zealand. Ho hoped he was an " honourable Thctvns Mackenzie," hxxh he was not " the Hon. Thomas MtckoLzie." — (L--ughtes_) On Sunday last the R ; ghfc Rev. Dr Grime?, Roman Catholic B'shop of Cnristcburch, New Zealand, preached at the Rathmines Chirch in aid of missionary work iv his diocese. There was a large congregat'on, and tie people followed with great attention the interesting and eloquent t'isooorfe of tbe preacher. Dr Grimes dwelt at length on the necessity that existed for more missionary pripsts in tbe diocese, pointing out that in a dis<r:et nearly as large as Ireland Iheie were only 30 priests to minister to the faithful. A new cithedral, the B shop said, was very dear to hi 3 hoart, but that which was dearest to him was the means to provide more p-rsls for the dit c so. In the evening Dr Grimes also preached &t the same church, and in his discouiß" gave details of the ra : s3ionary <fForbs <f the priests among the Natira race in New Z aland.

Sir George Grey's state of health continues virtually unaltered. Ho has not yet been able to go out, but ih is hoped that he may ne-xb week if the weather should continue fine. Lady Grr-y is well, and in constant attendance upon her hns^anii.

S'r John Lawes, head of the well-known firm that has dene so much for the interests of agrculture, and whose sheep dip is of worldwide fame, is about to deßpa^ch a represtnfcative, Mr Henry Blake, to New Zia'and, with the obj-cbof extending the business of the firm in the colony.

Tbe important question of a sorting shed at thft docks is at l:\s"3 assuming something like definite form. The various shipping companies and the freezing compauies hive for somj time past been iv communication with the dock authorities with the view of getting such a shed eivc^ed, and the Agent-gener*l ha« done all in his power to facilitate some arrangement being arrived at. In conversation with the Agent-general today Mr R yes- frankly expressed hirmdlf warmly favourable -to the.pl +n as onp likely to be oF great service to the colony. His idea is that the Government should meanwhile take authority from Parliament to guarantee Bucb. a sum of money, nob exceeding £3000 per annum, as may be found to be required, provided that the terms and arrangemeots should prove to be entirely equitable and satisfactory. This, of comvse, would commit the Government to nothirg — it would still leave the whole matter open. If tbe Government were iiot satisfied with tbe pcheme as submitted they would be under no obligation to accord the guarantee or to pay Ihe money. On the other hand, if they oMainpd from Parliament the necessary power, their hands w^uld not be hampered by their being obliged to wait for another session, and thus the losa of va'uible time would be avoided.

In view of the unhappy prolongation of the great engineering strike the labour legislation of New Zealand has come more and more into notice in this country. The Agent-general has been very much to the fore delivering lectures and speeches on the subject, carefully avoiding involving himself in the "existing dispute, or in British politics, but confining himself (o a clear elucidation of the method by which, as he claims, New Zealand has quite " abolished strikes." Most of the papers have reference to the subject, and while in some cases deep repugnance is exprepsed to any compulsory legislation, the admission is rather grudgingly ma.de that, come such method appears to be the only feasible solution of the present and pending difficulties between labour and capital, and tbab the f-xptrinaf nt does appear to have been successful iv New Zealand.