ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2358, 4 May 1899, Page 44

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Oub Own Cobbespondent.)

LONDON, March 17.

Comment has been occasioned by a curious comparison of the labour equivalent of a fat bullock in England and in New Zealand, which has been worked out by a farmer in the colony. Supposing the dead weight of a bullock to be 7001b, he says, it could be sold in England at fully 6d per lb, or for £17 10s in all, paying 2s 6d a day to a labourer for 140 days ; while in New Zealand it would be sold at 16s per 1001b, or at £5 12s, sufficient to pay the current wages for a farm labourer for only 18£ days, while 'a dinner, in addition, would have to be 'provided daily for tho colonial workman.

On Tuesday last, in the Chancecy Court, the cross-actions of Wilson v. Lubbock and Lubbock v. Wilson, came before Mr Justice Kekewioh, this time for the, settlement of costs. The judge has had so much to do, both in Chambers and in court, with the affairs of the Midland Railway Company of New Zealand that, after a hearing of the actions, which ran into two days each, of two successive weeks, or four days in all, he was able to give his judgment offhand. As the decision went in favour of Mrs "Wilson, the widow of the lato general manager of the company in the colony, for about £12,000 odd, and for the debenture-holders for some £25,000 worth of mortgages, he, however, reserved the question of costs, asking one of the junior counsel to tabulate the judgment. This was on Thurs- ! day of last week, and of the state of things up to then I informed you last mail. • Before Tuesday, however, jvo. agreement had been come to between the counsel pn both sides, each party agreeing to pay its own costs, Mrs Wilson's share to come out of her late husband's estate. Lven this arrangement, however, did not nrevent close upon an hour's argument. Mrs Wilson now, it is intimated, will claim damages against * the debentureholders in respect of the caveat lodged bythem in New Zealand with regard' to the nine mortgages she has won, and on which she herself has been stopped from receiving the interest for some years past. This latter phase of the case is to be first heard in Chambers.

Certain members of the House of Commons are anxious to know how preferential tariffs with the colonies will work. The desire springs from mixed motives, however. One section would like to see duties of every kind abolished, and look upon parts of the Empire, classed as " protectionist," as having degenerated.* The other, and by far the more popular section now, regards the existence of duties as a means ready to the hand of Imperialism. Sir Howard Vincent has tried to draw Mr Chamberlain as to the result of preferential rates given the mother country by Canada. But Mr Chamberlain is very guarded; he is not the kind of man to be

'"drawn" easily. Still, the information he did give was interesting ; and, on the whole, is regarded as favourable by those* who wish to see the example ot Canada followed by all the other colonies. During the six months ended on the 31st January — the fjrst half-year in which Canada's tariff in favour of trade under the British flag was in operation — there ■was, Mr Chamberlain said, compared with the figures for the six months which closed on the 51st January,. 1898, an increase of ] per cent, in the exports from' the United Kingdom to Canada. If they took into account last July's exports, the greater part of -which arrived in Canada under the preferential tariff, the augmentation was found to be 6 per cent. The period, however, was too short for an accurate judgment to be formed on the effect of the tariff. No other colonial Government had yet adopted the system.

Does a political career in the colonies pay«? is a question likely to be asked. And the reply, so far as New Zealand is concerned, will be in the negative, at any rate, with regard to the older school of politicians. When Sir George* Grey died he left behind him less than a thousand pounds, and that ■when whole countries had been practically at his disposal. Now we have the case of Sir Julius Vogel. in reference to whom The Times has said : "It is a touching commentary upon, one side of his career that, having handled millions in the public interest witli an ability rare in colonial financiers, he has died a poor man, glad during the last years of his life to accept an occupation under Government which added £300 a year to his modest income."

Germany apparently intends turning over a new loaf, or, rather, of starting a fresh book, in regard to colonial matters. Mr Cecil Rhodes and the Kaiser have been getting on remarkably v/ell together this week ; Boer 1 leanings must be a thing of the past, for the restle&s Emperor has been made a convert to the Cape and Cairo telegraph and railway line. Now we hear from Berlin that Samoa is to have a " new account completely " opened for hor. How long will it be before fresh Teutonic " smudjring " takes place?

Referring to the Pacific Islands, it is curious to notice how everybody is now agreed that the aspirations of "New Zealanders years ngo. though snubbed at the time, were really right. Sir -George Grey has been amply proved to have l>een only ahead of his^time. Now it is agreed that had Sir Julius Vogel's suggestion to acquire the islands coming within the line from Auckland to Panama been carried out, it would have been a good thing. Mr J. M. Brigham continues his active efforts to get some definite conclusion arrived at with regard to the proposed naval repairing station at Auckland, and with every prospect of ultimate success. He is naturally irritated, however, by tho unconscionable, delays to which he is forced to submit while the circumlocution office and the red tape department ore settling the matter in their own delightfully dilatory way. So -far as the Admiralty is concerned, the affair is, I believe, definitely arranged, but in all these cases of a parliamentary vote being required it would be deemed absolutely criminal for the Treasury department to consent that a vote should be askeel for until after a long and verbose and desultory and unutterably stupid and tedious correspondence has taken place between the two departments. If this sort of thing were not resolutely adhered to, how on earth could work bo found for all the myriads of officials? Next Thursday is the day fixed for the annual general meeting of the Bank of Australasia. Tho report of the directors, which is made up for the half-year to October 10 last, states that after providing for rebate on bills current, for British and -colonial rates and taxes, ancl for all bad and doubtful debts, the net profit for the half-year amounted to £54,148. The addition of £8822 brought forward from the previous half-year gives a disposable balance of £62,970, of which the dividend declared • will absorb £48,000. From the balance remaining, a sum of £5000 has been appropriated to complete payment* of cost of the extension of the London office premises now being carried out, leaving £9970 to be carried forward to next account. Further, the directors remark: The price of wool has varied, that of merino

having appreciably advanced, while that of crossbred shows a more than corresponding fall. In New Zealand the season has been a fair one, but the effect of the fall in the price of crossbred wool, which forms the principal part of the New Zealand production, has been severely felt. The frozen meat business remains steady, and the fluctuations in price having been less than in previous years, the out-turn should prove more satisfactory to all concerned. A gradual improvement in the general business of the colonies continues to be shown, though the progress is slow. Properties changing hands more freely than for some years past, and enterprise would doubtless revive with more favourable seasons." The dividend declared is at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum, or £1 4s per share for the half-year, and will be payable, free of inoome tax, in London and the colonies on the 24th inst.

Another question in reference to the Pacifio Islands has been asked in the House of Commons this week, the questioner being Mr Hogan, M.P. The desire was for information respecting the reported acquisition of the Carolines by Germany, by purchase from Spain, and "Whether the interests of Australia and New Zealand, as affected by the consolidation and extension of the German Empire in the Pacific, are receiving the attention they deserve." In reply, Mr Brodricfc said her Majesty's Government was not in possession, of any information on the subject first referred to — that is to say, the reported acquisition of the group— but that "the interests of Australia ana New Zealand would receive due*attention." And there the matter must remain for the present. By last mail I sent you information concerning the conferences which have been helcl by -the heads of shipping companies in respect to the revelations I have been able to make as to "bogus" assessments for damage alleged to have been suffered by frozen meat from New Zealand ; and from elsewhere as well, of course, though naturally I have- devoted myself to the interests of the colony- with which lam concerned. Since I wrote to you a week ago I have been afforded the opportunity of seeing a letter on the subject sent by a gentleman holding one of the highest positions in the New Zealand and Australian shipping world, a director of Lloyds', and, :u fact, one of ther most prominent men here. It will be understood that I am unable to give nnmes. But I may say that the letter is Ihe outcome of the revelations and of the resultant conferences which I have reported to you. Further, I may add the communicati s>i has been addressed, purely as a matter- of business, to one of the best known shipping men in New Zealand. From this letter I will just quote one sentence, * which shows how great is the impression made. After dealing generally with the conferences which' have been held, the writer says : " Yesterday I had a conference lasting over two hours with Mr and Mr T. Mackenzie. The latter told me of rascalities he had discovered at Smithfielrf, sufficient to make your hair' ! i?taml on end. Ho alone, of the many importers I have talked with, has had the courage' and persistence to follow the subject up, and when he returns to the colony and resumes his place in Parliament, his disclosures will astonish the community." This is much stronger "than I, being careful to avoid all suspicion of exaggeration, have cared to put h it.' But, from my knowledge of -affairs here, I thoroughly endorse what is said. What is now wanted is that the matter should 'be pressed home to the finish. In conversation the other day, the gentleman. \. whose letter I have quoted from, described ** Mr Mackenzie as the 113 th man who had come Home to try and correct the trade abuses, and that now if. he only got backing up, the thing would be put an end to. A different description of Mr Mackenzie was heard the other day in Smithfield. There he has become known as " the cat among the pigeons," — eloquent, if uncomplimentary. One curious circumstance I will relate tr> show what the effect of a firm stand has been in this matter of assessing damage to frozen meat. Some four months ago, you will remember, I informed you of a, big fight tHafc had been made over one consignment, which ended in the money having to refunded. In talking the subject over with Mr Mackenzie yesterday, I asked him how lie had fared since. " I have not had a single claim since,"' he replied. • " But I have had warning to expect them again shortly." This in itself is significant. m^ A correspondent of " The Queen," being in trouble as to some alleged New Zealand meat she has bought, has been replied to in Ihe correspondence column of the paper named that the trouble must originate in the thawing of the mutton, for, it is stated, from experience, " that properly thawed New Zealand mutton gives an excellent gravy and is very seldom distinguished from ordinary homegrown meat."