ANG O-COLONIAL NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 45

ANG O-COLONIAL NOTES

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, March H. j SOUTH AFRICAN AND AUSTRAL- ! ASIAN COLD STORAGE. To-day letters of allotment of shares in the South African and Australasian Cold Storage Company were posted. From an authoritative *ource I learn that the whole issue was applied for from South Africa nearly twice over, while in England considerably less than 10 per cent, of the shares applied for could be allotted. This morning I had a «hort chat with Mr W. Weddel with regard to the new company, of which he i- a director. "Of course, the old company took all their supplies from Australia, and New Zealand did not get much," said Mr Weddel. " In the first instance the shipping arrangement-, were not so good — in fact, they barely existed. Then New Zealand meat is dearer and not <-c> suitable for the Cape trade. In South Africa they prefer the leaner meat from Australia, and of course New Zealand meat always commands for beef, mutton, and lamb a premium in England- over Australian meat." " Does the new company intend to take any part of its supplies from New Zealand?" I asked. "Yes," replied Mr Weddel. "It is the intention to take at least a part of the 1 -applies ot meat from there, and it is also I hoppcl that considerable trade in daily and other pro. luce, such as poultry, etc., will be dc\ eloped." GENERAL. Should a member of the New Zealand Contingent, taking his discharge in South \frica, be anxious to visit Great Britain, a free passage to England will be given him on the understanding that no passage will be provided to New Zealand from England in addition. This is an official announcement mae'e by the Secretary of State for War An immense amount of interest is being taken in shipping circles in regard to the establishment of a. direct line of hteamers between New Zealand and South Africa, and conjecture is rife as to who will get the contract. Amon? those who have tendered, | I learn an> the New Zealand Shipping ComI nanv, the S X.A Company, the Union S.S. Company of New Zealand, and Mr Sleigh, of Melbourne, who is spoken of as represent ing the "Bur. Star" ln.e. Throughout the week it ha- been several times reported that the 'a^t-named has secured the contract. To day if was confidently stated, in good qu<irtei3, that the rumour was correct, and that as a fact Mr Sleigh's offer had been acc>pt"d. Mr l>ilbHrt Paikei, writing to The Times, advocates the establishment of remount depots in "the four chief colonies— Canada, South Africi. Australia, and New Zealand." He thinks that the time will come when the Commander in-Chief will bo able to put his finger upon, among other places, Auckland. j-> e«.-ily a- he lines now upon Kdmhurgh. Comment i- made in tho "African Re view " on tin* Maori offer to serve at tho front, and it l. said that it would be " certain they would piove. excellent auxiliaries ' Their employment, ho«e\cr, would "not bo expedient." "There in a hull point in Now Zealand(Consol&l which is worth a little, and that is that the piicci are below those of other colonials, and it is to be noted that the g.ip is do, ing up," sav 1 - the Financier. Referring to Mr Many H. Voxel's new hook, a London paper s-:i\ - : — "As a nile, bii^hraii^ni^ -tmn'. aie apt t<". be a trifle wnaiibouif aid monotonous but 'Gentleman (•.iiiK't' i- .i happy exception to th-j rule. It bi'tfin- in l.ithct a sliuddci>omc fashion, with l.t-hni^- of romicts mid murder- of pulucm<ii, but when Mr Vogol has once Mieteeded m getting his lm-.hi angers into the Im.-h the story runs on in a ljlcasant ami diverting fashion (Tfntlemaii (larnet himself i" a-- chivalrous a footpad as over personated a policeman or looted a bank : and it i^ hove recorded with mnc-h pleasure th.it he docs not allow his strivings after a bi'tti i life ti> lead him into any wearisome hypocrisy Tt is difficult to feel any <ym pathy with a bu-hrtin^cr who spends an hnui or tr. o .n i-iorfiliMne; with his conm li'iice stricken g><n2, and tli<-n evolve* a c'ovih-h -< homo for shooting down tin' whole gold c-eort. It may \*p realistic, but it makes tho reader hope that the last <-hapter will contain a ptronq rope and an effective (hop. But jii the casp of Garnet and ln.» engaging friends the worst oiifc can \vi<-h them in a well dnected bullet; and men that ia deprecated as the story moves on. ai,d they preserve fair ladies from the insults %n<\ iniuriea of \yorie ruffians t.ha-vi i,hsm-

I selves. Mr Vogels* idea of a Cockney bushti 1 ranger, whose actions continually belie hi^ , boast that he is utterly devoid of senjtimen'fy' is a really good one, and is worked out withj consistency and art. If our readers wish to^ know how the rescued ladies comport them* pelves, and how the story ends, it is onljfl fair to r<sfer them to the book, which is, good reading from beginning to end." Mr W. S. Reid, formerly of Wellington, with Mrs Reid, is back in London and is( staying at 4- Nottingham place, W. Mn Reid has just been made an honorary! Fellow of the Imperial Institute. Some sensational reports have been circu-« lated this week regarding the health of the( Rev. Thomas Spurgeon, who was said to ba suffering from pneumonia consequent on ai^ attack of influenza. I learn that Mr Spur-* geon, his wife, and daughter have all beec( suffering from influenza, Mr Spurgeon bmw self having now an attack of broncho-* pneumonia; but I am glad to hear that ha and his family are all now progressing favourably. It is stated that when Mr Seddon visits England this year a visit to Wales will be mooted, a suggestion having been made that! he should visit Cardiff during the festivities on the occasion of the coming-of-age of th« young Marquis of Bute. " Last year was not a prosperous one forSamoa," says The Times, " owing chiefly ta a decline in the yield of copra and a consequent fall in the sales of goods by the local merchant. . . . Nearly all the imports are from Australia, New Zealand,, and San Francisco, except softgoods, whioh; are largely of German origin. The natives both of German and American Samoa _eeem\ to be satisfied with the new order of things;, there is no good opening at present iorf either planting or trading, although much money is being spent by the authorities ow public works. British shipping forms about six-sevenths of the whole tonnage trading to the islands." Referring to the fact that more salmow ova have been sent from the Tay to Nev»i Zealand recently, the Daily Telegraph sayfl:; " We doubt very much whether the Government of the colony is -wise in trying td( stock ite rivers with salmon, for the simple* reason that trout have been suoh a-n extra*' ordinary success in New Zealand rivers thafl matters are hardly likely to be improved! by) the introduction of salmon. Many New; Zealand waters teem with trout. Fish ol from 51b to 81b are thought nothing of, an<^ 15-pounders are fairly common ; while specie mens have been caught far exceeding thai weight. Not only has the English browrj trout thriven, but so also has the rainbowl trout, whioh in this colony has proved an extraordinary success. For trout to tbriva in this extraordinary manner, they, of course, require all the food that the stream can provide for them naturally. Should^ the rivers get stocked with salmon, the^ will swarm with samlets and smolts, whioh/ will almost certainly clear off the food, and. 1 the trout will go begging, and New Zealand! may find itself with second or third rate salmon fisheries in place of the finest troutfishing in the world. As it is many of these* trout migrate down to the sea, and somej of the finest are caught actually in the surf? at the month of some of the large rivers.Our New Zealand friends should at leasti consider the policy of leaving well ajone.: There are not many salmon rivers of importance in Great Britain which produce fine trout." By-the-bye, as many New Zealandera who purpose visiting England this Coronation; year may be mizzled whither to look for quarters, they may perhaps be glad to knows of a "Pension for Gentle-people" whioh ha* bnen opened by Miss Fosbery, at No. 29 Harrington Gardens, South Kensington. I hear that Mr and Mrs W. P. Reeve* intend to give a reception to New Zealand visitors who may come here for the Coronation festivities It will be held at tha Imperial Institute some time in June. Recent callers at the Agency-general include: Mr T. Houston, of Dunedin ; Mr James Paterson, Mr James A. Roberts. o\ fhmedin; Mr Alfred Ansell. of Dunedin-/ Mr H W. Roll, of Oainaru; Mr F. Hyams;| Mr W. J. Robinson, of Tinwald ; and Mr C. Tothill, of Invercargill. Mr Alfred Mistowski, Mu3. Baa. has been; appointed musical examiner for New Zealand in the current year to conduct the local examinations under the auspices of Trinity College, London. In every case the examination requirements and standards will be the same as those which are in force in Great Britain. ,4, 4 , \ very .=uerc6»ful pianoforte recital was Kiven by F. G. H. Moore at the Victoria Hall Eating, W.. on Thursday evening. Mr Moore is a young Dunedmite who came to England about seven years ago. He immediately resumed his musical studies at the Royal Academy, and in three years obtained the dignity of sub-professor securing the Walter Macfarren gold medal. Iwo years ago he took up the position— one which h> still hold'-of organs at St. Andrew s Church, Mount Park road. EaUng. Mij Moore is well known to London audiences, having frequently appeared at the (Jueen a Hall St. James's Hall, and the Imperial Institute c-oucert* as solo pwnij.t. Mr Moore's solo, were: Third English .Suite (Bach). Beethoven's Sonata op. ?•'. >° * (•'Moonlight"), Schumann's great lanta«ia („,, 17), Rubinstein's Et'icle in C Minuetto l'umposa" (Albanesi), Mo.nV.^ohn. s Spinning Son?. List's Twelfth Rhap»ody. ami three selections fi'-m Clii pin. Ure critic say.- "All woit l.nllianth and fault-lp-sly executed liv a master hand." Of another New Zealand artist who a^istod at the recital the tame critic eaVB : " Mis* Man-on created qu.te a furore, her .plonJul «oi>ratio voice being heard to perfection m -young lovo lies r<le p.ng and 'Sping i» lime.' from Sonic-rveH's- cycle f.t p< ng-, and "A woodland madrigal' (R- Batton). For the latter, applause was so pro!cns?ed that Mi--« Maiißon perforce gave an encore. Miss ilaiuon has alteady attracted n-.uch attention in the musical world, and her name will soon be- numbered am»-ig the ino-t celebrated singers of the ago." At the last Ipvpo held by his Majesty the King at St .lamci's Palate, two New Zealoudf rs had tlio honour of presentation. They v.-orp Captain B. Arthur, of the t'ouith Nciv Zealand Riflp Regiment, who was I' ro ' -.pntfd by the Adititant-gc-neral. and Mr >h Callicart Wa-f.n. M.P.. «ho wa- presented by Loid Balfour • f Rml. ;/h.

Mr G Cunningham, ulio has hern i\ charge of rhe Knekson'* Howard diedge, Or .veil f'roek, once it i nmm»w» J operation*, vas on Saturday, the 13th. pr«-n«Mitcd witU a handsome marbl° dock by his engineer; and crew In making the presentation, Mr J M'Harg. the engineer, rr-f(=ir<'d lo the* goodwill which had always exLted bc-l'veri* Mr Cunningham and his men, am', while expressing regret at losing him, wished him, n/intimu'Jri tuin.-.«ps iv hi* new Sl)b.eie.