ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES (From Our Own Corrspondent.) 'LONDON. November 18.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 36

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES (From Our Own Corrspondent.) 'LONDON. November 18.

j In a recent issue of/ the Corriere della ! Sera, ' (Milan) there, is an interesting article ion the labour laws of New Zealand. It ' is entitledj-5 translate it from the Italian — " Compulsory- ' Arbitration at tKe Antipodes." The ' writer, after quoting the reference- to New Zealand of an American visitor as " a country without' strikes," goes on" to remark that New Zealand is " a happy land, in which idyllic peace reigns between capital and labour " (' ' paese f elice r.el quale le pace, piu idillica regna fra capitale c lavoro "), thanks to the Compulsory Arbitration Act of 1894 and its modifications in subsequent* sessions of Parliament. A careful synopsis of the New Zealand labour laws is given, with an explanation of, their mode of operation. In conclusion, the Italian writer remarks that it is difficult- to saya3 yet what are the true results of the New\ Zealand labour/ legislation. '. ~lt -must, be .remembered that New Zealand' is .a. new 'country placed in excep-.'-.tional'^circumstances where industries are . largely-profitable^ where a law-abiding spirit "' aad..;4£ndency to" combination 'abound j where . the' inhaottants''are comparatively few, '/and , where, consequently, the-oonditions wnicK ' makekfor'- great - struggles between" capital and labour are wanting. As in regard' to •other social questions, however, -says' the • "writer Jm conclusion, 'is advisable to pro; cee.d.^Brar J ilyrin 'attempting io intxbSuce into any .country^ a system which may have worked well in a country where the conditions are totally* different. At the same time it is admitted that a system of-arbitra-tion which has now been at work for 10 years without causing any serious, public ineon- v : venience is certainly worthy 'of full .consideration. . In -shipping circles it is strongly urged that with regard to the New Zealand Shipping and Seamen Act the Board* of Trade and Colonial Office should maintain /"the important • principle that when a British vessel has complied with the provisions of •-' The Imperial Merchant Shipping Aot, s ' 1894,' such vessel shall thenceforward be exempted from additional provisions eon1 tamed in any - Merchant Shipping Acts ! which may be passed by colonial Legislatures." State fire insurance .as now legally established in New Zealand does not meet with favour in London, and the fire companies doing business in New Zealand are com- , niended by the Financier for refusing cooperation by way of reinsurance. Referring to the approaches made in this connection to Lloyd's, the Financier remarks: — "The underwriters will be in an unenviable position should/ the companies, in view- of this threatened competition., decide to reduce the tariff rates in order to hold their own. For, in spite of statements to the contrary made "by State officials, we venture to say that there has been a minimum of profit in recent years on New Zealand business. It is quite ' true that some companies — the South - British Fire and Marine Insurance Company ; of New Zealand, for instance — have been ! very - successful ; but we would point out that their premium income received from New Zealand is an almost negligible quantity compared to their total revenue. . . . We have endeavoured to point out the • danger of loss which will surely exist to I the reinsurers of the Insurance Department, but we do not think- that they will be the sol© sufferers. How is it possible that the i State can make a success when to get busi- ; ness they will have to cut rates, already giving no undue margin of profit, and from j the nature of things must treat their pro- ! posers not entirely from a business point of ' view, but from a political also? It is quite i on the cards that they will before long have to use the resources of the State to make !up a deficiency in their funds. When that ' occurs we think that possibly the London Stock Exchange, whose members, as a rule, «re not favourably inclined toward municipal trading, may -have something to say regarding the proceeds of loans floated in London being utilised fov so, to them, objectionable a purpose. If so, the next time the Government asks for their help for new loans they may find that they will have to offer more inducements than heretofore to get them token up." Mr A. B. Richardson writes from 11 Nutford place, Bryanston square: — "I have just returned from Johannesburg, and should like to make known -to the general public the extreme ignorance of people in England who encourage the idea of the Chinamen being badly treated on the B«>nd. Did they know anything of the true conditions of the matter they would not dare to express the opinions they do. . . . The Chinamen on the Rand have never in their whole existence been fed, housed, and cared for as they now are. Their work is not hard, and they are ciuite kfiwu on it. The happy condition of these

; j labourers is evidenced by their faces, and, l after all, this is the true index of a per- • son's well-being. They are fat, healthy, s and ready to smile at once, and the Kaffir is also as happy as the day is long. If > people in England who talk- about the • ' slavery ' of the Chinese in the mines ' would do something for their own people l here at home, they would be doing some i good. When I return from South Africa ' from time to time and look upon the faces • in England of the lower classes, it simply ' shocks me, and gives me a feeling of de- ! pression not easily thrown off. "" Do they ■ ever smile or look happy? Never; and why? Because they work from morning till night, and never have sufficient food 1 to eat or clothing, and I know from experience what it is to be always hungry. ... Could these lower classes of England only see these ' enslaved ' Chinamen and Kaffirs of the Rand they would exclaim, ' Would to God I were born one of them !' I am in no way connected with ' the mines or mining, and I have written this simply to let the people of England know the truth." 1 Under the heading "A Chilling Frost" : the London Morning Leader to-day says : " The Australian Chilling and Freezing Company (Limited) was formed in 1890 with a nominal capital of a quarter of a million in £1 shares, but the directors proceeded to allotment on a subscription of £42,672. In January, 1694, they made a second appeal for capital, offering 100,000 shares for subscription, but at the present time the total amount of capital subscribed and paid up stands at £46,701. -As the directors stated in the first instance that they and their friends had taken up over 39,000 shares, it will be Keen that the public has never had very much faith in the scheme, which was to establish a/ business^for the shipment of frozen mutton from New South Wales to this country. The chairman of the board and managing director was, and still is, Sir E. Montague Nelson, of Nelson Bros. (Limited), who has received his K.C.M.G. in the interim. The company has had a fluctuating " career, dividends ' having" been paid intermittently at rates - ranging from 4- to 7£ per cent., with sundry periods oi omission. Nothing has been paid for the last three jears, and the balance sheet now shows . a balance on the wrong side of £70 5 .9, the result of losses of upwards of £5000 for each of ,the two last years' trading, and this without making any provision for depreciation. The reserve fund has been completely extinguished, and the company owes £43,453 to sundry debtors. The explanation tendered by the directors for this highly unsatisfactory state of affairs is that the free£ing factory at Aberdeen, . N.S.W., has been closed down throughout the whole of the past year, as the drought had left no stock available for export. The report adds that freezing operations were* recommenced at the end of August, after two years and a-half of idleness, and that there is a prospeot of continuous work for the next -few months." November 19. - - A sporting . writer 'remarks that " Kiora, the- New' Zealand horse r" which.-was once wrecked' off the Cape, but had the intelligence "to swim ashore, very likely , ' cost backers- of The .Farmer for the Grand " Sefton.. , Steeplechase last" week theirmoney. The' -Farmer was going oomfort- ' ably and well, - when v the 'New Zealander- . 'came a mucker,' arid brought The Fair-, mer down with him." * - "• ' > . Mr" D. A.- Thomas, in a letter to The' Times, points out that, so 'far /from foreign competition having lea to a decline in the number of sheep in the -United Kingdom?" the causes are rather to be sought in colonial competition, for 'New Zealand alone sends more wool — and also more mutton — to this country than all foreign countries out together. I hear that Mr J. E. Davenport has just purohased two purebred shearling rams for New Zealand. One of these secured first prize at ifche Driffield show, as well as the reserve at the R.A.S.E. show. It was announced this week .that an order' had been made by the law courts " for the compulsory winding-up of the • "New- Zealand Cold Storage Company (Limited)." In view of the wide publicity which has been given -to this announcement, i<t is well that the fact should be known that the New Zealand Cold Storage Company, which has been engaged in litigation for some time past, has nothing whatever to do with New Zealand, or with any New Zealand ' people. The name was adopted simply because it was considered to be a good one for purposes of business — viz., .in the running of a few retail meat . shops. The London. City- Corporation has taken ; a firm stand in respect to its proposals for a toll of '2s 4d per ton on all frozen meat' sold through Smithfield, though -•the bulk of the meat may never go nearer to the market than the docks. The frozen meat importers and the representatives of the colonies have petitioned the Board of Trade against the proposals,, but to the objections lodged the corporation now replies that it insists upon its old charter rights being enforced, and that the colonial representatives have no locus standi in the matter. This week Mr H. C. Cameron met the representatives of Australia, and a reply to the demands of the London City Corporation has been framed with the object of forwarding it in due course to the Board of Trade. For his lecture on New Zealand, to be delivered before the Smithfield Club shortly, Mr H. C. Cameron is making full preparation. He has had got ready a series „ ,-., i;- 7 .. .v,,,.,-;^, , 4-1,,, manufacture of butter and cheese from the time the milk arrives at the factory until the t>roduot is ready. The lecture ought to do a great deal of good as showing the perfection of the system in vogue in New Zealand. In the course of the Zoological -Society's first meeting of the session, held at the Zoological Society's house "in Hanover square, it was remarked by the writer of a paper read before the meeting that it would be n-ev.-s to most people that earthworms are for human food, but New Zealand produces a species which is described as edible. Almost every provincial pane** of note is now drawing attention to the attractions of New Zealand for tourists. Truth has a very unkind reference to the efforts made to collect funds in thia country by means of the '" Snowball " process, in aid of the Auckland Veterans' Home. An interesting curling competition is the latest scheme mooted> A curling club has now been established at Atfelboden, Canton Berne, and the proposition has been made that an international contest should he held there from the 6th to the Bth of February. 1905. A meeting was held at the Ro3'al

| Hotel, Edinburgh, on Wednesday, to consider the project. The chair was taken by Mr J. J. Cowan, president of the Adelboden < Curling Club, Switzerland. A silver challenge cup has been offered for an international competition, together with four gold medals for the first rink of four players, four silver medals, inlaid with gold, for the second rink, and four silver medals for the third rink. The project has the support of many of the best-known curlers in Scotland. At the meeting on Wednesday the following eoanmittee, with power to add to its number, was constituted : — President, Mr J. J. Cowan (president of the Adelboden Curling Club) ; hon. secretary. Mr Robert Husband (solicitor, Dunfermline) ; committee — Major Scott Davidson, Provost Gordon, Mr William Henderson, the Rev. John Kerr, Mr D. Bentley Murray, Mr David Murray, Mr Mirk Sanderson, Mr A. T. Simeon, Mr A. F. Smith, Mr A. Davidson Smith. The project was heartily supported by the curlers present. The Scotsman, commenting on the matier, remarks that a native of Scotland, wherever he goes, carries with him this international sport. In Canada upwards of 200 clubs are established, and it adds : " The United States, New Zealand, and Switzerland each have a number of clubs, so that it is hoped from these countries a good number of rinks will compete."