ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 104, 30 May 1885, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

BY TIIE AUCKLAND "STARV LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

The Direot Mail Service. London, April 11. A good deal of uncertainty prevails in all colonial business circles as to how far the new direct mail service is really efficacious Auckland merchants are writing home to their correspondents that it is no sort of use their communicating by the direct route, as the San Francisco mail, leaving London a fortnight later, reaches them in the north almost simult aneously. From Dunedin, too, I hear the direct steamers cannot be relied on in place of the Brindisi mail, which goes out a week before them. It would simplify matters considerably, and be a gieat boon to merchants, shippers, newspaper folk, and others, who are supposed to take ad- [ vantage of the speediest moans of communication, if some official or semiofficial card were published showing the average time of the different mail routes from London to the various centres of the colony, Dunedin, i Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland. The information given by the " I'ost-office Guide " is of the most meagre description. Can you believe it possible that at the present moment wo are absolutely in ignorance whether the threat of imposing dcuble postage on letters via Brindisi has I been carried out or not ? An inquiry inado at the Lombard street Post-office the other day extracted the fact that no such regulation was known there, and yet, according to a New Zealand paper, the rule was to have come into force on November 15th.

A Visit to the Agent-General. Owing to the Easter holidays, there has been nothing much doing since I last wrote. I called up at the Agent-General's on Wednesday, and saw Mr Kennaway. No Government immigrants are going out by the Tongariro, but about 150 will be sent per Aorangi in May. Mr K. speaks highly of the exhaustive report which Mr House Marten has made on the Scotch and English railway system for the colony.

Sims's "Last Chance." Sirns's melodrama "The Last Chance," the colonial rights of which have been bought by Rignold and Allison, was sue cessfully produced at the Adelphi on Easter Monday.

Inventors' Exhibition. The Inventions Exhibition will bo openod informally, as the Prince oi Wales does not wish to discount the effect of the gorgeous ceremony which is to initiate the Indian and Colonial Show next summer. Tho Australasian colonies are, so far as I can learn, entirely unrepresented at the Inventions Exhibition.

Various Items The " Daily Telegraph " of yesterday contained an article semi-humorouely describing the costly exportation of stoats and weaeels to New Zealand for the destruction of rabbits. On dit at the Savage Club that Sala's first letter from Australia will appear in the " Telegraph " next week. " Truth " this week refers to the subject of Sir Julius Vogel'a connection with the Brush Electric Light Company, setting | forth tho facts I sent you via San Frisco, and giving the shareholders some wholesome advice. A syndicate for introducing a patent called the Gold Amalgamor with New Zealand is also hastily criticised.

Converting the New Zealand Loan. The converting of the New Zealand Loan is proving more successful than even the most sanguine financier anticipated Already £2,500,000 5 per cent consuls have been converted into the terms of notification issued by the Bank of England, and the conversion remains open for another month The fact that one half the holders of the stock s-tirred forward to convert in March, when they might just as well have waited till April, shows that the termp have proved attractive. In fact, there seems every prospect of the entire amount being converted within the next fortnight.

Deatlx of a Veteran. Colonists who remember the Maori campaign of 1860 will regret to hear of the death of the veteran General, Sir James Edward Alexander, C.8., K.C.L.S., who commanded the troops in the province of Auckland for some time. He was 82 years of age, and had seen service in almost tvery part of the world, fighting through the first Burmese, Persian, Portuguese, and Kaffir wars. In 1537 he conducted an expedition for the purpose of exploring Central Africa, and in 1547 he surveyed the forests of New Brunswick.

Imperial Demand for Colonial Meat. A good deal has been said in tne news* papers, and some remarks passed in Parliament, about the Government having given the large contracts for tinned beef and mutton used by our troops abroad principally to American firms. I have taken the trouble to inquire into the matter carefully, as it somewhat affects New Zealand, and I find that so far from the Government being anxious to patronise the American firms, they only did so when the whole of the Queensland and New Zealand meat available was exhausted. If there were any colonial canned meat now to be had, it would be immediately taken up by the Admiralty. Tenders are at present out for 500,0001b5. To show what vast quantities of meat in this form are wanted, I may mention that last week the Government placed orders amounting to 10,000,0001b5., of which Queensland firms took up 1,000,000, and 9,000,000 went by mail to Chicago. If there had been any New Zealand firms capable of supplying a good article, they could have taken up as large a proportion of that 9,000,000 as they chose.

New Zealand Government Insurance. Mr J. Moody Stuart, Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries, Edinburgh, has just published a pamphlet discussing the scheme of life insurance in connection with the New Zealand Government Department. It was originally read before the Actuarial Society of Edinburgh, upon whom the paper created such an impression that Mr dtuarfc consented to print it.

Tawhiao's Address to the Tribes. In a gushing letter to the •• Times," Mr F. W. Cheeson quotes the speech made by , Tawhiao to the Waikato tribes last November, in which he urged them to embrace ; Christianity.

New Zealand Agricultural Company's Shares. "Truth" exposes a stock-broking tout named Lambert, for endeavouring to palm off shares in the New Zealand Agricultural Company on unsuspicious persona for 100 per cent more than even their nominally quotable value. Mr Lambert belongs to a tribe of stock jobbers who are very numerous just now. They send out circulars to likely dupes, offering small lots of Bhares in some "highly - promising" company, a great bargain. Mr Lambert's " bargain " # took the form of 60 shares in the Mew Zealand Agricultural Company, which he tendered at the surprisingly low

rate of £6 a piece. Now the market price of these shares, which carry a liability of £2 10s> according to the " Weekly Bulletin " of unquoted securities, is £2 15s to £3 ssl. By-the-by, isn't the New Zealand Agriou - tural Company one of Sir Julius Vogel's many financial ventures. The frozen meat market prices have declined slightly during the past week, and may even drop a little more ; but as large supplies are not expected, it is probable that fair average rates will be obtainable for some time to come. The imports for the first quarter of the year amount to 167,292 carcases sheep, and 8,908 lambs. Ward and Stimson quoted New Zealand mutton at 4s to 4s 2d per stone of 81bs ; New Zealand lambs, 4s to 6s. There can now be no doubt that the Prince of Wales has got the success of the Intercolonial Exhibition very much at heart, and hopes to make it the biggest thing of the kind there has ever been. In his speech the other day to the Commissioners, he said that he intends the Exhibition shall be a national and Imperial show as contradistinguished to the Fisheries, Healtheries, and Inventories, in which traderivalry naturally played a leading part. I hear that the Indian courts are of surpassing splendour, and have already been arranged for. The Nizam of Hyderabad alone has promised all aorta of wonders ; in fact, it is said that directly , the Inventories closes a large portion of the vast building at South Kensington will be absolutely handed over to Hindoo workmen. ISlow Zealandors who intend sending exhibits to the Indian and colonial exhibition should soon be thinking of getting them ready. All articles for the show must be in England early next year, and as they will, for economical reasons, mostly be sent over by sailing vessels, they should leave the colony in October or November at the ■ latest. I sincerely hope some enterprising persons with New Zealand interests at heart will take-up this Exhibition question, and see that attractive as well as merely industrial exhibits are sent over. That there will be rows of tins of canned meat, frozen mutton rostaurant, a pyramid of gold, and bottles of colonial wines in the Sew Zealand Court, wo may take for granted ; but though necessary, these are not precisely alluring exhibits, and yet it would be so easy to make a New Zealand department a feature of the show. A Maori whare with a native well-tattooBd, and his wahine residing therein, would attract as much attention as the Tarehura Kitukitu at the Healtherioe, a model of the Thames ruranga with native weapons, greenstones, and gum ornaments, would also be interesting. Above all, some endeavour should be made to impress the British public with the idea that there are a great many wonderful sights and places to be seen in New Zealand. A small model of the terraces at Rotomahana, etc., in white alabaster would, I suppose, hardly be feasible ; but there can be no reason why a carefully selected series of large photos should not be shown. Apart from the Exhibition considerations, New Zealand folk who meditate a trip to the old country will do well to time their visit for next summer. In the first placo, all the shipping companies have resolved to issue cheap return tickets covering twelve months. The P. and 0. more especially will offer tourists an opportunity of seeing India without any extra coBt, in so far as the pea voyages from Colombo to Calcutta and Bombay to Suez are con oerned. I have not heard whether the Pacific Mail Company and American railways mean to hold out similar inducement, but I should think it very likely. In England the Exhibition Commission will {vide the Prince's speech) offer special facilities to colonial visitors anxious to visit the great English manufacturing centres, and Messrs Cook, Gaze and Co may be relied on to put forth tempting baits in the shape of Scotch, Irish, and Continental "cheap trips." Before deciding whether or not to visit Europe, many of your readers would no doubt like to have an approximate idea of the probable cost of a trip ; I have therefore determined in the course of the next mail or two to send out an itinerary tor a 6 months' tour, meaning 6 weeks voyage home, 3 months in Europe, and 6 weeks voyage back, showing the places and sights an ordinary tourist would, I should think, wish to visit, with expenses entailed, with railway fares, hotel bills, etc., etc. I will also indicate the neighbourhoods where comfortable lodgings can be obtained, and indicate the various ways and means of sight-seeing in London.

Shipping and Passenger Notes. Mr Dugend goes to Auckland per P. andO. 8.8. Rome, sailing May 7th. The following saloon passengers are booked per lonic, sailing 23rd inst. : — Mr and Mrs Keiller and sons (2), Rev. T. E. Beattio and Mrs Beattie, C. J. Robinson, and E. M. Tenuant, Auckland passengers.