BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 824, 9 May 1868, Page 2

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

In another column will be found a report of the, Jialf-yearly meeting of the share- - holders of tho Bank of New Zealand, held at Auckland on the 29th ultimo. We congratulate the directors upon the very ~ satisfactory result which has attended their last half-year's operations, and though the ■ dividend declared is less by two and a half per cent, than that of several pi'evious half- • year's,' *yejb "consideiaiig the 'severe trial which all classes of "industry have been subjected to, .we. think the proprietors may rejoice that the. reduction in the profits has been so inconsiderable.

Town 130a.H1). — A large attendance of rate- ' payers assembled in tho Court House yestorday afternoon, for tha / parposo of voting a rate for tho ensuing year, when a twopenny rate wna agreed to. The room was bo full that many could not gain admittance, the door being blocked op by persons. It ( is \yith pleasure ( wo sao that tho citizens are atTongth begin uing to take a lively intei-esfc in tho affairs of.' tho Province, as the largely attended, meetings that have* lately been hold all tond to prove. •i Compensation Cj,aijis. — His Honor Judge Beckham arrived 'bore' iu the b.s. * Wellington' on Monday las 6, for tho, purpose of, hearing, the claims for compensation for losses sustained during the war. . The £nll particulars of the cases brought before" His ' Honor will be found in another column. • : Ploughing Match. — Tho long contemplated ploughing match, (which arose from a conversation respecting the merits of two one-wheeled ploughs, exhibited at the late Agricultural Show) - camo off on Tuesday last on Mr. Looney's farm. Mr. Iloskiu backing Howard's, and Mr. Vivian Huntly & Seller's uiake.Tuo match was for £5 a sido, as to which plough would turn the best furrow. Messrs. Creighton and Hamblyn. were appointed as judges, and Mr. P. Elliot as umpire.' A half-acre was ploughed occupying about five hours, when Mr. Vivian was declared ,to be the winner, the judges referring their judgment to Mr. Elliot as umpire. " Hunter and Seller's" plough was handled by^lr. Davidson, and " Howard's by Mr. Kattenbury. Larceny. — A private of the 18th Regiment, named Bernard Westerman, was arrested yesterday for stealing a silver watch and chain from tho promises oWlrs. Dunn', shopkeeper, Devon street, on Thursday last. The prisoner will be brought before the Resident Magistrate this morning, at 10 o'clock. Appendix to tue Journal of the House op Representatives, 18G7. — We have to acknow- '• ledge the receipt of the above monster tome from Major Campbell, Clerk of tho House of Representatives. /♦The Waitara .Land. — We. understand that tho romaining portion ofthe allotments not sold by auction, of the Waifcara laud, have been takou up' by parties ' vf\io intend settling on them. This shows that if the General Government would only place th'o confiscated lauds in tho market there would'be no difficulty in finding purchasera, who would also 'bo bond fide settlers on it. Ancient Order ot Foresters. — Our readers we trust will not' fail . to note that on Tuesday next, the Waireka Court of this Order *will ..celebrate their anniversary by a Soiree, Concert., and Ball. Taraxaki Land and Building Society.— The > mouthly meeting for tho payment of subscriptions on shares will be held at tho Freemasons' Hall on Monday evening next, after which tho money will bo offered for salo. {ARegistuation Officer for this Province. — Wo find* iv tho Geueral Government gazette of< [hp 20th. ultimo, that William Halse, Esq., has Jboeii appointed Revising Officer for the Electoral (lifLricts of Grey and Bell, Town of New Plymouth, and Omata. - Intestate EsTATEs.—Tha, following are the particulars of the Estates of Deceased persons in llna Province; :svho .hi voidied intestate, as tq-Z ported by W. S. Atkinson,- Esq., Curator of Estates,? ' and published' in- "tho 7 "Zealand" T* Oazeite.— Benjamin Potter,, Oakura, Irish," estate * estimated under £100; Thomas Scandlyn r: BeJl 4 -.«f Block, English, estate under. £20- ; John -Daniel Okaco, English, estate nndor £200 ; Jamea Barry, New Plymouth, English, estate under £?0. of Thames Gold.— During the mont'bl of| April 5,047 ozs. Odwts. 5 grs. of gold from tha Thameß, was according to the Customs return ex, ported from- Auckland, yiold>i^a revenue to (he Colony of £034 ss.ld. \^^

A New Hobby por ous Premier. — In looking over oar recent files of newspapers wehavo come across two paragraphs, which by placing them together solves a problem. The first is from the Wellington correspondent of the OUgo Daily Times, who s&ya : — "The Ministerial party having no organ in Wellington, efforts are being made to get np a paper by means of shares, to start prior to tho meeting of the Assembly. The circular which is being handed round for the consideration of intending shareholders, is marked ' strictly private and confidential,' and I am not, therefore, at liberty to mention details. I may, however, say that its promoters aim at making it a * colonial' paper, proposing to ignore pnrely local questions." And th<* second, the New Zealand Herald has to asswer for ; that journal asserting that " Tbs frets newspaper (of Canterbury) Los bee/ engaged for the Government support, and th^piant will b» removed to Wellington for the Session." The problem is therefore solved, that the Press having proved a losing speculation in Canterbury, the Ministry (that is to say the Premier) will havo the plant removed to Wellington to start a newspaper to support his Government. Some years since in Anckland, we heard the head of the present Ministry say " that had he a son he'd make a printer of him," and we verily believe he has a taste for the typographical profession for although the remark might have been made more from an idea he entertained that the contractors were making large sums of money by the printing executed For the Government, than for anything else, yet from his subsequent acta we are of opinion that Mr. Stafford has a hobby, and that hobby is, to have a finger in "the pi." In1858, we find him trying to start a Government printing office, which was at last carried into effect although at a cost to the country of some extra few thousand pounds a year ; and in 1860, he tried the experiment of getting the debates reported, but the gentleman engaged used a ream of paper for his notes and so thoroughly disgusted oar present Premier with the report of his speech, that the Bcheme was abandoned after a week's trial. In 18GG, the reporting hobby of our Premier was once more visible, and we find that again in 1867 it was fnlly developed costing the already over-taxed country, several hundred pounds more. And now we find ki«i going in for a government newspaper which of course will be in the Government pay ; not actually subsidized — that would bo too glaring perhaps — bnfc a newspaper will have the same influence over the public from the Tact of beinga government organ, as any gentleman might •**fn being lacky enough to have a premier for a son-in-law. We anxiously wait the issue of the first number of our embryo contemporary, and in ■wishing the Premier every success with his new hobby, hopo that he will not find the " printers' devil" a too expensive plaything. 3- itVTR Stock, Aoricultukal ATaxhines, &c, ts Taranaki. — According to 43ie last censes returns, we find that there are in this Province 1,441 horses, 4 males or asses, 3,416 cattle, 19,772 sheep, 62 goats, 2,032 pigs, and 14,217 heads of poultry. The annual production of butter is estimated at 72,681 lbs., and cheese, 7,450 lbs. There are 9 horse-power thrashing machines, and i reaping machines. Included in the above returns we find we have 310 brood mares, 1,052 breeding cows, and 8,707 breeding ewes. Waiwakaiho west, Waitara south, and Omata are the principle batter-making settlements, the anuual production being respectively 25,1851b5; 24,728 lbs: 11,443 lbs. " , Another Dailt Newspaper in Auckland. — By a private letter from Auckland we hear that another daily newspaper is to be started in that city 'to be called *tho .{Free Press. The proprietors we understand are Mr. Creighton (late of the Cross), Mr. Atkin, the printer, and another party not named. The first number •will appear during the conrse of a week or so, aiid we cordially wish the parties concerned every success in their undertaking. A New Member or the Auckland Executive Council. — Mr. R. J. Creighton, late editor of the Southern Cross, has been gazetted'a member of the Provincial Executive, and has been appointed to the office of Provincial Secretary and Treasurer. t" The New Zealand Steam Navigation Compant. — The Directors of this Company have published their Eleventh Half-yearly Rjport. A statement showing the result of this Company's operations for the half-year ending in February accompanies the report. The Directors observe — On comparing this statement with that for the previous half-year it will bo seen that the most important feature is contained in the Working Account, where instead of a loss of £2,063 9s. Od. as shown in the previous half-year, there is now a profit of £3,525 19s. 2d. Thi3 gratifying feature yonr Directors consider to be a complete vindication of the' r coarse, and that of the great body of shareholders, who have supported them in their efforts to retrieve the affairs of the Company by energy and strict economy, and the Directors submit that in this ftttdeavoar they ha- c beon successful. While 'studying economy iv the - management, care has been taken, not to impair the efficiency of the service, or to mar the good character which the boats have hitherto maintained. Sugab-MAIIXG IN STANCE. — The official account of the production and consumption of beetroot pugar to the end of November gives the following results as compared with the same period last season :—: — 1567-8. 186G-7. tons. tons. Manufactured^ 120,553 101,939 Consumed 64,078 43,258 Stock 72,290 70,709 Last season at tho samo date the exportation was only 315G tons out of 43,288 tons, against in this year 12,978 tons out of 64,078 tons. There were at work at the end of November 449 sngar-houaes against 435 at the same period last year ; and it is anticipated that the make will exceed the estimated 200,000 tons- — Morgan's British Trade Journal. Bank Asskts and Liabilities.— A Gazette, of the 3rd of April, gives the following as the assets and liabilities of the various banks in the Colony on the 3lßt of December last ;-~ ToTAt IiIABIMTIBS— £ g ft Bank of New Zealand 1 033 41( j j j Union Bank of Australia ... fi74's<l3 w s Bank of New Sootb Wain feWM 4 8 S» n £°£ Australasia 111,079 10 8 BaulcofOtago 138,458 8 0 Total ... 8,709,403 13~11 latix. Assets— £ jj |j" Bank of New Zealand 2,678,018 10 5 Union Bank of Australia 1212 4WII 5 Bank of New South Wales ... .'.. i)2i3'«96 \z i Bank of Australasia Ai*>'<uq in i' Banfcorotago _. ... 439,069 0 1 Total ... .„ „ 6,983,673 18 4 Joist Stock Companies,—- A very important trial in tho Court of Exchequer has recently taken place. The plaintiff was Mr. Crossly, a merchant of Halifax, andthe defendant Mr. Ellworfchy, Managing Director of thn London aad Colonial Company (Limitel), for alleged false, and fraudulent represontations of the financial condition of that Company in order to induce the plaintiff to invest in it. The point thus raised is one to which recent commercial events has given an unusual interest, and much Anxiety war felt as to the result. The jury fonnd for the plaintiff— damages, £85,000.— JJnyZiafr Paptr,

Mr. Jvcksov thought that if they could got rid of a tew of ihu-o obnoxious thiug-*, they might do something. Mr. W. D. Webster said as regards tho paid auditor, ho was willing, if iho ratepayers had sufficient confidence iv him, to audit the accounts of the Board for tho ensuing year gratuitously. Mr. Knight's resolution was then put to tho meeting, when it was carried, thuro being Only sovun hands hold up against it. A voto of thanks to tho Cnainn.in was then proposed and carried, and tho meeting separated.