OUR LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5740, 7 December 1896, Page 2

OUR LONDON LETTER.

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [from ouk correspondent. I. , LONDON, Oct. 31. THE AGENT-GENERAL. The Hon W. P. Uceves's well-known predilection for the pun has caused many colonists at this end of the world to assign to him the authorship of " Notes on Political Economy from tho Colonial Point of View," by "A New Zealand Colonist," which Messrs Maeinillan are about to publish. In this brochure an attempt is made to deal with some of the problems connected with capital, labour, currency, land tenure and the like, which are continually presenting themselves in till parts of the world. The author has endeavoured in particular to give ti clear conception of the difference between credit and capital to consider the relati ve interests of individuals and or the natiou in the annual product of wealth, and to prepai-e public opinion for possible reforms, social and political, which may help to lessen existing difficulties. The titles of the chapters are :—lndividualism, its Rise and fall ; The Nation and Nationalism ; National Wealth ; The Creation of National Wealth ; Capital and Credit ; Joint Stock Companies ; Value and Price, and Exchange. The very nature of the book would seem to point to the Agent-General as likely to be the author, but he is not, antl indeed confesses that he cannot even guess at the New Zealand colonist's identity. Mr Reeves, moreover, denies responsibility for any of the numerous articles which have recently appeared in all sorts and conditions of papers signed " W.P.R." One of these, a light sketch, on the lines of Anstey's Voces Populi, of a scene outside the Mansion House on a big dinner night, saw light in the St James a few days after -Mr Reeves had been present at one of the company dinners in the city. As a consequence half a dozen kind friends sent me marked copies of the paper, and one of them, in defiance of post-office rules, drew my attention to the possibilities of framing " an elegant paragraph" out of the article in question. As a matter of fact Mr Reeves has done nothing in the nature of literary work since he came Home beyond letters to the Economist and Statist on New Zealand finance, &c, and contributing an appreciative article to the Saturday Review on Major-General Eobley's book "Moko," which the latter avers gave the book a considerable fillip. The Agent-General is, of course, anxious that the literaryv efforts of Mr W. P. R. should not be placed to his credit for sundry good reasons. That "writer, for instance, has no particular groove, and might at any moment take it into his head to, say, flagellate the present Government of New Zealand, or wax funny at the expense of the Juvenile Depravity Bill. "W.P.R.," of course, is Mr W. Pett-Ridge. The Agent-General, by the way, is to lecture at the Imperial Institute on Nov. 13, on the hot lakes district of the colony. DOOMED DUNEDIN. Both the New Zealand Shipping Companies issued notices to shippers last week to the effect that owing to the increased size of the steamers employed in the New Zealand trade and the reduced depth of water in the dredged channel between Port Chalmers and Dunedin, their steamers will discharge at Port Chalmers only, and consignees will be required to take delivery of their cargo at the latter port. By .vay of sweetening this pill for Dunedin merchants the Companies state that, notwithstanding the general advance in outward freights, they do not intend at present to make any other alteration in existing rates to New Zealand. The announcement has not so far. affected the price of the Otago Harbour debentures and bonds, which seem, on the whole, to be very firmly held, but one is quite prepared to see a mild slump occur when the shipping companies' decision to boycott Dunedin is more widely known. ' Some people here pretty well acquainted with the condemned channel smile broadly at the announcement, and say the notice should read "in order to increase their profits on Dunedin cargo to the extent of half a crown a ton the New Zealand Shipping and Shaw, Savill Companies have resolved to discharge all goods for that city at Port Chalmers." PERSONAL. Surgeon Maior-General W. G. Manley, C.B.V.C, whose services in the Crimean, New Zealand and Afghan campaigns I had occasion to refer to when his retirement from active service was announced a few months ago, has been awarded a good service pension of .£IOO per annum. He won his Victoria cross for noble conduct during the assault on the i*ebel pah at Tauranga, on April 29, 1864, risking his life in endeavouring to save that of the late Commander Hay, R.N., and others. The Hon R. Oliver has decided to leave England for New Zealand during December, but has not yet decided upon the route he will take. Mr W. Mendelson, of Tenmka, appeared as one of the three-quarter backs in the 'Varsity fifteen which encountered and defeated the St Thomas's Hospital team most decisively by five goals and three tries to nothing at Cambridge on Wednesday. Mendelson, despite his still tender right knee, played a fine game. On several occasions he ran right through his men, and by his accurate passing enabled Pilkington and Carey to score. He also crossed the line once on his own account, cleverly tricking the opposing backs by feigning to pass.