Page 2 Advertisements Column 6

West Coast Times, Issue 10559, 13 July 1897, Page 2

At the .close o|! the irialof John Fitzgerald and William Wilson in the Supreme Court at Napier, just after the jury had returned their verdict of manslaughter, Mr Justice Edwards took occasion to refer to certain imputations which had been cast upon Detective Chrystal during the hearing of the case. The charge made by implication against the detective had, ho said, 'been one infinitely more grava than against the prisoners in the dock, the effect of ,it having been that Chrystal had trumped up evidence with the deliberate intention of. hurling two fellow-creitures- into eterni ity. Such an imputation was, in his Honour's opinion, utterly without foundation.

In connection with the removal of the restrictions on the importation of bones, bonedust and animal manures from Queensland, a Wellington correspondent telegraphs that an Order-in-Council was agreed to by the Executive Council. It is to the-following effect: — Bones in the raw or green state, auimal manures and hides may be landed in the colony, subject to the general regulations on the matter, from Queensland, if accompanied by a statutory declaration that they have been shipped from Brisbane and have not come from any place outside that portion of Queensland south of the 25th parallel of latitude. The statutory declaration is to be endorsed by the Queensland Inspector of Stock, and is to state that the bones have been subjected to the' treatment prescribed by tho New Zealaud regulations with respect to bones, &c, to be landed ia the cplony . Mr Thomas Dwan, of Wellington, who has recently been in Capada and the United States, takes a very dolef ul view of tbe New Zealand flax trade. When' ho was in Fiji he learned that ramie, which produced such an excellent fibre, was being extensively cultivated there. Three crop 3 a year were grown, and in temper : ate climates two crops could be produced. His friends there strongly urged that New Zealaud should cultivate the fib*e When

he lef b New Zealand he firmly believed that he could sell a good deal of our dressed flax in America and British Columbia, but he had returned to tell the people of the colony that there was nothing ip t|ip industry. One rpanufacjiurar of binder twine told him that our flax was no good, and when used had given more trouble than any other fibre brought to t^p mill. \yheu he compared the binder twine made in Canada and the States with what was manufactured in the cplggy he was terribly aphamod of our home-made article. Another finn_ informed h.im tfyaji they did not intend to use any more New Zealand flax, because it was much inferior to all other fibres. His inquiries had convinced him that our flax was only used as a makeshift when other fibres were not available or were too high in price to be extensively used. It was evident that we could nqt expect to do a large trade in flax with America and Canada when there were infinitely superior fibres procurable, aud the soouer we cleared our flax lands and grtw potatoes. &c, the more profitable it would be for us. Esparto grass jind ramio would grow well in the colony, and thoir cultivation would pay infinitely better than flax. A well-known shscpfarmer ia South Canterbury— Mr Allan Macdonaid., of '"Woodbury — accidentally met his death on Saturday afternoon when riding from the Orari railway station to his home. About a mile beyond Gcraldino his Jiorse \ swerved and threw the rider on the back of his head on the hard metalled road, death being instantaneous. Mr Macdonald had been in the district for 37, years, aud was widely known and respected. The excellent articles written for the Melbourne Herald by Dr. Albiu Lurz, under the heading " Dietetic aud Hygienic," are, we are glad to see, published in book form. The doctor, who has 'a splendid mastery of his subject, ' has revised and amplified the newspaper sketches, and his work is a valuable and rar-ranging contribution to the literature of an important subject. * The Mining Inspector at tha Thames, acting, it is understood, under instructiqns from the Government, has been visiting the Ohinemuri goldfields, with the object of ascertaining the extent to which Sunday labor is carried on in the mines and batteries. That pohutukawa trees are of very slow growth is (says the Wellington Post) evident from the two trees of that variety which were planted some three years ago at the Thorndon Esplanade by Messrs Seddon and Ward, on the occasion of the latter's glorious return from England after floating the 3 per cent loan. These trees are now only a little over a fqpt in height. A curious difference has made itself ajtanif q§t in tlje Jgrowth of these historic plants. That planted by Mr Seddon, rejoicing in its planter's series of triumphs, has spiead out luxuriously almost " swelling wisibly " with a sense of its own importance ; while that stuck in the ground by Mr Ward bears all the signs of a life-long struggle against adversity. Its. branches are wilted at the .ends,' and a blight seems to have fallen upcm it. What' coincidences ' occur in UfeJ " " "" - - Wjth reference to.the proposed Hooley meat monopoly the Melbourne Argus s^ys ' — " It is conceivable, of couy3ej th.at a huge trust might secure so much better prices, and effect such economies in management, as to permit it to get more remunerative results for itself than are obtainable from the operations of the dis-united compauies, and at the same time to distribute to the graziers a part, or even the whole, of the additional price obtained for their meat in Europa. This is the favorable aspect of the scheme from ,wje' "pomt 1 of view of tho companies and of Australia. Trusts f requently h&'derate excessive competition, with advantage, we believe, not only to the producer, but to the whole community. If Australian graziers, who are largely indebted to banks, which again have considerable English capitalj sell their meat unremuneratively through stress of competition in London, and in consequence have po compound with their English creditors, bjbviqijsly the loss Is pot confined to Australia.' It is the real 'interest qf "every part part Qf the community that the producer, as welj as the consumer, should bo fairly' remunerated, and if a large trust conduces the trade better, and holds the balance between these two classes better than a multiplicity of agents, then there can be only advantage from the ohange, especially if the trust itself, by unduly ( large dividends, whether on watered capital or otherwise, or by extravagant expenses, does aot neutralise the advantages of its operations. • j . .'. ' ■ t i For Blankets, Jackets,, Hats, Olothmg, Gloves and Flannel you can not do better than go to H. Schroder and Son, as great reductions are now made by that firm in pi ices to effect a clearance.— Advt.