OMNIUM-GATHERUM.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3484, 27 October 1894, Page 5

OMNIUM-GATHERUM.

The Manchester Ship Canal shareholders met during the endinc September Ist, when the financial result of the first half'years'workwas submitted. The total net revenue from tolls on the canal, to £B,OOO, and the total net revenue from all sources to ,£35,000. The interest due ■on debentures is £150,000. ' There is therefore a deficit of more than £IOO,OOO to be provided for. The Wyndham Dairy Factory Company received during the past season 323,7%1 of milk, for which they paid 3|d per gallon of 101b, flnd as there is still a surplus of £240 in hard cash, the directors have decided upon making a further payment of the twelfth of Id per gallon over the whole season's milk, to be payable on September 8. This, if paid or. the IOJIb, as taken at most factories, would equal per gallon. The directors will also recommend payment of a dividend.

MrT, Mackenzie convulsed the Jlouse recently by reading from " Hansard "a statement by Mr E. M. Smith that there were 447,000 .square niiles of coal in Taranaki, averaging 30,000 tons of coal to the acre. This Mr Mackenzie had worked out with the result that it showed eight trillion five hundred and eighty fcillion tons of coal! Mr iSmith was understood to protest that there was "something wrong with the figures." Mr Mackenzie jaid all but the coal quantities were in "Hansard." There was no room in "Hansard"for those. A correspondent writes from , Buenos Ayres (Argentine) :—"One million two hundred thousand tons .of wheat have been exported this year, and from 400,000 to 600,000 vtong are likely to follow to make up the year's total. There is now .* good prospect of another big wheat crop. Sowing season has been remarkably favourable, and the plant has made a splendid start jnceld,dry weather,-and although fi large area of land is put under Jinseed, the total increase of acre« Age is vwy Considerable; Even at present prices wheat growing pays the colonist well enough, and it is the only business he is equipped lor, so may be counted on to keep at it for some years. Whatever |he level of prices. Mr P, D, Armour, the famous Chicago meat packer, has (says the Leader) been giving some -bints to an Australian squatter as to the development of the meat trade. #e holds it to be a slur on colonial Srogressiveness that bullocks should e worth only £2 10s in some parts fit Australia while they are worth £25 in England, and that American .exporters should be able to compete .successfully in the Australia* colo» s »ies with the local manufacturer. >lr Armour holds that this is due to the want of care and judgment shown in the assortment and preparation of colonial tinned meats, which in these respects compare, he says, irofavour-. ably with the' American products. The colonists, in his opinion, go in merely for quantity, arid do not take .enough trouble in the " g*t up" and providing variety. Mr Weddel has (says the Queensbander) at last managed to sell in Germany and Austria the whole of the Queensland beef shipped by the Turakina, and we may be allowed to wonder whether the light let in by fllr Tozer the other da; had anything >to do with it, The Colonial Secretary informed the House that two veterinary surgeons had been employed for the last six or eight ♦ months inspecting, and issuing certificates upon the beef prepared at .our principal freezing works 'for export. One of the principal difficulties with our meat in the attempt to .introduce it to and Austria was the proper certificate by the Government of (jueenslanJ of its soundness and heath. Sow that a whole shipload oHeef has been successfully distribute], probably because the veterinary su/geons' certificates have done their vvork, there is no .reason why we shoild not soon cover '■'. ,-jihe Continent. ; On the subjectpf brands on hides .tho Adelaide Observer says:— i'Tke South Aietralian Agriculi tural Bureau has been considering the matter for sene months past. In England the sjbject has been v discussed for'several years, and the

whole trouble is that owners of cattle aie foolishly destroying the value of an important asset. It is calculated that over a million head of cattle are slaughtered annually in Australasia, and the damage from branding on the ribs and rump is equal to 1500,000 a year. The Brands Act of South Australia gives power to the inspector to fix the position and the character of the brand to some extent, and ribs and rump are the favourite spots. If it could be managed to fix the brands only on the neck or the lower part of the shoulder a good deal of money would be added to the cash value of the hide when the beast is slain, Another source of loss is in the flaying. Some butchers are not very careful with their knives and every cut into or through the hide depreciates its value. Surely something can be done in this matter. When the Act was pa§3ed it is evident the tanners were not consuled. By the way, the calves grow bigger, and as they grow their brands get larger. This shows that little brands should be put on little calves."