ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 125, 27 May 1907, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(Freer -Ouj Special" CorresppiuieakJv, ' -;■" ■' LQNDONv 'ApnFlK; The gold casket, in wiipi the. freedom. of the City of London was hamled-tp each; of the colonial Premiers took the form of the globel surmounted by a figure of; Britannia/ In, the casket given to the 3>Jew Zealand Premier the globe, which contained the scroll of freedom of tlie eity,rested on a graceful framework. The four supports -'were curved, their lower portions laving the fern leaf, the floral emblem of New Zealand,' entwinecL around them. Pendant from the ! frame; ■to"which they were attached by scrolls, were four escutcheons, bearing 'tlie arms of four colonies-enamelled in proper colours!' The globe anil frame stood upon, au oval plateau of .solid silver, richly; gilt, and on the plateau beneath the globe appeared nii inscription. The ures of lions flanking the casket and its supports were representative of .the power of unity, .as exemplified by the union of the Mother Country and her colonies. The obverse of the base had a background formed by the Union Jade/ and the Royal Standard, both in enamel; with the full blazon of the arms of the City of London in the centre, the dragone being modelled ■in silver, and the shield, eirest, and motto eiiamelled'in pirope* colours; "while on the reverse appeared the arms of New Zealand, and on the ornament aboyc the recipient's monogram. .At each end of the plateau were given, r ..the arms of the two remaining colonies. Oil the other caskets the. floral «mblents'were-.—Australia, -wheat; New : fo midland, bushes, with berries and reeds; Canada, maple leaf and wheat; Cape Gplqhy, arum, lily; Naial, silyei leaf; Transvaa]. Disa grandiflora. The caskets were designed and manufactured by the Goldsmith's , ' and Silversmiths Company. • -

Tile seven addresses of welcome presented by the City Corporation to the Colonial Preimers, were illumined .on yel--lum in loth century style. The arms of each colony were shown in the centre of the border at the top, while those of. the City of London appeared in a similar, position a,t the foot, and at either side were water-colour, views of Londonbridge, and-the interior of the banqueting Chamber of the Guildhall.' The addresses were each contained in a Louis. XV. period English gold frame, the body being of Canadian pine, and-showing in: bold relief at the head the City arriis i resting on the rose, shamrock-.and thistle.The certificate, of ,freedom placed in each' of the caskets consisted of a handsome illuminated border containing , the wording on vellum, with the arms of the colony in a separate panel on the , left, a prominent feature being the Gity ■ arms quartered with those of the Lord Mayor, at the head.. : On the side, in another panel,. were shown the arais of. the Town Clerk and the City Chamberlain with the seal imprinted un-. demeath. The feature of the menu ior the dejeuner was an. engraving of the-.City! arms embossed in heraldic colours on ajj vellum cover, the letter* appearing in, green below. The title-page consisted of a specially designed border containing the arms (illuminated in correct colours) of the seven self-governing colonies represented at -the -Conference, and follow-, ing this wer pages, lirinated.oh:an.India, tint background of. the menuj list of toasts, musicj md the- na'mefe of the re-, eeption committee, the .whole being tied with crimson watered silk ribbon. ; .

Titular'igiioTance.of qur\cplon|al"re-. presentatives in jfflngland Ja still -prevalent,even in the '•.best .informed" London, circles. ;a few yerified instances: In a leading morning paper yesterday appeared a photograph of tfyej Canadian Finance.'Minister,:-! and underneath, "Photo by favour of; ."the AgentGeneral for Ca'cada." Of course there'is', no such person.Lord Strathcon^, ! s oflieial designation being High Commissioner for Canada. A high civic pfficialiat the Guildhall recently addressed one of tie Agents - General -for the colonies as " sly dear ConsuMSeiieral,'' and countless letters' from presumably well- educated people are received at the offices of ' the various Australian . and South African; Agents-General addressed i"The Agent for' Australia" or "The. 'Agent for South A-frica," as the case may be.- Sometimes communications :ar& received .addressed to "His Excellency the Ambassador for — '■ —." Perhaps=. the

writers had read Mr. Chamberlain!s eloquent speech in -which -he described the Agents-General' as "Ambassadors of Greater Britain.". . ■•■-'..-■■ •

The suggestion has been made that, a start, should be made at a preferential r policy -by giving -the.colonies 'nreXerence on-those articles. ..already, taxed under Britain's present Free Trade tariffs In answer to .Mr. Ghiozza Money ..in. the House, Mr. XAoyd George ga.ye yesterday a statement of the total value of the dutiable articles imported from each oi the" feli-governing colonies in 1906:— ;, Cape Colony ........ £ 12,677 Natal ". « 4,157 " Transvaal ......;. -.;;- : • .30 , Australia 106,537 New -Zealand' ..;*.... : '■' J63" Canada 15,368 Newfoundland 289 This Ust';is sufficjejit.to slioyr. tfie'ineffeetivenes.s. : of. the suggestion -th»t \ anything could be done byi granting' avpreference oja-'the present tariff. Tb.e truth is that the only intelligible policy is thai! in -which a' -protective tariff is set up and Preference granted oh that tariff. But this, of course, is jnst what the preisent Government are practically pledged not to do.