ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

Press, Volume L, Issue 14886, 28 January 1914, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

(rXOU OUR OWN CORBXSrONSSHt.) LONDON, December 19. A POLITICAL BAROMETER. Mr Haraar Greenwood told the Sphinx Club that New Zealand was a sqrt of political barometer for the Anglo-Saxon world. In matters of defonco Australia and New Zealand had gone further, had spent more money, and got under the British flag more actual soldiers than any other part of the Empire, iv proportion to their numbers. A more frequent assemblage of the Imperial Conference was one of the essential things of the future. Since tho last Conferenco thero had been a complete change of Government in Canada, Australia and NewZealand, and tho naval question had been iv what some- colonials called "a state of chaos." AX EMPIRE DICTIONARY. The Empire movement now appears to have influenced even the making of dictionaries. "The British Empire i Universities Modern English Illustrated Dictionary' , (which has just been pubI lished by The Syndicate Publishing Company in Southampton Row), defers to "all the demands connoted by tho title. It is not merely a word dictionary, but a handbook of fact and [ figures, technical glossaries and sportj ing vocabularies, embellished with many pages-of illustrations. Most of the 'information regarding New Zealand for which one usually looks to handbooks, is here in due order in the j dictionary. Tho Empire summaries arc very good. A VISITOR TO NEW ZEALAND. The High Commissioner for New Zealand entertained at luncheon, at the British Empire Club this week. Mr J. J. Thomson and Mr Andrew Dimlop, managing director and director respectively of Messrs Eastman. Ltd. Mr Duii'lop is going to New Zealand Ito "enquire into the purchase of meat. Messrs Eastman possess about fourteen hundred retail shops in Great Britain, as well as large stalls at Smith field Market, and they do a very large business in the distribution of frozen meat. With the change that has taken place in tho United States, which, from a meat exporting conntry, has becomo a meat importing country, and also by reason of the control -which certain interests in America have over the meat of Argentina, it is thought that wo are on tho vergo of very great changes in connexion with the distribution of meat. It is in tho interest of a country like New Zealand to have visits from men who, like Mr Dunlon, represent 6uch large undertakings. THE CHANNEL TUNNEL. Mr A. Fell, the New Zealander who is member for Yarmouth, is tho leading champion of the scheme for constructing a tunnel under the Channel to France. In a paper before tho .Royal Society of Arts he said the French railway gauge was fixed by English engineers. During tho Franco-Prussian war the South Eastern Railway lent rolling stock to the French Northern Railway Company, and there were French wagons running at tho present time on the Staffordshire Railway. "The British Islands,", said Mr Fell, "are unknown land to the Continent. Foreigners rarely visit them except on business, and foreign ladies never travel in England. They cannot come to London, the Lake Country, the Scottish Highlands.;"., or our splendid golf links and seaside resorts." » Mr Fell expressed the hope that the tunnel would bo begun in two years' time. We had been at peace with Franco for 93 years, and, he added, "it will bo a happy augury if the centennial year of peace should be signalised by the King of the country and the F.rp'sidenfc of France simultaneously cutting at Dover and Calais the first* sod of the link between tho two countries which should, more than anything we can imagine, help to make that peace a perpetual one." t NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION. . The annual general meoting of the New Zealand Association was held on Wednesday night, at tho Tv'estminster Palace Hotel, when Mr H. H. Bridge presided over a, good attendance of members, including Messrs Wray Paliiser, J. J. Roak, J. A. Mason, H. A. Fowler. F. H. Nuding, W. G. Johns, E. M. Kennaway and R. B. Brett. The hon. sec. (Mr Kennaway) presented the report which recorded the activities of the Association during tho year, and tho hon. treasurer (Mr Mason) submitted tho accounts which showed a substantial balance in hand. It was decided to ask the High Commissioner to be nominated again as president, and the following vice-presidents were elected.—Mr H. H. Bridge, Sir Walter Kennaway, Sir E. M. Nelson, Sir Lambert Ormsby, and the Hon. W. Pembor Roeves. Mr E. M. Kennaway was re-elected hon. sec.; Mr J. A. Mason, hon. treasurer; and Mr Fowler hon auditor. The following gentlemen were elected on the committee: —Dr. Parkinson. Dr. Angus MeNiib. Messrs Wrciv Palliser. Nuding. M. Lninjr. W. G. Johnson. J. A. Mason, J. J. Beak, iJ. C. Ponso'nby, and R. B."Brett.