NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 15 April 1901, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

With reference to the four per cent loan now issued by Government it is worthy of note that by floating in the colony a saving of two per cent will bo made, the expense of floating on the Home market invariably running to

that amount. Taking into account the limited currency this will be about equal to a thiee per cent loan floated at Home. The Government believes the whole of the debentures will bo taken up directly by the public without the intervention of any syndicates. The allotment will be made on the 23rd inst.

Spkaktng at the farewell to the Seventh Contingent on Saturday, Mr. Seddon said he thought he might safely say there would be no necessity for sending further contingents to South Africa. We had not sent a single man too many, and he repeated that if more were required more would be cheerfully sent, but ho believed the Seventh would be the last required. Without wishing to detract from our kindred at Home, he thought New Zealand might claim credit from the fact that to equal this colony's contribution, taking the proportion of the population, the Mother Country , would have had to send one hundred : and fifty thousand volunteers.

The Tutanekai is shortly to make a trip to some of the islands recently annexed in the Pacific. It is understood she may go as far north as I'enrhyn. In the event of her calling at Itaratonga, it would not, perhaps, be a bad idea if the authorities were to invite Queen Makca, and some of the other Arikis of the Cook Islands, to visit the colony on the occasion of the reception of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. Queen Makea certainly would be an interesting personage to have present on such an occasion, especially seeing that the New Zealand Maoris and the Raratongans are kinsmen.

The question of the proportion of Newcastle coal used for domestic purposes cropped up at'the Goal Commission recently at Christchurch, when Mr 0. W. Turner stated that the total amount of Newcastle coal imported per annum was 120,000 tons, and of this amount the Union Company need between 70,000 and 80.0(10 tons in addition to 80,000 or 90,000 tons of West Coast coal. A considerable portion of the remainder of Newcast'c coal imported was used by gas companies, so that there was but little available for household purposes. West Coast Coal, ho contended, once sufficient railway trucks were provided, would be able to sweep Newcastle out of the market.