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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1431, 18 September 1872, Page 2

Information is> wanted at. tlie Colonial Secretary's office of one Geoi'ge Prior who. left San Francisco in* 1858 for Australia, and in 1862. left IVlelbourne for New Zealand, where heis supposed to. have served in. the local forces.

It is stated that the firm of Brogden,; and Sons are about undertaking somelarge contracts in Holland. One is thereclamation of the "Wierenger Lake, H situated at the northern part of theZuider Zee, between the island of Wieringer and the town of Medemblik. The reclamation will comprize 48,000 acres, leaving, after deducting for road*,, dykes, and bridges, 44,0.00 acres of land available for cultivation. Another is a. projected railway to establish the union of the Kortbern and Southern State* railway in the Netherlands by a linethrough the provinces of North Brabant and Guelderland, which junction; line is to form a link of a great international chain, connecting the- northwest of France, West Belgium, East Netherlands, and north west Germany* It is also proposed to connect with England by a line of dailv steamers between Flissmgue and Harwich. From what is said in English papers as to this line, it will soon become a favorite with travellers between England and Germany, as the passage by water will not be so rough, and it will shorten the time between London and Berlin fourteen hours.

The Melbourne Argus states that; " owing to the easy state of the money market, capitalists, it has been dis--covered, have been placing their money at 4 per cent interest in the post officesavings banks, which, were established by the Government for the special benefit the poorer classes. It does noe. pay the State to carry on these institutions, but it is considered worth while to incur a little loss for the sake of encom aging and promoting habits of saving amongst the people. It was never, intended however, that men with largo means should take advantage of thesystem, and a regulation has been made* to the effect that no interest shall be payable on deposits of ,£250 and upwards."

Bismarck says that even the greatest absolute monarch can now-u-days no longer guide the complicated machine I '/ of the State—he needs the help of the representatives of the press and tu<* popple.

Regarding iron sand, the Taranaki Herald of a recent date says :-—Another attempt to smelt iron sand was tried the other night at Mr Vivian's foundry, when the metal was made to run successfully. We are not aware of the process, but understand that Mr Wiltshire is the inventor of it. The metal ran in about two hours after the cupola had been charged.

A company has been formed in Sydney for the manufacture of starch. A Melbourne paper says that M.esers Joshua Brothers, of that city, who have large sugar plantations in the Mauritius, and have for years been exporters of that article, have purchased a large block of land at Footscray, where they intend to build one of the most extensive sugar refineries in the world, to superintend which experienced and skilled men will shortly arrive in Melbourne.

By the last mail from the Cape of Good Hope we learn that sham diamond* had been sent lo that colony from Birmingham. This action of the spirited emporium of beads, buttons, imitation jewellery, and lacquerred ware does not at all astonish us. "Who among the rough and ill assorted crew could, on the instant, tell good Birmingham " paste " from the real gem, when even able connoisseurs at home are sometimes taken in! The deception, however, will only have a shortlived lease ot success. Wide publicity is fatal to such a scheme, since effectual tests come at once into vogue; and neither can claims be easily sold nor diamonds so promptly realised when suspicion predominates everywhere, from the local bank to the humblest digger. In fact, the fall in the value of diamonds which has already done so much to damp the ardor of the adventurers will only be aided by the obstacle* to an easy disposal of good •« finds," which this necessity of greater caution in guarding against fraudulent imitations must create.

The San Francisco News Letter says: "When steam communication with California was first opened up there was much talk about the coal supplies of New Zealand being made available for the service. What has become of the subject. It would be a grand thing for New Zealand, and as her fields are nearer to California than those of New South Wales, it would be a good thing for us if her coal beds were actively worked. We recently saw an English engineer's report of the Bey of Island's coal, which accredited it with high qualities for generating steam. The question is often asked how is it that California can produce wheat at less cost than Australia, see ing that with us labor is much dearer, and good land within reach of market no cheaper. The main reason is assuredly the great superiority of our labor-saving machinery. With our gang ploughs one man here accomplishes as much in one day as is performed in Australia in five. Then a field of wheat here may be seen standing in the morning, and machinery has reaped, threshed, winnowed, and bagged it by night. Almost every farm implement in use differs from those employed in Australia. There is a profitable field of enquiry in ihe subject for the Australian agriculturist."