Notes and Events.

Manawatu Herald, 22 June 1895, Page 3

Notes and Events.

By post we have received a pamphlet by William Harker on «• The Good Times Coining." As we are all desirous of seeing good tittles coming again once more ( and as Mr Harker Appeal's to think this possible without a change of Government which does not seem possible, we ttieaUj of course; the change of Governrheiiti not the good titoes} ( as to must endeavour to keep in with the powers that be and are likely yet to be for a year or two, thereby imitate ing in a manner many worthy M's.H.B., we give some of the reasons from which he draws such conclusions.

In the first place he urges " Our twenty lean years have cotiie and gone, our fat ones are at hand, and the cycle repeats itself with unfailing regularity." Owing to this slight misconstruction of an ancient dream which j if we remember aright mentioned the periods a3 seven years, not twenty, we augured ill for this present day prophet, but as he continued " New Zealand is floating a 8 per cent loan ; it will fetch £95, and will be at a par, £100, within two months " we recovered our faith, as, as a matter of fact tha loan fetched £9H, and yesterday's cablegrams quote the loan at 5 per cent premium.

He mentions that prices of staple products were rising all over the world, and " for the first time in history, trade with 480 millions of the most industrious race in the world (Chinese) was thrown open to outside commerce." Mr Harker also asserts that Wheat, rice> tea ( spices, kerosene, copper, silver, tin, iron, aud a dozen other staple products, have already risen from 10 to 100 per cent and are still rising.

His other prophecies are that wheat will reach 5/- a bushel, and next year's crop will bring the same value, and potatoes will rise in keeping with the cereal. We all hope it will.

Last, but by no means least, Mr Harker has written to the Christchurch papers the following letter :— '« Five years ago I went Home from here in the Arawa, spent a fortnight in London, returning by the Tongariro, making a complete circuit of the globe in three months odd. The first week of my fortnight I devoted to a searching enquiry into the frozen meat trade. I followed the mutton through all its stages from the ship to the consumer, West End, East End, and Suburbs. When cut, the gravy ran out on the disb, the next days the meat is dark coloured and dry, each day after growing darker and drier.

Here we use a leg of mutton at two meals, at Home it has to last three or four days ; frozr-u meat cannot stand that test. The day of frozen meat is past and gone (as a paying industry). . I leave for a short visit Home next month on business of my own.

Whilst at Home I intend to form a syndicate with ample capital to establish a line of steamers to carry home alive, our sheep, cattle, horses, pigs, and poultry, in about thirtytwo days. They will be stall fed for a fortnight before embarkation, on similar food to that to be used on the voyage. They will be bought outright and paid for when put on board the steamer.

The syndioate will take all risks and distribute the cargo on arrival to the best advantage.