Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 1898. New Zealand Hemp.

Manawatu Herald, 25 August 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 1898. New Zealand Hemp.

On the 26th of May last we published a leader drawing attention to the want of any reliable information as to the price of New Zealand hemp in the London market, and how, from want of such information millers were placed in a most disadvantageous position. This leader we are glad to gay has had a very far reaching effect as it not only woke the Government up to inquire how matters were progressing from the Agent-General, but it also urged on all who thought they had a chance of doing something, and Mrs J. M. Collins, whose late husband was the chief partner in one of the largest fibre brokers in London, wrote to the senior partner for information, sending him a copy of the Manawatu Herald for the 26th May. In reply under date of the Bth July Mr J. M. Bastone, of the firm of Bastone and Firminger, writes:— New Zealand Hemp—Let me first thank you for sending the Foxton Herald and again bringing this article to my direct notice. There cannot be the slightest doubt that those engaged as producers in this industry are poorly advised or not advised at all by those who ought to be the first to procure the necessary information for their advantage and well being, also there can be as little doubt that in the manner of disposing of their produce which they have hitherto been used to, they simply play a good deal into the hands of the various middlemen, one and all of whom must each have a picking. It would evidently be to the be3fc advantage of the hemp* miller if he secured the entire value of his product, and this could be flone by consigning the hemp to London for sale direct to us. We should act simply as sworn Brokers of this city, disposing of the hemp either by public auction or private treaty to the best advantage after arrival and landing here, and remitting nett proceeds to the sender after realisation. It occurs to us however that perhaps the financial question might stand in the way and therefore we would allow any substantial or respectable miller to draw upon us to the extent of 50 per cent of the value, with documents attached (this means bill of lading and marine insurance policy,) and which draft could be easily negotiated with one of the Banks on your side who would transmit the documents to London where we should pay or retire the draft in exchange for the attachable documents. Of course every care would have to be exercised that the hemp was of best quality and that as much as possible should be sent under one mark or brand. If however any of them preferred it they could select some young and enterprising firm of Wellington mer chants, who have not been hitherto engaged in this market, to pay them a proportionable value for the hemp and consign it to their London agents with instructions to employ my firm as Brokers for the disposal, and this way of conducting the business would be equally satisfactory, indeed preferable to us, as we should have some one to look to on this side, and there would be the saving in correspondence, &c. However, either way we should be pleased to take the matter up, and there would be nothing lacking on our part to bring about satis factory results to the millers and to pee that instead of their produce being sweated for the benefit of the various middlemen they obtained the full market value on this side. As Brokers, our sole remuneration would be the commission or brokerage which we could charge. As to the course of the market it is impossible to predict with any certainty as the recent acute advance in price has been wholly brought about by the SpanishAmerican war, and the blockade of Manila from whioh the hemp of that name (the leading raw material for rope making purposes) is shipped. This latter article whioh a few months ago was £19 per ton ran smartly up to £37, but has to-day receded to £80 per ton. The regulating influence for the market in New Zealand hemp is the course of the market in Manila hemp, and it is impossible to predict how this will go. We do not know what the weekly or monthly output of a good mill may be, but we would suggest as a preliminary or trial shipment say 100 bales of, if possible, one mark or quality. We are sure the question of direct realisation in New Zealand hemp has only to be ventilated to bring about business to the mutual advantage of the producers and of ourselves. It occurs to me that some of the millers might desire to know what we are, in which case you can say that we are the leading general Fibre Brokers in this country.

Mr Palmer, the Government pomologist is in Foxton just now, visiting many of the orchards. Mr George Coley was using his new chaff-cutter and bagger yesterday on the Motoa Estate. To :iight the young ladies of the district a dance in the Messrs Robinson's voolshed. ■ Thj Post's London correspondent I says, Mr William Signal, who is in Engl.nd superintending the construction of a vessel at Messrs Fullerton's yard, Paisley, tor Messrs Levin & Co., of Wellington, is at present in London. Further disclaimers have been made in Mr E. T. Hooley's case, which has been adjourned until November. The Cunard Steamship Company is building two immense cargo steamers, one of 20,000 and the other of 18,000 tons. Three hundred soldiers in South France have been disabled from sunstroke. Many deaths from the effects of heat occur daily in Paris. It is reported that a British fleet which is visiting Italian ports is meeting with tremendous popular receptions. Herr Eugen Wolff, traveller and correspondent of a German newspaper, hearing that 13 Chinese had been arrested for the murder of German missionaries in Kiao-chau, entered the Court into which they had been taken, and, flourishing a document purporting to show that he was a special German envoy, tried the prisoners in the presence of the Mandarin and the pro-vicar of the mission, and acquitted them- When Bishop Anzer returned to Shantung from Berlin he asked what punishment the criminals had received, and when told that they had been acquitted, was astounded. The German Government has ordered an inquiry into the matter. Diamonds are reported to have been discovered at Henderson 12 miles north of Auckland, by Alfred Bullock who states that the drift extends for one and a-half miles. The diamonds are found under a basaltic formation of a depth of 6ft. The specimens have been shown to experts, and are small but genuine. A terrible tragedy has occurred on a Russian convict ship which was carrying prisoners on the Siberian rivers. The vessel was travelling from Tlumen a town on the Irtish river just to the east, of the Ural Mountains, to Tomsk in Central Siberia, on the upper waters of the Obi. The prisoners were overcrowded to such extent that 31 of them were suffocated. Speaking at Mayence, the Emperor William stated that he was firmly determined to persevere with all his strength in his grandfather's great work of peace, which was so dear to him. The only method ot doing this was maintaining Germany's prestige with her neighbours. The "Post" understands that the report of the Police Commission contains a recommendatioirthat Inspector Emerson should be retired. America is building an aluminum yacht at a cost of 120,000 dollars to defend the American Cup. The remains of the late Mrs Bartholomew were taken through to Feilding by to-day's midday train for interment. A large number of friends of the bereaved husband and family followed the coffin as it was borne from the residence of the deceased, at Levin, to the train. Great sympathy is felt through the district for the bereaved relations, and many beautiful wreaths were forwarded, including a very fine one from the railway employees, amongst whom Mr Bartholomew is greatly respected. About two hundred sympathising friends and also members of the Levin Druids Lodge in full regalia went through by the train to attend the funeral, which took place at Feilding this afternoon, Rev. R. Young, of Foxton, officiated at the burial.-— Monday's Manawatu " Times." " Are you satisfied that the team of horses I sold you are well matched ?" " Yes, they're well matched. One is willing to work, and the other is satisfied to let him." In Wellington the stray dcg nuisance is rousing the authorities to consider the construction of a lethal chamber for their destruction. The sheepowners about this district are also taking earnest steps to destroy dogs, many making it a practise to get their own living away from the roof of their owners. We are sorry to say a number of sheep are being killed owing to the conduct of dogs of all kinds and breeds. It would be wiser for an owner of a lost dog to make no inquiry otherwise be might have a bill for shetp to pay for. Disgracefull scenes have occurred in St. James's Church, Kirkdale, on account of ritualistic services. A crowd of opponents hooted, hissed, scoffed, and spat at the vicar. The police were called in by the clergyman. The area of cocksfoot harvested last summer in Taranaki was 9037 acres, and the average yield igolbs per acre, giving a total of 1,717,030 lbs. A pecuilar monstrosity was shown us to-day by Mr T. Castles, of Ballance. Having shot a rabbit he opened it and found a young rabbit with two ! heads, two ears, seven legs, two eyes, and two tails. Mr Castles has perserved the animal in spirits, and intends to present his extraordinary find to the Christchurch Museum. — Pahiatua Herald. The Duke of Manchester, who sailed on a visit to New Zealand and Australia at the end of last week, is a grandson of the respected Duke so wellknown and liked in this part of the world twenty years ago, and a son of the renouned " Uncle Kirn " and the beautiful heiress, Consuelo Yznaga del Valle. He came of age in March last, and is said to be a nice lad, with out any of the engaging foibles which rendered his merry parent such a favourite with music hall celebrites and cabmen. The Duke possesses considerable properties in the colonies, which his grandfather purchased when visiting New Zealand.

Messrs Thos. Westwood & Co., of the Red House, have just received two bales cf choice paperhangings, and , cordially invite an inspection of same. They are also reducing all lines in crockery, being overstocked and on account of their stocktaking. Their altered advertisement will appear in next issue. j Four hundred tons of potatoes have been despatched to Brisbane from Melbourne, for transhipment to the Duke of Sutherland for Manila. The price is not stated, but the market price is £8 5s per ton. In his book entitled Collections and Recollections. MrG. W. Russel relates how the late Archbishop Trench, a man of singularly vague and dreamy habits, whc resigned the See of Dublin on account of advancing years, and settled in London, once went back to pay a visit to his successor, Lord Plunkett. Finding himself back again in his old palace, sitting at his old dinner table, and gazing» across it at his old wife he lapsed in memory to the days when he was master of the house, and gently remarked to Mrs Trench, « I am afraid, my dear, that we must put this cook down among our failures.' Delight of Lord and Lady Plunkett. The usual meeting of the Foxton Mutual Improvement Society was held last Tuesday evening. Mr E. Osborne, a vice-president, in the chair. The item for the evening was a lecture on Phrenology, but on account of the unavoidable absence of the lecturer, this was postponed and a musical evening was indulged in. Songs were contributed by Miss Hamer and Miss E. Spring, and Messrs Grindley and Westwood. Recitations were also given by Messrs A. Morgan and H. Blake. The meeting concluded at 9.30 p.m. We learn from both Messrs Hackworth and Weir that the rabbits are taking the phosphorous poison very well, and consequently are doing very badly for themselves, numbers having being picked up dead. With this issue we enclose as an inset particulars of the Charity Carni* val for which Mr Alf. Fraser is the local agent. The Revs. W. Woollass and Wrigley are at present conducting a week's prohibition mission through all towns between Feilding and Wanganui on behalf of the West Coast Provincial Council. The Whangaroa was expected to leave Newcastle for this port yesterday.