ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES BY THE AUCKLAND "STAR'S" LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 108, 27 June 1885, Page 6

ANGLO- COLONIAL NOTES BY THE AUCKLAND " STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

Various Notes. Sir John Hall, who broke the voyage Home at Rio, arrived in London the other day looking well and hearty. I ana going to try and interview him shortly, as one would like to know what he thinks of the South American estracins and the frozen mutton trade from that part of the world. Chambers's refrigerator, which has taken 60 long to perfect, is at last set up at the Albert Docks, and seems to be proving successful. A trial will be made of insulating chambers in a few days. The Aorangi takes out 120 Government emigrants to various New Zealand ports next week. Mr Kennaway tells me these will be the last of the Government nominations. The energetic Allbones has already collected between 200 and 300 stoats and weasels, which will be shipped per Doric about the 20th of May. Yesterday a Parliamentary paper was issued containing 12 despatches relating to the bill for the constitution of a Federal Council for Australasia. Victoria and Queensland object strongly to clause 31. m An absurd rumour ia rife in shipping circles, and has found it 3 way into the financial papers, to the effect that the Pacific Mail Company mean to transfer a number of their boats from the Pacific to the North Atlantic trade. Of course, it is a canard, for the vessels are not in any way fitted to brave Atlantic voyages.

Frozen Meat Trade. During the past week there has been a slight recovery in the prices of frozen meat, though rates are still low. The Rimutaka arrived on Monday with 7,536 sheep and 5,407 lambs, all in capital condition. The Doric, Chimboraxo, and sailing ship Canterbury (now off the coast) are expected daily with large cargoes, so supplies may again prove too ample. Present rates are as follows:—New Zealand mutton, 3s 4d to 3s 8d; New Zealand lamb, 4s 8d to 5s 4d ; New Zealand beef (roasting), 3s 4d to 3s 8d ; English mutton, 4s 4d to 4s Sd; German mutton, 4s. Mr J. B. Russell is back from Ireland, and settled down with his family in the neighbourhood of Earl's Court. Messrs T. P. and A. Clarke are through passengers for Auckland per Orient liner Cuzco.

I Financial Meetings. At the twenty-first annual meetingof the Australian Mortgage, Land, and Finance Company, held on April 20fch, Mr Richard Gibbs in the chair, it was announced that 20,000 new shares had been issued, £3 paid, giving for the year a reserve fund of £60,0U0. Current expenses were in excess of the amount of last year, but so also was the business done. The balance left for disposal was £63,251 15s 4d. It was further announced that Mr Wm. Drysdale, of Fifeshire, had been appointed to go out to the colony in the interests of the Company. Atthesecondannual meeting of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, on the 22nd, a dividend of 5 per cent, was declared. A sum of £6,250 has been carried to the suspense account. The Company's steam service of the year has been carried on at a loss of £9,781. The Orient Steam Navigation Company, at its annual meeting on the 28th, declared no dividend. It was stated, however, that the Austral disaster account had now been closed, and that the unfortunate ship had since the close of the year completed a profitable and successful voyage. The statement of Sir Julius Vogel regarding the locomotives -which an English firm of engineers was engaged to supply the colony has attracted considerable attention here. The "Ironmonger" strongly notes it, and requests Messrs Nasmyth, Carruthers, and Co. to explain more on this subject anon. An attempt is being made to resuscitate the Kapanga Gold-mining Company. At a meeting held on the 2ith at the offices of Messrs Wright, in Throymorton Avenue, it was resolved that a syndicate should be formed to rai?e £2,000 to acquire the mine and machinery, and that steps should be taken to for.:\ a new company " on^ the basis of a return to members of the syndicate of 10 fully-paid I'l shares for every £1 subscribed in ca;:h."

The Dynamite Explosion at the Admiralty. The explosion at the Admiralty on Thursday last, of which you probably heard much-exaggerated accounts by cable, did nob really amount to anything serious. At the moment tho wildest reports were flyinp about, not the least being that another and far more disastrous ' ' blow up " had occurred , at the British Museum. In reality, the sum total of damage done was an assistant secretary temporally threatened with concussion of the brain, and a room wrecked. The heads of the detective polico were in the first instance utterly nonplussed, being under the impression i that thoy had the only active dynamitards in London safe under lock and key. Presently, however, it was pretty broadly hinted that this was no Fenians' -work, but a villainous practical joke played by certain Admiralty clerks on an unpopular superior. Tho matter is being sifted to the bottom, but we may nevertheless not hear much i more about it.

Invention and Music Exhibition. The event of the week hasbeen tho opening of the International Exhibition of Jnven- ', tion and Music, which was duly &et ', going on Monday by tho Prince of Wales, in the presence of the Princess, the Duke of Edinburgh, and a whole host of civil, , military, and foreign dignitaries, i had ', the honour of an invitation, and looked in for half-an-hour just to see the procession pass. It was a very mild affair — not to be com- . pared for a moment with, the clUplay at the opening of tho Fisheries in 18S3. Amongst the Anglo-colonial notables who walked by. ' duly disguised in a Windsor uniform, 3 , recognised your Agent - General and ' S ; r Charles Clifford, the Hon. Evelyn Ashley, M.P. (Qnder-Secretary for the Colonies), Sir J. Coote, Mr Garrick, QC. (AgentGeneral for Queensland), Mr' Hcnneker ; Heaton, Mr Alex. McArthur, M.l\, Mi '■ Gorst, M.P., Sir Samuel, and Sir , Samuel Wilson. I believe Sir J. Hall and . some of his family were amongst the spec- ' tators, but I did not see them. The Exhibition itself is very incomplete as yet, but ( promises well. The Inventories Galleries , consist in the main of machinery in motion. Experience has shown that ( motors and machines at work interest the spectators most, and the alteration ' in this respect will, byand-bye, be very '. varied. The gardens are now lit at night ' wholly by the electric light, the display \ being tho most comprehensive ever attempted. The lamp in the garden is equal to 540,000 candles, and illuminates every nook. In all, not loss than 21 I electrical systems are in operation.

[ Frozen Meat. Notwithstanding heavy arrivals per Boric and Canterbury,fromNe\vZealand,per Chunborazo, from Melbourne, and per Zeuobia, 3 from the River Plate, there has been no fall t in the price of frozen meat this week. , Things are, however, dull, and I fear will 1 remain bo until the rival importers now at

loggerheads can be brought to reason. _ $ proposal to appoint a committee .of i leading consignees of frozen meat to regulate the sales is talked of. I only heard of the matter yesterday, or I should. have mentioned it to Mr Allsup, who thoroughly understands the trade. " Before next mail, I will, however, ascertain what is thought of the idea. Messrs Ward and Stimpson quote New Zealand mutton (Canterbury), 3s 2dto 3s 6d per stone of 91bs ; New Zealand mutton, (Wellington), 3s to 3s 4d ; N.Z. lamb, 4s 8d to 5s 4d ; Kiver Plate mutton, 3s ; English mutton (best), 4s 4d to 5s 8d German do, 4s 4d to 4s Bd.

National Emigration Club. A National Emigration Club has been started in the Midlands, and is proving a success. The members (working men anxious to emigrate to Canada, Australia, or New Zealand) pay in from time to time whatever money they can scrape together, any sum being received down to a single penny. Each has his own account, and wben the amount required for the passage is shown on the credit side, the depositor can use it for that purpose if so minded. More than one hundred members have already done so, and the whole number are reported doing well beyond the ocean. The syßtem itself teaches them to be thrifty, industrious, and sober, all admirable qualifications for the life before them. As such men must almost of necessity prove valuable emigrants, it would not be a bad plan for Now Zealand to hold out special inducements to memborß of the National Emigration Club. Passages might be granted them on unusually favourable terms, or something of that kind.

Australian Fruit in London. In accordance with a suggestion from Prince Albert Victor, who was much struck, with the abundance of splendid f ruib at the antipodes, an Australian fruit stall will, if possible, form a feature of the Indian and Colonial Exhibition next summer. Experiments are now being conducted with a view to ascertain the best means of preserving fruit during a long voyage— freezing it appears does not answer, neither does packing in sawdust or charcoal. Some boxes of grapes in charcoal, opened before Sir A, Blybh last week, presented a lamentable spectacle. More are now on the road, but it is feared they will not be good for much.

Loan Conversion. The result of the conversion of the five million loan must be pronounced satisfactory. Despite the war panic and the bad times, the total converted amounts to £3,655,00 C, which will leave the amount of 5 per cent, consols outstanding at just about £2,000,000. In operations of this description there are always some holders, trustees, business men, etc., who won't move. They don't understand the affair, and won't have it explained to them. Much of the success of this particular conversion has no doubt been owing to the aegis of the Bank of England. Investors, as a rule, believe in the soundness of any business move with which the great bank is concerned. The name has been a tower of strength to New Zealand,.

The Future of Frozen Meat. On more than one occasion I have met Mr Allsup, Hon. Secretary of Committee of Importers of Frozen Meat. The other day I bad a little chat with him about things in general. He considers the outlook, on the whole, favourable. Supplies are regular and ample— too ample sometimes. The condition of the meat is almost invariably good, and prices fair, though temporarily depressed by an unseasonable season of sultvy weather. Slight reductions have recently been made both in warehouse, dock, and freight charges. There ia now little to grumble at on iheae three heads. The principle of supply and demand will regulate them in its own good time. To show that there is nothing excessive in the dock charges, it may be mentioned that the cost of warehousing at Smithfield comes to almost the same thing.

Sir Julius Vogel and the Iron Trade. The remarks of Sir J. Vogel at Auckland regarding locomotives ordered of English builders aave excited a strong feeling of resentment in the iron trade generally, which is pretty freely expressed in their organs. The accusations of Sir Ouliua cannot, of course, be very well met and refuted in public by either contractors or engineers, but 1 have the best authorj ity for stating that their defence is mainly as follows : Certain specifications of size were given to the contractors*, and were by them transmitted to the builders of the. ocomotives. When the locomotives were about finished and notice was sent to New Zealand of their prospective shipment, it was discovered that they exceeded the weight expected (but not specified) by those who sent the order. This was due to their being of a particular make. Sir Julius Vogel's remark, therefore, that the builder had declared the locomotive could not be made of "the specified size and weight" was, it is contended, scarcely ingenuous. As a matter of fact, the engines are now being reduced to the required weight, but undergoing some alterations to their complicated machinery. The general question which iSir Julius tried to raise again, whether English locomotives are or are not superior to American, has been threshed dead. The great preponderance of the former over the latter on the railways of the Australian to other colonies is, it is argued, considerable evidence of that.