ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (FROM "STAR" LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 182, 11 December 1886, Page 1

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (FROM "STAR" LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

Londoic, October 22, Tub Exhibition craze which broke out so violently after the success of the Fisheries, threatens to reach its apogee next summer. In addition to the big Jubilee •• shows" at Adelaide and Manchester, there will be an American Exhibition at Earlscourt, an International Exhibition at Birmingham, a Mining Exhibition at Newcastle, a Fino Art Exhibition at Venice, an International War Implements Exhibition -at Brussels, and an Exposition Maritime at Havre. The biggest of these concerns will, of course, oe the Manchester one. The guarantee fund already exceeds £130,000, and the management is in thoroughly efficient hands, The guarantors of the "Inventions " and " Colindies " will soon be put out of their misery, as the books are even now in an accountant's hands, and balance-sheets (of some description)are promised immediately. A Commissioner Mho should know as much as anybody re the way things are worked at South Kensington, tells me he doesn't believe even Sir Philip Owen himself can give more than a pood guess at the financial position of affairs. Dame Rumour puts down the deficit jn the '• Inventions " at £14,000, and, moreover, hints that the Executive had to keep some of more pressing creditors quiet by meeting their claims with takings from the "Colindies." In all probability, however, this ig an exaggeration. Sir Philip himself says he expecta there will be a surplus of £00,000 on the " Colindiea." This is a good deal better than a deficit, but bearing in mind the leviathan sums paid for admission, as well as for advertising, refreshments, and half-a-hundred other concessions, it is not what the public had a right to expecc. 'Twas good policy on Sir Philip's part to shake his head all through the summer, and hint at the possibility of a loss on the Exhibition. It has made people contented with the prospect of any eort of surplus. The Colonial Commiaaioners do not at all relish the notion of their surplus being devoted to paying off the "Inventions" deficit. They consider the sum - whatever it proves to be—should be added to the funds of tne Imperial Institute, and will probably notify the Executive to that effect. Whether the latter will take any notice of their oppositition is, however, doubtful, as the Prince of Walea is most auxioua that the guarantors of the "Inventions " should not be called upon if it can be avoided. It is a strange fact, and one that affords ample food for rejection, that the Fisheries which was the first and least successful of the series of Exhibitions at South Kensington, should have yielded the largest surplus. Lord Hartington, accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Manchester, sails for Bombay per P and O steamer Nizam next week. After spending some time in India the Duke proposes to proceed to Adelaide for the opening of the Jubileo Exhibition. The Unionist leader would also like to see something of Australia, but it is almost certain he will have to be back here for the opening of Parliament early in January. The Duchess will not in any case go to Adelaide.

The Re opening of the " Colindies." A week of conflicting rumours with regard to the re-opening of the " Colindie3 " has ended-as 1 auppoee we ought all to have foreseen - ir the complete triumph of the CunliSe Owen clique. Whatever the diffeienco of opinion wa^ between Sir Philip and the Prince of Waloa, it has boon mado up, for when the Lord Mayor visited His Royal Highness the other day, to convoy to him the views of the Mansion House Committee, which, as you know, were strongly against the opening of the Imperial Institute till 1888, he found them strongly disapproved. The Prince, indeed, set himself to talk over Sir John Staples, and naturally succeeded. At Wednesday's meeting of the Mansion House Committee, the worthy man confessed himself converted, and duly expounded th 9 Prince's gracious wishes, which were to the effect that the Exhibition should be re-opened nextsummer on precisely its present lines, but under the name of the Imperial Institute and not the "Oolindiea.'' Recollecting the opposition to this very plan the previous week, it may be thought that at least one or two of the Committee got up and regretted their inability to comply with the Prince's wishes. But no, not a man uttered not a word. The Agents Genaral, I hear, excuse their sifonco by saying that they were not asked to assist at the meeting, but merely to look on. This plea will not, however, excuse other Colonists who were present. Well, as I say, all opposition collapsed, the Prince's wishes and suggestions were adopted ve),i con, j the important considerations of management and other details being lefb for subsequent consideration. When the result of the meeting was known at South Kensington great was the jubilation amongst the staff. Clerks, care-takers and othor employees who were anticipating the " sack " will now, in all probability, be kept on, and under the same frse and easy management of the last four years. You may remember that the Prince of Wales, in writing to the Lord Mayor to propose the Institute, suggested that the governing body should be nominated by Her Majesty, or in other words by himself. This, of courpe, will afford the necessary opportunity for confirming in their present appointments (or in other equally responsible ones) Oft-on and Co. Sir Philip, I understand, is now very comfortably off, and mean 9 to retire, but his place will be taken by his nepbew Mr Edward Oiven, C.M.G., who is now spoken of everywhere as the probable general manager of the now "Colonial Cremorne."

.Latest Rumours. Since writing the foregoing I have learnt that (whatever Sir P. Owen may himself think) the differences between the Prince of Wales and the Exhibition Executive are very far from being made up, in facb, that what made the Mansion House Committee's opposition to the re-opening next year

collapse so suddenly, was a solemn assurance on the Prince's part that the Executive should be entirely changed We hare, I had better perhaps explain, nothing but bare rumour to go upon for all the stories that are current juat now. Beyond the fact that the Exhibition is to be re-opened as the Imperial Institute nothing certain is known or can be known till aftei Sunday, when the Prince of Walts meets the Commissioners in the Durbar Hall to discuss matters. The summons to attend this Sunday afternoon meeting has caused a tremendous flutter amongst the more "serious" commissioners. Mr Pompous Bosiato CM G at first declared his principles wouldn't permit of his boing present. On beinjj; told, however, thab he couid stay away if he liked as ho no doubt would not be unseed, the good man did'nc at all like it. Bosiato and othern of his kidney are very wrath at not having been consulted with regard to the reopening of the "show" till the matter was fixed, and will no doubt make themselves disagreeable if they cuu. One awkward question with regard to the ieopening is what is to become of destructible exhibits during the winter. Pictuies, furniture, and such things cannot possibly remain in the South Kensington buildings, which are very damp, entirely without warming apparatus, and ovorun with rats.

Exhibition Chat. Mr Daniel Tatterman ("Tinned-meat Tatterman," I believe he i 3 gonerally called) lectured at the Exhibition laot Saturday evening on "Available Food for the Poople." Sir Samuel Wilson presided. On the previous evening Mr A. H. Burton, the well-known Dunedin photographer, ga\e an interesting deeciiption of the recent eruptions of Taruwera, Now Zealand, illustrating his remarks with some beautiful lime-light views from photos taken on the spot. Hon. li Pharazyn, M.L.C. occupied the chair on this occasion, Sir Noel Paton is engaged on an historical paiutiug for the Hon. Alexander Hay, of Adelaide. A promising young artiut named Staples has in hand a picture of one of the great Anglo-Australian cricket matches .it Lords, in which ho introduces the various AgentsGeneral and most of the Exhibition Commissioners and notable colonists who have been lionisi d this year. The painting will, of course, be engraved, and prints sold at prices fiom two guineas upwards Sir Julius Yon Banst, K.C.M.G , does not return to New Zealand till next April. The Australian fiuit at South Kensington is just now quite overshadowed by a most magnificent di&play of fruit and vegetables horn Cauada, the most comprehensive evor shown in Europe. Tho pears and apples are especially notable, both tor size and flavour, and the outdoor-grown grapes are delicious. Fruit this year seems to have been extraordinarily plentiful all the world over. Even in England egg plums of leviathan size and superb damsons were selling at Id the 1b a few weeks back, and and tomatoes are almost a3 cheap and common as in Australia. Honey in comb, too, erluts the markot. A quantity of firstclass quality sold at 2d the lb the other day. Mr D. Wnlkinshaw pooh-poohs Mr Henniker Heaton'a claim to be the originator ol tho movement in favour of Ocean Penny Postage. The notion, he says, was started as long ago as 1547 by Elihu Barrett A Switzor special settlement is to be initiated in New Zealand, Several families go out per Rimutaka on November ISth. The Bi3hop designate of Melbourne (Mr Goe) will not leave for his diocese till March next. A feature of the coming Lord Mayor's Show will ba cars representing by emblematic designs our principal colonies and the Mother Country, Thna the elephant and tiger will represent India, wino and wool Australia, frozen meat New Zealand, and j model ice palace Canada.