ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. London, November 3.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 324, 12 December 1888, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. London, November 3.

THE FROZEN MEAT 'TRADE, -j Trekk is some mysterious talk as to a possible arrangement by which all parties concerned in the I^"e\v Zealand frozen - meat industry are to beneftb to a considerably greater extent than heretofore. ■ No doubt, if feasible, this would be very pleasant " all round.' Comoro are just now much in iatluun, buh unless the Xow Zcalanders could uobblellie La Plata exporters, bo say nothing of the American and T>«teh, ib is difficult to see how any " ring " amuisrcmcnt) couldbe carried out which would not rebound' with fatal effect on its promoters. There are only two practical methods of vei:deiing tho industry more remunerative, viz., by a reduction of freights and the abolition of the middleman. The former seems oub of the question, in view of the strong tendency v» Inch prevails just now to enhance, instead of decrease rates, and the fact that a practical monopoly now exists in the iNcw Zealand shipping trade. The only chance for securing better profits to producers and exporters would be by the abolition of the English middleman, >\ho at present pockets the main profits. It would surely be possible to get up a company which' would have the etiect of bringing the New Zealand exporters into direct connection with the British consumer by rneaus of retail shops established in all tho lar^c centres of population and supplied fust hand from Kew Zealand. By this means another indirect benetil would be achieved, viz., that it would put an end to the present practice, of which many English butchers who buy from the middleman are guilty, of selling the New Zealand meat as ''Genuine British."'

FREIGHTS TO 2JEW ZEALAND. Tlie Freight Committee of Merchants? recently elected to confer with the association of brokei'S who control the shipping trade to Melbourne and Sydney, have got to work, and have had their first interview with the mysterious entity the { 'King. ;; As a result of the conference they were informed that no present vise in freights to ■ those ports was. contemplated, and that no change would be made in future without consultation with tho Committee. The work has so far proved a success, that it is now proposed to start similar committees in connection with tho other Australasian colonies whose trade is con- ; trolled by associated brokers — New Zealand to •« it. Possibly the idea may be carried j out, but a strong feeling is abroad that; no committees having the approval of the " rings " can in tho end prove satisfactory, or really exercise a genuine check upon i capricious changes in freights. The feelingis strong in favour of an association of shippers comprising all the Australasian colonies who would be under no compliment to, nor in anyway inallianccwith, therespecthe •• rings," but' who would act independently of them and only approach them when j important points of difference arose, and then "form an eutirely independent and practically hostile standpoint. It looks very much as if the Association would be formed, though various delays have intervened. If it should assume &lwpe, important results may be anticipated.

THE KAXIC OF KEW ZEALAND. The issue of 25,000 new JJIO shares of the Bank of Kew Zealand has been subscribed for twice over : so says the official repoit. As, however, L' 200,000 out of the total C 250,000 was subscribed privately or practically underwritten before the is-siie wa~> advesniserl, it is to be pre^vned that thcie has only been an additional public ie»])Ofi«e to the tune of about £'500,000. As the' amount is covered, this is all the bank financiers need care about, and should dissipate all anxiety as to the future of the bank.

SEW ZEALAND "FOUTiS."' The "Financial Xews " say*, that " the attempt made to ' rig " up Is'cw Zealand 'Fours' at 105, at which point they become under a new order available for trustee investments, will be watched wibh considerublc interest. Capital ought to be made out of the report of Kelson Bios. Limited, which allows the Antipodes to be in a condition of reviving activity to some small e.\fcetifc. On the other hand, the determination of the New Zealand Lnnd Mortgage Company to re- register as the Kew Zealand and River Plate Mortgage Company, with an increased capital, indicates considerable want of faith in the commercial le^eneration of the 'plumb-line islands." At 105, or even at par, the Four per Cents, would, to our mind, be a very bad holding."'

THE CHAMPION PEUS 1 RETL'RX. •Scott and Auslin were nnablo to secure passages by tho s.s. Q'ient, and have consequently resolved to postpone their departure a shorb time, and travel direct; to Kew Zealand. Mr Austin writes me they have booked berths aboard the Ituapehu, sailing a fortnight hence. Mr Moyle. of Australia, w ho is over here, is so impressed with the pugilistic qualifications of Feter Jackson, the Antipodean Champion, that he is trying' to match him against Jem Smith.

PMTCHAR D-MOJIGAX, M. P. This redoubtable .Hfctle "colonial" lias, to the surprise of everyone and fche chagrin o£ the Gladstonian Liberal-s, been leturned for Methyr by a large majority jts an "Independent Liberal," fche authorised candidate of the caucus being ignomiuously rejected. Mr Femukfn' Heaton will in fiilui-e have to look to his laurel?. Ilenceforwai-d there will be Uvo " members for Au^Lraliu," and I rather think I know which will prove the best of them.

THE NEW ZEALAND AXTIMONY COMPANY". Should the assay of the additional 10 tons oE quart/, from the above Company's gold mine which Sir XV. Bullcr has cabled for prove ecjuai to the assay of the shipment brought by the lonic (loz. 20gr. to the ton), the property will be worth at least £100,000.

BOOKS CONCERNING NEW ZEALAND, i In the course of an interview the other day with a " Sunday Times" man, Sala lei out that his autobiography (announced for "immediate publication " any time these three years), i.-3 nob even approximately iinished . Furthei moreib transpired that he is ab present engaged in putting final touches to " My Australian Book." "Round About New Zealand" is the title of a work by Mr E. W. Pay ton, who has been three years travelling about your part of the world. Canon Curties's long - promised life of Bishop Selwyn is passing through the press, and will be published almost immediately by Kegan, Paul and Trench. * A flattering review of. . Mr Marriobb Watson's "Marahuna" appeared (rather lafce in the day) in the "Spectator" of October 27th. t , I " Blackwoods " for November contains au Australian reminiscence called, " 0n the Wallaby Track." l f . " ' Prolessor Long's new ,woi'k, '"'The Dairy Farm," sliould- have a lavjje sale in Now Zealand. ' ' '" '.'*••.