ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. London. January 18.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 349, 9 March 1889, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. London. January 18.

The new year does nob commence with auguries entirely favourable to New Zealand interests on this side of the globe. Much has been achieved in the direction of what may be termed the solidification of NewZealand business concerns by the determination shown by the management of the Bank of New Zealand to go to the bed rock in sifting the position and re-organising the policy of the Bank. New Zealand stocks have gone up to par in view of the more economical national policy inaugurated ; whilst the agreement between Messrs Tyser and the New Zealand Shipping Company on the one hand, and the understanding between the latter Company and the Shaw, Saville and Albion Company in regard to freights, has had the effect of putting the Anglo New Zealand shipping interest upon a basis where profits are possible, instead of one in which losses were inevitable. In the frozen meat market recent arrangements tend in the direction of the producers in New Zealand getting some of the plunder which formerly went into the pockets of the middleman. Hemp, though quieter within the last few days, rose phenomenally last month, and is likely to maintain high i*ates through the increasing favour with which it is regarded on the market as compared with competing- foreign brands. It was not, however, to be supposed that the measures taken both nationally and commercially to reduce expenditure, and to wipe out deficits, would be put into execution without some public inconvenience being occasioned, and some personal hardship sustained. The property tax which has had to be resorted to, though it has brought the required grist to the mill, has, as might have been anticipated, proved a serious stumbling block in certain quarters. It is certain not to prove a stimulus to the investment of foreign capital in New Zealand ventures. Consequently, it can surprise no one to find that the English land companies transacting business in New Zealand are up in arms at the deductions madefrom their profits by the incidence of the tax. In the report of the Scottish and New Zealand Investment Company, laid before the shareholders at Edinburgh lately, it is stated that the colonial property tax upon the transactions of the Company now amounts to 2 per cent, upon the capital of the Company. A sharebolder atonce got up and proposed thatthey should retire from the colony, "as they were fairly taxed out of it." This, it appeared, was already in process of being done, as a lai'ge sum of money had had to be brought home and put out at a low rate, lending money with safety and profit having been found impossible in the colony. The bad state of affairs was illustrated by the fact that £1,500 had to be withdrawn from the reserve to enable the £5 per cent, dividend to be paid. On Monday there appeared a * mysterious announcement in the commercial article of the " Standard " to the effect tha an "Australian" shipping firm of some standing were involved in difficulties with liabilities estimated at £120,000. Greab was the consternation and curiosity in the city amongst the various firms who might be considered to come under the category of the vague character of an announcement which should either have been put plainly or omitted altogether. The next day ib turned out that it was not an Australian firm that was referred to at all, but that the purely New Zealand house of David Clarkson and Son bad been compelled to call their croditors together. Considering the extent of their transactions, the total disclosed is not large, and it is understood that the deficiency will not be great, provided that discretion be shown in nob pressing a hasty realisation. A gentleman, to whom indirectly New Zealand owes a great deal, died recently at Bearsden, near Dumbarton. I refer to Mr J. J. Coleman, of Bell-Coleman refrigerator fame, whose death took place at the comparatively early age of 50. He was the son of a Lincolnshire chemist and druggist, was left fatherless when about ten years of age, and subsequently became connected with a similar business in the town of Halifax. He was of studious habits and a scientific turn of mind, and attended the classes of the Mechanics' Institute of that town, where he gained high distinction. When only 22 years of age he communicated two papers to the chemistry section of the Oxford meeting of the British Association (1860). He was subsequently teacher of science at three educational institutions, one of which was the Training College at Chester, the principal of which was then the Rev. Dr. Rigg. About that time Dr. James Young, the father of the paraffin industry, v brought out) his invention of the manufacture of mineral oil. When a

rich bituHienous mineral, known as curly cannel, was discovered in Flintshire, and only a shorb distance from Chester, Mr Coleman was tempted to erect and manage works for the manufacture of minoral oils. His reputation as a skilled chemist and general scientific expert inducod the directors of Young's Paraffin and Mineral Oil Company, Glasgow, to offer him the post ot manager of their works, which he accepted. In that capacity he carried out experimental investigations for the utilisation of socalled waste products, and was able to show that the uncondensed gaaes produced in the distillation of the bitumenous shale were capable of yielding, when subjected to great pressure, and at a low temperature, highly' volatile liquid hydro-carbons, having great solvent powers on various substances, and ser viceable in producing illuminatinggas where ordinary coal gas was not obtainable. In dealing with the uncondensed hydrocarbon gases from tho shale retorts, he invented a machine developing the required low temperature and great mechanical compression. This invention introduced him to Sir William Thomson, and led to his being consulted by Mr James Bell, the wellknown shipowner and importer of fresh meat from the United States. Mr Coleman, in order that he might devote his individual attention to the solution of the great problem of mechanical refrigeration, left the service of Young's Paraffin Company, and soon succeeded in solving it. Some ten yearb ago his first machine, practically perfect, was made, and soon after a large number of vessels, of the Anchor and other lines, were fitted with the Bell-Cole-man dry-air mechanical refrigerator, the demand for which became very great, owinsr to its undoubted importance for the importation of fresh meat. About four years ago Messrs Haslam and Co., of Derby, bought up the Bell-Coleman patent rights, and Mr Coleman made a moderate competency, retired from active business and erected at Bearsden, where he took up his permanent residence, a large laboratory. Jt Avashis intention to carry on original experimental research in chemical and physical science, and as long as his frail health permitted him he did some excellent work, and ib may well be said of him that ho crowded enough scientific work into tho short span of his life to ensuie his namo a lasting record in the annals of science. Sir John Somers Vine has started for Singapore, whence he goes by tho British India line to Brisbane. From the Queensland metropolis he will proceed to tho other Australian capitals with the \ iew of establishing local organisations for the diffusionof commercial intelligencethroughout the Empire under the auspices of the Imperial Institute. He visits New Zealand for the same purpose on his return journey. Sir Somei'S bears with him, as becomes " the Prince's friend," letters of introduction from all the Australian Agents - General to the Premiers of their respective colonies. All the former, including Sir F. D. Bell, were expected at the Savage Club last Saturday, when Sir Somers presided at the usual dinner and took the opportunity of saying farewell to his "pals," as ho expressively calls them. As might have been anticipated, Sir F. D. Bell ab the last moment sent an apology, as did Sir Graham Berry and the Canadian High Commissioner. Sir Saul Samuel, Sir Arthur Blyth and Mr Archer, however, turned up, and were doubtless edified by the novel Bohemian entertainment. Contraiy to the normal custom which prohibited speech making, Sir Somers's health was proposed, and in reply he of course stated he owed everything to the Savage Club, and would, equally of course, extol their excellence wherever he went. Sir Somers starts at 8 p.m., and is due at Marlborough House jusb an hour before, bhe Prince having fixed seven o'clock for taking a final farewell of his favourite. Sir Somers i 3 a man of great energy, and will perhaps impress colonists more favourably than previous anticipations would lead people to prognosticate.