ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 475, 28 May 1890, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

London, April 18. MR MACKENZIE’S REPORT ON DAIRY PRODUCE. Mr Mackenzie, M.H.R., sailed for New York by the Etruria on Saturday last. Though the time he spent in London was short, the member for Clutha managed to make fairly exhaustive inquiries into the dairy produce question. To begin with, his inclination was naturally to look to the Agent-General (who two years ago himself supplied a report on the possibilities of the cheeseand butter trade) for assistance, but he soon found that beyond a little chilly and desultory conversation there was nothing of value to be gob from that quarter. Fortunately, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, Messrs Samuel Page and Sons, of 16 Water Lane ; Mr Scales, of 9 Fenchurch-street, and others to whom Mr Mackenzie applied were most courteous, and cheerfully enabled him to see all he wished. Summarised briefly, I understand your Commissioner’s views to be as follows:

Butter. —There is a good market for New Zealand butter in London between October and March, providing it is of fair quality, salting, and colour. Messrs Page report that last year 50 per cent, of the butter from New Zealand was of fine quality, whereas this year it has almost all been unsatisfactory. The general belief is that this year’s butter was kept some time in the colony before it was sent off, instead of being despatched really fresh. All the London folks Mr M. saw appear to agree with Mr C. J. Bone (whose views I despatched last December) that the matter of packing is vitally important. Pond’s boxes should be used only for the very finest qualities of butter. For the rest kegs (not tubs) of a uniform size, to contain from 561 b to 641 b each, should be selected. The butter must not be wrapped in muslin, though there must be a layer of it or some thin calico on the top of each keg. On no account should butter be sent in rolls of a pound weight or in tins. Cheese. — The views of the produce brokers, etc., Mr Mackenzie saw, differ somewhat with Mr C. J. Bone’s as to what is the desirable size of cheese to export from New Zealand and the best mode of packing same. Mr Bone’s experience was that cheeses were more manageable and less liable to damage when not more than 561 b weight. For similar reasons each cheese should be packed (like English Cheddars) in a separate box, and protected at top and bottom with a thin veneer technically known as a strawboard. Mr Mackenzie’s informants, on the contrary, favoured large longish cheeses of about 80 to 861 b each, and showed him two weighing conjointly 1721 b, and packed in a 14 x 28 case which fulfilled in their idea every requisite of the market. They rather favoured the mode of packing as safe and distinctively New Zealandic, e.e., associated with Few Zealand only. It was not altogether undesirable the New Zealand cheese should be distinguishable by some easilynoted peculiarity. Mr Mackenzie appears to think that the complaints of Mr Bone and others concerning the non-branding of much of your dairy produce unjust, The cheese, by the way, must always be full cream ; skimmed milk cheese is not marketable. New Zealand Hemp. —Mr Mackenzie seemed at first inclined to take a pessimistic view of the possibilities of your, flax trade. Sisal, he said, was being cultivated widely, both in the Barbados and the States, and could be delivered dressed at £l2 per ton. He failed to see how your flax was to compete with it. After meeting several flax-brokers (I may mention particularly Wm. Binnie and Co., of Mincing Lane), the member for Clutha appeared more cheerful. It was gratifying at any rate to learn that the New Zealand growers had listened to advice and were sending over far more carefully picked parcels than heretofore. Eventually Mr M. deferred judgment on the flax question till he gauged the possibilities of the American market. DR. FITCHETT’S MARRIAGE. The marriage of Dr. Frederick Fitchett, LL.D., and M.H.R. for Central Dunedin, to Miss Lina Valerie Blain, eldest daughter of Mr Jno. Blain, of Moore-street, Cadogan Square, was duly celebrated on Wednesday last at St. Simon’s Church, Cadogan Square. Only the family and friends of the bride were present. I regret to say I cannot tell you what the heroine of the occasion wore, nor how the learned doctor comported himself, as the latter entirely refused to tell ue when and where the auspicious event was coming off, alleging that he didn't mean to have the solemnest moment ofhis

life turned into “ copy ” by confounded newspaper fellows. Dr. and Mrs Fitchetfc left at once for the Continent, where they will spend part of the honeymoon, sailing from Naples for New Zealand by the Orizaba. THE AGENT-GENERAL. Sir Francis Bell is again talking of r ®' turning to New Zealand as if he meant resign. I firmly believe, however, it 18 only balk, and that the old gentleman will stick to the Agent-General’s office as long as it sticks to him. Whatever Sir Francis may think, he would probably be miserable in New Zealand. He has (as I’ve often said) quite lost touch with the colony, and knows nothing of the present generation of your notables, whilst the remembrance of his brusquerie and lock of cordiality to the rank and file of New Zealand visitors to London would scarcely cause him to be very cordially welcomed. FROZEN MEAT. The arrival of a cargo of 400 fat sheep (in prime condition) from the Argentine, which sold readily in Liverpool at A 1 prices, threatens danger to the New Zealand frozen mutton trade. According to report, sheep of this sorb can be profitably realised at 4d per pound. THE MONOWAI. The latest addition to the already extensive fleet of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand is a magnificent passenger steamer, the Monowai, built by Messrs Denny, of Dumbarton. In her trials over the measured mile recently the Monowai attained in four runs a speed of over 14f knots —more than one knot over what was guaranteed. Messrs Denny exhibited a superb reproduction of a ship’s saloon and overhead music hall at last year’s Glasgow Exhibition. The vessel for which most of the features of that display were intended was the Monowai, and as regards her passenger accommodation the result is even finer than was then foreshadowed. PERSONAL ITEMS. Messrs Ashby inform me that they have booked Mr R. Corbett through to Auckland, per Rodney. The floating of the Taranaki Ironsand Company is understood to have somewhat improved the fortunes of Sir Julius Vogel, who may now reconsider his intentions of re-honouring the colony with his presence. I fancy Mr Wakefield, who holds the poorest opinion of the old man’s political chances in New Zealand, smashed any last lingering delusions he retained. Dr. Saunders, a young medico of great promise, who has for some time been a contributor to the “ Lancet,” is about to emigrate to New Zealand, with a view of practising. Mr H. W. Farnall’s pamphleb on “Land Grabbing in New Zealand ” continues to attract attention from the London papers. The Star’s leader on the subject was followed by notices in the “ Echo ” and “Daily Chronicle.” Mr T. C. Kerry, the New Guinea explorer, so well-known in Auckland, has not, I learn, succeeded in impressing upon the Colonial Office the justice of his claims to a big land grant in that more or lees undiscovered country.