ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 488, 12 July 1890, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(from our special correspondent.)

London, May 23. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

Tiie prevailing feeling of tho of tho larger shareholders of the Bank of Now Zealand held last Saturday will have been easily gathered from the brief preri-i of the recommendations made public. The London shareholders have completely lost confidence in the local administration,and consider that the sooner tho transfer of tho head oflico can bo effected the better for all parties. When this is done several strong names are to be added to the Board, the capital will, in all probability, be written down by the amount of tho ascertained deficiency and the surplus value of tho sites and premises in the colony placed to the reserve fund. Mr Hcan pronounces the business of the bank to be flourishing, but whatever amount of money may bo made during the next few years, shareholders are informed that only moderate dividends will be paid till a strong reserve fund has accumulated. As soon as Mr David Hean arrives a general meeting of London shareholders will be called to consider bis report and elect a new Board. “ Fairplay ” condemns the removal of the head office to London.

Major George assures me that tho influential shareholders present at last Saturday’s private meeting, showed themselves perfectly ready to be guided by tho London Board, and acquiesced in all the proposals put forward. He further informed mo that tho rumour anent Mr Stewart’s resignation from the control of the London office was entirely without foundation. The cablegrams sent out to the colony on this subject had, he said, given groat annoyance. Air Stewart’s health was, of course, indillerent, and might at any time oblige him to resign. At present, however, nothing was farther from his thoughts. THE OVERDUE MARLBOROUGH.— CAPTAIN ASHBY’S OPINION.

The overdue Shaw - Savill vessel, the Marlborough, has not as yet been heard of. Last Friday, when site had been 125 days ou l- , re-insurances were offered at Lloyds at 90 guineas per cent., and declined. Captain Ashby, who has a son on board, firmly believes that she will turn up soon. Tho last three passages of the Mailborongh were remarkably quick, but a small accident will often cause serious delay. The Falkland Hill, which left Lyttelton tho day before the Marlborough sailed, only reached Homo on the 30th of April, having occupied 110 days on the voyage, and she is" by no means a slow vessel. Another vessel, the non-arrival of which is causing some anxiety, is tho Achievement, which sailed from Lyttelton on January 19lh. As much as 20 guineas percent, was paid for re-insurance during the early part of tho week. Captain Ashby’s theory anont the Marlborough is that her freezing machinery has broken down, and the major portion of her cargo (some 10,000 carcases) has been, perforce, consigned to Davy Jones and the sharks. The remainder of the vessel’s cargo is wool, and she would be left so light that she could not beat to wind ward, or, in fact, do anything to help herself towards home. “I shan’t,” said the captain in conclusion, “ feel the least bit uneasy if she does not turn up for another couple of weeks.” NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR DEBENTURE HOLDERS.

A deputation of tho debenture holders of the unlucky New Plymouth Harbour Board interviewed Sir F 1). Bell tho other afternoon, with a view to ascertain whether the Colonial Government would intervei e on their behalf. They were introduced by Mr Scrymegonr, a well-known city broker, and supported by Mr Astlc (of Westgai*thß),and, I understand, made out a strong case. Sir Francis, of course, merely promised to transmit their representation to the colony. If the New Zealand Governmentcan seeitsway to respond satisfactorily, the effect on New Zealand stocks of all descriptions will be most beneficial.

SIR DILLON BELL’S MOVEMENTS. Sir Francis Dillon 801 l was presented at 1 Lord Ivnutsford's birthday dinner on < Wednesday evening. Yesterday, in com- 1 pany with Sir Saul Samuel, Mr Braddon 1 and tho other Agents-General, your representative left London by the Club train for Paris to attend the Telegraphic Conference. | To-day it is understood the weighty sub- < jeeb of the reduction of cable rates will I be thoroughly threshed out. ] SIR FREDERICK SARGOOD. I Sir Frederick Sargood, the only Austra- j lian among this year’s birthday Knights, is the spniop partner of Sargood, Butler and Co,, of Auckland, Dunedin, Melbourne and Sydney. Sir Frederick is a Jj ndoner by birth. Ho was born at Walworth some fifty - six years ago, He has been prominently identified with the volunteer movement in Victoria since 1859, and at the first meeting for rifie shooting in that colony, he carried off tho first prize. In 1861 ho visited home and competed with success in various rifie contests. Next year he was present at Wimbledon. He was Minister of Defence in the Government of the Hon. Jas. Servico. Sir Frederick is an ardent free-trader. MR FARNALL DECORATED. Seeing the name, Mr Harry Farnall, in the Honours list published last Wednesday, many Anglo-New Z inlanders imagined that Mr Farnall (whose articles on “Land Grabbing in New Zealand,” in the Star, have attracted so much attention) was the lucky man. Inquiries soon destroyed the illusion, the recipient of the C. M.G.’ being an insignificant Foreign Office official. Oil dit Lord Knutstoril has deferred conferring honours on a number of Australasian politicians until Inter Colonial Federation is an accomplished fact, when a shower qf honours will be obligatory. LEPROSY IN RUSSIA. Mis 3 Kate Marsden, who lias been investitrating leprosy in Russia, journeyed to Paris last week to interview M, Pasteur on the j subject of inoculation as a cure for leprosy. 1 The learned scientist, however, could hold out no hope of leprosy being dealt with by , such treatment. Miss Marsden is anxious that M. Pasteur’s decision should be made known in New Zealand, where hopes have been entertained of the applic ibility of his system to Maori lepers. Miss Marsden now returns to Russia to continue her investigations. Sir William and Lady Jorvois and the Misses Jorvois returned on Wednesday to Palace Gates fov the season from their place in Hampshire. MR DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY. Tho new American Press Agency known as Dalzell’s is responsible for a preposterous story, to the effect that Mr David Christie Murray has disappeared, and is being searched for in the States by a San Francisco detective agency. As Mr Murray was some six or . seven weeks ago icc--1 tnring in New Zealand, and most of his • friends were well aware of the. fact, the { origin of this astounding canard cannot; be even remotely conjectured

Mr Round, of Dunedin, a recently returned New- Zealander, informs the papers that he enjoyed ono of “ tho vivacious novelist’s” lectures in tho “ Edinburgh of the Soutli ” two months ago. Mr Murray was then on tho point of starting for the West Coast Sounds, where ho meant to stay several months. Mr Murray s brothers (interviewed of course) arc ns amazed by the story as the rest of Bohemia. Mr W. Murray admits he has not heard from “ Bro. Chri'stio” lately, but is not surprised at that, as when his brother loft ho said ho was off for at least two years and didn’t mean to write many letters home. Personally I believe tho “ par ” was a savage plot inserted by some wicked clubbists with a view to inciting Mr Christie Murray to return to his sorrowing comrades. The world of novel readers, I may mention, is looking forward to the novel of colonial life which (it is confidently conjectured) Mr Christie Murray has by this time written.