460
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 23

now in use, and which shall, after trial, be found to materially reduce the cost of production, improve the product, or increase the quantity of dressed fibre.

The following are the conditions:—

1. All applications for the bonus must be sent addressed to the Hon. the Minister of Agriculture, Wellington, and must reach him not later than the 30th August, 1894. Each application must be accompanied by a description of the machine or process, particularly stating improvements on present machines or processes, and also the cost at which the machine or process can be supplied.
2. The applicants must be prepared to submit their machines or processes to examination at such time and place as the Government may direct.
3. The Government shall appoint a committee of three or more experts, to whom all applications shall be submitted. Such committee shall, after perusal, state what machines or processes they deem worthy of consideration, and may inspect the same at any place within the colony; and, having so inspected the whole or any of them, may direct that the whole or any of them be brought for further trial to such place as they may think fit.

The cost of bringing the machines or appliances on to the ground, from within the colony, supplying the necessary shafting, motive-power, and buildings, to be defrayed by the Government. If any machine sent from beyond the colony is awarded the bonus or part thereof, then the cost of bringing such machine shall be borne by the Government.

The following shall be the basis of the test:—
The committee shall supply a sufficient and equal quantity of green hemp to each machine or process as a test.
The committee shall take into consideration—
The time occupied by each machine or process in the operation;
The cost of labour and time required after the fibre has left the machine or process before it is ready for baling;
The percentage of dressed fibre and tow produced by each machine or process;
The cost of producing the same;
The cost of the machine, and the simplicity and durability of the working parts.

On completion of the tests the committee shall furnish a report to the Minister on all the machines or processes which they have examined or tested, and shall state,—
(1.) The machine or process which they consider on the whole the most efficient and economic.
(2.) Whether they consider that any machine or process tested so materially reduces the cost of production, or improves the product, as to be worthy of the whole bonus or of a part only.
(3.) Whether, in the event of no one machine or process being entitled to the whole bonus, they deem any machine or process worthy of a part of the bonus, and, if so, how much.

BONUS No. 2.

A bonus of £250 is offered for a process of utilising the waste products of the hemp.

The first three conditions of Bonus No. 1 to apply to this also.

The committee shall supply a sufficient and equal quantity of the waste products to each process as a test.

On completion of the tests the committee shall report to the Minister, and shall give the following particulars of each process: (a.) The nature of the article made. (b.) The quantity produced, and the cost of production. (c.) The value of the product. (d.) Whether any of the processes are of sufficient importance to warrant the Minister in giving (1) the whole, or (2) any part, of the bonus; (3) if a part only, how much.

JOHN McKENZIE.
Minister of Agriculture.

Notice to Local Authorities under “The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1886.”

The Treasury,
Wellington, 20th March, 1894.

PURSUANT to section 16 of “The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1886,” the Colonial Treasurer hereby gives notice that on Wednesday, the 25th April, 1894, he will be prepared to consider applications from Local Authorities for loans under the Act.

Applications should be addressed to the Colonial Treasurer, and must be posted so as to arrive at the Treasury on or before the 24th April, 1893.

Applications received between the present date and the 24th April next will be considered on the date mentioned above.

J. G. WARD,
Colonial Treasurer.

Notice to Receivers of Public Moneys.

The Treasury,
Wellington, 1st March, 1894.

WITH a view to the early completion of the Treasury Accounts of the current financial year, ending on Saturday, the 31st March, Receivers are directed to prepare copies of their cash-books for the period ended on that day, and to transmit the same by post to the Receiver-General immediately after the close of the bank on that date.

In the case of officers who account four-weekly, the period ending on the 24th instant is hereby extended to the 31st, and the copy of cash-book must embrace all transactions from the 24th February to the 31st March.

If any bank receipts dated on or before the 31st instant are received from sub-offices after copies of cash-books have been rendered, officers are directed to enter all such receipts in a supplementary account, and to transmit a copy thereof to the Receiver-General daily, such account to be finally closed on the 7th April.

The first ordinary account for the new year should be for the period from the 2nd to 7th April, both inclusive, and should only contain such revenue as shall have been paid to the Public Account subsequent to the 31st instant, or collected after bank hours on that date. The first four-weekly account is to be made up to the 28th April next.

Receivers who account weekly are requested to take great care that the copies of their cash-books to be rendered during the current month are promptly posted.

JAMES B. HEYWOOD,
Receiver-General.

Government Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of February, 1894. Altitude above the sea, 140ft. Observations taken at 9.30 a.m.

• Means. † Same month previous years.

Note.—Showery early part of month, and strong N.W. wind on 2nd, 3rd, and 12th; fine during middle of month, light variable winds; end of month very wet from S.E., and strong winds; 1in. rain recorded on 25th and 1·90in. on 26th, the maximum for month; prevailing N.W. wind. Maximum temperature in shade 80°, minimum 48°; mean temperature of dew-point, 53°·8; mean humidity, 69. Sleet fell on 25th and 26th.

R. B. GORE, Observer.