Aug. 23.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1337.

shall consist of an oak wreath in silver tied with gold, having in the centre the Royal cipher and crown in gold.

Secondly.—It is ordained that the Decoration shall be suspended from the left breast by a green riband of one inch and a half in width from a silver oak bar-brooch.

Thirdly.—It is ordained that the Decoration may be worn by Us, our heirs and successors, Kings and Queens Regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; and it shall be competent for Us, our heirs and successors, to confer the Decoration upon any of the Princes of the Royal Family of Great Britain and Ireland.

Fourthly.—It is ordained that no person shall be eligible for this Decoration nor be nominated thereto unless he is or was a commissioned officer and has served twenty years in our Volunteer Force, is recommended by the commanding officer of the corps in which he has served, and is duly certified by the district military authorities in which the corps is located as having been an efficient and thoroughly capable officer, in every way deserving of such a Decoration: Provided nevertheless, and We do hereby declare, that half of any time during which an officer of our Volunteer Force may have served in the ranks of our said Force shall reckon as qualifying service towards the twenty years required as aforesaid.

Fifthly.—It is ordained that the names of those upon whom We may be pleased to confer the Decoration shall be published in the London Gazette, and a Registry thereof kept in the office of our Principal Secretary of State for War.

Sixthly.—In order to make such additional provision as shall effectually preserve pure this most honourable distinction, it is ordained that, if any person on whom it shall be conferred be convicted of any act derogatory to his honour as an officer and a gentleman, his name shall forthwith be erased from the Registry of individuals upon whom the said Decoration shall have been conferred, by an order from Us under our Royal Sign-manual; and a notification thereof shall be duly published in the London Gazette.

Lastly.—We reserve to Ourselves, our heirs and successors, full power of annulling, altering, abrogating, augmenting, interpreting, or dispensing with these regulations, or any part thereof, by a notification under our Royal Sign-manual.

Given at our Court at Osborne, the twenty-fifth day of July, in the fifty-sixth year of our reign, and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-two.

By Her Majesty’s command.

EDWARD STANHOPE.

[M. and V. 94/1345.]

Bonus on Mineral Oil manufactured from Orepuki Shale.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 30th June, 1893.

NOTICE is hereby given that a bonus will be paid for the production of mineral oil under the following conditions:—

1. A bonus of 1s. per gallon (£5,000) will be paid on the first 100,000 gallons of mineral oil produced from shale obtained in the Orepuki district, Otago; the oil to be of a quality approved of by Government, and to be sold at a fair average market price.

2. Notice of intention to claim the aforesaid bonus must be given in writing to the Colonial Secretary not later than the 31st December, 1894.

3. The claim must be made before the 30th June, 1895.

4. The first claimant who proves to the satisfaction of the Government that he has fulfilled all the conditions to be the recipient of the bonus.

5. The other conditions, as to quantity, priority, quality, and value, to be fulfilled to the satisfaction of an officer appointed for the purpose by the Government.

P. A. BUCKLEY.

Bonus on Starch manufactured in New Zealand.—Amended Notice.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 15th November, 1893.

NOTICE is hereby given that a bonus of two pounds (£2) a ton will be paid on 100 tons of starch manufactured in the Colony of New Zealand in each of the years 1893 and 1894.

CONDITIONS.

1. Notice of intention to claim the bonus for 100 tons in 1893 must be given in writing to the Colonial Secretary not later than the 31st December, 1893. Notice of intention to claim the bonus for 100 tons in 1894 must be given in the same manner not later than the 31st December, 1894.

2. The claims must be made respectively before the 31st December, 1893 and 1894.

3. The first claimant who proves to the satisfaction of the Government that he has fulfilled all the conditions is to be the recipient of the bonus.

4. Evidence to be produced of such a nature as will enable an officer appointed by the Government to certify that the above-stated quantity in each year has been actually made, sold, and delivered.

5. The bonus to be paid only on the certificate of such officer.

P. A. BUCKLEY.

[NOTE.—The above notice is in lieu of notice dated 10th October, 893, published in Gazette of 12th October, 1893.]

Bonuses for Encouragement of New Zealand Hemp (Phormium tenax) Industry.—Notice No. 387.

Department of Agriculture,
Wellington, 1st February, 1894.

Bonus No. 1.

A BONUS of £1,750 is offered for a machine or process for dressing New Zealand hemp (Phormium tenax) which shall be an improvement on the machines or processes 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.