662

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 29

On the expiry of the period named the committee shall as soon as convenient thereafter (should they deem it necessary) make a personal inspection of each applicant's allotment, and shall take into consideration—

1. The actual cost incurred by each applicant in testing his scheme for the period above mentioned.

2. The result of the work done on each allotment.

On completion of the tests the committee shall furnish a report to the Minister on all the schemes which they have examined or tested, and shall state—

1. The scheme which they consider on the whole the most practical, efficient, and economic; and if they consider such scheme worthy of the bonus.

2. Whether, in the event of no one scheme being entitled to the whole bonus, they deem any one worthy of a part, and, if so, how much.

The committee has power to withhold all awards if they think none of the schemes submitted of sufficient importance to merit a bonus.

A sum not exceeding 6d. per acre may be paid to each competitor whose scheme is accepted for test by the committee, and who, in the opinion of the committee, has done work deserving of recognition.

JOHN McKENZIE,

Minister for Agriculture.

Bonuses for Encouragement of New Zealand Hemp (Phormium tenax) Industry.—Notice No. 430.

Department of Agriculture,

Wellington, 1st November, 1895.

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 for Agriculture, Wellington, and must reach him not later than the 31st March, 1897. 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 for Agriculture.

Bonus for the Production of Quicksilver.

Mines Office,

Wellington, 19th September, 1895.

NOTICE is hereby given that a bonus of fourpence (4d.) per pound will be paid on the production of the first one hundred thousand pounds weight (100,000lb.) of good marketable retorted quicksilver, free from all impurities, from any mine in New Zealand, on the following conditions, that is to say:—

1. That at least one-third of the quantity is produced on or before the 31st March, 1897, and the remaining two-thirds on or before the 31st March, 1899.

2. No bonus will be payable until the whole of the one hundred thousand pounds (100,000lb.) of quicksilver has been produced as stipulated to the satisfaction of an officer to be appointed by the Minister of Mines, and on whose certificate alone the bonus will be paid.

3. In the event of more than one person producing the required quantities of quicksilver before the dates named, inquiry will be made by the officer above referred to, when, if it is found that each applicant is equally entitled to a bonus, the amount will be divided in proportion to the quantities produced by each applicant, but in no case shall any bonus be paid until at least one hundred thousand pounds (100,000lb.) of quicksilver has been produced in the aggregate.

A. J. CADMAN,

Minister of Mines.

First Election of Trustees, Otokia Drainage District.

Colonial Secretary's Office,

Wellington, 17th April, 1896.

THE following result of the first election of Trustees of the Otokia Drainage District has been furnished by the Returning Officer, and is published in accordance with the provisions of "The Land Drainage Act, 1893":—

JAMES CARRUTHERS,

THOMAS MATHESON,

ROBERT SHENNAN,

ANDREW SOUNNESS, and

JOHN H. WILSON.

HUGH POLLEN,

Under-Secretary.

Officiating Ministers for 1896.—Notice No. 12.

Registrar-General's Office,

Wellington, 20th April, 1896.

IN accordance with a request received from the Moderator, the name of the

Reverend WILLIAM CAMPBELL

has been withdrawn from the list of Officiating Ministers of the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland, under "The Marriage Act, 1880," for the year 1896.

E. J. von DADELSZEN,

Registrar-General.

Branch of Friendly Society registered.

Friendly Societies' Registry Office,

Wellington, 10th April, 1896.

THE Court Woodland's Pride, No. 8041, situated at Dunedin, is registered as a branch of the United Otago District of the Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society, under "The Friendly Societies Act, 1882," this 10th day of April, 1896.

EDMUND MASON,

Registrar of Friendly Societies.