Oct. 14.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1779

Rate of Interest allowed on Deposits in the Post-Office Savings-Bank.

The Treasury,
Wellington, 14th October, 1897.

NOTICE is hereby given that I have determined that, after the 1st day of November proximo, interest will be allowed on every complete pound deposited in the Post-Office Savings-Bank at the rate of 3 per centum per annum on sums not exceeding £200, and at the rate of 2½ per centum per annum on sums over £200, and in the same proportion for any shorter time: Provided that no interest shall be allowed on sums over £500, except as provided by section 7 of “The Post-Office Savings-Banks Amendment Act, 1869.”

R. J. SEDDON,
Colonial Treasurer.

Volunteer Corps disbanded.

Defence Office,
Wellington, 8th October, 1897.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to approve of the

South Franklin Mounted Rifle Volunteers

being disbanded as from the 17th February, 1897.

The commissions held by the under-mentioned gentlemen in the above corps will therefore lapse, in accordance with paragraph 62, Volunteer Regulations, 1895:—

BENJAMIN HARRIS, late Captain.
ROBERT FELLOWES WEBSTER, late Lieutenant.
ROBERT BILKIE, late Lieutenant.
JAMES DALZIEL, late Surgeon-Captain.
The Rev. EDGAR J. McFARLANE, late Honorary Chaplain.

T. THOMPSON.

New Zealand Hemp.—Notice No. 478.

Department of Agriculture,
Wellington, 30th March, 1897.

THE time for receiving applications for the bonuses mentioned in Notice No. 430 has been extended to 31st December, 1897.

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 December, 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.

Officiating Ministers for 1897.—Notice No. 21.

Registrar-General’s Office,
Wellington, 12th October, 1897.

PURSUANT to the provisions of an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, passed in the forty-fourth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and intituled “The Marriage Act, 1880,” the following names of Officiating Ministers within the meaning of the said Act are published for general information:—

Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England.
The Reverend Edwin Allanson, B.D.

Catholic Apostolic Church.
Mr. Thomas Ernest Tucker.

E. J. VON DADELSZEN,
Registrar-General.

Results of Road Board Elections.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 12th October, 1897.

THE following notices of elections of members of Road Boards have been received at this office, and are published in accordance with the provisions of “The Road Boards Act, 1882.”

HUGH POLLEN,
Under-Secretary.

Kirikiri roa Road District, County of Waikato:
Thomas Paterson.

Motoroa Road District, County of Patea:
John William Thurston.