The calling out of all affiliated bodies in Australia has caused the situation there to assume a serious aspect. The Mayor of Sydney is endeavouring to stay the hand of the labour authorities, and his efforts have proved partially successful. A truce has been arranged pending the result of the negotiations which are proceeding, but all arrangements have been completed for a general strike in the event of their proving futile. The New South Wales Government are taking steps to maintain order, and the special constables who have been sworn in at Sydney will go on duty this evening. Great public inconvenience is being occasioned by the calling out of the vanmen and carters, while in Melbourne the prospect of a general strike is causing a good deal ol excitement. There is, however, a prospect that matters may be amicably settled. The shipowners are preparing new articles, and if these are accepted by the men on strike they will be prepared to take them back forthwith. At Melbourne it is proposed to hold a conference between the owners and the labour party.

A fire, supposed to be the work of an incendiary, has broken out at the Alhambra Palace, Spain, but does nob appear to have caused any very serious difficulty. The palace, once the home of the Mahometan kings of Grenada, is situated on the summit of a lofty hill which overlooks the city. In its perfect state the interior of the Alhambra was deemed the most superb specimen of Moorish architecture and fanciful adornment that has ever existed. It is now little better than a huge pile of ruins, bub nevertheless probably the most picturesque ruins in Europe. On change yesterday things were again brisk—Thames stocks were in active demand, bub operations in Kuaotunu were dull. May Queens were sold at 15s and 16s, and the market closed with stocks easy, sellers being at 16s; Trentons were briskly inquired after, and transactions are recorded at 4s and 4s 7d, and buyers are now at 4s 4d, with sellers firm at 4s Bd. In Moanataiaris business was done at 8« 4dand 8s 3d, and sellers now ask 8s 6d; while Saxons changed hands at 5s lid and 6s 3d, and buyers were offering 6s at the close of the market. The lengthy case Ehrenfricd v. Gleeson was continued at the Supreme Court yesterday. Mr. Tole's address, which had occupied the Court the whole of the previous day from twelve o'clock up to the adjournment, was only concluded at halfpast two o'clock, when Mr. Cooper rose to reply on behalf of the plaintiff. He had nob finished when the Court rose at fiv< o'clock and adjourned until ten o'clock this morning. It is stated that on Tuesday night a man named Rae, belonging to Mangere, met with a painful accident. While driving his cart on the Onehunga Road he fell off, and the wheel passed along the sid<* of his head, completely crushing his ear. do report of the accident has reached the Auckland police, and on inquiring at the Auckland Hospital last night nothing was known there as to the accident. There was not so great a run on the office of the Registration Officer yesterday as on the previous day, owing to the wet weather, but long enquiry lists are coming to hand from secretaries of unions, as to whether such and such men are on the lists. It is gratifying to find working men at last taking some interest in the affairs of the country, a thing they ought to have done all along. As it was, half of them would nob take the trouble to go to the poll to record their votes, unless they were taken there in a cab. Another old identity has passed away, in the person of Mr. J. W. Fedarb, who died at his residence College Road, yesterday. The deceased, who was a native of Kent, England, arrived in Auckland before a house was built in it, and remembered the day when the Governor hoisted the British Standard. He book part in mission work among the Maoris on the East Coast, and secured the signatures of many Maori chiefs to the Treaty of Waitangi. Deceased was an excellent Maori scholar. A number of the union seamen on strike, instead of idling about town, are getting into such work in the country as is available. Some have gone bo the gumfields, others to Whangarei, while some are shipping away in sailing vessels to various ports. Those who have little " nest eggs ' : sufficient to keep them for months to come do nob intend to claim strike pay, but let it go to the support of their less fortunate brethren. Yesterday Inspector Broham received a telegram from Constable Joyce stating that he had been informed that a native named Kohatu had been killed at Slippery Creek by falling over a precipice. He was leaving to make enquiries, as no particulars were received. Some of the landlords have been interviewing their tenants who are on strike, with a view of getting paid arrears of rent. They intimated their desire that if the rent were not paid the tenant should go out and give a union landlord a turn. The striking tenants have promised to " take the matter into their serious consideration." The fact that the Newmarket and Onehunga Horticultural Societies have decided to aid in the coming Agricultural and Industrial Show at Epsom, on the loth November, will be a great help to the committee, who are working to make the show a success. The joint committee of these societies has met, and a schedule of prizes to be competed for is now being prepared. The canvasser for the Auckland Agricultural and Industrial Show, in the course of hit peregrinations, yesterday called at the Herald Office and gob the proprietors to give a cup as a special prize to be competed for. There are now seven or eight special prizes offered to the Show Committee, and in the schedule which is being prepared it will soon be known for which events these special prizes are to be given. An emergency meeting of the Masonic Lodge United Service, holding under the New Zealand Constitution, was held last night at the Freemasons Hall, Princesstreet. Brother George Leaning, W.M., presided. The business of the meeting was the initiation of four candidates, Messrs. J. J. Wirbh, Philip Wirth, George Wirth and Frederick Jones. There was a good attendance of the members and visitors. Brother T. H. Allen, P.M., conducted the initiation ceremonies in an impressive manner. The misunderstanding between the strikers staying at the Sailors' Home and the management of the institution seems to have widened. The manager states that about 25 have left the Home. There are at present in the Home 22 inmates, including six unionists, and a number of free labour seamen. The men who left have taken unoccupied houses in Chapel-street, and are bachelorising very comfortably. A meeting was held hist evening in connection with this trouble, but it is nob clear how the matter ended. Six of the unionists, however, returned last evening bo the Home, after the meeting, and some of them stated that though unionists, and willing to obey the union in matters relating to their ships, it; was too much to ask them to leave the Home and interfere with their liberty ashore. The dissenting unionists, however, claim that there is a principle at stake, relating to unionism, and declare that the six will " come out" to-day. They do not blame the manager, who obeys orders, and has popularised the institution very much, and have intimated as much to him. The manager, on his side says that the Home is for the use and benefit of seafaring men, and he can take no notice of either unionism or non-unionism. All seamen are welcome to the shelter aud benefits of the institution. There seems to be some mistake or misunderstanding us to only two men, and these non-strikers, having received notices as to their board. A notice was shown to the reporter of a seaman belonging to the Pukaki, dated Saturday, the very day his payment for a fortnight's board in advance expired, notifying him that by orders he must either give "money or room." Over a dozen of such notices are declared to have been issued, and are now in the hands of the secretary of the local branch of the Seamen's Union. The notice certainly does seem to have been issued unguardedly, and in peremptory terms which were not calculated to improve the temper of the seamen. The manager has shown such interest in the welfare of the seamen, that it can only be regarded as an inadvertence. The latest addition to the well-known business of Thomas Cook and Son is the opening of a department in their London head office for the special purposo of carrying on a banking business. Travellers to Europe can, if they desire, deposit money at interest or keep a current account with the firm, who will undertake the business at favourable rates, and supply a chequebook for drawing purposes. The firm of Messrs. Thomas Cook and Son is so well known for their enterprise and endeavours to caber for the traveller in every possible way that we think the venture will be appreciated by travellers, and hope it wil? turn out a success. ' The I.yttelton Times states that those curiously perforated " threepences" and "sixpennies" which have lately been bo conspicuous in collection plates, and which are thought to bo the work of the Chinese, who punch out holes for the sake of the small pieces of silver they thus obtain, are to be refused by the banks and post offices. The natural result of this will be that shopkeepers and others will refuse to accept them, and the result of this will be that the only means of getting rid of these depleted coins will be through the offertory.

, Now that the sesmenin port are taking more in fc in the management of th« Sailors' i.ome than taey have hithertc done, it may be well W give publicity tc Pome of their representations. They state that when the Mission Hall was built it was understood the whde of the religiom services would be hold there, leaving th« men free to attend or not attend as the) thought fit, and that tie old Mission Hal would thereafter bo devoted to the purpose* of a social room, where they could smoke, read, or amuse themselves in social chat 01 In other ways during the evening. Some of them complain that this is not so, th« social room being usid for services on several evenings a veek, for nearly at hour, thus depriving them for that period of its use for socid purposes. They complain that there is too much of the " sky pilot" business, and too little time and facilities given for social recreation. A number of ladies, they say, come into the social room of an evening, with the " best intentions," but whoso presence thoro onlj deprives the men of a yarn with each othet and the enjoyment of their pipes, as they have to stop smoking when such visitor* com* in. They think the institution might be made an Institute as well as a Home, by improving the periodical literature fur nishid, renovating tho library by taking out obsolete works of no earthly interest and replacing them by good modern literatim, partly relating to their profession ; alsj that tho services of a naval instructor night be procured, so that navigation clisses could bo formed, where the brightest of tho young seamen might qualify, if they so desired, to become petty officers. These suggestions are certainly well worth confideration, and it might be left to the seamen of the port to elect one representative to serve on the Council, to represent tho seamen. His knowledge of the views and wishes of his order might prove of great service to the Council, would popularise the institution, and load the seamen to take a much greater interest in the management of their Home than they have hitherto done. The committee appointed to deal with the applications for the position of tho lady attendant at the Art Gallery have selected the names of seven young ladies for consideration at their meeting this afternoon :— Misses A. S. Barry, Julia Braithwaite, Lucy Francis, Bessie Hill, Fanny R. Murray, Agnes Radford, H. Richards. The American Agriculturist writes: — "The waragainstbinder-twine in the United States last year proved very advantageous for New Zealand flax-growers. A largo part of the fifteen thousand tons of flax exported from this latter country in 1889 was shipped to the United States and made into cordage. This sudden increase in -the New Zealand tlax export trade has openod the eyes of London merchants, who are anxious to obtain regular statistical information in regard to this industry. In another column Mr. A. B. Donald announces that his shipchaudlery and sailmaking business will in future be carried 3ii in the commodious premises formerly in ihe occupation of Messrs. E. and A. Isaacs, uid that it will be under the able management of Mr. G. Jones, so long and favourably known in connection with tho shipchandlery establishment of Captain Anderson and Messrs. T. and S. Motrin and Co. The West End Musical Union repeated Shinn's oratorio, "The Captives of Babylon," last night, when they performed it at St. Stephen's Church, Ponsonby, for the benefit of the church funds.' Mr. Phillpott conducted, and Mr. Burke was the leader of the orchestra. The soloists were as at the previous performance of tho oratorio by the Union. There was a "moderate attendance. At the annual meeting of tho Dunedin Agricultural and Pastoral Association the balance-sheet showed a credit balance of £160. Mr. J. C. Smith was elected president. It was decided to try next year to secure the title to the Tahuna Park show grounds. _ £400,000,000 is a huge sum cf money. Yet that is tho amount which, according to an eminent statistician, has been lost to Frenc'n vine-growers since the year 1875, througn the ravages of phylloxera, mildew, and ottar scourge.'. There must have been a wonderful recuperative energy in France whtn the country could stand such a loss, and also pay a war indemnity of £200,000,000. Notwithstanding these vast losses, it steam* that the vine industry is again making rapid headway. It is predicted, indeed, that, with the help of a few good se'woii-i, France will ere long produce a quantity of w.ne surpassing in amount the production previous to vineyards being destroyed by inject and fungoid pests. It appears that fcr a length of time vinegrowers have been grappling with the enemies of the vi and have been so far successful : hence the prospects of largelyincreased yields from the vintage in many French districts. From a recent number of the Gardeners' Chronicle. 1 clip the following : — Increased production is rapidly lowering prices, especially in the Bordeaux district, and it can safely be assumed that within a short space of time we shall all be able to buy in thi3 country a sound, mature, rod wine from the district best capable of producing it at Is a bottle. It is not too much to say that with the red table-wines produced in the Bordelais no other district of the globe can at present compete. Patriotism may seek and ultimately find in Australia, and our palates in this damp and changeable climate may find in port wine a substitute, but now that the vine pests have been coped with, the proximity of France to our shores, her knowledge of vine culture and manufacture, and her climate so well suited to the production of a cheap sound natural wine must, from the nature of things, enable her to defy serious competition." Phylloxera has been fought in two ways—(l) by grafting scions of the best varieties of grapes on to American stocks of different kinds, the roots of which, even though attacked by the insect, do not sutler like the vines of Europe ; and (2) by employing bisulphide of carbon to destroy the phylloxera. In regard to mildew, which attacks the foliage of tho vine, and which in many cases has been nearly as bad as phylloxera, the fungus has been successfully fought by the use of sulphate of copper, both in powder and in a liquid form. So effectual has this poison proved that mildew may now no longer be pronounced a dangerous pest in vine-growing—• that i., to those who are pleased to prevent it by applying Milestone. As showing what good culture and care, combined with capital and intelligence, can do in the vino industry, the Gardeners' Chronicle quote*, as an instance, tho progress of the vineyard-" of Messrs. Gilbey's Chateau Londenne. In the first year of their occupancy the make was 170 hogsheads; in 18S0 it was 1180, and if the vintage of 1890 fulfils its present promise, the yield will not fall far short of 1500 hogsheads. There was a new departure at La Mascotte Skating Rink last night in the shape of a plain and fancy dress carnival, which attracted a large number of spectators. Various amusements were indulged in by tho skaters, including a very laughable obstacle race, anil somo fancy skating. Though the display of fancy costumes could not be considered very brilliant, there was a good deal of originality and variety among them. Considering the unfavourable night the display may be regarded as fairly successful. The football match, Taranaki v. Wairarapa, was won by the former by seven points (two goals and two tries) to three points (one goal). The fine programme of sacred music so successfully performed on a recent occasion in St. Matthew's Church is to be repeated on Thursday next. It is hoped that the weather will be more propitious than on the last occasion, when so many were deterred from being present. A novelty in windov-dressing in Auckland is to be seen at Milne and Choyce's. One of the front windows is decked out entirely with flowers in exquisite taste in various designs, crosses, anchors, wreaths, lyres, etc., being represented. Ladies, call and see it. The Gordon Cricket Club hold their annual meeting in the Imperial Hotel, on Saturday evening next, at a quarter to eight p.m. The business to be transacted is the consideration of last year's report and balance-sheet and election of officers for the ensuing season. The Burns Club will give their usual entertainment in the Masonic Hall, Newton, this evening. The Gospel Temperance Mission special entertainment will be held this evening in the Temperance Hall. Captain Lane will preside. Meetinß of ra Lodge at Freemasons' Hall, Princes-street, this evening.. Tenders wanted by Cassel Gold Extracting L/ornpany (Limited), for the erection of works in ruirnnualiHke; also, for the construction « water-race in connection with same.