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Auckland Star, Volume VII, Issue 2030, 11 August 1876, Page 3

A meeting of gentlemen is being held as we go to press, at the British Hotel, to consider the holding of an exhibition of stock &c. We am unable therefore to give the result in this evening's issue. ONLY Is lid and 2s 3d Is it true ? The advantages of improved machinery and steam power are now felt all over the world ; every vessel reaching thiß port brings fresh evidence of its benefits—The Working Classes can. now obtain what a few years ago only the wealthy could purchase. The good ships " Inverallan " and " Eobiaa Dm:': [> " have brought a large assortment of Floor Cloths and Carpets for Holloway and Garlick, which they are able to sell at surprisingly low prices. Bordered Floor Cloths 4x4 wide at Is lid and 2s 3d per yard, also some beautiful designs in wide widths 12, 15, 18, and 24 feet wide, best quality. In Tapestry Carpets for Sitting and Dining rooms, 3s 4d, 3s 6d, 3s 9d, and 3s lid per yard ; Fashionable Brussels and all-wool Kidderminsters at 3s 9d. Also Houße Furniture of all kinds manufactured under the superintendence of Mr R. Cranwell (late Uranwell and Co., Shortland-street). The upper, middle, and working classes can all get goods to suit them at the City Hall Drapery and Furniture Establishment, Queen-street, Holloway and Garlick, Proprietors. A very good story, illustrating the serious effect whfch the recent fall in the price of wool will have upon New Zealand is told by " F " in tho Nelson Mail] He was out driving with an atcricultural friend when they came to a paddock on one »ide of the road in which a small flock of »heep were feeding. His friend suddenly pulled up and said: " You see those sheep. Now place them, not merely as a score or two of sheep, but as representatives of the flocks of New Zealand: on one side of the fence, and all your loading men as representing the brain power of the colony—your Vogels, and your Greys, and your Bees', if you like — on the other, and having them so ranged face to face, tell me which of the two classes of animals has the greater influence on the welfare of the country." " My good fellow." I replied, " what rubbish you talk, Just be good enough to drive on, and don't draw any more su'oh unsavoury comparisons between a gristly old Leicester wether and the Premier of the colony." '"Well," said he with a grim smile, 1 ■ I'll try and 3how you that I'm not talking suoh nonsense as you think. The sheep of Mew Zealand produce yearly about 90,000 bales of wool, each of which weighs on an average at laast 3000 pounds That means fcwen ty-aove n milllonponnds weight of wool. Supposing that last year it was worth fifteen pence a pound and that now the price has fallen twenty per cent, it means that 3d on each pound w«ight, or batween three and four hundred thousand pounds sterling has been lost to the colon/. Now, can one, or can the wbole lot of your Parliament men together think, talk, or legislate ta such an extent as to make such a difference to the income of the colony? Answer me that" According to the Daily News correspondent at Alexandria, there is some anxiety about the fate of the Egyptian army in Abyssinia. There can be no doubt (the writer says) that the war is over, but perhaps it will never be known at what expenditure of men and money About 8000 soldiers have arrived at Suez, and three steamers are now (May 22nd) due With troops. Some three or four thousand are still at Massowah, and these, making abaut 15,000 who h»ve returned, are said to be all that may be expected. ■ This leaves about 15.000 unaccounted for Several thousands of these were doubtless killed in the first and second battles; the remainder are unable to leave ou account of their wounds, and the rainy season having set iv. The condition of these poor men can be easily imagined. Tne fierceness and cruelty of the Abyssinians are said to have been fearful The battle of November last as described by an eyewitness as a total annihilation of the Egyption forces, and in corroboratlon of this I hear of oae regiment, leaving 8m z 600 strong, represented by eight men on their return. One thing is certain, there will be no more Abyssinian wars, and the army has been so reduced that there will'be a considerable saving in the War Minister s budget. ___«— -mm— —