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Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 288, 4 December 1889, Page 4

The Public Works Department are calling for tenders for the Kaponga contract, on the Auckland—Rotorua new railway line. The length of this portion of the line is 10£ miles from Ngatira Station, which is eight miles from Pufcaruru Junction, to Kaponga Station, situated near the summit of the line. This length is all through bush, and taps a large area of Government land suitable for future special settlements. The contract includes formation, permanent way, and two or three buildings. A road has been surveyed to join the main coach road from Oxford to Ohinemutu, the length of this road being about six: miles. The completion of the above contract and this road will bring Rotorua within one day's travelling of Auckland. There will remain a further length of 32£ miles of line to complete to Rotorua. The whole of the works will be carried out under the supervision of Messrs Stewart and Hunter.

The following have been selected torepresent the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club at tho Dunodin Championship Meeting -.—IOO yards, H. F. Greenwood; 250 j'ards, H. M. Reeves and H. F. Greenwood ; 440 yards, H. M. Reeves ; half-mile flat, J. F. Grierson ; one mile flat, D. Wood and J. F. Grierson ; three mile flat, D. Wood; one mile walk, H. S. Cocks ; three miles, H. S. Cocks ; high jump, D. M. Robertson ; long jump, T. D. Harman and L. A. Cuff; pole jump, D. Robertson; 120 yards hurdles, Al. B. Shaw ; putting the weight, W. J.'Moir. They will leare for Dunedin on December 12th.

The adjourned meeting of the Onehunga Borough Council wae held last evening. Present: Messrs M. Yates (Mayor), Keehan, Austin, Barr, Bray, Jackson, Tapp, Haatie, and Burden. ... A portion of the military parade reserve wa» leased to Mr Mears for 31 years. It was resolved to press for all arrears of rente for reserves. It was decided to adhere to the grant of £15 towards repairs to the rifle range. Mr Jackeon moved "That the offer of Mr Moran to sell ten acres at Meadow Bank for a cemetery site be referred to Messrs Brookficld and Sons for advice as to its legality." The Mayor ruled the motion out of order, as the. solicitors had already eta ted the Council had no power to accept such offer.

Mr McAdoo, lately one of the members of the well-known Fiek Jubilee Singers Company, now in Australia, was one of the through passengers from Sydney to San Francieco by the mail steamer Alameda, which left here yesterday for the Callfornian: metropolis. Mr McAdod has severed his connection with the Jubilee Singers, and.inten.ds following the musical proteesioff ft*" the State*.- The rest of the troupe, it is said,, are about to leave Melbourne for a tour in India.

A verdict of "Accidentally drowned" was returned by the Coroner's jury that inquired into the circumstances connected with the death of Mr Frederick Dufaur. The funeral of deceased took, place at 3 o'clock this afternoon, the remains being interred in theSymonds-street Cemetery.

A few days ago a wire from Sydney efcaced that at Wallis Island fifteen natives boarded Messrs McArthur and Co.'& Auckland schooner Olive, Captain Ross, and compelled the crew to give them a passage to Samoa. The captain of the schooner reported to the British Consul at Samoa as folio we :—" On, Ootober 31st, while the schooner Olive was coming out of Wallis Island through the eastern passage, she was boarded by three canoes with fifteen people, who found their way on board, threatening the Jives of two of the crew who were ordered to keep them off. The mate with the rest of the crew were setting sail, and the master was aloft piloting the vessel through the passage. The ' boarders' had been waiting some days and tho captain was warned and had asked the authorities for protection, but was refused. When outside and questioned what was their object they said they had left Wallis Island and were going to Samoa in the Olive although they knew tfaey had broken the law. The captain tried to land them, but the mate and crew refused to go in the boat and put them ashore, giving as an excuso that it was not safe. They were then brought on to Samoa."

The considerable cum of £100,000 in gold coin wat one of the linei on the out. ward matiifeet, from Sydney to San Francisco, of the mail steamer Alameda, which left here yesterday for 'Frisco. This coin ia coneignedito banks in Sao Francisco, who will in turnrdlepose of i 6 to;the United States mint at its.**•! yjftlue.* Shipment* of aimiiOT wA larger ftmownts hftra Jttet

commenced by the Oceanic Company's mail steamers from Sydney to San Francisco, and will, it is said, be continued for several months. The reason of these shipments is that Australian bankers find it cheaper to handle the exchange on London and other European cities ma 'Frisco than direct to London. Ito is the custom amongst Australian bankers to sell the exchange on London at from 60 to 90 days. Very little old gold is shipped to San Francisco, the bankers buying it direct from the colonial mints, whence it is shipped direct to the San Francisco mint, and is accepted ab its value. It takes from 36 to 40 days to ship bullion from Australia to London, and but 25 days to San Francisco. While the bullion is on its way to California, the exchange on London is easily secured by the Australian bankers by cable to protect drafts as they are presented. By this manner of operating Australians save in freight, insurance, and usually have the advantage of a favourable exchange in London. The proposition to establish a fortnightly service between Sydney and San Francisco has, for this reason, been approved by the colonial bankers, as it would permit them to enjoy a more frequent correspondence. It is probable that most of this money is for the purchase of wheafc. The new colonial sovereigns are thrown into the melting pot, and come oub as American gold.

The mail steamer Carthago, of the P. and 0. Company, which arrived at Melbourne lately, from Colombo, brought amongst its passengers a handsome young' Indian Prince named KhunvarßhavasinghiMadharvinghi, the very first of his class who has ventured to the antipodes. He is the heir presumptive to a throne, one of the most ancient and moat dignified in the estimation of the Oriental. On his return to his native land he will be duly installed as the Rana of "Pore Bunder. This state is only about half the size of Wales ; it contains upwards of 100,000 inhabitants. He is travelling under the care of Mr O'Shea, a gentleman appertaining to the Political Department, Bombay, and intends to do a five months' tour of the colonies, including Tasmania and New Zealand. He has had a thorough good English education, having passed hia term in the Rajkote College, in Rajputana, which is intended only for the sons of native princes and chiefs

The popular Bairnsfather family of Scotch professional;., vocalists .gave their third concert in Auckland in the Devonport Hall; North Shore, last evening. The hall was filled to the doors and the audience was most enthusiastic in its applause. The performers had to submit to anencore after almosfi every song, and Mies Etta Bairnsfather especially won the hearts of the folk of the Shore by her rendering of uome of the prettiest songs of bonny Scotia. Mies Maggie and Master John created quite a furore in their Highland Fling, and Mr Bairnsfafcher brought down the house by his capital stories and " pawky " Caledonian jocosities, besides his songs. The Bairnsfathere appear in the Ponsonby Hall this evening. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Knights of Labour will be held this evoning at the Protestant Hall, Karangahape Road. A discussion will take place on the recent address delivered by Mr. Edwin Harvie on the 14th clause of the published objects of the Knights, with reference to a Stut* Bank of Issue. The day for holding the half-yearly meeting and the re-elec-tion of officers will.also be arranged at the meeting this evening. The barque Lurline is rapidly completing her cargo of kauri gum for New York at the Quay-street jetty. A few days more should see her departure with an entire cargo of guißi

Miaeing or stolen property sometimes turns up serenely long after all thought of recovering it has been lost. A waterman of this port had the misfortune to. lose hie sailing-boat over six years ago from the Wynyard Pier, and it was ascertained that three absconding boys from the Kohimarama Training School had turned harbour pirates for the nonce, by purloining the boat and making for the Great Barrier or Little Barrier Islands in it. Nothing more was heard of the boys or the boat till this morning, when the owner of the missing craft, Waterman Connolly, received news from the Great Barrier that his boat is now in the possession of a Maori at Maori Bay, near Port Fitzroy, and had been fetched from the Little Barrier.

No further news has as yet come from the Mokau with reference to the supposed discovery of the body of the late Major Jackson, who was lost off the steamer Rotorua two or three months ago. A large number of the Major's old comrades in the Forest Bangers in the time of the Waikato war still reside in the Waikato and in Auckland, and they, in conjunction with the members of the First Troop of Waikato Cavalry, formed at Te Awamutu. nearly twenty years ago by him, contemplate erecting a suitable memorial to him, as a fitting token of their regret and esteem for their old friend and commander.

. An encouraging sign of the times, and of the return of sound trading and prosperity, is to be found in the "supplement in advance" of the "Mercantile and Bankruptcy Gazette " for the past week, where we find under the various headings of " Chattel Securities," " Affidavits of Satisfaction," *.* Creditors' Meetings," the magic word " nil," showing thai the financial affairs of Auckland have been in a most satisfactory condition. The supplement should drive another nail in the coffin of " depression." Tim Doolan was so struck with the value of the supplement as a cure for the blues that he adorned it with the motto post tenebras lux and places it in the window of Mr Wildman, stationer.

The Otahuhu Mutual Improvement Association, which had become defunct, has been resuscitated with the following officers for the ensuing year:— President, Rev. F. Gould ; Vice-president, Mr S. Luko ; Secretary, Mr Johns ; Treasurer, Mr H. Hall; Committee: Messrs Sturges, Armstrong, Tick, Lippiatt, and Macdonald.

The following is the fortnightly report of the Salvation Army Prison Gate Brigade: —Meals given, 208; beds, 71; admitted, 8 ; discharged, 9; remaining, 4. Donations of meat from Measrn Badley, Gray, Boyle, Christian, Woods, Fisher, Garrett, Hulme, Hellaby, and Wright; bread from Messrs Smith, Howie, Grubb, Kent, Payne, Crowe, Machine Bread Factory, and 6 friends ; London Dairy, milk ; Devonshire Dairy, milk and butter; Worth, butter, cheese, bacon, and vegetables; Williams, 2 cases frozen fish; friends (Otahuhu), vegetables ; White, tea ; friend, clothing ; Bamford, clothing; Eastwood, crockery; per G. Ripley, £1; friend, 4s; F. T. W., 2s 6d; J. Wingate, 10s.— Cadet-Captain Hay.

Specialities in boys' and youths' summer suits ; gents. , ready-made clothing and mercery, in immense variety, at Smith and Caughey's. Special attention directed to our new tailoring department. First-class workmanship. Splendid selection of new trouserings and suitings.—(Adyt.)