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Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 72, 26 March 1891, Page 4

As usual on Good Friday, a number of water excursions and harbour trips by steamer aro announced for to-morrow, and with fine weather a great number of Aucklanders should be "on the wallaby" in search of pleasure by jerry boat and river steamer during the day. The North. Shore, Northcote, and St! Helier's Bay will doubtless attract a large proportion of picnickers, the Ferry Companies running special trips during the holiday. Amongst the water trips further afield is an inviting excursion by the s.s. Waitoa out to Tiritiri. Tbe Waitoa leaves at midnight to-night for Tiri, and returns on Friday eveuing, and her excursionists should have some good shoating on the island. The s.s. Rose Casey runs a special excursion down to Waiwera and Mahurangi Heads, leaving the wharf at 10 a.m. The little s.s. Vivid will as usual make an excursion up the Waitemata as far as Riverhead, calling at Hobsonville and intermediate points. The Newmarket) Fishing Club ara to have an excursion down to Motutapu by the p._. Alexandra, leaving the Queen-street ferry tee at 9.30 a.m. to-morrow. The popular Artillery Band, under Bandmaster Hunter, will hold their annual picnic at Motutapu to-morrow, and tho affair is expected to .be very largely attended. Tie p.s. Eagle conveys the excursionists down to Home Bay, leaving the ferry tee at 9 a. m. The Ferry Company will run two trips to St. Helier's Bay tomorrow, leaving the ferry tee at 10.30 a.m. and 2 p.m., returning at 4.30 p.m. The s.s. Despatch will run trips to the warships Cordelia and Rapid to-morrow, starting from the Queen-street Wharf at intervals during the day.

There ie little or no change of importance to chronicle for the week in local business circles, trade being about tha same as usual, and the general produc» markets being in the main unaltered. The approach of the Easter holidays has stimulated business in some respects, but general market quotations are without change. In farm produce, butter, eggs, cheese, etc, there is no alteration of last week's quotations to report. Eggs are in high demand. In the flour market priceare much as usual. Flour is selling freely. There is an easier feeling in the wheab market. Sharps are selling freely. Napier potatoes have been sold at £3 2s 6d wholesale, and Southern lots will be in tbe market next week. The kauri gum market ia still very unsettled, and only nominal prices can be quoted. The supplies for tha month to date are about 560 tons.

Saturday will be an off-day for Cup cricket matches. They will be again resumed on Saturday, 4th April. Owing to the holidays the school matches will also be postponed until 4th April, when Remuera will play Napier-street.

The recent assault at the Hunua Ranges was a dastardly one, poor old Vitch being an infirm man, and we are assured inoffensive. He has received terrible punishment. He is expected with care and attention to be able to give evidence at au early date.

Mr Thornes, land agent, 81, Queen-street, reports the sale of an allotment in Mountstreet, 99ft x 117 ft, with oottage thereon, for £550 cash, to Mr Rookie, and also' a six-roomed house and! altotmen. 52 x 132 ft, in Mackelvie ; street, Surrey Hills, on behalf of Mr Pitt, for ■£<&« 40s cash. There is, says Mr Thornes, a great scarcity of good houses.

To-morrow, being Good Friday, tho Star will not be published. It will, how« ever, appear as usual on Easter Monday.

To the Editor : Sir, —How is it that tha grocers have not come forward with their picnic? . Surely they will never let all other trades have one day's outing? and be lefb out in the cold. All bands might unite for once and leave their busiuess, going in for a jolly.good day's amusement. —lam, etc.. Assistant.

At the Supreme Court this mor.ning, ia Chambers, Mr C. S. S. George moved to have D. B. O'Halloran, late of Whangarei, postmaster, adjudged a bankrupt on a creditors' petition. Mr Stewart appeared to oppose the granting of the petitionAfter hearing counsel His Honor dismissed tbe petition on a raised by Mr Stewart. No costs were allowed.

As yesterday was the last day of attendance ab the Board of Education of tha retiring members, Mr Luke moved, " That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to Messrs Carr, Moat, Upton, and Goldie, the retiring members, fortheir valuableservices,' and for their able counsel and ad\ ice during their connection with th 9 Board, and that) the Board regret losing their services, for the present." Mr Luke hoped the new members would prove as efficient as tha old. Mr Moat seconded the motion, and said that from a knowledge of every chairman of the Board he could say that notooa had a better grasp of the Board's business as member or chairman than had Mr UptonThe other members spoke in similar terms and the vote was carried unanimously. Sir Carr briefly returned thanks.

Matters in connection with the following districts were dealt with at the Board of Education meeting yesterday afternoon :-— Kahuhuru : Application for school, deferred for usual, information. Big Omaha and Lower Matakana : To be made full time> with lady teachers. Mangapiko: School to be re-opened. Whakatane : Inspectors* report on building referred to Committee. Hamilton West: £3 19s grant for repairs. Wairoa South: Half cost chemical apparatus granted. ■ . - ■ .

All school Committee election meetings have now to be held sometime after four o'clock in the afternoon, from the fact that votes may be given in to the Chairman'at any time before four o'clock. The election, this year "will be held under the provisions of the Amendment Act passed last year, and will be very different from the old, Tha Board of Education has drafted a circular explaining the working of the new syßtem, and this circular will be sent to every Committee. A short explanation of the system is given in Brett's Auckland Almanac for 1891.

News from Dunedin to-day states tbab the chairman and manager of the Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company, Messrs Webster and Fisher, left for Sydney via the North yesterday. A basis of agreement has been arrived at with the Union Steamship Company (subject to confirmation by the shareholders of the Taßmaniaa Company) by which the business of tha two companies will practically be amalgamated. At any rate, there will be na active competition, as at. present. The Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company will retain its Board of management, and will control the boats running from ports there and probably the trade between, Hobart and Melbourne, with the l'ateena,i one of the large steamers of the Tasmania . Company, extending her voyage-to New Zealand. This union would be a very strong amalgamation and should turn out well. In steam trade a recenb instance o£ a splendid institution being formed of twa smaller companies is in evidence in tn« case of the Australasian United Steam Navi* gation Company, which absorbed th« A.S.H. and Q.S.S.Companies. To-night, tha Young Crusaders' Bandllnf connection with the Helping Hand Mission; holds its monthly gathering at half-past J_ o'clock in tho Hall,