TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 88, 15 April 1891, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

Still moist. More Island wrecks. Fiji steamer arrived. H.M.s. Orlando gone. Heavy fighting in India. Lady Scott left for Sydney. Victorian loan a great failure. H.M.s. Rapid finishing repairs. More London scandals reported. Madame Melba burnt out in Paris. S.s. Norkoowa arrived from Newcastle. H.M.s. Goldfinch leaves for Rarotonga to* morrow. Puhipuhi mining district is going ahead steadily. Number of Auckland bootmakers are going South. New Catholic Church opened at Mercer last Sunday. Hons. Cadman and Buckley are back at Wellington. Police Inspector Broham ha. left Oin ft Northern trip. Tasmania is shipping fruit to 'Frisco per R.M.s. Alameda. Professor Thomas lectures on " Mount Cook " this evening. Harbour Board will not erect gates oo Queen-street Wharf. The City Guards go into camp at North Shore on Friday night. Sir George Grey is buying more books for Auckland Free Library. Large cargo of Fiji sugar and bananaa arrived per s.s.Taupo to day. Native Minister discourages gold-pros' pecting in tho Urewera country. Guncotton explosion inquiry at Wellington has been adjourned for a week. Mr Fish, M.H.R., and the Mayor of Dunedin represent Dunedin at the Municipal Conference. Perhaps some day we shall see the earth Inherited by the mock ; But just at present this elobe is owned By the fellow with lots of cheek. William Ogilvie, farmer, of Auckland, has filed a petition of insolvency. The first meeting of creditors will be held on April 21st. A notice in connection with the recent art union of the Druids, held at Melbourne on Easter Monday, appears on page 8 of this issue. The directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company have decided upon the payment of an interim dividend at the rate of six per cent, per annum. The Harbour Board yesterday resolved "That the Foreman of Works be directed to submit plan and estimate for a shelter shed at Calliope Dock." A well-attended concert took place last night in the 1.0. G.T. Hall, Onehunga, when a nnmber of Templar bluejackets assisted the programme in a most creditable manner. Attention is called to the sale of household furniture, piano, chinaware, etc., at the residence, Tyron Villa, St. Stephen's Avenue, Parnell, to be held to-morrow by Messrs Digby Tonks and Co. An exciting contest for the Greymouth licensing bench is expected next week. Nine nominations were received yesterday, three at least representing the prohibitionist party. All the old members stand for re-election. "I had a splendid titae in my vacation, this last summer. Meals jusb when I wanted them, .cold and warm baths, and no fees for waiters or porters." " And where is this ideal place, doctor ?" "I stayed at home." Great preparations are being made in Tonga for the opening of Parliament in May. Sir John Thurston, Governor of Fiji, is expected there in a man-of-war to take part in the proceedings. This meeting is looked forward to with great interest. The case against Henry Laing, the wellknown fighting man, and William Noble, for alleged robbery from the person, occupied the Resident Magistrate's Court at Wanganui all, yesterday. The case has been adjourned till Thursday week for further evidence to be obtained. H.M.s. Swinger has had ait extensive overhaul in Sydney. The Swinger is composite built, and being now nearly 20 yeart old her retention in the list of sea-servica ships in the British navy will scarcely be much further prolonged. In the gunboats of her class she is about the oldest in the navy list. The annual conference of the Railway Servants' Society meets at Chrisfcchurch tomorrow. Anticipating the refusal of the Commissioners to give leave to employees to attend, the executive kave made special arrangements. The annual returns shovtr 3,356 mombers, an increase of 200 since lasD September. A few nights ago at Barmston's Wild West Show, Sydney, Texas Jack, while giving an exhibition of rifle shooting, fired: a bullet which missed its mark and struck a youth named Osborne in the face, and it is feared he will lose the sight of one eye. Osborne's father, a well-known solicitor, Bervod Harraston and Son, the proprietors of the circus, with a writ for £5,000. News from Norfolk Island states that there are at present forty-five of tho islanders away from home, most of them engaged whaline, and many in the Sydney whaler Costa Bica Packaj;.. It js a great? pity more do <mofrr«tni]_rate. "TBerer'iS nothing whatever for a young man to do here bub plant enough sweet potatoes to fceftp him. drifts into an. aimless, useless kind of life; which is most degenerating. The exclusive policy of the islanders, backed as it is by the Imperial authorities, is showing itself by the development of physical and moral evils. The health of the islanders is good. Among the passengers by the Tarawera last evening was Mr G. W. Rex, tha manager of the "Morcury " Office, Hobart, who has been on a tour through New Zealand. Mr Rex has been connected with the "Mercury" Office for some thirty-six years, and will go back to the " tight little island " with pleasant recollections of New Zealand, which ha describes as a fine country. During his short stay in Auckland, Mr Rex called upon his townsman and former fellow employee Mr Bakewell, and was shown by that gentleman over the Star Office, and expressed his great surprise that such complete works should exist this side of the line.