MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 143, 18 June 1891, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Government have practically decided to reduce the telephone charges to £5 per instrument.

Professor Hutton reports that the second lot of fish taken from Aparima, Invercargill, are salmon without doubt.

It is understood that the Minister fo? Lands cannot see his way to prohibit the poisoning of rabbits in Otago factory districts during the season set apart for thab purpose.

The Wellington Kennel Club's annual doer show opened on June sth. There was a fair attendance. The public entries, which are from all parts of the colony, number 207.

An old Maori woman residing at Parawanui, near Raugitikei, apparently died on. the 21st May, and while her coffin was being made she catne to life again, having been in a cataleptic state for a long time.

The Fublic Trust Commission, finding ib impossible to get the necessary returns for the purposes of reporting in time, applied a°ain for an extension of time, and the Government consented to grant another fortnight. Extra clerks have been employed for weeks in the preparation of these returns. A sample of the seeds of a recently-dis-covered or newly-doveloped forage plant has been sent to the Surveyor-General's Department at Wellington. The plant, it i 3 asserted,yields 25 tons of forage to the acre in the most avid and sandy soils, its roots converting the most sterile tracts of country into fertile food-producing land.

The Auckland Medical Association has established a directory for nurses following their vocation here. The names of' nurses desiring to be placed on the register are entered along with their qualifications as to training, etc., and the fees they expect ■n the various branches of nursing work. The Parnell Memorial Committee at» Wellington have resolved to adopt the suggestion thab a demonstration similar to that which took place there on the Queen's Birbhnight should be organised in other centres of population, the Central Committee assisting local sympathisers to carry out the celebrations. With this view Mr Potter, secretary of the Central Committee, has left for Christ-church:

A very severe shock of earthquake was felbat Mar ton ao 4.20 a.m. on June 2nd, preceded by a loud roar and a sound like an explosion. The direction was from northwest to south-east. A slight shock was felb' in Wellington. After the earthquake Tongarirc wae observed to be emitting acolumn of fire and emoke, which remained visible for some time after sunrise. The mountain was seen more clearly than ever before from Bulls. A slight shock was also felt at Blenheim about 4.30 a ni.

For some years past the main railway lines have been undergoing a process of relaying with 531b steel rails instead of the old 401b iron rails. , Aboub 710 miles have been so treated. On the Hurunui Bluff line the steel rails extend as far South- as Clinton. This work is dove out of the revenue and together with repairs to engines and other improvements ia effected without trenching on the revenue. The vote of £40,000 asked for by the Commissioners is meant to be applied to entirely new plant to provide for the increased traffic.

The Rescue Farm of the Salvation Armyis an accomplished fact. A house and a few acres of land have been bought at Fait burn Road, Otahuhu, near the banks of the Tamaki. For seme time this has been the residence of Mr McFadden, who has a well-stocked orchard and market garden thereon, and no doubt some profitable employment will be found there for the inmates of the Prieon Gate Brigade/

An adjourned meeting of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association wag held at Hurst and Co.'a premises on May 29. Mr Massey was elected president, and Messrs F. Lawry, M.H.R., W. F. Buckland, M.H.R., James Kutherford, E. McLean, and Bambridge, vice-presi-dents. Mr Grainger was elected treasurer, and ifc was agreed to leave the election of secretary to the Committee.

MrW. Jackson, representinga Canterbury syndicate, has obtained a lease for 21 years, at 2|d per acre, of 27,000 acres, being the balance of the Tauwhareparae Harbour Board endowment ab Poverty Bay. The block of land is considered good pastoral country.

Messrs Samuel Cochrane and Son submitted various properties for sale on June Bth at their mart. Queen-street. Two valuable properties changed hands. " Glenfolye," a residence of eleven rooms, situated on seven acres of rich land fronting the Remuera and Orakei Roads, was sold for £2,250. Park, at Avondale, which consists of S2 acres, with half a mile frontage to the Great North Road, was cold for £2,000. This property comprised the Star Tannery at Avondale, and many other buildings. There are also 2,000 fruit trees planted on the estate.

At the meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board on June Ist Dr. Collina reported having operated upon two patients in the Hospital with Koch's tubereuline, both of whom were doing extremely welL One of the patients treated at the Hospital is Mr George Wright, a compositor, well known in Auckland, and the other a I.lr Cook, a recent arrival from the country. A letter was received from Captain J. S. Guthrie as follows: —" I am desired by His Excellency to say that he learned with great satisfaction that) it has been found possible to comply'with the wish of John Burke to be inoculated with the Koch lymph. If not giving too much trouble it would be agreeable to Hia Excellency if some of those in the employment of the Board at the Costley Home will let him know how Burke progresses under the treatment." Dr. King reported that) Burke was fairly well, although he was in such a state that it was almost hopeless to expect his ultimate recovery. Burke has s ince died.

It is certainly a very long while since theCity Hall presented as brilliant a spectacle as it did on May 27, on the occasion of Madame Patey's first concert in Auckland. The body of the Hall was filled, and in the dress circle there was not even standing room. All Auckland seemed to be th.6re. The great; vocalist was iri eplendid voice, and showed her marvellous powers to the greatest possible advantage. The enormous range, the wonderful truth and delicacy, tho broad style of this queen of contraltos commanded the admiration and in mosb, cases the astonishment- of bhe huge audience that had assembled to hear her. The season was a great success. Madame Patey is now in the South.

The " Union Steamship Company's Benefit Scheme" has just been established amongst the employees of that Company. Foe some time past the directors of the Union Company have had under their consideration the adoption of a scheme by which the relations between the Company and its employees afloat would be drawn more closely together, and the carrying oub of which would tend to make each take a more direct interest in the other's welfare. Aβ the moßt likely means ot bringing about this desirable state of affairs, the directors of the Company have just established a mutual benefit society, to be maintained by contributions from the members, assisted by a contribution from the Company of £500 per annum. In addition to this yearly subsidy the Company give a donation of £500 to start the society, me benefits to be oonferred are similar to those granted by other benefib societies inpecumary relief in oasee of illneee or disablement, medical attendance and funeral allowances, etc, '