TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 3 February 1899, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

'Old Identities' Day.' Supreme Court proceeding-. Mr Chamberlain has got the gout. City valuation meeting this even-

"IffWaitemata County Council met today.

Last two nights of Harry Rickards season.

Bowing regatta in the harbour tomorrow.

Cabinet, meets at Wellington early next week.

Conundrum competition at the Waxworks to-night.

Old colonists foregathered at the Exhibition to-clav.

A lover's tragedy lias occurred at Paddington, Sydney.

Members of Pollard's Opera Company sing at tlie Exhibition to-night.

Mr Duncan McXicoli, a well-known settler of Te /Vxolia, has died in Auckland.

Mr (i. S. Gumming' has been appointed Registrar of Marriages, etc., at Tanpo.

The "Gazette' contains regulations respecting the register of homing pigeons.

Mi- Onthwaite had his leg accidentally broken outside the Opera, House last night.

The population of New Zealand is estimated at 783,317 persons, of whom 39,854 are Maoris.

Mr A. E. Pearce is recognised as .Acting-Consul at Wellington for Sweden and Norway.

The Rontgen rays apparatus is now in constant use at the Wellington Hospital, with great success.

Two members of the company of blind musicians were married to each other at Hamilton last Saturday.

An agitation is on foot to secure important amendments in the New Zealand Rugby Union football rules.

Mr A. Clements has been appointed a trustee of the Auckland Savings Bank, vice. Mr Thos. Morrin. resigned.

Hokianga, Mangonui, Whangaroa and llussell will be visited bjr the Governor on his Northern trip next month.

A child, John Hill, aged two years, who was badly burnt some days ago at New Plymouth, has succumbed to his injuries.

Camp.bell and Dexter challenge Eeynolds and Graham to another tandem cycle race on the Exhibition track for .-CIO a-side.

April 10th is the date fixed for Lord Itanfurly's departure from Auckland in a man-of-war on a cruise to the Cook Islands.

About. 250 old colonists, who have been in New Zealand more than fifty years, were entertained to-day by the Exhibition Executive.

Promotions to the following volunteer officers are gazetted:—Captains Robin and Smith (Dunedin), and Chicken (Napier), to be majors. Out of the old colonists who were entertained at the Exhibition to-day, thirty-nine have been in New Zealand since 1840, and several of them some years prior to that date,. '"''' , Mf Atkinson, gas engineer, has jxxst paid Whangarei a visit in reference to the installation of gas. He anticipates the end of March will see the completion of the scheme. Since the fire at Whangarei there has been a general outcry for a water supply, and it understood the Borough Council will have this matter arranged ■ with as Iktle delay as possible.

A large native meeting is to be held at Waitailgi, Bay of Islands, next month, and the assembled Maoris will welcome, the Governor on ■ his visit to that district, and will talk over the Treaty of Waitangi.

The rainfall at the. chief cities during December was as follows :—Auckland, 13 days, total fall 3.75 in ;. Welliugton, 14 days, fall 2.71 in : Christchurch, 9 days, fall 1.48 in ; Dunedin, 10 days, fail 2.97 m.

An 6rder-in-Council notifies that payment of capitation allowance t<» Education' Boards for the quarter ending March 31, 1899, shall be according to the working average attendance of the quarter ending December 31, 1898, as working average was denned by Order-in-Council dated July 5, 18S7, and made under the provisions of the Education Act, (4877.

The barquentine Handa Isle, now in port here, struck a whale on her recent voyage from New pou+h Wales to Auckland, and killed it ji'ritv. ing by the blood in the water after the collision. Some years ago the: Handa Isle was struck by a whale while bound with timber from New Zealand to Sydney, and was so seriously 'damaged that she had a narrow escape. On this occasion, how-, ever, she got the better of the whale tribe. Value will tell ! Smith and Caughey's gr^-. b Summer Fair is nowrj-i, and*so far we have beaten all previous sales. Blonse Silk lengths at extraorcHuai'y cheap rat.os. from 7s 6& and 9s 11<1 ■■ rls.—(.Vl.)