TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 146, 21 June 1901, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

Hundreds of Maoris in town. Seventh Contingent in action. Another New &ealander killed. Uoyaities for Ckristchurch to-night. Volunteer commissariat scandal at Wellington.

S.s. Moura arrived from tha South last evening.

The Bussian cruiser Gromoljoi has left Sydney for Japan.

"Germany's future lies en. the water."—The Kaiser.

H.M.s. Penguin is surveying round the Alderman Islands, off Tairua.

About 350 Maoris left for the North by the s.s. Clansman, this morning.

"British soldiers," says Air Labouchere, M.P., "are lions led by geese."

Another large train, load of Maoris arrived from Ilotorua about midnight last night.

The Fourth and Fifth New Zealand Contingents have left Capetown for Wellington.

British forces are carrying on clearing operations in the Orange Kiv* r Colony.

The Ngapuhi Maoris were shipped back to their Northern homes by the s.s. Clansman to-day.

The "A' Battery of Artillery have at the last moment been given leata to go to the Christchureh. review.

The United Kingdom produces 75 million bushels of wheat, 78 millions of barley, and 150 millions of oats in a year. A Timaru boot, importer received a case from Home the other day, with. half its contents of valuable boots broached.

The Melanesian Mission yacht Southern Cross is expected here from the Western Pacific about the, end of this month.

It is understood that the outcome* of the recent ructions in the Hamilton Borough Council will be an action for slander.

A million tourists visit Switzerland in a year. Three hundred and fifty; thousand are German, 200,000 American.^ and 158,000 linglish. A Sydney cable states that Mr Bell, chief clerk pi the Union Steamship Company, has been appointed manager of the North Coast Steamship Go.

The Christchurch Trades and Labour Council support Mr Charles Taylor for the vacant Christchurch seat. It is understand Mr T. E. Taylor will not stand.

It is asserted (says the Wairarapa "Observer") that there is a school in the Masterton district which has not been scrubbed out since its erection— 20 years ago.

A proposal has been made at Rotorua to send a party of about 300 Maoris, including women, to Loij^tlon, to give exhibitions of war dances,' hakas and poi dances. : : Amongst the Ngapuhi .Maoris, wao left here to-day ; for their Northern homes by the s.s. Clansman, are two or three old warriors who fought against the British in Heke's war in 1845. , .:

Charles Harrison, employed on Bennett's farm at Matakohe, while out shooting, tripped ever a log, and his gun going off, a charge of shot went into the ground only a few,.feet from where Harrison fell. \

Imperial volunteer officers' decorations have been granted Surgeon. Lieutenant-Colonel Beid, Lieutenant' H. Cameron of the East Taieri Rifles, and Lieutenant George Cock of the Taranaki Rifles for long service. The Wellington City Council has, a€ the request of the Auckland City; Council, agreed to allow Superintendent Hugo, of the Wellington Fire Brigade, to visit Auckland .and advise on fire brigade matters generally. •

Councillor F. E. Baume will movei at next meeting of the City Council "That applications be invited for the position of city engineer, the salary; to be £800 per annum, andjthe terms of engagement five years at least."

It is proposed by a number of representative Maori chiefs that sbe native tribes should combine and get a large carved house built and ee'-S; to London as a gift to the Duke of York from the united Maori people.

The Supreme Court at Wellington refused to grant a mandamus to compel the Suburbs Licensing Committee to grant a license for the Rainbow Hotel at Kaiwara, which it had. refused on; the ground that the place was not fit for habitation.

Mr Percy Smith, late chief of the Lands and Survey Department, receives a pension of £500 per anmun* It commenced on Ist November last. Mr Walter Scott Reid, late SolicitorGeneral, is allowed ■ a similar amount since the same date. •

A portion of the King's colours ear* ried by the 58th Regiment in Egypt' under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, and a fragment of the regimental colours carried by the 93rd Highlanders ia the Peninsula, are to form a prize in: an art union at the Empire stall of the bazaar in Wellington for the Home for Incura/bles.

A valuable find was made at Marl-, borough (Victoria) recently by a miner named Georg-e Adams. While operating in some old workings in the vicinity of the old Maryborough reservoir, about a mile from the town, he came upon a nugget weighing 3G oz. The gold was of good quality,, and the price is valued at £145.

A Southern paper localises the following ancient yarn in the Forty-mile Bush: A certain local vestry lately debated the question whether or not a chandelier should be purchased for the public hall. {'Well, gentlemen," at length put in one of the economy members, "it's all very well for you to tallj of wasting the ratepayers' money on a chandelier, but what I wSnts to know is, when you've got it, who's a-going to play on it?" He is stil waiting for a reply.

The most expensive picture known is the Raphael in the National Gallery, which cost the nation £70,000. It canot be bought. Another famous picture by the same great artist is in the possession of a country squire in the Midlands. He is not a rich man, and it must have been a temptation when a millionaire sent him an offer accompanied by a blank cheque. The cheque was returned. Undiscouragredl, the baron made a definite offer— £50,000 down and £2000 a year fo» life. The owner refused.