TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 303, 21 December 1903, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

Christmas Week. ' i More signs of war. Collision at Wollingt,on. Trumble is to play in thfl next test match. Insurance rates raised on Japanese vessels. British naval officers hnr4 received, secret ordersCricket match Hawke's Bay v. Wei* lington proceeding. Veterans' Home Ba«*ar takings amount to £2300. lnterprovineial match Auckland v* Wellington on the Domain this week. The Timarii A- and P, Association made a profit of £220 on their late show*. The drainage of Dannevirke is estimated to cost between £10,000 and £12.000. i The senior cricket matches on Saturday resulted in wins for ParneU, Edeu and Grafton. Japan's irreducible minimum is; tho recognition of her protectorate and the right of influence, in Korea. British retired army and navy men arc volunteering for service on riie side of Japan in the case of war. During the week ending December 10th there were 170 males and 11 females in Mount Eden gaol. Three men, named James Royle, Donald Calder, and Wm. Edgar, were drowned while fishing at Coromandel yesterday. The Wanganui Horticultural Society instituted, in conjunction with its annual show, a "tidy garden competition." The new departure proved highly successfulThe winner of the silver medal for the best developed youth under 21' years of age at the recent competitions held in connection with the Sandow School in Christchurch is a vejrefcarian. The Devonport Brass Band have kindly arranged to play outside Her Majesty's Theatre to-night to assist the concert being given by the Natives' Association in aid of Santa Glaus fund for the orphans and waifs. The junior annual demonstration witf* held in the Salvation Army Barracks, Newton, yesterday, led by Staff-Captain Ward. The meetings were a success. To-night there will be. a presentation of prizes by Major Twyfovd. According to the "Lyttelton Times," Ashburton seems to have no decided' opinion ns to the effect of prohibition on the district. While one tradesman will tell a doleful story of declining trade, another will state that the people have now more money to spend on food and clothes. The cost of entertaining the officers and men of the Australasian Squadron on their last visit to Lyttelton was greater than had been 'expected, and after all the guarantors -had paid their contributions a debit balance of £16 13/3' remained. The City Council decided to pay this amount.

Mr G.. Hoghen, Secretary for Education, .is- obtaining some interesting information hy means oi his seismograph! iii Wellington (says a Wellingtoir paper). Records of the levels for the; past three years have been k-*pt carefully, and they seem to bear out Tne theory that that part of New Zealand has a decided tilt towards the west, anrl that it is still tilting, imperceptibly. The instrument gives indications in this respect, but it is difficult to say whether the movement is only local or not.