TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 304, 22 December 1903, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

"Pinafore" at Devonport. ,£ Grave crisis in the Eaet; ■' Austria warns the Porte. Choral Society's concert to-night. Italy adheres firmly to the Triple Ab liance.

Auckland v. Wellington cricket niatcli on Xraas Day v Russia increasing her naval strength' in the Far East. Whangarei amateurs have produced "Patience" with success. Heavy scoring by New South Wales against South Australia. Parnell Council is alarmed at tfee proapect of overcrowding in the borough. R. W. Allen, of Auckland, has won a steudentship at Guy's Hospital. The mail which left here on the 9th November, via Brindisi, arrived London morning 19th insfc. Mr. Winston Churchill, M.P., considers that free trade involves cheap food and honest government. When posting Xmas cards turn the flap of the envelope inside—otherwise double postage will be charged. A daily paper for wcaen, called the "Daily Mirror," has been launched in London by Mr Alfred Harmsworth. An enthusiastic meeting of the Navjj League welcomed Mr Wyatt, of the parent League, to Auckland last night. The Auckland Hospital has never had so few patients as at present. The Thames Hospital is in a similar state. Mr H. F. Wyatt, Navy. League Commissioner, will address public meetings in Auckland on the objects'of the League. A paper on the teaching of mathes matics will probably be read by Mr. G. Hogben at the Science Conference in Dunedin.

Count Vay de Vaya says the most unpleasant experience he had on his trip to Rotorua. and overland to Wangarml was the bad language of a coach driver.

The Government have stopped £150 3/ from the Devonport Council subsidy; on account of money due from that body for the infectious diseases hospital. ; The Borough of Akaioa, with a popp* lation of only 580, has got a septio tank sewerage system, a high-preseura water supply, and is now talking of electric light installation. The Railway Department annoeaea' that a special train will leave the Auck-» land station for Hamilton at a-quartec past seven p.nu on Thursday next, arriving at Hamilton at midnight. One of the objects of the Chief Government Veterinarian's visit to Austra-* lia is to make himself personally acquainted with the methods adopted there for sterilising bonedust. A grandstand to seat a thousand im to be erected on the show ground oft the Waikato Central A. and P. As&ocia.-' tion at a cost of £5000. Toward th«" cost 310 £1 debentures have been tak-» ; en up. . . t The Juvenile Smoking Snppmsjuoal Act 'will come into operation on Jaiw-> ary 1. The minimum, smoking age la and snpplying...tobacco "prohibited person" is , an offence tuwfoj the Act. . , ;

The water trough outside the Captain Cook, Hotel, in Kyber Pass, near which a- cart was recently overturned by a tramcar, was' the subject of a letter from the town clerk of Newmarket, who has requested Messrs. Hancock andt Co. to remove it. '

Mr. Blow (Under-Seeretary for Public Works) d«*es not hold l out much! hope to Tauranga people of railway^ connection with Rotorua owing to the steepness of the route. He seems t<3 think that Waihi is the natural con* netting link for Taiiranga. f According to the Dunedin correspond dent of the Christehureh "Press," an authority on the hotel trade says that! as the result of reduction of a number, of hotels, a tremendous amount of slyj grog-selling is going .on, and there is an increased private consumption. Th» breweries are putting out as much as* ever, and holders of bottle licensee are doing a much bigger trade. !

A rather mysterious affair is report* ed in connection with a midnight train that left Lyttelton for ChristchtireM one night last week. It is stated that; there was only one passenger on board. a lady. The guard asked her if she wasl going through, and as she re* plied ii the affirmative, the train did! not etop at any of the wayside stations* . On arrival at the Christcburch station* however, it was found that the ladjj was not on board; . The new coatee costume in. linens Colours, pink, pale and navy bhie, green* Prices —19/6, 25/6, 33/; and a special line of linen canvas costumes, cape collars, and stole ends, at 37/6. Milne Choyce, Ltd.—Ad. . An exquisite and large assortmtenifr of ladies' fashionable neckwear, suitable for cbstrpiing Christmas presents, in great profusion, at lowest cash, prices;, judge ties, 1/6, 1/11, to 14/6; round col* larettes, 2/11, 3/ll p to 84/-; stole ends, 5/6, 7/11, to 45/-. 'At McCuilagh. aatfc Gower's. Fancy boxes hankerchiefs, Bd* 1/-, l/«, 1/11. to 2/6.—Ad. ■ . ■■• <