TOWN EDITION.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6417, 30 March 1892, Page 3

TOWN EDITION.

A writer in the Auckland Herald deplores tho scarcity of tolerably good concert singers in Auckland, and it is a question, he says, which is eyery day becoming more serious, while "many depend upon their natural gifts and their social personal advantages." The cultivation of the divine gifts is suggested as the only remedy.

Apropoe of the important part played by the threepenny bit in church collections, the following story is given by " Peter Lombard" in the Church Times: —" Canon was having a friendly game of pool at the squire's, and one of his opponents was Wigsby, the barrister. The Canon lost a ' life' and took from his pocket a threepenny piece to pay for it, which he placed on the edge of the table. • Oh,' said Wigsby, ' I see, Canon, you have had your finger in the plate !" The Canon drew himself up to his full height (a good six feet), and looking the man of la-v full in the face, eaid, ' I'm surprised that you, Mr Wigaby, in the presence of this respectable company, have tho audacity to recognise your own paltry contribution !"

Tho example of the American Chautauquan EeadiDg Union and the English National Reading Onion has at last borne fruit in the colonies. At the beginning of the year an Australasian Home Reading Union was formed, with its head-quarters in Sydney. For the present Bishop Julius is to act as president for New Zealand, and Mr G. Hogben, of Tiraaru, as secretary for the colony. Messrs W. Dinwiddie and H. H. Pinokney have been placed on the provisional committee representing Napier. The objects of the Union, of course, are to develop a taste for systematic reading, and for that purpose to arrange annual courses of reading in various branches of study, and at the samo time to publish a journal which will give all necessary help and direction to students, and which will Ye supplied gratis to all members of the Union. The fee is only 33 6d, of which 2s Gd goes to pay for the issue of the journal. We understand that a meeting will shortly bo called for the purpose cf enrolling members, who will then form themselves into circles, each devoted to one course of reading. The various circles in each town will form a group, and all the groups will be united under the New Zealand section. On the other side great progress has already been made, and there is every reason to hope that the same success will attend its efforts in. this colony. Further information may be obtained from Messrs Dinwiddie and Pinckney.