THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1888.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9115, 25 July 1888, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1888.

We are glad to see that a New Zealand horse trade with India, for which we have so long urged the opportunity and our peculiar fitness, at last shows some signs of growing up. The occasional shipments this time back become more frequent, and it is notified that two further consignments are to be sent to Calcutta during the present season, chiefly good light horses, as hacks or for cavalry. Then the Indian Government have been communicating with ours, seeking information about New Zealand resources in this way, and this

correspondence and other papers relative to a supply of horses for the Indian \ market have been laid before Parliament, as asked for by Mr. La-wry, to be submitted to the Stock Committee for the obtaining of fuller particulars. Besides the letters exchanged with the Secretary to the Indian Government, the mass of other correspondence at the same time laid on the table shows, howwidespread among New Zealand colonists is now a sense of the importance of developing this trade. The Colonial Secretary, in replying to the Indian authorities, states that any number of the kind wished for can be bred in New Zealand, "if the Indian Government will undertake to purchase yearly a certain number of horses at a fixed price, conditionally on their reaching the required standard and being otherwise suitable." We do not see why in Calcutta they should not agree to this arrangement, for although they have shown in previous negotiations on the subject with the Australian colonies, that they are averse to any binding agreement beforehand, yet they would not in this proposal from New Zealand be bound to take the horses unless in every way up to the mark as specified. And in India, as we will presently show, they are really in need of horses from New Zealand. But even if they refuse to guarantee the annual purchase of a fixed number at a fixed price, that need not deter our enterprise. In Hindostan they have a greater want than ever they had before of suitable horses, and are more puzzled than ever where to look for them ; and it is not for the military service alone that there is a demand ; there is the civilian requirement of hunters and hacks, and gig and carriage horses, and as we have often explained, a lucrative sale could likewise be effected among the native magnates.

But in the export from New Zealand, which has begun during the last couple of years, how is it that the shipments as yet have been always from Wellington or Lyttelton, or even Dunedin, and not from Auckland, the port of the warmer end of the colony, where it is to be supposed that our horses best suited to stand the heats of Southern Asia' should be bred ? In a climatic sense New Zealand is not a single country, but a lino of countries running

through many degrees of latitude, and it is very necessary that they should clearly understand this fact in India, •and that our colony has successive and , quite diverse belts of climate, ranging ' from, one end, the semi-tropical tem-; perature of the Mediterranean, to something of the Norwegian at the opposite extremity. This fact should be noted in Calcutta and Bombay, lest the export should be prejudiced if horses from our colder provinces were to break 'down under the tropical sun, as might very naturally happen. The mortality -which occurred in a recent shipment of horses, by the mistake of sending them at the wrong season, should also warn us of the necessity for choosing the cool time of the year for the voyage through the tropics and for landing them in India. It is common sense to give them a favourable introduction to their new scene of action. North New Zealand is exceptionally backward in a trade for which above any other country of Australasia she has the natural advantages ; but she will be superbly represented by-and-by, if, as we hear, the Auckland Stud Company, with the magnificent sires at their disposal, contemplate the raising of half-bred , stock for the Indian market.

The British Government of India have always imported horses for their British cavalry and for the artillery, and why do they want to- import more largely than ever before ? Because the proportion of British troops to the native troops in their service is much greater than it was previous to 1857. And the necessity for maintaining a strong force of cavalry has not lessened of late, from the expectation of a conflict with Russia —at all times a remarkable cavalry Power, though her reputation in that way was never acquired by her regular'squadrons, but by the desultory services of her Cossacks and other loose hordes of horsemen. Cavalry have always been the strength of Asiatic armies. It was so with the Lydians of old. The Greek chroniclers spoke contemptuously of the infantry of the Persians, but commended their cavalry. The Huns, the later Tartar, and the Arab conquerors were pretty well armies on horseback ; and in the last century our adversary, Hyder AH, proved so formidable because of the multitude of his nimble squadrons. On the hot plains of Asia, an otherwise inferior army, if only strong in cavalry, may straiten and cut off from supplies, and perhaps destroy, a superior antagonist. In a word, the use of cavalry is a specially strong point in Asiatic warfare, and Russia is Asiatic in this as in many other ; respects. , • Her late General Skobeloff, in the talk about the invasion of India, in which he was. wont to exercise his fancy, would put prominently forward the employment of the nomad * swarms of the Steppes. We see the necessity for maintaining a large British cavalry force in Hindostan. But why should .New Zealand now become a special source of supply ? Because the import from the head of the Persian Gulf lias ceased, and of Asiatic horses only the limited number of Afghan are of the standard liked for artillery and cavalry. The Cape import was always thought undersized. The Australian horse is often admirable, but only when of moderate size. New. Zealand can alone meet the wishes of the Indian Government ; but we must not spoil the opportunity by want of judgment.

That the country imperatively demands retrenchment in preference to taxation is unquestioned that • the House of Representatives does not is just as clear. In nothing has the public voice spoken in terms so distinct; but, with an insolent and contemptuous disregard of it, the great majority of the members of the House of Representatives have shut down on retrenchment. As will be seen from our telegraphic columns, Mr. Withy's motion, in favour of the Government being instructed to reduce expenditure, " if possible," by £100,000, has been rejected by a majority of 59 to 10. • It is fair to say that this may not exactly show the numbers of those in favour of, and opposed to, further retrenchment ; for the motion, after Mr. Withy had desired to withdraw it in deference to general feeling, was forced to a division in order to bring it into contempt, and to deal a slap in the face to those reformers who, in the elegant diction of our refined representatives, are dubbed the " Skinflint Committee."

The history of this motion is a peculiar one. It originated with the economising party, and had the sympathy apparently of the Government ; the Premier at first encouraging its being brought forward in the House. By-and-bye some of the reformers got frightened of the ghost they had raised, and when Sir Harry Atkinson said that in order to carry it out, either the wages of the railway employe's must be reduced, or the education vote must be cut down to that amount, there was a general rout, and everybody seemed in a hurry to disown the resolution. Now this may have been fact, or it may have been only a piece of "bluff" on the part of the Premier ; but whichever it was the conduct of members was as senseless as it was cowardly. In all probability it was only stated by the Premier as an excuse for his not having to apply the pruning knife further where it might well be applied, as anyone taking a casual glance at the Estimates can see ; but assuming that it was correct, and that the carrying of the resolution would have necessitated reduction in the wages of railway employes and of the Education vote, why should members have shrunk from the necessity? In the Education vote, in the opinion of the vast majority of the more intelligent members of the community, and on the testimony oil those who speak with the authority of experience, the whole or the greater part of the proposed £100,000 might have been taken off without decreasing in the smallest degree the efficiency of the service, and if the Ministry had been shut up to the necessity of such curtailment, the object would have been compassed in some one of several ways that are clearly open to the reduction of the gross extravagance of our education system. But it is in face of the other alternative, the proposed reduction of the wages of railway employes, that > the pusillanimity of members is more strikingly shown. The reduction in this department is supposed to be a blow at the working man ; hence the fright of our representatives. Now, it is the existence of this contemptible feeling that of all things may well make the friends of democracy despair. If the necessities of the State demand it, why should not the working man bear his share of suffering as well as others ? And why should he not be told that honestly to ; his face 1 One wise member argued that I a time when increased taxation had been

imposed on the necessaries of life was ?■ not a time for docking railway "work- I men's wages. Does not the; same I argument apply to the clerks "and t other members of the Government service whose salaries have been pared down? ; The honourable member knows that well, and that his contention would be equally a bar to all the retrenchment that has taken place or may take place in the salary or wages of every man in the public service. But it was a ; bid for the working-man's favour; and we trust that the intelligent working-man - for he is not such a goose as he is supposed by some to be— will take such an assumption of his ignorance at its proper value. The working-man in the public service has just as much right as v "the swell" to bear his share of the sacrifice, if the public . necessities demand it; and this attempt to make the working-man think that' he is a sacred ■ * thing that must not be touched, is an insult to his independence and hit I intelligence, and tends to bringing Liberalism and Democracy into co«. tempt. But is this proposed reduction of railway labourers wages a blow at the > . working-man ? If the railway labourer is receiving wages beyond the fair rate —we do not know whether he; is—arid. !' beyond the average of what is paid to . I other working-men who have; not the privilege of being in the public service, what blow to the working-man is it if the favoured railway labourer is reduced to the proper and ordinary rate of wage? On the contrary, it is a I wrong to the working-man to have to ; pay from his hard earnings increased - taxation on every necessary of life, in order to pay this pampered minion of S officialism more than he earns ; and the working-man is not such a fool as to think that he has any interest in keep- . ing up a higher rate of wages in the ■'.'•;. I Railway Department than, is paid to | the labourer and the artizan outside that charmed circle. The fact of the matter is that the railway servants, like the Teaching Guild, are fast becoming a dangerous power in the State; and from the manner In which their interests are ' • | thus conserved, to the detriment of equivalent and less favoured classes without, it is evident that we are on I the way to be rough-ridden by these r railway people as we have been by j others of our public servants. The. - reduction of the wages of the railway labourers to the average standard of wages —if they are . above that average —is a matter that in no way affects the working man as such, except to the benefit of his interest; and we sincerely trust that the working classes will show themselves intelligent enough and independent enough to resent as an impertinence the at- .. tempt to identify them with; any desire to maintain an exorbitant scale of salary or wages either in the Railway or any other Department of Y ' the State. But it is humiliating and aggravating in the last degree, to see that members of Parliament have resisted this motion for retrenchment— because it seemed to aim at the education vote and the railway employesthrough a craven and contemptible - desire to pander to the prejudices, or the selfishness real or supposed, of any particular classes of the community. '

: According to our cable messages this morning Mr. Parnell now courts a full inquiry., into. the . charges brought , against him by the Times, his only stipulation being that the commission appointed should be or a non-political character, a somewhat superfluous condition, seeing that it was from the first intended that the members of the commission should be three judges. Fighting is reported to have taken place in the Soudan, resulting in the repulse of the rebels. The White Pasha, supposed to be either Stanley or Emin Bey, is said to have sent an ultimatum to the Mahdi. ". The Boulanger bubble seems to be on the point of bursting. The General has been '.defeated in Ardeche, an Opportunist being returned. ...t.,',. =~/,:.: ;*u>i-, »":• A few weeks ago a letter was published in the Herald from Mr. J. G. Henderson, chemist, Ponsonby, drawing ' attention to some of the dangers that might arise from the adoption of "M. Pasteur's scheme .■ of dealing with the rabbit pest. The letter was i brought to the notice of the Chief Secretary of Victoria, who has taken steps to have the matter considered, " ;i '

An export of . a somewhat unusual character was made yesterday by the 8.8. Wairarapa for Sydney, for transhipment) to India, in the shape of 400 boxes (20 tons) of potatoes, which were shipped by Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co. to an order from Calcutta. It. is to be i hoped that this consignment will be the forerunner of many similar ventures, and that a new market for our local product will thus be opened.

. As will be seen by our report in another 1 column, the inquiry into the late fire ; at Messrs. Jamieson, Smith, and Co.'s, Queen* street, resulted yesterday in the jury returning a verdict, "that in their opinion the fire occurred under suspicious circumstances, but that there was, no evidence to show how it originated." It is not improbable 8 that the case will be carried further. >_ "i -';_ .•■-■'-"*.-.. Jf?

A singular fracas, which may. become a subject of investigation in the Law Courts, occurred yesterday morning at Mr. L. I). Nathan's Whitford farm, , Maraetai. Mr. Stimson, manager, has the charge of the poultry at the farm, and a short time since he accused two of the men employed then, in the. care of the ostriches, Allen and Harrison, of interfering with his charge. This caused bickering, and' the result was that yesterday morning Allen and Harrison attacked Stimson, and a fight ensued, during which Mrs. Stimson came to the assistance of her husband, and belaboured the other men with a horsewhip. ' Stimson was rendered unconscious before the combatants were separated, he having been cub about the head, but he soon recovered. Allen and Harrison were slightly bruised. Dr. Leger Erson was sent for to the aid of Stimson, whilst Constable Walker, of Ota j huhu, also proceeded to the locality to in quire respecting the occurrence.

A lad of 16 named Fitzsimmons broke hia" leg at Otahuhu while playing football, and was admitted to the Hospital on Monday evening. He is now doing well. The following is a copy of the address to be presented to the Hon. Mr. Larnach, lab Minister of Mines, by the burgesses of the Thames:—"Hon. W. J. M. Larnach, C.M.G., M.H.R.,—Sir,—We, the undersized, in the name and behalf of the people of the Thames, desire to express our deep feeling of regret at the announced departure from this colony of so true a friend and earnest an advocate of the mining industry as yourself. No member of any New Zealand Ministry has so persistently endeavoured to advance the prosperity of the colony by bringing to the assistance of the miner a*practical knowledge of the composition of ores; the most modern appliances for the extraction of metals therefrom; the establishment of Schools of Mines; and the publication of mining literature. In bidding you good-bye we most sincerely trart that the good wishes of those whose aid you have so earnestly striven for hern, may be permitted effectively to follow you to your new home, wherever that may be. With every feeling of personal respect, permit us to subscribe ourselves, yours most faithfully (signed by His Worship the Mayor and all the Borough and County councillors)." The above has been beautifully illuminated by Mr. James Patterson, and will be forwarded to Mr. Larnach in a few days.

Mr. G. H. Leaning, undertaker, sends us the following letter, which he has received from the Town Clerk —"In reply to your letter to His Worship the Mayor of yesterday's date, in reference to a want of notice for a burial at Waikomiti, on inquiry the matter was found to be no fault of yours or of the sexton's, but an inadvertent oversight of- the treasurer's, arising mainly from the occasional difficulty in getting telephon* communication with the sexton. Arrange 1 ments have now been made with regard to messages by telephone to the sexton, which will prevent a recurrence of the annoyance, by error, now under reply."

A Melbourne firm has purchased a proj perty in Adelaide-street,, Brisbane, with a 66 feet frontage, for £25;OO0.

Mr. Sydney Taiwhanga, M.H.R., has made himself rather prominent in the House during the present session as a supporter of Mr. Samuel a Divorce Bill, alleging that he suffered from being improperly mated, and that under the provisions of the new Bill he would obtain relief. Mrs. Taiwhanga has called upon us to state her view of the position. She says that she is the aggrieved party,- and has the most right to complain. Mr. Taiwhanga has left her without any means of support, and she has had to maintain herself by her own labour. Furthermore, she would have proceeded against Taiwhanga before this for maintenance, but she is informed that she cannot take proceedings against a member of Parliament while the House is in session, nor for a certain time after the House rises. She is therefore debarred from claiming the right of a wife, namely, to be supported by, her husband. But Mrs. Taiwhanga goes still further, and says that if she had the means to commence proceedings, she could bring an action against her husband for divorce without any extension of the provisions of the law. ,

The General Code, the last great work left by Dr. Hearn, has by no means brilliant prospects in the Victorian Assembly, although it has been read a second time yesterday as a matter of courtesy. It is a pleasure (says the Argus) to read law in graceful English which no man can misunderstand, but still no one likes to incur the tremendous responsibility of setting the statute law aside in favour of this

particular codification. The measure itself only proposes that it shall be accepted as binding when it is in accordance with the statute law. It provides that when the Court decides that the law is different to the code, the code is to give way. And it is forcibly argued by all the lawyers in the House that with such a half-accepted code as this we should have the old perplexing law and a new complication. The Code Napoleon, the Prussian Code, and the Indian Code are complete in themselves, in so far that the appeal is to them, and when they speak other authorities must give way ; and the compromise proposed here would please no one. The dread is, of course, that under the guise of codification changes in the law may be accidentally effected with disturbing and disastrous results, and until this fear can be >■ faced and set aside no progress can be made. There is this to be said, that codes have their value, even if tney do not become law. They can still exist as text-books and authorities. The fame of Edward Livingstone rests upon his Louisianian Code, which never became law, but which is known as a " treasury of reference and suggestion," and at least so much may be anticipated in Australia for the monumental work of the great man who has left us.

Mr. Fallon, railway contractor, is at present in Auckland. He has just completed his contract for the Ngatira section of the Trunk Line, a length of eight miles from the Putaruru Junction. The contract time was fifteen months, and Mr. Fallon has finished well within that period, much to the surprise of most of those who estimated the work to be got through. It is finished now, with .all the railway stations, houses, fences, etc., but the extension leads from nowhere to nowhere. There is not a settler hardly in the whole extent that the line has gone through ; and, to make it at all r useful, a further extension of fourteen miles is required to bring it into communication with the Rotorua Road.

Dr. Bond gave the second of his course of weekly lectures on ambulance work, at the Young Men's Christian Association Rooms last night, and there was a good attendance of interested listeners, although not nearly so large as the great importance and utility of the course of instruction would warrant, and we have no doubt that, as the usefulness of the instruction imparted by these lectures becomes known, the attendance will ' largely increase. Following uphisopening lecture on the anatomy of the bony structure of the human frame, and the positions of the principal organs, Dr. Bond proceeded last night to describe the circulation Of the blood and how to stop bleeding wounds. He described the system of blood vessels as a hydraulic system, explaining by . diagrams,* and on the black-board the four divisions of the heart, their action on the bcdy, &c, and the distinction between arterial and venous blood. - These were first thoroughly elucidated by diagrams and by means of tapes and a skeleton, and he then proceeded to show how to stop bleeding from wounds in the arms or lower limbs by means first of pressure ' by the fingers and then by tourniquets, illustrating his remarks by experiments on a living subject. He then described how to stop bleeding from the hands or the head, and said that two things were absolutely necessary, namely, presence of mind and to make use of: common sense in cases of this nature. He then in an interesting manner, by means of a sheep's heart, illustrated the system of the circulation of the blood. The next lecture will be given 'on Tuesday night. '

The- anniversary ■• of the Progressive League was celebrated on Monday evening by an entertainment in St. Andrew's schoolroom, Symonds-street. There were about 250 present. The' Secretary (Mr." C. T. Rehshaw) read . the ' report, giving the history of the league since its foundation, a year ago, the founders being Messrs. T. West and C. T. Renshaw. The report enumerated the many difficulties the promoters had to contend with in the early days of the league, and how by patience and perseverance they had been gradually overcome, winding up with an eloquent peroration on the future possibilities of the power of the league. The President then gave an address, pointing out .the benefits of the league as a training ground for young men, fitting them in future years for the political arena, and said if only the members would hold together they might become a very real power in New Zealand politics. A rather long programme was gone through, consisting of instrumental music (piano and flute), songs, and recitations. Mr. Birdsall literally brought down the house with his comic song, " The Amateur Fireman." In response to an encore he sang two other comic songs. Miss Worboys was greatly applauded for her song, Dolly's Revenge. Mr. Montague received an encore for his recitation, " The Australian Emu." Several other songs and recitations were given, and votes of thanks being passed to the ladies and gentlemen assisting, a very pleasant evening was brought to a conclusion.

"All the American brook trout at the Masterton Fish Hatchery (says the Wairarapa Daily) have completed spawning, and ova to the amount of 52,000 have been stripped off, and the majority of the eggs ; are hatched out. Of English brown trout 36,000 ova have been taken, and 17,000 of Loch Leven trout. Of the American brook char 5000 are to go to Pahiatua about the 26th instant, and a further consignment will be sent latter. A company has been formed in Pahiatua, and funds have been subscribed to the extent of £25, which is to be expended in stocking the streams with fish. This example might well be followed by all the special settlements in the FortyMile Bush, where there are many creeks with gravelly bottoms and shady nooks that would make splendid trout streams. Trout fish are regular cannibals. One big fellow, that would turn the scale at 101b, was pulled out of the mill stream close by, and the curator has him shut off in a. stream with some others about the same weight and size, and with equal gourmandising propensities. A trout of that size would think nothing of making a meal of half-a-dozen youngsters of his fellow-kind. The curator also took two female trout from the creek near Renall's mill They were beautifully marked with bright red spots. From these two fish 7000 eggs wore taken. The ponds are now well stocked with fish in their various stages, and the Wellington and Wairarapa Fish Hatcheries can supply trout m any variety and quantity.

Sales of city property at good figures are still taking place in Sydney. A piece of land with about 15 feet frontage to Queenstreet, on which two brick shops are erected, has been sold for £13,600. it is stated that several other heavy sales are pending. One land agent alone during the month of June effected sales to the amount of £262,000.

Melbourne society (says a correspondent) will shortly sustain a loss in the persons of the Lieutenant-Governor and Lady Stawell, who, with several members of their family, leave Australia for England early next year. I understand the change is to be "for good," as Sir William Stawell has dupooed of his property in this colony.

Owing to the repeated extensions of the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings, the previous estimate given by the treasurer (Col. Sargood) as to the cost of the undertaking to the country, has been rendered inaccurate. The total expenditure was then given as about £217,000. It has already been increased to about £251,000, and, making allowances for all probable contingencies, it will, before the Exhibition is over, reach the sum of £276,000. The receipts from all sources are estimated at about £170,000, which includes entrance fees (about £85,000), sale of electric plant (about (£35,000), and sale of building material (£25,000). The net cost to the country should, therefore, be under, £110,000. It is stated that two large firms in England spend more than this amount every year in advertising. But, as a set-off against the direct cost, there will be a large indirect return in the shape of increased Customs' duties and railway receipts. All this will go into the public treasury, and the general body of the community will benefit by the influx of visitors, each of whom will spend something during his stay in Melbourne. The cost of the Adelaide Jubilee Exhibition was . more than covered by the increase in the Customs' and railway receipts alone.

The Times gives an account of an Indian Congress held at Madras. We extract the following interesting paragraph, referring to education, the advantages of climate as a factor in wages, and to Protection — "Another subject on which the Congress laid much stress is the need of technical education. Speakers pointed out' that while, down to the present century, India was a great exporter of manufactured goods, her hand-loom industries have now been driven out. of the world's market by machine-made articles, and. that she is become a great importer of textile goods. They recognised that this change was inevitable, but they asked to be enabled to face it. They believe that wages are not only nominally, but also economically and fundamentally, lower in India than in Europe or America, and that Indian labour, if properly instructed, can well hold its own in the new industrial era. One member sagaciously pointed out that in Europe ' many thousands die yearly simply because they are not able to purchase the heat which we here get for nothing.' He recognised that the sun is a constant factor in favour of the Indian workman, alike in regard to clothing, shelter, and • food ; but he also recognised the unlikelihood 'that mere labour, however cheap, unassisted by technical education, and unassisted by machinery and the improvements of science, will ever compete with educated labour, however dear.'"

"We understand" says the Lyttelfcon Times, " that yet another addition is to be made to the number of firms likely to be established in New Zealand by Australian capitalists. This last is a firm the capital to work which is supplied by a powerful Sydney syndicate, and they have a most novel and interesting plan in hand. It is their intention to utilise some of our native woods in the manufacture of paper by the modern sulphide process, of which they have secured the rights from the sole patentee, Mr. Partington, of Manchester. The kahikatea, or white pine, with which our native forests abound, has been found to be peculiarly adapted to this process. The principal requirements for the success of the process are sulphur and lime, no .bleaching with soda ash or other powder being necessary. As sulphur and limestone exist in New Zealand in any.quantity.it may be seen that: the prospects offered to this industry in the colony are extremely favourable. The representative of the syndicate has had the promise of every assistance from the Government, the Sur-veyor-General, Mr. McKerrow, having par-_ ticularly ; interested himself in ; the scheme. He is now .about to make exhaustive enquiries through the colony, with a view to discover the best site for a large mill."

A quantity of tea grown in the Auckland Domain and dried by Mr. Cliff, the caretaker for. the Acclimatisation Society, is to be forwarded to Wellington for the Protection banquet. It is : said to be of good quality, and the only obstacle to tea being more widely grown here is the cost of labour. ■ v ■ "•• ••

A correspondent, referring to the performance *of "Psyche" at Ponsonby on Monday night, writes :—" If there is one noticeable feature of Miss Bleazard's singing, it is that pi expression, and the ' attention to the lights and shades gives a charm to her singing that many of our vocalists would do well to follow. Great was my surprise, therefore, '.• to read this morning that' she sang without feeling,' a remark singularly at variance with her performance of the arduous part she had to execute. She certainly was a little nervous, but that was the ' head and front' of her offending. In barest justice to a lady who ranks premier in our amateur vocal circles, I ask your insertion of the foregoing."

The Melbourne University ball (writes a correspondent) was "like most other balls." The appearance of various members of the Gai6ty Burlesque Company at midnight, accompanied by the Marquis of Queensberry, was the sensation of the evening, Miss Nellie Farren, the " Queen of Burlesque," was the observed of all observers." She wore a trained gown of white velvet over a petticoat of white satin, draped with lace, and was literally a blaze of diamonds. Miss Marion Hood, who, as .the heroine of " Monte Christo, jun.," has already made herself popular with the public, wore a very dainty gown of pale green silk, draped with gauze of the same colour, the dress being adorned with trails of roses. Miss Hood's hair was worn in flowing tresses. The gowns worn by the company in general were a study in variety. Miss Nellie Stewart was a picture in a " semiclassic" robe of pink Liberty silk, guiltless of flounce or furbelows. "Semi-classic" robes contrasted with Watteau frocks. " First Empire" gowns, with the short waist and large sash distinctive of that kind of dress, and with unmistakeably modern ballgowns of the present year of grace. It is whispered that the "First Empire" dress is coming into fashion for evening attire for men, and women are "showing them the way" by donning that of the ladies of the First Napoleon's Court.

The following, says the Christchurch Telegraph, is a statement of the stock of wheat held in this part of the colony at the present time:—North of Waitaki, 550,000 sacks ; Oamaru and neighbourhood, 175,000 sacks : total, 725,000 sacks of four bushels, or equal to 2,900,000 bushels. This would furnish cargoes for 60 large, English ships. We think this is the largest stock of wheat that has been held in July of any year. Unless the English market moves up, or freights come down, we shall have a grain shipping trade all this year at dull prices. So far, holders are out of pocket as against men who sold early in the season.

The directors of the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society have decided not to accept risks on the lives of persons resident at Broken Hill, at least until some considerable improvement shall have taken place from a sanitary point of view. At present, owing to the insanitary (the manager suggests " insane") arrangements, scarcity of good water, etc., the inhabitants of the place are very liable to typhoid, and it is said that a further danger is experienced from the fumes of lead, which are blown right across the town when the wind is from a certain quarter, whence it blows for nine months in the year.

A Southern contemporary gives a little light on how "champion glove fights" are arranged. Tommy Bruiser notifies in the papers that he is prepared to fight anything is weight in the country for £20 or £50 a-side, as the case may be, though anyone to see Tommy would be puzzled to know where such a large sum of money was to come from. The next day the " challenge" (which has been arranged in some back parlour a week ago) is taken up by Jimmy Slogger, another of the many "champions" in which the colony abounds ; and one of the public halls is accordingly engaged for the combat. On the appointed night all the larrikins in the country who can command the admission money gather in to see the " championship" once decided. The principals pummel each other for some minutes, the referee gives his decision amidst much hooting, yelling, cursing, and swearing; the curtain falls, and the show is at an end. Then Bruiser and Slogger divide the spoils, and with a retinue of loafing blackguards, retire to the nearest pub to arrange the preliminaries for another combat at the earliest possible opportunity.

The annual local meeting of shareholders in the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company will be held to-day at noon, at the offices of the company, Queenstreet.

A Southern paper says:—" The present scarcity of shipping between New Zealand and Australia has suggested to the Otago people the desirability of establishing a new line of steamers. These are to be, if not in opposition to the Union Company, at least intended to be supplementary and permanent. It is said that there are enormous quantities of produce on the East Coast of the South Island now awaiting shipment to Australia, for which the markets are specially advantageous at present, and that the Union Company's boats are unable to keep pace with the demand for freights. Under these circumstances, the fact that the company have allowed the Tekapo to be chartered for another trip to India instead of using her to clear off the accumulated balance of freights, seems to be the last straw which has broken the Otago peopla's patience, and efforts are being made to interest the leading merchants in the colony in the establishment of a new line."

The sacred cantata, "Esther," was last night performed in the Ponsonby Baptist Church before a good audience, by the Auckland Tabernacle choir, under the conductorship of Mr. J. Kilpatrick. The accompanying instruments were piano and harmonium, which were ably played by Misses Stevens and Dewar respectively, while the connective monologue was well read by Mr. F. M. Hay. The cast of the characters was as follows Esther, Miss Clements (soprano); Ahasuerus, Mr. F. Blakey (bass); Haman, Mr. W. Marson (baritone); Teresh, Haman's wife, Miss Petty (contralto); Mordecai, Mr. W. Blakey (tenor); Maid of Honour, Miss Battley (soprano); High Priest, Mr. H. Crocombe (baritone); Haggai, Mr. F. Blakey (bass). The principal portion of the singing fell to the lot of Miss Clements and Mr. F. Blakey, and both acquitted themselves well. The former is possessed of a clear soprano of considerable compass and much • sweetness, and all her numbers were rendered with care and expressiveness. Mr. Blakey was similarly well chosen for his part, his powerful bass voice being heard to great advantage in the duet, " A Song of Joy" (Ahasuerus and Haman), as also in all the concerted pieces. In the solo, "Lo, O'er the Wicked," Miss Battley achieved quite a success, though evidently somewhat nervous, while the air " Why Should These Hebrews " was given by Miss Petty (contralto) with very pleasing effect. The choruses throughout were rendered with a spirit and precision which proved that the choir had carefully rehearsed their parts, the numbers "Long Live Our Noble King" and "Praise the Lord" being particularly well received by the audience. At the conclusion of the cantata, the Rev. J. D. Gilmore called on the congregation to accord a vote of thanks to the performers, and his request was promptly and heartily acceded to.

The kiwi which was found on Sunday last in the swamp between Ellerslie and St. John's College Lake is believed to be one which Mr. Hart, of Nelson-street School, had in his possession for some time, and which had become quite tame. Mr. Hart got it from Mr. Reischek. When it escaped from Mr. Hart's premises in Newton it ran down the street at a pace about as hard as a horse could gallop, and "defied pursuit." It must have made its way from Newtou to the swamp at Ellerslie, doing most of the journey at night, and maintained itself there for several months.

The following is from Lloyd's Weekly of June 10 and 17 : —" Thomas Grainger, who returned from Mexico about 12 years ago, and wrote from Portsmouth that he had shipped in the Lanontonia for New Zealand, is inquired for by his father."

In another column an advertisement appears making known the merits of the •'Stott Self-acting Gas Regulator." It is said to reduce gas bills by from 10 to 40 per cent. The sole agents are The Southern Cross Electric Light Company, 75, Queenstreet, Auckland.

Notification is given in another column that the City Council will receive tenders for cast-iron pipes, ball hydrants, etc. Specifications may be seen at the offices of the Waterworks Superintending Engineer, Insurance Buildings, Queen-street.

The half-yearlv general meeting of the Working Men's Club will be held next Friday evening at eight o'clock.

The sacred cantata entitled "Queen Esther" will be given on Monday, 30th instant (instead of Friday next) in the lecture hall, Young Men's Christian Association, by united choirs consisting of upwards of 60 voices, under the conduct of Mr. Tanfield. The proceeds are for the building fund of the Y.M.C-A.