THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1888.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9153, 7 September 1888, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1888.

The evolution of the Chinese question is of graver interest to these colonies than may be commonly supposed, not only in the real difficulty which it has cast an the hands of the British Government, but from its likelihood to cause a change of feeling in governing circles at home in relation to colonial pretensions. Our yesterday's telegrams told us that the Chinese Ambassador in

London has raised the question of F land's meddling with Tibet, a <x>nv which for a century and a-half has subject to the sovereignty of OV**** and though an assurance has t*' given by the British Miniate 'Tl nothing further has been cor' 7 plated than the repelling of atS' the Ambassador expresses dissa*;?* tion with the explanation, and affects to believe that permanent Pat-ion of a part of that most , able and uninviting territory is | It is stated that it is thought thar v objection, urged by the Chined V;^ ter, is merely a diplomatic rnoVlT enable China to strengthen hern,-' ° in dealing with England on '{£*** tion of Chinese emigration to V'itVi '* a supposition which we think i likely to be correct. Indeed tC* ' ~ Tj ' nies, or some of them, by th-- : r " ° and violent conduct have n'aoH weapon in the hands of China" * sure to be used with effW-r n "Y:"V 5 matic relations with England, 7 be productive of very consider- v barrassment to Imperial ayr] o^r ;. view of the many points of ri -, r " Chinese and British interest a-'j'-i"' importance of the pre.^rwir, '"*• good relations with the rpn-<- r l ,0i /» % * 4 • *'** * ful or Asiatic sovereignties ard -• " best ally in repelling the' a dv' - ' of Russia in the East. That t'-«. of China had not the .-.j.to facilitate the exodus of -..\T either to Australasia or is well known 5 indeed, in t'r.-'-Chinese authorities were a.-n;-:,-.- 1 - ' the same feelings that inriu-^ German Government —in i v i.askance on the departure of th- • -' r ~ and sinew of national stren—', v ; * forever lost to Fatherland, and to h-r; up the power of alien nati.v ' the additional strength given t 0 -: ' by the traditional policy of re- : --r" to intercourse with the outer bark»C But Australasian action has av,>'-_V j a feeling more powerful than :h»; ; 3 the direct insult to the Chines- r; " by the exceptional treatment ='• them, as if the low and t?--objectionable of all the races or r -i earth. Stung by this atfr-.r- <-'-l Chinese authorities, we may fen Wi assured, will be keenly sensitive in -1 their future relations with the £r-\. Empire, and we venture to sav t- 3 - this difficulty raised over Tibet ij bathe first of many that '..'ill croc un • of the unjust and utterly uncalled-:*? action of Australia in relation to the Chinese. That the creation of this tension -will become irksome to England we as eon:dentlv believe, and in the intimation which we have of the language used bv I the leading journal of Great Britain we have what we may regard as a inn • the first intimations of a chance in the public feeling of England respecting the boisterous assertion of their rights by colonists. The Times. »e are told, "considers that the adtatra against the Chinese in Australia is merely a political trick," and the sagacity of the remark will be admitted by every intelligent and fairthinking resident in the colonies. For in a twofold sense there was much of the character of a political r-j-e in the late sudden outburst against tie Chinese : for this sudden ebullition c: an occasion when there was no morspecial reason for violence than had existed for years before, was a maiebelieve to impress the Imperial (k----vernment that there was an extraordinarily strong public opinion on the subject in the colonies at the time. - representation which has been prov-i to have been unfounded by the re-action that has taken place, by the "backi:-; out" of those very Ministers who had exhibited the most '"sound and fury' on the occasion, and by the general quieting down of public feeling, ar.i the almost indifference winch now pervades the colonies on the subject. But the language or the Times—that it vr.is a mere political trick—is further ton.? out in the fact that it was from first to last a mere pandering to t£? excitable passions of the mob. who saw, or pretended to see. or were incited to think, that in these few Chinese then arriving in Australia there was the van of a great army of invasion that wast? swarm over the land like locusts, to t:.e ruin of the labouring classes in t:.? colony, and even to sweep civilisation itself away. The absurdity of such an idea has now been admitted, if the ices was ever anything but a pretence, magnified and dated for ulterior purpose--and the baseness of the political tries attempted on them should be resented by none more than the working classes themselves. That discouragement, and even prevention in reason and in a legitimate way, should be applied to check an* considerable influx of an inferior r- -• which might tend to disturb the see:- 1 - relations of the colonies, is not to gainsayed, and this end could i^ se been easily compassed in rational vsj-'-But the late violent outburst—inwhich the people of this colony v - - happily exempt —was nothing more less than a trick of demagogy. i- : result of which may not improbably - to weaken, instead of strengthening, L--7 * -J" general feeling against the tion of the Chinese. One thing * absolutely certain, that it has rais^* 1 difficulty which did not exist before J the way of regulating effectively ; ' nJ an amicable way the intercourse betterthe subjects of the Queen and of His Majesty of China, and excite ■> feeling that will no doubt be appe j - r by considerable concessions and e f sacrifice to the offended dignity great and friendly Power : and it L--intemperate conduct of the coio f i ,.' have the effect of making the P u ,",'j opinion of England begin to thin*. colonists are presuming too iaUL : 1 their attempts to embarrass in her foreign policy, and to em her relations with friendly Powers. if there is a reaction in public tee l "*= at home, the colonies have only 116 selves to thank for the position.

The visit of the envoy of the Bureau of England. Mr. V\ alter f>. ' to New Zealand is fraught with a £ interest. That institution a '' out of the jealousies and r '\ A * competing emigration agencies. P Sentmg the attractions of their a®* 6 ■ colonies as fields for settlement in **■ fashion as to merely bewilder the in ~ ding emigrant : and it was under the auspices or the ,f Government in the express in>tei the emigrants themselves, and in

that they might be furnished with impartial and reliable information respecting all the colonies, and thereupon make choice of the one that best suited their requirements. _ With this object a periodical digest of information has been published by the Bureau, meagre and unsatisfactory in some respects we must admit, but fair, honest, and correct so far as it goes, and the items of which have been furnished apparently to the Bureau, by the several Agencies General. But the conductors of the institution have taken a new departure. and in sending the Editor as a special agent to visit all the colonies in order, and report, they have exhibited a solicitude for their proteges, and a desire to furnish them with explicit and reliable information that is deserving' of every praise. Knowing as we do that our colony presents attractions for agricultural settlers beyond those of any other country on the face of the earth, we have every reason to rejoice in such a visit; and our business is now to see that Mr. Baton really sees the country and makes himself acquainted with the special characteristics of its more important fields for settlement ; and we trust that on this occasion, we shall have no repetition of the fiasco witnessed in the case of the Inspector of Dairies, when, after lengthened and systematic inspection and instruction over many and varied districts South, two days in Waikato were regarded as adequate to test the character of, and give instructions to, the dairies and dairy factories of the whole Provincial District of Auckland. We merely desire that our districts, as locations for agricultural settlers, should be impartially seen and tested, with a fair Held and no favour. But we do by anticipation protest against the available time of Mr. Baton being absorbed by such a lengthened detention elsewhere, that he may not be able to see what are beyond any comparison the lands most suited—from price, from productiveness, from genial climate from accessibility, from conveniences and advantages of varied kind—for forming homesteads with the least, diilicultv. Not only throughout Wai- - kato, but in the beautiful and attractive but too long-neglected northern parts of this provincial district, there are st-enes that should gladden the heart of any man really interested in seeing men and families build up happy homes for themselves. We seek no advantage over any other locality in this colony, for what is beneficial to any one part of the colony is gain to all ; but feeling as we do how attractive are the lands we can otter, we only express the hope that the visit of the Envoy of the Imperial Emigration Bureau will not be like the visit of the Inspector of Dairies.

Evidently the earthquake wave, or movement of the crust of the world, which has been in action for the last few years, has not yet subsided. It showed itself most conspicuously to begin with in the vast outbreak of Krakatoa, and in -June, ISS6, we had our own manifestation in the explosion of Tarawera. At short intervals ever since we have been hearing of volcanic outbursts or earthquake shocks in different parts of the world, making it clear that the globe is at one of those periods of its history remarkable for seismological manifestations. '11 records show that for a period of a few years earthquakes are numerous, and that then the world's crust is at rest for a time. There has been an impression that convulsions of this kind were dying out, but this seems not to be the case, for the earthquakes of the last year or two have probably been as destructive to human life as any recorded. The shock which occurred throughout the central portion of New Zealand within the last few days caused very little real damage, and indeed it may be said that New Zealand, judging from the past, is beyond the risk or serious convulsion. A cablegram from Sydney informs us that news has been received there that a severe earthquake has occurred in the New Hebrides Group. It could scarcely be expected that these islands would escape, as several earthquakes of considerable magnitude have occurred there since the islands were discovered. On the island of Tanna, where the shock is said to have been most severe, there is an active volcano, the tire of which was seen by Captain Cook when he discovered the island in 1774. The cableEmm states : —" It is reported that Port Resolution has been blocked up by a submarine disturbance.' This port is not far from the volcano, and was named by Captain Cook after his vessel. The smoke of the volcano is actually mentioned in the .sailing directions as one of the landmarks for vessels making the harbour. There has been considerable discussion about the New Hebrides lately, owing to their seizure by the French but the military post established has been broken up, and the islands are ruled by a joint agreement. In all likelihood the few European residents and missionaries have suffered but little by the earthquake.

Our cablegrams this morning are numerous and interesting. The persistent attacks of the London Times on Mr. Gladstone's Irish policy have at last drawn from him a characteristic reply. He describes them as a mean political dodge. The Chinese question continues to engage attention. The American Congress has adopted a Bill for the absolute exclusion of Chinese from the United States. No progress is being made towards a settlement of the Fisheries dispute, while the Canadian Cabinet appear to be bent on complicating matters by resenting Lord Salisbury's advice to them. A violent earthquake has been experienced at the New Hebrides, and it is feared that great damage has been done. The Ruapehu left Wellington for London yesterday afternoon. Among her passengers are Archdeacon and Mrs. Stock, and Lady Hall. The Hons. Sir Frederick Whitaker (At-torney-General), E. Mitchelson (Minister of Public Works) and T. W. Hislop (Colonial Secretary), and Colonel Eraser and Mr. Kelly, M.H.R.'s, arrived at Onehunga, yesterday, by the s.s. Wanaka, from the South, and came on to town. Mr. Hi,slop visits Auckland to inquire into matters respecting the Avondale Lunatic Asylum. In another column we publish particulars of some of the mining exhibits and a description of the districts and mines from which they were obtained, which were yesterday forwarded by the Manapouri to the Melbourne Exhibition. Mr. Gordon, Mining Inspector, who is to proceed to Melbourne to supervise the mineral exhibits in the New Zealand Court of the Exhibition, will arrive here in about a week en route for Sydney. At the Supreme Court yesterday Ann Maliony, charged with arson, was acquitted, ind this terminated the criminal list of sases. The civil sittings of the Court comHence this morning at ten o'clock. A meeting will be held this afternoon at four o'clock at the Chamber of Commerce rooms, to consider as to the best means of aiding the display of our mineral wealth at tiie -Melbourne Exhibition. The Hon. Mr. Mitchelson, His Worship the Mayor, Mr. A. Porter, Mr. George Wilson, and others will be present. The quartz necessary for & n effective display has been sent away, but it will be considered what other measures can be taken. His Worship the Mayor leaves for a trip to Melbourne in a few days. On Wednesday evening, as a man named William Bruce, in the employ of Messrs. gibbons, grocers, Hobson-street, was crossing to the North Shore in a Hat-bottomed boat with a load of firewood, the boat cap- j sized. Bruce clung to it, and drifted with the tide down as far a- Kohimarama, where some boys in a boat rescued him from bis perilous position, j

A special meeting of the City Council was held last night to consider a petition as to the removal of the city abattoirs. A large deputation from Ponsonby, and Newton attended, and three of its members represented to the Council the annoyance and dangers arising from the nuisances complained of. A motion by Mr. Cooper to remove the abattoirs on condition that the Newton Borough Council refused to grant further licenses for slaughterhouses was lost, and an amendment referring the matter to a committee, proposed by Mr. Garratt, was carried. The proceedings are reported in another column. We have received a copy of a small and neatly printed volume entitled, " Handbook of Sydney, for the use of the members of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. Edited by William M. Hamlet, ij.I.C., F.C.S., Government Analyst. Sydney*: Turner and Henderson." The introduction by the editor contains a short description of Sydney and its harbour. Following this are the following chapters:—"Climate," by H. C. Russell, Esq., B. A. ,F. R.S. .Government Astronomer. "Geology," by C. S. Wilkinson, Esq., F.G.S., Government Geologist. " Botany," by J. H. Maiden, Esq., F. L.S., Curator of the Technological Museum. Mammals," by Dr. George Bennett, F.L.S., F.Z.S. " Marine Fauna," by W. A. Haswell, Esq., M.D., D.Sc., F. L.S., Lecturer on Zoology, University of Sydney. " Insecta," by A. Sydney Oliff, Esq., of the Australian Museum. " Conchologv," by Dr. James C. Cox, F.L.S., C. M.Z.S. "Commerce and Industries," by Charles Lyne, Esq. " Itinerary," by the Editor. Each subject is briefly treated. The football match to be played at Potter's Field, to-morrow afternoon, between the English team and the local players, has been during the week exciting a large amount of interest, and if the weather continues tine, a very large attendance will probably witness the match. The personnel of the Auckland team is well known, and every player's individual merits have been thoroughly criticised, but the visitors' final selection of their fifteen will not be made until this evening. Mr. A. E. S tod dart has'finally decided to play, and will captain the visitors, and this determination will be received with favour by the public. It is generally considered that the Auckland Fifteen will not, on this occasion, be able to defeat their opponents ; indeed, strong opinionsare expressed that they will be easily beaten, but the result of the match alone can verify or disprove these anticipations. It has been proposed that a second match shall be played on Wednesday next, but we understand that the local Rugby Union, while not offering any opposition, decline to take any active part in the promotion of any extra fixture. At the time of the departure of the s.s. Manapouri, yesterday, a numerous contingent. of the Salvation Army assembled on the wharf "to say farewell to "Captain " and Mrs. Wright, two prominent members of the band who have been transferred to Melbourne. The band played several hymn tunes and those present engaged in singing, in which the departing officers joined heartily. At noon yesterday the following nominations were received by Mr. Collins, Returning Officer, for three vacancies in the Devon port Borough Council — Alexander Alison, Edward W. Burgess, Jas. Mays, Thos. J. Duder. As the names submitted are in excess of the seats to be filled, a poll has been arranged to be held on September 13 at the borough otlices, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. As illustrating one of the causes by which the mining of very low grade ores can be profitably carried on at Sandhurst, a correspondent of the Lyttelton Times describes the pneumatic drill at work : — " The drill (he says) was not unlike a big squirt in shape, its nozzle being tipped with hard steel, which pecked away at the rock with astounding rapidity. Though the rock did-not appear to be very hard, the drill struck out sparks from it at every blow. As the rock crumbled before it, the nozzle was guided by one man, while another man, by turning a screw, maintained it at the proper distance for making an effective blow. With this drill the progress of sinking and driving is wonderfully hastened, and work that otherwise would take weeks is done in days." The West End Rowing Club held their annual meeting on Wednesday night at the Suffolk Hotel. There was a good attendance, the captain of the Club, Mr. F. W. Edwards, being in the chair. The yearly report showed a fairly good record for the past season, and the balance-sheet a small debit balance. The following officers were elected — President, T. Peacock, M.H.R. ; vice-presidents, A. E. Devore, Esq., Hon. W. Swanson, M.L.C., and Captain W. Farquhar; captain, Mr. F. W. Edwards ; deputy-captain, Mr. A. H. Jones; secretary, Mr. A. H. Gentles: treasurer, Mr. Robert Baxter : committee of management, Messrs. J. Fisner, (J. H. Dixon, G. Clark, R. Jack, and J. N. Baxter. In an article on the New Zealand Court at the Melbourne Exhibition, the Age says, apropos of our timber resources : —" It is a very rich heritage, a# . if the population put forth renewed efforts to develop industries in connection therewith which have been allowed to languish, and endeavour to sustain the thriving commercial relations which have been already established in other products of the soil, it will be made plain in the early future ' what is the particular natural function that New Zealand has to perform in acting its part as one' element in the great future of the Australasian nation.' " We have to acknowledge the receipt of the September number of the Australasian Bee Journal. In the seasonable hints given for the operations of the present month, notice is drawn to the existence of foulbrood, and it is pointed out that at the present time of the year "it will show it ; self plainly by killing the brood." The attention of bee-keepers is urged to this matter, and a careful inspection of all hives is recommended. Attention is called to the existence of bogus honey in the Melbourne market. Mr. T. J. Mulvany has an interesting article upon " Can Honey Become a Staple Article," which he answers not quite in the affirmative. However, the present article is only part of the whole, and in a subsequent issue the discussion will be carried on further. Mr. O. Poole has a very readable article upon the humble bees in England, and states frankly that it is to the humble bees that the European farmers are chiefly indebted for the fertilization of the red clover. The present number contains much reading of interest to beekeepers. In the course of his presidential address at the inaugural meeting of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science, Mr. H. C. Russell said :—" We are often told of the influence of science upon material advancement; but there is another thing that I should like to dwell upon, but that I. fear to keep you too long. We hear too little about *the influence that scientific work has upon a man's character. There is a science culture as well as a classical culture, and it would be worth while tracing its influence upon those who get it, and through them upon society. And we hear far too little about the influence which science is having upon the young, by exercising their powers of observation and reason on the phenomena of nature around them. Scientific education is spreading through all classes of the community, and slowly, but surely, like the advance of every great truth, the world has learned to recognise the fact that science is the great lever in the material advancement of the people; nay, more; that we cannot have material advancement without a previous advance in science. If we are to have new processes in the arts, new applications of the laws of nature for the wellbeing of mankind, we must first have the study of nature and the laws which govern its operations, before we can hope to employ them for our advantage. In a new country like this, with all its local variations in the laws of nature, its uncultivated forest fruits and flowers, its unknown vegetable and mineral wealth, the fact is forced upon us in a thousand ways that we must know or we must suffer." A large attendance patronised the Columbia. Rink last night, the floor being full of skaters, while the visitors' seats were packed tfith spectators. Among the latter were a good number of the English and Auckland footballers. In honour of the former's visit a large flag of their colours, with a football at the top, was placed prominently among the decorations of the rink. During the evening a well-contested game of polo was played by picked sides of skaters.

Two persons were fined at the Police Court yesterday morning (with an alternative of imprisonment) for drunkenness. William Moore was charged on remand with stealing a horse from Dome Valley, and, on the application of Sergeant-Major Pratt, the case was further remanded till Thursday next, as, owing to an impression that the defence would apply for a remand, the witnesses had not been subpoenaed. Mr. Palmer asked that bail be granted to accused on the same terms as previously— himself in £100 and two sureties of £50 each. The police had no objection to this course, and the Bench granted the request. Mr, J. Gilmore presided. An inquest was held at the Raglan Hotel, Otahuhu, yesterday, upon the body of James Grove, the particulars of whoso sudden death were recorded in yesterday's Herald. After hearing the evidence of the landlord of the hotel, Constable Walker, and others, the jury brought in a verdict to the effect that Grove met his death by taking poison while in a state of temporary insanity. The New Zealand Commissioners have just received, through the Colonial Secretary, circulars and schedules of a special Horticultural show, to be held in connection with the Melbourne Exhibition in November next ; but as they are of opinion that there is no possibility of New Zealand being able to successfully compete at these shows, the circulars are not being distributed. Anyone who is interested in the matter may obtain particulars by applying to the acting secretary to the Commissioners at Wellington. In consequence of the retirement of Mr. Wm. Buchanan as a candidate for the North Ward, Mr. William Henry Smith, of the firm of Smith and Caughey, has been declared elected. One meets with odd things in the ladies' papers nowadays. " Have you ever heard a girl swear ?"asks Madge in Truth, writing of an outdoor fete on a muddy day. "It is a surprising circumstance, but I could not help laughing at the very full-bodied exclamation that a white muslin girl uttered with vehemence when she plunged her 1 Suede shoe into a pool of liquid mud. What an object that shoe was ! She got a news- ! paper from somebody to take off the thickest of the mud with, but I think the shoe looked rather worse after the operation than before." Mr. F. H. Cook, of the well-known Cook's Tourist Agency, left Auckland yesterday by Waikato, to pay a visit to the Rotorua and Taupo districts. He was accompanied by Mr. E. Bilbrough, manager for New Zealand. Mr. Cook lias issued a pamphlet entitled, "A Few Remark * About Thomas Cook and Son's Travelling Arrangements and Coupon I Tickets." The pamphlet contains an outline of the business arrangements of the I agency, and a reprint of the interview with ! Mr. Cook, recently given in the New Zea- I land Herald. On last Saturday evening (says the Otago Daily Times) a peculiar lurid glare was observed in the north-western sky. It was noticeable till after midnight, and most people thought it was the reflection of a large tire. It was, we are informed, noticed early in the evening by two gentlemen who were shooting on the ranges behind Mount Flagstaff, and they state that so far as they could see it was not caused by any fire. The sunset effects seen from the hills by these gentlemen are described as most extraordinary, and together with this glare in the sky and the snow-covered ranges in the distance the effect was such that they gazed on it in almost speechless astonishment. The glare was noticeable again next evening, but it was not so prominent. It is somewhat singular that it should occur just after such a severe shock of earthquake as was experienced in some parts of the colony on Saturday morning, and some are inclined to connect the two together, remembering the peculiar glows which followed the volcanic outbreak at Krakatoa. A rather amusing letter has been received by the Commissioners of the Melbourne Exhibition. It is from a lady, who states that she tried to pass through the turnstiles a few days ago, but that owing to her size, which is presumably abnormal, the machine held her fast. Had it not been for the attendant, who procured a chair and assisted to extricate her from the peculiar position in which she was placed, unpleasant consequences might, she suggets, have happened. She therefore asked that special arrangements should be made for the admission of persons of her bulk and weight, and the accountant at once replied that if she would announce the occasion of her next visit, the gate, which is about 12 feet wide, would be opened for her. In an article on the San Francisco mail service, the Australasian says:—"As we have urged again and again, it would be a misfortune to drop the San Francisco contract, even though it is slightly unprofitable, because communication is worth keeping up between Australia and the great continent of Ameriea. Intimacy with the United States is much to be desired. But it is unreasonable to expect New Zealand to be at the principal expense, and the Post-masters-General of the Australian colonies ought to confer as to the best and fairest means of dividing the cost—not for the sake of the mails merely, but for the general advantages that accrue from the service. Some day a substantial traffic in produce and manufactures will establish itself, and the service will help itself; in fact, it will become self-supporting very soon if the duties on wool are abolished or reduced in the United States during the next Congress. The San Francisco service has been a great but unnoticed help towards bringing about the desired alteration in the tariff." A peculiar case of hallucination is reported from Forbes. A man named Jack Waller labours under the impression that the present authorised version of the Bible is incorrect, and that he alone has the true translation. For a month he had been diligently turning out copy, but during the last few days has developed serious tendencies, and it has been deemed necessary to place him under restraint. He has a wife and a large family quite unprovided for. Sir Henry Parkes intends to bring a city railway scheme for Sydney before Parliament when it meets again. The scheme takes in Darling Harbor, Sussex-street, Miller's Point, Circular Quay, Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Woolahra, Waverley, Rand wick, Waterloo, Alexandria, and Macdonaldtown, and has the approval of the Engineer-in-Chief. The following intimations are from Lloyd's Weekly of July '29 :—Ellen Greenwood (supposed to be now Mrs. Henry W. Smith), last heard from at Invercargill, N. Z., three years ago, is anxiously sought for by her parents. The daughter left Marylebone in Jan., 1875. William North went to New Zealand in 1878, with two of his daughters, Sarah and Rachel. His son William writes. Mr. Oswald's new Shaksperian class held their usual meeting on Wednesday, when several scenes from The Comedy of Errors " were read by the members. Mr. Oswald gave two recitations, and read an interesting paper on " The Comedy of Errors." A large muster of the "A" Battery of Artillery was present at their weekly inspection last night. After the parade a meeting of the corps was held, when a number of company matters in regard to new uniforms, conditions of firing for the champion belt, honorary members' subscriptions, etc., were discussed. At the Ponsonby Hall this evening, the annual social meeting of the St. Stephen's Church Ladies' Association will be held, when addresses will be delivered by the Revs. J. Chew and R. F. Maenicol, and a good musical programme will be gone through. Smith and Caughey beg to intimate that every department has just been replenished with new spring goods ex steamships Ruapehu and Coptic. Smith and Caughey are also advised by their Loudon buyers of further immense' shipments by the s.s. Tainui (now almost due) and other steamers and sailing vessels expected at an early date.