THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1891.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8629, 27 July 1891, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1891.

i During the debate upon the Financial i Statement, Mr. Perceval let drop a hint of the difficulties in store for Ministers when the time should come for dealing with the question of municipal taxation, closely associated as that subject is with the one of subsidies to local bodies, which Mr. Seddon considers to be at present insufficient. Sir Harry Atkinson's Government holding the pleasant optimistic view of the inexhaustible resources of the ratepayer, which was the key to that honourable gentleman's system of finance, considered it to be the duty of the municipalities to come to the rescue of the colonial administration by the acceptance of certain liabilities, e.g., the maintenance of the charitable aid system, and this process went under the name of decentralisation. The idea was not found to be realisable, except to the extent just mentioned, and now it seems to be held that charitable aid, so far as the local corporations are concerned, must be furnished to them by the central Government. Now, if those institutions cannot walk alone, and if it has become more necessary now than in the past to prop them up by means of subventions, to what cause such a state of things attributable, and could it be remedied by legislation 1 Certainly the powers | which they now enjoy of valuing, of ! rating, and of borrowing, are ample, and it may be feared have led to frequent abuse, as the enormous municipal debt of more than seven millions amply testifies. If then the remedy be found in a modification of the municipal laws, that change ought not to sanction or encourage the continuance of extravagance, which is the invariable consequence of the possession of irresponsible power, but on the contrary should make the acquisition of money by those local governments less easy, which might have the effect of inducing greater care in disbursing it. Again the coat of corporate management is very high, due in some measure to the large notions which prevailed at its inception, whereby both the numbers and the salaries of the officials were fixed upon an extravagant scale, which it has been found difficult to reduce. Then the depreciation in the value of property, which furnishes the chief source of municipal revenue, is doubtless the main factor in lessening the local rates whereby the interest upon loans and the expenses of management now bear a greater ratio to revenue than formerly, a state of things which it is sought to remedy by increased taxation. This again brings its own punishment in still further depreciation of values. Such is tlie state of things which will demand inquiry and consideration at the hands. of Ministers prior to accepting the necessity of augmenting present allowances, which in round figures may be set down at £150,000 a year, a sum the greater part of which, if not the whole, might bo saved by means of other arrangements. What these may be is not yet foreshadowed, but if the present Govern-.

! meat desire to achieve a reputation for ! economy and useful reform, the f oppor- | tunity of doing so will certainly be acj corded to them by this question. The first obvious step in the task of j putting those corporations upon a sound j footing, as to finance and efficiency, is to lessen their numbers, which- are greatly in excess of real requirements, jby means of amalgamation, and in extreme cases by suppression. By reason of the first-named process, the work now performed by two powers' would then be done by one at a reduced cost in several ways, while a larger income would enable the united bodies ; to carry out more efficiently the objects of their existence, viz., public conveni- | ence and improvement. Common opinion has long demanded some change of this kind, which naturally mends itself to the financial . reformer as the simplest and most reasonable manner of strengthening local government and at the same time of relieving the Colonial Treasury. Of course opposition to such an interference with vested interests on the part' of those concerned would be encountered, but the great body of the ratepayers would hail the change with enthusiasm, and would support any Administration ready to undertake such a work. Should, then, Mr. Ballance and his colleagues decide to enter upon this undertaking, they - will doubtless fbe guided as to the incidence of local taxation by the same principles which have served as the basis of their colonial finance, viz., a diminished duty, if not an entire freedom from rating, in the case of improvements, along with an income tax, similar to the poll tax, which, as has been already pointed out in these columns, is of common application to municipal finance in America. There, this impost is highly valued as a fair and politic charge, which throws upon all who benefit by town improvements some portion of the onus of maintaining them, thereby increasing the number of ratepayers, distributing costs more equitably, and evoking a vigilance ever awake to the detection of jobbery and extravagance, the very evils of oui; system which stand in most need of correction.

The great features of any scheme for reform in municipal government must, therefore, be the amalgamation of powers, and a change in their system of taxation. By the first of these measures, colonial finance would be relieved and stability given to local institutions ; by means of the second, a most objectionable form of rating would be abolished, the burden of taxation would be more equably divided, and a body of ratepayers would be called into existence by whose jealous watchfulness an honest expenditure of public money for public purposes, would be brought nearer to realisation.

We are informed by cable that Mr. McMillan is about to resign the office of Treasurer of New South Wales, owing to the pressure of private business, and that two other Ministers are anxious to resign for the same reason. A suspicion will be entertained that there may be other motives. During the late strikes Mr. McMillan made himself objection- i able to the trade unions, and at one time there was a sharp dispute between him and Sir Henry Parkes in consequence of some assertions publicly made by him in regard to the action of the strikers. No doubt Sir Henry, with a general election in the not - distant future, saw that it was advisable tp keep on as good terms with the labour party as possible. The election returned a number of that party to the House, and Sir Henry has managed to secure the votes of a majority of them as against the motion of want of confidence proposed by Mr. Dibbs. But, possibly, the Labour party are not very eager in their support of the Government which contains Mr. McMillan, and may make his position somewhat uncomfortable. Mr. , McMillan, during his term of office, has shown great capacity in his management of the finances of New South Wales. Emphatic testimony is borne to this by the London Times, which makes Mr. McMillan's career as Colonial Treasurer of New_ South Wales an argument for treating the proposed loan for that colony in a very different fashion from recent applications to the London market from other Australian colonies.

The cablegrams this morning are very interesting. Perhaps the item of most interest to colonists will be the report submitted at the half-yearly meeting of the Bank of Now Zealand in London. The Profits for the half-year, were £59,500. A dividend of 5 per cent, was declared, £18,000 carried forward, and £20,000 placed to the reserve fund. In the appeal case, McArthur v. Cornwall, the Privy Council has reserved its decision, it is understood with a view to a possible arrangement between the parties. New Zealand potatoes by the Tamui only realised £4 per ton in the London Market, which will not be satisfactory tidings to colonial producers. Lord Brassey is advocating the desirability of setting up an Imperial Commission on Colonial Defence. The FrancoRussian Alliance, judging from the opinion, of the organ of the Russian nobility rests on a frail basis. Belgium is said to have joined the Triple Alliance, which will give fresh umbrage to France. France, according to the late census, shows a diminution of population since that of 1886. The Czar seems to be still coquettiner with Sorvia, judging by his action in relation to Queen Natalie. Steps are being taken to prevent the • spread of the cholera into Egypt. Later tidings from Lake' Tchad district confirm the? reports as to the disaster which befel the French expedition. There has also been a native outbreak in the Congo Free State, bub ib has been promptly quelled.'

The Customs' duties tit Auckland during the last week have increased so largely that it is reasonable to anticipate that the excess for July will more than make good the under-estimato of the Colonial Treasurer for June. The arrivals of homo vessels, not only at Auckland bub at other chief cities, will be gratifying news to the Hon. Mr. Ballance and his colleagues.

We understand that Mr. Baigenb, who has been an officer in Her Majesty's Customs at Auckland, for about twenty years, has severed his connection with the department,

Mr. Biss, the Chief Postmaster, has been visiting the different post-offices in the Waikato during the last week. Another superior officer, connected with another Government department at Wellington, has also arrived on routine business connected with his branch of the public service. The Ministry appear now to be following the rule adopted by banks in instructing their visiting officers and inspectors to pop in to interview their subordinates at most unexpected times, and to go through their accounts and cash balances.

' During the last week the Kauri Timber Company has reduced a number of hands in their employ, owing, we presume, to instructions from their headquarters at Melbourne. Reductions have also followed in the strength of employees in Coles boot factory. » The usual half-yearly exchange of pulpits in connection with the Auckland Ministers' Association took place yesterday. The practice is appreciated by the congregations quite as well as the clergy, as changes are lightsome,

The Sydney Morning Herald, referring to the wool trade of Sydney, , says : The export of wool from Sydney last year s was 509,342 bales, giving for the twelve months the very large increase of 77,887 bales, or over 18 per cent. • The growth of the trade within the past three years has been almost phenomenal, having increased by no less than 163,000 bales, at 47 per cent. This increase is not "to be o taken \as solely the result of the enlargement of the nocks. •These have increased very considerably. According to the official figures, the sheep in 1890 would be about 56,000,000, as compared with 47,000,000 in 18S7, «.n increase of 19 per cent. By superior breeding the weight of the fleece per sheep is being gradually raised; but after adding to the weight [of the .wool of the colony-what is due on this account, everything points to the fact that the increase of 47 per cent, in the export of .wool from Sydney represents the clips from a larger area than were brought to Sydney in earlier years. And this increase has arisen not in a year when the Darling and other rivers were unnavigi able, for they were never more open than in the past year. The extending railway fafiilities and the business energy and enterprise of the wool merchants are drawing the wool to this port. There used to be a prejudice, diligently fostered elsewhere, that wool could only bo sold in Melbourne ; that that city was destined to be the wool emporium—not a' wool emporium—of the continent; and some trade was drawn thither in consequence. But as this feeling is being gradually and rapidly removed,' it is recognised that Sydney must be the great sale mart and shipping port for the staple product of Australia.

A friend in Dunedin writing to another at Fort Cautley states : "I hear that one of the artificers of the Garrison Artillery at Ocean Beach is devoting some of his spare time in perfecting a somewhat new and novel invention—namely, a patent candlestick which may come into general . use instead of night lights. It includes an alarm bell, and will be manipulated in such a manner that a sound*sleeper can be turned out of bed at whatever time he decides to dress. Your friend also, I hear, spent a considerable time in locating a defect in one of the big guns at his depot and ultimately succeeded. This no doubt will be a saving to the colony, and it is understood that the young artificer got favourable mention from his commanding officer for his energy and ability in the matter. Some of the men quartered at your place and transferred to the police, gaols, .etc., with their acquired military experience, aro located in various stations in our provincial district, and appear to give every satisfaction to their officers and those with whom they come in contact."

The jubilee of St. Paul's Anglican Church, the first church in New Zealand, was celebrated by special services yesterday. The interior of the church was profusely clrcorated with flowers, and the attendances both in the morning and the evening, were .as large as the building could accommodate. A report of the proceedings and a brief account of the church's history, are given elsewhere. -

: It - appears that Sir Wm. Fox has declined to grant a re-hearing in the case of the boy Hum by, Mr. Napier has now applied through Sir George Grey to the Minister of Justice. Mr. Shera has telegraphed to Mr. Napier that the Minister of Justice is considering the case. At the monthly meeting of . the Birkenhead Borough Council, the Town Clerk presented the annual balance-sheet, certified to by the Auditor-General, and a circular from the Audit Department referring to the matter of accounts generally. They were received. Various matters of routine business - were disposed of. Re finance, the treasurer reported as follows : — Debit balance in June, £38 18s 4d ; rates received in July, £102 13s lid ; accounts paid, £35 183 6d ; leaving a present credit balance of £37 17s Id. Accounts amounting to £44 Is 2d, in addition to the loan debenture of £36 lis Bd, due August 1, were approved for payment as fundebdfcame available from the 'further payment of rates and, the balance of Government subsidy now due.,

The Pall Mall Budget of June 11, in its article on " Kith and Kin," has the following:—"Here is a straw which shows that the Labour Encyclical really does blow one way. Most of us have heard of the Yankee editor ,who received peremptory instructions co reverse the politics of the paper at twentyfour hours' notice. 'It's a sharp curve,' mused the editorial engineer, adding with philosophic desperation, ' but I'll take it.' By reason of a hint from the Vatican, or possibly from a perusal of an early copy of the Pope's Encyclical, Dr. Redwood, Archbishop of Wellington and Primate of New Zealand, has negotiated a similar sharp curve. His Grace is the proprietor of the Catholic Times, a journal that made itself conspicuous during the late Antipodean strike by its vigorous championship of the , cause of the shipowners as against the men. i But the Archbishop has discovered that, in pursuing such a< policy, he was hardly on the right tack. He has issued a pastoral letter to be read in all the churches under his jurisdiction, brimful ofv-the soundest labour sentiments." ,

Last evening the police were kept busy in breaking up bands of larrikins who were congregated at street corners, or , patrolling' the streets, and some of tho best " sprinters" in the force had all their work cut out in chasing them. A select circle were engaged in "pitch and toss" in Albert-street with such light as could be afforded by a street gas lamp, but the advent of the police led t<-> the curtailment of this Sunday evening diversion.

A new building for public worship, erected in Pompallier Terrace, Ponsonby, for the use of those Christians who style themselves the members of "The New Church," was opened yesterday.* . The neatly fitted up little hall, which is capable of accommodating about 80 people, was well filled, and was specially decorated on "the occasion with flowers acd evergreens. The service was conducted by Mr. Maltabond, who preached in the morning from the text "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another." Ho urged all those who had not already done so, to examine the doctrines of the New Church. In the evening the subject of his address was "The Mission of the New Church." Special hymns and anthems were very creditably rendered at both services. For several years past this denomination have been in existence in this city, but hitherto have contented themselves with holding their services in private houses and rented halls. Yesterday, however, they opened for the first time on their own account.

A Bill to amalgamate the legal profession has been passed through all its stages by the Legislative Assembly of Victoria. Mr. Mason, who had charge of the measure, explained to the House that it was an exact copy of tho Bill which had passed upon three previous occasions, and when last sent to the Legislative Council was rejected only by one vote. Provision is made in the Bill for permitting barristers to practise as solicitors, and solicitors as barristers. Authority is also given to barristers to sue for work done, and every barrister is made liable for negligence to tho person on whose behalf he has been retained. Mr. Shiels and Mr. Wrixon, and other le<ral members of the House, offered a half-hearted opposition to the measure, bub they really withdrew upon ascertaining that they stood in a hopeless minority. In committee, however, Mr. Wrixon attempted to modify the Bill by the insertion of a new clause, which provided that every person in future desiring' to enter the legal profession shall take the degree of Bachelor of Laws in the Melbourne University, and have been a pupil or articled for two years, and, in addition, pay £50 to the Supreme Court library fund upon his admission to the bar. The clause was rejected upon its being pointed out that its effect would bo to nullify the whole intention of tho Bill, and make it even more difficult than at present to gain admittance into the profession as a solicitor.

Mr. R. J. Feltus writes to state that the prayer of his petition to Parliament has been incorrectly given in the Parliamentary correspondence. He"says :—" I have petitioned to have the sum of £283 17s repaid me, honestly due, and passed by the Supreme Court from an intestate estate, as also £30 for services rendered to the curator of intestate estates, {.ho late Mr. John Williamson and Mr. Thomas Macfarlane, being the Government officials who: employed me. The late Hon. John Sheehan, when Minister of Justice, repeatedly acknowledged the justice of the claim, and said I would be paid."

The Salvation Army Prison Gate Brigade Home is f progressing very favourably ab Us new Industrial Farm on the PanmureßoacL At the time of our visit on Saturday there . were twelve inmates, six of them beincr the imbeciles from the J Lunatic Asylum At f i which the Charitable Aid Board refused to ' n| take over. The men seem healthy , and > clean, and their wards' are supplied with iron bedstjada and - well-equipped 'with blankets. Such of the men as are-kbU to do 'a little work are usefully employed. Captain Turfcon, who is well "v~~i versed in agriculture, lias himself ploughed the whole of tho land {six and a-half' acres) ' ■ and partly harrowed it. Ho has gob some vegetables in and shrubs planted out. I*\' The community is indebted to the Salva- ■ tion Army for having tried the industrial experiment with some of ! the applicants for J §| public charity. Some of the men did not-,' • |f|| like the "work test,".and, left the institu- - ; « tion, bub Captain Turton holds by the apostolic maxim, "He that "will nob work, ■ neither shall he eat." • He has no trouble in enforcing discipline with the present inmates, ; and they are willing to work|t||§ according to their strength and ability, which is all that W required of them. Th« career' of the 'Industrial, Farm ; will. b<i watched with interest." On Saturday the Operative Bootmaker? • ' ■ Union paid away about £200 in strike pay to bootmakers and the female machinists. 1 Several of the hands start work to-day witjilfl|§|§S Messrs. Rhodes and • Jones, who accepted the federal statement. A social was held*'.',-C in St. George's Hall on Friday evening in ' .51'" connection with the • Boot Machinists' and Fitters' Union, the proceeds of which go to *■".J the bootmakers' strike fund. It is under- ' '§§> stood that another case comes into Court .fa to-morrow on summons for alleged molestation or insulting language to a non-unionist i by a unionist. v ' The tobacconists and retail dealers in tobacco, cigars, and - cigarettes, aro exercised ; over the provisions of the Shop Hours' Bill, now before Parliament,• and: a meeting is convened for . tomorrow afternoon, at three o'clock, by Messrs H. E. : v"*,. Partridge and Co., tobacco merchants, of all interested in the trade, at their whole- ■ sale store, opposite the Union Bank, ■ The object of the meeting is to consider what • steps' should be taken to oppose the passage ;; of the BilL t fir' ';03,-s£ Mr. W. ,H. Cooper, secretary of the " V Poultry Association, assisted by . the presi- • , dent (Mr. Grainger),- the • treasurer r (Mr. Phillips), and a number of members of the-p|j committee, were engaged up to a late hour on Saturday night, taking entries for the Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Show, which is to take place at the Agricultural Hall, next the City Market, on the 30th end 31st inst., and the Ist prox." There was quite a throng of people around Messrs; Hurst and j|f||§| Co.'s store, in Queen-street. Tht entries V received were numerically greater than onJ"f : ' any previous occasion, and- it is expected that they will be supplemented by others to be received by post to-day. . There will be - exhibits from Wanganui, Taratwki, Weilington, and Christchurch,' and one gentleman, Mr. Goodacre, .* of.'."Tarwiaki, has, brought up with him -upwards of fifty exhibits. The local exhibitors • have also ,4~||f? turned up in full force, and the committee (■. are now satisfied that -it will be tho best show held since the inauguration of 'the society, and that there will be greater . ' variety and greater competition in all the classes. A start will be made to day with making the necessary arrangements in the hall for the exhibits. The following are the - A entries for the Poultry Show so far Game, 54;- Dorking, 4; Cochin, 36 j Brahma, 37 ; Plymouth Hock, 128 ; , Wyandotte, 33; Spanish, 19; t Orpington, 2; Andalusian, 16 Minorca, -18 ; Hamburg, 52; Polish and ;Houdan, 33 ; - Leghorn".' 16; Bantam, 45 selling class,,2s; ducks, 52 pigeons, 120 ; canaries and cage birds, ; . 44. '.. ;; . ;; A new and original method of drawing public attention to their clearance sale was :'ss& adopted on Saturday night by-Messrs;, jv W. H. Fen ton and Co., of Queen-street. At eight o'clock Hunter's band ~ struck up an attractive march, " and provided selections of ; baud music at intervals until ";oV ; ten, when the entertainment was concluded „ by "God Save the Queen." Throughout the evening the. performance attracted 'a large concourse of people, and the surroundings of the establishment formed a continuously busy scene. V. V. '1 > C

A celebration which will be of exceeding interest, nob because of any special pomp or outward display, but simply - because of . £ the event which ib is intended to commemorate, will be held in Melbourne, and , in every other city ' where there are Swiss residents, on the Ist of August next. That day is the 600 th anniversary.of the founding of "the Swiss confederation. , ; It was in the year 1291 that " the eternal treaty was I concluded between Uri, Schwyzj-and' Nid- | walden," and the union of these three small ■ provinces was the first - guarantee of Swiss independence and § the beginning * of the U larger federation which gradually. gathered" round it. ,• . Players *knd* persons interested in Association football are requested to meet at the Imperial Hotel, this 1 evening at eight o'clock, when the following matters will be consideredßeport of ground, formation of clubs, and tho arrangements for Wellington match, etc. ■ • - ■ ■' 1 .. , . . ; . ■ '■ : ;■ To-day, at eleven o'clock, Messrs. Esau. and Arthur will sell by order of the Regis- ' trar of tho Supreme ' Court, by public , auction at their auction mart, Queen and Elliott-streets (opposite the Savings Bank), the Kaihu Valley Railway line, the lands consisting of such line, stations, workshops, - , wharf, plant, machinery, rolling stock, under mortgages No. 111,950 and 8226. The whole will be offered in one lot as a going concern. A correspondent at Takahue, referring to the recent appeal from that settlement for assistance, says : " The letters published by a settler here have led .to subscriptions being made for the settlers. • The _ public have responded handsomely, and with the best'intehtioris wish to thrust their charity upon us. The rest of our settlers express the greatest indignation at the application for help. They do not want charitable aid, ~ - nor will they accept it in any shape or form." • " The Dunedin Refrigerating Company's net profit for the past year was ' £2445. They declared a dividend of 8, per cent., and carried forward £525.- It was announced that Messrs. Roberts and Brydone i had negotiated in England for the sale, subject to the shareholders' confirmation; of the property as a going, concern, the terms being an equal bonus £>f a pound per ' ' share as at June 30. It is understood the a" confirmation will follow as a matter of . course. Messrs. Bowman and Son, ; of Christ- . , church, advertise in this issue an invitation - • to artists to send their works in to them for: an exhibition and sale by auction, to be ! held about September this' year. Artist! will remember the success of the last sale of this class held by the firm last Sep; tember. They have received promises of support from tho leading artists throughout the colony. , - . • "The Shaughraun" was repeated sue cessfully at the Opera House on Saturday night by the Dobson-Kennedy Dramatic Company with complete success,' and Sir. . ; iKennedy secured the fullest recognition for his excellent portrayal of the title role. The -\|Mj other leading members of the company were" -y •. also called before the curtain at the close of ■$$$* the first and second acts, and were repeatedly ' applauded at intervals. To-night ;ig " Little Lord Fauntleroy " will be produced. It is said to be one of the best selections of the company's repertoire and as it will be played for one night only there should bo a » large audience bo witness its revival. The little Lord is played by Miss Ruby Kennedy, who is only eight years of age, but who is spoken of as one of the best exponents of the part in tho colonies. The company during the remainder of the season intend to produce a succession of changes, so as to enable them to stage as great a number of popular plays as the time at their disposal will permit. One of the most successful of all the en- ■ tertainments which have been given by Miss Amy Vaughan's Amazons, came off m $ the City Hall on Saturday night. The first) part of the programme consisted of an ex-, tremely picturesque and pretty spectacle, -Jglß entitled, "Good ■ Luck," in which the ■ - scenery was very bright and attractive. , Ono of the features of the evening was the . , terpsichorean quartette called " Football, v the ladies taking part in the same, being decked in the colours of the leading local football clubs. The effect was very - pleasing, and called forth the hearty applause of"< • the large audience. : The different songs, ;- dances, and sketches, were all well rendered and well received* * : -

Reviewing the trade returns of the Argentine for 1890, the Buenos Ayros Standard foments the decline in the imports of live ' «nimals for the improvement of breeds, the 'SSSSlfor : 1890 being 2020, :as . against '11 640 in the previous year, a drop of over " Oftno " Sheep farming also seems to be ' ' «Snriled, the exports of wool and sheep Shaving decreased by 52 000,0001b and ®##«rooo 0001b respectively. Slight improve- ' ment is recorded in the exports of frozen mutton but the total shipments are comparatively ': trifling, amounting only to 20,400 tons in 1890. > • r Tn « recent discussion on influenza at the : aSiS de Medicine Paris, Professor ?•'<' Olivier, mentioned several cases where dogs !> , and horses had been attacked by the malady. ' As regards the horse, there was reason to /, f doubt because for more than thirty years I*" •: the term influenza had been used abroad to indicate an infectious disease common to the "horse, which in France was called a fever. <■ It was, therefore, impossible to tell whether ' human influenza was really transmitted to I" that animal. ; With regard to the dog, liL, ra Meo-nin and V eillon have presented ' a note recently to the Societe de Biologie, "-•alleging that of late an infectious disea-o-similar to influenza— raged in certain ? ' els. This was verified in a pack at rlontiliv. comprising more than 120 hounds, ' SfSority of which were attacked. In mother pftcb, composed of 50 fine beagles, . Vwas also prevalent; as also among some ' Jtfursinjr dogs at Aveyron. All the characteristics of human influenza were found in ,-fiSeWie dogs in a very marked manner; swollen and "watery eyes, painful cough, and general depression. The ailment generally •, fasted a very short time, and very few of ; \ the animals succumbed, hardly one to two . ..'percent. -;■ •.■■■ ■'••'"v', ! ' \ "V" A grand musical gymnastic display was , l ' given on Saturday evening at the gym- •' i nasium of the Y.M.C.A., by the lady pupils * -* of Professor Carrollo. There were about 60 pupils and " 250 spectators, among - the audience being the parents of the . pupils and their lady friends. Precisely at ' ' eight o'clock the pupils, who were dressed bjn a neat gymnasium uniform, trooped in from the dressing rooms, and went > through bar-bell exercise to music, and § performed also a variety of evoluK;,tions in marching and counter-marching. v " The programme included ladder practice, parallel bars, jumping, Roman rings, Indian olub exercise, &c., the feats of dexterity being well performed on the average, while some j of the pupils were so dexterous as to elicit hearty plaudits from the spectators. A special feature was the Zouave march, in which a number of the elder pupils, in - costume, and armed with carbine and sword 'bayonet, went through a number of military movements in excellent style. The pupils . entered heartily into the whole perform- > J ance, and the graceful carriage, well•V; developed chest, and rounded arms of some .'V; '; v of the - more advanced pupils showed that > ' they had profited greatly by the tuition of . Professor Carrollo. Many of the parents y-S'-.jlso expressed themselves thoroughly satis- ' " i fied with the course of physical training •; their young daughters were receiving as illustrated in the programme of the evening. Professor Carrollo is to bo complimented on the success of the entertain- ' • - ment, and also on hjs success aS a teacher. -'-So was assisted by Messrs. F. W. Edwards and Theo. Queree, who officiated as stewards. . Miss H. Owen played the pianoforte accompaniments. , The life of the farm labourer in Italy ' does not : seem to be a very desirable or happy existence. According to, a report I ' lately prepared by Professor Bodio, Chief of the Government Statistical Department, - -v f agricultural labourers can rarely earn more £ ?*. - r '" than 6d to 7d per day, and out of that he has very often, to keep nob only himself, but a wife and family. The consequence is that many can only have one meal a day of ' polenta (Indian corn), and as this has to be ' | eaten without a sufficient allowance of salt, fflfiwhich'' is. a Government monopoly, and is thus excessively costly to buy, health is im- ■ jfv j pared, and disease is very prevalent. The 0 /■- statistician estimates that 100,000 Italians t|Mf|suffered last year from one disease alone— pellagrawhich is, happily, not known in Great Britain, and is produced by bad food •. and want of food. . " ■J,','. •" The Mount Albert Mutual held a conversazione, together with a cookery and flower *' competition, atFerndaleon Friday evening, • which in every respect was a brilliant success. There were about 140 members and . friends, present, showing great interest in ; the proceedings. Mr. J. Tonson Garlick , was master of ceremonies, and expressed, on behalf of the committee and himself, ,»| great pleasure in seeing so many present, ferns, pot plants, and camellias wore arranged at one end of the assembly room. Suspended were handsome coloured illuminated - lanterns, and down the centre of the room : iv the confectionery exhibits were displayed, to- : • gether with tho bouquets, the whole making Srll-ii charming picture. At . intervals there j^^was-music, etc., as follows : —Piano duet, .V" Misses Moran and Harris; Miss Michell, song, "Ring on, Sweet Angelus;" Miss . Pilcher, violin solo ; song and recitation, ' .'«' An Ember Picture," Miss Battley ; read*ing by Mr. Fowlds, who also during the - evening " electrified" many present with his (mttery ; song,"Thy Sentinel am I," Mr. James; duet, Mrs. and Miss Metcalfe ; ' solo, Miss Fortzer. The judges for confecM'' ! .* tionery wero Mesdames Harbutt and Far- ' ley; for bread, Messrs. Caughey and Fowlds, who made awards as follow: — Butter, Ist, Miss Priestley; Bread, ;■ (white), Ist, Mrs. Harbutb ; bread (brown), SpMsb, Miss Priestley; sausage rolls, Ist, Miss Reid tartlets, Ist, Mrs. Metcalfe; . iced Madeira cake, Ist, Miss Metcalfe; |currant cake, Ist, Miss Dixon ; 2nd, Miss - Priestley; sponge cake, Ist, Miss R. Gar- | lick ; 2nd, Miss Priestley ; jam sandwiches, ' Ist, Miss Garlick ; luncheon meat pies, Ist, Mrs. Sellers; Napoleons, Ist, Mrs. Sellers; • cocoanut toffee, Ist, Miss Battley; mixed biscuits, Ist, Miss Battley; scones, Ist, Miss Dixon ; butter toffee, Ist, Mr. A. T. ,Uarlick. Mr. J. Walker kindly acted as judge for flowers and plants and awarded Ist \ 'Size for best three varieties of camellias to Mr. J. Garlick ; best collection of camellias (15 varieties), Ist, Miss R. Garlick; table bouquet (only one exhibit), highly commended, Mrs. Sellars; hand bouquets (6 fiexhibits), Ist, Miss R. Garlick ; 2nd, Miss Laura Dixon ; boat ferns, Ist, Mr. J. GarV : lick. Twenty were contributed by ,; members and two by friends. They were .. _ choice and * useful, the = aggregate value -• .• amounting to about £10. Though mid- .. winter the flower show was quite equal to ~ - the last spring show in beauty. A hearty r- : vote of thanks was accorded to tho donors ; -of the prizes and the judges. . The Swedes .of late years have given W touch attention to dairying and to raising t * J- cattle and horses, for which branches of agriculture Sweden is peculiarly adapted from the excellent quality of grass on her .s , fields and pastures. In 1889 -Sweden ex- •' ported butter to tho value _ of nearly £1,600,000; live animals, chiefly cattle, ; - -horses, sheep, and swine, to the value of • f; i £500,000; pork, £250,000; while the exports oft beef, eggs, and cheese were valued at •£32,000, making a total export of nearly 7 £2,400,000 in animals and their products. .||||||ii : 'The' 'Howick and Pakuranga Band of • ' Hope held their meeting in the new Hall on Ij/ Wednesday, July 22, Mr. G. Bell in the A i chair. There was a large attendance. The m Programme was prepared by Mr. W. D. f, Habtaway, and was as follows -Hymn 99 y ;[Sankey's); prayer; pianoforte solo, "The 'Maiden's Prayer," Miss Minnie Babe; song, "My Grandmother's Advice," Miss White ; recitation, Miss M. tJeeby ; reading, " A V Kara Avis," Miss E. Hickson ; recitation, -» Master T. Hutchinson ; dialogue, Miss C. f Paton and Mary Beeby ; reading, " The 'Danger of Musical Titles," Master H. > Battley; song, " The Bridge," Miss Babe ; j - recitation, Miss C. Paton ; pianoforte duet, Misses Lindsay ; Bong, Mother With the Angels There," Miss Minnie Babe ; reading, "One More," Mr. W. 1). Hatta- ; dialogue, "A- Cure for Tramps," ; Mitise? •M. Lindsay, :E. Hickson, and C. Hutchinson, Messrs. H. Battley, A. Hatta- | w Hutchinson, and A. Hickson. The ry" meeting was brought to a close by singing Hymn 398 (Sankey's), The new Hall has I been purchased by Mr. Lindsay, who has very kindly given the Band of Ilope the .free use of the Hall for all their meetings. Jt will be seen from advertisement else- ' ■ ■'''! ere that' Mr. Josiah Martin, the well"W 0^; Photographer, intends to remove to ffm Victoria Arcade early in August. itlfe The monthly meeting of Lodj.'e St. Andrew ■ mi., W «1 be held this evening, in the Hall, Priuy&i ce3 ' Btr eet, at half-past seven. - iS!" pA concert in aid of the Beresford-street / jyongregational Sunday-school will be held fsm.( the Beresford ' Hall to-morrow evening, i n\ a varied * and interesting programme in}' 1 he ; provided, ■ consisting of tableaux, IX an ® instrumental music, recitations,