THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1892.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8784, 26 January 1892, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1892.

The London money market is manifesting a considerable dislike to the new colonial borrowing departure by Treasury bills. Almost all the colonies except New Zealand are getting ready batches of bills to be poured into London in exchange for cash, the aggregate amount threatened being about twelve millions. The amount at which they are being placed is four per cent, with a discount, and on these terms they are being absorbed by insurance companies as a method of investment of their funds. They are no doubt a good investment by these institutions. The bills have a currency of two years, so that funds are not locked up indefinitely. Part of the dislike to the issue of this form of security may be owing to the fact that the brokers are cut out from the profits which they used to derive from the issue of colonial loans. The Economist speaks of this method of borrowing as "a vicious method of finance, and the obtaining of a temporary relief which will cost heavy sacrifices in the future." No doubt that is so. These Treasury bills are in reality a species of preference stock, bearing a high interest, and coming due in a perilously short time. The brokers and syndicates are still loaded with Victorian and New. South Wales stock, and now they find that these colonies are obtaining money direct without asking their leave, giving better terms, and issuing a preference stock. We should think, however, that the statesmen of the issuing colonies could not look forward with any easiness of mind even to next year and the year after, when, with in all likelihood a falling revenue, they will have to meet the interest on these bills, along with the ordinary debt, while, possibly, every means of raising more money is blocked against them. But then colonial statesmen are not given to look forward. Give us money in our time, is their prayer. After us, the deluge. As for New Zealand, the 'financial question will pull all parties up pretty sharply next session. Abstract questions about schemes of land nationalisation, unearned, increment, and other fads and fancies, will have to stand aside for a time. Ministers can have no excuse for borrowing, except that they want the money to spend. The present spectacle of New South Wales getting money easily by Treasury bills is somewhat tempting. But it must be remembered that, although the brokers are gorged with their stock, while our bonds are pretty well cleared off into the hands of the publio ; although they threaten the market with many millions of Treasury Bills, while we have done nothing in that way although New Zealand has manifested a productive power to which 110 other colony can make pretensions ; still, our credit, as shown by the prices of the ordinary stock,, is not so good as theirs. There is a danger, however, that some rash course may be proposed, as those who authorise the borrowing are not those who will have to pay. Those who borrow pledge the property of other people as security. We might reach London with our bills in time to hear the words, " Too late," and to find that the door was shut. At all events, we hope to see a party organised to prevent the trial, and to compel the colony for some years to come to abstain from any increase of its indebtedness.

From our special reporter with the ex- , ploring party which, led by the Native Minister, is penetrating from Ongaruhe to the point of divergence from the Central line to the connection near Stratford, we have to-day a despatch recording particulars up to Friday morning last. So far, the party have got through without serious mishap, the only casualties being the loss of horses from the stinging of the New Zealand nettle. This plant is, happily, not very common, ana we are not very sure that it grows at all in this provincial district. Most of our readers are, no doubt, familiar with the English nettle, and are, perhaps, disposed to look upon nettles as a trifling obstruction. But the genuine aboriginal nettle of New Zealand is a most ferocious affair. It will sting through the clothes, and the pain is dreadful, as is shown by the effects on the unfortunate pack-horses. On the important subject of the nature of the country passed through, the writer of our account is thoroughly well qualified to speak. He states that the land for the first ten miles after leaving the point of junction at Ongaruhe is of an inferior character; after that, it is good, much better than those in the party expected. We have no doubt that these first ten miles could easily be settled in suitable areas, for even there the pumice is not so deep as in the centre of the country. After that the country is so good that the Government will be compelled to take immediate measures to have it opened. Not very far from the line of route, to the northward, there are extensive blocks of land belonging to the Government, and these cannot be long allowed to lie idle. The party are now about to enter the thick bush which continues through the Taranaki district till Stratford is approached, and we have no doubt that this bush stands on deeper and richer soil than any of the land which the party have yet traversed. Let us insist that in this matter all that is practicable shall be done. We may not be able to carry on railway works as we proposed in our sanguine days, but surely a road ought to be made through land capable of settlement even if Ministers are driven to retrench in some department to get the money to do the work with. Our cable messages this morning state that the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, who is at present in the South of France, has suffered another relapse. The Chilian Government have requested the recall of Mr. Egan, the United States Minister, on the ground that he is intriguing to brings about war between the two countries. The situation is regarded as critical. Fatal rioting has occurred at Mendoza. The French newspapers are jubilant at the result of the Rossendale election, as they regard it as foreshadowing the downfall of British rule in Egypt. Influenza is still making headway in Kngland. Very disastrous floods have occurred in Queensland. Mews from Samoa states that the last two days of the old year were rough weather ones at Apia, and a repetition of the great hurricane wasfeared. The United States man-o'-war Iroquois got up steam and left the port, and the other warship, H.I.G.M.s. Buzzard, followed. One vessel, a small one named the Martha, was driven on the reof, but all the others in port held to their anchors. The storm, though severe, did not approach the violence of the memorable hurricane, but it came up as a reminder that the hurricane season has set in. The Home News says :—" Wo believe it is not generally known that persons residing out of the United Kingdom for a complete financial year (i.e., from April 6 to April 5 following) are entitled to a refund of their English Income Tax under certain conditions. They can claim repayment in full of all such sums deducted from pay, pensions, and fund annuities derived from the revenues of India ; also upon all dividends, rents, etc., provided their total English income is less than £150. An abatement of the duty on £120 a year can be demanded if the total income in this country is between £150 and £400, and arrears for three complete financial years can be claimed. There is, however, another side to this question. In Switzerland, and possibly elsewhere on the Continent, foreigners are exempted, under cantonal law, from a very heavy local tax, if they can declare that their income is derived from another country and taxed there. Our readers in India and the colonies would do well to communicate with their agents in London regarding this matter ; and they should bear in mind that claims presented to the Inland Revenue Department before April next will carry arrears from April 6, 1888, inclusive." In the report of the result of the examinations for district scholarships published on Saturday, it was stated that the first four winners of certificates of proficiency on the examination for junior scholarships are entitled to free education at the College and Grammar School for three years. As a matter of fact, the Governor? of the College and Grammar School also offer free education to the first four winners of certificates on the examination for senior scholarship*, but in neither case is the term of three years prescribed. The privilege is granted in the first instance for one year only, but may be renewed from year to year— as long as the Board of Governors is satisfied that good cause for the extension exists. In the same report Miss Flora B. Robertson, who won the second senior scholarship, was rightly stated to have entered from the Thames High School, but we are informed that she held a junior scholarship at the Auckland College and Grammar School from the beginning of 1890 to about the middle of 1891. The statistics of the passenger traffic on the Auckland railways for the Christmas and New Year traffic have been now made up, for the period from December 19 to January 2. This year, 54,714 passengers were carried, the revenue therefrom being £5462 2s 9d. For the preceding year the passengers carried were 50,409, and the revenue £5279 14s Id, thus showing an increase during the recent holidays of 4305 passengers, and in revenue of £183 8s id. Shortly after two o'clock on Sunday afternoon a fire broke out at Helensville, which resulted in the destruction of the slaughterhouse and stockyard owned by Mr. Isaac McLeod. The origin of the fire was accidental. Ib appears that a man named Thomas Blong was boiling some fat, stirring the same with a piece of stick, when the fat spluttered over and then burst into flame. Blong hastened to procure some water in the hope of extinguishing the blaze, and threw it on, but without effect. In a very short time the whole of the premises were on fire. Constable O'Brien and a number of neighbours were soon on the spot, but they could do nothing to stop the progress of the flames. Mr. McLeod estimates his loss at £50. The buildings were uninsured. The Inspector under the Land and Income Tax Act, Mr. William Duncan, left last evening for Russell and the North, on a tour of inspection in connection with the duties of his office. There is very general dissatisfaction at Fort Takapuna, where the Permanent Force are quartered, at a recent order which has been put in force for a dress parade on Sundays, with a non-oomrnis-sioned officer to march the men to the principal churches at the North Shore. Their small privileges in other respects, such as obtaining leave on Saturdays, and the use of plain clothes, are seriously curtailed. It is rumoured that the " new departure" is the result of instructions from the Defence authorities in Wellington. The recent prosecutions and convictions for sly grog selling or illegal sale of grog in the King Country has again called attention to the prevalence of that offence. The profits of this risky and illicit traffic must be very large to bear the heavy fines imposed, and the further penalty of the confiscation of the liquor found. Owing to the scanty police force on . the Waikato frontier, it is almost impossible to prevent these nefarious practices, and maintain a complete surveillance over frontier settlements. It is said that Inspector Emerson is in favour as the least of two evils of having licensed houses both at Otorohanga and Kuiti, so that the' police could have an efficient control ana supervision of the liquor traffic in the King Country. ,- ,

A young lady in Ponsonby ffTj narrow escape of drowning yesterd! h s» noon at the Ponsonby Wharf ay ! r& rescue was highly creditable to ? N young men concerned in it. T ." 61 *« young men referred to, Messrs tw Ramsay, of Clarence-street. and ift Ring, of Pon sonify Road, had boat •in the foreifeon but, « downpour of rami had taken aheUep •th boatshed pear M . Masetield's read ln 5 when they heajd the screams !? Ce ' female, and on ru ning to the door of V shed, saw a womai in the water at th ' of the Ponsonby v harf. They jumn^f en,i a boat, and wit]out waiting to 100t 111 / 5 rowlocks pad diet off to her rescue a getting near it .seen that her'd was keeping herj afloat, and that she drifting with ths tide face downw^ They' gob her out of the water, and totiT steps, when they ilaced her on the wh , § where she vomit 3 freely, which gavel * reliof, but they vere unable to get« f 1 intelligible accou t from her as to how t i 7 ® affair had occur id. Some of Mr. ij „ I field's people n< iced the incident a j | came down to te wharf, and the yon lady , was taken > Mr. Minefield's j, 0Q n S covered with blnkeos. Dr. Knight vT' sent for, and subsquently Dr. Kenderdii) 11 As soon as she lid sufficiently recovered she was taken to the home of "her fathe Mr. Elkin, of Wllace-street, and is n 3 we are glad to Bay, progressing fe VQ ' ably. A rather pecul ir case came before Mr. j P. Kiug and Capain Anderson, J.P.'aj J the Police Coui yesterday, in which a respectable lookiig man, named Samu' Johnston, was ct»rged with having deserted his wife. Mr. \t J. Napier, who app on behalf of tie wife, explained to t'a? Court that the ciuple had only been ta ar ried for a forttjght, and while the none?! moon was yet Unfinished, he, for sotii reason or anotheh took it into his head k pay a visit to Eigland, leaving his newly, married wife beHnd. In pursuance of th'if resolution he welt as far as New Plymouth and then for jome unexplained reason stopped his jouriey and returned to Auckland. Mr. Naner asked that the c&!< might be reman(jßd until next day, whicl application was: granted by the Bench, Johnston was liberated on his own bail oj | £50, and two sureties of £25 each. A correspondent, writing from Raglan, says —' 1 beg fcave to congratulate o you upon the really eWant and useful almanac you have supplied to subscribers. I have been a subscribersver since your establishment issued a weasly, and have, of course received the annual gifts, but the issue for this year, for elegance of design, artistic finish, and general usefulness, is a lo n » way ahead of its predecessors ; and I wish the Weekly NEwaand all concerned with it a happy and prosperous new year." The committee in connection with St, Mathews's Church'appointed for the pur. pose of carrying »ut a picnic met last evening at the • Parsonage, when the final arrangements were made. Trams and 'buses will leave th 4 schoolroom on Friday at 10 a.m. leaving the Pah Farm from four to six, thus giving a full day's outing to the congregation and friends. Provisions will be provided at towi prices, and hot water will be on the giound for families who prefer to take thei? own luncheons. Swings and other amusements will also be provided, and from the energy being displayed the picnic shoild be a success. A brass band will accompany the picnicker" and will play selections. At advertisement elsewhere will give full particulars. The local police have been recently making a raid upon those person? who are in the habit of sleeping at night in the open air on the reclamation. Asa result Constables Mathieson and Grey arrested five men on charges of having insufficient lawful means of support, and fourof them were each sentenced at the Police Ccurt yesterday morning to three months' imprisonment. The fifth was still suffering from drink in the Hospital, and unable to appear. The men were in the habit of sleeping out in all weathers, and the clothing of some of them was quite insufficient. One oi these, John James Brock, said he had at one time a good position and considerable property, but had lost it all. Anothe:, William Evans, an old man of 87 years was in a very sad and destitute condition, He had been in the Costley Home, but ha,4 refused to remain there. In addition to the above a batch of half-a-dozen drunkards and several other charges were disposed of. 1 There died at Masterton on ; Sunday Sergeant Bernard Diamond, V.C.j late of the Royal Horse Artillery, at the age of 68. Deceased served twenty-one yean in Her Majesty's service, nineteen of which were spent in India. He was in the possession of the Victorian Cross, the Punjauh medal, Indian War medal, and a good conduct medal. A military funeral will bo accorded the deceased. A Maori g'rl named Keriana Hayes, aged 16, committed suicide at Gisborne by hanging, because of the opposition of her guardians to certain love affairs. She placed her head in a noose only three feet above the ground, and then went on her knees, and, after a determined struggle, succeeded in strangling herself. Two new songs, the words and music of which are by J. and M. Robertson have been published by C. Begg and Son, Dunedin. One of them—the lullaby of a mother to her sleeping babe—is in the key of E flat, common time. The melody is pleasing, and the accompaniment simple. A more appropriate name than " Tired Mother" might have been chosen for this Bong. " The Scottish Emigrant"—the lament of one who is leaving his native land—is scored in J time, and in the key of E flat major. It has an expressive melody, while there is a pleasant accompaniment in the arpeggio style. The poetry in both songs is weak. Constable Shearey has returned to Wellington from a 10 days' tour round the shear ing sheds, where he has been inspecting the accommodation provided for the men. He found some excellent, while a number were just the reverse. There is one in stance where about 30 men sleep and eat in a building the walls of which are not more than eight feet high. There are three tiers of bunks going round the room. The visit was made in accordance with instructions of the Government, on a motion made by ir. Buick the session before last. Several station-holders refused admission to inspect. The late Mr. Reeves left behind him in the Lyttelton Times office the warm memory of an upright life and high character. The office has testified by erecting a headstone with an inscription which will be widely recognised as just:—"'Steadfast to the end.' In memory of William Keeve?, who was born at Clapham, England, Feb. 10, 1825, and died at Risingholme, near Christchurch, April 4, 1391. Ho became a Ne* Zealand colonist in the year 1856, and for more than thirty years took an active share in the public affairs of this country. I" addition to his work as a journalist he «"a* a member in turn of each House of the New Zealand Parliament, and a Minister ol . the Crown. Who broke no promise, served no private end; Who gained no title, and who lost no friend. —Erected by the united staff of the Lyttfll* ton Times Company." The following are from I .loyds' Weekly of December 6 and December 13 —Alf rea D. Wood, carpenter, sailed for New Zealand in the Cartvale, on June 23, 1874. an seven years since intended going to Australia. His aged mother and brother J long for news. - James Thompson sailed in the a.B. Triumph for Wellington, New Zealand, on September 25, 1883, and in -Ma. > 1887, wrote from Greytown, WairarapaBrother Joseph. Henry Jerrey arrived *> u Otago, New Zealand, about 1861, ni his last letter from Canterbury, in I<-' ' spoke of going to the Cape. Sister Em® • John Ford quitted Drury Lane for x e Zealand about nineteen years ago, and last heard of at Canterbury, Jew Zeala" • Brother Jeremiah. William Bacon sai for New Zealand from Blackwall a o 1851. A nephew writes. Joseph Char David Adams, butcher, wont to Auckla in 1886, and until four years ago re^ . iv his letters at the post-office there, ois Emma. William Charles Glass sail© o the Zephyr for Champion Bay, Swan Kir < Wostern Australia, about tweuty-eig years ago, and when last heard of »' * was at Northampton, Champion Brother James. The little Anglican Church destroys through the bush fire atArdmott), Sout Wairoa, on Saturday, was erected as • back as 1856. Before the building top fire the - settlers succeeded .in saving harmonium and most of the seats.

At the recent banquet given at Denniston to His Excellency the Governor by . the directors of the Westport Coal Company, the Hon. Mr. Miller, M.L.C., spoke at some length as to the prospers of the comnanv &c., and we wake the following extract from his remarks as published by the Westport Star The export trade would only be gained by keen and sharp competition with other places, ard the company was entitled to all assistance The speaker quoted figures to show that the Uestp°rt Coal Company had expended £850,000 in ten years—wage?, £380,0.-0; stores ami material, £25,000; freight, £1/O,WU> royalty, haulage, Ac., £2S(,ooo—an_ >ey had only received £33,'26( m d> - The total output had been 1,000,000 tons He anticip'tfld that new 3r-st"':r,£ to Alport co.f t-omp.ny would b, the.only tUn better it would be. There need be no petty jealousy or feeling of riva'.rv. Every extra ton of coal carried would decrease the cost of it« production ; the expenses of haulage and other things would be reduced. If foreign export was attained there would be ample room and vergo enough tor all. The fits, thing to be done vas to obtain an official survey of the harbour, and have it sent tc the Aumnalty. Thev Jad a friend at Court in Admiral Fairfax, who had visited the port and mines, and hal promised to have ths plan* lithographed bv the Royal hydrognyjher. There could to no objection then to rhe vessels ot the Rood navy coming here and coaling them Helves.' There was nothing to prevent such vessels as the Ringarooma and Tauranga coming into tho port at this moment; but of course they could not do so until the navy regulations permitted them. So soon i as samtion was obtained they would see the vessel" of the Royal navy coming here direct, and that would mean die coaling of the Cdna fleet also, for the coal was good enou;;h to go anywhere." Tvo stores at Makaraka, owned by S. StevfQson, and insured in the North Gernan office for £250, were destroyed by tire. I Tie Australian Mining Standard in a late issue has the following on) the Newcasta Labour Difficulty " Some time baci, by mutual consent, an agreement was arrived at betveen the _ coal miters of Newcastle and the Associated Coliery Proprietors there, that the hewing rate for coal was tJ be reduced proportionately with any fall in the price of cotL In every aspect this arrangement boe the stamp of fairness and equity. Y(3 we now find that some of the miners ar proposing to violate it, and to throw the wiole of the trade of the port into the uraost confusion by entering upon a dsastrous strike. On all sides it is adpitted that the coal trade of New tistle is in a deplorable state. The ouse of the depression is foreign competition in old established trade routes and ocal competition for home trade. Obviously, therefore, the only coarse lor the Associated Collieries to take to rocover their .trade is to lower the price of coal, and if, by doing so, they gave the men more constant work, the result from the larger output would be beneficial to the miner. However, this consideration does not weigh with the employes. They want all the proSts and none of "the risks'; and in furtherance of that selfish desire, they propose to wantonly break a solemn engagement to which they were voluntary parties. What a commentory this is on unionism, and how must it discredit the cause with those who have previously viewed it with favour. If isolated bodies of workmen are to break the decisions of districts, then the need for a controlling body such as the Trades Hall disappears. This is the position in Newcastle, and we await with some interest the potion the Trades Hall will take to vindicate its existence. As showing how capital is scared away by threatened strikes, a few weeks ago a leading firm of solicitors in Sydney were directed to invest £360,000 of British capital in Sydney, but local labour troubles so frightened the principals that a Cc.ble has since been received revoking the instructions." [It will be seen, by a cablegram in yesterday's issue, that the prediction? of the Standard nave not been fulfilled, the 'miners unanimously resolving to adhere to the general agreement.]. A tour hcrse mail coach has just been turned out ot the coachbuilding establishment of Messrs. Cousins and Atkin, Elliottstreet, to the order of Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co., for the coach line between the Okoroire Sanatorium and Rotorua. It is ; built on ' the American principle with thorough braces, and will give seating ac commodatioa to eight passengers. Provision is made at rear and on the roof for passengers' parcel} and luggage. The coach is provided will aprons and curtains for rough weather, ard, is equipped with three splendid bull's-ey? lamps for night traffic. The body of th( <oach is painted in vermilion, lined blacl and white, and the gear in pale yellow, lired black and red. This is the second each which Messrs. Cousins and Atkin hay sent up to Okoroire within the past monh for the above line to the order of Messt. L. D. Nathan and Co. The travellin; public will be glad to hear of these inurovements to the tourist services. Owin' to the heavy downpour of rain yesterday, preventing many of the customers of the -as Company from getting to the offices f the Company to pay their monthly «as an. coke bills, the Company intimate that HI discounts will be allowed to-day. Snail boys are still keeping up their bad habit of falling off the public wharves. Theiatest illustration is at Onehunga, whee on Saturday, a boy named Bartlett, maaged to tumble off the wharf, but was resiled by an elder brother. 'he New Zealand Government Insurance Asociaticn has, it is said, decided to subdiide a large block of land in the neighborhood of Tauranga into suitable farms, wich will shortly be put in the market, ad as the terms of payment will be of a lost favourable nature, it is fully expected ; number of intending settlers will be able o profitably occupy these holdings. An mpetus will thus be given in promoting settlement in this part of the provincial district, which has been somewhat retarded for many years, owing to native difficulties and restrictions. The Wellington authorities have authorised the Messrs. Tole, of this city, to proceed with the necessary surveys. The beautiful stream, the boundary of Herr Carl Schmict's farm, " Frankfurt," Wairoa South, seems to bid . fair of being well stocked with trout. That gentleman, for the la.-st three years has pub young fish, obtained through Mr. Cheesemau, into the stream, and during his vacations he lias seen fish from fifteen to eighteen inches long, while others have been seem by friends staying with him, or visitors. The stream is well adapted for trout, and'no doubt will eventually prove an attraction to the visiors to the Wairoa. We have received the following cablegram from Launceston, Tasmania :- ! "Wirth's enormous show, including three ' circus rings going simultaneously, is drawing unprecedentedly large audiences here; crowds being turned away nightly. Special trains from the country are being run in connection with the show. The company next go to New Zealand on an extended tour. The company contains 111) people, s nd is the best show that has ever visited Tasmania." Private letters received in Auckland Kate that the Rev. Mr. Stott, the assistant minister at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, ]jf'lon, has declined the call of the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, Christchurch. An election contest is pending in Ade«i'le. and has developed, as was the case Wellington a few days back, into a Struggle between capital and labour, Mr. fowler, a member of a well-known importfirm, representing the former, and Mr. ''CPberson, the nominee of the Trades and labour Council, representing the latter, ■tie contest will be an exciting one. It is ' considered that Mr. Fowler has a good jni'W, as East Adelaide is not largely in,,a'ted by working men. The ICmploi'ers' te n . lon is straining every nerve, as it was -nously frightened by the recent return of p ur Men for the city to the Legislative Council. ' 3 Yesterday, Mr. W. R. Cook, of the firm a*,:, 00 * an( l Gray, accountants and trade in ees '.' e ft for Wellington to establish whfch «, c «y a branch of their business, land ' as been very successful in Auckate' . A days ago, Mr. Cook received toereh m ° n '- H ' from several of the principal !ati«f an - 1 rrn * here, expressing the utmost , Cool; 1 ? 1 "?' 1 at t le manner in which Messrs. j trusted rd "' lave conducted business j tO tllsß3,

There is little further to record about the ! fire in Upper Queen-street on Sunday night ! than to state tbat the unoccupied building, I formerly used by Messrs. McArthur and Co., as a boot factory, was uninsured. _It 13 owned now by Bycroft and Co. Nothing further has been elicited us to the origin of the fire in Messrs. T. and H. Cooke's factory. An incipient firo broke out yesterday morning about nine o'clock in proximity to the Crown Boot Factory (Mr. H. Davy's), off Grey-street. Some of the leather refuse undernoath the establishment was noticed to bo on fire, having apparently been ignited through a spark dropped during tho night, from the fire at Cooke's factory. As soon as tho discovery was made the fire was promptly extinguished. I Superintendent. Hughes is of opinion that the " incendiary rat " is operating in the Grey-street triangle just; now, and in support of his theory mentions that on the morning after the first firo in the triangle he noticed debris replaced (where he had had it cleared away), with rags upon it and the stuff on fire. Yesterday morning between two and throe o'clock, he states, Foreman Clarke found an incipient fire in progress up the side of a building where, in his opinion, no sparks could have been carried by the wind .and caused tho ignition. At eight o'clock in the morning Superintendent llughes states, ho found anothor firo in progress in one of the upstairs rooms of a half-burned building, from the Grey-atreot fire. The charred pieces of timber were apparently built up and paper beneath with writing and stamp attached, which he handed over to the detectives. On the other hand, it is but fair to state that Inspector Broham, Chief Detective Kirby, and Detective Hughes hold to the view that tho clouds of sparks which were carried by the wind over the locality referred to will account for all the incipient fires found in progress on the block. A special meeting of the Devonporb Borough Council, for the consideration of tho question of obtaining a water supply for Devonport, took place last night. The Mayor (Mr. E. W. Alison) presided, and Messrs. Niccol, Mason, Bond, Cameron, Duder, and Macky, were also present. It was agreed that Lake Takapuna must be the source from which tho water must be obtained, and that it would be inadvisable to prospect in tho borough when thero is a magnificent supply avaiable at the Lake, the water from which. Mr. Fond, after analysing, had declared to be exceptionally good, and suitable lor household house. In a report on the subject Mr. Knox, engineer, estimated the cost of bringing water from the Lake to the borough at £13,000. There was no reliable information before the Council which would show how this charge would be met, or what the amount of tho rate would be ; and, after a discussion, it was resolved to ask for details of the establishment of the water scheme at Onehunga, giving the cost, the liability of the borough, and other particulars. The city rate collector notifies defaulting ratepayers that legal proceedings will bo taken without further notice for the recovery of all current rates now due and unpaid. Those who desire to avoid paying a little legal bill of costs, in addition to the rates, will do well to lay this notice to heart. The representative of a I-ondon newspaper has been interviewing Mr. Hutchinson, the wellknown publisher, who recently visited the colonies. He says :— '* Taking English literature by weight, Mr. Hutchinson has despatched, in 12 months, to the Australias, New Zealand, and Tasmania, 100 tons of English book?including books published by his firm. Having spent years abroad, and made three professional journeys round the world, Mr. Hutchinson possesses an unsurpassed knowledge of the requirements of the, book * market in the Antipodes, South Africa, India, and America. The Australians are far greater book readers than their kinsfolk in the old country, says Mr. Hutchinson. He tells me that in New Zealand Sir George Grey assured him that for every penny the" Englishman spent on literature, the antipodean colonist spent six. The Australians devour books. " They can hardly as yet be said to possess a literature of their own. They import their literature from the old country. People talk of separation," says Mr. Hutchinson, suddenly stopping in his tale of colonial book-buying; "it is all nonsense, the literary link—the link of thought between the old country and Australasia— but one link in the chain of union. London is the capital of Austra lasia." On my asking what was tho Australasian's favourite reading, lie cold me itwas fiction. "Theology also finds a fair sale. But before an English book can get its best chance of success in the Australias and New Zealand, it must make its mark at home." Last evening there was, despite the bad weather, a large attendance at the Wesley Hall, to hear Dr. Burnaby lecture on " Physical Science," to men only. Tho lecturer demonstrated that a great deal of domestic infelicity, and also want of worldly success, was due to physical and mental depreciation, caused by failure to attend to simple laws of science. These wore ex- ; plained in easy terms, and a simple routine for healthy living laid down. The lecturer was attentively listened to and frequently applauded. What is eaid to be the moat extensive dairy in this globe is situated in the Paddington district of London. Under half a century ago the dairy was a very small concern, handling only a few hundred gallons of milk a week ; now its chief premises cover about two acres, and its daily customers number close on 5,000,000. For the convenience of customers, Welfords (as the company is called) have twenty-six branches in various parts of the metropolis, stretching from Camden Town to Fulham, and from Bloomsbury to Mayfair. The business, with a -century's reputation, has been steadily progressive, and the same may bo said of its dividendslß per cent., then 19 per cent., and last August 20 per cent.all regularly paid. Owing to rough weather on Saturday, it was found impracticable to - ship Mr. Waymouth's yacht Mapu at Wellington by the s.t>. Te Anau, as intended. This delay will cause the cra';k to be absent from the secondclass race in the Auckland Regatta, much to the regret of the local yachtsmen, who were anticipating a good contest between her and the Spray and Moana. Telegrams received in town yesterday state that the erstwhile Auckland yacht Jessie Logan was sold by auction, and realised £115, being purchased by three gentlemen at Nelson. The Hugo's New Idea Minstrel Company repeated their performance yesterday evening to m hat must bo considered a very fair audience when the inclemency of the weather is taken into account. The songs and dances were much appreciated by the audience, and the performance closed with a mirth-provoking farce. There were in tho lock-up last evening a man for drunkenness and a' boy for using language calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. The City Council invite tenders for supplies of engineers' stores and waterworks service materials. The Harbour Board invite tenders for roadway, Freeman's Bay, and box culvert under Queen-street Wharf. On account of repairs the water supply of Newmarket will be cut off on Wednesday next from six a.m. to twelve noon. Mr. Every Maclean, of Bleak House, Howick, has for private sale a number of Southdown, Shropshire Down, and Leicester rams. A meeting of the committee of management of the Freemasons' Hall will be held in the lower room on Saturday next, at eight o'clock, for the purpose of submitting the annual report and balance-sheet. The fourth annual meeting of the Auckland Anti-Poverty Society will take place to-night, at the Wesley Hall, Pitt-street, at eight o'clock. Sir George Grey is expected to preside. An interesting and entertaining programme of addresses, songs, and recitations will be submitted. Messrs. R. Mears and Co., stationers, etc., have removed their well-known business to 248, Queen-street (next Tuttle'a art studio), where, in addition to their ordinary business, they have opened a circulating library, either by subscription or on the deposit system. This system is a very simple one, and is within reach of all classes. A deposit of one shilling is taken on each book, and when the book is returned tenpence is given back, so that in reality it only costs twopence for reading. Of course, for some books a larger deposit is taken, and a higher charge is made for reading. One month is allowed for each book, and if kept longer, a further charge of twopence per month is made. 1 his system should especially suit country residents, who could send down for a dozen books at a tune, and would thereby be enabled to have plenty of reading at a very low rate and without much trouble.