MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1249, 6 February 1896, Page 35

MISCELLANEOUS.

Messrs Dwan Bros, report having sold Mr B. Oxner's interest in the Metropolitan Hotel, Molesworth street, to Mr M. Lahman, late of the Post Office Hotel, Palmerston North ; Mr J. Couchrnan's interest in the Mount Egmont Hotel, Midhurst, Taranaki, to Mr John Theobald, hate of the Railway Hotel, Johnsonville; Mr William Ryan's interest in the Empire Hotel, Palmerston North, to Mr Thomas Procter, late of the Post Office Hotel, Foxton ; Mr Albert White's interest in the Commercial Hotel, Kaponga, Taranaki, to Mr William Farquhar, of Wellington; and Mr George Dennis' interest in the Te Aro Hotel, Upper Willis street, to Mr George Ryland, an old Wellington resident, recently returned from Sydney. The following from the Napier News will perhaps have a lingering interest to many who saw Peart dive into the harbour -. — " Wellington crowds arc proverbially mean. We have drawn attention to this fact before now ; but we think the 4000 people who assembled to witness Professor Peart's dive have broken even the Wellington record. The Press Association agent tried to let his fellow-towrsmen down as lightly as possible, and wired through that the collection realised <£2o. It did nothing of the sort. The total receipts amounted to .£ll Is sd, or as nearly as possible about three farthings a piece, for a percentage has to be deducted for bad threepennies. Wo venture to assert that no other place in the Colony would so belittle itself. Wellington is the champion mean town of the Colony." The following tenders were received by the Public Works Department for the erection of an iron railway bridge over the Taieri River on the Otago Central line : —- Fraser and Morey, New Plymouth, ,£7716 (accepted) ; Cole and Moody, Auckland, £7373 ; Sparrow and Co., Dunedin, £3219 ; Sutherland and Nelson, Port Chalmers, <£S'3os ; J. and A. Anderson, Christchurch, - £S99t. Messrs Fraser and Morey are at present engaged upon a contract in connection with the Moturoa Freezing Works, near New Plymouth.

Mounted Constable Wilson has beon transferred from Wellington to Patea, and Constable M. Cox will fill the vacancy at Petone created by the retirement of Constable Lyster. Constable Patton, who for some years lias acted as watchhouse-keepor at the Central Polico Station, Lambton quay, goes to the Upper Hutt, replacing Constable McKinnon, who has been transferred to Wellington. Other transfers have been made as follow : —Constable Baskiville, Pahautanui, to tho Spit, Napier ; Constable Darby, Carterton, to Wellington; Constable J. Cameron, Wellington, to Denniston ; Constable J. Franklin, Cuilensville, to Palmerston North ; Constable T. McCarthy, Wellington, to Cuilensville ; Constable T. Stewart, Masterton, to Blenheim ; Constable Warneford, Blenheim, to Wellington; Constable W. W. Smart, Kaikoura, to Carterton ; Constable N. Abbott, Christchurch, to Wellington (replacing Mounted-Constable Wilson); Constable W. Christie, Christchurch, to Masterton; Constable J. P. McCuire, Dunedin, to Wellington. The remarkable ignorance which prevails in some parts of the world with reference to New Zealand is shown by the following letter, which has been received by Mr Martin, S.M. It was addressed : " For the Chief Magistrate of Wellington, New Zealand, British Colony, Pacific Ocean," and the writer, evidently apprehensive that even then it might go astray, has put in a corner of the envelope a request that if not delivered in eight months it should be returned to the sender, whose address is given in detail. Tho letter is as follows : " Dear Sir, —I write to you seeking information. Is there a chance for a young man of energy to become of use to himself and community in your country — i.e., can a man of a fair education, moderately good health and 19 years of age, make anything of himself in New Zealand? I would like to settle in your country and want to know something about the Government, occupation, climate, &c. Could you kindly furnish me information on the subjects I have named, I would be undor many obligations to you. Is there any school system there, and what could I earn as a school teacher ? Hoping that you will be able to answer my questions and furnish me some information about tho country, people, &c."

During last month 2310 persons arrived in the Colony and 1224 persons left it, showing a. net gain of 108 G. These figures are of course subject to revision on receipt of pursers' returns. In the corresponding month of last year the arrivals were 3551 and the departures 2251, the net gain then being 1297. The figures for the port of Wellington are : 546 arrivals last month, as against 902 for January, 1895 ; 489 departures last month, as against 552 for January, 1895 ; net gain last month, 357, as against 350 for January, 1895.