SPECIAL TELEGRAM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7927, 19 July 1887, Page 2

SPECIAL TELEGRAM.

(Fnoit Our Own Cobbespondent.) Auckland, July 18. REARRESTED.

The young man Charles Aitken, who was charged the other day with uttering a cheque and whose case broke down through the legal objection raised by Mr O'Meagher, was arrested again by Detective Walker to-day on a fce6h information. I DANCING CHAMPIONSHIP. The visit of the Scottish dancer and piper to Auckland has sroussd a spirit of rivalry. Munro's claim to the championship of New Zealand will not be established until he has met and vanquished one or two Auckland Scots who olaim to be experts at the national dances. "MY SWEETHEART." Among the through passengers by the Zealandia was Miss Minnie Palmer, the celebrated actress, who has completed a most successful seeson in Australia, and is now on her way to fulfil a number of engagements in America. She is expected to return to New Zealand about August 1888, and make her first appearance in the colony at Auckland Opera MUNICIPAL FINANCES. The Auditor-general, Mr J. E. Fitzgerald, has certified to the Auckland Municipal Corporation's accounts for the year and half-year ending March 31, and has intimated to the officials that the Auckland City Council is in a sound financial position—which was very good of him. Wellington, July 18. RETRENCHMENT. - ' With reference to the rumour which I recently telegraphed regarding the vagaries of Ministerial " retrenchment," the report being that one young man who was dismissed on compensation allowance was, on his application to a friendly Minister, reinstated in his office and allowed to retain his dismissive compensation, the local Ministerial journal Bays:—"Had inquiries been made it would have been>und that it was one of those half-truths which are worse than absolute falsehood. The Premier informs us that one official who had retired upon compensation allowance had since been temporarily employed to do some special work which would occupy him a week or two at the outside, and that no one has ever been reinstated es indicated after receiving compensation for loss of office." To this I rejoin that I have since made inquiries, and that the result has been to convince me that tbe rumour was substantially true, whereas the explanation docs not touch the case alluded to. THE NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY. Tho local committee of shareholders in tho New Zealand Shipping Couipauy are displaying great activity in preparation for the coming annual meeting in canvassing for proxies, which I hear are coining in y freely, .