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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1879, 11 January 1875, Page 2

It will be seen that Miss May Howard and a dramatic company will perform for two nights this week at the Academy of Music. Mies Howard is quite new to us. She has just completed a most successful reason in. Auckland, and sow visits the Thames before commencing a tour through the Southern Provinces.

The Auckland agent of the Anglo-Aii'tra-lian Press Telegram Agency appears to be well informed on general matters, especially on the movements of Colonial Ministers. On Saturday he informed us that Sir Donald McLean had not returned from the North by the Eowena; which, it appears, was quite true, our morning contemporary to cloy making the assertion that Sir Donald had never left Auckland. If the Auckland Agent has too much business on hand in the way of Harbor and Highway Boards and the City Council bo should resign the agency, because those who pay the Association for their telegrams do not care lo be made fools of through the noglecfc or incompetency of agents.

Hotitax Christniaa dinners appear to be as great institutions as hospitals themselves in g'ldfielcis townships. Hero the patients have b en for years rogaled witk rxtras on Christmas Day, consisting of the more substantial comestibles as well as the delicacies peculiar to the season, and liquor*, administered, of course, under direction of the surgeon. But in Grey mouth they have either more hospital patients or the sub?crib©rs are more liberal j although we may say that, on oil occasions, the Christmas Dinner at the Thames Hospital has, through the a siduity of the lady providores, and the liberality of townspeople, been good and plentiful. From the Grey River Argus wo perceive that a New Year's Day dinner was given to the Hospital patients, in addition to the Christmas spread, separate donations of articles being received for each feast, The Christmas contribution was a most generou* one, the list occupying about a third of a long column. There were ducks, geese, fowls, and turkeys; joints of b?ef ano mutton ; quarters of lamb ; fruits fresh and dried ; and about fifteen or sixteen d>zen of liquor, comprising drinks to su t all tastes, fi om champagne to raspberry vinegar; dozens of 1 maifade; ten gallon keg of b aer ; and a box of cigars. For the New Year's Day dinner the contributions were liberal, though less than those for Christmas; bub no doubt they were ample, for we notice amongst other things a live sheep, parcels of pastry, pecks of peas, bottles of jelly, three and a quarter dozen bottes of liquor and eight gallons beer. In fact, unless the number of hospital patients be very large the stock of liquors It ft over from the feasts ought to be good f>r medical comforts for three months. The liberal contributions made are an evidence of the thoughtfulness of the hale and hearty for the sick and afflicted at a festive seaion.

A ioci.t"in this morning's paper has caused some enquiry to be made amongst the brokers and their friends. It appears, however; that there is no cause for alarm in tb it quarter j no officer of the Association has levanted with the firds. The "Operative Brokers Association" ehruld be read "Operative Bakers Association/ the secretary of which society, it is said, has <$gone away without siying 11 good bye" to his friends.

Whekr once stood the Union Bank of Australia—consumed by fire in the early part of last year—a new wooden edificG is in course of construction, the contractors being Mesirs Bayldon ani Stephen?on, to whom oar reporter was indebted for a view of the plans. The new bank will not be quite so large as was the former one, but will neyertheles* be sufficiently large, so fa* as present project* foretell. The'frontage to. Albert street is to be 32 feet, and tie frontage to Queen street measures 29 feet; the maia entrance btinj» ia. A»berfe street. In planning the building attention has been paid to its external appearance, and on paper it presents an eminently respectable Iront. Internally, the fittings are also most complete. The melting and assay room at the back of the bank measures L 2 feet by 2"), and will be fitted up with every requisite, The banking room is sufficiently commodious, being 15 feet by 26, and will also befitted up properly. Th^re are, besides, the ledger room, the manager's room, and other compartments. When the building is completed it will lend not a little to the appearance of the stre t.