They Say.

Observer, Volume XV, Issue 814, 4 August 1894, Page 6

They Say.

— That more trouble is a-brewing in the Hospital. • Friction ' again. , —That Poet Wills, the bard of Otahuhu, has a novel on the stocks. — That there is a probability that the Auckland Savings Bank may be absorbed by the Government institutions in accordance with the Budget proposals. — That the Opposition party are endeavouring to make out that there is deficit of half-a-million instead of a surplus. — That the proposed tax on fruit -Will deprive the people of New Zealand of green fruit for more than six months of every year. — That a Wellington man (formerly in the Government Life Insurance Office) is returning from Coolgardie to New Zealand with £40,000. — That a great-grandson of Flora -Macdonald, who took an active part in aiding the Pretender to escape from Scotland, is now living in Auckland. — That a piano contains a mile of wire. Is that the reason why the practising miss who lives next door thinks it is her duty perpetually to ' wire in 7 — That the Government are appointing a matron and female searcher at the " police station in each of the four larger centres. Nice billets for some people. Salary, ±'100. — That the increased deposit of £25,000 required by the Government will cause more than one foreign insurance company to retire from business in New Zealand. — That James Cooper Cairns has been granted his discharge from bankruptcy. Cairns ? Ah, yes, now we remember. But is this the only white-washing James requires ? — That a bill promoted by Mr George Hutchison— himself a la%vyer— pro- I poses to admit ladies to the ranks of the legal profession. What !. Angels amongst the Devil's own. — That Morris Metz, who got off at ■Wellington when charged with criminal assault on a child, shipped away to Sydney per Eotomahana a quarter of an hour after he was discharged. — That a country doctor lately asked relief from an Oddfellows' Lodge while he took a holiday to visit the graves of his forefathers. Some people really do take their pleasures sadly. — rThat three more volunteer officers have cast up their commissions. A Southern papor says there will soon only be the Generalissimo and his man Friday to do the fighting for us. — That the New Zealand Times has been added to the Government boycott list. Reads funny, doesn't it. The Ministah for Labah used to have a big hand in the production of this unfortunate journal. — That the New Zealand business of the Straits Insurance Company has been bought by the Commercial Union Co. Messrs Johnston and Stubbs had worked up the Straits business well, but the Company do not appear anxious to hold on in this country. Hence the sale. — That speculators in Wellington are showing an inclination to dabble in Union Steam shares, in anticipation of a rise following the adoption of free trade in Sydney, and consequent full cargoes. But how about McGee and the Tasmania ? — That the victory of the Freetrade party in New South "Wales may mean a great deal to New Zealand if their duties on, our produce is removed. But what hope have we of the removal of those duties when we are talking of taxing their fruit. —That an American tobacco company is about to start the manufacture of cigarettes in Auckland. The duty on cigarettes is 7s per lb, while on tobacco it is only 3s 6d. Very little labour is employed in cigarettemaking nowadays. Nearly all done by machinery. — That the libel action brought by Abbott, Oram and Co. against the proprietors of the Auckland Herald has been settled. The Herald people apologised for the heading over their cablegram, to which exception was taken, and paid the costs of the other side, amounting to about £70. : — That the O'Flanagan, chief draughtsman of the Survey Office in Wellington, who promoted the recent weddingpresen.tation to the Honourable John McKenzie's daughter on the occasion of her marriage to Mr Christie, has bad his salary increased. The officials in Auckland who contributed had not even the satisfaction of it being known that they contributed, the present being described as one from the staff of the Wellington office.