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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIIL, Issue 199, 20 September 1878, Page 2

It is predicted that amber jewellery is to become fashionable again very soon. This popularity arises from the marriage of the Queen of Spain, who fancied it, and one of whose toilets were decorated with it. A correspondent of a northern contemporary writes :— Things are not going on right in the telegraph department, and I see by the Wellington papers there are many complaints of unfair treatment of officers. There ought to be a Royal Commission appointed to enquire into the grievances of the officers under Dr Lemon, who, report says, grinds his men down and looks after No. 1. How unpopular the telegraph department is with the officers may be seen in the great wish of our telegraphist and postmaster to be allowed his choice of departments on it being decided to disconnect them once more. I needn't say it would have been the postal he would have elected to remain in had he had the option. The great complaint is that the best operators instead of getting rapid promotion are kept in the large stations at small screws, whilst ignorant and favor currying incapables are promoted to the charge of country stations on good pay. Thi3 is rewarding talent with a vengeance. As a matter of fact, an old telegraphist tells me all who can leave have left and are leaving, as the department holds out no inducement to good men to remain in it. On polling day the electors at Invereargill, who supported Mr Eeldwick dnring that gentleman's candidature against Mr Bain of the Southland Times, received nourishing food at the hands of a young lady of pronounced liberal (?) sympathies, and her efforts have been suitably rewarded by Mr Feldwick's committee, who according to the JVews, paid an unannounced visit to her father's residence, and handed to her a very handsome gold watch, which bore this inscription :— " Presented to Miss Jessie Bonthron by the Liberal Election Committee as a token of esteem." The News adds that the recipient said she had felt amply repaid by the side she worked for winning, while the courtesy with which she had been treated by everyone made her labours more a pleasure than a toil. The Parliamentary correspondent of a Southern journal writes : — " The Public Works Statement dazzled for a day or two the unthinking, but those who knew ' Mac' best, can quite see through his promises. There is none like unto Mac for dealing with a deputation. He promises not only all that is asked, hut always adds to the favours sought, and when, in a few months, the same deputations wait upon him to complain of broken promises, he so dazzles them witn new promises, that they go away fully persuaded that it has been a good thing that the little they asked in the first instance was not done, because they will obtain so much the more now. In the Public Works Statement, everybody is promised everything, except Nelson and Marlborough, and they don't count, but calculating members arc beginning to put two and two together, in order to discover, if possible, how Mac's five can be made up, and they don't quite see it. 15ut next session, if they come back with complaiuts, the wiiy Scotchman will be ready, as usual, with a satisfactory answer. There is not a more skilful ' gull' in the southern hemisphere than James. He has studied the art, and is a perfect adept. And he does enjoy his quiet chuckle, after he haa dismissed bis suppliants."

The prettiest girl in Paris this year is an American girl. The stamps for the marriage settlement of Miss Hannah de Rothschild cost £5,000 Mdlle 1 Albani is to sing twice a week at the Imperial OpeEa House in St. Petersburg during the coming winter, and for this she 13 to receive £520 a-week. In and about Lyons, France, 200,000 women and girls work from 11 to 13 hours a day for an average of Is Cd.