ODDS AND ENDS.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 53, 7 June 1884, Page 6

ODDS AND ENDS.

"Surgery at Sea" — Doctors differing about a dislocated arm. Thero were 2,030 alarms of fire in London last year. The writ for Ashburton will not be issued till Parliament meets. There are 160 miles of book-shelves in the British Museum. Sir Julius Vogel still nurses his disappointment and his goat— resisting all attempts to "draw the badger." Japanese architectural styles are finding great favour in tho United States. Mr Wills, bookseller, VVanganui, has got his shop lighted by electricity. Dunning's Opera Troupe are now in Wellington, and doing good business. Mr Littler, Q.C., states that there are 20,000 homeless children in London. "Captain" Graham, of the Salvatien Army, in to be shifted from here to Wellington. . Wellington people are asking Government to erect an asylum for the aged and infirm of that city. About a ton oi literature is daily added to stock in the British Museum. No " light" literature, we suppose. During 18 years, no fewer than 6,000 persons have been kiled in the streets of London. Third-class railway fares are dearer in Turkey. England, and France than in any other European country. Tho South Australian banks have advances of £10,500,000 on a coin reserve of £912,000. Mr T. T. Gamble, Vice-Consul, has charge of the American Consulate here during Mr Griffin's absence. Railway travelling in India is the cheapest in the world, and the Indian railways in five years yielded a net profit of £3,270,000. Barnum, besides a large share in the biggest " show" on earth, is said to own three newspapers, a cattle "run," and a lot of house property. " Shall I play ' Over the Garden Wall ?' " asked the organ-grinder. "No," replied the citizen, " I would rather you would play ' Over tho Hills and Far Away.' " At a recent land sale in Melbourne, an allotment in Elizabeth-street, 22ft. frontage by 33ft. deep, was sold at £400 per loot. A man and hi* wife had a little difficulty in the kitchen, the other day, and presently matters became so quiot that one could hear a rolling-pin drop. A mole£on the nose is said to indicate that a man will be a great traveller. A corn on the toe indicates that he will get others to do as much of his travelling as possible. The subject of the Civil Serviee£literary prize for 1884 is " Land Laws and their effects socially and economically upon the condition of the people." The prize is £25, and essays have to be delivered before the end of the year. Sir William Fox, speaking at Wellington last night, said he considered the present Licensing Act unworkable, as the number of police were quite insufficient to put down Sunday trading. The celebrated "box-iron" assault in Auckland district has had its counterpart in New York, but with a different ending. Mrs Hicks had no clean shirt for her husband, and he pounded her with a shovel. The Police Court judge said he thought the assault justifiable, and let Mr Hicks go. The steamer Victory did not escape without the usual compliment of stowaways when she left England. Although a boatload of them were sent ashore at Plymouth, no less than seven were subsequently discovered on board. Immediately after the berthing of the steamer at Wellington they were given in charge. During 1883 the total value of messages sent from and received by Victoria along the oable was £51,224, the number of messages being 15,468. New South Wales sent and received 13,303 messages, costing £39,975. South Australia, which erected the overland line connected with the cable, comes next with 6,418 messages, costing £35,507. This is how the Napier "Telegraph" forecasts election matters in Auckland district :— " Mr Whitaker will be opposed for Waipa by Major Jackson, bis old opponent. Captain Morris will b» opposed by Mr Kelly, formerly M.H.1l for Tauranga. For the Thames there will be a triangular duel between Colonel Fraser, Mr McCulloch, and Mr Speight, Mr Luke will dispute the Franklin constituency with Mr Hamlin, and Mr Upton will stand for Mr Swanson's district." The death of an eminent colonial Governor is recorded in our cable dispatches this afternoon. The name of Sir Bartle Edward Frere has been familiar to newspaper readers throughout tho Empire for thelast twenty-five years. He gained his official spurs in the India Civil Service, performing many difficult services during the mutiny, and being appointed to the difficult post of British Resident and Chief Commissioner in Scinde in IS6O. He afterwards held the important governorship of Bombay, and decorations and public honours flowed in upon him. In 1872 he was sent on a special mission to inquire into the slave trade of East Africa, and induced the Sultan of Zanzibar to sign a treaty for its suppression. More recently, Sir Bartle Frere again visited South Africa, bearing a Royal Commission to settle the difficulty with the Transvaal Boers, but in this he was not successful, and his methods have been keenly criticised. The deceased was a good specimen of the higher official class of Great Britain, having fair administrative capacity, a high sense of honour, and good family connections, which assured that his talents should be well backed in the right quarters for promotion