THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2494, 3 January 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1877.

At a meetinc of the members of the Hospital Fete Committee, held last night, it was resolved to write to the Thames Borough Council concerning what we must term the exorbitant charges now made by cab and 'bus drivers at holiday times. We are glad this step has been taken, as it certainly was needed, and it has not been taken before its time. Many there are who by dint of saving a little here and a little there, or denying themselves some luxury, are enabled at holiday times to take their wives and families for a day's pleasure which will do much to recreate and amuse them. Some of these have to consider the expense necessitated by doing so. The father may be able to walk the distance easily, the mother not quite so well, and the family if young find it more a toil than a pleasure if called upon on a hot day to trot over the two miles which divide Grahams town from Parawai. The question naturally arises in the mind of the indignant father as he walks along, why should I pay double fare to-day for what I could get at single fare yesterday ? Are not these public vehicles licensed, and do we not see lists of what they are entitled to charge and how many they are allowed to carry posted up inside them, and nothing said -about doubling the fares at holiday or any other time ? And then his thoughts naturally revert —especially on a day such as the late Hospital Demonstration Day—as to whether the Demonstration was got up to benefit the Hospital- or whether it was got up to benefit the cabdrivers. It seems to him, not unnaturally, that after all they are the chief gainers by the same being held. And as he plods along the weary two miles which separate him and his from Parawai, he thinks very likely how much more comfortable he would have been if the cabdrivers had accepted the ordinary fare he had made up his mind to pay. This is a subject which, though spoken of jestingly, ought to be seen into, and demands the attention of all those who get up sports or such like matters, whether for a charitable purpose or otherwise. This concerns the proprietors of public places of recreation as well, for if the public find that instead of having to spend two shillings to go to one place, they can go to another for sixpence—as they could do by the tramway bn;ltond«y~-th&y will no doubt choose the latte^jfir preference to the former. The matter" certainly wants in|p, and we hope will be^efilliated and remedied, as every other real grievance should be.

The news regarding the Eastern Question received from England by the last mail is of such a nature that it may lead readers at a distance to suppose that there will be a complication oi the. difficulties which have already arisen, in looking at it in another light/that those difficulties will be solved. Which result is to be brought about is a mere matter of speculation. Russia, apparently, is determined to occupy Bulgaria; England, equally determined, should such occupation take place, to occupy Constantinople. The Russian force iu Servia still continues to hold its own, and the question of collective occupation, that is, an occupation of foreign territory by a force collected from more nations than one, seems to have more and more forced itself on the minds of Europeans. The Times favors the idea, and though there are things to be said against it, as well as in favor of it, yet it seems the most judicious course to pursue, or rather the one calculated to tend to the least bloodshed. Bulgaria is the bone of confection, and it appears to be the opinion of some that matters have gone too far to be easily stopped. Why Russia should not occupy Bulgaria we fail to see, but it seems that Turkey objects to the occupation altogether.

There was a clean sheet at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning. A labge number of holiday-makers who had been in Auckland returned by the Durham and Rotomahana last night, the latter boat especially being wellpatronised by returning excursionists taking &dvantage of the single fares. YEBTEBDjt¥ we g#7,e credit to the Post Office officials for the p?oi?}p£ sorting and delivery of the mail, for whichl w£ b^ye bepn called to account by some residents i o£ G^hjamstowß, who complain that the ' JR3-U- yJO- 'Frisco was not deli vere"^ Ufit^ s Booing. We know that the ma; 1 wa» «"»e% »?&&. and we also know that iiiC* WM s T^L *P Shortland yesterday betwe?. 11 9 eB?J° *° in the morning. If the delay statJ*. • curred in the Grahamstown delivery, it is a fair ground of complaint. As the elections of School Committees draw nigh the question has arisen as to who is entitled to vote for those who shall be members of the same for the present year. It seems, by a decision of the Auckland Central Board of Education, that only householders are to vote, as the polltax qualification—for we 4 ,can call it nothing else—on bachelors, or those who are living as such, is done away with.

New Year's Day being a day on which the cares of business were supposed to be cast aside a good part of it was necessarily devoted to fun and frolic. On the boats which carried excursionists up to Ohinemuri there were many of these, and the laughter occasioned by them was not abated when, in contradistinction to the Good Templar's Banner displayed on the Te Aroha bearing the initial letters 1.0.G.T., was suspended another banner of an extempore nature from the Ruby with the words "I Often Get Tight," and the picture of a glass and bottle of Hennessy's best.

The Friendly Help Tent, Female Branch, 1.0.R., held their half yearly meeting last night, when the following officers were installed for the next term: — C.R., S. Jane Honiss (re-elected) ; D.R., Eliza Richards (re-elected); P.C.R., Elizabeth Bennett; Secretary, Jane Thomas ; Treasurer, Charlotte Dan by; C.S., S. A. Jones; 8.5., Mary Cocks ; Guardian, Posina Andrews; Levite, Ellen Walker,

A meeting to settle the accounts connected with the Hospital Demonstration Fun'd was held yesterday evening at the Pacific Hotel. Mr Gudgeon was called to the chair. It was ascertained that the sale of booths, &c, realised £22 2s, which with a sum of £10 handed over by the Mirror of England company, subscriptions and gate money, swelled the amount to £159 4s 3d. On the other hand £20 was* paid to the proprietors of the ground, and £37 paid away in prizes, besides casual expenses for music, advertising, etc., amounting in all to £76 19s 6d,. leaving a balance of £72 4s 9d to be paid over to the Hospital. Votes of thanks were passed to Messrs Grant, Jenkins and Robinson for their services; and after some remarks on the heavy charges made by 'bus and cab proprietors the meeting adjourned.

Thb New Zealand Herald and Daily Southern Cross made its first appearance in an enlarged form yesterday. The amalgamation will probably tend to a vast improvement in Auckland journalism and give greater satisfaction to subscribers and advertisers. The new combination professes independence in politics. If.it can stick to that ticket, and decline to ally itself with any party as a thick and thin supporter (as the Herald did last session in the case of Sir George Grey's party), the combination will be powerful enough to deter opposition.

At Hokitika the other day Margaret Wright, a young girl, not seventeen years of age, unable to read or write, pleaded guilty to a charge of concealment of birth. After her counsel had addressed the Court in mitigation of punishment, Mr South, the Grown prosecutor,-rose and spoke on behalf of the girl. He said he was personally aware that the prisoner had had the worst possible example set her by her mother while she lived, and had received so bad a training from her father, that he could not wonder at the result. He trusted that the Court would separate her from such influences for a while, so that she might, on coming out of gaol, be restored to a respectable position again. He deeply sympathised with the young girl and, added Mr South, with emphasis, " I only wish the rile and base married man who is the cause of her present trouble and sorrow stood in that dock, and that I had the power to punish him." There were some murmurs of approbation heard in Court when Mr South; concluded. Judge Weston, in passing sentence, said no doubt the seducer was a real coward at heart, and was deserving of severe punishment, while he would, as a matterof course, receive none. *He hoped that on her discharge the prisoner would re-* and try and lead a respectable and "re'putable life. She would be sent to the Hokitika Gaol for two months without" hard labour, and without personal degagß, dation. :

The Maryborough Standard givtis ;an account of a " grave municipal scandal" which is stated to have caused considerable excitement at Maryborough. "It appears," says the Standard, "that the officers of the Council are engaged on yearly salaries, which are supposed to be paid monthly. Instead of the accounts coming before the Council every calendar month, they are presented every fouith week, and thus the officers have been receiving 13 monthly instead of 12 One officer's salary was £200 a year, or £16 13s. 4d. per month ; but through adopting the lunar month he actually received 216 13s. 4d. per year, This fraud upon the ratepayers has been carried on for a number of years, and was only brought to light by Mr Spreull, the present town clerk."

The King of Greece is writing a book on bees.— Baltimore Gazette. All write honey. It ought to ceil.— New York Commercial Advertiser. What a beestly pun. —Burlington HawJceye. . Bee-hive yourselves.—San Francisco Post. Some of these remarks are waspish, and fit only for drones. They lose any sting they may possess by bee-ing too silly, and if this sort of thing waxes much warmer there will be a swarm or more of jokes.