THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2858, 12 April 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1878.

The Town Clerk has notified that the burgess roll and defaulters' list are now open for inspection at the Council Chambers, and we would remind burgesses who hare not paid their rates that their names figure on the latter, and will not bo allowed a place on the former unless their rates be soon paid. Under the Act the Mayor has to call a special meeting for hearing objections and revising the roll between the 22nd and 30th April. If rates are not paid before (he Burgess Roll is finally certified to, defaulters are disfranchised for the year. We are glad to find that the amount of last year's rates still uncollected is comparatively insignificant.

The Waterford News of a late date received by last mail contains a very flattering notice of the performance of Miss Rosa Towers in the play written for her—" The Waif of the Streets." Her parents were playing with her, and were also favorably critised.

As an instance of the small knowledge which the post office officials possess concerning the large number of small boroughs which exist down south, and especially in the provincial districts of O.tago and Canterbury, we give the following:—Mr F. C. Dean, Town Clerk, had occasion to send letters to all the Municipal bodies in the colony, addressing them " To the Mayor of West Harbor," " To the Mayor of Green Island," etc., and was astonished to find a budget of the letters returned asking for an accurate description of the position of Beveral of those large and important municipalities. This ignorance on the part of the postal department is positively inexcusable. Ik a previous issue, when the matter was first mooted at the Borough Council, we strongly urged the advisability of the formation of a municipal league on the ■ basis proposed by Cr McGowan, the mover of the resolution. Since then we are glad to see that a large number of answers favorable to the scheme have been received by the Council, most of the large and important municipal bodies who have been applied to being highly in favor of it, while others have promised to give it due consideration, many of these latter, doubtless, wishing to see what actioßOfn"er~Boroughs"would take in the matter. One refusal only has been received, it being from the Gisborne Council, who state that they are not in a position to join the league at present. Thus so far as it goes the preliminary steps in connection with the formation of the league have been crowned with success, and if the financial question,does not prove too much for the weak purses of some of the more impecunious municipalities, we may expect to see the league exercising a beneficial influence during the next session of the Assembly.

A cobeespondbnt of the Bay of Plenty Times, writing from Waikato, says:—When Sir George Grey heard of the letter sent by Bewi to the Governor, he was very angry, and said in the Club that he was almost resolved to return to Wellington and abandon the proposed meeting altogether. At present some doubtß are expressed as to whether the meeting will come off at ail.

The Melbourne correspondent of one of the Victorian Provincial papers remarks :—Should the present negotiations for peace between the nations who protest so much, yet continue to prepare actively for war, fail by any disturbing causo introduced, it may be worth while to recollect that our banks contained, on the Ist of January last, £2,106,792 worth of coined metals, and bullion to the value of £328,863. A little haul of two millions and a half might almost encourage a few cruisers to risk the perils involved in dashing over the thin line of torpedoes which our military duennas consider sufficient for our protection.

Children's theatricals should have parental supervision, says Atlas in The World. At some country house the other day, where the children had some afternoon theatricals, the scene went thus: Enter a knight-crusader, after ten years' absence at war. " See, dear," he says to his wife, " Bee the honors and decorations I have attained." "Thrice welcome, my lord," answered his tiny spouse. "Look!" holding up a curtain, showing her ten dolls, the smallest in a cradle, "look,.! too have not been idle I "

The latest alligator story from Queensland is thus told by tho Port Douglas Times :—Mr Irving, a cedar-getter at the Salt Water Creek, informs us that, when he and another of the party were at work, they perceived an alligator lying quietly on the bottom of a shallow water hole close beside them, and apparently watching their operations ■with considerable cariosity. After expending about a score of Snider bullets on tho monster from a distance of something like six feet, and proving beyond cavil the perfect invulnerability of its scales, they succeeded in despatching it hy a couple of discharges into the brain through the eyes. Leaving the unskinned carcase on the bank, they proceeded up tho river, and found on their return, to their no small astonishment, another monster saurian gorging itself on the remains of its slaughtered brother, the last morsel of which ho swallowed as tho men came up, upon which he retired with a dignified leisure towards the mud. The last was scarcely less than 24 feet in length, the other about 12 feet

On the scarcity of water the Argus, remarks :—Melbourne yesterday was waterIcbs. The Preston reserroir ran : out at 10 o'clock; (ho mains were exhausted in most localities by midday, and in tho afternoon the city and suburbs were abso luteiy destitute, nor is there any prospect

of relief until the communication with the Yau Yean is restored. Large numbers of citizens, at the first alnrm, stored what water they could, bufc thousands of houses have been unprovided for, and already-distressing scenes are occurring. Water is begged for from house to house, and the fire-plugs are besieged in the hope of getting a drop from the mains. The department holds out the hope that there will be water on Wednesday morning ; but this is long to wait, and much suffering must ensue in the meantime. A pump has been erected on the Yarra, near Edwards' boat-house, and the muddy water thus obtained is at the public^ disposal ; but the difficulty is how to distribute ifc. The extremity which has occurred is a rery great one. The department ought to hare made efforts to send out water-carts to the suburbs to supply households with gratuitous pailfuls of the Yarra water, which is all that is obtainable, but the immediate wants of the populace do not seem to hare been thought of. Belief steps should be taken to day. Barrels and tanks on common drays can be utilised for the purpose, and only energy of this kind can mitigate the disaster.

A Change of Keys.—Heinrich Heine has said that the keys of this world are at Constantinople, those of the next at Eome. It is a curious coincidence that on February 7th, 1878, both keys changed hands.—Punch.

Fkibkd, to get a good Watch, Gold or Silver, Geneva, English or American, go to Wilkbs, Shortland, for there you will have tbe largest stock to select from; also, if you wero thinking of purchasing a Brooch, or pair of EariDgs, Gold Guard, or Ring—for there you can eeo the most varied arid beet selected Block on the Thames. Watches, Clocks, and Jewellery repaired at Auckland prices, and guaranteed. Established 1867.— Advt.