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Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2982, 5 September 1878, Page 2

A notice to correspondents in the Advertiser to day says, with reference to the letter of " Pro bono publico/? "We notice that the production was very materially diminished in the boiling down process adopted by our contemporary." We beg ■'to state that all the boiling down the letter was subjected to at our hands was the elimination of Iwo words. We were not aware a similar communica-tion-had been sent to our contemporary until after we had published the letter.

At the sale oftho balance of Mr J..E' Macdoiiald's furniture to-day, Mr Leydon had a good attendance, bidding * was spirited, ■■■ and... the: goods realised fair prices. . :

< A half drunken Naval made a rather good pun lately. He said bis company was being Withered up by the Scotticising influence of the new major.

We notice that the postal authorities have just erected a pillar letter box at the south corner of Richmond and Kolleston streets, which will no doubt be a great convenience to the inhabitants in that neighborhood.

We learn that the larga mill of the Union Sash and Door Cpmpany at Tairua is finished, and will be formally opened on Saturday next, on which occasion it is expected that a number of gentlemen interested in the company will be present from Auckland. The machinery has been set going and everything worked smoothly and satisfactorily. Our informant states that great praise is due to Mr George Fraser, junior, engineer, who prepared! the plans, and Mr McKay, for tbe way in which the erection of the machinery has been carried out. The mill will largely add to the production of sawn kauri timber.

The addresses of Mr Robert Graham, candidate for North Ward, and Mr John Wilson, Middle Ward, appear in our ad'tertiaing columns, and by the former a question which has been freely canvassed during the last day or two—whether the Mr. Robert Graham was the senior or junior of the the two whose names appear oh* the roll—has been set at rest. The candidate is Mr Robert Graham, senior.

The quarterly competition for the .Thames District - Belt takes place at the Government range in two squads ,on Saturday. Entries are to be made as usual at Mr Lawless' not later than 7.30 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) night.

r The schooner Opotiki, from Opotiki, arrived to-day with 300 bags of potatoes for Mr Thomas Veale.

We observe a splendid smoking cap on view in Mr Barlow's window, which is offered as "a consolation prize.''by Mrs Barlow to the non-commissioned officer or sapper of the Hauraki Engineers who shall be a competitor for. the belt, and the highest scorer of that corps failing to carry off any money prize at the said competition. . ...

A meeting of the ratepayers, of Parawai riding was held at the School-room, Parawai, last evening for the purpose of considering the proposed alteration to the boundaries of the riding. There were only ten persons present.' Mr W; Carpenter was voted to the chair, and called on the convener, Mr T. Spencer, tost-te the object of the meeting. Mr Spencer explained the steps the Council had already taken concerning the redistribu-' tibh of the representation of the County. He also urged the desirability of extend? ing the Parawai riding. (Mr Spencer then left to attend a meeting of the Harbor Board.) Mr,: McLaren : pointed put that by.extending the boundaries of the riding they would be precluded from joining the Borough, which the majority of the ratepayers were in favor of. The meeting assumed a conversational, character, and the following':resolutions were carried :—" That this meeting considers it.nofc desirable at present to extend the boundaries of the Parawai riding;" "That Mr Spencer be requested to push for. additional representation for Parawai;." and "That the Chairman be requested to .forward the foregoing resolutions to Mr Spencer." A vote of thanks to the chair brought the proceedings to a close. . '*. ■ ■'''• v. '/:' ' ' " "'■'■■"'

Vabiotts rumours have been in circulation (says the Evening Post) as to the source from,which the cost of the late municipal banquet was defrayed. It has been reported that a half-crown subscription was being raised to test the right of .the Corporation to expend the public funds in this way, and another story w«s to tho effect that the entire cost was defrayed by His Worship the Mayor. We believe the facts to be as follows:—The Mayor deeming:the double occasion- of the'eompletion of the new building and the presence of the niuriicipnl delegates in Wellington a suitable one for a display of civic hospitality, suggested the idea to the City Couacil at a private meeting.. Some Councillors demurring. His Worship very handsomely offered to pay the whole expense himself. This the City Councillors would not hoar of, and Councillor Fisher, while objecting to.the appropriation of public money for ■ this object, suggested that the Councillors themselves should subscribe the necessary sum; It was argued, however, that on certain occasions such as that in question, a Corporation (especially in the colonial metropolis) was bound to exercise public hospitality, and ultimately this view was adopted. In ; order to remove any doubt as to the legality of the arrangement, it was decided to vote an increase of salary to His Worship the Mayor sufficient to cover the expense of the banquet, estimated at about £150, the bills then being paid by-His Worship, and not by the' Council at all. This we believe to be the true version of the affair.

The Australiann Eleven were entertained and treated rii?ht royally by the Directors of the Crystal Palace,' at Sydenham, near London. On stepping from the train, the Directors in a body met, and took them under their protecting wing, invited them to a capital banquet, escorted them over the building, and then took them to the central balcony, where special seats were provided for them to witness the fireworks. The display was a'grand one, as is usual at the Crystal Palace ; but when "Welcome to Australia " burst upon their vision in all the variegated' hues common to pyrotechnic displays, they were fairly surprised, and joined in the general applause which greeted this dedicate and . well-timed allusion to " tho Australians." The cheering, indeed, was loud and continuous; and ultimately our v?aitors were compelled to stand up and " bow their acknowledgments to an admiring crowd." In parting from their hosts there was many a hearty shake of the hand, and they left the Palace highly delighted with the kindness and courtesy of the Directors.

Pebhaps few things to the mind of the practical man (says the Birmingham Hardware Trade Circular), have been more amazing than the profound belief existing, sown abroad and cultivated by the journals of this country, that the day of English hardware is over, and that henceforth Englishmen must be content to be the carriers and factors of the world and leave manufacturing to the more inventive brains and constructive fingers of other nations. We are sorry for tho believers in this creed. We h save endeavored to spread a. healthy feeling of scepticism in the downfall of English manufactures, but, as an ounce of. fact is worth a bushel of reasons, we give a fact. One of the principal \ sewing machine makers in our town has had an order from a house in the same business in America, for 1000 of his machines, as the buyerswere unable to make anything so good at the price,on the other side of the water. The " cosmopolitans " a'ad " citizens of

every couutry but their own " had better make the best;'they can of this little bit of news.