THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3454, 20 January 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1880.

Mb John Lundon, member for the Bay of Islands, has been making one of his characteristic speeches. John has always an object in view, and he knows full well that £15,000 on the estimates, and getting it spent are different things. He therefore considers it necessary to butter up the Minister for Public Works, but the process is applied rather late, and if the Government do not intend to spend the money John Lundon's change of opinion and sorrow for his past behaviour will not influence the immaculate members of the present Government. Mr Oliver will probably treat Mr Lundon and his constituents to a homily on how public money should be disbursed, the necessity of Ministers being above being influenced by soft speeches, or like Mr Whitaker, upon the value of a good name. It is very doubtful if the votes placed upon the estimates for Auckland will be spent. The South Island requires developing, and the district railways will have to be paid for before the next session, or the chance may be lost forever. If good can be done to all, do it, but personal friends must be served first, is the motto of the present Government. Unfortunately Auckland is not entered upon the list of friends of the Ministry, notwithstanding the action of the rats, or patriots, as they prefer being called, and especially is the Thames excluded from the number deserving attention; the reply of Mr Whitaker to the deputation may be taken as an earnest of what we may expect from other members of the Government.

A visitor to Auckland heard from what may be considered good authority, in fact it was hinted the information came from official sources, that the County authoritieshad stated that the Borough of Thames would be absorbed by the County within a short time. It was said that the County are quietly attempting to secure tho outlying road districts, after which the absorption of the Borough is only a matter of time. Mr Whitaker is reported to be in favor of the echeme, and the representations made to the Government have led some of the Ministers to approve of the proposed course.

Messes Kaurt and Ali's Exhibition of Oriental curiosities at the Academy of Music still .continues to draw a great number of visitors, who seem highly interested with the articles placed for show. The carving is something wonderful, and the ladies purchase liberally of the ornameßts to adorn" their rooms. Since last Wednesday 4000 people paid for admission. This exhibition will remain open till Saturday next, and after which they proceed to Hamilton, where they remain for three days.

We hear that the unfortunate man Moses Ensor has entirely lost the sight of one of his eyes and the only chance of saving the other is by sending him to Melbourne or Sydney for further advice. We hear that Mrs Kilgour and other ladies intend getting up a concert for the ptarposo of raising means for assisting Ensor to go to Australia. The members of the Borough Council and other gentlemen have promised to allow their names to be placed on a committee to work up the affair and make it a success.

General Bartlett in an interview with a reporter of the Star, expresses his opinion upon the future of Samoa. I do not believe that the German Government can be induced to erect a protectorate over the islands, or to annex them, and particularly so after the failure of Goddefroi and Co. Ido not believe that Germany will spend one cent, of money outside her own Empire, for I do not think that such a thing would be in accordance with Bismarck's characteristic policy, which is one of concentration rather than of expansion. If the firm of Goddefroi & Co., with all the aid which it has received from men-o'-war in the furtherance of its business, has been unable to carry on without a failure, I do not believe that the Empire can be induced to taken upon itself, for commercial advantages, a concern which the leading traders have proved that they were not able to manage to their own profit. I do not think that the American Government will endorse the action of its representative, and therefore the recently established municipal convention must fall to the ground. Any other procedure would be foreign to the policy of the United States. In the event of the Government's repudiation of the acts of its Consul, I think the ruling power will revert to the old Taimui and Faipuli, who will elect their own King.

Theke was no business at the It. M Court to-day.

In an article headed " The Revival of Trade," the Home News says:— "Although English agriculturists have been in the depths of despair for months past, there is but little doubt that the country at large will not suffer really from the bad harvests which threatened to be its ruin. The immediate effect of European soarcity has been an iucreased demand for American produce, and this in turn has created a demand for Home manufactures. The necessity for prompt shipment has obliged the great carrying 4ines of the United States, along which ' the corn travels to the ports, to improve their rolling stock and renew their permanent way. Great Britain still maintains her pre-eminence in such manufactures, and within the last few weeks an extraordinary impetus has been given to the iron trade all over the country. Everything follows iron, aad renewed activity in that branch of industry means the same thing for all. Nor will the improvement be uonfined to this country. Just as we are beginning to benefit by the great wave of prosperity which has flooded the United States, so will the tide flow on further and inundate all parts of the Empire. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of modern commerce is its universality. All the world is bound up and united in it; if activity prevails at.one extremity of the system the satae life.and spirit soon extends io the other. The only fear is lest the present revival of trade, which has sprung up so suddenly and increased so rapidly, should be due to artificial causes, and be too spasmodic to last. But economists,

who profess to look below the surface, declare that its basis is really sound, and if the recovery be contemporaneous with a lull iv external politics, we muy be on the threshold of an era of commercial prosperity in which the whole Empire, the most distant colonies included, will share." " How doth the little busy bee improve each shining hour," says tho old song. A swarm of these insects improved the shining hour by roosting on the top of the Custom House. They were noticed but an officer of that institution who speedily appropriated them. We hiivc not heard when he will bo fit for duty.

For some time past there have been rumors iv " greased lightuing " circles of some important changes to be made iv the location of the principal officials of the telegraph department. Prom enquiries made we are in a position to state that there is some truth in the rumors, and also that in all probability the exigencies of the civil service will necessitate the removal of Mr John Bull, officer in charge here, to some other station. We shall be sorry to lose Mr Bull, as that gentleman has always been a most attentive and courteous public officer.

Messes Darrow and Co., who have taken over the contract for a large supply of sleepers for the Thames and Waikato Railway, are actively engaged. They have almost completed a V flume four miles long at Matatoke, beyond Kirikiri for the purpose of floating the sleepers from the bush to the road. Mr Casey, who has the supplying of 10,000 sleepers, has about 8,000 ready for use. The majority of them are from Tararu Creek, and are really excellent. Mr Casey's contract will be sufficient to carry the line from Grahamstown to Kirikiri.

The Melbourne correspondent of the Sun sends the following theatrical items : —At the " Vie." Mv J. L. Hall, with his clever wife (nee Emily Wiseman), and his sister-in-law, Laura Wiseman, are playing in " Our Girls " to very good busineas— the Captain Giogah of Mr Hall has, to use a peculiar term, " knocked 'em sky high." The comedy is to play up to Christmas, when the burlesque pantomime of " Lurline " will be produced with Mr Hall in tbe opening and the harlequinade. Mrs.Hall and Miss Wiseman appear in the burlesque.—Burton's Circus is not now doing much ; in fact circus is played out for the present in Sydney. Benhamo (of Hayes and Benhamo's circus, and who was supposed to have money) has gone up a tree and busted. By the way, dear " Old Man Burton " is going to do it again—sell cut of his circus and get mai'ried—this time to a " widdy wid plenty of spons."

No less that 22 applications have been received by the Governors of the High School for the positions of head master and mistress. They will be considered tomorrow. Several of the applications are from Southern provinces.

We understand that the land at Te Aroha, now advertised for sale, is all or nearly all within the boundaries of Piako County, so that the County of Thames will not derive any benefit from the sale of the land.

The necessity of the Government or County Council taking immediate steps to construct a bridge at Omahu was exemplified the other day. A number' of gentlemen visiting Te Aroha, amongst whom was Major Murray, sent> their horses to cross at tho ford, which was so impracticable from a fresh that the man in charge of them was three hours getting them to the opposite bank. Tho cost of a bridge would not be great, and now that the Te Aroha lands are likely to be settled there will be considerable traffic on the road.

Mb Hesketh and Mr Wbitaker, junr. are on a visit to the Thames en route to the Upper Thames to enquire further into the claims of Messrs Burt and Stephenson to some land known as the Kuakaka block. Mr Alley was the first claimant to this block, but we believe Mr James Mackay obtained, on behalf of the Government, Mr Alley's claim. The proposal of the Government is to purchase Messrs Burt and Stephenson's interest; but such important matter had to be intrusted to a commission; it would not do to decide such an important matter without the expenditure of a good deal cf money and the employment of Mr Whitaker junior, on behalf of the Government. The expenses will amount to nearly as much as the land is worth.

The Naval Brigade resumed prize firing on Saturday last, after the holidays, by a competition for the handsome tea and coffee service, presented to the Brigade some time back by Mrs Quint. The conditions under which it is to be competed for had been arranged so as to give a chance to all the shootists, viz., to be won three times in succession or four times at intervals. This time it will be observed the District Champion, P.O. Thomas, heads the list with an unprecedented score of 69, Seaman Armstrong being abput with a total of 66. The ranges fired from were 200, 300, 400, 500 yards, 5 shots from each range. The second class shots also competed-for a special prize, presented to them by Mr Butterwortb, and was won by Seaman Harvey, with a score of *45, the ranges fired from for this class were 200,400, aod 500 yards, 5 shots at each range. - The following are the principal scores :— Ist class —P.O. A. Thomas 69, Seamau Armstrong 6U, P.O. J.Thomas 64, Lieut. Gordon 63, Seaman Pars low 63, Seaman Fagg 62, Seaman Johns 81, Seaman Cameron 60. 2nd class.—Seaman Harvey 45, Seaman Cobb 42, Seaman Wilson 41. We understand the competition for representatives takes place to-morrow morning and Monday morning.