Auckland Gossip.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4422, 7 March 1883, Page 2

Auckland Gossip.

[fbom oue own corbespondent ]

Auckland, March sth

The past month has been an era of du'l monotony in comparison with the previous month. Even the G-illies-cum-Heaketh rumpus promises to end in a melancholy fizzle. It is whispered that Jud.:;e Gillies has secretely made his peace with all the leading members of the legal profession, and that his Honor will be left unmolco'.ed. Whatever may be Judge GilJies' faults, I think they are more of the head than the heart. Of combative temperment it is possible that he occasionally forgets that he is a judge, and imagines that he is still at the bfr. Despite this fault, he is an able man, and can iv a moment grasp all the details of the most intricate points. He is perhaps the cleverest of our local savants, and but a single glance at his study is required to -convince the most casual observer that he is a man of cultivation and refinement. Round the shelves are arranged works on Law Theology and Science; in the latter division the books seem principally to have connection with (.he more practical branches. In cases in the room are " specimens," animal, vegetable, and mineral, end a number of costly scientific instrumenLs. The Judge employs his leisure time in horticulture, in which he is very success ul, and in instilling into his little son the rudiments of Latin.

We are all in great fettle about the Sugar Company. It appears that the Sydney capitalists, who own the concern, at first intended to erect their works for New Zealaad at Danedin, but when they came to consider the much moire advautageous position of Auckland in connection witii the Fiji trade, together with the the low rate of iesuranee, and other points in our favor, Auckland was pitched on. It is expected that the works which are to cost £100.000 will be completed in about 12 months. The machinery and plant, everything 400^on8, is being manufactured now at Greennock, Scotland. About 150 men are employed in levelling the site at Duok Creek, and amongst the burly pick and shovel men I noticed not a tew old Thames miners. The works when completed will turn out 200 tons of sugar per week—which amount is just the present weekly consumption of sugar in the colony. The proprietors, however, anticipate that the demand will increase to such an extent that in the course of a year or so they will be able to double the producing capacity of the establishment. This Colonial Sugar Company is now the largest sugar company in the world. Some Scotch and Cuban firms exceed it in the extent of their refining operations, but taking all their branches of the sugar industry including planting, &c. the Sydney company is most extensive. It owns land and mills valued at £1,500,000, and one of its plantations, on the Richmond river in New South Wales, borders the river bank for a distance of 70 miles. It is impossible to now form a correct estimate of the benefit that will acme to this district from the operations of the company. Up, ■• wards of £300,000 wqrth of sugar will be' manufactured here annually, and of that amount fully one half—£lso,ooo—must bn spent in our own midst on wages, coal, and other material. The works when in* operation will employ 100 men and verylittle skilled labour is required- The wages paid will be from 7s 6d to 8s per diem.

So far as I can ascertain the new Volunteer regulations are found to work admirably here. The great fault of the old regulations was their laxity. All the

companies were largo on paper, but by far the greater majority of the men did not attend more than once or twice a year. The musters now are excellent, and remind me of the musters of the dear old battalion and the Naval Brigade at the Thames. At one parade recently of the No. 3 Company—a notorious '• skeleton." before— there were four men absent, and they '

were promptly fined 5s each. Your correspondent knows this to be a fact as he was one of the unfortunates handicapped in the race for wealth to that amount. In. their new captain, Mr Alfred Isaacs, the No. 3 have an excellent officer. ri He is wealthy, a thorough good fellow and quite, to be Biblical, "an Israelite in whom there is no guile."

Though I am a member of the V auld kirk" established by John Knox, I must candidly admit that during the past few months I have had occasion to blush for not a few of/ my coreligionists in this colony. First, a Dunedin parson w. rites to an Otago" newspaper editor, telling him not to send any more reporters to his church, as he only preached •• to those who would be saved.'.' Then a New Plymouth clergyman " cuts up rough," and defiss-Jhis superiors,- and when deprived of his charge locks up the church and keeps-the key. The next malefactor is a long robed saint at Christchurch, whose screw of £700 per annum has do doubt something to do with the difficulty his reverence found in mortifying the lusts of the flesh. This wolf in lamb's clothing, with a penchant for other men's wives carried on his nefarious little practices until bowled out, and his scandalous amours have led to him being clad with the garment yclept the sack. And now there is a"■ muss "at our very doors. The Bey. McLeod of the North Shore is a curer of bodies as well as of souls, and it appears that while making pastoral visits he pursued the profession of sawbones, and charged for these visits. Mr McLeod is charged by his parishioners with looking too closely after the bawbees, and a disgraceful scene took place in the Church last Sunday. McLeod attempted to addross the meet* ing, and was accused of being " a hypocrit"and "a liaV" I really trust that Presbyterhnism is not going mad.. ;

A block of buildings now being erected in Custom bouse street for Mr= George Holdship will be one of the largest in the city. It has a frontage of over 100 feet to -.Customhouse street, and will be four storeys high. Ec this subject, I may mention that the old Metropolitan Hotel is in coarse of demolition, and will be replaced with a fine substantial building. The Thames Hotel is <o be considerably improved by the demolition of the exterior wails and the erection of an additional storey. List, but not least, the block on the eastern side of Queen street, between Shortland street and Fort street; is to be pulled down and replaced with a block of uniform design. .