AUCKLAND NOTES. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Auckland, Monday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2040, 4 August 1885, Page 2

AUCKLAND NOTES. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] A uckland, Monday.

ArcM, vm>! it-; weiv much pleased on the iceeipt of the intelligence that the San Kianciseo nml cnntiaet had bren secured for another tci in of tin cc years, and that IV the vote of a Luge majority in the Jlou'-e of Representatives. A determined effort had b j en made by the press of Cinteibury and Wtbtl.uid to induce the repicsentitivcb of constituencies in those piovinees to vote against the piopo<=al, but w<» must «ive the ina|oiity of those peisons credit for having withstood the stiong temptations offered to them, and Voted as tluir better judgment dictated Tlmt the Colonial Treasurer has been mainly instiument.il in biinging about tins lcsult is beyond question ; and when it is eonsidcied that his conduct must h.ue been adverse to the wishes of the residents in the distiict he represents. In- study is entitled to some small poition of gratitude fioin the dwellcis in this fair city H.id he been as meagie minded as many of his companions in our House of Legislature, he wonld most certainly not have fought for the benefit which is now our poition against the wishes of his suppoiters. He has done us a favonr, the good of which we will feel for years to come, and this in spite of the ungenerous treatment often accorded to him by the pros* and representatives of this city Violent language is being indulged in by the Lyttelton Times at the turn matters have taken, which is being fieely commented upon, but which after all is but a repetition of what has often been done by our loc.il press when advocating the \rants of Auckland against those of the South Island provinces. It is a pity that the jealousies winch evidently exist between the North and South Islands cannot be for once and all shaken off, and an effoifc mule to labour foi the good of tho whole colony. But I suppose as long as Cook> .Straits exist, s-o long will "the people of one island be afiaid that the inhabitants of the other will procure some e\tra benefit fiom the revenue of the colony Our City Council have held two more meetings dining the past week, but are ippaiently no nearer the discovery of a remedy for the financial crisis or muddle Wian they were when I last wrote. I :iave read and listtned to the meetings )f many public bodies, but for wringing, spiteful talk, personal recrinnations, md unbusinesslike conduct, commend me :o those of our city father?. Were the neetings made up of members of tho >ppositc sex, disclosing some of the loings of their neighbours, matters might

be more easily understood. Our town clerk seems to be having rather a lively time of it, and appeals to be the butt for the ill temper of each councillor. It is well for them to have someone upon whom they can tlnow the blame, of mit* management. He must be a very lowminded man, indeed, if he is guilty of but one-half of the mean actions he it now accused of. Councillor Goldie is to the fore with complaints which no man lia\ ing the instincts of a Christian or a> gentleman would have alluded to, while other couneillois goner illy seem to be .111 ins; giievances ngaimt the official! lather than att'tnpting to set their busine^ in piopcronkr. The meetings of the uneinp'oyed still continue, but as yet they ha\e not succeeded in nri> ii"jis public attention to the sun- txtuit as they did in Ohristc'linc'i .nid Din>dm; probably because tun s.uenot quite so bad in Auckland a-> tiny are in the southein cities. We lime imny nne nploycd here, but it must ha lionie in nmid that we are now in the woist s.-isou of the year, and tint most likely with the approach of fine vveither, work will become more plentiful, and the nu.nber of unemployed pionoi tionately less. A good deal of S3 nip ithy is expicssed for the great propoition of those men now out of woik Thcie aie a quantity of pet sous who howe\er plentiful work may be hive e\cr " got no work to do. ' When looking for it, or pietendniL' to do so, they .ire inwardiy hoping tint they will not find it, because if they did they would then have no guidance to proclaim The Auckland Liberal Association ha\ c now taken the matter up, and will hold a public meetj ing in the Tempeiance Hall to night, to consider what steps it w ill be necessary to take, so as the more urgently to push upon the consideration of the Government the necessity of finding some emj ployment for deserving and industrious men with wives and fimihes, who are now out of work and have not the oppoitunity of earning money to secure the necessities of life for those dependant upon them. I: is to be hoped that they may b' Miccessful in doing something to ami hoi ate the present condition of the greatci poition of our working population. While on so miny occi3ions we are being told that at no pcuod of our world'i histoiy has I 'hi isti.imty been so potent as it is at present, I think we might with equal justice assert that at no time hare tne upostles of infidelity been so earnest in their work or have attracted so much i attention as now. Fieetnought is indeed making gi eat advances in this city. t One of the cleverest men of the age U here, in the peison of Get aid Massey, explaining its piincipltsto ciowded houses. I confesbl know little of them, but what little I do ki.ow woulil lead me to believe that a Fieethtnkei's cieed meant anything. A remaik made by Mr Denncs at one of their nvetings last Sunday evening, that he wished the Ouera house was their propel ty so that they might wind up the evening with a dance, is certainly a little too stiong to commend itself to the approval of the majority of the people. We have not yet so far forgotten the blessings of a day of rest as to permit .any innovation upon our right to this boon without raising our feeble voice* as a protest against it As yet wepieferto .stick to the faith of our fatheis, and those billowed a-sociations .vho:je meinoiy u still so fiesh and gicen, lb«* Kn^li>h hedgerow *, Scottish lulls cf heather, Old Krin's emrrald >=oi) : DP S ibbrtth bi IK the worshipped together Chanting tin ir h)inns to God The playgoi'ip portion of o:ir community have at pies-nt no cause to complain of lack of amusement. The plays which Messis MacMihon and Jjeitch, who now occupy the Opera House, have placed upon the stage are of rate merit, theie is not one ot them that is not worth seeing twice. They have all been placed upon the boards iv the most elaboiate style, which has been the distinguishing feature of all Mesirs MacMahon and Leitchs productions. The acting is first-cliss, and good houses are the lesult. Mi John Radcliff, the famous flautist, and his accomplished v\ ife, Madame Rita, have been diawing immensely at the Theatre Royal Theydceive it all, for Mr RidclifF is certainly the most gifted and accomplished exponent of the flute at the picsi-nt day, and one of ths best living aathoi'tics on tint 01 any other leed instrument, all of winch he seems to play with tin- eqml facility. His performances are ceitainly astonishing, and when is added to tins the vocal performances of Madame Rita, which are charming, w e need not wonder that they nightly appear befoie largo and enthusiastic aiid'eiiies Any person w ith the smallest soul of music in him should not miss the oppoitunity if Iv has it of paying the Theatre Ro^al a visit during the Rddcliff season. Mr James Tannock Mackelvie, Auckland's greatest beuefactoi has joined the great majority. After a season of lingering doubt a? to w lietlu r it was true or not that he was dead, the news has at last b'-en authni itatively cotifiimed through the medium of a fuend of the deceaied gentleman now icsiding in Taranaki. Sti inge to say, that dining the period spoken of, none of our shining lights t!io>'t;ht it woith while to cable home, for couhi iiiation 01 othei ni,o of the sad tumour. However all tins doubt is now at an end, and Auckhnd lives to mourn Ins loss. We owe to his grateful reniembiance nearly all of the beautiful woiks of ait which now adorn our Mu&cum Ait Gallciy. Verily his gifts to Auckland have been manifold, and even in his death he has not forgotten Ik'i lor he has left the pnncely sum of £40,000 for the election of an Auckland Art Gallery and Free Library. While speaking of his gift one cannot but admire the business like sagacity manifested by him in placing his trust in till hands of trustees so carefully selected. Under existing circumstances it is well that the charge was not committed to the tender meicies of our city council, at any late as at present constituted.