AUCKLAND NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2047, 20 August 1885, Page 3

AUCKLAND NOTES.

I'miu \ph a stranger in peiiodically \ i*iting Auckland would ni)tice from time to time the springing up of good building, massive Htructuies of wlucli .mv city might bo [imuil. In IJjueen >treot tins is especially the awe. l£ the loofs weieof amoie uniform height it would, hovvev ci , bo a more pleading Might (u tho eye. This it is that foi ins the beiuty of the building!) m the chief streets of I'diH ; their symmetry and uniformity aiv beyond compare. ()i\ Fiiday, lltliin.st., the flag went up on the New Zealand Insurance Arcade, th.it giand building between Fort and Slmrtland-stieet«, •uid we may soon expect to '.oa tho mof go up. The workmen Connected with the structurn duly irrigated their tlno.its in honour of the event. The building m of a iiia^ive character, but nan, I th|ijc,lii|<>nicwlut iicavy-Inuktng appearance, ponderous moie than graceful. There will doubtless soon bo a great quautity of offices to jet. It sti ik«s me, however, th.it thin tiling is being rather overdone, and Ye shall Jmye more niches than saints. A fclfloin;f nf a different class is tho new Aucklaud.xtatioD. .Here economy .seems to havobelif the l<Mi<Jiriff idea kept in mpw I h.ive*not yet examined the internal arrangements, but fivm the outside its appearance is anything but imposing. I know of but one adjective which would adequately describe it and that ii, "squat." In its din.inutiveness amidst it) laiger biethrcn which are creeping up arnind, it seems t> piijsent.in mr of |>eipet\i il tpilogy foi intiuding «>n their prrsenee. I hid hoptdto wee an edificoof moro imposing ehaiacter in ttn place. However it will bj .1 grand impio\eni( nton the inneiable shanty which no\v doe« duty foi a station, and which has long been a disgi ace to Auckland, and we mint be thankful for small ineicies, especially in view of the impoverished state of the (ruveiument exchequer, and its h'guie-he-ul Sir JulniH Vogel, whose stir feems at last to be on tho wane. Tho late verdicti ngahut the Traviway Company do not *eoni to have given very gre.it uatisfaction, except, indeed, to the lucky recipients of thoseexceedingly modest d im.ige". As against a private individiiiil, sulli return* would not be tolerated, and it is stiange thnt a body corporate should be otheiwist) legarded. Ah a rule, out-udo acculentn aie in !)!) canes out of 100, attubut.ible to tlm caralesmiesi* or neglect of thi»^e injuied. None but \cry wealthy coiiiji.un-'H could stand such hard knocks as the Auckland Tramway Company has had. It is devoutly to be hoped that we not up some fine moining and find the bur->t up, and that their vastly ■ convenient trams have ceased to run. .Such p a stnte of things would be a public misfortutio for the Auckland people, as eveiy week demonstrate" tho increasing favour w ith which the efforts for the convenience of the tiavelling public are received. VV q have heard much of Ute respecting the New Zealand Fisheries. At a meeting at St Matthew's Debating Club some curious nifoi in. ition was elicited on the subject. It was ntated that upwards of hlty kinds of fish were to bo found ntar our shoies, that tho quantity of each was legion, and in view of those encumstances it was gieatly to be deplored that the market should con tun such an infenoi supply, and that th.it the pnoe should be so exorbitant. The idea of starting a company was mooted. Mr l'ond, one of the speaker", however, said ho had tried the experiment and found it veiy disheartening. The feeling of the meeting was neveitheleux gieatly in favour of developing this industry. The high price of labour seems to militate much against it, ih verthelesH I undei stand that a party of gentlemen intend chartmng the steamer J)evenpoit with a view of making a trial of the expi liinont. It 11 to be hoped they will meet w ith Huccf-ti Should such be the case a great boon will be confened on the people, and the finny tribe will contribute largely in future to our daily gastronomic gratifications. The hospital seems to be a never dying topic for bickeiing and uiiiccmly wrangling- Dr. McMullen, in making a repoit foe, lnch was lather strongly woided) on the »tate of the moituary, taid "it was ghastly and diigusting to the last degiee." He also inferred that it was in a veiy filthy condition. jN'o doubt things are not what they should be 111 that quaiter, or eKo we should not have these peuodical complaint^, ytill if they bear fruit 111 increased attention r toth"' locHilinohSandcoinfoit for the patients tin y will not have boon melees. Wo must not loso sight of the fact th.it one r.t n-y is good until another is told.

A Lvmm.ai>y,— Mother Earth. Tilt Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says :— The falling off in tli e railway revenue ia growing more and more alarming. The net profit for the June quarter were nearly £20,000 Its* tlmn in 1884 (£98,538, instead of £118,297), or at the rate of nearly £90,000 per annum decrease.