MARRIAGES.

GRKEX-HAINES.-On the 30th November, atthe bridegroom's partnts. by the K-v.hhirer,(Seoige, second Bon of M. Urccn, to Mclro!.cMaude, third daughter of A. G. Haines. both

fRAIG-KR^FT.-On tho »thn^" mb" W°«.at the Church of.Christ, Dixon-strcet, Wellmpton, by the Rev. T.f Jolm. Andrew,..nlv son of Mr. J. Craig, of Creswick, Karon,to 'S»lome Dmnia, youngest daughter of thelate Leonaid Kraft, «' Wellington.

MOORE-FERRIER.-Oo »>« *»*■ January, 1855,at Pxrldinßton Church, London, by the Rev.Buckley Wall, Frederick Alfred Moore, toCatherine, seventh daughter of the late .J,,mCaF«rrier, M.8.,London- Goldenwedding.

DEATHS.

M'MASTER.-On the30th December, 1904,at hisresidence Masterton, James JIMaster, artist,beloved husband of Casßle M Master, aged 4<i

WALLAOE.-On 3l»t D*ceP,b"- # thenresidence

of her sister, Mnr. PayPay'd1T- Orr, 26, Bullor-

street, James, detrly beloved sixth son ofMatthew Wallace, Hunua, Auckland, aged 22years. Private interment.

GRACE.-On 31st December, at Te Ngarara,Gladstone, Nathaniel Giace, aged 65.

INMEMORIAM.

EBDMOSD.—In loving and affectionate memory'of 'William Redmond, who departed this lifeon New Tear's. Ere, 1903. "Tho gift of Godib etcrntl We." > ■

Injertedby hn lovmg wife and family.

PEBCINI.-In loviag remembranco of ThomaoPcscJll, who deputed this lifo on the 31stDecember,190?-

We shut him cuffrr day by day.It camed us bifcter fjrief

Xo Ma him slowlypinrs awaj,Anil could not gu-o relief.'Inserted by Ills lo> Ing wife and family.

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND^ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 81. 1904.

16 Pages

ONE PENNY.VOL. LXVUI. No. 157.

The Evening Post.

DIUEP MILK !jpOXTAIXS no added sugar or any pre-

, servative. It is the PURE MDLXONLT, with the whole of the cream, andfre« from all germs or bacteria.

PRICE -jS PER TIN!

DIIIED MILK !

CITIZENS'LIFE ASSURANCE LTD.," CUSTOMHOUSa..QUAY.THE PREMIER ORDINARY-INDUS-

TRIAL LIFE OFFICE OF GREAT-ER BRITAIN.

|ALL Ordinary With-Profit Policies ef-XjL focted with tho Company before the31st December noxt will be entitled to aPull Share of this Year's Profits. ThoBonus allotted to New Policies for thoyear 1905 was £i 10s per £100 underWhole of Life Assurances, and £1 5s per£100 under Endowment .Assurances. Thereis every reason to believo these handsomeBonuses will bo repeated.

J FRANKISLANE,1 Resident Secretary.

GRATITUDE.

29th December, 1904-.ToMR. J. J..ROBERTS," ProvidentLife Assurance Company,

Wellington.nr|EAR SIR,—I have to sincerely thank3L' yon for the very prompt settlementof olaim under Po^ey No. 100,452 on tholife of my late daughter Catherine, whichyoupaidme immediately on application.

Iam,Yours truly,

JANE M'PHEE,13, Holland-street.

Under /Sot 931T3& Lord Gordon

Distinguished^^^^W tUe j"ad Qf% Patrohago. Glasgow.Fl JEWELLERY Sale at Judd's, Man-LnL ners-street—a Sale that forces thestatement that seems paradoxical—SolidGolH Jewollery at less than the cost ofthe bullion. It's a manufacturing jewel-ler's surplus stock, and tho losb is hiu—not ours^MILLINERY FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

J^ISS C. J. DUNCAN,(L.ate Kirk<Saldie and Stains).

All the Latest Styles ofMILLINERY,HATS, TOQUES, RIVER

HATS,FLOWERS, LACE, &c.Millinery Remodolled at Shortest-Notice.

Ladies' Own Material Made Up.CHARGES MODERATE.

Noto the Address—28, INGELTRE - STREET,. Wellington.

BY ORDER OF IHE PUBLIOTRUSTEE.

THE ENTIRE STOCK01?

J. H. ROBINSON & SON,/CLEARING PRICES!

'

CLEARING PRICES!

Jphoto Pendants, Charms, Trinkets,Lockets, Chains, Neck Chains,/ Goldand Silver Alberts, Gold and SilverWatches, Bangles, etc., etc.

Gold-mountedRibbon Alberts, 21s. each .SILVER AND CUT GLASS:

ficenis, Salts, Pomade, Puff, Pin, andTrinket Boxes, from Is 6d each ,SILVER-MOUNTED PURSES:

A large and well-assorted selectionBRUSHES ANDHAND MIRRORS:

Hat and Cloihes Brui&es -These goods aro new, andBOUGHT FOR

CASH from the BES.T MAKERS bythe Jate Mr. Robinson, and are marked

CLEARING.PRICES!Goods bought will be engraved to your

order free of cost. '

YOUR INSPECTION INVITED.

J. H. lIOBfNSON & SON,21, WILLIS-STREET.

WHAT'S. THISf -OURXMASOFFER.

-J fk PER CENT. Discount foi■*■" Cash on Purchaeos olDSBKS, BOOKCASES, CHAIRS,MUSIC CABINETS, and OTHEBUSEFUL ARTICLESSUITABLEFOR XMAS PRESENTS.

YEREX, BARKER"!; FINLAY, LTD.:Opposite Town Hall,,

Cuba-slreet.

f|TO LET, in Martin-street, off Taranaki."X street, Top Floor of Brick Factory50ft by 30ft; good light; rent cheap. Apply Fullford and Smith, Herbert-BtrcctCity.

WE SHALLRING OUT

TJTE OLD YEARWITH

A GREAT PEAL OFLADIES' SHOE BARGAINS,

A ND all ladies who desire to end the-tV old year profitably will come to usfor a Pair of' Shoes to wear on NEWYEAR'S DAY. We guaranteo

YOUR MONEYS WORTHINEVERY PAIR,

AND COMPLETE SATISFACTION.Women's Tan Oxfords, fine grade

quality, to be cleared at ... 5s lidWomen's Glace Kid One-barShoes, patent cap, Emart . 8s 6dWomen's Special Value Tan But-

ton Shoe3, reduced to ... 8s 6dWomen's One-bar Pump SoloShoes, patent caps, the latest 9s lidWomen's Popular and DaintyCross-bar Shoes, pumps ... 10s 6d

11. HANNAH & CO., Ltd.28, CUBA-STREET,

And79, LAMBTON-QUAY.

TO LET or For Sale, new 9-roomedResidence at the Lower Hutfc, Eitu-at'ed near the Bellevue Gardens. The pro.

perty is one of the finest and best buiitin the Hutt. Splendid lawn tennis groundspeoially laid out in front of the residence.Stable, loose box,etc.;large and spaciousgrounds. Tho house is all built on theone floor; rooms large and lofty and fin-ished in splendid style— in fact, the placehas been built rogavdlesa of expense.French tile roof, hot and cold water, gas,enamel bath, etc.

DWAN BROS.,Willis-street.

SAMPLE ROOMS TO LET.TMMEDIATE possession. Room 34 x 18,A on second floor, and ono on thirdfloor, 36 x 30, both well lighted, with useof goodsh'ft: fireproof building.

THOMAS BALLINGER & CO. (Ltd.),32, Victoria-street.

nfTo LJfl T. T~5 LE T.8rooms, Tory-bt(off; 6roorus, Thompson-st4 do Tory-st (oft) G do Jfoxburgh-st4 do Klizabeth-st 6 do Brook-ut4 do 6 do Upton-ter4 do Deo-st ■ 7 do Mul<{rave-st5 do Salamanoa-rd 7 do Austin-fet5 do Wright-et 7 ,da Kclburno

Apply HARCOURT & Cu.,48, l.ambton-quay.

TJOUOE'S T~C) LET.

6 rooms, Tin'akori-road9 rooms, Crosby-terrace '9 rooms, Hill-street

13 rooms, Kent-terraceJ. FANNINGAND CO.,

Manners-street.

HOUSES, ETC., TO BE LET.-

Hobson-crescent— 7 rooms ,Ellioo-street— '^' rooms 'Boiton-street

—8 rooms

Hutt— 9 rooms stable, e(c. tWadestown— 6 rooms and 1 acre landTinakori-road— Shop and 5 roomsGhuznoe-slreot— Shop and. 5 roomsOffices and Furnished Rooms'Stoke3Valley— Farm of 130 acres, cottago" of four rooms

B. SMITH AND CO.,40, Lambton-quay.

HpO LET OR FOR SALE.

FINE FAMILY"RESIDENCE of 10'

rooms, overy convenience, large balcony,nice lawn. For partic 'lars, apply to

D. W. VIRTUE AND CO.,5, Victoria-street;or

MACDONALD, WILSON AND CO.,Lambton-quay^

m o'

'l c "t.

Offices and Strong Room;best positionin the city. Apply

FLETCHER. 4, Willis-street., TE PUHI.

TO LET, Te Puhi,'Clifton-terrace, suit"business man desiring'residence close

to city j.rent £85. Apply to A. T. Bate,24, Lambton-c %ay.

TO LET, nice six-roomed House, allconvenience. Apply No. 5, John-sl.,

Npwtown.fipO I«ET, 11-roomed House, Macdonald-A crescent ;good boardinghouso. Applyto J. J. K. Powell, 56, Taranaki-street.jnpCX LET, Shop and two rooms, in Cuba-A street. Apply C. G. Sherwood,James-street (the zigzag), Kilbirnie.

TOLET, a 4-roomed Furnished Cottagoat Worser Bay, for long or short

terms. For particulars appiy R. A.Hearu,Worser Bay, or 53, Kpnt-terrace.

TO LET, small Farm, 25 Acres, adjoin-ing Northland, together with'comfort-

able five-roomed1House and.scullery, shedsand other outbuildings. The farm is sub-divided into th"-co paddocks, well,suitedfor large ponltry farm, and also capableof carrying 'six head of cattle and a horse;wall watered stream runningright throughthe property. For terms and iurthor par-itclilars, apply to J. CONLIN, No. 10, St.Mory-Hreet, Thorndon.

TO LET, Furnished Bedroom and Sit-tingroom to a gentleman, with break-

fast;nice central locality. Apply L'ven-■ing Post.

TO LET, five-roomed House, 'furnished,in Hawkfer-street district, early pos-

session. Full particulars given at BakerBros._

t

TO LET, nine-roomed House in Wal-lace-street. Rent and full particulars

apply Baker Bros.

TO LET, 5-roomed House. Apply H.Bullock, 70; Hopper-street.

TO LET, modern 7-roomed Residence," noar.Austin-street, with li. and c.water, electrio light, gas, and all modernconveniences, in first-class order. Apply

" to J.H. Bethune and Co.

TD LET, a largo Brick Room;suitablefor storeroom or workroom; rent 5s

psr week. Apply_6a, Ingestre-street^

TO LET7~in Haitaitai, North Kilbirnie,now5-roomed Cotlage;overy conveni-

ence;rent 14s per week. Apply J. J.1 Boyfl, Kilbirnie.

f|pO LET, Hall-street, 60ven rooms;A every conve'nionce;gpod view;nearIvam; 255. Thomson and Brown, Hnnlcr-street. "

TO LET, five Rooms with all conveni-ences, rct.tal 15s. Apply D. L.O'Donnell, Crawford-road, Kilbirnie.

TtO LET or For Sale, in Richmond-street, one of tho best 6-roomed

f Housos in Petono;till conveniences. Ap-ply Evening; Post office, or Post Agency,, Petono.

TOLETTor for Sale, at Seatoun, anew,well-built 3-roomcd verandah House,

electrio light t.wi all conveniences,.oppositewharf. Apply 23, BrOughain-strPot.'fTIO LET, now Houses at Miramar North,A open for inspection duringholidays;ronls from 8s 6cl to 15s;more alwaysbuilding. Wm. O. Stephens, 27, Lambton-'quay, or at Miramar Nodh.

TO LET,or For Sale,Drapery Business,Urcnui, doing good cash trade;good

opening ior c-iessinaker;small capital la-cniired. Apply J.H. Burke, Ureaui.

THK PROPRIETORS OFrsmiD bOUTH BUITIsH PACKING4. COMPANYAregratoful for the appreciation hhownby

Consumers of theirlIECOB/D TEA,

thedaily increasing sales of wliioh prove thatthore isa growing demand fora

PUKID TEAOFTHK HIGHKST GIiADE.homo Teas h-ivo stren?th without flavour,

others have flavour without strength ;butRECORD TI'JA combines, both those quali-tiesina verymarked degree.

ThoProprietors do noc spend huge sumsinadvertising, and ate conbequently able tosupply a Tea that is BhTTEU THANTHEBEST.RECORD TEA ADVERTISESITSELF.

LOST, in or about Revans-street, by. .hospital nurso, Gold Nugget and ClawBro.och;valued .very highly as keepsake.Reward above intrinsic value. R. C. Bufk-ley, '91, Willia-areet. ,LOST, a Dagger Brooch, .set with two

,pearls, between TeTace and Craw-ford-street. Reward at 18, Hanson-street.T OST, aBlack Retriever Dog with col-JL-4 , lar, .answers to name of Darkie;anyone, detaining same will be prosecuted;if ajlowecj.loosq will ,Return Home. A.Duff, 2, Brown-street.LOST, between Cuba arid Ghuzncestreet, a Cat's Eye Brooch. Findec re-warded on returning to 12, Garrett-streot,off Cube-street.LOST, near GovernmentPrinting Office,

or in combination car, a StylographioPen (Eagle). Finder kindly leave samowith Miss Cooper, D.I.C.

OST7~Greehstono Shark~Tooth, gold-mouated. 'Reward on returning to46, -Mem-street.

LOST, a ion of Dandruff "By using half■ abottle of Parker's Hair Tonic. 2s 6d

abottle, by post 3s. Wa'. Parker, Chom-ist,■Manners-street. * ' 1LOST, last year, aBargain by not buy-

ing Xmas Poultry "at Kuch and Co. s,Cuba-street and Courtenay-place. Hamand1Bacoa 'Curers.

LOST— Will'the young lady who lost apacket of Caiiler's Milk Chocolates

sendaddress, and she will receive the cou-pons. The ohocks were lovely. , 1

FOUND,'every year, tho Best Hams atthe old establishment, Kuch and Co.,

Cuba-street and Courtenay-place. AlsoXmas Poultry.TOMDOND, reliable Watches on easy terms,A from 5s deposit, three years' guaran-teo;other Jewollery equally easy terms.,Rosenberg and Co., The Arcade, Manncrs-street.

"^TOUNG Lady wishes to learn bar;lL town or country;good hotel. Ad-i

dross Bar, Evening Post.UPERtORT^oard and Residence at 8

and 10, Hawkestone-street. Tele-ph.ono_los2; 'i

YOUNG person seeks Ro-engagement,compaiiion-nurse; good needle

woman;musical, country preferred. Ad-dross A.Z., Evening Post. ,GEORGE DENTON'S, 33, Willie-street,

for Cricket Material, from Bussey,Duke, WisSen, Dark, Slazenger— best Eng-lish makers; Duke's Balk a specialty.Telephone 135.TJieTURE~POSTCARDS-Sond Is forA i our exchange list of foreign collec-tors. Specialty Book Agoucy, Christ-church.

GENTLEMAN in business wants aFur-uished or Unfurnished Bedroom,

floso to the Albert Hotel. Apply Pc1--

ftianont, &.cning Posr.. ;'''■

"OMPLOYEES desirous o'J a change toAU any 'other t<iwn In. Or

_<tv,t 61 thucolony should commuriica&VVitji us. TheUnemployed should do likewise., We havea worldwide conneotion, the advantage* ofwhich are yo\rrs. Thorough's EmploymentAgency, 42,1 Lambton-quay. Branches allover the world.fjOGERS'S Criterion' Cafo, Manners-M-k) street. Open on Sunday (NewYear's Day) at 1 p.m. Is Luncheon-joints, poultry, sweets. Afternoon tea, 6d.Iced drinks, 3d. Rogers's Criterion Cafe,Manners-street.

A LADY wants plain Sewing to do ather 'Own homo; children's clothing,

etc. .AddressMeg, Evening Post.LADY, with two daughters and son, de-

1 sires Furnished Rooms with or with-out board, within easy walk of city. Slatetorms to Central, Evening Pos^

URNISHED House to Let, Nelson,January, six rooms, he. bath, pad-

dock, fruits, all conveniences; 255. Key.Braddock, Picton.

LAND Bu}'ers at the Hutt should in-spect the Sections in the Lynch Estate

just behind the Post Ofiioe. Agent on the.ground will arrange your own terms. 1

SECTIONS in tho Lynch Estate, behindPost Office, Lower Hutt, from eighth

of an aero;freo from floods;easy terms.Call at anyagents'for plalf. 1TTOLIDAY-MAKERS should certainlyH see the superior Sections in theLynch Estate, alongside Post Office, LowerHunt. Easy terms to buyers. All agents.1

ANinvestment of 50 per cent, may bomado by purchasing Lynch Estate

Sections, alongside- Post OHice, LowerHutt. Exceptional terms. 1ifS EORGE~DENTON'S, 33," Willis-street,v"" for Croquet in sets of four and eightfrom 25s to £5 ;oxtra Boxwood Malletsand Balls. Telephone 155. " .PICTURE POSTCARDS.— SpeciaI Pac-

ket containing 12 gems of BritishScenery; post free, Is 6d. Specialty BookAgency, Christohuroh.

TWO Hundred Pound?, with investor'spersonal control, will secure in busi-

ness affording a certain return of from 15to 20 p.c. further particulars. Investiga-tion invited. D.M.C., Evening Past.

SUPERIOR Board ancTßebidence. Mrs.Lewte, No. 1, Hill-street, Thorndon.T>ED Blood.— Ring up"~Tolephone 1446JL\j for Bottle of our Satsaparilla;it'makes good red blood. Try a2s 6d bottleM. A. Mackenzie, Chemist (Exam.), oppo-sito Thorndon Station.fiEORGE DENTON'S,33, Willis-street,VT for E.P. Tableware, Table andPocketCutlery, General Ironmongery, ■ Guns,Rifles', Revolvers, and all Ammunition.Telephono_l3s. ;

A "WELL-EDUCATED young man, with— *- knowledge of bookkeeping and in-voice work, requires Position in a firmwhere pr&3pdctsare good;moderate salary.Apply 0.R., Evening Post."^TACANCIES for threo Gentlemen ort Ladies; single room; Ghuznee-st.

Address Evening Post.MAS "CARDS of all kinds from Id,

jufat the thing to send to yourfrienc]s. '.thousands to choose from. Toysand Fancy Goods. S.P.Q.R., No. 7, Ricl-ditord-street.

IF youbuffor from Rheumatism, Sciatica,Lumbago, Epileptic Fits, Gout, or

Skiu Diseases. Any case takenIguarau-teo cure or money returned.— W. 11.Crowe, 5, Boulcott-slreet.

PERSONAL^DcTnot forget the LittleChampion Tailor ior your Christmas

Suit. For fit and style he is unequalledin the city. Visitors will bo amply re-warded by inspecting his stock. 112,Cuba-street.

MRS."Ml"r7~CULLEN, CertificatedMidwife, has resumed her profes-

sional duties, and is now open to attendLying-in Patients at their homes or at herresidence, 62, Ghuznoe-slreet, second doorabove Dr. Mackenzie.(TiEORGE DENTOS^3"3rwTiri^EheeT,'JT for Fishing Tackle; large range ofRods by best makers fioin 7s 6d to 5guineas; Eyed and Gutted Flios, etc.I'elephone135.

FASHIONABLEPATEN'L'

LEATHERSFOR GENTS.

NEW STYLES, NEW DESIGNS, INNARROW AND MEDIUM TOES.

FROM OKS AT

PEARCE'S BOOT ARCADE,CUBA-STREET.

FOUNTAIN HALL,PRIVATE Hotel, Marion-street.— Su-

lierior Accommodation for visitorsandpermanent boarders, good table, termsmoderate.nnHE Last Day. Don't forget Cailler'sA Chocolates, to eat tho old year out.

Bring some home to Susie and May. 1

G" ""EORGE DENT6N'S733rwlnrs-strect,for Tennis Rackets and all Tennis

Requisites;best makers;Rackets repairedand restrung. Telephone 135.

CYCLES^''TJneeda''genuine B S., freowheel, and B.P. rim brako, guaran-

teed two years, 14- guineas. "Uneoda"Sun Cycle, freo wheel, 10 guineas. Re-pairs, accessories, cycles on hire. Inspect.New address, 55, Adelaide-road. F. W.Gough.

OGERS'S Criterion, Cafe, Mannors-street. Open on Sunday (New

Year's Day) at 1p.m. Is Luncheon—joints,poultry,sweet*. Afternoon tea, 6d.Iced drinks, 3d. Rogers's Criterion Cafe,Manners-street.

NO Christmas party complete withoutCailler's delicious Swiss Milk Choco-

late.

MADAME DENNETTE, cultured Clair-voyante Medium, can guide you onhealth, marriago, prospects. This lady's

readings recommend themselves—

earnest,uplifting, practical. 10 to 9, at 14', Cam-bridge-terrace.

AN excellent Christinas Present is abox of Cailler's delicious Milk Choco-

lates. You try some. 1EIMNGTbN~CLEANING CO.-Window and House Cleaning, Car-

pet-beating, etc., by careful men. Hunter-6treeii. Telephone 956. 1/CHRISTMAS Presents. — Dotl't forgetV^ Cailler's delicious Swiss Milk Choco-late; !_!

_SEWING Machines of every description

repaired by skilled mechanics. SmgeiSewing Machine Co., 5, Willis-street.SIGNWRITING, SIGNWRITING,

Go toR. MARTIN, 17. Manners-street. 1

QUININE and Iron Tonic, strengthen-ing, blood-making, 2s;Dr. White's

Blood Pills, for ladies, make blood, cureheadache, palpitation, indigastion, 2s. W.Salek, Sydney Chemist, 17, Willis-stfeet./COMPLEXION soft, velvety, wrinkles

eradicated by using Benzoin and Al-mond Cream, for sunburn, roughness, red-ness, naked skin fooil, 2s 6d. W. Salek,Sydney Chemist, 17, Willis-stret.

T ADIES and Gentlemen who are goingAj grey should get a bottle of Mrs.Crumpton's Hair Restorer. It will restoreyour hair to its natural colour withoutstain or dye. Never fails. Every bottleguaranteed. Price 3s, post 33 6d. At J.iP.,Covency, 103, Cuba-street."jpREMIER Ettp Presorvotrc r>;^s the.*> iU. ■;'... a»U 11'i"ci^ pff^ervedIfor Is and 2s 6d.TNDIGESTJON cured by Wahoo. OneAr bottle (price 2s 6d) will qure the worstattack. All chemists and store3. ]

CHAYNES, opnosito Parliamentary" Buildings, Molesvrorlh-stroet, hatfine display of Seal Pouches, Case Pipes(G.B.D. and Loowe), Silver

-mounted

Walking Sticks, suitable for presentations,Also, splendid assortment Ladies' HailNets and Dry Shampoo.

LADIES' Hall-marked SiiverinotmtecBrushes, 14s 6d;Combs, 2s 6d;Gents'Silver Brushes, 10s 6d. Lloyd, Jeweller,Lambton-quay.

ST. JOHN'SChuroiThas asteeple as highas the reputation of Cailler's lovolj

Milk Chocolates. Buy tome for the girls.

rFVKE purest jam is Golden Eagle Jam.A Made- only from pure fruit and besisugar Three tins One Shilling; fullweight. All grocers^ _J 1WAHOO, Wahoo, Wahoo cures Indi

gestion quickly and surely. Ontbottle for a safe cure. 2s 6d per bottleAH

'chemists and stores. , 3

IjlOE, Nett Cash.— Genuine White Lead,*25s 6d; Raw Oil,3s; Boiled Oil,3s3d

W. G. Tustin, 89, Willis-street. 3

ASHER'S, 19, Ingostre-street. foiWickerwaro and Fancy Chairs

Lounges, etc., suitable for Christmas preBe^ts; some real bargains in this lineInspection invited.W'AHOO, tho great Cure for Indiges

tion. One dose relieves, one boitucures. All chemists and stores, 2s 6d peibottle. [ L J

AYOUNG Gentleman of ample meanswishes lo.givo some packets of Cail

ler's Chocolates to a sympathetic heart.Send address to H.8., this office. ]

PHOTO Supplies for Amateurs aucfine assortment of Cameras;instruc

tions and dark room given gratisZachariah, Manners-street.

OTHER, shall Iget Norton's EgjPreservative.?- Yes;certainly; gei

no other. Tin3ls and 2s 6d./GOLDEN Eagle Jam, theTichest, bestV3T,and cheapest. Pure fruit and besisugar only. Throe tina One Shilling. Asltho grocer. J

TWO young ladies, aged1? and 19, botlblondes, would'like to havo some o;Cailler's Milk ,Chocolate?. Do buy ivsome. . \-J QApr New Year's Day: Plenty oJLlfUt). Cailler's Milk Chocolates. Anico time, a cood picnic. Caillor wisho:you all this. Ask the grocer. '.T ADIES' and' Gentlemen's superior MisiLi fit and Left-off Clothing boughthighest price given;letters attended toMrs. Botkerill, 13, Ingestre-stroet.

PROFESSOR BRYANT, Psychometricand Herbalist, has returned to Wei

linglon, and can be oonsultt-d daily fron10 till 9at 41, Adelaide-road. AILnervouand mental diseases oured. See testimonials in window. Appointments made.

Jb'URNITUKE! !

RICHARDSON BROS., 115, UppeCuba-street, cash buyers of nev

inrl fsocon'l hand Iurnicure.

FG. HIND,62, Taranaki-street.— Ne\" and Second-handFurniture of over;description. Time payments, easy termsGoods bought, sold, or exchangecL

MTISENNiE, LTD^late' Menni." and Dey, Auckland, are the mak.erof Golden Ea<jle Jam. Full weight. Thfetins a shilling. All grocers.

EXACTLY what is wanted— Fountai;Pens, Purses, Card Dressing

cases, Leather PoctE, newest Books, Frettiest Cards, Brightest Children's Volumeand Diarioß for 1905. Prices will suit.— HBrown and Son, Willis and Mannersstreet

OTORISTS !— If your car does not gas it should it can be fixed at Grov

Motor Works, 34, Ghuznee-slreet. To!1288.

WORM POWDERS. — When a ehilcomplains of headache, whpnbreat

hbad, with qenstant thirst, or when 6leeis re=tle==s, give one of these powder;That child will be a happy,healthy ehilnext day. Price Is. R. C. Brien, Choniisi108, Cuba-street.

IC.S. XMAS GIFTS.'

SUITABLE Christmas Gifts and Pricesmado specially attractive for the oc-

i casion. Until 31st December only. Com-'pleto Drawing Outfits, including caee ofinstruments, board, T square, protractor,and all sundries at 455; T.S.C. Fountain

r Pens, at 10s 6d; Builder's Poeketbook,1 bound in leather, at ss; Mechanic's

Focketbook, at ss;Business Man's Pocket-book, at ss;Mathematical Instruments, inmorocco case, at 30s; adjustable DrawingTables, in oak, at 355. I.C.S. Studentswill bo allowed 10 per cent, discount onabove prices. Goodo may bo seen at theoffices of tho1.C.5., at the I.C.S. Arcade,55a, Manners-street, Wellington.

HOUSE, COTTAGE, STABLES.TEN-ROOMED Houae and cottage, 3-

stall stable, loft, coach and coach-I man's room?, overy convenience; new

drainage; 120 feet frontage Io Bidwill-" street;very easy terms; £1950. Aubrey1 Gualter, 9, Johnston-street.

OR SALE, Tip Block Drays, withpatent tailboards; second-hand Van' with full lock; eccond-hand Carts and'

Traps. C. Tandy, Coachbuildor, *2,'Taranaki-street^YACHT Ngaira for Sale, in excellent

condition ; all lead ballast;hasJ saloon, owner's cabin, and forecafctle. For

particulars, apply P.O. Box No. 334, Wol-" lington.

'_ /pIOMFORTABLE Home offered to el-V> derly lady with daughter of about 10-yoars, as housekeeper and to give occa-

■ sional servico with baby;girlcould attend'school. Apply, stating terms, to .X.A.,'Evening Po&t.

ADAME SINCLAIR, Palmist ar.lCharacter Reader. Characters told-

from photos or writing. Athome 10 to 10.k 39, Ghuznee-slreet. Verbally Is, written 2s-6d.-fTPJHE Working Man's Tailor makes La-JL dies' Cosfume3 from 20s; own ma-

1 terials mado tip. Repairs and Cleans. 69a,' Tory-street.

HALL-MARKED Silver Photo Framesfrom Is 6d;Silver-mounted Comb3

2s 6d. Lloyd, JowQller, Lambton-quay.

SINAMEL aud~Pearl £et Ladies'J Watohos, with entjmel bows, various" colours, 30s. Lloyd, Jeweller, Lambton-

"q"ay

LUNCH on New Year's Day (Sunday)L at Rogers's Criterion Cafe, Mnnners-" street. Joint?, poultry, sweets, etc., Is.1 Afternoon Tea, 6d;Iced DrirJcß, 3d.

- JL Sold, or Exchanged;plates andpaper1 stocked;amateurs may havo use of dark-1 room, free; overy information given.

Zacharinh's, 52, Manners-street.> "^TISITORS and others, take NewtownV tram to J. Packer and Son's, Arti-[ ficial Limb-makers, 50, Riddiford-street, if

in want of our services)\ ~THJT~KELBURNE AND KARORIi TRAMWAY COMPANY (Ltd.).

innRAMS will run on SUNDAY, Ist! A January, between9 a.m. and 10 p.m.'

The Tea Kiosk will be open for publioinspection between 2p.m. and 5.30 p.m.

LEWISH. B. WILSON,' Secretary.

, THE WELLINGTON AND MARLBOR-,OUGH CEMENT,LIME AND COALi COMPANY.) cement works,

elevation,picton.

I fTTHE Directors wish to notify that theA New Cement Works in course of. Erection by this Company, situate on the> Railway Line, lj* miles from Piclon Wharf,t will be OPENFOR INSPECTION by the[ publio on NEW YEAR'S DAY.~r E. M. BOULTON,a Secretary.s Wellington, 30th December, 19C4.1 DRAWING AND~PAINTING." T ESSONS given by fully certificatedi' Ai mislross from tho South Kensington

School of Arts, London, recently arrivedj ia Wellington. Having had a large and" varied experience in tuition, is open to

engagement in schools, families, and class.Letters to ARTIST,

1 1 Evening Post.'ONSLOW BOROUGH COUNCIL!-

DOG TAX,'I9OS.

I "NJONTICE is hereby given that the On-: X^ slow Borough Council has fixed the,fee for the registration of Dogs at Five- Shillingsper dog for the year 1905. Mr.9 W. Roberts, of Hanover-street, Wades-. town, has baen appointed Collector of1 Dog Tax, to whom all fee3must be paid.

By order.S. C. G. VICKERS,

i Town Clerk.Onslow Borough Council Office,

r 215, Lambton-quay,'» 31st December, 1904.!* WELLINGTON~CITY COUNCIL.

FIRE BRIGADE.0 "VTOTICE ia hereby given that the New-r i.l town Fire Alarm Circuit is now in" working order. ta JNO. R. PALMER,. Town Clerk.

NOTICE.

1 TT GUST, Cabinetmaker 90, Riddi-i. AjL» ford-street, Newtown, begs to iu-!_ form the general public that good ArtisticFurniture, especially Sideboards, can be-

fleen in window, from £7 to 25 guineas.£ All furniture made on the premises. In-" speotion invited. Eiiiy terms can bo ar-_ rariged. Allorders btrictly attended to.

I DAY'S BAY.

I T^TANTED to Sell — One 4-roomedVt Houce, verandah three sides, waterl> laid on, 66ft frontage to main road, depth" 132ft; price £450. One 4-roomed HouEe,i £350. One.7-acre Block beautiful NativeL Bush, perfect view of harbour, doublef frontage and water right;price £400. One£ Block 1^ acres, shelter and native bush,s perfect, never-failing stream runs through1 this property; price £250. Sections from-

£35. Apply!; H. SAVAGE,' Muritai.

IJAMES VERE ARKLE, M.R.C.S.,> England, L.R.C.P., London, now re-JllJ11 siding in Wellington, hereby givo notice'" that Iintend applying on the 2nd Febru-n ary next to have my name placed on theIs Medical Register for tho Colony of Newl* Zealand;and that Ihave deposited the

evidence of myqualification in the office ofthe Registrar of Births andDeaths at Wel-

r lington.ir (Signed) J. VERE ARKLE.

Dated at Wellington, 31st Dec, 1904.jl/TK. MARTIN SWALLOW,

I PROFESSOR OF MUSIC,- 28, MOLESWORTH-STREET."Harp, 5 guineas; Singing, 4 guineas;

? Piano, 3 guineas.

mrn A GOOD CHANCEFORA MAX WITH{'. SMALL CAPITAL.

ta THU'ANTED to Sell or Lease, at a l6wts rental, for six months, with right of"o purchase,'c1- A WOOD AND COAL BUSINESS IN

THE BOROUGH OF FEDLDING.idh Freehold of property may be acquired

f Apply, sharp, to

I J. A. NABH AND J. S, MUNRO,X

'"Palmerston North.

T)RESSMAKINGAnd

TAILORING!

The Xmas rush is past. We are no*prepared to take orders to bo finished irONE WEEK from data of order.

Dresses, complete, from 50aMen's Suits, from £3 3s.

WARNOCK & ADKIN.

CONSTANT EMPLOYMENT FOBGIRLS.

All Piece Work. Easy toLearn.Wages average between 18a and 40s peiweek, a.cording to ability.

Learners paid 10s weekly for three weeks.Ago from 14 to 17 preferred.

Apply

R'BELL AND CO., LTD.,

Wax Vesta Manufacturers,Newtown.

Trams stop at gate.

MEDICAL.

MEDICAL Man recently from Londoidesires Engagement as Locum Tenens o:

Assistant."'Private practice or hospita

work. AddressEXPERIENCED,

Evening Post.

THE TYSER LINE (Ltd.).

nnHE S S. TOMOANA requires the serA vices of a Second Cook. Apply oi

board, early to-day.W. M. BANNATYNE& CO. (Ltd.),

Agents.

INVOICE CLEItK.

TUNIOR CLERK for Invoicing required

ApplyBISG, HARRIS & CO.,

Wellington.

TEMPORARY CLERK.

WANTED, for a month oi six week;smart capable Junior, typist pre

ferrcd. Apply in own handwriting toBOX 85,

G.P.0., WolUngton.

'■ TO DRESSMAKERS.EXPERIENCED Machinist, reoentl:-Eiifitiatf.^L'bn'doaiu.toquires Situation iigoodhpuse ;■used to' first-class work. Address London, caro of Evening Post.SHORTHAND, AND TYPEWRITER.

WANTED, for largo office, youngLad;junior FfioTthand and typewriter. Ad

drees, stating qualifications, to Employercare of General Post Office^"

TO" DRAPERS.WANTED to Sell, a cotnd littla Casl

Business;low reut, good standApply Macky, Steen, Caldwell, Wellington.

TO PRESSERS. ,WANTED, first-class Stock Prefers

Apply nt once, A. Levy, ColoniaMutual Insurance,Buildings, Customhousequay.

'

TO BAKERS.WANTED to' Sell. Baker's Round

doing 6 tons a, montlv with horsscart, and harness;cheap. Address A.G.EveningPost.

Immediate possession.WANTED, Purchaser Furniture (a

most new).Eoven-roomed house, gooposition, Thorndon, near ParliamentarBuildings;hourfe to let; owner leavingAddress Box 534, G.P.O

WANTED to'Sell, for cash, small wel!established1 DRAPERY and Mil

LINERY BUSINESS, in busy part c,city, doing good turnover;stock well atsorted;low rental;proprietor's reasons fosoiling, leaving tho colony; stock avaluation. For .full particulars, applMillinery, Box 541, G.P.O.

TS7ANTED to Rent, from about 1c** February, HOUSE of eight or ninRooms;one floor preferred;with vieuStato particulars, with size of section, t

0.8.R.,. ' Evening Post.

by competent man, pos:*t tion as draper or bookkeeper;goo

references. Apply Z., Evening Post.

WANTEDW'ANTED Known"l9os*Osmond~RoaRacers, only £20. Call and ii6pect. Dayton' Cycle Agency, Mannersstreet.

WANTED, good Harness-maker] A^ply W. Wiggins, Lambton-quay.ANTED, Housekeeper for station

bread-making necessary;open foone week. Apply 77, The Terrace.

WANTED,4 two experienced,'reliablGa-sfitters for installing acetylene go

in the country; permanent job for eatisfactory work. Apply on Tuesday, H. WDavis and Co., 97, Adelaide-road.

WANTED to Purchase, good Sideboarfor diningroom. State spot cas

price and particulars, Neville, EveniuPost. _______^

WANTED, Shirt-ironer, Collor-irone:Finery-hand,.and Shirl-backer;to

wages. Address O. Upton, Petone Lauidry. ;WANTED, Tenders for Building Chin

neys, Papering and Paintingj alsPlumbing Work. Separate tenders fceach to be sent in by 3rd January to 2iDonald M'Lean-street, whereBpecificatiotcan be seen.WANTED, by end of January, goo

General; one abls to cook; nwashing;fond of children.; must have r<ferences. Apply Mrs. Gow\ Mount TieAsylum.

W"ANTED to Rent, a 5 or 6 roomeHouse, with conveniences, near tranlino;no children;could -arrange to puichase if suitable. Apply 72, Hawker-st.WANTED, a good~Lad, to be! approi

tjced to tho carpentringand joinertrade. Apply Mr. H. C. Jones, at thworks, north end Island Bay Racecoursior after 6 p.m. at 31, Wallace-street.WANTED"to~SoII, a good~Horse;buii

able for spring trap or brake. A[ply Mrs. Max, Taita, Lower Hutt.WANTED, t\vo Furnished Room?, wit. .uso oi convenience^ in Clyde-quaor vicinity. Apply A.R.0., Evening Foti

FOR,NEW YEAIt GIFTS,inavariety whichwill producesomething to'please overytasto and overypocket, we canhonestly recommend avisit to

TE AB,O HOUSE.i >

The selection of pretty Novelties is im-mense,and alldepartments contribute to thevefryattractivedisplaybeing madeduring tins

NEW "XEAK WEEKAt

TE AllO HOUSE.

WANTEDW 'ANTED Known— To-morrow. Happy-New Year to All! Sale, Great Holi-

day Sale. Enormous Reductions. WhiteFancy Muslins, Is 6d, Is lid, 2s 3d, 2s lid,3s Bd, 3s lid the lull dress, wonderful.Cream Corduroy, Is, Is 3d, Is 6d;Prints,2s lid; Prints, 3s 8d;Prints, 3b lid tho

r dress;Black Dress Goods, 3s lid, 4s lid,5s lid full dress; Remnants, half-price;Kid Gloves, Is, Is 6d, Is lid, 2s bd, 2slid, 38 6d, 3s lid the pair— the cheapestandbest 'in Wellington ;■6yds Cream Hol-land for 2s 3d, 2s 6d, 2s lid;Lace Cur-tains, Sheetings, Tabio Linen, Cretonnes,Art Muslins, Towels, Forfars, Dimities,Bed Quilts, Silks, Hosiery, Gloves, Cor-sets, Underclothing, etc., specially reduc-ed; Mantel Drape, 3Ad, 4d, 5Jd, 6d;Hearthrugs, Is 6d, Is lid, 2s 6d, 2s lltl,never beal; Bed Quilts, 2s 6d, 2s lid, 3s6d, 3s lid upwards;6yds Art Muslin forIs, Is 9d, Is lid, 2s 3d, 2s 9d, 2s lid;6ydsCretonne for Is lid, 2s 3d, 2s 6d, 2s lid,3s 6d;splondid designs;'Linen Ticking," lOd, Is, Is 2d, Is 3d; Towels, lid, 2a,2£d, 3d, 3id; Laces, 6£d, 7Jd, B£d, 9£cldozen;Wide Lace, Id yard, 10£ ddozen;Thread, Id reel. Lots of goociß cheaperttill. We give stamps or bonus. Call To-morrow, and you will 6avo money atLINDBERG'S, tho Cheapest and Best

a Draper, Right Side of Cuba-street. Parcelsfree of charge. Happy New Year to All!

r \\TAXTED» Situation as tailor'smachin-"~ist. Address Willing, Evening

tl Post.

WANTED to R<snt, by newly marriedcouple, about the middle of Jauu-

ary, a, four or five roomed Cottage closeto theWellington Hospital;a good steadytenant. Apply, stating rental, to Tenant,E\ening Post.WANTED, good General Servant, for

middle of January. Apply Mrs.(Dr.) Cameron, Adelaide-road.WANTED, Woman to help in laundry;

also General Servant. Apply 90,Rmtoul-strcet.

n "^TST'ANTED, Waitress, also Man as ueo-VV ful. Apply_Trocadero:_^

WANTED Known — Working Men'sStore, Tory-street, buys Furniture,- good Clothing, Boots, etc.

W"ANTED to Sci^ two first-classPianos, two Musical-boxes, stockConfectionery. Working Men's Storo,

I. Tory-street.

WANTED to Let, a nice Room withfireplace, near station, Lower Hutt,

furnished or unfurnished; suitaule forlady engaged during day. Apply J. Nicol,Plumber, Cuba-street Extension."* \M"ANTEDrWaishing,"by tho day, Mon-

» * days, Tuesdays, and Saturdays. Ap-ply No. 9, Buckle-street.

«, \j\fANTED, foi? the country, a domes-:" » » ticated Ladios' Help. Apply to

Mr*. Lingardr 254, Tinakori-roa'd.

WANTED~«n intelligcnrYouth,.forbookseller's shop. Address Book-_P.O. Box 191.

WANTED Knowin, that Iwill deliverthe "Aeol" Zither HnTps personally,

n F. Zeltner, Sole Agent, Oriental Hotel.WANTED, active Housekeeper, co\in-

try, small household. Address A.Z.,Evening Post.

y TKTTfANTED~to Sell, in Brooklyn, wcll-1- » » furnished 7-roomed Boarding-house",r> all conveniences, at present six boarders_ at 18s per week; price £45 ;owner mustleais for Australia. Address at Evening-

h pp° st-'" ■ttTTANTEDTirCharwoman.Apply Batesf- T? and Lees, 9,.WilUs-etreet- T^TANTED, Lying-in~Patients; every» '» care;term* moderate. Address—5- Mrs. Roberts, Fairlight, 94, Rintoui-street," Newtown.

' .*'TJITANTEDi Waitresses, Housemaids,»» Kitchen-lads, town, 10s, 15s, andSI. Songeries Registry, next Opera

h House, 62, Manners-street.''"I^7"ANTED to"Sell,"superior Half-tester' »» Three-quarter Iron Cot, price 20s.- For address apply 87, Tory-street.

l WANTED, two""Gentlemen to sharei- »» room, without board. Apply Somer-'a set House, Walter-street, off Ingestre-st.?" X/VANTED, a good General Servant in."*■*. a small .family where a housemaid-

is kept. Apply to Mrs. Brown, 24, Tina-1- korl-road.J-

%XT*ANTED Known— Spend your holi->f" day at Plimmerton. Excellent lun-

5_5_ choon and afternoon to> at PlimmertonHouse.

it WLANTED, Girls, for manufacturing"» department. Apply Diamond Con-y fectionery Co., Cuba-street._ WANTED, one or"two fcSpectable* T Boarders in a private family. Ap-st Pj.y _Na. 2» Vivian'Street.io T^AKTED to Let, for term of throe orv

* » four monthp, about middle January,to careful tenant without children, a su-perior beven-roomed House, furnished;piano, electric light, gas, hot and coldwater, 'and every convenience; splendidview;locality Oriental Bay; references_exchanged. Apply, in first instance, to

j. Careful, care_of_Evening Post.>d TJtTA'NTED Known — Choice destort* t Peaches, 6d per lb, in 201b -casesincluding delivery; hothouse Tomatoes, 8d\. one) lOd per lb. Ring up Inniss and Son,s. Cumbridge-terraco (telephone 381), or order

direct Rothcrfjeld Orchard, Riwaka. '7- 'TO7'AXTED7~three Busb~Hands. Apply*" Levin, Pahiatua.; \\fANTED, two good Canvassers;work,r tt easy, positions permanent to good

men. Ulumba Tea C0.,, 32a, Manuers--street.

w TTTPANTED, Partner,,with £500 for ex-g. 't » port and goneral business, in goodr. district. Apply Export, Evening Post.

WIANTED, a Man, for farm work. Ap-ply A. H. Truebridge, Tho Oaks,

,h Taita'8 TS7ANTED, competent Teacher to take_ TV thfl position of head mistress in pri-r, vato school in Gisborno. Apply,'by letter,,p to Miss Aylmer,G.P.0., Christchurch.a- first-class Tinsmith! for_ v v Masterton j must havoknbwleago ofiv general work. Apply H. Beale, care ofso M. Webley, Pctone, or Beale and Parton,jr Masterton.

3i3i■"TTTANTED,Man, to look after pormau-W tent ¥ ent way and cables;must bo a good_

wire rope splicer. Apply, at once, Mana-id ger, Kelburno and Karori Tramway.10 TX7ANTED, about end of March, Posi-c'e' VV tion as Ladies' or Children's Maidw during: voyage to England, in return for

postage;highly recommended. Addrest!d A.R., car* of JDr. Colquhoun, 44, High-i. street, Dunedin^»'" ~%JfJ ANTED,a Governess capablo of in-_ VV structing six children ranging fromi- nine to fifteen years in general English,"y music, painting, etc.; state salary andio roferences. Address Governess, Box 58,c, Masterton.- "V^ANTED, smart Youth for miik-l- Vt round, no milking, good home.?- Apply H. Williams, Middle Waiwetu-road,

Lower Hutt.,h TJS7ANTED Known, superior Board andy t t Residence at No. 1, Hawkestone-t. street,Thorndon. ,

GIVEN AWAY.

r[OTS!~ TOYS!NEW YEAR GIFTS

FcrBOYS AND GIRLS.

Spend 5b and got a.Toy Free of Chaige.

TOYS FREEAt

PEARSON AND CO.'S,POPULAR DRAPERS,

MANNERS-STREEr.

WANTED, a good General Servant.Apply Mrs. G. A. Chapman, Hau-

niarana, Wanvrtu-road, Lower Hiil^WANTED, Board and Residence at

Day'n Bay or neighbourhood, forten days or fortnight, towards end of Janu»nry, by married couple 3ud child.of twoyears. Reply, slating termc, to L.M.C.,liveningPosUWANTED~to~SeTI, model Pony Stal-

lion, 4 years old, quiel and sound,& lady cai. drivo;if shown, should prov#second to nothing of his class in NewKea'laud. Apply J. Blair, 92, Constable-street, Newlovn.WANTED, General Sen-ant, relorencoi

required;work light,liberal wages.Apply Mrs. Harmon, next Gibbons'gNiurory, Lower Hutt.

WANTED to Purchase, Section ofLund or Hout>e, 4 to 6 rooms, city,

Newtown, or Kilbirnie. State price, etc.,to X.Z., Evening Post.

WANTED, Furnished House, formonth or two,Thorndon or Terrao*

preferred;. will take charge of privatehouae while family is away; references.Address Reliable Tenant, EveningPost.

WANTED to Buy, in Newtown, a 5Or/6 roomed House with good see-

lion of laud, close to Town Belt preferred.Address, fctating term*, etc., to Herald,Evening PosL

WANTED, by young English lady,\ Pupils for Pianoforte Tuition;be-

ginnera, one guinea per quarter; practiceif needed. Address Integrity, EveningPost.

WANTED to Buy^an eftabliFhed Boot-repairing Business for cash. Write

particulars to Boot Business, EveningPost.

W-£s~TED7 W.aVhing~oirCleanh.g, Tuog-<!.-\V to Saturday. Address Trust-

worthy,Evening Post.WANTED, by «. rnarriud couple (no

children), Board and Residence ina privato family;permahent if suitable,Address R.W.D., EveningPost.WANTED, Adults improve brckward

education;day, evening; all Eng.lish subjects, conversation, correspondence,pffectivo reading. Mrs. Clapshaw, AdultSchool, 119, Brougham-street.

WANTED, eompelnnt Tyiyete ajidShorthand-writer;permanentsitua-

tion. Address Remo, Evening Poel.WANTED to Sell, a small Mixed Busi-

ness in a good stand;a gift, £20.ApplyEvening Post.WANTED, for cash cbent, goodTFarm

of threo or four hundred acres);would purchase stock at valuation. Applysharp, C.'A. Griffiths and Co.,Auctioneers.

WANTED~Io~Lot7 Furni6hed~Bedroomand Sitting-room, privato entrance,

all conveniences. Apply 11, Barker-streot.

WANTED^ by a respectable trust-'Worthy woman, Washing or Clean-hife, by day. Address M.W., 20, College-green.

r^IANTED Knowii-^-Samuel Pfcarifon,»,» Uppei Cuba-street, past PaulinaHome, for reliable Drapery at low prices.

WANTED, lby l»dy and gentleman,two or three Unfurnished Rooms,

with use of kitchen, in privato family;good locality: 'Address Box" 540, PostOffice.

!\>E7ANTED, by Ist January/ iv Double-» V bedded ySittingroom, withuse of con-veniences,insmall private family. Address

Sisters, Evening Post."\AJ'ANTED— Every one to come toPic-. ».T nic' on Hutt Park Racecourse- onMonday. Hot water,, tea, milk, and sugarfreo

W/ANTED, all Friendly Societies'Members at Picnic, Hutt Racecourse,

on Monday.WANTED, Hult Lodges to assemble

at Lower HuttP.0., Potone Lodgest>tjyictoria-»(roet, Pclone, on Monday.;«^ANTED "to~Sell7s~Singie"Iron Bed-'

VV ■ steads, LDoublo'Wire Mattress andKapok Beds, 2 Dining Tables, 12 Vicnn*Chairsj,Couch, Cooking Utensils, et£. ;giving' up'housekeeping. 27, Wordsworth-btreel.KjLjANTED,Unemployed andEmployees* V to read a notice in to-day's issueby Thorough's Employment Agency, 42,.Lainbton-quay.

WANTEDJTlroairFurnished Cottageat Plim'merton or one of tho bays,for a fortnight in January. Stato rout,

etc., to Seaside, Evening Post. .WANTED, respecla'ble~Girl, as assist-

fint in bootshop;previous oxperi-enco not necessary;10s per week to start.Address, with particulars, stating ago, toF.L., 485, Post Ofljce^JVollington.

' -WANTED, smart Offic~Boy, wages

10s. Address Office Boy, EveninglWt.WANTED, after New Year, Situntiou

as Housekeeper to elderly coupleor widower. Addrecs M.G., caro Box 25,Wellington."TOTANTEpTPricc fo~Bu[Wing. Stairs.»~»

~Apply on job, Roxburgh-street,Tuesday.

WANTEb7~"ne7riy^furaished ,* or 5loomed "Cottage. Address GPO.Box 377. ,"ITSTANTED, 'Price for Plumbing andTV Painting and Papering. Apply ontho job, corner Mem and Daniel streets,Newtown."OT^IANTED— Good all-round carpenter* v and joiner wants a Job; town orcountry. Address C. Franklin, 4, Thorn-cton-quay.

■^>NTED to Sell, Rona Bay, charm-j «. .lnS, £ o«-roomed Villa; well-builtand finished;land 40 x 165. £465. Thom-son and Brown, Hunter-street.

YITANTED, tor Masterton, young ManT » for tinsmithing;been at trado 4or5 years; constant work for good hand.ApplyH.Beale, caro of M. Weblev, Po-tone, or Beale andParton,Plumbers, Mas-torton.

"I\7"ANTED— A widow, with comfortable»» home, would like tho Care of onoor two Children. Address Widow, 59,Daniel-street, Newtown."l^ANTEDrirgo'oTCycle Mechanic. J» » Boucher, Cycle Mar-ufacturex andRepairer, 54, Molesworth-stroot, lato ofMjissjjy-Harriß and Red Bird Co.'s.Y^A^TliD^o^ellTDmible~Buggy or» » Park Phaeton, nearly new, oheapjOrder Cart, suitable for baker, grocer, orbutcher; also Phthtm Scalos. Apply AWilliams, Te Aro Coach Factory, 6o!Courtonay-place.

'ANTED to Sell, * strong Sprin*Dray. 4, Gordon-street, Nowtown"¥»T ANTED, aLadyhelp for the BuburbsTT▼ 2in family;wages15s. Apply Mrs.M Menamcn, Island Bay.

'ANTED to Buy, Sections of Lairdat Seatoun. Address Rona, Even-ing Post.T\fANTED, an Assistant Matron fo7» ▼ Huka-rere Maori Girls' School "knowledge of cooking and .general house-work indispensable. Apply to Miss &Greenwood. 3a, WelUnKtoa-teitica.

THE CARE AND ÆRATION OFMILK.

A BULLETIN ON THE SUBJECT BYMR. KINSELLA.

IX PLAIN, DIRECT LANGUAGE.Just before leaving the service bf.the

Transvaal Government as Chief 'of theDairy Division of its Agricultural, De-- paxtmant, Mr. J. A. .■Kmsella^.-wh'o" isagain filling a similar^ 'position in.NewZealand, issued a 'bulletin tearing- thetitle, "City and Town Milk Supply andthe Care and iEration of Milk." The bul-letin, which, wasprinted in Dutch as wellas English, Bore the following prefatorynote from the Chief of the DepartmentofAgriculture (Mr. Wm. Macdonald):"Byreason of its peculiar nature and com-position, milk presents a favourable me1dium for the growth and development ofmany genns_ of disease;and as this <:om:modity fornis-tbe main diet of eKildrerLatan early agej 'besides enterfng^jn vla/gomeasure into the food of adults, no'effortshould be spared to prevent-contamfna*tion from the moment of milking,tjll'_thetime of consumptionr And in the-manage-ment of milk' 'cleanliness is essential notonly to the success'of the dairy;'fttt alsoto the well-vbeing of the whole commun-ity." ... \', "I."

Ina SEbrt introductory note to"his "bul»letin Mr. Kinsella states thatjnprepar-ing the brochure, he had kept along''prac-tical lines. "Plain, direct language ha.<sbeen adopted,,and theory kept,m thebackground." Inkeeping with this lineof presenting his subject, therefore, theexpert prepared anumber of illustrationswhich accompany the text. There ismuch in the bulletin that can be appliedjust as aptly.to- conditions prevailing inNew Zealand' centres-as-'to those of SouthAfrica, hence the .reproduction of ex-tracts in the Post. speaking,"writes Mr. 'Kinfi-ella, "the 'conditionswhich produce good wiilft for the"*Banu-facture of butter and'cheese' should .alsoproduce a good quality for city and townuse;while this is .true itmust be remem-bered that milk delivered in the, rawstate for, human consumption should re-ceive greater care. « . The quality ofmilk in connection with city and townsupplies is a matter which deserves muchcloser attention from the- city and towncouncils than -it is at present receiving.Ihave, taken,samples ffom the tablls ofsome of our bent hotels, and-themilk wasfound to contain less than two, andin oneinstance only one, per cent, of bufcter-fat.This1 matter seems worthy of attention."

The Chief of our Dairying Departmenthas something tosay about the control ofmilk for city and town supply "' "It i* awell-known fact that milk varies greatlyin quality, that is, so' far as" the amountof butter-fat or cream.xontained in themilk is concerned. Ifmust also be re-membered that such variations are notalways readily detected, and that ifc isaneasy matter foremilk to be adulterated.The consumers of milk in our cities andtowns at the presem\,tiitie are_ at the mer-cy of the milk praJuceTfrVaHd vendors,andhavetorelyentirely"on their hoiiesty."This being so, 'he is'"stfo'ngly of opinionthat the State should at the earliest pos-sible moment pass a law toregulate ondcontrol the 6ale of milk and other dairyproducts. InGrea^Britain and the Unit-ed States of Americai Ateiidards<pi qualityhavebeenfixed,' and the system has work-ed well where rigidly enforced, prevent-ing many dealers from adulterating ortampering with milk. Whilst 'of the be-lief that the State should fix a minimumstandard of butter-fat percentage, Mr.Kinsella would permit: individual dealersto guarantee to customers their standardabove that fixed "by law.'

''■*-■">.

'"The milk vendor," he says, "wouldthen be '.< Id responsible if his milk wasfound below the standard arranged withthe purchasers. By,adopting this systemit would be possible.to fi.ell milki_contain-ing various higher percentages of butter-fat upon a graduated scale of prices,which would be fair and just to all con-cerned. This latter system might befounddifficult to enforce, for thefact thatit would necessitate so many agreementsbetween the vendors and purchasers, yetIthink it wonld be fairer, too, to all forthe reason tuat the dealer with a goodher of Jerseys or Holsteins producingmilk containing 4 to 4.5 per cent, of but-ter-fat could then arrange a higher pricewithhis customers forhis first-class milk.Siich good dairymen wouldnot bs tempt-ed to dilute the milk from his well-bredherd in order tobring it downmbutter-fat near the adulteration standard, so asto placehim in a position to compete onan equal price'baiis with those vendors'whomay be producing milk from inferiorcows containing a small percentage ofbutttr-fat."

Mr. Kinsella has a strong objection tothe system (which prevails in Wellington,as in other places) of sellingimilk in thestreets. "There are millions of germsfloating in the air in the dirt of theronds, and particularly in the dustystreets of our cities and t'-.vns. Thesjstem of openly measuring milk fromcans in the dusty streets is therefore adangerous one from a public health pointof view." There are also other contami-nating influences in and about the byreand the stable. The proper system ormethod of putting up milk for deliveryin cities and towns where the milk is1in-tended for consumption, the expertpointsout, is in what is knownin Canada, theUnited States, and some parts cf GreatBritain as the lightning-top germ-proofmilk jar. These jars are made in sizesfiom half-pints to gallons of the Imperialmeasure. This does away with the ques-tion or doubt of incorrect measurementfiom the start. Sketches of the jars anddetailed particulars as to the method ofcleansing them appear in the bulletin.

The need for the pasteurisation of milkfoi' city supply is dealt with at somelength. "The pasteurisation of milk forhuman consumption in cities has beenmuch discussed lately. The public inmany places are frightened by reports offilthy cow stables and dairies, and of in-fectious diseases being transmitted bythe milk. There is no doubt in my mindbut (hat pasteurisation carried out onsound lines is a wise precaution, andwould, under the existing condition ofaffair;, in our city and town milk sup-plies, bring about vasb improvement. Iwould, however, like to point out that Ido not wish to convey the idea to dairy-me.i that pasteurisation is a panacea forall the contaminating influences whichmilk, is subject to. Pasteurisation is onlya cure for flavours absorbedby the milk,and for dirt and disen.se, the latter twoof which aie the most dangerous. Thatbeing so,Iam a strong advocate of get-ting at the, root of the trouble, by get-ting rid of the dirt and disease. Whenmilk is drawn from healthy cows, andwhen the milking is done by clean healthymilkers, and cared for as Ihave recom-mended in my treatment of the care andaeration of milk, it needs no pasteurisa-tion. Tile pasteurisation of milk, if car-lied out on sound lines, affords, withouta doubt, one of the best means that wohave at our command at the present timefor bringing about improvement;in thequality of the milk for our city and townsupplies. While Imake the abovestate-ment,Iwish to point out that my re-commendations to the .public, if theywish to secure better and cleaner milk,is, that every effort on their part shouldbe in the direction of cleaner cojV st.i-bles, cleaner milking yards, better sani-tary conditions, and strict cleanliness onthe part of all those who have anythingto do with the handling and delivery ofhlilk.

'Another matter tthich requiresat-

tention is thnt of strict veterinary in-spection of all dairy cows supplying milkto our cities and towns. In the mean-time, however, pasteurisationof milk forhuman consumption may be looked uponas a temporary remedy for overcomingthe evils which at present.exist."

Some space is devoted to details con-cerning methods of and machinery forpasteurisation. Perhaps the only perfectmethod of pasteurisation for city milk-men which will not injure the milk inflavour or digestibility, says the bulletin,is to heat the milk 155deg, Fahr. for halfan hour in the glass jars previously re-ferred to, then close the bottles, and coolthem dbwn to 50deg. before delivery.Reference is made to the care and aerat-ion of milk and the two classes of in-jurious flavours (food and contamination)thathave tobe contended with. " Whilefood flavours are to a certain extent be-yond the control of the supplier or milkvendor, contamination flavours are en-tirely within his control;bub the greattrouble is that suppliers to factories andcity and town milk vendors frequently at-tribute such flavours to the feed the cowseat in order to screen the lack of clean-liness. The principal troubles with fla-vours,^ both for city and town supplyand for the manufacture of butter andcheese t known as% contamination, arecaused.by bacterial infection. Those fla-vours,-due to the milk absorbing the fla-vours of certain strong substances towhich it may be exposed, are, as a rule,not nearly so objectionableas those causedby the action of the living germ. Infactthe predominant part of our flavours ■ rediw to the action of bacteria which gainaccess to the milk through the lack ofcleanliness in connection with the milk-ingutensils, surroundings, methods of 'le-livery, etc." Poor tinware is a fruitfulsource of infection, and rusty tinware istoo much in use. The most modern andmost easily cleaned cans only should beused. A too-frequently neglected opera-lion in connection with the care and aera-tion of milk is that of the washing andscalding or steaming of all utensils. Inno case, says the expert, should a clothbe used for drying milk or cream utensils.Exposure to the sun's rays after wash-ingor steaming is recommended, as

's-un-

light is a grand disinfectant, and there-fore a debtroyer of bacteria or ]ivnggerms."

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.NEW ZEALAND BORROWING.

THE, ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, 4th November.Last SaturdayIquoted from theFinan-

cial Times some comments regarding thereport, then just out, of Messrs. Dalgetyand Co. Inthe next i.«sue of that financialjoUrnal the following statement waspub-lished:"Gwing to an inadvertence in com-paring annual results, we were unfortun-ately led to convey an incorrect impres-sion of the real character of the report ofDalgety and Company, for the year end-ed 30th dune last. Instead of the neu-tral result? attributed to it, the report,in fact, makes an excellent showing, asmay be judged by the following figures:Gross profits, 1903, £271,880, against£305,466 for the past year, being an in-crease of £33,586; net profits, 1903,£48,824, against £64,801 for the pastyear, an increase of £15,977. Thus theadvance in net receipts amounts to over30 per cent., and indicates that the com-pany has already begun largely to benefitby {he improvingconditions in Axustralia.The dividend of 5 per cent, for the yearis at the same rateas that distributed in1902-3, but the provision for reserve andthe larger carry forward show the muchbetter position in which the company nowstands as compared with twelve monthsago."

Discussing the prospects of New Zea-land again- borrowing from the Londonmoney market, a city paper observes:"But little relish is manifested for theprospective fresh New Zealand loan.Though the colony is very prosperous,the market has little confidence in itsability to resi&t the temptation to 'spoilthe Egyptians,' whenever it may experi-ence adversity. The market cannot getover the way the debentureholdersof theNew Zealand Midland ,Railway weretreated, and the truly wonderful labourlegislation of the local Parliament makesfar-sighted people- doubt the permanenceof the present prosperity."

Among the various matters in connec-tion with the e.s. Discovery and the lateAntarctic Expedition that have becomehistoric may now be mentioned the ves-sel's piano. This instrument was takenonboard the Discovery to the Antarctic,and the. firm states that onits return itwas nearly as perfectly 'in. tune as on theday it left England. ''Strange td say,"write tho "makers," "not'a siiigle. siringbroke ;aui'lttg the.longperiod in which itlay in a temperature far below zero, nordid the frame or- action suffer in theslightest degree. Owing to the damp fromthe seft _air,, which subsequently musthave frozen hard; there was a slight clog-ging of the touch, but on the fetu'rn ofthe instrument to this country it wasplaced inahot roomand absolutely thaw-ed out in good condition."It is remarked ,in the Daily Telegraph

to-day: "The- next best thing to a visitto the Antarctic— some people with de-ficient circulation might even1give it thepreference— is a view «t second-hand ofthe greatlone regions about the SouthernPole. Such an opportunity is to be af-forded any time during the next monthat the Bruton Galleries, Bruton-street,where 'relics' of the verybest sort of theDiscovery expedition are to be on view.Captain Scott, fortunate all round, wasparticularly lucky in having with himsuch an admirable landscape and. bifdpainterasDr. Edward A. Wilson, and soexperienced a photographer as Engineer-Lieutenant Skelton. These two officersfurnish between tliein the vertebra of theexhibition. Mr. Skelton gives us littleshort of two hundred photographs, which,if not forming a complete history of theexpedition, yet> represent its doings andits surroundings in a way which fascin-ates the beholder. There is happily norisk of snow blindness in poring overthese snow pictures, and there is thecertainty of much enjoyment free fromthe discomfort of low temperature. Dr.Wilson's u'ater-colour drawings of birdsare certain]to attract thenaturalist, whilethos& of his paintings which depict sun-rise or sunset in the Ant-arctic regions,the strange effects of the smoke of MountErebus, and a host of other,,remarkablesubjects will surely rivet the attentionof the public as wonderful examples ofcolour. Dr. Wilson is clearly tie pos-sessor of a skilful and anenergeticto have producedso>much excellentThere are displayed a number of articlesof equipment used during the expediiton,but the pictorial aspect of the exhibitionis its main charm." lln the opinion ofThe Times, "Not the- least interesting ob-ject is some volumes df the S6uth PolarTimes, the journal which was printed,or, at least, type-written, and illustratedon board, while a relic of more melan-choly character'is to be seen in the shapeof some fragmentary remains of the lastsledge dog, used on Captain Scott's jour-ney." The exhibition also contains speci-mens of the equipmentused by membersof the expedition— tents, poles, sledges,canoes, snow-shoes, snow-goggles, sleep-ing-bags, etc., as well as a model of theDiscovery herself.

"The Rhodes Scholars," says "Isis,"tho Oxford University paper, "arc-notheie a moment too soon. They are likelyto prove a most healthy cure for theblase indifference which appears withever increasing frequency in Oxford. Col-loge captains of all branches speak of

the enthusiasm with which the new-comers are supporting every kind of Col-lege interest, and contrast sadly theapathy of many English freshmen."

Inreference to the New Zealand meatprosecutions at Clerkenwell, when aSmithfield firm was fined £25 and £21costs for having in its possession somemutton belonging to the ChristchurchMeat Company, alleged to be "nnfit forfood," Ilearn that the appeal has beenabandoned and the fines paid. Mr. Pot-rtnger, of the Christchurch Meat Com-pany, went to Bristol lately, and in acold store there he foundsome meat,notthen belonging to hi6company, but stillearing its tags, which was in a '"spotty"

condition. He drew the attention of theauthorities to this meat, with the resultthat it was condemned.

"None of the Australian merchanthouses has come so well out of the crisisthat has even now barely ended at theAntipodes, after lasting for so long, asDalgety and C0.," observes the Finan-cial Times, whichproceeds:— "The Com-pany's interests ramify every part ofAustralasia, and their onerous naturecanbe gauged from.the extent of the ad-vances on laid, wool, stock, etc., whichare seldom under £4,000,000. The firmhas been in existence as a joint stockventure for nearly twenty years, and itsaverage annual dividend has been closeon 7j per cent., representing a yearlypayment of £75,000. This is an excel-lent record, of which other enterprises ofthe same class may wellbe envious.""Mr. Seddon," says the Investors' Re-view, "has introduced a Bill into theNew Zealand Legislature providing for abanof £750,000, with interest not to ex-ceed. 4£ per cent. This surely is pro-gress, for— but the other week, it seemsto us— the Premier of New Zealand wasdetermined never, never to borrUw at ahigher rate than 1per cent. But he willhave difficulty in getting the money hereat U por cent., and besides it is notnearly enough. If the good and unrival-led prosperity of the colony is to bekeptgoing in full flood, and the land settle-ment schemes furthered; Myice £750,000will not be enough this year.' It is reallytoo bad of Mr. Seddon. He does notgive us time for our predictions to bofulfilled. The above paragraph went tothe printer oneday, and on the succeed-ing day a message from the Wellingtoncorrespondent of The Times informs usthat the Government to-night— that is,on Wednesday night-introduced a Billfor another £250,000 to be borrowed forthe duplication of suburban railways.This brings the total amount of debtraising provided for already in the cur-rent fiscal year up to £1,000,000. It isadded that only £92,500 of this £250,000is to be raised in any on6,year/*but wekn°w what that sort of thi«g means.What is not raised by.open subscriptioncan be raised by pawning the stock, andeven the £1,000,000 is not nearly enoughBut we hope Mr. Seddon will allow thisissue of the Investors' Review to

'ap-pear before bringing in yet another Bill,else he will make our prophesyings looklike wisdom after the event."Itis noted by Messrs. Weddel in theirlatest report that the demand for Aus-tralian butter is increasing, while the

enquiry for Now Zealand butter is ex-tending, especially as the arrival of thene-W seas6n's make 'approaches. Lastyear at this. time the first arrival of thenew season New Zealand and Australianbutter was on the market, and pricesranged from 106s to 108s per cwt. for"choicest," and 98s to 104s for "finest."At the present time stored New Zealand butter is selling at 91s to 92s withan occasional 935, Fqr forward Salesof New Zealand cheese 1buyers are will-ing to pay 45s per cwt., shipment No-vember to April.

That financial debate in the New Zea-land Parliament on the 21st Septemberhas placed in the hands of The Timescorrespondenta stick with which to beatMr. Seddon and his New Zealand finance.He quotes the debate verbatim— includingMr.Ijewis's.request to Mr. Seddon, "Oh!Tell thai to the Marines!" and Mr. Sed-don'a reply, "When Iread it Ismiled,"and his demonstration, "how untruthfulTHe Times correspondent is," which "con-sisted in calling the year "1904-5" "thisyear," which Mr. Allen declared it is,but which Mr. Seddon— amid laughter

—as positively declared "Ifc is not!" TheTimes correspondent concludes: "Need-less to say, the statementIcabled youin regard to the remark^ by the Leaderof the Opposition and by Mr. JamesAllen Were absolutely what they did say.Ihave this 'evening' seen both these gen-tlemen, and they agree that the reportas published in the columns of TheTimes is ooriect. Mr. Seddon's quibblethat "this year' does not mean the finan-cial year 1904-5 is so childish as to needno contradiction."

CHESS TOURNAMENT.SEVENTH ROUND.

[BY TELEGRAPH—

FEES9ASSOCIATION.]OAMARU, 30th December.

The seventh round of the Chess Tour-nament commenced in the evening. Allthe games were well advanced at the ad-journment.

Davies v. Gifford (Ruy Lopez).— Gifforddefended well, and the game was veryeven on the thirty-second move.

AdaJr v. B. Mason (GuioCo Piano).—Mason gave up pawn to trap a bishop,lost another pawn in the process, andhas secured a strong attack.

Edwards v. Miles (King's Bishop'sGambit).— Edwards won a piece, but leiitgoagain, and on the forty-second mbvethe forces Were even, andthe position onewhichrequiredgeneralship to convertintcvictory for either.

Pleasants v.W. E.Mason (Ruy Lopez).—An even game developed to the eight

eenth move, where Mason ■ sacrificed abishop for two pa\vns. The gameis fullof possibilities,but apparently oven.'Hamel v. Barnes (Scotch Gambit).—

Barnes captured a yawn in opening, andanother later with an open attack..J. Mason v. Cleland (Guioco Piano).—Castling on opposite sides gave Clelandanattack on Mason's queen flank, whichthe latter must defend without loss oitime.

Forsytli v* Kelling (King's Gambit de-clined).— Forsyth outplayed his opponentfor apawn, but afterwards lost a bishopfor two pawns. He has now four pawnsfor the

'bishop, but liin king's rook vfenced out of tie fray. The attack lieswith Kelling, who has every prosnect oipreventing the remaining pawns, hithertoinert,.from, becoming troublesome.

lhe' following is the result 'at the con-clusion of the sixth round:— Davies, won4s, lost li; Clelaiid, 4-^-2; Mike, 4—2;Forsyth, 4—l; Barnes, 3^—l^; Gifford,3^2|'; B.Mas6n, 4—2; W. E. Mason,3f-2; Pleasants, 3—3; Hamel, I|— 4^;4dair, 1£ — &£ ;J. Mason, 2—32 — 3;Edwards,I£— 4; Kelliug, I—s,1— 5, and one game un-finished. W. E. Mason and J. Mason,game unfinished

CRICKET.OTAGO v. WELLINGTON.

[BY TKI<EOB,APH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

DUNEDIN, 30thDecember.As the result of to-day's play Welling-; ton were all out for 98 in the first in-nings, of whichBladklock claimed 60 not' out, made by faultless cricket. Requir-ing 200 runs to save an innings defeat,Wellington followed on, and at the draw-ing of stumps had seven wickets down'for 111.

The cricket throughout the afternoon, was tame and uninteresting. Downes\ got a lot of work onthe wicket, and soon

had the batsmen in difficulties. Stephen-, son had three lives in one of Downes'si overs, but appeared for a time to havei a charmed life. Blacklock played confi-; dently, and carried out his bat for three

score run3. In their second innings the. Wellington men commenced carefully,! and runs came slowly. The first twenty-! five minutes yielded only 9 runs, and the

first three-quarters of an hour 20, while; in the next.twenty minutes 7 runs were

added. Mahony played a good innings.: Scores :—i WELLINGTON.— First Innings.1 Mahony, cDownes, b Shacklock >... 4

C. Hicksdn,b Downes > 7. Williams, run out ... i.., [.. 3Blacklock, not out .. i.., „. 60S. Hickson, b Downes.. «. . t.. 2Hutchings, b Downes .. .. 0'Stephenson, c Howdeiiib Fishdr .. 8' Waters,' b Downes » 'AQuee, c Cummings, bFisher .. 1

[ Upham, b Downes 8' Hales, c Cunimings, b Dowiies « 21 Extras .»,. ... ... ... 1[ Total 98■ fowling Analysis.

—Shacklock, 12. overs, 5 maidens, 18 runs, 1 wicket;

; Downes, 24 overs, 4 maidens, 52 runs,. 6 wickets; Fisher, 14 overs, 2 maidens,I 27 runs, 2 wickets.' Second Innings.' C. Hickson, b Siedeberg , . 25! Mahony," run out .. .' 241 Williams, b Austin .. .". .. 5' Blacklock, st Williams, b Fisher .. 81 S. Hickson, not out .. .*, ..211 Hutchings, b Downes.. .. . 10| Waters, 1.b.w., b Downes .. „. 9[ Stephenson, b Shacklock ... . 4

EXtras .. .. ...,(.. 5

; Total (for7 wickets) .. [..11l

| TOURNAMENT AT WESTPORT.1 "

WESTPORT, 30th December.At.the cricket tournament held in

i connection with the Westport Miningand Industrial Exhibition the Ross team

! made 76 runs in their first innings, andthe Westport A team 34 and 46 runs.Requiring 6 runs to win,Ross made them

'■ in the second innings at the expense ofthree wickets. Ross thus wins the silver

, cup and goldmedals.

The Emperor Jacques L, who was re-cently arrested in Turkey or sonicvv'hereby mistake for another genius, is enjoy-ing popular felicitations on his release.In one town he drove about the* streetswithhis doctor, whounfurled the banneroi theEmpire of Sahara. Followed by arejoicing crowd to his hotel, he appearedon the balcony and distributed largesse

—five hundred francs in small coins.

NATIONAL MUTUAL LIFEASSOCIATION.

A SUCCESSFUL INSTITUTION,

THE thirty-fifth annual meeting ofshareholder in the National Mu-

tual Life Association of Australasia,Limited, washeld at Melbourne on 20thin&tant, Colonel J. M. Templeton (Chair-man and Managing Director), occupyingthe chair. , ,

The Chairman said that whilst he hadhad great pleasure in moving previousreports andbalance-sheets, he had neverdone so with the exhilaration of the pre-sent occasion. They had hadmany yearsof successful business, and the results of1902-3 were so -gre,lb that he was notsanguine enough to

'expect a,.Jbetterment

of such a record for a few years to come1.The transactions for IQQ3:4_had," how-ever, been productive of even-more- won-derful'results. The new* policies issuedduring the year were 10,263, assuringan aggregate amount' of £2,664,686' 4slOd, against 8,17& for £2,236,939 issuedduring the

_previous year. This largeamount of new business exceeded that ofdie combined new business of any twoyears prior to 1901. The magtiihicfci ofthe new business would be belief 'un-derstood when he mentioned, that it ex-

"ceeded -by moi-e than a quarter of a.million pounds the amounts assuredunder the new policies issued last yearby two great Scottish companies addedtogether;and of the 63 British ,officesestablished between 1695 and 1867, andstill actively engaged, two only had suc-ceeded in transacting a larger amountof new business during last year thanwe did. Thus this association stoodthird on the list against offices whichhad been in business fiom 37 .to.208years

— 26 of them being more than 80years old. Ho thought they would allfeel proud oi the National Mutual hav-ing attained sudh a record in its 35thyear. (Hear, hear.) He had made acomparison, and found that the Na-tional Mutual had overtaken«nd passed51 of these offices in premium income,and of the 12 whose premium income wasgreater, fh*i were from 56 to 66, threefrom 67 to 80, and foul- from 89 to 96years old. Jn the" more crucial com-parison of, total funds accumulated andinvested

—and they had to remember

that'older companies had the strong ad-vantage of the greater number of years— their association took a high place,for they had £3,932,367, and thia wasgreater than the respective amounts ac-cumulated' by 34 of thes>e institutions,whose ages varied from 38 to 208 years.A remarkable circumstance in connec-tion with this was that whilst the Na-tional Mutual stood 30th in the order ofthe amoimt of funds accumulated, itwas as hign as 18th in the amount ofinterest received during the year. Inother words, 12 companies whose fundswere,larger thantheirs received, les-s ininterest than they- did. Further inves-tigation proved that in the average rateof interest realised* from the total fundsthe National Mutual surpassed everyoneof the 63 British offices, and stood ab-

anliitelr first. (Hear, hear.) The total

was equal to more than £500 an houron the average for the whole lime dur-in«- which the offices of the associationwe're open for receiving money duringtin- vpir Payments to members for wiayear amounted to £328,920-^1 to ai

dSribTtion'6f more than £1,000 a d*yon the average for eveiy day the officewfts doing business. Notwithstandingthat large amount, the association badadded to its accumulated funds £257,931-considerablymore than a quarter of.million' This .exceeded the additooamade By 51Of the 63 British J^panies.The expenseshidbeen naturally greater,but he could- assure tkoae present tha*the ratios of expenses to new and re-newal premiums respectively had beenslightly less than in1902-3. He referredto the 'success attending his trip t«Sbuth Africa and

'the United Kingdom,

and ,tha flourishing conditions of theassociation's Business .in.those places. InSouth Africa he had.'visited Capetown,Johannesburg, Delagoß. Bay, Beira, Um-tali, Salisbury Butowayo, Victoria,Fails,and Kimberiey, calling on the most dis-tant agents'and medical""referees. Hehad alsp made arrahGenftntd. for com-mencing business in Egypt.' Whilst, inLondon3ie had acquired tor National"Mutual a mosl desirable 'site for offices,the position of which would result in agreat increase of bt'Siness1. (Hear, hear.)He referred at some length to a speechhe had delivered at a complimentary din-ner in London, which had attracted con-siderableattention in insurance andothercircles. He had cosivinclhgly demon-strated, the success of his principle ofapplying surrender value t6 policies tpkeej) them in force, and cdifespondentgin various insurance journals had en-dorsed the soundness of his views onthe subject. He made feeling'referenceto the memory of his esteemed colleagueon the Board of Directors— the late Mr.Robert Reid— and spoke of the" greatvalue which the deceived gentleman hadbeen to the a&sociation.Mi\ E. Langton seconded the motion,which was carried. The retiring Diiec-tors, Messrs. E.Xangton and A^Newell,"ere re-dected. as were the auditors,Messrs. A. M. Valentine and W. &.U/ulloch. >

Congratulatory speeches were deliver-.cd by shareholders"present, and Mr.Langton returned thanks onbehalf of theBoard. *

1LTh

Tc St. Petersburg correspondent ofthe London Daily Telegraph states "onmost trustworthy authority" that theTsar has given the Imperial sanction totwo projects 'of the highest importance.

Ihe first is the scheme submitted byPrince Khilkoff to Construct anadditionalline on the Trans-Siberian Railway at anestimated cost of £11,000,000. The sec-ondmeasureis the creation of the nucleusof a new fiVt, according to a schemedrawn up by the Admiralty, the cost ofwhich is computed at £40,250,000.For Influenza and Cold in the Head takeWood*' Great Peppermint Cure, 1b 6d and2s od.— Advt.For children's hacking oough nt nighttake Woods Great Peppermint Cure li6d and 2s 6d.— Advt.

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 319 1904.2'J}lIITISH AND AMERICAN HARDWARE HOUSE,

93, LAMBTON-QUAY.GEO. WINDER, Proprietor.

We havo'now landod the bulkofour shipmonts of SUMMER GOODS,and'h.iivV largoand well-a^sorted^Btocksof all.soasouabloJinea;all marked in plaiu figures, at lowestpossible prices.

GARDEN 'POOLS HARVESTING- TOOLSMEAT SAFES BUTTER COOLERSICECREAM FREEZERS -

HAMMOCKSS)ECK CHAIRS'

GARDEN HOSEBEDSTEADS and BKDDING MNOHANICS' TOOLSBEOOMS and BRUSHWARE BIRD CAGES

Wo also makea specialityofCRICKETING, TENNIS, and CROQUET

REQpiREMION rs.SANDOW'S PATENT DUMBBELLS AND DEVELOPERS.

WHITELEY'S DEVELOPERS.Illustrated Catalogues on application,

SPECIAL DISCOUNT TO~OLUBS AND SCHOOLS .„ -BRITISH AND AMERICAN HARDWARE HOUSE (Late Cameron & Christie),

93, LAMBTON-QUAT.

PLATE "' GLASS, ~^SHEET GLASS,

PRISMATIC CELLAR LIGHTS,STAINED GLASS WINDOWS,

MIRRORS, PLAIN AND BEVELLED.LARGE VARftiTIES OF FANCY WINDOW GLASSES.

SEND FOR PATTERNS AND QUOTATIONS.

SMITH & SMITH, limited.THR TOWN HALL IS OPPOSITE.

THE NEW DROP HEAD

Aio oiceuic euis to Uui&o trains Aheadof all others. This is an absolutelyfair comparison.. %rpHE RAPID ROTARY for ease, speed,

A durability, does lock or chain stitchesand all kinds of fancy work. Inspectioninvited. All duplicate parts stocked.

F. J. W. EEAii,ENGINEER, SOLE AGENT, 88, WIL-

LIS-STREET.Ropairs skilfully clone. Established 1880.

to S^IJML Til?

ONE \z^^^^wuv \Jr

(ji la r

(JREAT ASTHMA OTJUE.■" prepared by H. Brittain, Chemist, ia

having aBig Sale. Its effect* aretoULY MARVELLOUS;

and the united testimony of gratefulpatieDts pronounces it to beA MIRACULOUS CURE.

Price, 2i 6d per bottle;post free, 3s.<■ ' '

i H. BRITTAIN, -Chemist, 35, Manners-street.

N.B.—If no benefit derived money wil-

jingly returned

Bad coughs come insummer same as winter.Lane's Emulsion is goodbothsummer and winter.

M3

t -....^POOR APPETBTE.

DROWSY.HEAVY.

You feel sompletely worn ont aadunfit for work. You are drowsyand languid, with a tendencytowards dapression. You are illand need a tonic to brace youup.Take....

IMPEY'SMAYAPPLE

Thegreat tonic-laxative. Itgantly.moves the bowels, and does notgripe or cause any distressingweakness. It stimulates the liver -into healthy action, purifies thethe blood and restoresgood health.

CHEMISTS AN9 STORES,Half-a-Crown.

„„,!, _._._..,.MORE PRAISE FOR RHEUMO.

MR. JOHN STEVENS, Bulls, writes:"Some months since Ihad a severe

attack of rheumatism, and was advised totry the efficacy of Rheuino. Idid so,with most satisfactory results. After takingtwo bottles jt has practically cured me.Ihave no hesitation in saying that yourremedy is the bestIhave used."

'Sold by all chemists and storekeepers,2a bd and 4s 6d.

Wholeiale Agents, Kempthorne, Prosserand Co.

PRESTON'SCHIIISTMAS HAMPERS 1

SECURELY PACKED AND FOR-WARDED FREE-

1bottle Brandy or Geneva1bottle Whisky or Schnapps1bottle Port or Sherry9 bottles Stout or Alo

Quality guaranteed.PRICE, OQ8!

PRESTON & CO.,110, LAMBTON-QUAY. TEL. 114.

Solo Bottlers in Wellington of Wardand Co.'s Champagno Ales. 1

UNN'S CORNFLOUR,!MUNN'S CORNFLOUR!

The beat food for children.The best f°°d f°r invalids.Tho best food for summer.The best f6r puddings.The beit grocere Bell it. 1

I A BEAUTIFUL' t

PICTURE of the'

1

Is representedon |

| & CO.'S II New Family Tins of (: Speciallybelected f

IAfternoon Tea|| Biscuits|-

TINS CONTAIN: II Iced Wafers, g! Cafe Noir, B! Kiel Fingers, |

| j Fairy Cakes. yj| Leaf Cracknels, Bj Cocoanuts, EI Cream Sandwich, @& Rekaand Oueen Drops, cit 3

| ORDER A TIN TO-DAY! I

. WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL.TRAMWAYS.

NEW YEAR'S DAY.

A SPECIAL CAR will leave Newtownat 5.40 a.m. via Cuba-street and Wil-lis-street, to connect witth the 6.25 a.m.

Manawatu Train.FARE-SIXPENCE.

JNO. R. PALMER,Town Clerk.

30th December, 190*.

NOTICE.SPECIAL BANK HOLIDAYS.

PURSUANT to the terms of "ThaBanks and* Bankers Act AmendmentAct,1882." and "ThqBank Holidays Aot,

1802," TUESDAY, the 3rd day of Janu-ary, 1905, ia hereby appointed SpecialBank Holidayat tho offices of the under-meutidned Banks throughput New Zea-land.The Union Bank of Australia (Ltd.),

G. E. TOLHURST,Inspector.

The Bank of Now South Wales,c. j. finch;

Inspector.The Bank of Australasia,

C. WINTER,Inspector.

The National Bank of New Zealand(Limited),

JOSEPH GIBSON STOTT,General Manager.

The Bank of New Zealand,A. MACINTOSH,,"

GeneralManager.NOTE.— The Banks will be Closed

throughout the colony on the followingday, being Statute Holiday:—

MONDAY, 2nd January, 1905, forNew Year's Day. "

Wellington.N.Z., list December, 1904.

nniHE following Fruit and Produce Au'c-JLtioneers will CLOSE their respective

premies on MONDAY and TUESDAY,2nd and 3rd JANUARY, 1905:

—Laery and Co., LimitedGeo. Thomas and Co.Townsend and Paul, LimitedThompson Bros., LimitedLevien, Shallcrass and Co.O. A. Griffiths and Co.

NOTICE.

ITISITORS to BELLE VUE GARDENScan obtain Meals and Afternoon Teas duringthe week, also onSundays,

STUDIO PORTRAITS.

FOR a True and Living LikenessBERRY AND CO. aro tho Photo-graphers.

64, CUBA-STREET.

MISS MILSOM, King's Chamber?,HAIR PHYSICIAN and FACESPECIALIST. Tho HAIR and FACE

treatod expertlybypurelyhygienicmethods.IiEARN tho pioper method of paring fortho Hair and Face. Miss' Milfednl leachespatients.,, Thus you will prevent baldnessand eradicate wrinklos, and stop greynessor other weakues3. Shampooing, Cutting,and Singeing, Manicuring. ConsultationFree. Telphone 814.

ILLUMINATED ADDRESSES ANDSHOW CARDS.

COMPARE our Designs and Prices forIlluminated Addresses, Show Cards,

and Poflterß. Illuminated Addresses a.specialty. Telephone 1021.

O. M. BANKS, LTD.,Mimtifacturixrj StatleuerSj Grey-Bttoet. 1

"inmitiHUUiMiiimtiiaimlilimmiiitiimiHiimimimii§ sI Unknown Friends. |

There are many people who have usedChamberlain's Colic,, Cholera, andlDiar-rhoea Remedy with splendid results, butwho are unknown because they have hesi-tated about giving a testimonial of theirexperience for publication. These people,however,are none the less friends to thisremedy. They have done much towardsmaking ifc ahousehold word by their per-sonal recommendations to friends andneighbours. Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera,and Diarrhoea Remedy is a good medicineto have in the home, andis widely knownfor its cures of diarrhoea and all forms dfbowel trouble. For sale by all Chemistsand storekeepers..

"iMiinmiMMiiiukiiiiMmiiMiituiiimmiiliiiikiniillinii*,

| I| Good for the Children. || v |

The quick relief obtained from usingChamberlain's Cough Remedy and the fact' that,it contains nothing in any way in-jurious and is pleasant to take, is enough' to convince any mother that no othercough medienne should be considered

i Mrs W. F. Mitchell, Broadford, Victorin,says:

''In my family of eight, all of

■whom are subject to colds and coughs,I'have tried muny cough mixtures, but'fcisnd nothing so good as Chamberlain's

'_ Cough Remedy. Evenin whooging cough[ it makes the attack very much lighter'

In fact, Ihave used nothing else since( first trying it, for its value was proven.. Ialways recommend it. For sale by all, chemists and storekeepers.

EOR BODY AND DURABILITY USEE*TABIISH^

HUBBUCK'SWARRANTED GENUINE

WHITE LEAD.HUBBUCK'S PATENT WHITE,ZINO. .

Hubbuck's Genuine EedLead Hubbuck's (Wuiiie Linseed6ifHubbuck'sGenuine Pale Boiled Linseed Oil Burnt Turkey Umber(driesextrabard, docsnot blister) Hubbuck'a Genuine BoiledLinseedOil '

Burnt andKaw Sicnnaa , Hubbuek'aPatent priqu(specialquality\Hubbuek s- Genuine Burning Colza, a J Hubbuok'*Oxford Oohre " "

specialty J Hubbuck's GenuineVegetable Black.

ESTABLISHED 1765. ESTABLISHED 1765.

THOMAS HUBBUCK & SON, LIMITED, LONDONAUSTRALIAN OFFICE:34, QUKEN-STftEET. MELBOURNE.24, LIME'SritISET, LONDON

i OHLY ONE QUALITY. IDEFIANCE $$mk BRAND I.

1 1 nn m hit?/ 1 r\Dicrr^ eubii \z B' IIill HI fiA11If 1 LJnifLD mILFV ■1 111INI fflllß 1 Isproducedat BunnytLorpewader b

I I the cream andvaluable properties B5 I 4 1 | are retained. ■

1 'I DRIED MILK I'I DCD TIXT S ' I)0eS not Spoil 01% &° sour* ** fiI r^tiK *IIN I can be kept indefinitely. A II

i i 1 case has just been opened after ■'1 I I a trip round the world-rWiee m

lo** r< t 1 through the Tropics— and found fti ISold Everywhere | to be in perfect condition. mi \ttii\ifiMks\*ttfmiHWJwaEa DRIED EVJSLK Bf H Contains no added sugar* nor my H

n preservative. ItisPure,MilkOnly a5 J| of the very highest grade, and flI If superior to ordinary dairy milk.; I DRIED MILK §J M Is ft'ee from germs, and bacteria, these being B

Jr destroyed in the processof drying themilk. w

i I DRIED MILK I. M Isused at the Government Sanatorium, Cam- ■| g bridge, and is rapidly superseding ordinary ■B milk for invalids and children. BI DRIED MILK

'

IB Ispacked inair-tight tinsandeach tincontains HI enough powdered milk to make one gallon of BM high grade milk. ■\ .].'' I DRIED MILK I

Js Canbe used for makingbread, scones andpud- " 9■ B dings by simply mixing the powder with the H; || MANUFACTURERS: B

I 2llL ' WELBJNGTON."

? jJt

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1904 3

"Ekft^TTNION STEAM SHIP CO.SgISU OF NICW ZKALAND Ltd>.(Weather and circutnstancoH permitting.)

LYTTWLTON.Kotomaliana* Saturday. Doo 31 9 Pm-Mararoa* Monday, Jftu a 8 p.m.T«»luiie '.I'uesrisv.y, .)»» 3 4 p.m.

Kotomahana Tuesday Jan ,37.45 p.m.Mararoa Woilnohdiiv,Jau 47.15D.m.Itotomahaua Thui-Miuy "

Jau 57.40p.m.Maravoa Fiklay, J,m 67.Jspiu.Rotoruahaua'1' Saturday. Jun 7 0 P-i"-

"Receive no cargo.dunedin, via i.yiTJsr/roN.

Taluiin Tuesday Ji» 3 4 p.m.Waikaro Thui.sihiy J«" ia 4 l'-m-

'Tarawera 'luosday.- Ja» f fAn-

, LYTTI'JLTOiN, AKAEOAlx '^Alili,OAMAUU, AND DUNUDIN.

Coriuna Wedi.os.duy,Jan 4 3 pin.MKLBOUUNK, VIA lA'T'i'EMON,DUJV

KDIN. BLUFF. AND HViSAUCMokoia Frisky, J»n,,J,3T3

T4 P-"-

JNAPIKK, GISHOUNK,AND AUCKLAND.Taraworii Tuesday. ? noonManuka Thursday, 3u.u a 4 p.m.SIDNEY1, VIA N/IPIKK GIsBuRNK,

ANU AUCKLAND.Manuka Thursday, Ja" 5 4 p.m.

SYDNEY DIKECI.Waikaro Saturday, JJuO 31

T6 p.m.

NKI.SON. via fJCTON andBLtiNHJ'IIM.Penguinf Saturday, Deo 31 4j).m.Takapuna* J>u!id«y\ f llu 1 3 p.m.Pateonaf Monday, Jau 2 1.40p.m.Mapouiika*fMonday, J"n 2 5 p.m.Penguin Tuusilftjr." J'l» 3 4 v.vi.Haupiii Wednesday, Jan i uoouPnteeDa* Wednesday, Jan 4 6 p.m.Penguin Thursday, Jun 5 4 p.m.Pateena Friday. Jan 6 1.45 p.m.Penguin Saturday, Jau 7 4 p.m.Wainui* Saturday, Jan 7 8 p.m."Does notcall Pioton. tßeceive not-argo.NKW PLYMOUTH AND ONEHUNUA,1 V

I'Olt AUCKLAND.Connecting"t New Plymouth with through

train from VVelluigtou on Tuesdays,"J'hnrsdays,aud baturdays, at 10 p.m.

Takapuna* Suudiiy, Jan 1 3p in.Itotoiti Wednesday, Jan 4 5 p.m.

*Calld at Nelson.WESTPOKT, Gltl'iY, AND 110KIT1KA,

VIA NELSON.Mapourikftt Monday, Jau 2 5 p.m.Poherua Tueadiiy, Jau 3 noonHaupiri*, Wednesday, Jan 4 . noonWainui Saturday, Jau 7 8p.m.*Callsat Picton. fReceives no oarg_>.

SUVA andLKVUKA, y«OM AUCKLAND.Uania VVeduos.uay, Jau 25bYDNKY, VIA TONGA, SAMOA, ANDFIJI, MiOil AUCKLAND.Manaponri Wednesday.Jan 11

.KAKOTONGA AND TAHITI, FROMAUCKLAND.

I'aviuiii Tuesday, Jan 2taUUTEST ROU'lli TO AUCKLAND,

VIA ONEHUNGA.Connecting with through train from, Welliugtau.

US.S. Co.'a Steamers leave New Ply-mouth ai under (weather permitting):

—Takapunu Tuesday, Jau 3 10 p.m.Kotoiti Thursday, Jau 5 10 p.m.Kotoiti Saturday, Jan 7 10 p.m.Takapuna Tuesday, Jau 10 10 p.m.

Passengers can eidbark at Wellingtonon^ Wednesdays and Sundays, proceedingthrough by bteamor to Ouehuuga forAuckland.

RAND SEA" EXCURSION TOPICTON.

ONNEW YEAR'S DAY,

MONDAY, 2nd JANUARY, 1905.The magnificent steamer MARAROA,

30QO tons, will make an Excursion asabove, leaving Queen's Wharf at 7.30 a.m.and Picton onreturn trip at 4 p.m.

RETURN FARE, RS!MEALS, IS VjD!

UNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY OFN.Z. (LIMITED).

VIAXfANCOUVER.The Most Popular Route to All Parts of

CANADA, UNITED STATES, ANDEUROPE.

Steamers Sail Every Month from Sydneyto Vftncouver, calling at Brisbane,Suva (Fiji), Honolulu

'(Hawaii), andVictoria (8.C.).

CANADIAN-AUSTRALIAN ROYALMAIL LINE and

CANADIAN-PACIFIC RAILWAY.

Lowest Through Fares to all points.

BOUND -WORLD TOURS All Routeß.New Zealand Passengers have option

joining at Sydney or Suva.Pamphlets, Maps, and all information FreeUNION* STEAM SHIP CO. OF- NEW

ZEALAND,(Ltd.).. ",

NORTHERN STEAMSHIP CO. LTD.WULI.INGTON-AUCKLAND SERVICE*j»3j|Btg^. r]\HE Twin-screw Steamer"SBsEKSk) 1- RARAWA, 1072 tons reg.,Leaves New Plymouth for OnehungaMONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY,connecting with through train fromWellington, and loaves Onehunga for NewPlymouthTUESDAY, THURSDAY, SUNDAYS,connecting;with throughtraintoWellington

Return Tickets available for return byUi.ion Steam Ship Company's steamers ifdesired.

Passengers can secure berths on applica-tion to

LEVIN & C,O. (LTD.), Agents.*MftSfL£>, fB^HE undermentioned steamers

will leave (circumstancespermitting) as follows:

—FOR CASTLEPOINT AND NAPIER

(SPIT), VIA COAST.The s.B. HIMITANGI,

EARLY.FOR KAIKOUHA, CHEVIOT, AND. LYTTELTON, Via COAST.

Tho s.a. WAKATU,On WEDNESDAY, 4 p.m.

FOR BLENHEIM.The a.s. OPAWA',

THIS DAY, 6 p.m.

FOR FOXTON.The s.«. QUEEN OF THE SOUTH,

On TUESDAY, at 4 p.m.

For' freight or passage, apply toLEVIN AND CO. (LTD.). Agents.

WELLINGTON AND WANGANUISTEAM PACKET COMPANY.

"HBSfcg. fBiHE followingsteamers willbe■-^JiMßfr ■*- despatchedasunder, weatherand circumstances permitting

—For WANGANUI— The s.s.STORMBIRDTUESDAY,JOHNSTON AND CO. (LTD.), Agents.

For WANGANUI-Thß steamer HUIA,TUESDAY, 3 pm.LEVIN AND CO. (LTD.). Agents.

THE PATEA SHIPPING COMPANY,LIMITED.

■53ffl^w rff^HE s.s.

Will sailFor PATEA-THIS DAY, 5 p.m.

The s.s. KIRIPAKA,For WAITARA-On TUESDAY. -

THOMPSON BROS., LIMITED,Agents, 59, Featherston-street.

Telephone No. 533.

■BMRfew.T?OR.NELSON, MOTUEKA.SlS^-fc1 TAKAKA, COLLING:WOOD, and PUPONGA.

(Weather and other circumstancespermitting).

The b.s. TASMAN,On TUESDAY, 4 p.m.

Taking cargo and passengers at currentrates.W. M. BANNATYNE AND CO., LTD.

Agents.

WANTED, Builders to know that wehave in stock— l"30in Circular Saw

bench, 1Planing Machine, Shaping Machines, Saw Spindles, Circular Saws, OilsBelting, Machine Knives. We havo alscopened vii a large shipment of Carpenterstools. Alex Ross and Co., Engineers,Sayand Tool.Makers,. 83, Manners-street, ,WeJlington.'

HUDDAUT. PARKKR andCO.'B Largo andPower-£\)f^ lC'l ful .-steamships—

rP\PJ WIMMKRA, 3000 Tons Keg.VICTORIA, IJ9(iB Tons lte,?.

p-^Sffl ZISAI.ANDIA, 2771Tons Keg.Giioinnhtaiicua permitting)_ Will feuil ;isunder :—

FOU I.yTTKLTON AND DUNEUIN.Wimmera. I'Thurß. |Jan. 5] 4.p.m.\ ictouia IFriday |Jan. 6 | 4 p.m.Zsalandia. jFriday |Jim 20| 4 p.m.FOll MWLHOUIiNK, via LXTTKI/I'ON.DUNKDIN'. BliUliI!'', mid HOBAfiT.Wimmeua. | I'hurs. |Jan. 5| ■!■ pm.FOR NAPIKII, UISUOIINK, AUCKLAND

AND iJYJJNKV.Vjctojua jTbnrb., ) Jan. la J 4 p.m.Zicai.andia. |I'lmr-i

'|Jau 20 | 4p.m.

FOli SYUNKY JJIUMJT.■ VYmmKita '

|San. | Jan 28 | 4p.m.Cargo must be alougsiue iteamer one

Uour before sailing time.All tiokota are available ilio for Stop-

over of Return by AN5£ of UNIONCO.'S STEAMERS, and holders of theU.S.B. Co.'g tiokota may travel by above-named vessel*.

Head Offioe for JJoff Zealand— Queen'aChambers. WELLINGTON

fIIHEuuclermeutioned steamers*$5sS9&& will leave (circumstances

: permitting) as follows:—

For NAPIER (Inner Harbour) and EASTCOAST— The b.s. KAHCJ on MON-DAY, 4 p.m.

For BLENHEIM— The s.s. NAMBUCCA,THIS DAY, 6 p.m.

For MOTUEKA (taking cargo for Takakai and Collingwood— Tho s.s. MANA-

ROA, TUESDAY, 2 p.m.JOHNSTON AND CO., LTD.,. Aeeiit*.

WEST COAST STEAMERS.

*=MBS. A NCHOR LINE OF STEAMPACKETS are appointed

to leave as under:—For NELSON, WESTPORT, GREY-; MOUTH, and HOKITTKA— The s.c., ALEXANDER, on TUESDAY, »t S

p.m.For PATEA

—The s.s. AORERE, onTUESDAY, Noon.

W. &"g. TURNBULL & CO.,1 Agents.

\TEW ZKALAND SHIPPINGI^l COMPANY'SROYAL MAIL LINK OK STEAMERS

FOR LONDON,VIA MONTE VIDEO,TENEWIFFE, AND

PLYMOUTH.VerySuperior Accommodation for

Passenger*.cto»,v,« o I'01

"1 Probaule To SailSteameis. lle(fI8> piual J?Mt> (about)>

KTJAPEHU* ... 7801 WellingtonJan 17. PAPANUI ... USSS WellingtonPeb lbRIMUTAKA't .. 7705 — Miucn 16TONGABIEO't.. 7t>oo

-April U

*'i'wui Screw.tThesesteamers will alsocall ntaud take

passengers for Bio>le Jaueivo.For fraightor passage apply to

THE NEW ZEALAND SHIPPINGCOMPANY (LIMII'KD).

A AND A LINE

TO 'AMERICA, CANADA, EUROPE.. %Leave Arrive Mails

Steamers. Aucldaud San AnireFriday. Francisco London.

SONOMA ... Jan b Jim 23 Feb 4VENTUBA ... Jan 27 J?eb la Feb 25STBBBA.... "... Feb 17 Mar 6 Mar 18

CANADA, AMERICA, EUROPE,AT LOWEST RATES.

LONDON IN 27 DAYS.

■. SIX DAYS LONGEST TIME AT SEA.ROUND THE WORLD,

In Conjunction withALL SUEZ OR CAPE-LINES,-

Reaching Europe

Either via Suez or San Francisco.6000-TON STEAMERS,

17 Knots, 100 Al at British Lloyds.i

Apply for Fares, etc.,

W. M. BANNATYNE AND CO., LTD.,, Asents.' "^Hlfer X. & O. COMPANY'SOCBBBBW ROYAL MAIL STJ'JAMBIiS toffARSRILLES,PLrMOtfTHimdLONDON"(Connecting at Port Saidwith tb'e' 2ff-knofc. Express Steamers TSIS jmd OSJiIiS forBrindisi), leave on the subjoined dates, and

i sailing at tho usual pores. Main LineSteamers have permissionto call at Brindisi.FIRST AND JSKGONI) SALOON ONLY

Steamer. Tons. Sydney. MelbrneHimalaya 6398 Jau 7 Jau 10India 7911 Jun 21 Jun B4Britannia ... ..'. 6525 Fob 4 Feb 7Mongolian 10000 Feb 15 Feb 21Oceanat 66i0 Miv- J Mar 7Maruiora*t 10509 Mar 15 Mar 21"

Twin eci-ewo. fVia Hobart.BATESofPASSAGEMONJS ¥ toLONDON

(Including saloon Passage to Sydney) :—Sinoi.kTickets— J3±o loJitJORbtuun Ticjcjct?— JJOU to .£l-0.

JOHNSTON & CO. (Ltd.), Agents.

«wksL. CBIHE TYSI3.B LINE,iijpyjtaiSS JL Limited. „

MONTHLY DESPATCH OFFIRST-CLASS CARGO STMAMEtiS TO

LONDON DiIIECT,LIST OF STEAMERS.Steamers. lons. Commander.

Murere' .. .. 10,000 J. 0. JPeJgate

Nlwuru .. .. 10,000 H. HollisMimiro .. .. 10,000 J. 0. Lidstone.Hawkes Bay .. .. 8,000 A. H. KempTomuana .. .. 10,000 H. P. ConbyIndralema .. .. 10,000 J. FirthIndraghiri .. .. 8,000A. E.HollingsworthindiMdevi .. .. 10,000 T. TrotterStarof NewZealand.. 8,000 E. D. BeokStar ofAustralia .. 10,000 F. W. UlyattStarof Ireland .. 8,000 F. J. KearneyStar of Scotland .. 10,000 J. M. Hart

Theabove steamers were allbuilt speciallyfor the'New Zealand trade, fitted with re-frigerating machinery of the most moderntypeiv change of competent engineers, andare noted for the exceptionally satisfactory. condition iv whichtheir frozenmeat cargoesarebeingdelivered.

The Company is prepared to curry wooli and produce of every description. Lowest" Currentliatea of Freight." W. M. BANNATTNE & CO. (Ltd.).

MESSAGKItU'SS MA.lt! TIMES.SYDNimoI,ONDGN,viaCOEO3LBOaud PARIS.— Steamers of CSOD tons, underpostalcontract with the Feeuuh Government,

1 calling at MELBOURNE, ADJ'JLAIDifi,FUEMANL'LE, COLOMBO, BOMBAY',. SUEZ,andPOKT SAID,will be despatchedmonthly, iB follows:—

Sl r,riyunej, Melbourne Adelaide,bteauierb. Noon 1p>ln

_1 pm

AininiidBebio Jau a Jau 5 Jim 7ViHe-d-la-Ciutat Jun 3o ii'ou 2 Peb 4Nera ... . Fc-b 27 March 2 March <1Culedonieu .. Alttr -/ MurcUJiU April 1

Passengers Booked to Bombay, India,China, Batavia,and Japan.lJaaaagoMoney,i>27 toJ>77, iucludiiig table winou. lieturnTiokotsat .Reduced Uates. liin-jlisu spokenon board. For tiu-tiier particulars apply to'

LEVIN & CO., Ltd. Welhuctou.N. D. L.

TW-ORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD.The ImperialMail Steamers of this Com-

t'pany willbo despatched every ♥weeksfromAUSTRALIAN Puitiri to SOUTHAMP-

, TON, ANTWERP, and BREMEN, viaCOLOMBO, ADEN, SUEZ, PORT SAID,. NAPLES, and GENOA. For further par-ticulars see Thursday's Post or

3 OASTENDYK &.FOCKE, Agents.

I AUSTRALASIAN LINE.'GRACIE, BEAZLEY AND CO.,

Of U, Wator-atreot, Liverpool.Despatch Iron Vessels of tho highest class

v from Liverpool to Wellington and Dunedinat regular intervals.v JO&NSaiON AND 00 (LTD.), Agt>nt».

QHAW, QAVILL AND A LBIOi\COMPANY (LTD)

THE DIRECT LINE OF STEAMERSFOR PLYMOUTH AND LONDON,

VIA RIO DE JANEIRO OR MONTEVIDEO AND TENERIFFE.

SPLENDID'UP-TO-DATE PASSENGERACCOMMODATION.

ROOMY CABINS AND SPACIOUSDECKS.

Sailings (circumstances permitting):—

Ic " Dato I FinillName. p« Co'm

-der of f,"f J

"GOTHIt! I 7755Kulley jjan oWel'tfl'iiWAIW ERA. U563Li.wdeii Ijau 7 Wol'et'iiKARA.MEA

'h'J37Burton 'Jim 28 Wcl'srfii

♥MATATUA 7000Uriffitus iFeb aWoVirt'n♥IONIO 3223*Alkm Ijlurch 2 Wel'ffn"ATHENIC 12231 KompsonMurou30.Wel'gt'u«COItIHTHIC 12<£U Diivid April 27'Wel'm/ii* Twin bureiv.

Special facilities given to residents inthe colony to bring out friends from Homeeither by pro-payment of passage mouey inNew Zealand or by guarantees.

For full particulars, apply to the Agents.' LEVIN & CO ILIMITED).W. AND G. TURNBULL & CO.MURRAY, ROBERTS & CO.

OKIEMT.P AOIJIO LINEOf

ROYAL MAIL STEAMERS.The following Royal Mail Steamshipß

belonging to the ORIENT and PACIFICCOMPANIES will leave Sydney at' noonand MELBOURNE at 1p.m., on SailingDays, as under for LONDON (Tilbury),via ADELAIDE, FREMANTLE, CO-LOMBO (transhipping- for all Indian ports)SUEZ CANAL. NAPLES, MARSEILLESand GIBRALTAR:—SluamerH l"'l"'"f l''i'uiii Fioin li*rom" Itejj. fcijiliiey. .Melb'me. AdelaMo*

Orotava ... 5858 Jan 14 Jau 17 Jun 19Oroya ... 6297 Jim 28 Jim 31 Feb 2Oim»z ... (HGS Feb 11 Feb H Feb 16

"Twin screwsteamer.And fortnightly thereafter.Fares, New Zealand to London-

Saloon Single: £43 to *£80Rfeturn: £69 to £120

Third Class ... £18, £20, aud £22On payment of an additional £2 15s,First-class Passengers may proceed over-land from Naples to London.

First and Second Class Passengers se-cure special ad\antages by bookingthroughfrom New Zealand, being provided withSaloon Passages to Australia, whioh areincluded in the above fares.

Passages can be booked to or prepaidfrom any of the above ports.

For further particulars apply toUNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY OFNEW ZEALAND (LTD.),Aitents in New Zealand.

/■JMHE AI3ERDEISN LINETO NATAL, CAPETOWN, andLONDON

CALLING AT PLYMOUTUThe following magnificent steamers will

cave SYDNEY lou MA'J'AL, CAPETOWNandLONDON, es follows .—iNaiue ofStenuier. i'°us. Sydney atI s uoou.

3soß Deo 30

FAIiUS.Saloon. 3idelnas.Loiidou ... £6> ... £16 0s Od to £20 0d OdCape andNatal £31 10s... £13 13s Od to £17 17a 0aDALGETY A Co.,Ltd., Ageuts.

THO'S., COOK AND SON,Passenger Agents forOrient Co., P. and O. Co., North Ger-man, N.Z. Shipping Co., Shaw-SavillCo., Messageries Maritimes, A. and A.Company, Canadian Australian, CapeLines, eto.

Are you about to travel? Before book-ing your passages communicate forCOOK'S SAILING LIST (posted free),giving saihng3 and fares and general in-tormation of all lines.To make your travel easy, apply

COOK'S SHIPPING OFFICE,Customhouse-quay, Wellington.

WANGANUI EITER TOURISTSTEAMER TIME-TABLE—FROM 15th DECEMBER TO 30th

APRIL.Wanganui-Pipiriki, depart daily, except

Mondays, 7 a.m.Pipiriki-Wanganui, depart daily except

Tuesdays.Pipiriki to Upper Reaches, clafiy, return-

ing in evening.SPECIAL XMAS AND NEW YEAR

TIME-TABLE.FROM 20th DECEMBER TO Ist

JANUARY, INCLUSIVE.Wanganui-Pipiriki and Upper Reaches

—EVERY DAY, 7 a.m.

Pipiriki-Wanganui— EVEßY DAY.Xmas Day and New Year's Day Steam-

er connects at Aramoho Railway Stationwith Special Excursion train leaving Wel-lington on Xmas Eve and New Year'sEve.> TAUMARUNUI-PIFIRIKI SERVICE.CONNECTING WITH MAIN TRUNK

'RAILWAYPipiriki toHouseboat and Taumarunui

—Mondays and Fridays." Taumarunui-Houseboat and Pipiriki—Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Intending passengers must book in ad-vance. *

Thos. Cook and Son'«. Booking Office,Wellington.

AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD.■ -LOAN, 1904, OF £400,000.

ISSUE OF-DEBENTURES FOR £25,000AT *i-PER CENT. PER ANNUM.

INDEBENTURES OF £100 EACH,RE-DEEMABLE10th JULY, 1925.

INTEREST COMMENCINGfbom DATEWHENDEBENTURESPURCHASED.

COUPON No. 1attached to Debenturefalls due on 10th July, 1905; the

purchaser shall pay with the purchase-money for the Debenture interest at 4£per cent, from 10th January, 1905, to dateof purchase;md Coupon payable 10thJuly, 1905, will bo paid in full to theholder of the Debenture upon date whensame falls due.

The above issue of £25,000 is aportionof the sum of £400,000 authorised by "TheAuckland Harbour Board Loan and Em-powering Act, 1904," to be raised by loanand expended upon certain HarbourWorks specified in the first schedule oftho said Act, and is secured upon thelands and hereditaments named in thethird schedule of the Act, and tho rentsthereof and the dues chargeable and re-ceivable by the Auckland Harbour Boardin respect of the said Lands and theHarbour Works constructed thereupon,andon the Auckland Harbour Fund as definedby Section 171 of "The Harbours Act,1878."

Applications for Debentures will be re-ceived by the Board until Tuesday, the17th January, 1905, at noon.

Each application shall be accompaniedby a cheque eqlial to five per cent, ofthe amount of tho offer, such cheques tobo' marked "Good for seven days fromdate." Payment will bo required as fol-lows:— £5 per centum on application, andthe balance within ten days after noticeof allotment.

The Board reserves the right to dpclineany tender or tenders, and in that eventtho deposit mofiey paid with any tendershall be forthwith returned to the personentitled thereto.

Forms of tender may be obtained at theEvening Post office, Wellington.

J.M. BRIGHAM,Secretary.

Auckland, 19th December, 1904-.

3 X.083 of ENERGY and STRENGTH. :i DEBPOHDBNCY Rjad DEBJLJTY. t'A Gentlemen havingtried invainevery "

4 advertised remedy, and nt lnst die- >

3 co/ered a SIMPLE MEANS of SELF'

iCURS, vrill forward tho dame, freeof ►3 oharfio, to anyone interested. C3 ildflreui!A. MINER.G.P.0.,BY^NBY. >

OTH SRXES — Write for FKEEBOOKS of vital interest about your-

selves;pott free. Write Mons. Gourand,82, Littla Flinders-street. Molbourne.WANTED, Purchaser for Star Road

Racer, Ko. 3037;new covers, recent-ly fitted and machine thoroughly overhaul-ed;a very fast machino; £10. Call andinspect, Adams Star Cycle Co., Mercer-Bt.

If f^^&y

ON CHRISTMASMORN

WITH a pair of our reading glassesyou may bring the same joyful

smile, seen on tho faoo of this ukilady, to that of your good old mother.Think and look and read, but youwill find no present that will please aswell, or be of such genuine overydayusefulness as a pair of good glasses

—our kind.

A Thorough and Scientific ExaminationBefore or after Presentation.

ALFRED LEVI,CONSULTING OPTICIAN,39, Lambton-quay, Wellington.

T. H. MORRISON. Manager.

TELEPHONE TO ME!

TUST LANDED, a splendid lot ofU DRESS CASESPURSES, WALLETSPHOTO FRAMES, Etc.

SPLENDID VALUE. CALL ANDINSPECT.

H. M. STEPHENS,W AND 16, LAMBTON-QUAY,

AlsoMANNERS-ST. (opposite Opera House).

Telephone 416.

P Patent",Designs, Trade-Marksand Copyrights .applied for, ob-tained aud rogistered in allcountries. Full informationand "Handbook for Inventors"obtainable at the....

UNIVERSAL PATENTS OFFICES.A. J. PARK, G. W. GASLEV,

Kslburns'Chambers, 55, Lamblon Quay,WELLINGTON.

Is the Richest in Cream,Stands the highest tests,and is

cheaper than any other Milkin the market.

It is noted for its Purity, and isinvaJuablo for Children andInvalids.

Made at Henley, on the Taieri' Plains, the richest dairyingfields in the world, and thehome of the noted Jerseyherd of dairy cows.

ASK FOR..

JG. TUR N E 11," . Teacher ofBANJO, MANDOLINE, AND GUITAR,

Receives pupils at56, KENT-TERKACE (next to Basin

Reserve).Terms commence with pupils. Trams

pnss tha door.

SCHOLEFIELD'S Spectacles atPeople'sPrices

—Crystals from Is, Pebbles

from 3s 6d, Rolled Gold Frameß from sb.Your sight tested and Spectacles Fitted.Lenses ground, Spectacles repaired. NoteAddress— W. R. SOHOLEFIELD, 36a,Manners-street, next shop to FieTctlr's.

HBii#Mwa^»BTPiww(>atp*trwißfflW)VHwaMi|i

DELICACIES.'X' JAMS 1'X' JELLIES I*IC MARMALADE I♥X' TOMATO SAUCEI"X' GREEN PEAS |I <X' TOMATOES I

j "X'PLIM PUDDINGS!'X' MINCEMEAT I'X' HONEY I<K9K 9 LEMON CHEESE

At aH Grocers. |

A SMILE OF RECOGNITION

IS a common thing in our Studio. Lookup some of your friends there.j J. N. ISAACS,

Manneis-strcet.CHRISTMAS MIDGETS 5s a Dozen.

I

A POLLINARIS,Apo 111 1'iris, Apolbnuris-C^ is bottled only witi j own naturalgas,' and only at tho Spring,Neuenahr, Uormauy.

Ml?. S. S. WILLIAMS having ju?t re-turned from Kurope, where he has

baeti most, successful in bu>inglunre stocksof household furnishings <iiroctfrom"the manufacturers, thereby having themiddleman's profit, whiohlie intends to givetohis customers favouring'him with a. cull

GOING TO WILLIAMS'S,Tel. 1409. 41, Taramiki-street.

SUNDERLAND HOUSE.

(JEO A.. MA^TSONPASTRYCOOK AND CATERER,

87, CUBA-STREET.

CHRISTMAS CAKES,Beautifully Iced and Decorated,

3s 6d to 20s.

1 ' Telephono 450.

PRESENT PRICES DURINGCHRISTMAS,TIME ONLY.

ANopportunity that occurs but seldomto secure a Good-fitting SUIT of the

Best Material at

21s T0 35sOur advice is to purchase now while

there is a good range of patterns to choosofrom— they will soon be gono.

THE MANUFACTURERS' CLOTHINGCOMPANY,

Next Godber's, Cuba-street,

SHACKLOCK'S

All Ironmongers.

> Is the BEST COOKING RANGEon the market.

■ Cooks with less fuel and morerapidly than any range made.

Is the latest pattern and moslup-to-date range sold.

Tobe had from all ironmongersBe sure to ask for

THE GLOBE.rnHE BRAND OF ROLLED OATS TO

ASK FOIt-—"■"-~-*-^0

REGISTERED.

SPECIALLY PREPARED

EASILY DJGESTEB.. LANGDOWN&SON./ CHWSTCHURCH N.Z.

/|

«lt«» 111

Jb\ POWNALL,WHOLESALE AGICNT,

; Wellington.

SEATOUX REFRESHMENT ROOMS.'

TTT-OR a Holiday Outing, go to Sealoun,-H? where Afternoon Tua, Luncheon, andRefreshments are provided, also Accom-

> modation for paying guests, at the Soa-toun Refreshment Rooms, opposite thoSeatoun "Wharf. Every attention given.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR GIFTS.A fail range in Electro-platedand Sterling Silver to select from.

W^ -IftßsSiy CheeseDishes, chasedand plain. ,ffiEßjS! '

J^iSLs^ "^sAu* n/^^ Sterling Silver and

SterlingSilverand >*JJ7KfI\ f2\&^^^Specimen Vases. r^*f^^^ A /s^s^^~ .

*^^*""""-"*^^^ ' ' iui^i'*iP tSSH*&'*^ lilectro plated Dinner andElectro-plated.-siiuarScuttle. Electro-platedFern Pots. Luncheon Cruets.

I JOHN DUTHIE & CO., LIMITED, Willis Street. |

Agents Everywhere. E

1 ,E. REYNOLDS <Ss Co., Ltd./0A DEPOSIT and twelveMonthly Instal-wt ments ,will secure you ono of Bri-tain'sJ3EST BICYCLES. Call and inspectlatest models at

74, WILLIS-STREET.

A FRIEND"IN~NEED.im. ELMSJ/IE,

QUALIFIED MEDICAL SPECIALIST,Registered by the Governments of Great■Britain, New Zealand, and New

South Wales.No. 13, WELLINGTON-TERRACE,

WELLINGTON.npHIS Highly-qualified Physician and-*" Surgeon from tho Hospitals of Lon-don and Paris has by 25 years of studyand research become an Expert andSj.ecialist in CnRONIC, NERVOUS,BLOOD, SKINand SPECIAL DISEASESo£ Men and Women:In his very successful treatment of the

above class of difficult cases there is "NoExperimenting and No Failures."

Consultations are free to all, so that afrietidly chat, either personally,or by let-ter, costs nothing, andmay save you yearsof misery, so none neod despair. NewScientific Treatment aud New UnfailingRemedies of tho very best and purest areHonestly and Faithfully used. Moderatecharges.

Consultation Hours:— lo to 12, 2to I,7"'

YOUNG MEN! Ifyoual.esilf.fering or weak, or sad, call or write toDr. Elmslio, No. 13, Wellinijton-terrace,Wellington, as he thoroughly understandsyour troubles aiid their causes. His Skil-ful Treatment and Scientific Remedies on-able him to GUARANTEE a CompleteCure in every case undertaken, or ho willmake no charge. Strictly confidential.Moderate charges. Consulting Hours:—10 to 12, 2 to 4, 7 to 8.

LADIES!MRyOoll«nltDr.Klmßlieat his residence, No.13, Wellington-terrace,Wellington, from 10 to 12, 2 to 4, 7 to8 daily, who, is a legally-qualified Phy-sician and Specialist, and whose up-to-dateTreatment gives the greatest satisfaction.Strictly confidential. Call or write. Soloagent for Famous Ladies' CorrectiveTablets (10s 6d extra), 21s post free.Guaranteed safe and reliable. Moderatecharges.

N.B.— Patients at a distance mayENCLOSE A FEE OF £1

in their first letter' to ensure immediateattontion and prompt despatch (whenpos-sible) of remedies necessary for their case.

SUBJECTS OF MOST DREADFUL EXHAUS-TION CURED AND MADE HAPPY. .

MY DEAR DOCTOR,—Ihave no hesitationwhatever in aaj'ing "Yes" in reply to yourletter received to-day, in which you hbk mewhether Iam willingto let the public knowthe benefit Ireceived at your hands. When Isaw you upon the recommendation of Mr.Giifflth (whom yon had previously completelycuved of a similar complaint),IHiink Iwasin about as bad a stitte of misery and depres-sion in both mind and body as any human be-ing could be; in'fact, 1 thought life was notworth living, and my future was a blank. Iwas an object of misery and despair. Youtold me plainly and honestly that you couldand would cure me, bo that I should nolonger be bashful and stupid in society, andcould take my part and interest in the amuse-ments and sport* of others and have an ambi-tion in my business. At first Ithought yourpromise vine too good to be true. Iamthankful to sayItried your treatment. Iswear solemnlyIfeel a different man to-day.1 ua\e put on flesh and muscle and have anyamount of confidence in myself. Iam per-fectly healthy and quite happy, and capableof enjoying nyself as otherß do, and Id> ■mope about by myself and shun society.Iearn-estly recommend all my fellow-sufferers to puttheir confidence in you, as your treatment isperfect and j"our charges are small.—Iam,yours truly,

LACHLAN CAMERON.R. A. WAKELINJ

~

BUILDER, CONTRACTOR, AND VAL-UATOR.

ESTIMATES given for Buildings andJoiner's Work. On sale and made

to order— Sashes, frames, doors, shop andoffice fittings,and all kinds of joiuer'iwork.

All work guaranteed.Factory and Workshop,4, Gordon-street.

W CABLE AND CO.," Waterloo-quay,WELLINGTON, N.Z ,

Manufacturers of MARINE and LANDENGINES and BOILERS, MINING,HYDRAULIC, DREDGING, andWOOL -DRYING MACHINERY,MANURE MANUFACTURING andFLAX-DRESSING PLANTS.

MACHINERY AND SHIPS' REPAIRSA Speciality.

Agents for ZYNKARA, the Best BoilerPreservative and Cleanser.

CAMERON'S STEAM PUMPS.

MILNER'S World-renowned Thief-re-sisting and Fireproof SAFES and

STRONGROOM DOORS.Full particulais of sizes and prices on

application toE. W. MILLS & CO. (Ltd.),

Agents.

■-y-nti....jgs-£ ggi, THE CELEBRATED

SOLE AGENTS u^gU n

/*" __ ,

'

Experience establishes the factthatVan Houten's Cccoa is not only theHighest inQualityaad themost deliciousin flavour,but aiao themost economicalta use. Buy & tin and prove this for

yourself.

Best & goes farthestV ■i

' "v . . — *

ORIENTAL TEA MART.

Just Landed—

C ARR'rS-' .BISCUITS., i ■Osborne, Lemon Cream, Finger Cream,

Cafe Noir, British Mixed, Cafo auLait, Windsor Wafers, Buffet Wafers,Chocolate Wafers, Macaroons, Ratafias,Seville, ■ Afternoon Tea, EveningDessert, Fancy Chocolate, etc.,

AT

CAMPBELL'S,2], MANNERS-STREET,

And CornerWILSON AND RIDDIFORD STREETS,

KEWTOWK.

XMAS AGAIN!

[BUY YOUR NEW FRUITKILPATRICK.

TheFruithas allgot. theBloom of Freshness.

YOU cannot do better than visit Kil-.patrickbefore you buy,whenyou will

find that the Quality and Piices will morethan compare withany competitor.

HAMS! HAMS! HAMS!Of theBoslQuality at the LowestPrices, at

It. KILPATRICK'S,OPPOSITE OPERA HOUSE.

Telephone,523

CHRISTMAS CAKES!CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS!

JAMES GODBER,TVTELBOURNE HOUSE,

CUBA-STREET,

Has made extensive arrangements^to meetthe requirements of his patrons for thisHOLIDAY SEASON.

SPECIAL ATTRAOTION:CHILDREN'S BONBON ROOM.

ICES, STRAWBERRIES AND CREAMEtc., Etc.,

at

GODBER'S,CUBA-STREET, and 97, LAMBTON-QY

MOUSEYTO LEWD

IN SUMS OF

£100 to £10,000

On COUNTRY, CITY, andSUBURBAN FREEHOLDS

ITEXCEPTIONALLY LOW BATESOP INTEREST, i

Repayments of not less than£25 oan be made at any timeon three months' notice.

APPLY TO ANY AGENCY OP THE

Government InsuranceDepartment.

J. H. RICHARDSON,GoTcrnmentInsuranceCommissioner.

O ROWE AND SONS,LOWER CUBA-STREET,

HAVE FOR SALE— Split Peas, PearlBarley, Barley Meal, Wheat Meal, MaizeMeal, Crushed Oats, Maize, Hay, Chaif,etc., wholesale and retail.

PIANOS. ORGANS.

J\ j.. P IN N Y.COLLARD & COLLARD PIANOSRICH. LIPPAND SOHNBECHSTEINCHAPPELL AND CO.

SpecialLow Prices for Xmas Season, oathor easy terms.

TuningaSpecialty. Telephone,2045.F. J. ~PINNY,

21, Cuba-street.

iR»BGE WWTWiyjHAgents Everywhere.

E. REYNOLDS & Co., Ltd.

WE make big allowances for old mach-ines and arrange easy terms for pay-

ment of balance. Send for our latest cata-logues.. You will find it interest you.

74, WILLIS-STREET.

; XjA O R S3 1" Z BiTdwainTbros.,

HOTEL BROKERS, VALUERS, ANDFINANCIERS.

Established 1880.FOR SALE, the freehold of paying

Country Hotel containing 32 rooms, large. stables, loose boxes ;trade very steady,averaging about £70 weekly^; presentJand'lord has ma,de a fortune audhas purchaseda big sheep run;is now prepared to sell-freehold for, £ W0;stock, furniture, atvaluation.

! FREEHOLD HQT^L, progressive' dis-trict;lease expires next month;property' is being sold to close up anestate. Price"81000. Purchaser can take furniture atvaluation or put

'in

-new. 23*FREEHOLD of Hotel, prosperous dis-

trict;lease expires in a few months;£500> per annumrental. Price for the freehold,£5600. 208

FREEHOLD Brick Hotel. For this weare prepared to receive- an offer.

t FOR SALE, Hotel, Wairarapa ;- lowrental;paddoeking accommodation. 'Price

3 £1400. j

' 228HOTEL, lease ooverrrtwo years to run, re-newal can be arranged. Price £1100. 227

FOR SALE, Hotel in mining town,South Island; fair trade doing, can beimproved, as present owners are too oldfor the business. Price £2000; furnitureextra. 223'

HOTEL near Hawera. Price £500. { 222HOTEL, Hawkes Bay. Price for 10years' lease, including furniture, is £4000., Landlord will spend £500 onextending andimproving premises. 216HOTEL, 7 years' lease, rent £15, sub-lets reduce it to-£8; trade said to average£150 weekly. Price £5250; £2000. caehwanted. 212HOTEL, Hawkes Bay; trado £900 permonth. Possession given March, 1905. 211HOTEL, Taranaki; lease 7 years; besttrade. Ingoing £3300. 206HOTEL, Picton; lease nearly 6 years.-Price £1250. 14

HOTEL, Lytlelton;leate 7 years, Price£1250.

HOTEL, best town in Island; lease Hiyears;splendid business;free house, fittedup in first-class style. Large proportionpurchase money can be arranged. 211

DWAN BROS.,WILLIS-STREET, WELLINGTON.

THOMPSON BROS., Ltd.,AUCTIONEERS,

FRUIT AND PRODUCE SALESMEN,

HARRIS-STREET, Wellington.

We invite Consignments of Fruit, Grain,and all Farm Produce.

Auction Sales held Daily.: F. EGGERS, 28, Lambton-quay~"

HASFOR SALE—Near Baßin Reservo

—Pretty 4-roomedCottage and scullery, fireplace ]n every

room, bath, copper, tubs, p.w.c, land 37ftx 85ft. Price £620 ;cheap property.

Off Epuni-street—

Two newly-built 4-roomed Houses and 6cullery, bathroom,

1 copper, tubs, p.w.c, city water aria' newdrainage, view of whole harbour and city "houses sheltered from northerly anclsoutherly winds. Price £580 each. £50deposit will secure one of these houses"> balance as a weekly instalment,17s to 18s'.

'ANTED Known-Shortt's 30b' Mjliltary Field Glass, the most powerfu.glass ever sold at the. price. T '

SHIPPING.PORT OF WELLINGTON.

PHASES OF THE MOON FOR DECEMBER.(Calculated for New Zealand Mean Time.)

Day. H. M.New Moon .« M

~ I 116 p.m.First quartet ~ „ 15 937 a.m.Full Moon

_ - 23 5 31 a.m.Last quarter - „ 29 016 a.m.

HIGH WATER.To-day—ll.2s a.m.; 11.52 n.nu

To-morrow—o.2l p.m.

Seta to-day—7h 27m 33s p.m.Rises to-morrow—4h 20m27s a.m.;sets, 7h-27m. 453IWP< ARRIVALS.

December 31— Jlanaroa, s.s., 78 tons, Allman,from Motuekft.

Deoember 30—Phoebe, H.M.S., third-claos twin-screw steel cruiser, 2375 tons, 7500 horse-power,8 guns, Commander Robinson, from Auokland.

December 30—Mapouvika, s.a., 718 tons, Clift,from West Coast and Nelson. Passengers:—Saloon—Misses Townson, Bird, Leathaby, Mes-dames Jackson, Delasle, Pedler and 3 children,Byrne, Quested, Parson and boy, Scott, Pater-son, Burns and child, Messrs. Sadler, Smith,Jones, Henderson,Noonau, Sinkow, Jones, Jack-son, Morgan, Jamieson, Stewart, Bird, Dickson,Pollock Pedler, Byrne, Hutchesen, Stevenson,Parsons, Struthers, Scott, Langridge, Thomson,Trott,Brindley, Stewart, Shrivo; 26 steerage.

December 31—Opawn, s.s., 64 tons, Eokford,from Blenheim.

December 31—Waikare, s.s., 1901 tons, Craw-Bhaw, from Melbourne, Hobart, and South. Pas-sengers:Saloon—Misses Connor, Olarksoil,Nick-less, Fastier, M'Donal.l, Davidson (2), Meston,Alton, George, Baiej,Miller,Webb, Churoh, Mit-chell, Chaplin, Arenas, Mesdames Baker, Clous-ton, Watson, Bell, Steele, Clift and 3 children,Fastier, M'Millan, Huill and 2 children, Rev.M'Knlght, Messrs. Robertson, Eeeles, Young,Dohen, Rule, Nichol, Henderson, Davidson,Closs, M'Donald, Baruefct, Brown, Wise, Clous-ton, Anderson, Watson, Chaplin, Arilley,Potts,Vaughan, Geeson, 3teel; 39 steerage.

December 31—Nambucca, s.s., 94 tons, North,from Blenheim.

December 31—Rotomahaaa, s.s., 864 tons,Cbrisp, from Lyttelton. Passengers: Saloon—Missea GuHies, Mitchell, Lange, Rankln, M'Caf-fery, Simons,Hall, Mosley, Simmons, Hall, Dale(2), Kine, Wallace, Mitchell, Allen, Smytlie, Les-ter, Adamson, Ewdey, Culling (2), Cave, Warren,Mesdames Lewis,Evans, Frisken and child,Nor-rish, Wiggs, Myers,Mobs, Hogg, Price, Hutchi-son, Keall, Arrow and infant, Saxon (2), Hail,Symons, Gourloz, Blues, Atkinson, Gee, Barolay,P'itcatWy, Hughes,Hall, Henry and child, Poole,Fountain f.nd child, Butcher, Messrs. Mallett,M'Wba, Owvn, Neil], Brown, Phelan, M'Donald,Elliott, Leonard, M'Clusky, Finch, Evans, De-bacour, Griliam, Bush, Crawford, Frisken, Gee,Flavell, Norrish, Pankin, Peterson, Nicholl,Crombie, WiggsJ M.'Grath, Mayes,Kingdon,Hogg,Finch, Arthar, Carnudtul, Mathison, O'Connor,Myers, Potts, Unwin, M'Caflery, Onglcy, Cor-clukes, Domigon, Cameron, Keall, Arrow, Searle,Bkies, Atkinson, Gee, Banard, Piper, Dale, Pit-caithJy, Hughes, Henry, Abraham, Machin,Poole, Henn;64 steerage.

December 31—Penguin, s.s., 517 tons, Nord-strum, from Nelson and Picton. Passengers:Saloon—Misses Barkness, Hayward, Watson,Gribble (2), S;eele,Mesdames Haikness, Tingey,Richards, Pycroft and child, Jaokson and 2 chil-dren, Stephenson, Steele, Nurse Boyce (2),Messrs. Foley, Owter, Milroy, Richards, Tingey,Baigent, Paterson, Johnston, Neilson, Andrews,Harkness, Poynter and infant, M'Laren, Bat-chelor, Park, Milylie, Wilson, Wood, Starrock,Hart, Guest, Palmer,Kelly, Beanchamp, Baker,Herrickson, Stagg, Suisted, Chaplin,Mills, Mug-geridge; 22 steerage.

December 31—Mana, b.s., 77 tons, Shaw, fromI'ntca.

DEPARTURES.December 30—Corirma. s.s., 812 tons, James,

tor Nelson and New Plymouth.December 30—Waverley, s.s., 77 tons, Graham,

for N«lson and West Coast.December 31—Wainui, b.s., 411 tons,Hull, for

Kelson, W-estport, and Greymouth. Passengers-Saloon: For Nelson—Mrs. Hearne, Messrs. Mc-Leod, Hearne, Masters Hurst, Bunnay. ForWestport—Miss M'DonaW, Mesdames Moham,Dcx, Wexe, Fisher and infant, Messrs. Henley,Taylor,Phelan, Mall&tt,M'Donald, Green, Duffy,Dcx, Wexe, Fisher, Gisn, Hughes,Bayfleld. ForGreymouth—Miss Wilson,, Mrs. Baker, Messrs.Butter, Stone, Criohton, Lansey.

EXPECTED ARRIVALS.Himitangi, Castlepomfc via CoaSt, 3156Huia, Wanganui,31stAorere,'Patea, IstHaupirij.Greymouth and Westport, labMararoa, Lyttelton, IstPateena, Nelson and Picton, IstPonerua, South, IstQueen of tie South, Foxton,IblStormbird, Wanganui,IstTarawera, Dunecfin andLyttelton,IstCorinna, New Plymouth,3rdTalune,Auckland,Gisborne, andNapier, 3rdWakatu, Lytteltonvia Coast, 3rdHotoiti, Onehungaand New Plymouth,4thWimmera,Sydney,4th

PROJECTED DEPARTURES.Mana, Fatea, 31stNambucca, Blenheim, 31sfcOpawa, Blenheim, 31stParaora, Greymouth,31stPenguin,Picton andNelson, 31sERotomahima,Lytteiton,31stSuffolk, Lyttelton,3MWaikare,Sydney, 31stWainui, Nelson and West Coast, 31stTakapuna, Nelson, New Plymouth, and One-

hunga, IstTomoann, Napier, IstKahu, Nosier and East Coast, 2ndMapotirika, Nelson and West Coast, 2ndMararoa, Lyttelton,2ndPateena, Pioton and Nelson, 2ndAorere,Patea, 3rdHuia, Wanganui,3rdKiripaka, Waitara,3rdMnnaroa, Motueka, 3rdAlexander, Nelson and West Coast, 3rdPoherua, South, 3rdQueen of the South, Foxton,3rdStormbird, Wanganui,3rdTalune,Lytteltonand Dunedin, 3rdTarawera,Napier, Gisborne, and Auokland, 3rdTneman, Nelson and Mqtueka, 3rdCorinna, South, 4thHaupiri, 'Picton, Nelson,.and West Coast, 4thRptoiti,New Plymouthand Onehunga,4thWakatu, Lyttelton via Coast, 4th

BY TELEGRAPH.SYDNEY,31st December.

Arrived— Whangape, from Picton.HOBART,31st December.

Sailed— Cairn, for liyttelton.WAITARA,30th December.

Arrived— Kiripaka (2,45 p.m.).31st December.

Sailed— Kiripaka, (1a.m.), for Wellington viafatea.

NEW PLYMOUTH, 30th December.Soiled

—Rarawa (10.5 p.m.), for Onehunga.

31st December.Arrived— Rotoiti (4.50a.m.), from Onehunga.PATEA, 30th December.Arrived— Aorere (3 p.m.), from Wellington.

WANGANUI, 30th December.Arrived

—Stormbird (2.45 p.m.), from Weljing-

fcon.31st December.

Sailed— Huia (4.35 a.m.), for Wellington.PICTON, 30th December.

Arrived—

Pateena (5.50 p.m.), from Wellington.31sfc December.

Arrived—

Tasman (4 a.m.), from Nelson.Sailed

—Pateena (3 a.m.), for Nelson.

To Bail— Pateena (midnight),for Wellington.NELSON. 30th December.

Sailed— Tasman (7 p.m.), for Picton. "31st December.

Arrived—

Waverley (1a.m.) and Corinna (3.20h.m.), from Wellington.

LYTTELTON,'3Ist December.Arrived

—Manuka (7.15 a.m.) and Mararoa (8.20

a.m.), from Wellington.To sail— llaroroa (8.30 p.m.) and Tarawera

(11.30 p.m.), for Wellington.To sail— Poherua (4 p.m.), for Wellington.

NAPIER, 30th December.Arrived— Toroa (8.30 p.m.),from Wellington.

31sfc December.Arrived— Waiwera (12.15 a.m.), from Port

Chalmers; Zealandia (7 a.m.), from Wellington.AUCKLAND, 313t December.

Sailed— Star of Australia (8.15 a.m.), for Wel-lington.

PORT CHALMERS, 31st December.Arrived—Pharsalia (5.30 a.m.), fromNew York.

CASTLEPOINT, 31sfc December.Sailed— Himitangi(9.45 a.m.), for Wellington.

EAST CAPE, 31at December.Herald passed south at 10.27 a.m.Tho officers of the steamer Penguin, which

arrived from Nelson this morning,report havingpassed the Wellingtonyacht Kntiri off Admiral-ty Bay at 6 o'clock last night. The yacht wasmakingheavy weather at the t'me,but wished tobe reported all well.It isunderstood that CaptainD. Watson, whose

resignation from the service of the Union Com-pany was announced on Wednesday, ib to takpoVer the position of secretary to the MercantileService Guild.

The Waikare, which arrived from MelbourneviaHobart and the South this morning,broughta quantity of transhipments ex Ophir, Hima-laya, Bielefleld, and Kyarra, The vessel alsobrought2672 cases of cheese and 1400 boxes ofbutter from the Soutlft

Mr. J.Fergusun,chief engineer of theJlokoia,who hasleft the vessel after twenty-threeyears'service with the Union Company, was presentedwith amemento of esteem by the ofliccrs andengineers of ther steamer. Mr. Ferguson hasjoineda firm of engineers in Auckland,to whichplace he proceeds early in Jnuunry.It is stated that the Admiralty collier Mer-

cedes will leave Westport for Hongkong aboutBth January.

COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL.[PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

(Received December 31, 9 a.m.)LONDON, 30th December.

BANK OF ENGLAND "RETURN.The Bank of England return issued fortho week endingWednesday,28thDecember,

is aa under :—:—Issue Department.

Note issue £46.583,000 Got. debt £11,015,000Othersecurv

tiea ,„ 7,431,000Gold ... 28,431,000

£16,883,000 £10,883,000BiNKiNO Department.

Pr'pnet/rs' Gov.securi-capital.. £14,553,000 tis3 ... £15,610,000

Public do- Other so<posits ... 9,104,000 cunties... 35,464,000

Other de- Notes ... 18,679,000posits ... 41,321,000 Com ... l,4»i,000

Best, 7-dayandotherbills ... 3,269,000

£71,247,000 £71,247.000The leadingitems of the Bank of England

return affordthe followingcomparison:—

This week. Lastw«.ek. Lastyear.£ X £,

Bullion... 28,434,000 23,117,000 27,011,000Reserve... 20,173,000 19,741,000 18,584,000Note cir'n28,204,000 28,405,000 28.788,000Deposits 53,425,000 (17,545,000 56,375,000Proportion

reservetoliabilities 37-71 41-36

-32 89

GOVERNMENT SECURITIES.The following are the latest quotations for

Government securities witha comparisonofthose ruling last week :—:

—

"Interestpayable mMay ajidNovcmbei.

tInterest jja,>ablemJanuary audJuly.payableiv Apriland Octobur.

MONEY MARKET.The market rate of discount for" best

three months' bills isilower, at 2| percent. The Bank of Eagland rate is 6 percent., as against 3£ per cent, on21st April-and 4 per cent, on 14th April.COLONIAL AND OTHER PRODUCE.Wheat.—A holiday tone pervades tho

European wheat markets. Liberal offersor Argentine and Indianwheatare depress-ing values. There is a poor demand forcargoes; 13,000 quarters, Australian Janu-ary-February shipment, sold at 32s 44d;there are no eales of cargoes on passage.For off-coast cargoes 32s 4£d is offered.Blizzards, resulting in unfavourable cropreports, have stiffened the American mar-kets. Australian and New Zealand wheatson spot are nominally unchanged.

Flour.—London prices unchanged; Glas-gow recovering, and now quoted at 26s 3dto 26s 9d.'Butter is quiet and weaker owing to

large arrivals. Choicest Victorian, 96s to98s; New South Wales, 9'k to 965, a fewlots making 98s; South Australian andQueensland, 92s to 94s;New Zealand, 100s.

Cheese is in strong demand. Canadian,545; New Zealand, 51s to 525.

Butter agents generally aro favourableto the Government grading of Victorianbutter on similar lines to New Zealand,which is satisfactory.

Sugar is firmer. German beet, 88_deg,14s sd; first mark granulated, f.o.b. Ham-burg at 15s lid per cwt.

Bradford Tops.—Tho market is quiet andunchanged.

Rabbits are in poor demand.THE METAL MARKETS.

Copper.—Spot, £68 7s 6dper ton; threemonths', £68 15s per ton.

Tin.—Spot, £135 2s 6d per ton} threemonths', £134 15s per ton.

Pig-iron, Middlesborough No. 1, cash,50s 8d per ton.

'MAIL NOTICES.

Subject to necessary alterations mails willclose at the Chief Post Office as under:

—SATURDAY, 31st December.

For Blenheim, per Opawa,5 p.m.For Blenheim, per Nambuccu,5 p.m.ForNelson, per Takapuna,7.45 p.m.For Southern Offices of New Zealand, per Ro-tomahana, 7.45 p.m. *

MONDAY, 2nd January.For New Plymouthand Auckland, 7 a.m.For Picton, per Mararoa, 7 a.m.For Picton, Blenheim, and Nelson, per Pa-teena, 7 a.m.For Nelson, Westport, Greymouth, and Hoki-

tika, per Mapouriha, 7 a.m.For Southern Offices of New Zealand, per

Mararoa, 7 a.m.TUESDAY, 3rd January.

For New Plymouthand Axickland, per Mana-watu ti?in, 8.10 a.m.

For Napier, Gisbome, andAuckland, per Tara-wera, 11.20 a.m. .Parcels Mail for United Kingdom,per Gothic,

5 p.m.Tor United Kingdom and Continent of Europe

via Rio de Janiero and Teneriffe (due London15th February,1905), for specially addressed cor-respondence only, per Gothic, 10 a.m.

The next best despatch for Continent ofEurope and United Kingdom will be via SanFrancisco, closing nt Chief Poßt Office, Wel-lington, Thursday, sth January, at 8.10 a.m.,lote-fee letters at mail yin, Manawatu Station,9.10 a.m., due London 4th February. Money-orders fpr despatch by thiß mail must be pro-cured before 4 p.m., Wednesday, 4th January.All registered correspondence aDd parcels forUnited States must be presentedbefore 5 p.m.,Wednesday, 4th January.

Unless otherwise specified, registered lettersmust be handed in and money-orders obtainedone hour before, and parcels-post mails thirtyminutes before, the ordinary mail closes.

J. A. HUTTON,Chief Postmaster.

TELEGRAPH MAIL NOTICES.Mails for Austialia, Tasmania, Ceylon, India,

China, Japan, and Straits Settlements, alsoSouth Africa,Continent of Europe,and UnitedKingdom,per Zealandia, close at Auckland, 2ndJanuary, at 8 a.m.

Mails for the Commonwealth of Australia,United Kingdom,and Continent of Europe, viaHobart, close at Bluff, 10 a.m., Monday, 2ndJanuary.Mails for the Commonwealth of Australia,, In-dia, Ceylon, China, Japan, Straits Settlements,also South Africa, Continent of Europe, andUnited Kingdom,close at Bluff, 10 a.m.. Mon-day, 2nd January.Mails for Australia, Tasmania, Ceylon, IndiaChina, Japan,and Straits Settlements,alsoSouthAfrica, Continent of Europe, and United King-dom,dose atAucklandper Zealandia, 2nd Janu-ary,at 4.15 p.m.Mails for Chatham Islands, per Toroa, close atLyttelton,8 p.m., Tuesday,10th January.

METEOROLOGICAL.TO-DAY'S WEATHER.

W nd.—L, light;br, breeze;f b, Ireaßbreeze; m g, moderate gale; g, whole otheavy gale; w, gale of exceptional severity.

Wet,ther.— B. blue sky, be the atmosphereclear or heavy; C,clouds, passing olouds; O,

driz/sljng rain; F, foggy; G, gloomy, dartweather; 11, hail; L, lightning;M, misty; O;overcast, the whole aky covered with thiclclouds; P, passing sliowersi & jjg.ualim-R

rain, continued rain; S, snow; T, thunder;U, ugly, threatening appearance.

WEATHEE FORECAST FOR 24 HOURS FROM'9 a.m. TO-DAY.

Wind.— Strong togale from fcet\teen north-eastand north and west at nil places in the NorthIsljwl,and from between north and west andtfluta-west. in the South Island.

Barometer.—

Fall at all. places northward ofKaikoura and H&kitika ;rise everywhere else.

Sea.—

Considerable on all western coast, undat Cape Campbell,also inBay of Plenty.

Tides.—

High on western coast north of CapeEgraont:good on both coasts of South Island,and inBay of Plenty;moderate nilother ports.

Rain is to be expected in most pai-ta of thecountry.

Warning signals for northerly gales are ex-hibited at Cape Maria Van Diemen, Tiritiri,Capea Campbell, Foulwind, and Farewell Spit,and for westerly gales at Nugget Point.

SYNOPSIS OF LAST 24 HOURS.Northward of Napier and New Plymouththerehas been very little movement of the barometer,

but it has fallen steadily everywhere else. Mod-eiate westerly winds ha\e been prevalentnorth-ward of Napier and Wanganui, and moderatenortherly winds cveijwheie else, and theweather has been gcnerailj- fine.

R. A. EDWIN.

TO CORRESPONDENTS."

Enquirer."—Mrs. Drake was sentenced on9thDecember, 1902."

Evening Post.SATURDAY,DECEMBER 31, 1904.

REVIEW OF THE YEAR.«

METROPOLITAN.TUo year which closes to-day has been

one of progress and prosperity to thechief city of the colony, and has beensignalised by the completion, as well asthe inauguration, of important publicworks. The Corporationloan of £330,000authorised last year by the citizens, was

, floated in London in January, and hasbeen in large part expended on extensivecity improvements. InApril the Mayor,Mr. J. G. W. Aitken, M.H.R., was re-elected by a large majority, and is nowfulfilling his fifth consecutive term ofoffice. The year has seen the completionof the Adelaide-road street-widening oper-ations undertaken by the city, the substi-tution of broad and well-paved thorough-fares for some of the rough and narrowhighways that have done duty for mainstreets, xke total abolition of the oldhorse-cars, and the inauguration of anefficient electric-tram service, with thelatest improvements. The first electrictram section w*s opened on 30th July;the work has been vigorously pushed for-ward, and the principal city sections arenow in full working order. JLhat supplycreates demand is demonstrated by thegreat numbers of people who avail them-selves of the new mode of transit. TheMissions to Seamen rejoice in a new,commodious, and beautiful building, saidto be the finest of its kind south,of theLine— opened in August, the munificentgift of a, lady; and the crown has been,placed upon the city by the completionand inauguration of its fine Town Hall,which was opened withdue ceremony onthe 7th December. The foundation-stoneof the Victoria College was laid in Aug-ust, and work on the building is beingpushed forward. Indune, Governor Ran-furly departed, and was succeeded byLord Plunket. The appeal in the New-town licensing case, pending at the closeof 1903, was decided by the Privy Coun-cil in favour of the appellants, and theSouth Wellington bars accordingly re-opened in May last. The football match,Britain versus New Zealand, was foughtout in the Basin Reserve in August, thecolonial team winning by nine to three.Iv the early part of the year the long-continued absence of rain led to appre-hension of a failure of the water Supply,but the temporary drought fortunatelybroke up in time. On the 9th August anearthquake caused the citizens somealarm. Though not to be compared withthe unforgotten "shakes" of 1848 and1855, it was probably the sharpest visita-tion of the kind since che latter date. Con-siderable' damage was done to the Gov-ernment Insurance Buildings and the Pub-lic Library, but otherwisethe effects werenot serious, and there was no damage tolife or limb. On the 13th October Wel-lington was visited by the fiercest galeit has known for many years

—gardens,fences, and, in some cases, roofs, suffer-

ing severely; while the weather through-out the greater part of December was un-seasonable— a£ times even wintry. InNovember a shocking accident occurredduring artillery practice at Fort Ballance,through a breech-block blowing out ofone of the guns, killing a gunner on thespot, and seriously wounding five of hiscomrades. The gale of October causedseveral wrecks, but no loss of life- wasrecorded. A notable fire occurred in the|city in Maroh, when the extensive ware- jhouse of Messrs. Kempthorne, Prosser,and Co., wholesale druggists, with itsvaluable contents, was destroyed; andonly last Thursday evening the oldbuild-ing on Lanibton-quay known as St.George's Hall, with "its contents, wasburned. Though the structure will notbe greatly mourned on sesthetic grounds,the destruction of goods was serious, andthe Foresters deplore the loss of theirlodge room, withits furniture^ charters,and valuable banner.

COLONIAL.No conspicuous crime has dis-

figured the record of the year.A man named Collinson was shotby an unseen assassiD in the Wairarapadistrict on 27thFebruary, and aman sus-pected of the crime was arrested in De-cember, after long search, in the Kererudistrict, in the interior of Hawkes Bay,wherehe had been lying concealed. Somedaring burglaries have lately taken placein the city— the work, apparently, of un-desirable strangers, as they show signs ofan expertness usually absent from theoperations of local practitioners. In theneighbourhood of Wellington twonotableevents were the opening of the new HuttBridge in April, and in the followingmonth the laying of the foundation-fltoneof the new Petone Railway Station.In the first week of the year the Aus-tralasian' Association for the Advance-ment of Science opened its congrebs inDunedin. The discussions of that learn-ed body exhibited in a marked degreethe modern tendency to bring the dis-covenes of science to bear on. the prac-tical concerns of daily life. The Ant-arctic ship Discovery returned to Lyttel-ton oi? the 4th April, after one of themost successful Polar expeditions everaccomplished—

one which promises, in ascientific sense, to be xery fruitful. La&tyear werecorded the outbreak of a won-derful geyser in the Rotorua district.This year another natural wonder hasto be chronicled. Lake Tarawera, whichhas been rising in level ever since thehistoric eruption, of June, 1886, recentlybrrfke a passage through the mass ofvolcanic deposit by which it was con-fined, and availed itself of an ancientoutlet, the result being the formation ofa magnificent waterfall where formerly atiny rill trickled down the face of a greatprecipice. InFebruary Bishop Nevillwaselected Primate of the Anglican, bodyin New Zealand. The session of Parlia-ment was long, and not especially fruit-ful. An Act, ranked by the Administra-tion as of prime importance, constitutingthe office of High Commissioner for thecolony, was passed;and though no of-ficial announcement of such intentionhasbeen made, it is fully understood thatthe present Premier intends to assume theoffice. A Licensing Act Amendment Acth;is been carried through. As intioduced,it was simply an impossible measure;but took practical shape in its progressthrough Parliament, andmay be expectedto prevent a recurrence of the moreserious abuses that developed underthe former law. A Shops and OfficesAct, passed in the closing hours of thesession, evoked a storm of indignationfrom the small traders, large public meet-ings having gone so far as to demand aspecial session for its repeal. It is atpresent "hung up" while aome of itsprovisions are being tested in the Courts.Another much-discussed measure was theReferendum Bill, introduced as the ful-filment of a promise to the Bible-in-Schools Party, which has shown greatactivity of late. Instead, however, ofproviding for a referendum on this par-ticular subject, the Bill was of a generalnature, and its provisions were so cum-brous and its machinery so co&tly that itwas ignominiously rejected. The RightHen. R. J. Seddon, the Premier of thecolony, was one of the fiist to protestagainst the employment of .Chinese in

the Transvaal mines, but gaveParliamenti no opportunity of expressing an opinion

till the closing hours of the session, when! an emphatic but very belated protestwas made by both Houses. The burn-ingquestion of land tenuie— freehold ver-sus, leasehold— has been very prominentlybefore the country, but the Administra-

: tion has takenno decided stand on thesubject. On the 7th July the House ofRepresentativesdecided to refer the wholematter to a Royal Commission. Aftermany promises and much delay the Statehas at last taken in hand the redress of.some of the grievances of the railwayworkmen and asylum attendants, and

t has at least made a good beginning. A5

smallpox "scare" ja Christchurch in Jan-uary caused the usual .rush to the public1 vaccinators. Extensive floods occurred ini Nelson in Mwpeh, and two months later, the Wanganui folk beheld a freshet inj their magnificent river beyond the ex-

perience of the "oldest inhabitant." For'a time apprehensions were felt regarding

9 the bridge, buttho structure proved equals to the occasion. The most painful dis-

aster of the year was a landslipat Brun-' ncr, which wrecked twohouses and caus-■ etl the loss of eight lives. In Octoberr sue of the crew of H.M.S. Penguin lostI their lives ina boat accident at Kawau.

A destructive fire occurred at PalmeratonNorth on. the 28th January; the Grand" HotelatRotorua■wasLurnt to the ground

■ on 23rd October, several of the inmates. narrowly escaping the flames; a gieat. part of the little town of Collingwood,the port of Golden Bay, Nelson, was

L wiped out by fire on 7th November;andNelson College was reduced to ashes on

" 7th December.; THE COMMONWEALTH.

Lord Northcote, the. new Governor-General of the Commonwealth, assumed

1 office on the 21st January. The FederalParliament opened its session in March,

, and its results have been disappointing.i The session was spent in one long

wrangle over the Arbitration Bill, onwhich two Ministries were defeated, and

; politically the year has been largely, wasted. On the defeat and resignation of, Mr. Deakin's Ministry, the first Labour

Administration was formed, with Air.Watson as Premier. After a trying ex-. perience of less than four months,, Mr.

Watson had to give place to Mr. Reid,who carried the Bill through, but in such

: a form as to give little satisfaction to anyone. It contains the provision for whichthe Labour Party have fought with suchdetermination

—preference to unionists

—. but they complain bitterly that it is soqualified withconditions as to bevalueless.Imperfect as the measure is, its adminis-trationwill bewatchedwithinterest. TheFederal High Court, the keystone of theCommonwealth Constitution, has com-pleted its first year,and given many im-portant decisions. Comment has beenmade on the large proportion of cases inwhich it has reversed the decisions ofthe Supreme Courts of the States.

THE AUSTRALIAN STATES.Inall the States there is a growing

feeling thaE Australia must offer greaterattractions to secure an increase of popu-lation, and various experimentsto inducecl«er settlement are being tried. Theincreasing prominence and influence ofthe Labour Party are noticeable in all theStates. No longer content to hold thebalance of power, it aspires to be thedominant party. Its advance is perhapsleast noticeable in Victoria, where it hasnot recovered from the setback it receiv-ed last year as the result of its cardinalblunder, the railway strike. In Victoria,andin New South Wales also, Land Set-tlement Bills, modelled to some extenton Nev Zealand legislation, have beenpassed. The Butter Commission in Vic-toria, appointed to enquire into alleged ir-regularities in the butter trade, hasbroujj.it out some sensational evi-dence. The Premier of New So.'ithWales, Sir John See, resigned in Junoon account of< failing health, and at thegeneral election in August, the Ministry,of which Mr. Waddefl had become thehead, was defeated by an overwhelmingmajority. A Commission was appointedto investigate the subject of the dimin-ishing birth-rate, and presented its re-port, in June the Queensland Liberal-Labour coalition Ministry resigned, onlyto be returned later with a greatly en-hancedmajority. InQueensland the La-bour Party is paramount. The Treasurer,Mr. Kidson, is known as one of itsstrongest men. His policy is one ofsoundifinance, economy in administration,and drastic retrenchment. One of hismeasures was a "Betterment" Bill, in-troducing a new principle into land tax-ation,but he had to drop the Bill.-West-ern Australia has a Labour Governmentpure and simple. South Australia hasadded little to the history of the year.In Tasmania) Mr. Propsting's Ministry,after along disagreement withthe Conser-vative Legislative Council, was finallyworsted on its financial proposals, andresigned in July. The colourless policyof Mr. Evans, who succeeded as Premier,calls for little comment. The TasmanianWomen's Suffrage Act received the Royalassent.

In January Sir Arthur Havelock ».e-signed the Governorship of Tasmania,and Sir Gerald Strickland was appointedhis successor. July wasmarkedby heavyfloods and gales, especially inNew SouthWales, and the steamer Nemesis waslost with all hands. Other wrecks werethose of the Aramac, in March, ou thecoast of Queensland, and the P. and 0.steamer Australia in June,at PortPhilipHeads. In the Australasian islands andBritish dependencies, among othet mat-ters of note may be mentioned a destruc-tive cyclone in Fiji on 25th January,which wrecked the town of Levuka, andthe massacre of Roman Catholic mission-aries at New Britain on 12th September.In June Mr. E. I. Thurm was appointedGovernor of Fiji. The vexatious regula-tions and imposts levied ii> restraint oftrade by Germany m the Marshall Is-lands gave rise to considerable irritation.

BRITISH ANDFOREIBN.The year has been more than ordin-

arily eventful. The closinghours of1903were darkened by a great tragedy— theburning of the Iroquois Theatre, Chicago,with the loss of over six hundred lives.The immediate effect of the calamity wasthe enforcement through the world ofmore efficient precautions for 'safety iffpublic buildings. The outstanding eventof the year has been the outbreak ofwar between Japan and Russia, and itadevelopment into a struggle of the firstmagnitude. Japan has shown from thefirst exceptional patriotism, readiness,and resource, and has made very fewmistakes in generalship. The first shotwab fired a,t Chemulpo on the Bth Feb-ruary by the Russian gunboat Korietz.Severalof the-Russian fleet were speedilydestroyed or crippled by the Japaneseunder Admiral Togo, and the rest con-fined in Port Arthur, where a fairly'efficient blockade has been maintained.Having thus gained control of the sea,Japan has had the inestimable advau-tage of landing troops and stores unop-posed, while Russia has been confined tothe single line of the Manchurianrailwayfor transport of men and material. Thecampaign in Manchuria, with the threedays' battle of the Yalu, and the stillmore sanguinary conflicts in June, whenthe Japanese captured the supposed im-pregnable passes giving access to theLiao Valley, andin September, when theRussians were driven fnom Liaoyangafter an exhausting conflict for both ar-mies, are unexampledin modernwarfare;but even these have been overshadowedby the gigantic operations at Port Ar-thur, which will rank in history withany siege on record, ancient or modern,for the ■/strength of its defences* the

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 81, 1904.4

son await the coming of the tardy Bakufleet, which has only lately pa^ed thtCape, and i." also awaited with capexpectancy by the Jamnese Admiral. Butthe fleet has put back so often, and lag-ged so unaccountably, as to Pupgest notonly unfitness on the part of tiie ships,but treason on board, while letters frommembers of the crew show that pam«fear has taken hold of officers and sea-men alike. Of this there was conspicu-ous instance in October, when the squad*ron, having lost its bearings at night,sunk a Swedish merchant ship, supposingit tobe a Japanese destroyer, bombardeda peaceful fleet of British trawlers en-gaged in their ordinary calling at tutDogger Bank, killing two fishermen,fired upon and damaged* some of theifown fleet, the chaplain beingkilled, afteiwhich the Admiral promptly telegraphedthat he had been attacked and disperseda fleet of Japanese destroyers, sinkingsevefal of the enemy's ships.It was difficult for Britain to realisi

that the outrage was the outcome olorunkenness, bad seamanship, and panufear. Relations had already been strained by high-handedinterference withmerchantmen and mail ships, amounting wsomething very like piracy, and this laslwanton act was felt to be intolerable,For a few days war seemed imminent|but Russia apologised, offered such finan-cial indemnity as could be gi'on, andagreed to refer the whole matter to anInternational Commission for enquiry,However,toprevent arepetition of suchfatal mistakes, the British fleet waaplaced, in readiness for action, and thij.ussian fleet was carefully "shepherded"by British men-of-war. It is not wonder-ful that weread of consternation and be-wilderment in St. retersburg at the dis-asters which havebefallen the army andnavy in less than eleven months. Spe-cial taxation has been found necessary,and, worse still, the reserves are beingcalled out anddratted to the "shamblesjnMancnuria. Discontent, always smouldering, is breaking out into flames; every-where the people demand the cessation olthe war and clamour for freedom and ipopular constitution. De Plehve, thttyrannical and unpopular Minister of th«Interior, having been assassinated hJuly, the liberal Prince Mirsky was,appointed in his place. Against this rnajbe balanced the Tsar's appointment o:Prince Obolensky, the women-flogger, aiGovernor of Finland, in place of GeneralBobrikoff, assassinated. Prince Mirskyassisted by M. de Witte, President of theCouncil, has persistently urged upon th<Tsar the urgent necessity of cpnstitutional reform; but the opposition of theprinces and nobles, and of the medieva'Pobiedonostseff, Procurator of the HoljSynod, has blocked him at every step,In the closing week of the year, a reform decree was propounded by lh«Tsar, but,as it make? noprovision fjr iconstitution, and would be administerecby reactionaries whose personal interestswould lie in its failure, it seems to haveinflamed rather than allayed the popula;discontent, which may even yet culminaye in revolution. Should the war resuHin Russia's defeat, and the checking oiher career of aggression in Manchuriait will make for the welfare of heipeople, as her success would mean triumph

—temporary, at a4l events— for th<

reactionary party in Church and State.In Imperial matters, Mr. Chamberlain'!

catching cry of Preferential Trade hasceased, to charm the people, backeflthough he has been throughout by thtpowerful Times. None of the colonicicare to grant any substantial concessionat the expense of their own industriesanu the Briton ha? no great liking foia one-sided bargain. By the Home Labour Party the proposal is regarded witlstrong aversion, while the same party iithe colonies is either unfavourable or mdifferent. The Randblunder has arousetmuch feeling, and has been generallycondemned, while in the Transvaal itsel:the introduction in large numbers o!Chinese of an exceptionally objectionablttype has exacerbated existing racial animosities and given rise already to unlooked-for troubles and complications,and the outlook is decideSly threatening. In consequence of persistent ignoring of treaty obligations in Tibet— -due,it seems evident, to the influence of Russian emissaries

—a British mission wa:

despatchedacross "theroof of theworld'to Lhassa. After severe hardships an«some fighting, the main object of tiie mission was fulfilled. Admission was obtained to the forbidden city, where a newtreaty was signed. How far the Tibetanobligations will be fulfilled remain!to be seen.Inthe UnitedKingdom

—partly, doubt-

less, as the aftermath of war—

there hatbeen serious depressionof trade. Early iathe year a "cotton famine" was reported!from Lancashire, andat latestadvices theunemployed problem in many parts oilEngland had become acute. Under thes<iconditions, fiscal proposals involving in-creased prices for the necessaries of lif<!naturally find scanty favour among thos«chiefly concerned;besides whichthe Free-trade sentiment is still very strong, aithe Cobden centenary celebration in Jun<evidenced. Mr. Chamberlain's Commis-sion, appointed last year toenquire intothe state of trade, issued its first interinrreport in July, dealing with the ironand steel industries in the UnitedStates. Three important internationallagreements wereconcludedduring theyear— Anglo-Italian and Anglo-Spanish Arbi-tration Treaties, and the Anglo-FrenchConvention. The War Office Re-form Commission presented its re*port in February, and the Army Conymission in May. Both afforded large ma-terial for thought and discussion, th«second in particular, recommending as iffdid, whatamounted to a system of con-scription. In July Mr. Arnold Forster'lnew army scheme was introduced. Tlmreligious world, in Scotland in particular*was moved to its centre by the Housaof Lords' decision in favour of the FredChurchminority. This was'a small bodywhich dissented from the union of tlirFree Church with the United Presbyterians, which was recently accomplished,to the great satisfaction of those who liketo see old breaches heated. The unionwas carried out in strict conformity withPresbyterian order, was approved in dutcourse by all the church Courts, and w&nheld by the Court of Session to be regu-lar; but the dissentients, relying uponcertain ancient standards of belief, heWthat these had been departed from, and,that they, the minority, were now, dcjure and de facto, the Free Church. Tiiirclaim the House of Lords confirmed by *majority on purely legal grounds, withthe startling result that a handful ofHighland ministers with their people,found themselves legally possessed of th<property of their brethren to the value oi?over ten millions sterling, including colleges, extensive foreign mission stations)and eleven hundred churches and manses.The consternation of the United Fre«Church body, who looked for immediatedispossession, can scarcely be imagined^but the State has intervened so far as to1

prevent the minority from seizing ani!church or institution unless they provtthat theyare prepared to carryiton. Tlit-church is, however, hampered by the ty.ing tip of its funds in trust. All attempt!)

Price.Variationaicompared

withlast week.

2f% ImperialConsols4 % Now South AVolea3J% New SouthWales3 % NowSouth Wolea4 % Victorian ...3i% Victorian ...3 % Victonaij_3£% SouthAustralian3 % SouthAustralian.1% Queensland,3*% Queensland ...a% Queensland ...4% JNow Zealand* ...34% .New Zeulaudt...3 % .NewZeolaudt...3i& West AustraUiia3 % West Australian3i% Tasmuniun ...3 %Taaui.inmu

£ b. d.88 15 0

106 10 008 15 085 7 6

103 0 005 10 085 0 09G 10 084 10 U

104 0 095 10 084 10 U

IUO 10 093 0 088 O 0US 15 084 10 098 0 080 0 0

126higher10/- higher15/- highei7/6 higher

CJuchaugedUucliaugedUucliniigedUnchangedUnchange'lUuchimgedLO/- higher10/- higher10/- hijjlier20/- higherLTuchaufjed&/- WgLer

(Jnchauged10/- higherUnchanged

FROM OBSERVATIONS TAKEN AT 9 1.51.

Station. Wind. Bar.Tber.in

ShadeWea-ther.

Capo Maria VanDieman

KussollAlannkau HeadsAucklandEastCape ...GisborneSpit (Nnpier) ...CastlepointHew Plymouth...Paten,WuugunuiFoxlonWellingtonBlenheimCapeCampbell...KtukouruNelsonFarewell Spit ...WestportQreymouthHoMtikaBealeyLyttelton ...Chi-istchurch ..TimaruOainuiuPort Chalmers...DunedinQueeustownNuggetsluvetoopgill ...Blutt

IIWlCalmW-SW brS\T 1SB 1CnlinCalmNfbS 1N\V 1WlVV 1NbrN\V 1NW f bCalmNWIW 1NE1NE btN 1WlNEbsNB 1NE brNJ3 1NE 1N1SW £bCalmCulmNWI

296329-8029-9029-9029-1)129-90WSi29-702.0-8229-8329-822073296829-64I£9-6629-5829-7029-7529-82-29-7829-7529-7329*60296329-5129-4529-4020-38"i9-4429 4329-4429-50

65G2566G0371sti615SG20101500358G36257585951515658575859C.i58566066

B CB C0 GCB OCB CB OOGOOBCCBOCOooH O0oBCCBCGB COOliC0B 0liC

FEDERALCOFFEE PALACE,

CHRISTCHURCH.CHARMINGLY situated in Victoria-

square. Fronting the door is theQueen's Statue and the Band Rotunda,from whence is wafted the melodiousstrains of the great masters. Tho lovelyAvon,wending through the park-like fore-ground, gives a poetio glow to the out.

ANDREW DAVIES, Proprietor^fO WYNN KIRKB~Y,itV SHAREBROKER & FINAN-

CIAL AGENT,Quick's Buildings, Featherston-st.

"Tel9p.hono 1911,

YOll WANTPLATED WARE and CUTLERY

some time.You will want to do the best with your

money.NOW, WE HAVEN'T MUCHOFA SHOP

60, CUBA-STREET,Butwohave

'■ A REAL GOOD LOT OF PLATE,At prices that must make itgo.'

Thereis alot of verynice Breakfast Cruetswhich,

TO CLEAR OUT,We have reduced to 7s 6d each.

Handsome Cases of Cutlery, Spoons, &o.—

48pieces for503InCarvers wecan give wonderful valueSoKdSilverAfternoon TeaSpoons'incase. 25sVeryprettyCups, SugarandCream, inframePocketFlasks, 2s6d to20sCruets, JEgg Frames, Tea Sots, Jelly Dishes,

&c,&c.Presentation Cups, Rose Bowls, &c.

Come andSee Our Windows and Showroom.

T. J. THOMPSON & CO.,IRONMONGERS, 60,CUBA-STREET.

Bedstead and Builders' Showroomsat Mereer-streot.

opH brewery company,FULHAM,LONDON, andMANCHESTER,

BREWERS OF KOPS NON-ALCOHOLALES AND STOUTS.

Kops products are brewed from thefinest Kentish Hops and Malt, and whilecontaining tho higher nutiitivo qualities,by a secret process they are made abso-

: lutely FREE FROM ALCOHOL.Our Ale is an excellent beverage with

1 Tonic qualities.Our Stout is highly nourishing, and can

be recommended for invalids.From all Stores at— Pints, 5s 9d per

dozen;Quarts, 8s 9d per dozen.vIf your gvocer cannot supply, apply to

the General Agents for the Colony,L. CASBLBERG AND CO.,

15, HARRIS-STREET.(Wholesale OnlyK

mHE NORTH OF IRELAND CHEM-JL ICAL COMPANY'S ANTISEPTIC

SHEEP DIP AND DIPPINGPOWDER.

UNIVERSAL WEED KILLER.Agents— Wairavapa, F. H. Wood; Marl-

borough,E. F. Healy.UNITED FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE

ASSOCIATION (Ltd.),88, Lambton-quay, Wellington, Agents for

New Zealand.PATENTS LKstablished 1882J

Pamphlet,"ADVICE TO INVENTORS"

Free on application toHENRY HUGHES,

Queen's Chambera (opposite P. Office),Wellington.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS.

DR. ARNOLD IZARD,No. 3, MURPHY-STREET

(Lately occupied by Dr. DeRenzi)."Hours at Home:12 to 2, 6to 7.

Telephone No. 2139.Consulting Rooms: 215, Lambton-quay.

Hours: 9 to 10.30, 2 to 3, 7 to 8.■ TeJephoneJSo^_l9o2:M~R. HAROLD" W. "BLUNDELL,

SURGEON DENTIST,Late of London and Philadelphia, U.S.A.

EVENING POST BUILDINGS.Telephone 3713.

XT bT GREEN,SURGEON DENTIST,

Central Chambers, Willis-street(NewBuilding opposite J. Duthie and Co.,

Ironmongers),Has now Resumed Practice, and will be

pleased to see old and new patients.Fees Moderate. 'Phono 2144.EOPUD N E V,

DENTAL SURGEON,100a, Willis-street.

Highest Class of Artificial Work at feeswithin reach of all. No connection withcompanies or institutes.

R. H. C. GLEIsDINING(D.D.S., U.S.A.),

DENTAL SURGEON,Fletcher's Buildings, 3, WILLIS-STREET.

Telephone 1755*

T&TK. WALTER MANTELL,I?JL DENTIST,SYDNEY-STREET (First Gate from

Museum-street).Telephone No. 554.

HW. EARP-THOMAS AND CO.," Dentists (late Phila., U.S.A.).Manners-street. Telephone 1674.

Teeth extractedpainlessly by now method.No pain or after effects guaranteed.

X STD NE~Y HALL,DENTIST,

BOULCOTT-ST., Wellington, (oppositeDr. Collina')

Telechone 479M. BEERE, Dentist (late of New" York, U.S.A.).

42,LAMBTON-QUAY (opposite KelburneTram Avenue). Tel. 1255.

MR. N. S C. COLE,SURGEON DENTIST,

215, LAMBTON-QUAY (nest DunbarSloane's Pharmacy). /

X PALGRAVE, M.R.C.V.S.," VETERINARY SURGEON.Surgery-17, WILLIS-ST.House-5, HOBSON-CRESCENT.

C. MADDISON, F.R.1.8.A.," ARCHITECT(Late Hislop and Waldon, Architects).

Offico:NATIONAL MUTUAL BUILDINGS.'

"OARPv, LEARY AND CO.^ACCOUNTANTS and SHAREBROKERS

6, Featherston-st., and at Dunedin.AETIS L U O XIJS,

Barrister and Solicitor, PatentAgent, 44, Lambton-quay.

Money to Lond at 4£ per cent. Tel. 1437

MR. W. G. SOMERVILLE,SOLICITOR & PATENT AGENT,

Has removed to New Offices, Nos. 14, 15,and 16, King's Chambers, Willis-st.

Money to lepd at lowest rates. Tel. 1837.YMOCK AND PEARCE,

E. R. DYMOCK,] [W. S. PEARCE.A.1.A., N.Z..Accountants, Auditors, and Sharebrokera.P.O. Box 193. Hunter-street. Tel. 955.

ONEY TO LEND on Freehold Se-curity, at lowest rates.YOUNG AND TRIPE,

Solicitors, Grey-street.

MONEY to Lend at current rates onFreehold Security, Government

Debentures, Municipal aud other Deben-[j tures secured on Rates. Tho Trusteeß,r Executors and Agency Co. of New Zea-

land, Limited, Dunedin— W. Laurencec Simpson, Manager.

J' A~N~D a! WILSON," FUNERAL FURNISHERS,k 54, CAMBRIDGE-TERRACE*«*«* *

XelfKhoue. 804,

THE HASH."IT"MAS GOODS JUST TO HAND.

FOB GENTLEMEN,

DON'T Latest inTiesMISS Newest in ShirtsTHE LightestUnderwearSHOP. Choicest StrawHats

WALLACE^ GIBSON,Willis-strecfc

(Next "Evening Post).

C<TART THE NEW YEAR WELL!

BUY THE

NEWZEALAND DIARIES

THE ONLY SERIES CONTAININGUSEFUL LOCAL INFORMATION.

i i

CommercialRough 80And DifferentPocket StylesSeries

OBTAINABLE FROM ALL BOOK-SELLERS

And

WHITCOMBE & TOMBS,LIMITED,PUBLISHERS.

STILL EVER YOURS.

THE COUNTRY MUST CONTINUETO PROSPER

On the"CHAMPION""STANDARD"

MUSCLE RAISER.COPIES OF TELEGRAMS TO AND

FROM RIGHT HON. SEDDON.slh December, 1904.

HON. SEDDON."Regret to hear you are leaving

"us, as we felt sure, with time, that"we could have got you as fit as San-"dow on our 'MUSCLE RAISER.'"Kindly name your successor,1 as we"must get him built up with 'CHAM-"PION' 'STANDARD' RAISER;even"then we are afraidho will uot be able"todo the SHAFTING youhavedone,"as you know some aro very showy in"tandemlead on the flat.

"VIRTUE,"Milling Company."

"VHITUE,"Auckland."

"In reply to your telegram of"to-day: 'Still over yours.'"

"R. J. SEDDON."

KEEP YOUB BILLSDOWN,

By

PURCHASINa YOUE WANI& IN

IRONMONGERYFrom

Q-EORGE WINDER.

NEW SHIPMENTS JUST TO HAND.

CUTLERY,and

ELECTRO-PLATEDSPOONSandFORKS,

GARDEN TOOLS and SEATS,

MECHANICS' TOOLS,

LAWN MOWERS,

GARDEN HOSE and REELS,

At BEDROCKAPRIOES.

[CUBA AND MANNERS STREETS.

ADVANCE PETONE!WE have pleasure in notifying

the residents of PETONE andHUTT VALLEY that we are now sup-plying tho purest GERM-PROOF AeratedWaters from our PETONE WORKS, andwe respectfully sob'cit your patronage.

Our "LIMEFIZZ" (Lime Juice andSoda) is manufactured from the finestWest India Lime Juico, and not from anessence.

SPECIALLY PREPARED MEDICI-NAL SODA WATER FOR INVALIDS(in Syphons).

BALLS, PARTIES, PICNICS, andPRIVATE HOUSES in any part of thedistrict supplied daily in small or largequantities.

All orders by post or left at the officepunctually altended to.

THOMSON, LEWIS & CO.,SODA WATJiR WORKS,

BUICK-STREET AND ESPLANADE,PETONE, AND AT WELLINGTON.

LONDON DENTAL INSTITUTE,Corner Manners and Willis Btreets,

WELLINGTON.

7TIEETH!TEETH!TEETH!TEETH!i-EETH! TEETH! TEETH! TEETH!Teeth. PAINLESS EXTRACTIONS—Teeth. We guarantee to extract one orTeeth, all your teeth without the slightestTeeth, pain, or NO FEE.

We aho guarantee lo pay £100 to anyperbon proving that tho teeth and materialused in our £3 3s upper or lower sets arenot exactly the same as the best materialused by dentists who charge double.

Please note wo employ only men of-highest qualifications.

Hours— From 9 a.m. till 5.30 p.m., from7 p.m. till 8.30 p.m. every evening.

IMPERIAL DENTAL CO.'MR. E. C. EVANS, PRINCIPAL

(Late of Manchester, England),(Over Pringle's), LAMBTON-QUAY.

PAINLESS DKNTISTRY.Absolutely Painless Extractions. NO; UNCONSCIOUSNESS. Our SecretProcess. Simple, Safe. Satisfaction given or no

' Ce *SPECIAL OFFER.' Full Upper or Lower Sets of Beautiful

[ Gum-block Teeth, most natural in appear-' ance and specially imported.; £3 3s3s-

PERFECT FITS, NATURAL APPEAR-ANCE, OR NO CHARGE MADE.Ho.msj.9 a.», to sj«um. Aftcl Z"toA

JTOE, NEW YEAR GIETS,inavariety which will producesomething to' please every taste and everypocket, we canrbonestly recommenda visit to

TE ARO HOUSE,

The selection of pretty Novelties is im-mense,and alldepartmentscontribute to theveryattraotivedisplaybeing madeduringtbis

NEW YEA-K WEEKAt

TE ARO HOUSE.

THE CHALLEN PIANO !4

A PIANO that fascinates all who comewithia its influence.

THE CHALLEN PIANCMListen at a distance to tho tone andyou.

i are at once attracted.THE CHALLEN PIANO!

Go nearer and your admiration, is in-tensified.

THE CHALLEN PIANO1Touch its keys and you »ro satisfied

that it is no ordinary,instrument.THE CHALLEN PIANO-t

Isnot a "fairly good" instrument, but thebest thatmoney canbuy.

PRICE, 50 GUINEAS TO 90 GEESIEAS.

WE AEE SOLE AGENTS.

THE WELLINGTONPIANO CO., Ltd.,

53, MOLESWORTH-ST., WELLINGTON

DAVID ANDERSON & SONAVID ANDERSON Ss SON

ARE SELLING-

NEW CURRANJS, 5d lb

SULTANAS (Choice Fruit}, 7d lb

SEEDED RAISINS, 6d lb

LEXMS, 6d lb ,SPANISH MUSCATELS, Is 6d lb

VJORDAN ALMONDS, 2s 6d lb ;CHRISTMAS CRACKERS, Is to 2s box '

CHRISTMAS HAMS, 9d lb

W, MOLESWORTH-ST., WELLINGTON :

HAMPERS iOf the following Assortment, or aa '

Customers may desire :—:—

9QuartBottles Ale or Stout ~\ |1QuartJ3otttleBrandyor Whisky| . <

1QuartBottleWine I *&■*- :

1QuartBottleGin J ;

FINEST COLONIAL ALE AND STOUT' "

ENGLISH ALE AND DUBLIN STOUT'

always stocked. Best brands only im- |

ported. 1MACLEA, DUFF & CO.'S SPECIAL X

CREAM WHISKY. iSHI EDWARD LEES' and Other Well- ]

known Brands. "

HUME~& SON,WILLIS-STREET, and at PETONE. (

CHUTNEYS, !ExRUAPEHU.

Colonel Skinner, Major Grey, and ]SweetMango. <

InQuarts, 2s;Pints, Is 4d. ;

1 ]

GENUINE TIRHOOT7 Delioaoieg<

PINEAPPLE 5 .uenoaoies.

InQuarts, 2s 9d;Pints, Is 9d. <

WAIRARAPA FARMERS'CO-OP. ASSOC., Ltd. :

RECORD BONUSES!

rTTEIE largest amount of Bonuses everA paid in Cash to policyholders of aLifeAssurance Society in ono year was paid :in 1903 by

THE EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCESOCIETY.

The Strongest Life Society in the World.

ASSETS £78,341,950SURPLUS "... ... £15,053,725

A Large Surplus is the Best Guarantee of '.Future Bonuses. ;

Policies Issued and Claims Paid at HeadOffice, Wellington.

E. TREVOR GOULD,'

Resident Secretary.'

"May the^New Year give you of its"best."

jg,#

B. DAVIS & CO.,, *TAILORS,

61, LAMBTON-QUAY,Invite inspection of their HIGH-CLASS

FABRICS for STYLISH SUITS.'

GENTLEMEN'S TAILORING. " ,

IHAVE a very Choice Lot of ENG-LISH SUITINGS to show intending

patrons, and invite those who have boonwaitingsince before the holidays to make

i auearly call.D. MILLIGAN,

KELBURNETRAM AVENUE,

APENTA,"The'Best Natural Aperient Water.A specific for

the certain relief of HABITUAL and. OBSTINATE CONSTIPATION, and inDISORDERS of tho LIVER and

BILIOUS ATTACKS.

Premier has drafted a Bill to meet theemergency. The necessity for some suchmeasure is evident, as, apart from theflagrant iajustice of tho present conditionof things, the judgment in effsct fossiliseseverychurch, by attaching tho penalty ofdispossession of its goods to any advanceit may make in knowledge or religiousthought. A Royal Commission has beenappointed to gointo the whole question,and its recommendations should be found■useful in the final settlement.

Friction'occurred more than once be-tween France and tho Vatican, and thePope gave offence to French self-esteem"by formally protesting against PresidentLoubet's visit in May to tho King ofItaly. The French Ambassador to theVatican was recalled;in August the Pa-palNuncio leftParis; andin October theFrench Chamber resolved uponthe separ-ation of Church and State— a step ofmuch graver significance in France thanit would be in England, and the issuesof which will be awaited wiWi interestnot unmixed with anxiety. France hashad trouble with the natives in Mada-gascar, and is now facing a problem ofsome difficulty in Morocco, where therobber tribes have oeen Causing trouble,one of thoir exploits being the captureof Mr. Varley, ari American millionaire,who was held to ransom. Germany,whose colonising methods seem to presshardly on native races, has had troubleboth in her African and Pacific posses-sions; f*nd has been severe in her re-prisals. Portugal has also had troublewith the natives in her African posses-sions; and the misgovernment and op-pression by Belgian officials, Europeanandnative,in theCongo is still anationalscandal. Russia has seenko tyrannicalofficials assassinated— both appointed bytho present Tsar— General Bobrikoff, thoDictator of Finland, and M. de Plehve,the Minister of the Interior. PrinceMirsky, the new Minister, appears to pos-sess both wisdom and humanity;but inappointing the brutal Prince Obolenski—who, as Governor-General of

'Kharkoff,was accustomed, it is said, to havo» peas-ants flogged to death— as Bobrikoff'ssuccessor, the Tsar has shown conspicu-ous unwisdom. Tho Russian Imperialhousehold has been gratified by the birthof a, long-wished-for son and heir, andin September an heir to the ofItaly was born. A commercial treatyhas been arrangedbetween Germany andItaly. A great strike of American meat-packers in Jnly, in which other unionsjoined, reduced the cities for a time to acondition resembling that of a siege. Aconspicuous place in the history of theyear is held by the InternationalExhi-bition at St. Louis, one of the greatestfairs the world has seen.

The disasters of the year include manyfires besides the Chicago conflagration,which was beginning to wane as theNew Year was ushered in. In January,through the ca-relessness of some drunkensailors, Aalesund, a Norwegian town oc-cupying a small island, was burnt, andtwelve thousand people found themselveshomeless and foodless in the depth of anorthern winter. In the same month theTurin Library was destroyed, and manyancient books and manuscript were lost.On the Bth February, Baltimore, inMaryland, was swept through by a con-flagration that cleared a hundred andforty acres of buildings. In June theGeneral Slocum, aNew York passenger-boat, crowded with children on a churchexcursion, was burnt, with the loss ofsix or seven hundred lives. The mostterrible wreck of the year was that ofthe passenger-boat Nbrge, off the Bri-Ish coast, in which 750 lives were lost.

THE DEATH-nOLL.The New Zealand obituary record em-

braces Cut names of many old and worthycolonists, some of whom have renderedcon&picuous service to the State in vary-ing spheres of usefulness. The RightRev. Octavius Hadfield, ex-Bisfiop of

-Wellington, long and honourably asso-ciated*- with mission work, has passedattay at a ripe old age;and among theclergymen whom the yearhas taken fromusmay be poted theRev. C. S. Ogg, theRev. J. C. Andrew, the Rev. H. W. J.Miller, and Bro. Mark Lenihan. Arbcircles mournthe loss of James W. Nairn.Two members of the Legislative Councilaie on the roll— the Hon. W. C. Wiilkerand the Honl Heriave Tomoaim; and outmember of the House of Representatives,Mr. O'Meara. Among public offi-cials, most of whom died in harnessand had attained distinction, may benoted Judge Butler, of the NativeLandsCourt, Major Parris, Mr. J. M'Gowan,Mr. John Cumin, and Mr. W. T. Wyatt.Among the townsmen and old settlers ofthis district are found the names of Mr.and Mrs. Kilmister (who died the sameday), Messrs. T. J. Mountain, J. T.Glover, De Rosa, D. Archibald, C. B.Izard, J. Orr, G. H. Bethune, and Mrs.J. Bethune,a very old resident, who diedless than two months after her son. Mr.J. B. Acland, of Christchurch, and Mr.J. W. Jago,of Dunedin, lawyer, journal-ist, and championof prohibition, are alsoon the obituary list of 1904.

The great reaper has been busy abroad,and a long and illustrious roll might becompiled. The royalties and rulers ofmen include ex-Queen Isabella of Spainex-SultanMurad of Turkey, the Princessof Asturias, Princess MathildeBonaparte,the Duke of Cambridge, ex-PresidentKruger. and an uncrowned leader, Dr.Theodor Herze, founder and head of theZionist movement Among the clergy arefound the names of Canon Ainger andDean Hole, both distinguished in litera-ture, and Bishop Hpbhouse, at one timeBishop of Nelson; in the healing art,SirHenry Tlldmnson;in the fieldof arms,General Longstreet, a renowned Confeder-ate officer in the American Civil War;in the navy, Admiral Keppel;also manybiave officers of both services, Russianand Japanese, who have fallen in thepresent war. Noblemen, politicians, andofficials include Sir William Harcourt,the Earl of Hardwieke, Viscount Ridley,Lord Hastings, Count yon Waldersee,Prince Herbert Bismarck, Waldeck Rous-seau, Paul Cassagnac, James Lowther,M.P. j and among colonial politicians,the Hon. Henry Copeland, Sir GeorgeDibbs, Sir E. Braddon, and Sir GrahamBerry. Science mourns Professor Finsen—

a bent-factor of his race. Inart, Bri-tain has lost her greatest painter, Sir G.F. Watts, and three prominent Academi-cians, Fred Goodall, Val. Prinsep, andColin Hunter. Vassili VSrestchagin, therealistic painter of the horrors of war,was killed by a Japanese shell while inthe act of making battle-studies on thedeck of aRussian man-of-war. From theranks of literature have passed Sir EdwinArnold, Sir Leslie Stephen, Sir H. M,Stanley. the great explorer, the agedSamuel Smiles, Maurus Jokai, ClementScott, John Hollingshead, Frances PowerCobbe, Adeline Sargent, and John Far-rell, Australian journalist and poet.Music has lost the composer AntoninDvorak, the sweet -singer Antoinette Stir-linghas joined "the choir invisible;

"and

ICellie Farren, "Wilson Barrett,Dan liCno,John Coleman, John Billington, and Mel.B. Spurr have answered thecall to appearon another stage.

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

On Christmas Day of all days in theyear General Nogi commenced his pro-mised general attack on both the easternand western defences of Port Arthur.Inaddition to the capture of tho greatfort of Erlungshan, already noticed, thebesiegers aro now reported to have wonYangthuban Hill, enabling them tcharass the land communications betweenLiaotishan, Etscshan, and* Antszeshan.

Liaotishan is generally accepted as thechosen position where Stoessel wouldmako his last stand when the line 01

forts both east and west of the city be-came no longer tenable. The plan otNoginow is to isolate Liaotishan by cut-ting the regular line of communication,but it has yet to be shown that Stoesselcannot later cross the harbour trf theTiger's Tail and reach his high-perchedstronghold on the promontory unmolest-ed. On tho other hand, ere btoesselabandons tho city the Chair Hills tortsmay be in the hands of the enemy, andfrom Chair Hills the besiegerscan appar-ently hold the Tiger's Tail at theirmercy. Gallant as was the defence ofErlungshan, the weight of numbers told,and no less than forty-three guns weroleft in possession of the Japanese. Someof Togo's warships are reported assearching the Straits of Sunda, possiblyin quest of coal supplies intended for theBaltic fleet, which when last reportedwas heading for Delagoa Bay, SouthAfrica. Its course thence, if it ever pro-ceeds to tho Far East, will probably beeast across the Indian Ocean to the

North-west Cape ofAustralia, and thenceby Torres Straits, passing eastward ofNew Guinea on a wide course northerlyto Vladivostoclc. It will be noted thatJapanese warships are reported to-dayas passing the west coast of Java, whichis on the direct track to Torres Straits.Their mere presence on that routewouldcreate further hesitancy at St. Peters-burg as to prosecution of the voyago ofthe Baltic fleet.

WANGANUI CARNIVAL.[by telegraph;

— press associationJWANGANUI, 30th December.

Thecarnival sports were held this after-noon in beautiful weather. About 2000people were present. The running andcycling events were well contested.

HOMING PIGEONRACE.ot>

[BY TELEQRAPH-rFRESS ASSOCIATION]DUNEDIN, This Day.

The Dunedin Homing Pigeon Club onChristmas Day flew off the longest raceyet held under its auspices, viz., fromWellington to Dunedin. Fifteen birdsparticipated, Mr. Young's bird provingthe winner. The time Occupied by thisbird was 13 hours 4Qmin~an excellent

jperforma.n.c«1

CABLE NEWS.[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.— COPYRIHGT.]

THE NORTH SEA WJTRAGE.RUSSIAN REPRESENTATIVE ILL..

[press association.]LONDON, 30th December.

Admiral Kaznakoff, Russia's represen-tative on the Dogger Bank Commission,is returning to St. Petersburg, owing toill-health.

Vice-Admiral Dubassoff is to be ap-pointed if Admiral Kaznakoff is unableto resume.

AMERICAN COTTON MARKET.ATTEMPTS TO AVERT A SLUMP.

LARGE QUANTITIES OF COTTONDESTROYED.

[press association.](Received December 31, 8.38 a.m.)

LONDON, 30th December.The Daily Telegraph's New York cor-

respondent says the farmers and mer-chants in the southern States proposeto destroy 2,000,000 bales of cotton toprevent a slump.

Twenty thousand pounds' worth havealready been burnt, each State furnish-ing its quota.

WEATHER IN AUSTRALIA.NEW SOUTH WALES HEAT WAVE.

116 DEGREES IN THE SHADE.

[press association.]SYDNEY, 30th December.

The terrific heat which has been ex-perienced lately continues.

At Albury the temperature register-ed was as- high as 116 degrees— thehighest ever recorded there.

At Bourke the theimometer register-ed 116 degrees, and at Moulmein 122degrees. Birds are dropping dead fromexhaustion at the latter place.

CYCLONE AT KALGOORLIE.

BUILDINGS WRECKED AND DAM-AGED.

PERTH, 30th December.A cyclone swept over Kalgoorlie, last-

ing twenty minutes. The temperaturerose to 102 degrees.

Several buildings were completelywrecked and many others extensivelydamaged.

INTENSE HEAT IN VICTORIA.

(Received December 31, 9.36 a.m.)MELBOURNE, This Day.

Great heat is being experienced in Vic-toria. The temperature at Milduratoppedthe list with 121£ degrees.

THE lONIC.OUTBREAK OF MEASLES.

[PBESS ASSOCIATION.](ReceivedDecember 31, 9.36 a.m.)

HOBART, This Day.Twenty-eight cases of measles occurred

ok board the lonic during the voyagefrom England. Ten of tho patients arestill ill.

RIFLE SHOOTING.COMPETITION AT PERTH.

Ipress association.](Received December 31, 9.36 a.m.)

PERTH, This Day.Atthe Rifle Association meeting, Grum-

mett (Victoria) and Lake (South Aus-tralia) tied for Che King's Match prize,with 200. The shoot-off was won byLake. The Grand Champion aggregatewas won by Lake, with 395 out of apossible 410.

AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING.A PRIMAGE CHARGE.

[PBESS ASSOCIATION]■ SYDNEY, 30th December.

At a meeting of oversea shipowners itwas decided, in view of the restrictionsimposed, by the Seagoing Carriage ofGoods Act, to impose a value primage of6s 3dper cent, over and above the ordin-ary freight charges, as from Ist Janu-ary.

This is «a preliminary arrangement.Later ona schedule will be prepared, set-ting forth the primage to be charged onvarious articles of merchandise.

Shippers and owners of goods mustmake a declaration showing the natureand value of goods shipped, for the pur-poses of the primage charge.

TENNIS TOURNAMENT.CONCLUDING DAY'S PLAY,

[BY TELEGRAPH—

PRESS ASSOCIATION.]DUNEDIN, 30th December.

The knre) tennis tournament was con-cluded to-day. The weather was fine,but the courts were slow. The start wasdelayed through one of the players strol-ling on to the ground anhour late. Thetrophies werepresented by Mr. Monk-man, President of the Otago Association.Mr. Goldie, Secretary of the New Zea-land Association, gave a short addressin praise of the local management. Fol-lowing are the results:— »-

Combined Handicap Doubles.— Fourthround: Lycett and Miss Powdrell(scratch) beat White and Miss Jeffries(rec." 18), 70--64. Semi-final: Lycettand Miss Powdiell (scratch) beat Bor-rows and,- Miss Nicholson (rec. 12), 70—66. Final: Lycett, Wellington, andMiss Powdrell, Taianaki (scratch), beatWard, Oamaru, and Miss Van Stavereny"Wellington, (rec. 20), 70

— 57.'Men's Handicap Singles.— First Grade:

Final : Lycett, Wellington (owe 6), beatBa\ichop, Port Chalmers (rec. 32), 76—69.

Messrs Warnock and Adkin advertisothat owing to the Christmas rush beingover, orders can now bo taken for tailor-ing and dressmaking.

Messrs. W. H. Turnbull and Co.'s freshlist of city and suburban properties foiprivate sal© is advertised elsewhere.When other lips and other hearts-

With flattering vows allure,Remember that your truest friend

Is Woods' Great Peppermint Cure."When frosty stars gleam oveihead,

And earth's in wintry moods,And cold attacks in throat and head,

33vMv.*oi*LlLMm.eßibor Woods.— Advt.

CABLE NEWS.[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.— COPYRIGHT.]

«THE BRITISH ARMY.*

LESSONS OF THE BOER WAR.,

INABILITY OF THE BRITISH TOSHOOT.

LORD ROBERTS'S V^EWS,

[PRESS ASSOCIATION.](Received December 31, 8.55 a.m.)

LONDON, 30th December.Lord Roberts, after visiting the South

African battlefields, writing in the Nine-teenthCentury, says that heis more thanever convinced that the reverses werechiefly attributable to the inability of theBritish troops to shoot. He advocates auniversal compulsory military service.

THE RE-ARMAMENT SCHEME.LONDON, 30th December.

The War Office authorities anticipatethat the re-armament of the Artillerywith 18i-pounderswill take twentymonthsto carry out.In addition to the orders placed Tith

the Vickers, Maxim and Armstrong andWhitworth Companies, a number of theguns are tfo be supplied from Woolwicharsenal.

(Received December 31, 8.33 a.m.)LONDON, 30th December.

The muzzle velocity of the new Britishguns is 1600 feet a second; the rate offire twenty-five rounds a minute, and therange ten thousand yards.

guns for India1.LONDON, 30th December.

The Woolwich arsenal is executing anorder from India for a- hundred andthirty-two 18i-pounders for the fieldartillery, sixty-six 12^-pounders for thehorse artiller}', and a number of quick-firers.

INTERNAL CONDITION OFRUSSIA.

THE NATION'S TRUE ASPIRATIONSTSAR'S DECREE FALLS SHORT.

MEETING OF ZEMSTVOS.

[phess association.]ST. PETERSBURG, 30thDecember.The Moscow Zemstvos, in adjourning,

passed a resolution declaring that theTsar's decree to the Ruling Senate doesnot respond to the nation's true aspira-tions atthe present time.

A similar resolution was passed by theTchernigoff Zemstvos.

Both resolutions have produced a pro-found and disquieting impression at St.Petersburg, where there is intense excite-ment.

THE TSAR REVIEWS THE TROOPS.EXPLOSION IN A POST OFFICE.ST. PETERSBURG, 30th December.The Tsar has started for Minsk, Odessa,

andKharkbff, to inspectdeparting troops.Gunpowder wasplaced inside the MinskPost Office and exploded. A watchmanwas severely injured.

■ HEAVY INSURANCES.LONDON, 30th December.

Heavy insurances on the Tsar's lifewereeffected withLloyd's this week.RESIGNATION WITHDRAWN.(Received December 31, 7.26 a.m.)

'

ST. PETERSBURG, 30fch December.Count Mivraviefl's resignation as Minis-

ter of Justice has been withdrawn.

VARIOUS GABLED ITEMS.[press association.]

(Received December 31, 8.55 a.m.)TELEGRAPH FACILITIES.

LONDON, 30th December.Lord Stanley, Postmaster-General, has

decided to allow telegraph messages to bereceived at the telegraph offices in thfUnited Kingdom for transmission bywireless telegraphy to the States andcoast vessels at sea at the rateof 6jd peiword, with aminimum of 6s 6d.

A WOLF CHASE.LONDON, 30th December.

An escaped wolf devoured a hundredsneep in Northumberland. It was chasedby foxhounds in the country side for amonth, and was eventually killedby theScotch express train.

LORD MILNER AND THE BOER.LEADERS.

CAPETOWN, 30th December.Lord Milner's ■interview with the Boer

leaders and the proposals which werepublished in a Dutch paper are declaredtobe unfounded.

THE MULLAH.(Received December 31, 9.35 a.m.)

LONDON, 30th December.'The Standard's Rome correspondent

states thatItaly andBritain are preparedto assign the Mullaha settled sphere withgrazing rights in English and Italian ter-ritories in Somaliland if he will keep thepeace.

MALTREATMENT OF GERMANSOLDIERS.

BERLIN, 30th December.The Kaiser has directed commanders

not toretain the sergeants whohavebeenconvicted of jnaltreating soldiers afleitheir current time of service has expired.

THE UNEMPLOYEDPROBLEM.LONDON, 30th December.

Owing to the unemployed difficulty,Parliament is to meet at the beginning ofFebruary.

A RUSSIAN LOAN.LONDON, 30th December.

Russia has arranged a 4£ per cent,loan of twenty-five millions sterling inGermany, Holland, andRussia.

NILDESPERANDUM.Possibly this may catch the eye of some

poor unfortunate who has tried all sortsof so-called remedies for colds, bad chest6,and dangerous fits of coughing. Don'tforget, Tonking's Linseed Emulsion isyour remedy. A preparation that will findits way through all quarters of the globesolely on its merits. Sold everywhere,Is 6d, 2s 6d, and 4-s 6d per bottle.— Advt.

NEW YEAR SUITS.Begin the new year well by ordering

your suit from Messrs. Adolf Neuman andSon. A choice selection of exceptionallyfine worsteds just to hand. Prices rangingfrom £+ 10s. Perfect fit guaranteed. Atrial solicited by Messi"3. Adolf Neumanand Son, High-class Tailors, 61, Willis-street.

— Advt.For Bronchial Cough, talre Woods'

Great Peppermint Cure, la 6d aud 2b 6d,iverywher*.— -Adttt

CABLE NEWS.[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.— COPYRIGHT.]

THE STRUGGLE ATPORT ARTHUR*.'

OF THE ERLUNGSHANFORTS.

THOUSAND JAPANESE CASUAL-TIES.

A-TREMENDOUS BOMBARDMENT.[pees association.]

i (Received December 31, 7.26 a.m.)LONDON, 30th December.

i Sevendynamite mines were exploded ati the Erlungshan forts (news of the cap-i ture of whicb was published yesterday)i in the morning. The Japanese then

charged through the trenches, under thecover of a tremendous bombardment.

The besiegers captured the first line oflight guns, and a bitter ensued.

A Tokio account of the fighting says:3 "When at 4 o'clock in the afternoon thes capture of the forts was practically as-

sured, we charged and occupied the mi-i ncr line of heavy gun positions. Ultim-* ately a remnant of the enemy which was

stubbornly holding a gorge of the fortwas dislodged. The Russian garrisonoriginally consisted of fivehundred men,one-third of whom escaped by a covered

i way."f The Japanese casualties", according to6 the Tokio account, were one thousand.

SPOILS TO THE VICTORS.(Received December 31, 8.33 a.m.)

LONDON, 30th December,j The Japanese captured ai Erlungsbanj four large-calibre, sevensmall, thirty 37-

centimetre guns, and two machine guns—forty-three in all.

A GENERAL ATTACK.

PROGRESS OP THE BESIEGINGFORCES.

LONDON, 30th December.3 A general attack on Port Arthur was

commenced on.Christinas Day (last Sun-day),andbrought the besiegers' lines near-■er Liaotishan.

Chinese wholeft PortArthur last Wed-nesday report that Russian forces greatlyinferior to their assailants defended theoutermost trenches for three days, andonly retu«d when the Japanese artillery

> was able to enfilade them.c The besiegers, fearing mines, did nots venture within two-thirds of a mile of thetrenches.

The Japaneseat Dalny report that theJapanese forces have capwired Yangthu-B banHill, enabling them'toharass the land

communications betweenLiaotishan,Etse-shan, and Antszeshan.1 OFFICERS KILLED AND WOUNDED.

LONDON, 30th December.A furtherlist of Japaneselosses at Portf

Arthur shows that 49 officers, from Colo-nels downwards, have beea killed, and48 wounded.

A GREAx OVATION.! JAPANESE ADMIRALS AT TOKIO.

t (Received December 31, 8:33 a.m.)LONDON, 30th December.

Admirals Togo and Kamiir.ura receiv-ed a great ovation as they journeyedbyrail from.Kure.to Tokio.

The capital went delirious with cx-j citement.

THE JAPANESE FLEET.

LONDON, 30th December.Japanese warships have passed Anjer,on the west coast of Java.(Received December 31, 8.33 a.m.)

LONDON, 30th December.Japanese warships are searching Sunda

Straits (Eastern Archipelago, betweenthe south-east end of Sumatra and thewest coast of Java).

ADMIRAL SKRYDLOFF.(Received December 31, 8.33 a.m.)

LONDON, 30th December.Admiral Skrydloff, who was in com-

8 mand of the Russian squadron when itc* recently made the raids from Vladivo.c stock, is returning to St. Petersburgfrom

Vladivostock.fi BLACK SEA FLEET.

SAILORS COURT-MARTIALLED.(Received December 31, 8.33 a.m.)

LONDON, 30th December.1 Thirty-five sailors belonging to thei Black Sea Fleet havebeenCourt-martial-i led for mutiny.

INTERNED OFFICERS.LONDON, 30th December.

Two Russian naval officers who werointerned in China have ben identified

r aboard the steamer Negretia, recentlya captured by the Japanese. "*

TARANAKI EXHIBITION.[BY TKLEQRAPH

—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

; NEW PLYMOUTH, 30th Dec.[ The carnival continued to-day, andt showed that interest continues unabat-. Ed in various parts of the Exhibitions andmiscellaneous entertainments. To-

day the chief attraction was a choppingcontest, in which Australian and NewZealand champions took part. The at-tendance was large, and the contestsexciting in several cases. The prin-

i cipal events resulted as follows:—

t Handicap Chop (18-inch standing: block).— D. Pretty 1, G. A. Goold 2, L.

Berg 3. Blanc, a world's champion,won his heat, but in the final struck abad log, and did not finish. Time,2min22s£c. Goold entered a protest against, Pretty, on the ground that he changed'logs with Blanc. The matter will bedealt -with at the first meeting of thoNew Zealand Axemen's Association.

First-class Handicap Chop (18-inchblock).— Blanc 1, E. R. Terry 2, Berg3. Time, lmin 47sec.

Maiden Double-Handed Sawing Han-dicap (18-inch legs).

—Berkahn and Beck

1, Blanc and Deegan 2, Phillips andWhite 3. Time,18 4-ssec.

Double-Handed Sawing Handicap1 (2ft logs).— Buckingham and Terry1 (2in) 1, C. F. and A. Volzke (3in) 2,

Pretty Brothers (3in) 3. Time, 30sec.! Underhand Handicap Chop (18-inch

logs).— W. Beck 1, E. Pretty 2, D.1 Johnston 3. Time, 3min 35sec.

Thfc weather continues favourable and .the town is full of visitors. Threetkousand attended the contests to-day, 'and tke total to the Exhibition was near- <

ly ashigh as yesterday. 1

It is a1 great remedy andit is wonderful jstuff for the liver. You will often heartheso remarks made by those who havecured their indigestion, constipation, andliver troubles with Dr. Crosslaud's mar-vellous medicine NoXol. Get a bottleto-day if you suffer; 2b at chemiEts' and

'

,.stoxea,— Advt. .j

SPORTING.WELLINGTON PARK STUD COM-

PANY.

ANNUAL SALEOF YEARLINGS.[BY TELEGHAPH

—FBES9 ASSOCIATION.]

AUCKLAND, 31st December.The annual sale of thoroughbred year-lingsbred by Wellington Park Stud Com-

pany took place this afternoon. Thirty-four lots realised4000 guineas, anaverageof just on 118 guineas per head. Thetop price was paW for a brown, colt bySanFrancisco from Miss Gladys, Mr. G.G. Stead (Canterbury) being the pur-chaser at 500 guineas. Details of thesale are as follows:—

Gns.Chestnut filly, by Phoebus Apollo—

St. Amy,by St. Leger, Mr Mooney 30Brown filly, by Phoebus Apollo-Lady Wellington, by Musket, Mr.>King (Gisborne) SO

Chestnut filly, by Phoebus Apollo-Lady Augusts, by St. Leger, Mr.Geo. Wright 32Chestnut filly, by Menschikoff

—Cressy, by Hippocampus, Mr. W.Lyons 56

Roan colt, i>t, hoebus Apollo—Vi-

vandiere, by Musket, Mr. L. H.Darlot (West Australia) 160

Brown colt, by Holchkiss—

Simonias,by Simonian, Mr. G. Palmer (Can-

| terbury) .. 60Brown filly, by Hotehkiss— FirstLove, by Nordenfeldt, Mr. W.

Byan 52,Chestnut colt, by Cyrenian—Spark-ling Water, by St. Hippo, Mr. F.Stenning 46Brown, colt, by Phoebus "Apollo—Lady Gertrude, by Cadogan, Mi1.A. Phillips 12

Brown colt, by Menschikoff— LadyCureton, by Goldsborough, Mr.M'Masters 50

Brown colt, by San Fiancisco—

MissGladys, by Cuirassier, Mr. G. G.Stead ;.. 500;Brown colt, by Hotchkiss

—Edith

Cureton, Mr J. Wren (Victoria)... 410Brown colt, by Hotchkiss— Ganriet,

by Anteroa, Mr. M. Hobbs (Can-terbury; 103

Brown colt, by Menbchikoff—Sun-ningdale, by Hampton, Mr. J.Wren 300

|Brown filly, by Phoebus Apollo—j Brown Alice, by Nordenfeldt, Mr.

W. Lyons 80Brown filly, by Menschikoff— Qu^enCole, by King Cole, Mr. F. H.

Laing 33Brown filly, by SanFrancisco—C.ini-

pania, by Robinson Crusoe, Mr T.Fenton (West Australia) 120

Chestnut colt, by Phoebus Apollo—

Harpist, by Hotchkiss, Mr. G.Palmer 100

Brown colt, by Phoebus ApolloJanet, by Castor, Mr. Jas. Russell 7b

Chestnut colt, by Hotchkiss-Lorelei,by Leolinus, Hon. Saunders(West Australia) 50

Chestnut colo, by Hotchkiss— Helyn,by St. Elger, Mr. G. G. Stead ... 160

Brown colt, by Hotchkiss—

LadyMarion, by Malua, Mr. Heaton... 165

Brown filly, by Hotchkiss— LadyEmily, by Castor, Mr. J. Gray(New Plymouth) 40

Brown filly, by Phoebus Apollo—

Cuiralba, by Cuirassier, Mr. G.Palmer 65

Brown filly, by Hotchkiss— Aleger,by St. Leger, Mr. G. Palmer ... 52

Brown filly, by Hotchkiss—

Crescent,by Castor, Mr. G. Wright ... 90

Brown filly, by Hotchkiss—

St. Eve-lyn, by St. Leger, Mr G. G. Siead 400

Brown colt, by Phoebus Apollo—Ar-milla, 'by Castor, Mr. Roberts(Tasmania) 150

Chestnut colt, by Phoebus Apollo—

Chrysolite, by Castor, Mr. DonaldM'Leod (for a Wellington, sports-man) 250

Chestnut filly, by Phoebus Apollo-Problem, by St. Hippo, Mr. Fen-ton (West Australia) 57

Brown filly, by Phoebus Apollo—Antelope, by Apremont, Mr. R.Duder 85

Brown filly, by Seaton Delaval—Real Blue, by Hotchkiss, Mr. G.Palmer 90

Brown filly, by Phoebus Apollo-Hilda, by Mu&ket, Mr. G. G.Stead 65

GREYMOUTH TROTTING MEETING.GREYMOUTH, 30th December.At the second day of the GieymouthTrots, the events resulted: — InnovationHandicap: Discovery 11. 1, Duckling 2,

Forsaken Child 3. Dividends, £2 5s and£3 10s. Cobden Handicap: Jennie 1,Hassan 2, MountainMaid3. Dividends,£1 15s and £1 4s. MawheraHandicap:General Lyons 1, Dooley 2, Darrin 3.Dividends, £1 19s and £2. Ladies' Brace-let: St. Janies 1, Mawhera 2, Hassan3. Dividends, £2 7* and £1 10s. Vic-toria Park Handicap: Federation 1,Dolly Varden 2, Lignite 3. Dividends,£6 3s and 19s. Electric Handicap:Prince Albert 1, Little Jim 2, Duckling3. Dividends, £5 lls and 13s. Sum-mer Handicap:Millington 1, Enterprise2, Royal Money 3. Dividend, £6 Bs.

The Phoebus Apollo—Chrysolite colt,

sold at the Wellington Park Stud Com-pany's sale for 250 guineas, was pur-chased on behalf of Mr. R. T. Turnbull,of Wellington and will go into Mr.1J.H. Prosser's stable.

Mr. J. H. Prosser has taken six horsesto the Wairarapa Meeting, viz., GoldCrown, Novgorod, Valois, Waitarere,Guelder Rose, and a Mahaki— Jeuzailgelding.

THE HOLIDAY.As New Year'sDay falls onSunday, tin

holiday will be observed on MondayThere are a variety of attractions providect for holdiay-makers. Cheap excursion fares are advertised on the Government and the Manawatu lines of railwayand given fine weather the numerou:resorts up both liaes should lfe largelypatronised.

For those who prefer the pleasures accompanying "a sniff of the briny," th<excursion to Picton* by the Mararoa wilcome as a welcome change. Those wh(prefer a shorter trip can cross the harbour to Day's Bay, Karaka Bay, ancSeatoun, to and from which services wil!be running all day.

A Scottish picnic will be held at Belmont. Mr. Speedy has lent a suitablepaddock near the railway station, ancevery effort is being made to ensure tinsuccess of the gathering. Hot water wilibe provided on the ground.

Lovers of sporfc will be able to sera good day's racing at the WairarapoRacing Club's meeting at Tauherenikau.Special Train arrangements are advertis-ed.

"The Eternal City ' will be staged bjMr. J. C. Williamson's Company at theOpera House, and holiday programmes#ill be provided at the Theatre Royaland His Majesty's.

The cricket mateh— Wellington v.Taranaki, Wanganui, and Manawatu—which commenced this afternoon, will becontinued on the BasinReserve, and willdoubtless prove a great attraction tothose who prefer to stay in town for theholiday.At 11.15 to-night a watchnight service

will be held at the Missions to Seamen.

Mr. W. A Broadbent, land agent,Willis-street, advertises a number of pro-perties for sale..

CRICKET.WELLINGTON v. DUNEDIN.

AN EASY WIN FO±t THE SOUTH*.ERNERS.

[BY TELEOEAPH— PEES3 ASSOCIATION.]DUNEDIN, This Day.

In the match between the Welling-ton and Dunedin representative team*the second innings of tho Wellingtonteam closed for 124. S. Hickson 31,Quee not out 3, Upham 0, and Hales 0.Otago thus won by an innings and 75runs.

Downes took 4 wickets for 41 runs,Fisher 2 for 29, Shacklock 1 for 17,Austin 1 for 14, and Siedeberg 1for 9.

ENTERTAINMENTS, ETC.THE WILLIAMSON COMPANY.

'

tHaving had a very prosperous run ofseven nights, "Monsieur Beaucaive" willbe supplanted this evening by HallMaine's powerful drama, "The EternalCity," m which Mr. Julius Knight willappear as David Rossi, and Miss MaudJeffries as DonnaRoma Volonna. the rest

1 of a long cast being filled by Mr. Wil-liamson's talented company. The greatnumber who have read the book fromwhich the play is dramatised, will re-cognise that Mr. Knight and Miss Jef-fries have in the two leading charactersabove-mentioned, plenty of scope formanifesting their 'dramatic ability. Thescenic pictures of Rome, and the costum-ing, and military uniforms are said to beon a magnificent scale: Patrons shouldparticularly note that the performanceeach evening will commence at 7.45 punc-.tually.

"EVERYMAN."A dramatic representation of intenseinterest will take place in the concerthal^ attached to the main Town Hall,oaWednesday afternoon next, when Mr. J.C. Williamson's company will present theold English morality play "Everyman,"-with Mr. Julius Knight in the principalcharacter. When this remarkably touchy

ing religious allegory was recently re-vived by the Elizabethian Stage Society,in London, it created aprofound impres-sion. The play itself belongs to thatperiod which marks the confines of theclosing Middle Ages and the Renais-sance. At the break up of the Romanworld, the drama, as a living art, disap-peared, and the discredit into which itfell was intensified by the hostility ofthe Christians to the "licentious force,effeminate music, and splendid pagean-try," as Gibbon expressively describesit, of the late Roman stage. But later asingular revival manifested itself in thevery bosom of the Church's own ritual,and it is an indisputable fact that theceremonial and offices of the mediaevalchurch, much of which have survived toour day, are essentially dramatic incharacter. Then a century of transitionoccurred, during which whilst the sub-ieot matter of the drama remained re«ligious, a gradual process of secularisa-tion set in, and from purely ecclesiasti-cal, the drama became essentially popu-lar. The "miracle" and "mystery" playswere the result. The miracle play de-veloped in two directions— the subjectmatter became secular, or the allegoricalside of the plays was developed. Thelatter gave rise to the morality plays,of which "Everyman" is said to be thofinest existing specimen. The close of theMiddle Ages, and the revival of learning,subsequently brought about that furtherevolution of dramatic literature which isone of the most brilliant features of theElizabethan age.

DIX'S GAIETY COMPANY."Dixs" still attracts,and,good as the

Theatre Royal programme has b^een aSthe week, a change is to be made to-night. "Star" turns are those by MujLizzie Kirk and Mr. Frank Leon, freshback from the Old World; the eccen-tric coon melodies of Mr. Les Wharton;and the sensational bicycle riding feataof the Wheelers; while items by Mr.George Warsaw, "Alzina," the conjurer,and Miss Daisy Sylvester, are not to bedespised in the long list of good things.

HISMAJESTY'S THEATRE.The attendance at His Majeuty's The-

atre last night was again very good in-deed. The holiday bill-of-fare was warm-ly appreciated. To-night a new pro-gramme will be submitted by the com-pany, and the Nawns will tie seen in afresh sketch. Other members of a strongcombination are Ethel Coen, Lulu Eu-gene, May Rose, the M'Aulay Sisters,Florrie Leigh, and Messrs. Carleton,'Vic-tor, Frank King, Sam Wilson, Ted And-erson, and Joe Cowan.

A merry time was spent at the Sailors'1Rest last evening. The amusements con-sisted of bran tubs and drawing lots forbetter class presents. Button-holes andtobacco and cigarettes were distributedto each visitor", also a large cake to eachon leaving. The following took partin the concert:

— Misses Putnam (3),Fairclough, and E. Cooper, and Mrs.Canning1,Messrs. Gray, Salkeld, Cook,Honey, Astill, and A. G. Spencer. Mr.O'Brien, of the fiarquo Helen Denny,led the chanties. The greatest enthu-siasm prevailed, and votes of thanks,especially to friends who had suppliedthe means for the many good gifts, werecarried with cheers. Miss Putnam andMr. Honey played accompaniments. Thesinging of the National Anthem closedamo^ enjoyable evening.

Messrs. Maudonald, Wilson and Co.direct attention to coming auction gatedof landed estate advertised to-day. On the12th January, at their Exchange LandMart, at 2.30 o'clock, they will submit*on bohalf of the trustoe and. joint owner,inorder to close accounts in the deceasedestate, a corner business building sectionhavinga frontage of 32ft sin to Courtenay-.placo and 85ft sin to Tarauaki-streel;dairy farm containing 30 acres, all flat,cleared, in grass, and ring fenced, with,cottage ol iour rooms and outbuildings,situate Featherston,two cottage residencesof fivo rooms each situate Fitchott-towa(Brooklyn);fivo building sections at Rose-ncath, fronting Maida Vale-road and Cres-cent-road;residence, six rooms andmodernconveniences, situate Nc. 12, Princes-streob(Mount Victoria);property, Uppqr Hutt,comprisingresidence, five rooms also three-istall stable, trapshed, and land two and!three-quarter acres, with orchard and gar-dan; also, on behalf of the owner, whois leaving the district, the wholo of hisproperties at Petone andMatfon Junction,Township, comprising, in Pelone, sectionin Petone-avenue, with the building there-on at present in tho occupation of thaPetono Junior Club; residence six roomsalso in Petone-avenue,"residence of sevenrooms in Buiek-street, residence of sixrooms in Aurora-street, building seotion:39ft 7in x 99ft, part of tho Buick Estataand fronting tin Esplanade, building sec-tion 40ft x 100ft in Oriental-street;andin the Marlon Junction Township, throebuilding sections. On 19lh January, at7.30 o'clock, they will submit some fortycity building sections having frontages toMansfield-street, Daniel-street, and Roy-street, immediately opposite the electricaltramway building* and adjoining the New-town Park. On tho 25th January theywill submit tho Riwhe Estate, Island Bay,comprising 71 sections ranging in areafrom about an eighth of an aero to overeleven acres, and having frontages to theiParade, Derwant-street, Freeling-streetRhine-street, Rhone-street, Severn-street'also Adelaide-road. Tho terms of sale are10 per cent, deposit, withbalance onmort-gage at 5 per cent, interest. Lithographic-plans can be had on application. Planswith prices of the unsold sections in thePetone Showgrounds Estate can bo had onapplication to the firm. Two propertieswill bo offered on tho 12th January next—one a house in Princes-street, MountVictoria, overlooking the harbour, and thoother * houso on tho Hutt-road, Potone.IwitK tbr.ee-ou.artcrs of an acre-of laad,

'

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 81, 1904. 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.The Evening Post Sheet Almanac for1905 will be issued gratis onFriday next,

Agents and others requiring extracopieswill oblige by forwardingtheir orders atonce.

On Monday the telegraph office will beopen from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from7p.m. till midnight.

New Year greetings, which we heartilyreciprocate, have been sent to us by theeditor and staff of the Otaki Mail andthe proprietors and staff of the FeildingStar. b

"Tne Public Health Department reportsthe following infectious disease cases ashaving occurred 'in the city for the fort-night ending 31st December :— Scarletfever, four; diphtheria, three; tubercu-losis, seven; total, fourteen. There areno cases reported from the Hutt County.It is estimated (telegraphs our Dunedincorrespondent) that the insurance com-

panies trading in New Zealand have paidout over £40,000 for fires during thisexceptionally unfortunate year.

Our Dunedin correspondent telegraphsthat Sir J. G. Ward reachedDunedin lastnight, enroute to the Bluff.

Mr. and Mrs. King, of Liverpool, whohave been on a visit to Mr. and Mrs.Arthur Pearcc, of Wellington, have madearrangements for a comprehensive tour ofthe colony.

Trooper J. Kirwin, of Nelson, whowent to South Africa with one of theearlier contingents, aud returned hope-lessly invalided, has been granted a,New Zealand pension of 2s a day. Itis probable, says the Nelson Mail, thathe will also receive an Imperial pension.

On behalf of the Salvation Army Col-onel Gilmour expresses gratitude to themany friends who contributed towardsthe Christmas cheer. The inmates ofthe various homes were provided withspecial fare and gifts.

Mr. J. M'Laod Craig, President of theChristchurch Society of Spiritualists, willlecture at the New Century Hall to-mor-row evening at 7, and will give demon-strations of the reality of the,spiritworld.

A well-known figure in farming andsporting circles, Mr. Wi Rathbone, ofRiversdale, Waipawa, died on Tuesdaylast. The deceased gentleman was wellknownand exceedingly popular among allclasses of the community.

The attendance of members and visi-tors at the weekly meeting of the Starof Wellington Lodge on Thursday even-ing was very large. The sisters werepresented with New Year cards by thebrothers, who also supplied light re-freshments.

The offices of the Chief Inspector ofMachinery and staff are to be removed tofhe new Customhouse building.It is expected that crews from the

Wellington, Petoue, Star, Nelson, Picton,andBlenheim Rowing Clubs will competeat the regatta at Picton on New Year'sDay.

A Mastertonsettler (says the Age) hada rather curious experience with lavo ofhis sheep a few days ago. They became"cast," and as they wereunable to standhe took them to his woolshed and "doc-tored" them with half a bottle of whisky.A,s a result of this "doctoring" the sheepslept for two days.

The vital statistics for Wellington forthe year ending to-day have been placedat our disposal by Mr. F. W. Mansheld,Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Mar-riages for the district. The number ofbirths registered during the year was1586 as compared with 1632 last year.There have been 700 deaths in the dis-trict since the Ist of January, or 49more than in 1903. The marriages cele-brated during the year totalled 895, ascompared with 776 in 1903. Followingare the vital statistics for Wellington forthe last month of the year:

— Births, 125;deaths, 56; marriages, 102. The figuresfor D.ecember of last year were:

— Births,163; dealhs, 48; marriages, 97.

The reminiscences of our veteran citi-zen, publishedyesterday, have drawn at-tention to Wellington as itused to be inthe early days, and some rather more de-tailed description may be of interest. Theold foreshore ran from Clyde-quay, ap-proximately along Courtenay-place, Maiv-ners-street, Willis-street, Lambton'-quay,and Thorndon-quay, tothe base of Wades-town Hill. The surrounding hills were,with the exception of some^small clear-ings, clad with magnificent' forest; theTinakori hills were then densely wooded,the bush extending to Karori, to Wades-town, and spreading over a large part ofThorndon. From Salamanca-road thewoods spread downwards across Wool-combe-street, up both sides of PolhillGull- across Upper Willis-street, upNairn-street, tothe Ohirohills and Vogel-town, and in patches as far round as thebase of Mount Cook. It is difficult torealise, although it is a fact, that not sovery many years ago a young man was"bushed"'near the Roman Catholic Ceme-tery, wherehe had been pigeon shooting,and had to spend the night in a gully.From Newtown Park to Clyde-quay adeep, boggy stream wouml its sluggishway through, amorass of flax, raupo, andtussock grass— a swamp impassable inwinter, and wherehor»es and cattle some-times perished miserably. The originalplan of Wellington showed a dock on thesite of what is now tho Basin Reservo,witha canal to the harbour following thepresent line of Kent-terrace. Things,however, were changedby the great earth-quake of 23rd January, 1855, which rais-ed the whole shore-line of the harbour toa considerable distance inland from five tonine feet. The sodden ground was there-by raised, tracks, roads, and streets weremade inplacespreviously impassable, andthe dock reserve wasput toanother use.

The Excelsior Lodge meeting has beenpostponed until Wednesday eveningnext.

Kirkcaldie and Slrins, Ltd., are mak-ing a very attractive display this even-ing of toys, dolls, New Year's- gifts,and souvenirs, which visitors will findextremely intercsting..-'AdVfci

Lady Onslow has, owing to indisposi-tion, altered her arrangements regardingthe tour of herself and her son anddaughter in the South Island. The tour,which was to have begun on Thurs-day, will not commence until Mondaynext, when the party leaves Wellingtonfor Picton.

Our Carterton correspondenttelegraphsthat Mr. Nathaniel Grace, sheepfarmerat Gladstone, died this morning fromhemmorrhage of the brain. Deceased,who was 65 years of age, was a pastGrandLodge officer. He w'lll be accord-ed a Masonic funeral to-morrow.

Anaccident, resulting in a single mannamed J. D. Cooper, about 40 years ofage, having one of his feet cut off abovethe ankle, occurred at Kaitoke last even-ing. The unfortunate man was a passen-■ger by the mail train from Wellington toMasterfcon. On reachingKaitoke he jump-ed off a carriage io order to procure atthe station some refreshments. Before hewas clear of the lines the incoming trainfrom Masterton knocked him down andinflicted the injury stated. The accidentcaused much consternation amongst thepassengers, of whom several ladies faint-ed. The injured man was placed on thetrain, made as comfortable as possible,brought to the Te Aro Station, and thenconveyed in an ambulance to the Hos-pital. On enquiry at the institution to-day he was reported to be progressingfavourably after the necessary operation,which had to be performed last night. Itis said that Mr. Cooper is on a holidaytrip to this district, and that he residesat Amberley, Christchurch.

The question of better communicationbetweenKarori and'the city was consid-ered at a meeting of Karori ratepayerslast evening, presided over by Mr. C.Stubbs. It was statedr that the reportwhich the Borough Council expectedf*omDunedin on the Lombard Guerin system,had not yet come to hand,and the meet-ing resolved to defer further considera-tion of the mode of transit until afterthe Council had dealt with the report.The meeting denounced the BoroughCouncil for the apathy most of the Coun-cillors had shown on this important ques-tion, and two ratepayers suggested thatthe Borough should endeavour to makearrangements with the City Council fora system. In reply to this it was statedthat as long as the present Mayor ofWellington was in office it would be use-less to make any advances. Dealingagain with the personnel of the KaroriCouncil, a ratepayer said there wouldbe an election of Councillors in aboutthree months' time, and the ratepayersshould elect new representatives to takethe place of those who were too sleepyto go ahead.

This morning a man named JohnThompson wasbrought before the PoliceCourt on a charge of having received asovereign knowing it to have been dis-honestly obtained. Thomas Stevenson,a traveller, gave evidence to the effectthat tha accused and two others askedhim in the White Swan Hotel to have agame of cards. Afterwards one of themen challenged him to play a game ofbilliards for a stake of £5. Witnesseaid he had not got that amount, butwould play for a ■sovereign, which hoplaced on a table in front of him. Oneof the men pickedup the coin and gaveit to accused. Witness demanded thereturn of the money, but could not getit. The three men then Mb the hotel,Witness followed them, and gave accus-ed over to the police, who, onsearchinghim, found amongst other money a sove-reign. After hearing further 'evidencethe Bench, Messrs. T.- G. Macarfchy andWilliam M'Lean, Justices, adjournedthecase until next Wednesday for a newtrial, as they could not come to a unan-imous decision. Bail was granted.

On the "consorting with reputedthieves" charge of vagrancy, two mennamed James Wilson and Samuel Michaelwere each sent to gaol this morning forthree months by Messrs. T. G. Macarthyand William M'Lean, Justices. JohnNorris Mulcahy, charged with theft ofa pair of boots valued at 20s, the pro-perty of Percy Brown, was remandeduntil Wednesday. The hearing of thecase against William Charles Watson,alias Filewood, of having stolen a trunkana contents, valued at £7 13s 6d, theproperty of Joseph Prindable and Jo-seph Friedland, was adjourned untilFriday. On A charge of wife desertionat Wellington, Herbert Hilton Cope-stake was remanded until the 14th Janu-ary, when the case will be heard by theMagistrate. For insobriety, Henry Tho-mas was sent to gaol for one month,Patrick Kane was fined 20s, or sevendays, and Charles Connor was convict-ed and discharged. " Eight first-offenderswere discharged after being cautioned.

The Education Board to-day publishesa list of new and amended school dis-trict boundaries.

The delegates to the Conference ofOperative Bootmakers' Unions were en-tertained last night at a smoke concertin Godber's rooms, Cuba-street, by theWellington Union. The chair was occu-pied by Mr. A. H. Cooper, President ofthe Wellington Union. The principaltoast was that of the delegates, propos-ed by the Chairman, and responded toby Messrs. W. Harding (Auckland), W.Wood 3(Taranaki), W. Darlow (Christ-church), S. Brown (Dunedin), and J. Cox(Invercargill). An enjoyable time wasspent.

The special attention of all Scots inWellington is called to a notice in an-other column regarding the picnic whichis to be held at Belmont on Mtincraynext.

A duly qualified chemist is keptby the.Fresh Food and Ice Co. for testing themilk as it arrives from the farms.

—Advt.

Furniture carefully packed and storedby the New Zealand Express Company.Prompt attention to all enquiries, 20,Customhouse-quay. Telephone 92.

—Advt.

Munt, Cottrell, and Co., general car-riers, Customs and forwarding agents.Storage a speciality. Furniture packedand removed. Office: Queen's Cham-bers. Telephone No. 23.— Advt.

Christmas iveek, and ladies are all look-ing^ out for the most suitable presents fortheiv friends. C. Smith has just receiveda lovely lot of real Malteso laco goods,scarves, collars, and handkerchiefs, superbdesigns, and really cheap. Ladies' leatherbelts, inblack and blue, 1b 9d and 2s 3d;justarrived, the only ones in town; lovelyembroidered voile Housings in cream,black, navy, pale blue, and can de nil,2s 6d per yard, tho prettiest goods yetshown. O. Smith, Cash Draper, Cuba-street.

— Advt.

EXTRA EDITION.TANGI AT CAMBRIDGE.

INTOXICATING DRINKPROHIBITED[BY TELEGRAPH

—PRESS ASSOCIATION.}

CAMBRIDGE, This Day.A tang? on an extensive scale is being

held atMatangi, eleven miles from here,on the remains of Tamahana, a notedchief. To-day six hundred Maoris werepresent. It is estimated that food iscosting £60 per day.

The Hon. Mahuta, who is amongst themourner-s, has issued h notice prohibitingthe use of intoxicating drink at thetangi.

FATAL ACCIDENT.[BY TELEGRAPH

—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

GISBORNE, This Day.John Buckley, aged 50 years, whilst

riding through the Motu bush becameentangled with a tree, and injured hisspine. He wasbrought 50 miles to Gis-borne, and died in the Hospital there.

MINING NEWS.

The Kohikohi dredge obtained a re-turn of 21oz 14dwts for 118 hours' work

CRICKET.»

i *m

WELLINGTON v. WEST COAST.

The chief attraction in the city m out-door sport for the New Year holidays isthe cricket match between Wellingtonand a team representing the ManawatujWanganui, and Taranaki districts.contest commenced on the Basin Re-serve this afternoon, the weather beingovercast but'fine, and the wicket good.

The following were the teams:— Wel-

lington:C. P. Blacklock, C. Gore, .Bar-ton. Brice, Vivian, Dakin,Hickey, Wey-bourne, Richardson, (captain), F. Alpe,and Luckie. West Coast:F. Robertson(New Plymouth), B. M'Carthy (Hawera),M. Crombie (Inglewood), L. P. Cave, H.B. Cave, K. H. Cave, Esson, and Sykes(Wanganui), Skelley (2), and Ongley(Manawatu). Messrs. P. Bevan and T.Barclay are the umpires.

Tucker was unable- to play for Wel-lington, and his place in the team wastakenby Vivian.

M'Carthy captained the visitors, andwhining the toss, sent L. P. and Hr B.Ca-yc to face the bowling of Hickay.Brice took up the bowling at the otherend, and the game opened withamaidenover.

At 3 o'clock the scoring-sheet showedtwo wickets for 36 runs. Scores as fol-lows :—:

—WEST COAST.— First Innings.

L. P. Cave, not out .. .. .. 17H. B.Cave, b Hickey 11Robertson, 1.b.w., b Hickey.. .. 5&. H. Cave, not out 2

Leg-byes " 1

36

LATE SPORTING.GREYMOUTH RACES.

[BT TELEOBAFH—

l-JKESS ASSOCIATION.]GREYMOUTH R.C., This Day.

The weather is cloudy, with showers,for to-day's races. The attendance isgood. Results:—

Omutu Handicap.— Veneer, 1;Appren-tice, 2;Elibank, 3. Time, lmin 34sec.Dividend, £2 Is.

Mawhera Handicap.—

Koromako, 1;Corial, 2;Inspan, 3. Time, lmin SO4-ssec. Dividecds, £4 18s and 13s.

The "Piunket Waltz," dedicated toLady Piunket by its composer, MissNorah Lynch, is one of the latest piecesof dance music to make its appearancein the market. Itpossesses some oiiginalchaiacteristics, most marked in the mat-ter of rhythm, while the themeis tunefuland pleasing to a d-egree, which will nodoubt make the waltz popular with thosewho derive pleasure lrom an evening'senjoyment of "the light fantastic."'

An open verdict of Found Drown-ed was returned at the enquiryheld yesterday afternoon by Mr.A. Simpson, Acting Coroner, concerningthe death of Mr. Hare Apiti (HenryPitt).. Evidence given by the wife of ihedeceased showed that he was 75 yeaisof age, and had been suffering frombronchitis and indigestion for some time.iSeveial years ayo he met -with an acci-dent, and since then any trouble or worrywhich lie experienced always affected hishead. Oil 2?jid inst. he returnedfrom New Plymouth, where he had beenattending for twelve days a bitting of theNative Land Court. This {teemed totrouble him a good deal, and,he com-plained of paiins in his head. He retiredto ,bed about 9.15 on Wednesday night.Witness saw him half an hour after-wards, and he th/sn appeared to beasleep. At 4 o'clock next morning witnessmissed him, and immediately roused thehousehold to search for him. A carpen-ter named F. R. Holton 'subsequent'}"found him dead in the Waivetu River,about a quarter of a mile from home.The body was in a deep pool of waterat the foot of a steep bank., on whichwere marks which indicated that de-ceased had apparently slipped and falleninto thfr water.

Mr. A. R. P. W. Green has been per-manently appointed oneof the inspectorsof the Bank of Xew Zealand. Mr.Green was fornurly manager of the bankat Timaru.

The following members of the Welling-ton Rowing Club left for Picton this aft-ernoon to compete at the regatta there onMonday:

— M'Kay, Klee, Cbimside,M'Kinley (Junior Fours and JuniorClink-er Foura), H. Cross, B. Wolf, Godfrey,and Raymond (Maiden Fours). Mr. A.G. Johnson, Captain of the Club, left incharge of the crews. The Star Boat&^Club will be represented in the regatta?by a junior crew.

Messrs. J.A. Nash and Co., of Palmers-ton North, advertise for sale or lease, with.light of purchase, a wood and coal, busi-ness in Feilding.

The .launch Moturoa will run excur-sions down the harbour and to the war-ship Phoebe.

Miss C. J. Duncan, milliner and dress-maker, publishes in our advertisingcolumnsa business card of interest to ladies.

The s.s. Duchess will run special excur-sions to Day's Bay to-morrow morning andafternoon. Tull time-table is advertised.

Messrs. Harcourt and Co. will hold anauction sale at their rooms on Thursday,12th prox.,at 230 pm., when they willsubmit, under order of the Registrar ofthe Supreme Court, a'farm of over 400acres, situate at Kaitoke. A new list oftheir freehold and leasehold properties also-appears in this issue.

Messrs. J.H.Bethune and Co.insert anamendedlist of business andresidential pro-perties which areon their books for privatesale. Those wishing to sell are invited tosend particulars of their properties for in-sertion in the firm's Wellington Investors'Guide. Messrs. Bethune and Co. have anumber of houses to let.

Tho Provident Life Assurance Co. pub-lishes a letter of thanks received forprompt payment of claim.

Messrs. R. B. Davis and Co., tailors,call the attention of gentlemen to their■mart suitings.

LATE SHIPPING.ENTERED OUTWARDS.

December 31— Penguin, s.s., 517 tons, S. Hoiford, for Picton and Nelson. Passengcis :— B7excursionists.

December 31— WaiKare, s.s., 1901 tons, Civiw-sh.iw, for Syclnej. Pasiengeis: Siilnon— JlifstsBiady, Pcgg, Piper, Brown,B»rrj , Lucas, Spul-lane, M'Doauld, Pearson, Bowdelljn, Jifsdaice-Pegs, Tonks,Pope, Rutherford, Kcad,BrigidmcNuns (i), Captains Quintal, Elders, Messrs. Sal-mon, Uunn, Heinz, Callaghan,Rnyner, Tuthill,Johnston, Williams, Vr'nrlcy, Home, Young,Rogers, Triggs, Head, Uillanders.

December 31— R'otomahana, s.s., 864 tons,

Chnsp, for Lyttellon. Passengers:— 93 excur-sionists.

January 1- Takapuna, s.sf, 369 tons, G. Hoi-ford, for Neison, New Plymouth,and Onelmnga.Passengers "— Saloon— For Nplson— Misses Smith,M'Bride, Nichols,Mesdames Ruff, Tatham,King,Mackay and infant. Steel, Cording, Rev.FatherICimbell, Messrs. Tatham, M.ickay, King, Hume,Owen, Steel, Vcill, Cording, Blown. For One-hunga—Messrs. Thromps,Polkinglume(2), Hen-derson.

lONIC LEAVES HOBART.The locnl agents of the Shaw-Savill Company

h:ivc been advised that the lonic continued hervojagd from Etoharfc for Wellington at 5 o'clockthis morninjf. She is due 'here on Wednesdayafternoon. The vessel is bringing483 passengeroin all classes for New Zealand ports.

The Customs revenue collected at Wellingtonduring the month ending to-d,iy amounted to£54,7fe3 6s, iind the beer duty for the sameperiod £1025 153 BJ. The figures for the corre-spondingmonth last year were £50,768 14s lOuand £1225 5s 2d respectively. The Cnstoma re-venue for the past week totalled £6552 6s Bd,awj the beer, duty £151 13s. To-day's Customsreturn was £616 9a lid.

The Union Company's steamer Hnupiri is toleave Westport for Wellingtonat5 this evening,and i3. duehere to-morrow.It has now been decided that thePoheruawill

come through to Wellington from the South thisweck.-anivintf heie from Lyttelton to-morrow,and sailing for Westport and Greymouth onTuesday next.

The New Zealand ShippingCompany's steamerKaikoura is to call atGisborne ou the rundownfrom Auckland. She. is to sail from the northernport this evenigg, and should reach Wellingtonabout Thursday next.

The departuieof the Waikare for Sydney hasbeen postponed until 6 o'clock. to-night.

The Sliaw-Sarill liner Waiwera, which is nowloadingat Napier, is expected to reach Welling-ton about the 6th January, and will rail foi;London a day or two later. She should reachLondon in time for tl\e March wool saleo.

The Tyser steamer Star of Australia, from New,Yorjivm Australian ports, continuedher voyagefrom Auckland for Wellington this lnobning.Thevessel ha31000 tons of caigo to land here, onthe discharge of which she is to continue on toLytteltonandDuiiedln.

BY TELEGRAPH.LTTTELTON,31st December.

Arrived—

Wakatu (o a.m.), from Wellington.Saired— Wakatu (II.?.1)n.m 1, for Wnipa».>.

NELSON, 31st December.Arrived— Pateena (1.£5 p.m.), fmin lJictoi>.

NAVIEU, 31st December.Arrived— Nnvaru (1.20 p.m.), from U.sborne.

ROUND ABOUT.A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW.

[Br a Casual Chroxicleh.]

During the past week the colony has

been' informed that the Premier has re-ceived the following message from thePrince of Wales :— "Warmest tharks andgood wishes." Owing to the recent dis-covery that an important " despatch,"in which the Colonial Office had the te-merity and impudence to snub the Pre-mier, was suppressed,a local secret ser-vice agent suspected that there mightbe something behind this message, and,following up the slender clue, he suc-ceeded in bringing some important cor-iespondence to light, which it will beseen fully explains the Prince's message.It is as iollows :—:

— »George, Sandringham.— Feeling tired

of this colony. \V"ant to spread mywings and take a hand at the wheel of

Empire, and steer it to the millennium.Can you assist me?— (Signed) liichardJohn.

Hichard John, New Zealand.— Don'tquite understand your message.' Do youmean that you want me to secure thocrown for you? If so, am afraid can'thelp, you, much as Ishould" like to.England has queer notions on these mat-ters.— (Signed) George.

George, rfandringham.—Idon't abso-lutely stipulate for uown. Premiershipmight do if Cabinet is abolished. Myvoice still loud and resonant.

— (Signed)Richard..Richard, New Zealand.— Don't throwyourself awayonoldEngland. Why notretire and devote jour life to the evolu-tion of a scheme for uplifting humanity.Do please.-*— (Signed) George.

George, Sandringham. — Disappointedin yon.. Hope certain lady not beenprejudicing..you against, me, as Ihearshe sold a presentation signed copy otmy speeches for twopence. Will do asyou suggest, to oblige you, but don'tblame me when England falls into theabyss of Oblivion, and shrieks vainlyfor Seddon. Farewell. — (Signed) Rich-ard.

Richard, New Zealand. — Warmestthanks and good wishes. — (Signed)Geoige.

Beaucaire, with his superhuman airsand graces, has this week played havocwith the k&arts of many an impression-able '"young thing," aud there are anumber of very good fellows who havediscerned a certain look of disappoint-ment in the eyes of their lady loves, audwho are hopelessly out of it as long asthe gallant hero struts upon the stage.

Once she loved my classic features,And she doted od my eyes,

Happiest once of human creatures,Iwas once in Paradise.

But I'm new a haples« lover,And the world is void and bare:

For my love has thrown me over' Since she went and saw Beaucaire.Once she tingled to the,pressure

Of mjr arm about her waist,And she found a childish pleasure

Inmy manly form encased'

In the suit of latest fashionAnd the tricky'hat I.wear.—But she's changed. Her only passionIs the costume ol Beaueaire.

She has seen me single-handedBrave the tram conductor's ire,

But, alas, she has demandedSomething braver, something higher.

Since Icannot fight an army,She goes past me, chin in air.

Oh! The girl is simply "balmy"On that bounding beast Beaucaire.

Since I'm not a superhumanBlend of Duke and demigod,

This extiemely fickle woman, Cuts me dead— won't even nod.And she called me ordinary,

And she said (Oh, false and fair!)That the man that she would marry

Must resemble dear Beaucaire.But I've gofc the consolation

That theie never did existSuch a, noble combination

Of the fop and pugilistThat jhe doter upon so madly;

And the day will come,Iswear,When she'll long for me, and sadly

Mourn her passion for Beaucaire.

"Let knowledge grow from more tomore," sang Tennyson, hut as the yearsroll on it becomes more and moie ap-parent that knowledge has really beengrowing from less to less, and that theinventions of modern civilisation and themost notable developments of modernprogress were old and out of date in thedays before the Mayor of Egypt presidedat the opening ceremony iv connectionwith the Pyramids. Every one knowsthat gunpowder was invented by theChinese millions and millions of yeaisago; the telephone is older than the evei-lasting hills;andthere is good reason tobelieve that it was a pianola that Neroplayedwhen the insurance companies hadsuch a bad time in ancient Rome. The

■ mother-in-law.joke is to be found if-ftn

Egyptian papyrus of 3000 B.C Even ourlaws are mere reproductions of enact-ments that prevailed in the days of Me-thuselah, and Babylon held several indig-nation meetings about the barmaids ques-tion. The latest blow that has been dealtto our pride in our piogicss concerns theArk. A Danish engineer built a 30-footship on the outlines of the figure on acoin 2204 years old, loaded it with anumber of univeisity professors, engi-neers, Government officials, and journal-ists, and sailed gracefully through theSound of Copenhagen. Marine expertsdeclare that the Ark must have been amasterpiece of shipbuilding, and a vesselwhich has never been improvedupon. Itonly remains to be discevered that Adamleft the Garden of Eden on an electrictram, or that Caesar used a typewriterin writing las histories, or that UlyssesMas employed by the Tourist Departmentof ancient Greece to openup newmarkets.Then

'it is pocsible that this bumptious

ago will come to a true sense of its insig-nificance as au inventor.

TO A PLUM PUDDING.

There is psrhaps no more welcome presentto those whose lives arc cast in lonely pl:icc3abroad than a real English plum pudding.

—London papeit, discussing-Christinas iv the col-onies. %

"

Only a heavy pudding.Only a stodgy duff.Arfd yet how it fillsMy heart witu thrills

For the old land blunt and bluff.Holly and mistletoe!Fog and the drifting snow!Do they understandThis sunshine land,

Who only their England know?Pudding! Ilove thee not!But this«is England's way

—To uut her faithIniTie duff of Death,

That is made for the Christmas Day.Up in the London fog,They utterly fail to knowThat a man.may wishFor a different dish

Than a heavy old ball of dough.Perhaps in it distant day,In a far off future age,When our fame has grown,And we're better known

On the great Imperial stage,

Our England may discern1That our aspirations turnTo things aboveThe duff they love:

For puddings wedo not yearn.

But tho spirit that sent this duffAs solace from overseaIs the self-same spiritThat made Earth fear it.

Pudding! Ibow -to thee.

WELLINGTON EDUCATION BOARD.

SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES. "

THE fallowing School District Bound-aries, new and amended, have beenadopted by the Wellington EducationBoard:—

Ngapopotu: N. —Blocks XV., XVI,

Puketoi S.D., Block XIII.,Aohangn S.D.;W.— Taueru R., Sections 299, 292, 293,Block VI., 871, 877, 879, Block X.,Manga-pakeha S.D.;S.— Blocks XL, XH., Ma-ngapakeha S.D., and Section 793, BlockVII., Castlepoint S.D.;E.— Section 411,Block 1., Caeliepoint S.D. and'Te Nui R.

Te Nui (amended):N.— Blocks VI.,VU.,VIIL,Mangapakeha S.D., and Block IV.,Castlepoint S.D.;W.— Block X., Manga,pakeha S.D., Whakaporo stream andWhareama river to the sea; S.— By thesea; E.— Te Nui river and Sections 377,376, Block XII.,Mangapakeha, 799, BlockVII., Castlepoint S.D., 801, 802, 803,Block IX., CaEtlepoint S.D., '353, 354,Block XL,Castlopoint S.D.

Huia Road:N.— Mangatiti and Aohnngarivers to the sea;W.— Sections 5,26,Block1., Sections 24, 25, 26, 27, 4, Block V.,Sections 220, 817, Block IX., AohangaS.D., Section 221, Block XII., PuketoiS.D.;S.

—Pakowai stream, Mataikona R.

to the sea;E.— The sea.Rakauuui (amended): N.

— Sections 30,6, Block XV., Makuri S.D., 13, 12, 11,Block IV., Puketoi S.D., 7, Block 1.,Aohanga S.T)., 2a, 4a, Block VIIL,MountCerberus S.D., 1, 4, Block 1., AohangaS.D., 4, 3, Block 11., AohatigaS.D.;W.—Sections 23, 24, -25, Block XIV., Makuri8.D., 30, 31. 10, 21, Block 11., PuketoiS.D., and Block VI., Puketoi S.D.;S.—Sections 33, 45, 46, Block VII., PukeloiS.D., 30, 66, Block XII., Puketoi S.D.,and Makoura stream;E.— Sections 5, 6,Block 11., Aohanga S.D., 14, 13, 12, 11,10, 9, 8, 5, 3, Block V., Aohanga, 1,BlockIX.,Aohnnga S.D.

Saunder3 Road:N.—

Section 8, BlockV., Puketoi S.D., 13, Block 1., PuketoifcS.D., 6, 9, 10, Block 11., Puketoi S.D.;W.— Mangaoue S.D.;S— Tiraumea river;E.— Block* 111. and VII., Puketoi S.D.,and Section 35, Block XI,, Puketoi S.D.

Alfredton (amended):N. — Tiraumeariver, Sections 40.*60, 3, 22, 6, Block V.,Puketoi SD., 14, 13, 9, Block VIIL,Ma-ngaone S.D.;W.— 22, 28b, 30b, 31,' BlockML, Mangaono S.D., 12, 17, 20, 30, 29,28, 27, 25,24, 23, 22,Block XL,MangaoneS.D., 48, 53, 56,Block X. Mangaone S.D.,68, 67, 72, Block XIV., Mangaone S.D.;S.— Sections 7, 24, 23,29, 20,19, 18, 16, 15,Block XV., Mangaone S.D., 83, 84, 87,Block XVI., Mangaone S.D., and 21, 20,Block IV., Mangaone S.D., Sections' 140,135, Block VHL,Mangoone 5.D.,% 136, 137,213, 218, Block V., Mangapakeha S.D.,219, Block VI., Mangapakeha S.D.;E.—Sections 8, 9, 10, 174, Block XL, PuketoiS.D., 175, 183, Block XV., Puketoi S.D.,aud tho Taueru river.

Stokes Valley: N.— Sections 84, BlockIV.,Belmont S.D., 97, 101, 206, Block 1.,Rimutnka S.D.;W.— Hutt river;S.—Sec-tion 61, Block IX.,288, 73, 232, Block X.,Belmont S.D.;E.— Sections 47, 245, 246,56, 57,-58, 59,-60, 61, 62, 63, 278, Blodk V.,279 and 281, Block VIH., Rimutaka S.D.Koro Koro: N.— Sections 424, 309, 109,80, Block YELL, Bohnont S.D.;W.—Sec-tions 21, 20, 16, 15, 14, 12, Block VIIL,Belmont S.D., and Koro Koro stream;S.— Sections 1N.R., 2 N.R., 3 N.R..BlockXIII., Belmont S.D.;E.— Sections 115,24, 20 N.R., Block VIII., Belmont S.D.

Koro Koro South (amended):X.— Sec-tion 35, Block 11., 37, 39, Block 111., Bel-mont S.D.;W.— Sections 26, 24, 22, 20,18, 16, 14, 12, 10, Block 11., 7, 5, 3, 2,1, 39, 37, 35, 33, 30, 29, 27, 25, 23, 21,19, Block VII.,17, 15,14, 12,10, 13,BlockXIL, Belmont S.D.;S.— Tho Sea; E.—Sections 548, 344, 343, Block 111., 340, 339,Block 11., 331, 330, a029, 322, 321, 422,423, 7, 5, 4, 6, 3, Block VIIL, BelmontS.D., and Koro Koro stream.

Tawa Flat (amended):N.—

Sections 122,57, Block V., 58, Block 11., Bohnonl S.D.;W.— Sections 122, 123, 124, Block V.,119,118, 117, 116, Block VI., Belmont S.D.;S.— Sections 26, 27, Block VII., BelmontS.D.;E.— Sections 9, 8, Block 11., 6, 4,3, 2, 1, 38, 19, 18, 17, 13, 13, 10, BlockVII.,Belmont S.D.

Epuni: N.— Paik-avonue through Sec-lion 50 to Nai Nai road, Sections 44, 231,Block X., Belmpnt S.D.;W.—Hult roadto Black Bridge, along Black Creek toHautana estate, eastern boundary Hau-lana, estate to Waiwelu road;S:

—Wai-

wctu and Wainui roads to the Wainuihills ; E.— Eastern boundary Sections 230,439, 440, Block X., 41, 225, 27, 23, 19,Block XIV., Belmont.

Hutt (amended) : N.— Sections 67, 54, 73,56, 57, 59, Block 111., Belmont S.D., 17,18,14, 196a, 178, Block IV., BolmontSrD.;W.— Sections 39, Block 111., Belmont S.D.,35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, Block 11.,Belmont S.D., 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, BlockVIIL Belmont S.D., 7, 5, 4, Bb, Ba, 9, 10,Block VIIL, Belmont S.D.; S.— l6 N.R.,16, 7, 8, 9, 11, Block XVIII.,BolmontS.D.;E—Hutt river to Section 39, BlockIX.,Bplmont S.D., thence by Black creekto tho Waiwetu-road, Hutl-road to BlackBridge, along Bl?ck creek and E. bound-ary, Hautana estate, Waiwetu-road.

Potouo (amended):N.—

Sections 79, 20N.R., 20, 17, 21, P>lock XIH., BelmontS.D., 18, 19, Block XIV., Belmont S.D.;W.— Koro Kord stream; S.— The

'sea

and Sections 20, 21, Block XVI.,BelmontS.D.;E.— Sections 16, 21, Block -^TV.,Belmont S.D.

Taita (amended) : N.— Sections 62, 69,71, 74,233, Block X.,Belmont S.D.;W.—Hutl river; S.— Hutt-road, Park-avenueand Sections 43, 230, Block X., BelmontS.D.;E.-Block XV., Belmont S.D.

Takapau:To connist of Sections 1to4, 6, Block VII., 5, 7, Block VIIL, 8 to18, Block 11., Belmont S.D.

Poncarrow: N.— Biocks IV., V., VI,Pencarrow S.D.;W.. S., and E.— The sea.

Longbush: N.— (A) Te-wera-a-whailiri,Block V., Wainuioru S.D., thence alongMangahuia stream, Sections 28, 27, BlockIV., Huangarua S.D.;W.

—Sections 31,

32, Block IV., 33 Block HI,37, 42, 01,63, 65, 67, 70, Block VII.,74, 78, 82, BlockXI., Huangarua S.D.; S.— Section 83,Block XL, Huangarua S.D., Wakaruastream, Sections A, B, Tahuroa, BlockIX,Wainuioru S.D.;E.— Wainuioru It.

Gladstone (amended):N.— Taueru andRuamahunga rivers; W. — Sections 13, 12,19, 20, Block XVI., Tiffin S.D., 26, 31, 30,29, Block IV., Huangarua S.D., Manga-huia stream and (B) Te-wera-a-whaitiriBlock V., Wainuioru S.D.;S.—Wainui-oru river and Sections 242, 244, BlockVII., Wainuioru S.D.;E.— A line fromPyramid Trig to Pawareek Trig OtahuaS.D., Whawatewhine Creek and Sections239, 33, Block 111., Wainuioru S.D.

Wharau: N.— Wainuioni R, Sections233, 234, Block 111., Wainuioru S.D., andMasterton county; W.— Wainuioru R.;S.— Wainuioru and Pahaoa, rivers, Sec-tions 1, 2, Block XIL, Wainuioru S.D.;E.— Block IV., Kaiwhata S.D.

Mangamairo (amended):N.— Section 31,Block X., and Section 17, Block XL,Mangahao S.D.;W.— Mangahao rivers S— Pukewhai-road and Section 73, BlockXIII.;E.

—Mangatainoka river, Sectionssa, 2a, Block XI., Mangahao S.D., and

tho railway line.Hamua (amended) : N. boundary;Puke-

wha-road to Mangatainoka R., Mangatai-noka, R. northwards to Section 48, Sections48, 49, Block XIV., Mangahao S.D., Sec-tions 5, 4, Block XV., Mangahao, Seclion4a, Block 111., Mangaone S.D.

Konini (amended): N.— Mangatainokaand Makakahi rivers, Sections 7, 8, BlockXL,Mangahao S.D., 17, 20, 26, 29, BlockXIL, Mangahao S.D.; W.— The railwayline, Sections 6a, Mangatainoka, J 2a, Nos.1, 2, Block X., Mangahao S.D., 15, 30,Mangatainoka, J No. 3, Block XIV.,Mangahao; S.— Sections 19, 21, BlockXIV., Mangahao S.D,30, 3a, Block XV.,Mangahao S.D. and Eketahuna Countyboundary; E.— Mangarama creek andMangarama-road.

Maku (amended):N.— Sections 1, 2, 17,4, Block 1., Mount CerberusS.D., 27,Block11., Mount Cerberus S.D.:W.— Pahiati'aCounty;S.— Sections 12, 10, Block XI,Makuri S.D. 19, 6, 9, Block VIII,MountCerberus, 6, 7, 8, Block IV., Mount Cer-berus,18, Block V., Mount Cerberus S.D ,1, 2, 3, Block JX., Mount CerberusS.D.; E.-7, 11, 12, 13, 22, 31, 30, BlockV., Mount Cerberus, 7, Block IX., MountCorberus S.D.

Pu.'fehinau: N.— Sections 2, la, 3b,Block 11., 11, lla. Block III.: E — Sections 13, 14, 15, Block VI., 34, 33, 32,Block V.; S.— Sections 21, 14, 4, 5, 6,Block V., Mount Cerberus S.D.;W.—Wpihi stream.

Waiono (amended): N. — WaipawaCounty;W.— Sections 9, Block 111, 4a,lb, Block 11., 29, 28, 27. 26, Block V.,Mount Cerberus S.D.; S.— Sections 15,28, 17, 19, 1, Block VI., 12, Block VJLL,Mount Cerberus S.D., thence by AkitioR. to intersection Block 1., Waimata

SouthS.D.;E.— Block 1., Waimata Soutn !S.D.

Horoeka (amended): N. — WaipawaCounty; W.— Pahiatua County;S.— Sec- ition 29, Block XL, Makuri S.D., 24, 25,26, 27, 35, 36, 37, 38, Block IV., MountCerbeius S.D., 5, 6, Block V., MountCerberus S.D.;E.

—Waihi stream, Sec-r

lioni. 6a, 6b, 6c, Block 11., 11, 8, 5, BlockHI., Mount Cerberus S.D. :

Pongaroa:Amended by the addition ofSections 7, Blook 1., 30, 31, Block V.,Mount Cerberus S.D.

Plimmerton: N.—

The sea and Section1, Block 111., Paikakariki S.D.;W.— Thesea; S.— Porirua Harbcur and Sections100, Block VIII., 29, 20, Block 11., Bol-mont S.D. ; E.— 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Block VI., ,Blocks VI. and IX., and Section 96, .Block VIII.,Paikakariki S.D. :

Porirua (amended):N. — Porirua Har- :bour aud Sea, and Section 99, Block. :VIII., Paikakariki S.D.;W.— The sea;S.— Sections 120, 38, 122, 55, 56, BlockV., 11, 13, 15, 17 18, Block 11., BelmontS.D.;E.— 35, 34, 33, 32, Block 11., Bel-inont S.D.

Pahautanui (amended):— N.— Sections 3,

1, 2, 50, Block IX.,Paikakariki S.D., 51,52, 22a, Block X., Rimutaka S.D.;W.—Sections 85, 97, Block VHL,PaikakarikiS.D.; S.— Sections 29, 27, 35, Block 11.,Belmont S.D., 352, 351, 432, Block 111.,Belmont S.D.;E.— Sections 45, 34, 30, 19,14, 3, Block IX., Paikakariki S.D., 97, 86,81, 70, 72, 73., Block 111., Be'mont S.D.

Horokiwi Valley (amended): N.— Sec-tions 55 54, 50, Block 11. and Block IV.,Paikakariki S.D. ;W.— The sea, Waima-pihiBlock andBlocks V. and VHL,Pai-kakariki S.D.; S.— Section 85, BlockVIII., Sections 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 68, 67,47. 64, 45, 44, 43, 21, Block IX, 22, 22a,23, 8, 34, 33, 29, Block X., Padkakarild ,S.D.;E.— Block IX., Akatarawa S.D.

Paraparaumu (amended):N.— Waikanaerivei, Sections 53, 57, 49, 48, 12, BlockIX., 13, Block X. 14, Block XIV., Kai-tawa S.D.;W.— The sea;S.— Sections 22,6, 59, 19, 56, 73,77, 81, Block 11., Paikaka-riki S.D., 7, Block 1., Akatarawa S.D.;E.— Sections 16, 1, Block 11., AkatarawaS.D., 14, 13, Block 1., Akatarawa S.D.,and the Mauugakatukutukucreek.

Paikakariki (amended): N.— Section 4,in line with N. boundary, Section 22,Sections 5, 6, 7, 18, 71, 83, 82, Block 11.,Paikakariki S.D., Section 6, Block 1.,Akatarawa S.D.;, W.— The sea; S.—Southern boundary, Section 55, N. boun-dary of Section 48, Block 111., Block VII.,Paikakariki S.D.;E.— Block V., Akat-arawa S.D., Maungatukutuku.creek to N.boundary, Section 7, Block I.! AkatarawaS.D. !

Akatarawa: N.— Horowhenua County;W.— Sections 63, 37, 36, Block X., Kai-tawa S.D., Sections 15, 14, 8, Block XIV.,Kaitawa S.D., Section 6, Block 11., Akat-arawa S.D., 11, 12, 16, 8, 9, 10, Block 1.,Akatarawa S.D.,' 84, 93, 92, Block 11.,Paikakariki P D., and boundary Block H.to junction with Block IV., Blocks IV.and VII., Paikakariki S.D.; S.— BlockXIII., Sections 1, 358, Block XIV., 359",362, 361, Block X., Akatarawa S.D.;E.— jForest Reserve

Mangarama: N— Toretai stream, Sec-tion 9, Block VIII.; W.— A line fromTaiepa Trig, extending northwards in linowith eastern boundary 'Section 22, BockVIII.; S.— Sections 29, 28, 27, BlockXII., Mangahao S.D.;E.— Sections 15,Block IV., Makuri S.D., 6, 16, 22, BlockXII..Mangahao S.D.

Pahiatua (amended): N.— Lots 3, 16,Wellington Corporation Endowment, Sec-tion 9, Block VIIL, Mangahao S.D.;W.—

Mangatainoka R.; S.— Makakahi R.,Sections9, 10, Block XL,Mangahao S.D.;E.— A lino from Taiepa Trig northwardsin line with E. boundary Section 22,Block VIIL, Mangahao S.D.

G. L. STEWART,Secretary. '

30th December, 1904.

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1904.6

!'

TO OUR READERS.

mHE EVENING POST willJLNOT be published on MON-

DAY, 2nd JANUARY, 1905.

mHE EVENING POST

SHEET ALMANACFor 1905

Will .be issued GRATIS with

THEEVENING POST

ON FRIDAY, 6th JANUARY.

Agents requiring extra papers of thatdate will oblige by forwarding their ordersat once.

JfEW YEAR'S EVE,AT THB

D.I.C.

OPEN UNTIL 9.30P.M.

Attractions—

SANTA CLAUS,- CHRISTMASTRER,

AndTOYS.Also,

SIXPENNY DIP IN MAGIC WELL.

DXC.

Q-RAND DISPLAY.TO-NIGHT f~TO-NIGHT !

MECHANICALMODELS.BOYS' DELIGHTS.

SteamModel EnginesClockwork ModelSteamersTorpedo,Submarine,Sailing,andRowiug

BoatsClockwork Locomotives and CarriagesMecfcric Machines, CinetnatogimphMagio Lanterns, DioramaAirHuns,Pistols,Saloon Rifles.BicyclesLargo Rocking Horses (realskin) »

ALL AT SALE PRICES TO-NIGHT,

BRITISHandAMERICANHARDWARE HOUSE,

LAMBTON-QUAY.(LuteCameron and Christie's.^

EXCELSIOR LODGE, No. 11,U.A.O.D.

/"VWING to tho Lodge Night falling ona Holiday, the meeting is Postponed

until WEDNESDAY, 4th January,.1905.F. JENNINGS,

Secretary.

A SMILE OF RECOGNITION

IS a common thing in our Studio. Lookup some of your friends there.

J. N. ISAACS,Manners-stroet.

CHRISTMAS MIDGETS 5s a Dozen.

A POLLINARIS, Apo.Vi-aris, Apolhnaris-£jL is bottled only witi s own naturalgas, ,and only at the AyoUmariß Spring,Neuenahr, Germany.

THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,Room No. 4, York Chambers, 34, Manners-' street.

PUBLIC LECTURES will be given onSUNDAY, Ist January, at 7 p.m.,in connection with tho Annual Conventionof the Society.ByA. W. MAURAIS. from Dunedin,

Subject, "What is Theosophy?"And

By D. W. M. BURN,M.A., from Dunedin,Subject, "More Light."

COURT ROBINHOOD, No. 4428, A.O.F.npHE Court will hold its Next Meeting-fi- on THURSDAY, sth January, 1905,in consequence of the regular Court-nightfalling on apublic holiday.

J. T. WEBBER, P.D.C.R.,Secretary.

SANCTUARY SIR GEORGE GREY,3118, A.O.S.fTVHE next Sanctuary Meeting will beA held at the Foresters' Hall, Tory-street, on WEDNESDAY, 4th January1905. . ■*'

J. G. CLARK,Scribe.

PIANOS!

THE BRINSMEAD.

JTTIHIS Instrument is unsurpassed by anyA in the world for Tone, Touch, andDurability.

Evgry Brinsmead sold has a FIVEYEARS' GUARANTEE from any defect,signed by the makers.THE BRINSMEAD HASNO DEFECTS.

BEGG & CO., LTD.,WILLIS-STREET,

Sole Agents.

yjVHE Funeral of the late NathanielJL Grace, Gladstone, will leave Gladstone

Post Office at 1.30 p.m. To-morrow (Sun-day) for the Clareville Cemetery, arrivingthere at 3 p.m.

D. J. KING,Undertaker.

FUNERAL NOTICE.rriHN Funeral of the lute Henave PitiJL Porutu willleave the residence of Mr.J. Wutters, No. 22. Thorndon-quay, onSunday, IstJanuary, 1905,ior the Cemetery,

iJolton-street.ISAAC CLARK & SON,

Undertakers, &L-.,Tel., 806. 55,Molesworth-street.

COURT SIR GEORGE GREY, 3118.

MEMBERS of the above Court arc in-vited to attend the Funeral of Bro.

H. Pitt, which will leave No. 22, Thor,n-don-quay, for tho Bolton-street Cemeteryon Sunday, Ist January, at 2.30 o'clock.

JAMES ROBERTSON. Seo.

f HEAT RE KOYAL.TO-NIGHT ! TO-NIGHT!

GIGANTIC HOLIDAY ATTRACTIONNew Programme To-Night.

DIX'S GAIETY COMPANY.DIX'S GAIETY COMPANY.

PresentingMJSSLIZZIEKIRK, LIZZIE KIRKLIZZIEKIRK LIZ.ZIEKIRKLIZZIEKIRK XIZZIEKIRKThe Reigning Comedy Queen, in Another

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By those Marvellous Cyclists,THE WHEELFiRS! THE WHEELERS!FRANK LEON The Great Eccentric andFRANK LEON Champion Clog Dancer.LES WARTON GEO. WARSAWLES WARTON DAISY SYLVESTER

New Comedietta^-"THEBITERS'BITTEN."

Usual prices, 2s 6tl (reserved), 2s and Is.Boxes £1. Plan at Holiday's. EarlyDioors (7 to 7.35), 6d extra.

N.B.— Come early or book your seat.

COMPLETE CHANGE TO-NIGHT, at 8.

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FULLER'S ENTERTAINERS!FULLER'S ENTERTAINERS!FULLER'S ENTERTAINERS!

TO-NIG-HT! TO-NIGHT!The NAWNS To-night appear in their

Laughter-provoking Comedietta, byEdmund Day

—PAT AND GENII.!PAT AND GENII.!

Pat (the Gardener) Tom NawnSarah (the Housekeepei") Hattie NawnThe Genii of the Jar Katherine NawnBen Ah El Hajnrasch Slaves of theSaid Pasha El Hamrasch GeniiScene— The Heme of Prof. Griffiths,

Egyptologist and- Collector of An-tiquities.

A Bright Programme Contributed to byETHEL COEN Q HARRY CARLETONLULU EUGENE VICTOR (last nights)MAY ROSE FRANK KINGVERA MAULEY SAM WILSONDORIS MAULEY TED ANDERSONFLORRIE LEIGH JOE COWANAltogether a Colossal Company in a,Holi-

day Programme. New Songs, Dances,Farce, Comedy, etc. Everything Bran,SpankingNew.

People's prices— Circle, 2s; Stalls, Is (la-dies half-piice); Pit, 6d.

RAND COMPLIMENTARY SOCIALv3T Tendered to

MR. P. C. HANLEYBy Lilac and Poneke 1Dancing Assemblies,

NEW YEAR'S NIGHT.Tickets Is.HARRY IVAR,J. NORTHWOOD,

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GRAND SCOTTISH PICNIC.ON MONDAY, 2nd JANUARY, 1905.

TO BELMONT.All Cordially Invited.

Bring the Children.Games and Sports.

Hot Water Provided.Train leaves To Aro Station 9.28,. Wellington 9.40.

COME EARLY.SCOTTISH LOWLANDS SOCIETY OF

NEW ZEALAND.

MIRAMAR FERRY COMPANY (Ltd.)

KARAKA BAY AND SEA'.COUN.TIMETABLE FOR SATURDAY

(NEW YEAR'S EVE).

Leave Town— 7.3o and 10 a.m,1.10, 2.30,6, 9.30, and 11.15 p.m.

Leave Seatoun— 6.55, 8.5, and 10.45 a.m.,1.50, 5, 6.45, and 10.15 p.m.

(Circumstances permitting.)

THE MIRAMARFERRY COMEANY(Ltd.).

KARAKA BAY AND SEATOUN.MONDAY— NEW YEAR'S DAY.

HOLIDAY "TIME-TABLE.Tho Steamers ADMIRAL and LOYALTY

will run as under (circumstances per-mitting):

—Leave Town (approx.)— 9, 10, 11 a.m.,

noon, 1, 2.30,2.45, and 5.30 p.m.Leave Seatoun (approx.)— First Morning

Steamer, 8 a.m. ;Afternoon at regu-lar intervals from 3.30 to 6 p.m.

Fare—

One Shilling (return);Children,half-price.

Ordinary Time-table Suspended.

mHE WELLINGTON STEAM FERRYCOMPANY (Ltd.).

DAY'S BAT.DAY'S BAY.'

HOLIDAY EXCURSIONS!

SUNDAY,Ist JANUARY.Leave Town— lo.ls, 11 a.m.,2.30,2.45 p.m.Leave8ay— 11,11.45 a.m.,5 p.m., 5.30p.m.

NEW YEAR'S DAY!NEW YEAR'S DAY!

The favourite Excursion SteamersDUCHESS, DUCO,. COUNTESS, ANDQUEEN OF THE SOUTH will run toand from DAY'S BAY as under:—Leave Town— 9, 9.30, 10, 10.30, 11 a.m.,

noon,1, 2, 2.30 p.m.Leave Bay— Last steamer 6 p.m.

(Circumstances permitting).

HOT WATER SUPPLIED FREE.

Luncheon and Afternoon Tea in thoPavilion at Town prices.

Games, Boat Swings, Donkey Rides on theBeach.

Bathing Machines, etc., etc.

An Outing on the Harbour, combinedwith a Look Over a British Ship ofWar-the PHCEBE.

THE Launch MOTUROA leaves thoFerry Wharf at 1.30 p.m. TO-

MORROW for a trip on the briny andconveying visitors on board tho Warship.A little outing on the briny is alwayspleasant, and an inspection of a Warshipproves instructive. Itake this opportunityof thanking my numerous patrons, andwish them all a Bright and Happy NewYear. —WHITE, Master.'Tis tho dear launch Moturoa;Say mate, why don't yer know 'er?Make her acquaintance and go for a spin,And you'll be sorry yer didn't before.

1 .—A New Year Poet.

AN.UP-TO-DATE NURSE.

r|IHE combined BABY-JUMPER and

ROCKING-CHAIR. H keeps tho baby offthe floor,out of draughts and mischief, andout of mamma's tired arms;itis better thanmedicine,and makes a good baby ont of abad one. Itwill last baby as a cradle, bed,high-chair,jumper,and rocking-chair.

GOODWIN & PHELAN,11(3, Upper Wjllis-gtroet (near BJonuers-Rt.)

Q PE- R- A^.H 0 U g.E-Under the Direction ofMR-

J^C- WILLIAMSON.CURTAIN RISES 7.45 SHAHP.

SUCCESSION OF CROWDED HOUSESTestifies to the popularityi, ofMISS MAUD JEFFRIESMR. JULIUS KNIGHTAnd. 'MR. J C. WILLIAMSON'SSPECIALLY-SELECTED LONDON CO

TO-NIGHT (SATURDAY)' TO-NIGHTTO-NIGHT (SATURDAY) TO-NIGH'r,( And for Positively Six Nights Only,

Presentation on a ecalo ofUNPARALLELED GRANDEUR

Of Hall Caine's MagnificentDramatisationof his own great novel,THE ETERNAL CITY!THE ETERNAL CITY!THE ETERNAL CITY!

Donna Roma Volonna ..Miss MaudJeffriesDavid Rossi Mr. Julius Knight

Supported by theENTIRE STRENGTH oktheCOMPANY

AMONGST THE COUNTLESSFEATURES

Of this production will stand out .themusical portion, specially written by the

FAMOUS ITALIAN COMPOSER,MASCAGNI,

And Rendered by aGRAND OPERA ORCHESTRA AND

CATHEDRAL CHOIR.SUPERB SCENIC PORTRAITURES

By Gordon and Dixon.GORGEOUS COSTUMING

By Simmons and Nathan, of London.CURTAIN RISES 7.45 SHARP.

The Plans for tho Six Nights at th<Dresden. Dress Circle andReserved Stalls6s;Stalls, 3s;Family Circle, 2s. EarljDoors 6d extra.

mOWN HALL.(Concert Hall, adjoining Main Hall).

"Canon Haselden desires to inform MrWilliuinson that he was present at theperformance of 'Everyman,' and mosjthoroughly enjoyed it, and much appreciated the dignified rendering of tho author'i■meaningby the talented company. It waiindeed a dramatic representation of profound interest."— St. Peter's VicarageAuckland.WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON NEXT,

Commencing at 3 precisely. .The Beautiful Allegorioal Play,

EVERYMAN.EVERYMAN.

"It was with much pleasure my wifeand Iwitnessed 'Everyman.' Please permil me to say that we were most deepljandfavourably impressed."— V.W. WalkerTho Vicarage, Ellerslie, Auckland."I'ara exceedingly sorry tHat,- owing t<

a prior engagement,Iwill not bo able t(witness 'Everyman.1 IhaVe read the playand consider it quite worthy of all tinpraise which has been,bestowed upon it.'— W. Edward Lash, Vicar of EpiphanyAuckland.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON NEXT.THIS WDLL BE THE ONLY

REPRESENTATION INWELLINGTOJSPlan of Reserved Seats at the Dresden

Balcony and Front Seats, Ss; SeconcSeals, 3s

CRICKET!CRICKET!

T7yELLINGTON v. WEST COASI(Taranaki, Wanganui, and Manawatu).

BASIN RESERVE,

TO-DAY (SATURDAY), 31st DEC,And /

MONDAY, 2nd JANUARY.

Match continue* 11 o'clock MONDAY.

Admission, One Shilling. Grandstand,One Shilling. Ladies and Children Free.■

C. H. MANSON,Hon. Sec.

METHODIST CHURCH.

mHE Quarterly Meeting of the Tara■*- naki-street Circuit will bo held oiTUESDAY EVENING, 3rd January, ai7.30, in Church Vestry, Taranaki-street.

CDRCUIT STEWARDS.V.M.C.A.

PTIO-NIGHT, at B— Devotional Meeting

SUNDAY, at 4— Bible Class; s— Strangers' Tea.

MONDAY (New Year's Day)— SeconcAnnual Picnic, leaving Te Aro bj9.28 trt-in.

11vHE Psychic Research Society will hoi:JL a Public Meeting at Carlton Hallcorner of Marion and Ingestro streetSUNDAY EVENING, Ist January, at \o'clock. Trance Address by Mrs. M'Lennan. Subject— "What has SpiritualisnDone for Humanity?" Clairvoyant description and Psychometry. Sacred Solo by imember. Silver Coin Collection.fftHE SALVATiON~ARMY, VIVIANX STREET CITADEL.

■TO-NIGHT, 11.30— Walch-Night Service.

SUNDAY, Ist JAN., 1905, at 7 and 1]a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m.

— Staff-Captain ancMrs. M'Lcod, assisted by several Officers

HURCH OF GOD.— Wharf (D.V)SABBATH, 2.4s— "Dowicism in Weilington. Falso and presumptive claim t(bo Elijah and that Prophpt." Not omElijah, but 144,000. SUNDAY EVENING, at 8, Ingestre-stroet— '"Body;DustSoul;Blood. Spirit; Breath. Immortality, conditional. That the SoulNever Dieiis a Doctrine of Satan." Questions permitted.

SOCIALIST PARTY.

MR. EAGLE will Lecture on "OuiColony's Finances" at the Open AiiMeeting on SUNDAY EVENING, CorneiDixon and Cuba streets, from 7 to 7.4band in tho Socialist Hall, Cuba-street, from8 to 8.45.

The public' are cordially invited.

CiHRrSTADULPHIAN LKCTURKS a«/ given every SUNDAY EVENING, a*7 o'clock, in the Victoria Hall, Adelaideroad, Iowhichallare cordially invited.Subject To-morrow Night— "Jesus SbalReign Where'er theSunDothHisSuccessiv*Journeys Hun."

Seats free. No collection.INGKSTRK-STRKET HALL.rjiHR Gospel will bo Preached (D.V.) orI- Lord's Day, Ist Jannary, at 7p mAllinvited. Seatsall frop. No collection.'

ELLINGTON OKNTKAL MISSIONHKHBEItT-STKKBr.

TO-NIGHT.Bandmeet in uniform at Hall at 9 pmsharp.11p.m.— Watch-night Service.

NEW YEAR SERVICKS.llam.— Messrs. S.Forsyth audN. Turner2.30 p.m.— Sunday School.6 p.m.— Opeu-uir, Ghuziiee-stfecl.7 p.m.

— Mr. N. Turner, "A New Year'sMessage."

AnthemsbyBand,Choir, andOrchestra.MONDAY— Picnic at UpperHntt.

WELLINGTON SPIKI'IMFALISTS1

SOCIETY,DANISHCLUB ROOMS,42a. OIIBA-STKEK'i1.

A Circle willbeheld onSUNDAY EVION-ING,IstJannary, at 7 o'clock.Trance Address by Mrs. pjiUorson Soron-

sen. Subject—" Tho Duty of the SpiritualMan." Psychometry and <'!r .'oyanctdemonstrated. Tho public nro cordiallyinvited. Messageof Life forJanuary.

ST.-PAUL'S PKO-CATHEDBAL."MOLGRAVE-STREET.SUNDAY, Ist JANUARY, 1905.Order cf Services— Holy Communion, "8a.m.;'Matins and Holy Communion. 11am.(Preacher, the Lord Bishojiof the Diccoso);Kveusoug.6 '.10 p.m.

TINAKOLU-ltuAD CHU'ItCHUOOM— 'Children's Service,11a.m.;Evening hervioe6.30.

'C( T. PI3TK If'S CHURCH.10 FEAST OF THE CIKCUMCJSI'tN.

Order of Services:—

8 a.m., Holy Oon»»inunion ; 10 n.m.. Matins; Jl am.. HolyCommunion (uliotal) aud Sermon; 3ipm,,Service for Young teople; 4 p.m., l!upti&m*and Chuiching'S; 6.3'J p.m., Evensong an£'

CHUItCHROOM-11 a.m.,Matins;7 p.m,JOveiif-onc.

TAKANAKU.T. MISSION KOOM.—Service afc 7 p.m. .O'i". THOMAS'SPAROCHIALDISTRICTO SUNDAY AFTKJi CHRISTMAS. '

IstJanuary,1905 'ST. THOMAS'S (Wellington South)!-

8 a.m., Holy Eucharist; 10 a.m.. Matins;11a.m.,HolylOuobarist and Sermon;3p.m..Children's Flower Service (Offertory inaid

" °f HospitalOliaplaiuey 4.p.m,Bap-tisms and Churchirge; 7 p.m., Evensongand Sermon.ISLAND BAY— 7 p.m., Evensong and! scrinou.

S^~~J O H N'S CHUIICU*WIILIS-srJBEET(Presbyterian).

TO-MORROW.Morning, at11. Evening,at 6.30., IW. Jameß Gibb, D.D.

930 to1030YearServiceTHItSKVBNING,

'ST'rHnM?W's WTCSBYTKBLIHvo.u.lMjtl,WKLLINGTONTEKRACJS.

SUNDAY,IsTjANUARY.1 Eev;J. Gibson Smith.■ Morili"g.11- Evening, 630.

ST'rS'8,PRESBYTERIAN%. (,'HtJKCH Adblaidic-koad.

, ]£^T.T ERRA^cHPRP R,SByTJiRIAN

, , Seivices TO-MORROW:Morning,at11. Evening,at6.30.Eev. J.K. Elliott,B.A.

Serviceat ROSKNEATH at630 t^m.ROOKI.YN PRESBYTERIANCHURCH. TO-MORROW Ist Jan1905--At3P m .Social Address'to Youni; Eg'-gg^thAt7p-m--"The^. wADESTmci^ci^^

b Services will be conducted by tho Rev.) James Patersou at 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.ta.

To-morrow.

~\JETHOD IfeT CHURCH OF? IH. AUSTRALASIA.■ -JKr CHURCH, Taranaki-streot-I TO-NIGHT, 11o'clock,Watch-night ServiceServices TO-MOREIO W— lla.m., Key H*- L.BJamires (Introduction oE SisterIsabel)

'"6.30 p.m..Rev.P. W. Fairclough (CovenautService after Evonim? Worship).

MOLESWORTH-ST., Thorndon-11am, Rev. G. S. Cook;6.30 p.m., Rev. H. L.Blamires (Covenant Service afier Evening" Worship.) "'JOHNSONVILLE-3 p.m., Mr. J. G.i' S"^??!?',6-80 p<m

-Mr- J- G- Harkness.'1 KAIWARRA-11 a.m., Mr. W. Browne "

6.30 p.m., Rev. H. B. Redstono. UPPJSBARO-ST.-6.30p.m.,Mr.W.Ha11. KAKOKt—11 a.m., Rev. P. \V. Fairclouglj ;'7p.m.

TRINITY (JHURCH (Newb.wnJ-Satur-day, 11p.m., Watou-night Service. Sunday,llam.jaudb1 30 p.m.,Rev.G.Bond.KILBIRNIE-7p.m., Mr.T KerrWORSER BAY-7p.m., Mr H.Clarke!

£jONGREGA^It)i*A.L OHUitCHES.WBr.HNQTON-TKRRACK.11a.m. and0.30 p.m.,Rev. B.L. Thomas.COUKTHNAY-PLACB.

Morning,at11— Mr.'J. Gilbert.»(Evening,at 6.30-Mr. A.Jolly. Subject,Whatis Life." Communion afterEvening

Service.Constable-street (Nowtown)—- 11a.m.and 0.30 p.m., J.'ev. \V. A.Evans.

pRJMIUVE METHODISTCHURCHESNEW YEAR SERVICES."

VVEBB-STRI-JET-11 a.m. and 6.30 pm.,1 Rev.J.Duwson (Communionat close oft Evening Servioo."ROSI-JNEATH— 11a.m.,Mr.E,Newham.DONALD MfLEAN-bT.— l'onight, 11.30.Watch-night Service. To-moj.Tow

—11a.m., Mr. Albert (from England)» 6.30

p.m.. Rev. J. Cooker iCouimunionService)." ISLAND BAY-3p.m.. Mr.W. Sando.. IJRIMITIVEMETHODISTCHURCHES, SYDNEY-ST. (Tnorndon)-U a.m.. Rev.1 J. Cocker; 6.30 p.m., Rev.J. It.Fow.T PETOJSIE (Sydney-st.)-ll a.m., Rev. J.. R.Fow;6.30 p.m..Rev.Mr.Albert.1 .'MORTHLANI*— 6.3O p.m.,Mr.Reynolds., EPUNI— 6.3O p.m.,Mr. Stonebousa.'! DAPIIST CH(f R OH.JD VIVIAN-STKEET.a Sunday,ist January: ■

11 a.m.and 6.30 p.m,Rev.C. Dallaston.a Evening Subject—" How to Make the Best

of Botu Worlds" (.tsew Year's Sermon to- Young People).

PETONE.— IIa.m. and 6.30 p.m,Rev.Stanley Jenkin.. OERHAMPORK BAPTIST CHURCH.JD Watch-night Service at 11 o'clockTo-night. ,

1 Service on Sunday— Morning, 11;Eren-i ing,7. Preacher— Rev.E.Kifhards.OHIRU BAPTIST CHURCH.

BROOKLYN.3 Preacher

—Rev. W,-Lamb.

To-night, 11— Watch-night (service."_ To-morrow—N ew Year Messages. Even*

ing—

Baptisms.HURCH <Tf CHRIS T,

DIXON-STREET.NKW YEAR'S DAY.

11a.m.—" Breakiug ofBread."6.30 p.m.— Preacher— Mr. Thos. J. Bull.r Subject

— "ChristGuarantees thePromises,"

p Seats free to all. You arecordiallyinvited.

1 pHUEOH OF CHRIST,\y lUDDIFORD-ST., Wellington South.6.30p.m.— Mr. A. F. Turner. " Subject—. '*The Brazen Serpent."

I ripHE MISbIONS TO SKAMKN. JBL CHURCH AND INSTITUTE,Whilmore-strect (nearFerry Wharf).

! NI<!W YEARS DAY, 1905:3 Services at 11, 6.30, tuid 8.

Pi-eachei— Mr.James Moore,Missioner.—(1) "Steps Onwaid;" (2) "No Fretting;"" (3)"

Leaves." Pruyor Meotingat 6.10.i*ailoi's,Parlour opened at 2.30. Institute

1 openeddaily.

'i'HE MISSIONS TO . SEAMEN" ICHURCH AND INSTITUTK.1 Whiimore-street, near the Ferry Wharf.TO-NIGHT Year'sEvo,1904).I'oncerb at 8 p.m.WATCH-NIGHT SUKVICE

At 11.15 pin.Pieacher— Mr.J.Mcore,Missioner.Subjects:"Gnod-bye " "

Welcome."\\7ELLINGTON ASSOCIATION OHif SPmiTUALISTs<RTOiOT«BBD>3 NEW CKNTUBY HAl,h.KV^St^Afn

TO-MORKOW SUNIMt ]f fc JANR,R1905R1905-At 7 o clock sharpMv J. M-Leod Craig. President of the. Chiistehurcli Society, will deliver,aTmnoo" Addre^. Subject "Materialist* Spirit

ill;o.R.oalSJy ° tho sl»ri«i World," demon!str.it.-dby P*y«bomeUy uml Clairvoyance.Admission,Cd and Is.Children's Lyceumat 2.30.

[ Message of Lifeior January3 t

SPK,C"V'ToI,'^',1* Sei>vl°c will be held, from 11.30 to12 to-niglifc.AH are welcome.

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY. DECEMBER 31. 1904. 7

1 . 19OS'

I

B (%hf* //&%t$ i^pfflf*. \I In a few hours the New Year will ,I be with us, bringing with it fresh || hopes, fresh opportunities, and fresh |J resolutions. 1

I WE WjSH ALL OUR CUSTOMERS AND FRIENDS |1 a Bright and Prosperous New Year. |

1 VAc ft Correct" utore jEg will in 1905 be better worthy of 1ij your patronage,because it will be a agj better store. There is no halting in |h the way of progress- We must go |g forward. Our whole energies are IH directed to making this store better 3

v and better each succeeding' year. |H . " The growth and expansion of '1904 i

H Werd satisfactory, and the same ||j aggressive and progressive policy |H will be continued in 1905. I

Kfo tfCorrect" Store* -* I

I Jfirkcaldie & Stains*, Jlid.

JjfEW ZEALAND CLOTHINGFACTORY

FOR USEFUL XMAS GIFTS,

BAGS, BUGS, AND TRAVELLING OUTFITS./

NEW ZEALAND!CUEPEICES 3^ OVB ASSORTMENT

ABE BIGHT. HMS<Ei^^ LARGE AND VARIED.[CLOTHING FACTORY!GIVING AWAY TO OUK CUSTOMERS,

x A NEAT POCKET CALENDAR.' " S.Eti THAT YOU GET ONE.

gALE,. GREAT SALE 1PLUMS FOR CHRISTMAS!PLUMS FOR CHRISTMAS!

1 Silks, 6d, 6£d, 7id, 10id, Is, Is 6d, Is 9dya-rd

,Kid Gloves, Is lid, 2s 6d, 2s lid, 3s 6d,3s lid paii-

Lace Gloves, 4£d, 6d, 9d, Is pairWhite Underskirts, 2s lid, 3s lid, 4s lidWhite Fancy Muslins, Is lid, 2s 3d, 2s lid,

3s Bd, 3s lid dress. Very stylish.Very Good. Very Cheap.

Prints 2s lid, Prints 3s Bd, Prints 3s liddress

Cream Corduroy, Is,Is 3d, Is 6dCream Holland, 4£d sd( 6dLace Curtains. Sheetings, Cretonnes, 'Table

Linens; Towels, Art Muslins, Forfars,Hosiery, Gloves, Corsotsy Undercloth-ing, etc., specially reduced

Shelf Covering, 3£d, 4d, sid, 6dHearthrugs, Is 6d,Is lid, 2s 6d, 2s UdBed Quilts, 2g 6d, 2s Ud, 3s 6d, 3s lid,

4s fid, 4s lid upwardsEmbroideries, 2d, 2Ad, 3d, 3£d, 4d, 4£dLaces, 6id, 7id, B£d, 9|d dozeaWide Lace; Id yard, 10id doz>n

EVERYTHING REDUCED!We give Stamps or Christmas Bonus.CALL EARLY AND SAVE MONEY!

JOH. E. "LINDBERG,CUBA-STREET.

A DimAND

A PLEASURE !TXTB hope all parents and guardians» T recognise the duty that is laid upon

them at this present-giving season .oftaking the children in their charge on theannual shopping expedition which so de-lights tho little ones.

Let us point out that this duty becomesa.positive pleasure if you direct your stepbf°r

NEW YEAR GIFTSTO

TE ARO HOUSE!> Special attentionhas been paid this yearto the Fancy Goods Department, and a.very large stock of novelties has been im-ported, which you will find nowhere elsein the city.

NEW YEAR GIFTSAT

TE ARO HOUSE !Is therefore full of the most delightfulsurprises in the way of mechanical toys'and devices,' games,puzzles, and ahundredand one of the articles that people buy atthis present-giving season.

new; year giftsAT

TE ARO HOUSE !Provides more than toys. Tho selection offancy ornaments in Glassware, Porcelain,Bronze, Japanese Ware is most extensive,while a splendid assortment is also shownof Leather Goods in Purses, Bags, Chate-

laines, Dressing Cases, etc., all showingunequalled value.

,FOR" VARIETY AND VALUE, VISIT

TE ARO HOUSE.PLANET JR.

TTTARM and Garden Implements areJ: handled by

E. W. MILLS & CO. (Ltd.),Wholesale Agente.

"vTrite for catalogue and price-list. Toto obtained from all ironmongers andstorekeeper*.

QLOYES EOR SUMMERWEAR.

I.& R. MORLEY'SLACE GLOVES, in White, Cream, Grey,

Fawn,andBlack,

At Ga, 10£ d, 1/3, ]/G per pair.

PLAIN TAFFETA GLOVES, inall coloursAt 6d, 9d,II;1/8,1/6 perpair.

KIDGLOVES. . " '

VVedrawspecial attentionloour"NewGlove3,just landed

—,

No. I— A Beautiful Soft Kid, threedomes,inall shades,

At O ll£ per pair.

No. 2— A Nice Four-Buttpn "White GlovewithBlack points. Special.

At ♥)ll* per pair.

No. 3—3—

Our MONNIER, four. dome.At Ol~i~i per pair.

O/ t-JLThis is a splendid GloVe, and economical

at theprioe. It conies from France, from alittle tdwn where makinggloves is the lifo-work of the peojile. First the finest skin,then the most skilful and experienced work"-manslup went into it. It could not helpbeing buch abeauty. We choose thocolours'.The daintiest and most stylishnew summershades, a» well as more serviceable shades.Youmust see thisGlove to appreciateit*

Government Discount Stamps given.

CATERER & CAREY,THIS READY

-MONEY DRAPEE3,

67, 69, CUBA-STREET.

]^EW SEASON'S GOODSAT PRICES THAT WILL SUIT YOU.

Coloured DRESS LINENS, CRASHES.PRINTS

DELAINES, MUSLINSCRETONNES, LACE.CURTAINSGUIPURE CURTAIN MUSLINSTAPESTRY TABLECOVERSLADIES' and CHILDREN'S HOSIER-

y IESMEN'S UNDERWEAR and TENNIS

SHIRTSDRESS SERGES, CREAM, NAVY, and

BLACKMORLEY'S HOSIERY a Speciality.

STOCKLEY JONES,30, WILLIS.-STREET, WELLINGTON

(Late Snowden'si.

riHRISTMAS CLOTHING.

HATS AND MERCERY

At MILLION PRICE'S,At

, DARCY FORD'S,WILLIS-STREET.

, 1000 HATS in Felts and Panama, U>, clear, 3b 6d e&ch.

MORE ECONOMYREVEALED

IN THIS

SPECIAL OFFERINGOF

SUPERIOR DRESSSKIRTS.

THE NEW HOUSE makes anotherstrong bid for your prompt attend-

ance, for there is another of those ex-tromely attractive bargains to look over.

FIFTY-FOURSTYLISH DRESS SKIRTS

In Voile and Ganvas Cloths elaboraielytrimmed with insertion and lavishly tucked,in all the new and fancy Btyles._ Aboutthe nicest lot of ready-to-wear Ekirts thatwere ever offered by TheNew House. Tobe move explicit, there arc—.

35 Black Skirts at 15s 6d, 22s 6d,27s 6d, 32s 6d, 37s 6d.

8 Cream Skirts at 22s 6d, 29s 6d,3286d, 39s 6d.

4 Reseda Skirts at 29s 6d, 32s 6d.*4 Brown Skirts at 32s 6d. >

2 Sky Blue Skirts at 37s 6d.1only Black Silk Chiffon Skirt, a

perfect model of elegance andstylo, at 69s 6d.

We arc not given to making haphazardslatcßionts, nor do we desire to bring youhere on a wild-gooso chase. We cay posi-tively that these skirt 3 are worth fully25 per cent, more than the prices quotedabove. Wo bought them at a discountoff the regular prices, and we aro sellingthem at a corresponding discount.

YOU WILL SEE SOME OF THESESKIETS EXHIBITED ' IN OUR

WINDOWS.The number being limited to fifty-four,prompt action is necessary if the desireto possess one of these skirts is to ma-terialise.

JAMES SMITH & SONS,THE NEW HOUSE.

XMAS I

SHARP SELLERS AND LOW PRICES!

AT

WARNOCK & ADKIN'S.

THE LATEST OUT—New Millinery Models, copied fromthe latest platfe, includingNew Ameri-can Sailors and" Mushrooms

—12s 6d,

15s 6d, 17s 6d, 19a 6tl; 21sA SURPRISE LOT—

120 Rich Jap. Silk Blouses, handsome-ly trimmed— Bs 6d, 10s 6d, 12s 6d, 16s6d,19s 6d, 25s 6d, 29s 6d

HAND MADE-Embroidered andReal Lace Teaclotha,Traycloths, Sideboards, Doyleys, Setsof Mats, etc., just opened

HALF THEIR VALUE-1500 Collarettes in tho new fine lace.Newest round- shapes and stoles

—Is to

15a 6d' v"

SMART AND GOOD-LOOKING—'

40 dozen While EmbroideredandPlainAprons. Sco the new *shaped" aprons—very dainty

DECEIVERS-2000 yards Collon Voiles, Delaines,Muslins, Lawns, 6d and 9d a yard.Ihoy look liko Silk at 5s 6d

A DOUBLE DELIGHT-60 Dainty, Rich Useful. Jap. SilkCoats and Dresses for,the Bairns. De-lightful prices for the buyers and de-lightful presents for the youngsters

for the Ayes and thenoes—Blarney, Largan, and Belfast LinenHandkerchiefs, Embroidered, s Hem-stitched, Lace Edge, Initial, etc., atXmas prices

OFF NEW ZEALAND SHEEP—500 Boys' Suits, Cambridge, Norfo!ks_,Sailors, etc.— Xma6 prices, 5s6d to 35s

FRENCH—Nearly half eoH of 5000 yards Silk,opened only ten days ago. Reduced6s to 12s in the £

SEASONABLE—Holland Coats, 11s 6d to 293 6dSkirts and Coats, 8s 6d to 23a 6dCostumes, 14s 6d to 555. Blue, Green,Pink, and Holland Colours

A NECESSITY—300 Rainproof Coats and Cloaks, pxtracheap—

15s 6^° 45S1

WARNOCK & ADKIN'S.BRITISH WOOLLEN

COMPANY,MERCHANT TAILORS,

34, CUBA-STREET AND 36, WILLIS-STREET.

VALUE OF~SPOT CASHOPPORTUNITY!

(PET-MADE-TO-ORDER SUITS at\X otio-half the prico charged by thecredit oustom tailors.

A special opportunity line of StripedEnglish and Cheviot Suitings we quote ati"KS PER SUITI

They are beaulilully tailored and up-todatem fit and style. "

Our Suits have that broad-shoulderedeffect which adds beauty and grace toall garments.

Wo guarantee to give you satisfaction.Call and set Samsles of Cloth.

PETONE AERATED WATER FAC-TORY.

Established 10 years.

OUR new Summer Beverage, CLARET■ AND LEMONADE— a delicious drink—

is now on the market, and has alreadyproved an unqualified success.' Our otherMineral Waters, which have won so higha place in the public estimation, aie, ifpossible, more popular than ever.

In thanking patrons we Would speciallyrequest that Xmas andNew Year HolidayOrders bo forwarded to us without delay,as wo anticipate a record busy season.

J. POSWILLO,Proprietor.

Filzherbert-slreetj Petone.

HERBERT GABY AND CO., Revans-street, Wellington, Engineers, Iron

and Brass Founders. Speciality— Manufac-turers of General Machinery and WroughtIron Split Fulleys. Advantages— Light andstrong, easy to fix, half the weight ofcast iron, less friction, less power required,and perfect safety at high apbed. Pulleystriads un to 12ft x 3ft. Telephone 1246.

jVTEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.TRAIN ARRANGEMENTS FORNEW YEAR HOLIDAYS, 1904-1905.On 271h, 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st De-cember and 2nd ;md 3rd January Extra

Mail Train3will run between Te Aro andNnpißr as follows:—UP.— Te Aro dep. 8.5 v m., Wellington8.20, Lower Hult 8.41, Featherqton 10.53,Greytown 10 53, Masleitou 11.49, Wood-vilio 2.20, Napier arr. 6.50 p.m. BetweenTe Aro and Woodville and between, Wai-pukmau and Napier this train will makesame stops as ordinary Up Mail. BetweenWoodvillo and Waipukurau it will, if re-quired, stop at all stations for passengers.

DOWN.— Napier dep. 7.0 a.m., Wood-villo 11.30 a.m., Pahiatua 11.57, Master-ton 1.43 p.m., Greytown 2.5, Feathereton2.35, To Aro arr. 5.54 p.m. BetweenNapier and Lower Hutt this train willmake same stops as ordinary Down Mail.Between Lower Hult and Te Aro it will,if required, stop at all slations for passen-gers.

On 27th, 23th, 29th, 30th and 3istDecember and 3rd January the usual6.25 a.m. Wollington-Woodviile trainwill leavo Wellington at 5.0 a.m., LowerHutt 5.35, Upper Hutt 0.25, Featherston8.55, Greytown, 8.55, Carterton 9.38, Mas-terton 10.15, Eketahuna 11.35 a.m., Pahi-atua 12.35 p.m., and arrivo Woodville 1.8p.m. This train will not run on 2ndJanuary.

On SUNDAY, Ist January, 1905, pas-senger train= will run as under:—

FORNAPIER.— Te Aro dep.10.35 a m.,Wellington 10.50, Upper Hutt 11.56, Kai-toke 12.36 p.m., Featherston 1.46, Carter-ton 2.24, Masterton 2.51,Mauriceville 3.24,Eketahuna 3.49, Pahiatua 4.37, Mangatai-noka 4.47, Woodville 5.22,Napier arr. 10.2p.m.

This train will only stop between TeAro and Upper Hutt to lift passengersfor stations north of Upper Hutt: Northof Upper Hutt it will stop at all stationsif required.

FOR TE ARO.— Napier dep. 11.10 a.m.,Woodvillo 1.8, Mangatainoka 4.23, Palii-atua 4.35, Ekotahuna 5.22, Mauriceville5.48, Masterton 6.26, Carterton 6.49, Fea-therston 7.26, Kaitoke 9.7, Upper Hutt9.33, To Aro arr. 10.43 p.m.

This train will only stop betweenUpperHutt and Wellington to set down pas-sengers from north of Upper Hutt. Northof Upper Hutt it will stop at all stationsif required.

TE ARO-WOODVILLE.On 2nd JANUARY, 1905-With theexceptionof the Te Aro-Napier andNapier-

Tc Aro Mail Trains (Extra and Ordinary),tho 7.0 a.m. train Masterton to To Aro,the 3.50 p.m. train To Aro to' Mastorton,and the 3.10 p.m. train Woodvillo lo Wel-lington, which Will rurt as ÜBual the ordin-ary time4ablo will bo suspended. Tho 3.10p.m. fr6in Woodvillo will run to To Aio.

Trainsj stopping, if required, at all sta-tions, will run as under:—

UP.FOR WOODVlLLE.— FeafcherstQn dep.

8.55 am., 4.50, 6.15 p.m., Greytown 8.55a.m., 4.50, 5.45 p.m., Carterton 9.43 a.m.,5.35. 6.55 p.m., Masterton 6.50, 10.15 a.m.,6.30) 7.30 p.m., Pahiatua 9.5 a.m., 12.35,8.45. 9.50 p.m.

FOR MASTERTON.— Fealherslon dep.8.55, 11.25 a.m., Greytown 8.55, 10.53 a.m.

FOR FEATHERSTON.— To Aro dep.6.45 a.m., Wellington 7.0, Ngahauranga7.12, Petone 7.25, Lower Hutt 7.30, UpperHutt 8.12, Kniloke 8.50, Featherston arr.10.8 a.m. This train will take passengersfor Featherstou only. * '

FOR UPPER HUTT.— Te Aro dep.9.28, 10.15, 11.0 a.m., 1.40 and 9.10 p.m.,Wellington dop. 9.40, 10.30, 11.10 a.m.,1.49 and 9.25 p.m., Ngahauranga 9.52,10.42, 11.23 a.m., 2.2, 9.38 p.m., Petone10.7, 10.55, 11.38 a.m., 2.14, 9.51 p.m.,Lower Hutt 10.20, 11.5, 11.53 a.m., 2.23,10.3 pm.

FOR LOWER HUTT.— Te Aro dep.8.50, 9.28, 9.55, 10.15, 11 a.m., 12.20, 1.40,2.40, 3.30, 5.12, 6.5, 7 28, 8.20, 9.10, 10.15,and 11.20 p.m., Wellington dep. 9.0, 9.40,10 5, 10.30, 11.10 a.m.; 12 30, 1.49. 2.49,3.40, 5.22, 6.15, 7.37, 8.30, 9 25, 10.25, and11.30 p.m

DOWN.FOR MASTERTON.— WoodviIIo dep.

7.30 am., 7.0 p.m., Pahiatua 8.2 a.m., 7.40p.m., Ekettihuna 9.0 a.m., 8.49 p.m.

FOR tf-EATHJSRSTON.— WoodviIIo dep.60, 7.30 a.m., Pahiatua. 6.32, 8.2 a.m.,Ekelahuna 7 22, 9.0 a.m., Masterton 915,10.15 -a.m., Carterton 9/(5, 10.43 a.m.,Greytov/n 10.53 a.m. (Tho Irain leavingWoodville at 6.0 A.m. will inko passengersfor south of Maßterton only).

FOR WELLINGTON AND TEARO.-MnsWlon dop.15s 'and'6d '625 p.m., Carter-ton 5.36 and. 653, Greytown 5.45, 7 li,Featherston 6,25 and 7.48, Kaitoke 8.28nnd 9.30 p.m.,'Upper Hutt 7.30 a.m., 12.5,1.0, 3.55, 5.16,' 7.0, 9.0, and 10.5 p.m.,Lower Hutt 7.17, g.lO, 8.32, 9.58, 11.28a.m., 12.45, 1.45, 2.45, 4.0, 4 50, 5.40, 6.8-,6.30, 7.5, 7.50, 9.20, 9.45, 10.18, and 10.45p.m.

On 2nd JANUARY the Ordinary UpMail Train (To Aro dep. 9.15 a.m.) willnot take passengers for Upper Hult.

On 3rd JANUARY— The usual 3.10 p.m.Woodville-Wellingtpn train will run to TeAro.

Goods traffic will be suspended on 2ndJanuary.

Tickets for use on 2nd January may boobtained at Te Aro, Wellington, andNtipier on 3lst December between thehours of 9.0 a.m. and 6.0 p.m.-

Tho Railway Recreation Grounds atUpppr Hutt will be open to the generalpublic on 2nd January. Hot water sup-plied free.

For fares and full particulars, see posters)and handbills.

BY ORDER.

WELLINGTON AND MANAWATU. RAILWAY COMPANY,LTD.

NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS.TRAIN ARRANGEMENTS.

ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, SATUR-DAY, 31bt DECEMBER, 1904.— 1n ad-dition lo ordinary time-table trains, aSpecial Train will leavo Wellingtonat 8.0 a.m., Johnsonvillo 8.23 a.m., Paika-kariki 9.20 a.m., Otaki 10.5 a.m., Levin10.45 a.m., arriving at Longburn at 11.48a.m., running through to Hawera, reachingthere at 5.55 p.m.

This train will stop only at Johnsonvillo,Plimmerlon, Paikakariki, Waikanae, Otaki,Levin, and Shannononthe Company's line,but will slop at ordinary mail train skip-ping placeß on Government line.

PASSENGERS FOR FEIL!)IX''r. WA-NGANUI, HAWERA, and INTERMEDI-ATE STATIONS and HUNI'EIIVILLEBRANCH MUST TRAVEL BY THISTRAIN, and NOT by the ORDINARYMAIL TRAIN. Passengers for PalmerEtonmay travelby this train. <

THE 9.10 a.m. MAH, TRAIN FROMWELLINGTON WILL ALSO TAKETHROUGH PASSENGERS FOR PALM-ERSTON AND FOR STATIONS BE-TWEEN IIAWERA AND NEW PLY-MOUTH ONLY.A special train will leave Wellington at

3.15 p.m. for Phmmerton,-stopping at allstations, as required. PASSENGERS FORPLIMMERTON MUST TRAVEL BYTHIS TRAIN. !

The train whioh leaves Wellington at4.15 p.m. WILL NOT STOP AT ANYSTATION BETWEEN WELLINGTONAND PAIKAKARIKI,but will stop asusual at Paikakariki and slations north,arriving at Palmerslcn at 938 p.m. Pas-sengerb from stations between Crofton andParemata inclusive, who arc travellingnorth of Paikakariki, must proceed by the3.15 p.m. train to Plirfimerlo-n, at whichstation they will Join the through train.

Anextratrain 'will leave.Hawera at 10.0a.m., Palmereton at 4.10 p.m., and run toWellington 50, minutes after the ordinarymail train, stopping only at Longburn,Shannon, Levin, Olaki, Waikanae, Paika-kariki, Plimmerton, Porirua, and Johnson-villr on Company's line.

Tho Mail Trhin which leaves Palmerutonat 3.37 p.m. will slop only at Otaki, Pai-kakariki, Johnsonville, and Khandallah.Passengers for stations at whichMail Train usually stops MUST CHANGEAT PALMERSTON and wait for tramleuving there ut 4.10 p.m.

A train will lonre Wellington at 10.40

p m. for Plimmerlon, stopping where re-qiiiied. PASSENGERS for PLIMMER-TON MUST TRAVEL BYTHISTRAITnThe 11.0 p.m. train from Wellington toPnikakariki will not run.

A train will leave Wellington at 11.15p.m., Paikakariki 12.40 a m., Otaki 140a.m., Loviit 2.10 a.m.,Palmerston arr.3.50a.m. This train vill NOT STOP FORPASSENGERS AT ANY STATION BE-TWEEN WELLINGTON AND PAIKA-KARIKI,but will stop at Paikakariki andstations north where required, except Had-field, Makerua, and Linlon. Passengersfrom stations between "Crofton and Pare-mata inclusive, who are travelling northof Paikakariki, must proceed by 10.40 p.m.train to Plimmerton, and join the throughtrain there This train runs through toWanganui, connecting at Aramoho withsteamer excursion up the WangauuiRive«.

SUNDAY, Ist "JANUARY, 1905.—A SPECIAL TRAIN will loavoPalmerston at 4.5 a.m., Longburn4.25 a.m., Levin5.15 -a.m., Otaki 5.45 a.m.,Paikakariki 6.45, Wellington 8.35 a.m. Thistrain connects at Palmerslon with a trainwhich leaves Wangamii at 11.30 p.m. onSaturday night. This train will stop onlyat Shannon, Levin, Otaki, and stalions be-tween Paikakariki and Wellington.

A special train will leave Wellington at9.10 a.m. and run on timo-table of ordin-ary Mail Train to New Plymouth, arrivingat 9.20 p.m.

A special train will leave New Plymouthat 7.10 a.m., Palmerslon 3.37 p.m., andrun on timetable of ordinary Mail Trainto Wellington, arrivingAt 7.20 p.m. Thesetwo trains will stop only at Khandallah,Johnsonville, Porirua, Paikakariki, Wai-kanae, Otaki, Mnnukait, Levin, and Shan-non on Company's line, and at ordinaryMail Train stoppingplaces on Governmentline.

The ordinary Sunday trains lo Paikaka-riki and back will run as usual.MONDAY, 2nd JANUARY, 1905.

—Trains leavo Wellington for:—Crofton, 6.25 am., 940, 10.15, 110a.m., 6.20 p.m.; Khandallah, 8.0, 9.40,10.15, 11.0 a.m., 4.15, 6.20 p.m.;Johnson-ville, 6.25, 8.0, 9.10, 9.40, 10.15, 11.0 a.m.,4.15, 6.20 p.m.;Porirua, 6.25, 9.10, 9.40,10.15, 11.0 a.m., 4.15, 6.20 p.m.;Plimmer-lon, 8.0, 9.40, 10.15, 11.0 a.m., 4.15, 6.20p.m.;Paikakariki, 6.25, 8.0, 910, 10.15,11.0 a.m., 4.15, 6.20 p.m ;Otaki, Levin,Shannon, Palmerston, 6.25, 8 0, 9.10 a.m.,4.15 p.m.

Trains for Wellington from— Palmerston,7.10 a.m., 3.37, 4.10, 5.30 p.m.;Shannon,BISa.m., 4.55,6.30 p.m.;Levin, 8.55 a.m.,518, 6.58 p.m.;Otaki, 9.48 a.m.,5.10, 5.48,7.45 p.m.; Paikakariki, 6.45, 11.3a.m., 3.40, 4.50, 5.53, 6.35, 8.50 p.m.;Plimmerton, 7.13, 11.35 a.m., 4.8, 4.50,5.25, 7.5/ 9.22 p.m.; Porinia, 7.33,11.52 a.m., 4.22, 5.48, 7.18, 9.40 p.m.;Johnsonville, 7.15, 8.8 a.m., 12.18, 4.45,5.33, 6.12, 6.55, 7.44, 10.3,p.m.;Khandal-lah, 7.19, 8.14 a.m., 12 25, 4.53, 5.41, 6.20,7.0, 10.10 p.m.; Croflou, 7.26, 8.22 a.m,12.32, 5.2, 5.51, 6.32, 10.18 p.m.

The 6.25 a.m. train from Wellingtonwill NOT stop at Khandallah, Tawa Flat,Plimmerton, Pukerua, Hadfield, or Make-rua.

The 8.0 a.m. train from Wellington willslop only at Khandallah, Johnsonville,PJimmerton, Paikakariki, Waikanae, Otaki,Levin, Shannon, Longburn, on Company'sline, but will make ordinary.Mail Trainstoppages at Government stations. Pas-sengers for Feilding, Wanganui, Hawsra,and intermediate stations and Huntervillobranch must travel by this train, and notby the ordinary Mail Train. Passengersfor Palmerston may travel by this train.

The 9.10 am. train from Wellington willstop only at Johnsonville, Porirua, Paika-kariki, Waikanae, Olaki, Levin, and Shan-non. This train will also take throughpassengers for Palmerston and for Gtationsbetween Hawera and Now Plymouth only.

The 3.37 p.m. train from Palmerston willstop only at Otaki, Paikakariki, Johnson-ville, and -Khandallah. Passengers forstations at whioh tho Mail Train usuallystops MUST CHANGE AT PALMER-STON and wdt for train leaving ihere at4.10 p.m.

Tho 4.10 p.m. train from Palmerstonwill stop only at Shannon, Levin, Otaki,Waikanae. Paikakariki, Plimmerlon, Pori-rua, and Johnsonville.

Tho 5.30 p.m. train from Palmerslon willNOT slop at Makerua, Hadfield, Pukerua,or Tawa Flat, but will slop at all otherstations as required.

The 4.50 p.m. train from Phmmertonwill not slop at Porirua.

All other trains will slop whore required.

TUESDAY, 3rd"jANUAKY, 1905,-Inaddition to the ordinary time-tablo trainsa special train will leave Wellington at8.0 a.m., Paikakariki 9.20 a.m., Otaki 10.5a.m., Levin 10.45 a.m., Loi.gburn 11.48,runningthrough to Hawera, reaching thereat 5.55 p.m. This train will stop only atJohiifcomille, Plimmerton, Faikakariki,Waikanae, Otaki, Levin and Shannon onCompany's line, but will stop at ordinaryMail Train stopping places onGovernment"passengers for feildixg, wa-nganui,HAWERA, andINTERMEDI-ATE STATIONS, and HUNTERVILLEBRANCH, MUST TRAVEL BY THISTRAIN, and NOT BY ORDINARYMAIL TRAIN. Passengers for Palmerstonmay travel by this train.

The 9.10 a.m. Mail Train from Welling-ton will olso lake through passengers forPalmerston and for slations between Ha*wera and Now Plymouth only.

A special train will leave Wellington at11.0 a.m., Johnsonville 11.25 a.m., Plhn-merton 12.5 p.m., Paikakariki arr. 12.40p.m., and returning will leavo Paikakarikiat 4.50 p.m., Plimmerton 5.25, p.m., Pori-rua 5.47 p.m., Johnsonville 6.13 p.m., Wel-lington arr. 6.45 p.m., stopping where re-quired.

A Special Train will leave Hawera at10.0 a.m., Palmerslcn 4.10 p.m., and runthrough to Wellington 30 minutes afterthe ordinary Mail Train, and stoppingonly at Longburn, Shannon, Levin, Otaki,Waikanae, Paikakariki, plimmerton, Pori-rua,and Johnsonville onCompany's line.

Tho Mail Train which leaves Pstlmerstonat 3.37 p.m. will slop only at Otaki, Pai-kakariki, Johnsonvillo, and Khandallah.Passengers for stations at whichMail Tt'ainusually stops MUST CHANGE at PALM-ERSTON, and wait for train leaving thereat 4.10 p.m.

The usual Tuesday train from Johnson-ville to Wellington at 2 0 p.m. will bocancelled and will not run.

W. M. HANNAY,GeneralManager.

Wellington, 26th December, 1904.THE

NATIONALBANK OF NEW ZEALAND(Limited).

'Incorporated undor tho Compauiea Acts

and tho New Zealand Act,1873.

AN INTERIM DIVIDEND for thehalf-year ended 30th September last,

at the rate of Ten (10) per cent, perannum, has been declared by the Direc-tors, and will bo paid to Shareholders onapplication at any of the Branches in thocolony on and after the 4lh JANUARY,1905. ■ "

The Tiansfer Bdoks will be closed fromthis date till 4thpros.

JOSEPH GIBSON STOTT,Pro General Manager.

Wellington,21st December, 1904.

mHE PHOTOGRAPHER'S ADDRESSi YOU WANT:Lambt.on KINSISY'S, Quay.

SMILE!"Smile, please! For my reputation is at

stakp,And unless you look more pleasant,Your photo Ican't take!

Smile1 OrIblow your brains out,'

theYankeo artist said,

As he pointed his revolver at the tremblingsitter's head.

How different now at "Kinscy's," whereto smile you're just beguiled

By the pleasure of surroundings, and anartist you can't rile.

"Kinsey" photos little children and makesthem laugh for joy,

"Kinsey" photos older people, they smile—somo rather coy.

The stern-faced man of business has atwinkle in his eye.

His family say— the portrait— mere money

cannot buy..CABINETS, 10/- Dozen.

SEE NAMEKINSEY

,ON SHOYfCASEB.LAMBTONSIUAY.

TENDERS FOR PAPER ANDSTATIONERY.

THE lime fpr receiving Tenders for the.Supply of Papers and Stationery for

Iho Government Printing and StationeryDepartment ha< been EXTENDED till 2p.m. on MONDAY, 16th January, 1905.Tenders to be addressed to the Govern-ment Printer, Wellington

Conditions of contract, schedules, andsamples may, be. seen at office of Collectorof Customs, at Auckland, Christchurch,andDunedin, and at the Government PrintingDepartment, Wellington.

JOHN MACKAY,Government Printer.

Printing and Stationeiy Department,22nd December, 1904.

LOWER HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL.

TENDERS.fTIENDERS, to close at 5 p.m. onMON-JL DAY, 9th January, 1905, aro invitedfor the following works:

—1. 34. Chains Road and Path Forma-tion, Kerbing, and Channelling, in

Knights-road.2. 20 Chains Filling and Formation

and 6 Chains of Pipingon White'sLine, Ludlam Park.

Specifications may be sqeu at the Muni-cipalLibrary, Lower Hutl.

Tenders ,to \yo qridorscd "Tender for"White's Line" or "Knights-road," as thecase may be, and should bo addressed lotho inideisigned.

Intending contractors will bo shown overtho ground on Wednesday, 4th January,starting from tho Council Chambers at 10a.m. sharp.

Tho lowest or any lender not neccossari-ly accepted.PERCY R. PURSER,

Town Clerk.Lower Hutt. ,

PETOKEBOROUGH COUNCIL.

COMPETITIVEDESIGNS FOR MUNI-CIPAL BUILDINGS.

|^OMPETITIVE Designs for MunicipalV^ Buildings, to cost not more than£4500 are invited by the Petono BoroughCouncil. For the design accepted, or con-sidered most suitable, a premium of £50will be paid. The drawings, with detailsspecified,must be receivedonor before the25th day of January, 1905. Particulars asto site, accommodation, requirements andbuilding regulations forwarded on applica-tion.

ALEX. WEBSTER,11_, Town Clerk. ,TO BUILDERS.

rjpENDERS 'willbe received at my Office-"- (Her,eford-street, Christchurch) until2 p.m., January 10th, 1905, for Erectionof Refrigerating Works, Paki-Paki, Hast-ings. Plans and specification can be seenat my office, Hereford-street, Cl'.riEtchurch,and also at Customhouse-quay, Wellington.

J. O. MADDISON F.R.1.8A.,Architect.

TO BUILDERS.fTIENDERS are invued until Noon of-£- Wednesday, the 4th of January, 1905,for Completing the work of Erocting theRailway Hotel at Palmerston North.

Plans and 'specifications^at our office,Lambton-quay, and at the works, Palm-erston North.THOS. TURNBULL, F.R.IB.A. & SON,. Architects.

TO BUILDERS'

npENDERS are invited until 10 a.m. of-a. Saturday, tho 7th of January next,for the Erection of tho Club Hotel atShannon for T,G. Maearthy, Esq.

Plans and specifications at our offices,71, Lambton-quoy, at the Club Hotel,Shannon, and at Palmerston Korlh.THOS. TURNBULL, F.R.1.8.A., & SON,___^ Architects.

TO PAINTERS^npENDERS, to close at noon of Wednes-SL day, the 3rd January, 1905, will boreceived by the undersigned for Painting(exicrndlly) tho Wellington College, out-buildings, fences, cto. Tue lowest or anytender will not necessarily be accepted.

Copies of specification? may be obtainedonapplication.

PENTY AND BLAKE, Architects.28a, Lambton-quay.

TO BUILDERS.

BANK OF N.Z., WANGANUI.'

TTHENDERS are invited for the ErectionJL of Now Buildings at Wanganui forthe Bank of New Zealand.

Plans and specifications to bo seen atBank of N.Z., Wanganui, and at myoffices, Wellington.,

Tenders to close on Thursday, the sthof January,11905, noon, and to be address-ed to tho General Manager, Bank of N.Z.,Wellington, and marked "Tender forBuilding,Wanganui."

J. CHARLESWORTH,Architect.

12, Grey-street.

mHE GENUINEx RTJBIiIROID.ROOFING, DAMPCOURSE,FLOORING,

BUDLDING PAPER,S.P.C. PAINTS, Etc., Etc.

For prices, samples, and all information,apply toTHE STEWART TIMBER, GLASS AND

HARDWARE CO., LTD.,Sole Agents for Wellington, Hawkes Bay,

Taranaki.

DORMAN LONG AND CO. (LTD.).

STEEL JOISTSOP THE HIGHEST QUALITY.

JOHNDUTHIE AND CO., LIMITED,

Aaenis.

JARRAH HARDWOOD,mHE STRONG HARDWOOD OFX AUSTRALIA.

Large stocks pf Sawn Timber for Build-ings, all sizes and lengths,

Scantlings, Boards, Flooring.Fencing;Posts,Rails, Pickets.Piles, Sleepers, Beams, and Baulks.Paving Timbers.

Unquestioned Durability in Ground orWater.

No Dry Rot, Knots, or Sap.Fire-resisting Qualities.

MILLARS' KARRI AND JARRAH CO.(1902), LIMITED,

Tolephone 1872. Taranaki-st.

HOLLOW CONCRETE BUILDINGBLOCKS.

TO those who want a substantial, dur-able, and cheap house, now is your

chance. Call and inspect material at thofactory at Lyell's Bay, where completedhouses also can bo seen.

FURNITURE ON EASY TERMS.

WF. SHOItTT, Willis-Blreet, carries" one of the largest stocks of NewFurniture in Wellington. Houses furnish-ed throughout. All furniture sold pri-vately guaranteed to be of tho best work-manship and ma',erial. Inspection invited.

A POLLINARIS. Apollinaris.— Profes-xa. tor Vlrchow sayfe: "Its richness iniJu^ii Gctrbonip Acid, favourably distinguish-es iffrota all other Min,or*l Wateri."

CHRISTMAS HAMS! ,,_v

CHRISTMAS HAMS!FIRST SHIPMENT OP OUR

CHRISTMAS HAMSHAS ARRIVED.

SECOND SHIPMENTON OR ABOUT THE15t!i.

THE QUALITY OF OUR HAMS IS WELL KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THEPAST 25 YEARS.

HUNDREDS TO SELECT PROM.

HUME & SON,WILLIS-STREET, WELLINGTON.

FOR SALE.

JjpWAPvJ) REEVES &CO.,LAND AND ESTATE AGENTS,

MERCER-STREET,Opposilo Publio Library.

MULGRAVE-STREET— Largo Section,with three houses thereon. Particularson application

GHUZNEE-STREET-

Valuable CornerBusiness Site on easy terms.

NAIRN-STREET— Superior 6-r VUla Re-sidence;£1600.

BERHAMPORE - Nice Residence, 6roo.us, wardrobes, cupboards through-out. Low price for prompt sale.

WOOLCOMBE-STREET— Nice 7-r house,cheap.

KILBIRNIE— The last of sections frontingNaughton-terrace;splendid levelbuild-ing site;cheap.

SEATOUN— I77 feet sea frontage, withbuildings thereon; immense prospec-tive value.

SEATOUN— HaIf-acre, planted macro-carpa trees;ideal site.

SEATOUN— S-r Cottage, cheap; small de-posit;balance arranged

ISLAND BAY— S-acre Block. Price £200per acre; easy terms. Also, severalsmall blocks up to £500 per aore.Cheap land, and probably worth 50por cent, increase within 12 months.

AUSTIN-STREET-Large Gentleman'sResidence. Particulars on application.

SEASIDE— We are sole agents for sellingand -letting of several Seatoun pro-pertiea. 1

EDWARD REEVES AND CO.

-JI/INTYJftE & ORCHARD,57a, LAMBTON-QUAY.

CLOSE LAMBTON-QUAY— Shop andBoardinghouse, 14 rooms;rental £286 ;net return £141 on inveatmont of£1300. Price £3500; good prospectivevalue

WANTED TO EXCHANGE-Two Sec-lions at Karaka Buy, valued at £400for property.

ISLAND BAY— S Sections, good position,£4 5s per foot ; also,iacre, £264.

KELBURNE— S rooms, all conveniences,hotwater, etc.;land 67 x100ft (about).£800

NEWTOWN— S rooms, etc.; land 34 xlO7feet. £560.WANTED TO EXCHANGE— Good mo-dern Houso of 8 rooms, handy posi-tion, ior Sections. Price £1075; £180cash.

GENTLEMAN'S RESIDENCE, withinfow vardfi of Lambton-quay. £2500.

CLOSE"KENT-TERRACE

—Very fine

House of 8 rooms, on land 38 x 90ft.£1250 ;well worth inspection.

'INGESTRE-STREET— Laud 37 x 100ft,with 9-roomed house. £1450; £650cash.

BERHAMPORE— New Villa of 5 rooms,all coiivfenienc'es;land 32-x lOOfl. £590

CLOSE WILLIS-STREET— Two Houses,7rooms each;land 44 x100ft. £1950 ;£750 cash.

MOUNT VICTORIA— 3 good Houses, 6ropms each;land 45 x 70ft.. £2400 ;£800 cad.

' .£75 DEPOSIT will purchase now House,

Newtown, 6 room", hot water, etc.;land 30 x 110ft. Price £695.

Particulars of Properties for Sale Solicited.

J. PANNING- ' & CO.,"land and estateagents,

royal exchange,opera house.Telephone650.FOR SALE-

PALMERSTONN.— s-r Cottage,hot waterand other conveniences; land 66 x396ft. Price £650.

RONA BAY— Vacant Flat Section, 40 x132[t; close to proposed new wharf.Prico £100; terms £30 cash.

THORNDON— 4-r Cottage on one floor,washhouse, copper, tuba, gas, etc.Price £465.

PRINCESS-TERRACE— S-r Cottage,bath-room, etc. L.T. Title. Price £625.

TINAKORI-ROAD— 7-r Rosidence, built5 years;bath, h. and c. water, c.1.,cto. Prioo £1200. Terms £300 cash;balance at 5 per cent.

CENTRE OF ClTY— Privato Boarding-house, 9 rooms;rent 22s 6d week;lease three years to run; piano andeverything as going concorn. Price£180.

CARTERTON— 7S Acres of rich Lard, 3miles from creamery and 2 miles fromschool;all fenced; 6-bail cowshed.Land Transfer Title. Prico £20 peracre.

STOKE-STREET-5-r Cottage;land 31 x82ft. Prk#s£sßo.

Dx\NIEL-STRE"ET— 5-r House on section33 x 114f t; bath, copper, tubs, latestdrainage. Land Transfer. Price £570

im O R SALE.

Hutt-road— 8-roomed House, staples, dairyand cowbuils, with10 ac.res land. Only£1200 ;£100 deposit, balanco arranged.Building Sections, £60 per acre. 10per cent, deposit, balance arranged.

Section Land, Herald-street, near tram, 45x 132. Price £4 15s per foot.

'

5 Sections Land, 2 minutes from tram,Aro-stroetv Price £2 15s.

G. E. HUMPHRIES,Builder, Contractor, and Valuator,

Telephono 1253'

61. Adelaide-road.

-i /\Q ACRE DADXT FARM, all level.

Lease in Perpetuity; adjoiningRailway Station and Creamery; £12 anacre. Cash lequired, £800.

F6r further particulars, apply to

JOHNHOLMES & Co.,Ltd.HUNTER-STREET, WELLINGTON.

Tp 0 R SALE.

The LEASE of a Private Hotel, con-taining 22 rooms, at present full of board-ers;beautifully new house; owner mustsell, as he has another business to attendlo No goodwil asked;will fell furnitureat cost prico:all in first-class condition.

FOR SALE; Boardinghouse, Hawcia;rental 45s per week;furniture atvaluation.

FOR SALE, 2 Grocery Businesses incountry towns. "

DWAN BfcOS.,Willii-itveei.

FOR SALE.TBIOR SALE— ls'Shiair Farms in th»jP LUCENA ES-EATEf-situated 3 mH«from tho Town of MastbYton. Tho farm*aro cut up into areas from FIFTY TOTWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY ACRES.Tho land is a compound of rich limestoneand alluvial deposits, consisting of flat*and rolling downs, and has' the advantagaof water on every section. This is thepick of the whole of the Wairarapa Dis-trict, and is admitted to bo the finest;dairying country in the colony.

FOR SALE— 6OO Acres of MillingBush,consisting of totara,matai, and white pinc^,situated on the Main Trunk Lino, nearUtiku;only about 100 chains from ametal road. Price for cutting1 rights andilease, etc., J3HOO.

FOR SALE, Wellington City, twoHouses, nearly new, situated on tramlike,11 rooms in each;section 55 x 180;build-ings splendidly finished. Price for the lot£2500. Cheapest property in tho market.

WORKMAN'S COTTAGE, 3 rooms, o£'Wordsworth-street, 70 x 6O.N Price £250.BROADWAY-TERRACE

—8-roomedi

Hougo. Price, £770..SHOP and five rooms, Bofhampore; 3&

x 80. Price £800.TWO HOUSES in Palmer-street;4* x

83. Prico on application. Only £100 cashdown required.

HOUSE 9 rooms, Rosenetth. Prica£1250.9-ROOMED HOUSE, off Bioughanvst.

Price £1600.9-ROOMED HOUSE,' near Moleaworth-

street. Price £1600. +0 x 80.9-ROOMED HOUSE, near Centre of

City. Price on application.FINE 11-ROOMED HOUSE, locality,

Majoribanks-street;33 x 90;every con«venience. Price £1400.NEWTOWN— S-roomed House; 25 x100. Prico £750.EMMETT-STREET— 7-roomed House,

brick stable ',■ 3* * 79. Price' £950.DANIEL-STREET— 7-roomed House:

40 x 120. Price £1050.DWAN BROS.,

Willis-street, Wellington.

H. & MARCHANT,LAND & ESTATE AGENT*11, Brandon-street. ,'

FOR SALE.Scarborough-terrace, 5 rooms,' -£750. No.35D. 'Scarborough-terrace, 8 rooms, £1100. No.

356.Hopper-street, 2 Houses, £1550. No. 353.Green-street, 5 rooms, £578. No. 340.Gleucoe-street, 6 rooms, £500. No. 326.Kent-terraco (near), Shop, £950. No. 524.Tinakori-road, 5 rooms, £550. No. 307.Cardyle-streot, 4- rooms, £500. No. 308.Cuba-street (near), 6 rooms, £750. No. 351Muritai, Cottage; 5 rooms, £450. No. 363

.W. B. CHENNELLS,A UOTIONEER AND LAND AGENT,-£»■ MASTERTON.

FOR SALE—1425 ACRES first-class landnearRahotu,

Taranaki, 850- foiled, 750 grassed, ring,fenced, 4 paddocks, 5-roomed house, eheds,level and undulating metalled roads frontand back, creamery 5 miles, school limiles. Owner offers this splendid blockat »4 per acre, which is Government valu-ation. Good milling timber in tho bush.

13278-r HOUSE, with everymodernconveni-ence, 2minute1?' walk fronuHutt Railway,

Station, 198ft frontage, land well laid out.Prico £1750 ;terms to suit purchaser. 1335PLIMMERTON.-iFirst-cl&s house, canaccommodate 20 bbarde'rs, and is suitablefor seaside resort or, boa-fdinghoas'o,"* 2bathing sheds. Property can be' let,ut"£3per week, furnished. Price',' including tfnr-niture, only £700; terms'; £350. can -re-main at 5 per cent.;balance on terms to"suit purchaser; a bargain. , 1335CHAFF-CUTTING PLANT, complete,in first-class working order;16-h.p.enginenew last season, co^t £600, chaff-tj\jtter:bagger, water-curl, scales, and all acceglsories cost £120, new press 'cost £140 ;plant recently valuedat about £900 ;willsell for £700; abargain. ■ 1357

CYCLE and ENGINEERING ,BUSI-NESSj long lease of premises, dwelling,and shop. Only JG325 as going ooncern,;centre of good town. 1J&8BLACKSMItH'S AND WHEEL-WRIGHT'S BUSINESS; phop 80 x 20;lease 5 years to run at 10s per week;good country township on West Coast.£130 for stock, tools, and goodwill. 1299_^ i

-A. J. M'Tavish.1 |W. JO. Bbdstonk

A. J- M'TAVISH & CO.,LAND AND ESTATE AGENTS,

7, VICTORIA-STREET, WELLINGTON

FOR SALE. *

TE ARO-Well-built 7-roomed .House,with every convenience, close to train,let to good tenant at renta,! showing10 per cont. net oa cash required.

1805BOSTON-TERRACE— Residence, contain-ing 8 rooms, on one floor, every mo-dern convenience; land 66 x 160£1700. 1786

ROXBURGH-STREET—

Two 7.roo"medHouses with every convenience, Welllet;good investment. Particulars onapplication. '

1793ROLLESTON-STREET—

Residence of 7roem6, lathed and plastered through-out,all conveniences;large workshop;land 66 x 112. Price £1280. 1791NORTHLAND— New 6-roomed House,with all conveniences, including elec-tric light;land 40- x 131. This pro-perty is within 8 minutes' ]*Valk'ofcable ear. Particulars on application.

1797WADESTOWN— S-roomed Cottage, with

conveniences, concreto well;land 40 x200;Laud Transfer Title. £575. 1802

ApplyA. J. M'TAVISH AND.CO.

J. W. BRAITHWAITE,A UCTIONEER, VALUER, LANDix. AND FARM AGENT,

JOHNSONVILLE.Cottage 5 rooms, newly painted through-

out, furnished, nice garden,stable, i-acre,three minutes from station. Xinas presentfor £4(/0 ;can arrange terms.

Building Sites to exchange for towahouses up to £1000. Wanted houses built.Tenants waiting.Business Site onmain road for £200.Sheep,Dairy, ftiid £oukry. Favbis;

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1904,8JOHNSONVILLE SALEYARDS.WEDNESDAY, 4th JANUARY.

Sale at 1 o'clock p.m.

A BRAHAM AND WILLIAMS (Ltd.)ii- Avill sell as above

—64 primobullocks .

185 prime ewes120 prime wethers30 extraprimo owes30 extraprimo wethera

THURSDAY,12th JANUARY, 1905,At 2.30 p.m.

SALE OF FREEHOLD FARM,KAITOKE.

By Order of tho Mortgagee, and underconduct of the Registrar of the Su-preme Court, Wellington.

MESSRS. HARCOURT AND CO.have received instructions to ec-11 by

publio auction, at their rooms, Panama-street, Wellington, on Thursday, the 12thday of January, 1905, at 2.30 o'clockp.m.—

All that piece of land situate at or nearKaitoke, containing 400 acres 3 roods 24perches, being Seotion No. 438 on thePlan of the ,Hutt District, and situateBlock XV., Akatarawa Survey District,and being tho land comprised in Cortifi-;cate of Title Volume 79, folio 127, withthe cottage ,thereon.

For further particulars and conditions ofsalo apply

J. J. DEVINE,Solicitor,' ' 16, Brandon-street;Or THE AUCTIONEER^.

MAORI LANDS ADMINISTRATIONOFFICE.

Wellington, 17th November, 1904.

NOTICE is herebly given th;it the leasesof the undermentioned allotments in

ihe Kawiu Block, adjoining the^ town?hipof Levin, on the Manawatu Railway line,wilfrbo offered bypublic auction under theprovisions of The Maori Lands Adminis-tration A,et, 1000," aud its amendments,at the Town Hall at Levin, tit 11 o'clocka.m.J on Thursday, the 12lh January,1905, for a term of twonty-one years A?itha right of renewal for a single furtherterm of twenty-one years or compensa-tion for improvements at the option ofthe Aotea District Maori Land Council.Situafed in Block XIII.,Mount Robinson

Survey District,Horowhenua County.

Lot. Section. Area. UpsetCental.

A. b. p. .£ 8. d.1 Pt. 21, 4 50 000 37 10 02 2L 5 20 126 15 7 6Situated in Blo^k 1., Waiopehu Survey

District,Horowhenua.County.

~~3 2L b* U0 33 U3 3 04 Lot 1,IB 48 325 3(i 15 05 Lot 3,IK '52 119 09 5 66 ;Lot3, IB 47 a 11 33 13 67 ID 21 0 00 15 15 0Maps and full particulars may be ob-

tained on application at the office of theDistrict Maori Land Council, W&ngamii,the Po3t Office at Lovin. the Commis-sioner of CroAvn Lands' Office, Welling-ton, and the Lauds Offices throughout thocolony.

R. C. SIM,Recorder.

,W. A. BROADBENT,LAND AND ESTATE AGENT,

HUME'S BUILDINGS,WILLIS-STREET. TELEPHONE 1403.

PRIVATE HOTEL, City, splendid pewbuilding, on tram line, i-acro section,4 reoeption rooms 22 x 16 each, 16bedrooms, kitchen and offices, 2 enam-elled baths, 4 p.w.c.'s, hot water, gas,eleotrio bells, a well-built and hand-somely finished property. Prico £2500.Easy terms arranged. Best bargain inthe city and a fortune to capable man-ager. ,

WEBB-STREET— Valuable Corner Block,Shops and Dwellings;land 80 x 60.Price £2500. Good spec.

RIDDIFORD-STREET (off) — New 5-rHouso and 3-stall brick stable, largosection. Prico £950. Easy terms.

DANIEL-STREET— A beautiful 6-r Villa,one floor, 65ft frontago,nice lawn andgarden. Price £950 ; very choap.

RINTOUT^STREET (of!)— Level Section,35 x 134. Price £8 10s foot.

BUTCHERY BUSINESS-City, estab-lished 6 years;splendid stand;turn-over £3000 p.a.; rent £2 week; 2horses, 2 carts, complete plant. Price£400; half cash.

HAIRDRESSER AND TOBACCONIST'S. BUSINESS, City, unrivalled position,shop and four rooms;rent 355;threoyears' lease. Prico £100.

KENWYN-TERRACE-Land 36 x 92;lovely new 4-r Villa;£300 cash requir-ed.

j\; .MEfJSS STUART,SHAREBROKER, LAND AND

"COMMISSION AGENT,4, Featherston-street.'

Telephones— Office. 190; House, 38.4.

FOR SALE.KELBURNE

—.5-roomed House. Priceand further particulars onapplication.

CITY—

Tennyson-street—

7-roomed Houso.Price £880. . 613CITY— Hankey-street—

8 rooms, all con-veniences, god asphalto paths. Lot at27s 6d weekly. Price £1000. 591

CITY—

Mein-street—

Up-to-date 6-roomedHouse, with all necessary conveniences.Price £875. 616SUBURB—

AlicetoArn—

5-roomed Houso,concroto foundation, artoi-ian well.Price £550. 618ClTY— Thorndon, Section, £13 per foot.CITY— 3 Valuable Buildup Blocks, tewminutes from Post Office. Particularsprico on application. 610aClTY— Tipakori-road, 8 roome, all con-veniences. Prico £1300. 553SEASlDE— Muritai, Rona Baj-, KarakaBay, and Maranui, Sections andHouses.

CITY (Queen;street)— 2s x 112, 7 rooms,all conveniences. £300; bargain. 6u*iCITY (Queen-street)— 23 x 112, 6 rooms,all conveniences. £700: cheaD. t>o2OFF NAIRN-STREET-8 Rooms. Prico£1500.

BAKER BROS.HAVE FOR SALE-

OHARIUVALLEY,Johnsonville— 4-room-ed Cottage, on land |acre. Price£130 ;a bargain. 5500TASMAN-STREET — 8-roomed House,

Avith washhouso, pantry, bathroom, h.p.range; land 28ft frontage. Prico£1075. 5946

QUEENT-STREET-6-roomed House, withbath, coppor, tubs, gas cooking range,largo workshop 27 x 11;land 30 x 112.£725; deposit £100. 5945

OWEN-STREET— Now 5-roomed Cottage,with all modern conveniences;land30 x 110. £700. A deposit of £50would bo accepted; a splendid oppor-tunity for anyono desirous of acquiringtheir own freeholtl. 5494

GOLDIE'S BRAE, Thorndon— Well-built6-roomed Houso, with all conveniences,largo seotion, magnificent view. Prico£1100. " 5492

NEAR BASINRESERVE— Two4-roomodOoctages, on land 38 x 81. Price £550.

5489BAKER BROS.

FOR SALE, AUBURN— Sections inthis charming, high-class residential

spot, tho important subdivision of Khan-dallah;only first-class buildings permittedon this ideal spot, Auburn. The proprie-tors are buildingnow, your choice now ofoito and residence, upon your oavii termspractically. Apply personally, write, orring up.— F. BEETBAMj 11, ImperialChamber!.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO EVERYBUSINESS MAN AND INVESTORINTHE CITY.

AUCTION SALE OF ONE OF THEMOST VALUABLE CORNER BUSI-NESSBLOCKS INTHE CITY.

AT THE INTERSECTION OF TARA-NAKI-STREET AND COURTENAY.PLACE.

IN THE EXCHANGE LAND MART,No. 84, Lambton-quay, Wellington.

ON THURSDAY, 12th JAN., 1905,At 2.30 o'clock p.m.

MACDONALD, WILSON AND CO.have received instructions from the

joint OAvners, in order to clo3o the oAA'ner-ship and to wind-up accounts in a de-ceased estate, to sell as above—

THAT GRAND CORNER BUSINESSBLOCK of VACANT LAND atthe intersection of TARANAKI-STREET and COURTENAY-PLACE, having a frontage ofeighty-five feet five inches (85ftsin) to Taranaki-street and thirty-tAVa feet five inches 32ft sin) toCourtenay-place, running to a backboundary of 45ft Bin.

This Magnificent Corner is at presentwith other contiguous lands leased to Mr.Thomas G. Macarthy for £115 per annum,expiring in two years (Ist January, 1907).

TERMS— Tenper cent, deposit;balancein one month. Any purchaser can, hoAv-OArer, arrange a substantial advance onmortgage should he desireit.

This is without question the most valu-able vacant Corner Block in that quarterof tho city. It is an ideal site for aBank, Insurance Offico, Post and Tele-graph Office, or any important business,end must yearly grow in value.

No investor desirous of securing "a reallygood gilt-edgod investment" should failto examine this property.

For plane, further details, etc., apply tothe Auctioneers, or to Messrs. Young andTripo, Solicitors, Grey-street, Wellington.

PETONE! PETONE! PETONE!And

MARTON JUNCTION!FINE RESIDENCeTaND SPLENDID

BUILDING SECTIONS!

IN THE EXCHANGE LAND MART,No. 84, Lambton-quay, Wellington.

OX THURSDAY,12th JANUARY,1905/At 2.30 o'clock p.m.

MACDONALD, WILSON AND CO.aro favoured with instructions from

the OAvncr, who is leaving tho District, tqsell by public auction, as-above

—LOT I.— PETONE-AVENUE, TOWN OF

PETONE.THAT SPLENDID BUILDLXG design-

ed as a residonce, but altered to euit occu-pation for its present purpose— the PetonoJunior Club, containing large SocialRoom,Billiard Room, two Caretakers' Room?,with range, bath, hot and cold water, theusual outbuildings, nnd all modern con-vonieuces. The land has a frontage of 38feet to Petone-avenue, and is very conveni-ent to tho Railway Station. Tho cost ofconversion to a residence would bo verylittle. Title

—Land Transfer.

LOT 2.— PETONE-AVENUE, TOWN OFPETONE.

EXCELLENT BAY WINDOW RESI-DENCE of six rooms on ono floor, Avithgood entrance hall, bathroom, washhouse,cupboards, and all tho ueual com-eniences.The rooms aro large, the floor space bo-ing almoet 1000 feet superficial. The po-sition io a A*ery good and convenient one,and is closo to the proposed neAV HighSchool. Title— Land Transfer.LOT 3.-BUICK-STREET, TOWN. OF

PETONIi.A FIRST-CLASS BAY WINDOW,

VERANDAH RESIDENCE, nearly new,of SEVENROOMS, all onone floor, withbathroom, artesian Avatar and all modernconveniences. The' houso has coucretofoundations, and is avoll sheltered from thosoutherly Avinds. This proporty ia quitecloso to1 tho proposed hcav wharf, andfronts, tho widest street }n Petohe, there-fore must greatly increase in value. Title-Land Transfer.LOT 4.-AURORA-STREET, TOWN OF'

PETONE.' ' '

NEW RESIDENCE of sis rooms, withbath, washhouae, vrell fitted with cup-boards, ga3 in all rooms, all modern con-veniences; land 40ft by 100ft. Title-Land Transfer.

The whole of tho buildings on the Lots1, 2, 3,and 4 haA'e been erected under thepersonal supervision of the Vendor, aprac-tical builder, and _special attention hasbeen given to quality, detail and finish,and on insnccUon they will be found togive cntiro satisfaction.

LOT 5.-ESPLANADE, TOWN OFPETONE..

FINE BUILDING SECTION, high anddry, facing the sea, being" Section No.236, Buiek Estate, having a frontstgp of<39 feet 7 inchos by a depth of 99 feet. Title—

Land Transfer.LOT 6.— ORIENTAL-STREET, TOWN

OF PETONE.-

i

Good Section, levelled and reatfy forbuilding,having a frontage of 40 Teet by adopth of 89 feet. Title— Land Transfer.

LOT 7.— MARTON JUNCTION.Tho important< new Town on tho MainNorth Trunk Railway, containing One-

quarter-acre. BUILDING,SECTION No.102, frontingKing'a-road on plan of Mar-ton Junction, having an area of 1rood 12porches, adjoining tho Railway Line.

LOT B,— MARION JUNCTION.BUILDING SECTION No. 140, front-ing ALEXANDRA-STREET, having an

area of over a Quarter of an Acre.Terms:— loper- cent. dopo3it, balance ar-

ranged on easy terms.Full particulars ajid cards to view may

bo had from tho Auctioneers.30-ACRE FARM NEAR FEATHER-

STON.IN THE EXCHANGE LAND MART,

No. 84, Lambton-quay, Wellington.ON THURSDAY;12th JANUARY, 1905,

At 2.30 o'clock p.m.

MACDONALD, "WILSON AND, CO.are favoured with instructions to sell

j by public auction as above—AN EXCELLENT LITTLE FARM

of 30 Aores, all flat, rich alluvialland, adjoining the Town ofFeatherston, ring-fenced, on' whichis irocted a, Four-roomed Cottagewith the usualconveniences, stable,and~6'bail cowshed. The land isall grassed and well Avatored, andwould make splendid poultryand pig farm.

'

Full particulars and cards to view fromthe Auctioneers.SALE OF COTTAGE PROPERTIES,

FITCHETT-TOWN (BROOKLYN).IN THE EXCHANGE LAND MART,

No. 84, Lambton-quay, Wellington.

ON THURSDAY, 12th JANUARY, 1905,At 2.30 o'olock p.re.

MACDONALD, WILSON AND CO.are favoured with instruction* to

sell by publio auction, at above—THAT VALUABLEPROPERTY, be-

ing Pection No. 182 on, the Planof the Township of Fitchet't(Brooklyn), having a, frontago of68 feet 3 inohes to Mitchell-streetby an irregular depth of from 217to 244 feet, on which is erectedtwo Ayell-built cottago resltlencpscontaining five rooms each, Avithbathroom, detached Avashhouse,with copper and tubs. Thero i*>also a good flower and vegetablegarden, and the property com-mands splendid views of the Cilyand Harbour,

Title— Land Transfer Act..

ROSENEATH.FIVE SPLENDID BUILDING

SECTIONS.JN THE EXCHANGE LAND MART,

No. 84, Lambton-quay, Wellington.ON THURSDAY, 12th-JANUARY, 1905,

At 2.30 o'clock p.m.

MACDONALD, WILSON AND CO.arc favoured Avith instructions to

sell by public auction, ns above—FIVE BUILDING SECTIONS front-

ing. MAIDA VALE-ROADr andCRESCENT-ROAD, having .vary-ing frontages o"f from 51 feet to73 foci by depths ranging "from152 feet to 252 feet, being part sec-tions 6 and-14 on Deposited"Plan1217. ' "

These are tho .pick of" RoteneathV- openand sunny, easy of access from thp nowtram service; splendid view- Boating and

■ fiihing close at hand.T*ull particulars from The Auctioneers.

THE RIWHE ESTATE!

ISLAND BAYIISLAND BAYIISLAND BAYI

SPECIAL AUCTION SALE OF THEFINEST RESIDENTIAL SECTIONS

SEVENTY-ONE MAGNIFICENTVILLA BUILDING SiTES!

FROM ONE-EIGHTH OF ANACRE TOOVER ELEVEN- ACRES IN.AREA.

EXTRAORDINARY EASY TERMS OFPAYMENT OF PURCHASE

MONEY. "

IN THE EXCHANGE LAND MART,'No. 84, Lamblon-quay, Wellington.

ON WEDNESDAY, 25th JAN., 1905,At 2 30 o'clock p.m.

MAdDONALDr WILSON. AND CO.are favoured Avith instructions from

tho owners to sell by .public auction, asabove—

71' ""'

n-t SEVENTY-ONE OF THE wi

BEST BUILDING SECTIONSEVER OFFERED INISLAND

'

BAY.71

These splendid Villa Building Sites aresituated on the rising ground adjoiningtho old Racecourse, aud close to tho 'routeof the new Electrical TvMrvwaya. Theyfront Derwent

- street, Freeling' - street,Rhine-street, Rhone-street, Sovern-slroet,and one Block of over FiA'.e and .ajHalfAcres fronts Adelaide-road. 'They aro sub-divided into areas ranging from ,ono-eigh~thof an acre to over eleven awl >« ■ halfacres, nomo of tho larger sections boing.most admirably adapted for further profit-ablo subdivision.

Tho whole of tho sections command";ex-tensive and beautiful vioAvs of tho' pic-turesque < bay and the surrounding,land-scape, many of tho low rolling downscroAvned,as they are..Vsdth bvfjagal^AV.-willas,presenting charming features of unusuallyattractiA'e interest. While, Island,Bay ,haslong been rightly rdga-rded as ono of thomost valuable of Wellington's Suburbs, itmust not be forgotten that \t is also partand parcel of the City of Greater Welling-ton, and that every resident of Island BayAvill have the advantages of tho City WaterSupply, Drainage System, Electric Light,and Gas Service, otc.;in other words^ allthat is best in the high cmlisafcion thatem-elopes a great Cily.

During tha year 1905 it is proposed toexpend a sum of £17,820 in extending the'City's neAV Electrical Tramway Systemthrough Island Bay, and a further sumof £10,000 in the formation ofStreets and footpaths. The Rate-payer's have already authorised this1ex-penditure for the- purposes named. Thoeffect of these improvement works must bpto develop tho Bay and to greatly andspecially increase tho valup

;of each of thoScAonty-ono Sections now being offeredfor sale. Investors who desire to buy forp. rise Avill do AVell to remember this fact.

-_Tho terms of sale aro especially attrac-

tive 'to thoso Avho wish either to build forpersonal occupation or for safo investment.Deposit at sale 10 per cent. No mor«money required. The wholo of the bal-anco of purchaso money to remain onmortgage at 5 per cent, interest per an-num.

Every section is marked'with a flag, andintending purchasers can, if thoy like, navefree of chaige tho services of a speoialjfuide to show them over tho land. Forlithographic plans,

(conditions of-sale, etc.,

apply to the Auctioneers, at their oflice3;or to Mersrs. Bunny,RaWso'u and Petho-rick, Solicitors, 86, Lambton-quay, Wel-lington.

j^JACDONALD, WILSONAND CO., -

84, LAMBTON-QUAY.SPECIAL PROPERTIES FOB, SALE.THORNDON-QUAY— Section 33 x 100ft.Price £18 por foot. , < - 2058JOHNSONVHjLE— Superior new 6-room-cd Houses $ aero of land, foAvlhousea

and runs. Price £600. 2051DANIEL-STREET— 7 'rooms, h. and c.water, everything up^to-dato;land 40x120f t; good garden,grandview. Price£1030; terms £100 deposit. 2048WALLACEVILLE (adjoining station)—Three splendid Sections. ,Price £200tho lot. . -,-" 2045

PLIMMERTQN— LargerHouse, can accom-modate 20 popple, fully 'furnished;willlet during season at '£3' per week.Price £700 for tho freehold, includingfurniture;very easy terms. 2046

LUXFORD-STREET— Shop and 5 rooms-,land"36 x. SOffc;

-rent 25s per week.

Price £800. 2053THORNDON— Three.Houses, "

6 roomseach;land 99ft frontage;rent 26s porAvoek each Price £700 each. 2050

SPLENDID INVESTMENT, near Centreof City

—Brick . Shop "

and dAvollingrooms; land 36 x 165ft; rent £300 aypar. Price £4500. " 2036

MAIN STREET (tram route)— SplendidBusiness Site, 48'x132ft; with 6-room-cd house. Prico £2000. "■ ' "■'"'' -^178

UPPER WILLIS-STREET (near)— Su-bstantially built 7-roomed Residonce,with eA'ery modern convenience;land38 x 79ft. Prico £1600. 1903

For complete list see Wellington LandedProperty Guide.

'

TT7-OR SALE, at Kjarori, 18 Sections,-E? ready for building on, adjoiningChurch of England, and immediately op-posite Mrs. Cooper's properly. v These 'sec-tions aro some of the finest in K.vrori, andAvill be sold on easy terms;frontages toMain-road, Church-road, and Friend-street.Further particultw from «

G. DATIES, Jun., Karori.

PRINCES-STREET,MOUNTVICTORIATWO-STORY RESIDENCE.

'

HUTT-ROAD PETONE, HOUSE ANDTHREE-QUARTER ACRE.

ABSOLUTE SALE OF TWO REALLYDESIRABLE POVERTIES.

BY ORDER OF THE MORTGAGEE.IN THE EXCHANGE LAND MART,

No. 84, Lambton-quay, Wellington.

ON THURSDAY,12th JANUARY, 1905,At 2.30 o'clock p.m.

MACDONALD, WILSON AND CO.'aro favoured withinstructions to sell

by public auction, by order of the Mort-gagee, as above—

Tho following- first-class properties:—PRINCES-STREET, MOUNT VICTORIA

That desirable tAvo-storied residence,in excellent order, situated on thobestbide of Princss-street, contain-ing six, rooms, kitchen, sculleryfbathroom, etc., havingcopper,tubijrand all modern conveniences. Thehouse is erected on a section ofland 36ft x,66ft, well fenced,, andlaid oait as a small garden. Thebeautiful vieAV of the cityand har-bour cm never b6 built out. Theproperty is in some respects_ anideal one, and specially convenientto tho city and iioav tram service.

HUTT MAIN-ROAD, PETONE.An excellent modern residence of six

rooms,.with an outside Avashhouse,copper,',tubs, and all conveniences,standing upon some three-quartersof an acre of land, twinga front-age of 66ft to tho Main-road anda dopth ranging from 540ft to507ft. <

Tho fences aro of boards, palings,iron, etc. This is a fine oppor-tunity of obtaining a good resi-dence with a largo section of landin a really first-class position, andas every oneknows how tho Petoueproperties are rising in value thebuyer of this property may expectto amply repay himself in thenear future.

Full particulars and cards to view fromtho Auctioneers

A GREAT AUCTION SALE

OF

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING SECTIONSTO MARK THE CLOSE OF THEYEAR.

THE TRUEST CHRISTMAS BOXAND NEW YEAR'S GIFT!

A SECTION OF LAND ON WHICH TOBUILD THE FAMILY HOME.

FORTY OF THE FINEST RESIDENCESITES IN THE CITY OF WEL-LINGTON.

'

Adjoining tho Finest Park and RecreationGrounds in the Empire City— NEW-TOWN PARK.

OPEN SPACES!BEAUTIFUL LAWNS!

LOVELY FOREST GLADES AT YOUKi DOORS!

A DUKE COULD WISH FORNOTHING BETTER!

IN THE EXCHANGE LAND MART,No. 84, Lambton-quay, Wellington.

ON THURSDAY, 19th JANUARY, 1905,At Half-past 7 o'clock in '.he Evening.

MACDONALD, WILSON AND CO.are faA'ourcd AAith instructions from

A. Hall, Esq., to sell by public auctionas above

—FORTY GRAND BUILDING SEC-

TIONS, adjoining the NEW-TOWN PARK.

These Splendid Villa Residence Sjtes arethe subdivision of Town Acres Ncs. 885,866, 887, 888, 889, and 890, nnd frontMANSFIELD

- STREET', DANIEL-STREET, ROY-STREET, and NEW-TOWN PARK. They range from37 feet to 90 feet frontage by depthsranging from 120 feet to 145ifeet. Threeof the Sections have an area of over aQuarter of on Aero each.

Tho special character of this portion ofthe City marks it out in an unusunl degrcofor High-class Residence?. It is close totho Tormimii' of tho Electrio TramAvayService. It faces tho splendid NcAvtownPark and tho RoadAvay leading to it.Thero is a spaciousness, a clearness, and %well-sci, up-to-dato appearance about thewhole neighbourhood that instantly at-tracts tho eyo and makes it a pleasure toreside there.

It is needless to speak of tho enormousadvantages of one's home adjoining so de-lightful a spot as tho Newtown Park, thelargest and most beautiful of the Recrea-tion Grounds of the City. A delightfulplayground at all times for tho children,and a charming retreat for thoso a littleolder. In every cily in the Avorul proper-ties so situated are eagerly sought after,and realise exceptionally high prices.

The neAV street, Roy-streot, is in courseof formation, and will beproperlymetalled,curbed, and channelled in accordance withtho City Regulations. One great advan-tage in connection with this street lies intho fact that the drainage pipes "have al-vfcady been laid right up to the footpath,so that no future distuibanco of the streetor footpath fieed take place. This meansa great saving in expense to purchasers.

The Express ElectricCar wi'l convey youfiom the Sections to the Geneial PostOffico in ten minuter.

The Terms of Sale will be of tha follow-ing liberal character:

—Ten per cent, deposit onpurchase;Ton per cent, in three months;Ten per cent, in twelve months;Balanco in FiA'o Years;Interest on unpaidpurchase monejr,54per cent, per annum.

Any purchaser desirous of building totho value of his land can alloAv tho wholeof his purchase money to remain unpaid.

Lithographic plans on application toThe Auctioneers.

SPECIAL NOTE.— The wholo of thosesections can bo built upon at once withoutexpense for filling inor excavation

—a Arery

important item in connection witii tliepurchase. Speoial high-elacs residence sec-tions like thoso aro a'inost impossible toacquire. Ina brief period they aviU beall locked up. Such opportunities as thisshould not bo treated lightly. Welling-ton is groAving into a great city. Itslands arc limited. They must in tho nearfuture reach a for higher vaiue than anyoilier city in Now Zealand. The wiseman of to-day should, above everythingelsp, pul Rome of his money into the landsof thp city in Avhich he live?, and where hocan look at his iineetinent groAAing inAaluc clay by dar.

I7OR SALE, a firsl-clastt up-to-date neAv. Plant, complete, for Brickmaking.Apply S. Luke and Co. (Limited), Wei-liu£to»

. A. C. ELLIOTT & CO.,LAND SALESMEN AND GENERAL

AGENTS,42, LAMBTON-QUAY.

NEWTOWN— 4-roomed House, with bath-room, Asashhouse, etc.; £50 depoeit.£150.

BROOKLYN— Splendid Section, frontingWnfihingtor.-avenuo and backing on toJefferfcOD-stroet;62ft frontage to each.Pricp only £550.

GENTLEMAN'S RESIDENCE,containingeight rooms, all one floor, electric lightand bells, gas stove, h. and c. Avaterservice;also gas heatpr for plunge andspray;magnificent vieAv ot city audharbour;land J.-acre; really splendidresidence. Prico £2000 ; terms. In-epect our list.

IE ARO FLAT— 6 rooms, 40ft frontage;bathroom, h. aud c,etc.;cheap pio-perty at £800.

NEWTOWN— 6 rooms, gas, gas stoA-e.good garden; really good and cheapplaco at, £725.

HUTT— 2I ACRES and 4-roomed House;also 2-roomed and 1-roomed whare;good stream. This is a bargain at£450.

We can build on £25 deposits.Telephone 160.

AUBREY GUALTER,A CCOUNTANT, SHAREBROKER.JrS-

—WELLINGTON-TERRACE and HOB-

SON-STREET— 2 splendid BuildingSites

BIDWILL-STREET— Land for factoryBIDWILL

-STREET

—Cotta«f,

large section £400BROOKLYN— 4 rooms, offices £450LAWRENCE-STREET— 4 rooms,

offices £425ADELAIDE-ROAD

—5 rooms,

offices £520NORTHLANDS— 6 rooms, con-

crete, etc. £750CENTRAL-TEP.RACE-6 rooms £1300KELBURNE— 7-roomed Villa £1200GORING-STREET— 6 rooms, new £1050MAJORIBANKS-ST.— 7 rooms £725HOBSON-ST.— B rooms £2200ADELAIDE-ROAD— B rooms £1200ISLAND BAY— 6 rooms, acre,

stables, gardens, consen'atory £Jl2!iHUTT— B rooms, H-acre, gardens,

orchard, stables'

£2000BIDWILL-STREET— Site, level, view;

42 x 139ftAUBREY GUALTER,

9« Johnston-street.FOR~SALE,~IN KARORI.

CI.DASENT, Agent, of No. 6, West-" minster Chambers, Lambton-quay,Wellington, has received instructions fromR. C. Bulklcy, Esq., to sell the followingValuable Sections adjoining his residenceab Karori:

—MAIN-ROAD— Oto Section, i-acre;

£500; corner lot. One ditto, i-acre, £400.Throe ditto, i-acre each, £300.

LANCASTER-STREET— Ono Section,i-aove, £250. Ono ditto, J-acre, ( £600 ;corner lot.

BELL-STREET— Ono Section, S-acre,£500. One ditto, 1acre, £625. Ono ditto,.1 acre (nearly), £600.

WALLACIS-STDEET— One Section, J-acro, £265.

HATTON-STREET°— Three Sections,oach A-acre. £180 each.

PARKVALE-ROAD— One Section, £-aero, £170. Four ditto, |-acre, £120.

Tho abovo are all under Land Transfer,aro central, andbuyers can arrange for anyreasonable terms.

For particulars, apply toC. I.DASENT,

No. 6, Westminster Chambers, Lambton-quay,

(Over Commercial Union Assurance Co.),City.

A CHRISTMAS BOX.

WE have received instructions fromMr. Pedersen to sell by private

treaty, on account of his early departureifor the Old Country, his magnificent Resi-dence, situate only a few yards from thoKELBUR;N# POWER STATION, andadjacent ,'to tho, beautiful KIOSK recentlyerected there.

'Tho residence, AA-hieh is ono of the most

comfortable and charming in Kelburne, isin perfect condition, and contains 7 largoand lofty rooms, besidos scullery, pantry,bathroom, Avashhouso, etc. The DINING-ROOM ia 21 x 14, AvKh 6 x 4ft bay win-dow. The DRAWING-ROOM andFRONT BEDROOM are each 17 x 14ft,anrl have each fine largo bay Avindows.

The VIEW from this property is moatcxtenriA'o, embracing a lovely and pano-ramic view of the city, harbour, andmoun-tain ranges; water and electrio light arolaid on, and the gas mains arc connected.

To merchants and professioual men de-siring a modern residence and grounds oftho beft character in the moat healthyjand fashionable suburb of Wellington nobetter opportunity can be possibly pre-sented for purchase.' Tho price of thismot desirable property is £1450, of Avhich£700 enn remain on mortgage at 4£ percent. The insurance is £600. The resi-dence can ba inspected by presenting ourcards to view.

THOMSON AND BROWN,Telephone 1140. Hunter-street.

SOLE AGENTS.

FOR SALEMODEL SHEEP FARM.684 acres of flat and rolling country, situ-ated at Gladstone, Wairarapa. This pro-perty is Avell improved, thoroughly water-ed, and is subdivided into eleven paddocka.Erected on tho land is a good dwelling,Avoolshed, sheepyards, cowshed, storeroom,Avashhouse, and other small buildings.Fifty acres aro now in crop. This is anexcellent chance for a workiDg farmer tostep into a going concern that Avill at onceyield a good return for tho capital .in-vested, in addition to a good livelihood. Itis also suited to any one Avho would makefarming a pleasure.

For full particulars, apply toG. A. FAniBROTHER (Ltd.),

Auctioneers, Land, Estate, and Commis-sion Agents, Cartertou. ,

■p O n 5 A L E.

HOTEL, Eketahuna. Price £1300.HOTEL, Taranaki. £3550; takings £109HOTEL, AshluusL.HOTEL, Nelson. Prico £1150.HOTEL, WanganuiHOTEL, Marton.HOTEL, Wellington.HOTEL, HaveiockHOTEL, Wellington. £2000; takings £90HOTEL, Blenheim.HOTEL, Opunaki.HOTEL, Westport.

Particulars en application.JOHN BRODIE AND CO.,

King's Chambers,Wellington.

W. ]?. SHORTT,AUCTIONEER, HOUSE, LAND AND

ESTATE AGENT.EAST KILBIRNIE-50 MAGNIFICENT

BUILDING-SITES.EACH QUARTER OF AN ACRE, from

25s per foot.HAY-STREET — Handsome 7-roomedHousd, beautifully finished;land 36 x120.

Price £1100 ; a bargain. ,INGESTRE-STREET— New 7-roomedHouso on ono floor;every convenience;

largo section. Price £1300.THORNDON — 13-roomod Boarding-

house, Avell furnished, piano, otc. Particu-lars on application.

SHANNON-STREET— Now 5-roomedHouso, all conveniences; grand view;laud 61 x 118. Price £950.

TTTOR SALE, IN A BANKRUPTJT ESTATE,EIGHT SECTIONS, with 10 Houses, in

PETONE.This property must bo sold immediately

to clo6O an ostato;very easy terms can boarranged Apply to

C. H. IZARD. Solicitor; or_DWAN BROS.. Estate Agents._

F~OR SALE, 12i Acres, 5-roomed~hou7o]3£ acres orchard, all necessary out-

buildings, well nholtered, 15 minuteb' Avalkfiom school and Halcombo station. Fur-ther particulars apply H. Moxhan, Hed-combei

LOWER HUTT 1

■O 0 R SALE.

Large well-built 7-roomed House, besidesscullery, bathroom, pantry, and allconveniences, also outhouse, etc. Price£950 ;only £300 cash required.

A well-built 7-roomed House, eA;ory con-venience, finest locality, i acre ofgarden. Prico £1050. Will let to ftp-proved tenant.

Good 6-roomed Houso, besides bathroom,cupboards, otc.;good stable and trap-fchod with concrete floor; -1 aero ofgaiden, 66ft frontage to good road.Price £725; 'terms.

A few choice Sections on Bloomfield-cres-cenl, varying from i to A an acreeach. They are ideal building sites,cheap, and for sale on essy terms.

A eplendid Property of 18 acres rich fer-tile land, having over 37 chains roadfrontage to good roads. Price" andparticulars onapplication.

45 Acrrs of hill land containing severalgoodbuilding sites. Price only £500.

A choice Gentleman's Residence containing6 besides all conveniences,standing in nearly an acre of ground,and having a large frontage to tAA'oroads, situated within ca«y distance ofstation; large orchard, well-laidtoutgarden, surroundedby well-grownshel-ter hedges, perfect drainage. Priceonly £1400. Prompt application isnecessary, as owner is loaA'ing colony.

Several good 5 and 6 roomed Houses, from£550 to £900.

Good 5-roomed House, besidos outbuild-ings, 1£ acres land, including nice or-chard and garden;large frontage; asnug home. Prico £950.

Nice 5-roomed House, besides bathroom,pantry, etc., Tame Estate, artesianwater supply; large section. " Price£785.

NOTE.— A representative will at alltimes be pleased to show buyers over thomany estates nnd residences placed in myhands for sale.

H. ERNEST LBIGHTON,HUTT LAND AND AUCTION MART,

Or9, FEATHERSTON-STREET,

WELLINGTON.

H.ISRKEST LEIGHTON,\ UCTIONEER AND LAND AGENT,

Xa- 9, Featherston-street, ■ "-HAS FOR SALE—

KELBURNE 4- 6-roomed Residence, allconA-oniences, includingh. and c.Avater,electrio light, etc., large section, front-ing Central-terraco, magnificent view.

276RIDDIFORD-STREET— 7-roomed House,

usual conveniences, may be easily con-verted into business premises if de-sired. Price low. 272

MURITAI — 5-roomed Villa, outhouse,etc.,corner section close to new wharf.Easy terms. 167

OWEN-STREKT — 5-roomed Villa, cor-ner tection;well let. Price £300. 266

MILTON-STREET—

4 rooms, bathroom,gas, etc. Price £400. 266

HERALD-STREET—

5 rooms, all con-A-enierices. Prico £500. 266

ADELAIDE-ROAD— 4 rooms, Avashhouse,coppor and tubs. Price £450.

ISLAND BAY — Very desirSble BuildingSections from £3 10s per foot.

ORIENTAL BAY (overlooking)—s-roomedVilla, 'magnificent 'view.1 Price' £800.163

PLBIMERTON—

6-roomed Houso, bath-room, scullery, etc., splendidly situ-' " ,ated. Bargain. 258

EPUNI-STREET— S rooms, bath, coppor,etc. Price £600. 198

ROSENEATH—

5-roomed Houso, largofection, splendid view.

MURITAI — 4-roomed Villa on mainroad. Prico £320.

W. H. MORRAH & CO..A UCTIONEERS AND LANDJ\. AGENTS.

54 AND 56, WILLIS-STREET.Telephone No. 10.

FOR SALE.AUSTIN-STREET

—7 rooms, land 65 x

80, corner section; room to build.Prico £1150 ;a cheap property.

NEWTOWN - 5 rooms, land 34 x 110,in good order. £625. Terms can bearranged

LOWER HUTT — NeAV House, 5 rooms,conservatory and outbuildings, section50 x 152. A first-class property andcheap. £800.

DAIRY FARM, 30 miles from Welling-ton, close to railway station, 190 acre^,7-roomed house and cottage, fencedand subdivided', all cleared. Price £7per aero.

SEATOUN — 6-roomed House, aVoII fin-ished, close -to Avharf. £575.

MARANOI — 5 rooms, nearly J aore,66ft frontage to Queen's Drive, 67ftto Sutherland-road; room to buildthree houses. Price £650.

MELROSE—

Two good Sections. £225the lot.

MURITAI—

Good level Seotions close tostore. £3 foot.

KARORI—

Tavo Sections, eaoh iacre,closo to main road. £315.

KARORI—

,2 Acres with long frontageto two streets. £700.

JOHNSONVDLLE— Now House, 5 rooms,iacre section. £415; £50 cash.

BROOKLYN — Sections from £100 up-

.ABEL^MITH-STREET- 6 rooms, goodhouse. £800.

HOBSON-STREET -jLevelSection, 50 x. 100. £24 foot.OWEN-STREET

—6 rooms, 34 x 100.

£700.

C.A. GRIFFITHS & CO.,9, HARRIS-STREET, Wellingtpn.

Hotel Brokers, Land, Estate, and GeneralCommission Agents a-nd Valuators,Fruit,Produce, and General Merchants

Fruit and Produce Auction Sales Daily, 9a.m. sharp.

Land, House, Furniture, and Stock Salesconducted when arranged for.

Land and Hotel Department—

W. T. Par-sons (lateof Messrs. T. and W. Young).

FOR SALE.— Hotels to suit all classesand finances, in town and country- Listtoo long to detail. Call and sco us.Finances arranged.

Also largo number of Houbc3 and Sec-tions in City and' Rising Suburbs at allprices. Large and small Boardinyhouses,Suburban Stores, 'Refreshment Rooms, otc.

SPECIAL BARGAINS-Small Country Hotel. Capital required

£400. Rent £4.Country Hotel. Capital £800. Rent £4.

Free.Several good City Hotels. Leaseholds.House, 8 rooms, Ingostre-streot. Free-

hold.Housb. 9 roomi. Abol Sinith-strcot. Froo-

hold.Splendid Stotion, Bellevue, Lower Hutt.

£4 per foot.20 Sections Maranui.2 Sections, nieo huvn and shod.Refreshment Rooms, Tolephono Bureau,

and nice Section;good liA-iiiß.5 Sections, Kilbirnio, £o 10s to £5 ss.

Grand buildins sites.CHEAP LAND IX PETONK

RADFORD AND CO. have 16 Spotion*for Sale, price £75, £100, £125, and£150, £25 deposit only rcquirod; also,

Sections in Jackson-stroet from £8 to £30& foot, great bargains;Houses and vSeu-tions from £180 ;easy terint uu'<vi\g«d lotuit clienti.

B>RCOURT & CO.HAVE FOR SALE-

ISLAND BAY RACECOURSE-

Two ofbest Sections in'this subdiA'ision, 50 x165ft to each. Prico £440 tho two, orwould sell separately, 6211NORTHLAND — NeAV 5-roomed House,bathroom, Avashhouse, copper, tubs,etc., loA-ely garden; two road front-ages. Price £580.

'°207

PETONE—

Land 10 x 100ft, with nico4-roomed House thereon, ground Avell

_„ laid out. Price £440."ROSENEATH —.\ew Villa containing 4

large rooms, verandah, bathroom, scul-lery, etc.;land 1acre; well "sheltered,magnificent view!" Price £540 ;terms, jCONSTABLE-STREET " (cloio to Riddi-ford-street)

—Business Site; land 50

s-x 132ft, with dwellings thereon. Price£1200. B '6204

KARQRI—

Fine Block of Land, about3£ acres, perfectly level, having afronttfge of 460ft to tAvo roads. Price£500 acre. Would cut up well; goodspec. 6134KELBURNE (adjacent) —

Several fiist-class Building Sites overlooking cityand harbour, good area. Price from

"£2 foot:very cheap.ROSENEATH

—Modern 4-roomed Dwel-

ling, nicely situated, on laud 42 x130tt. Price £500; terms. 6203ADELAIDE-ROAD

—To eoII, on easy

terms, well-built 4-roomed Dwelling,in first-class order. Price £450; £50deposit, balance as rent,15s per week.

4857BIDWELL-STREET — Charming Resi-dence of 7 largo rocme, commandingexcellent view city and harbour, goodsection, nicely laid out.'Price £950.

5212HANSON-STREET - 5-roomed House,with stable, trapshed, etc., land 33 x132ft. Price £625.

*5693VIVIAN-RTREET (close to) — Nice 3-roomed "Cottage, Avashhouse, copper,tubs, etc.; land 48 x 60ft. Price£400,- bargain. 6167ISLAND BAY (Derwent-street)— Tavo ex-,

cellent Building Sections, perfectlyflat, large areas. Price £4 5s ft. 6154100 ACRES, Manawatu, all in grass, 6

paddocks, well AvateredA 6-roomedhouse, washhouse, 12-bail coAvshed, pig-gery;L.1.P.;rent £18 19s 6dper an.;good roads, 4 miles raihvay station, 1mile school and creamery. Price £900 ;terms. 5898

600 ACRES, 400 aores in grass, 8 pad-docks, well watered, carry 2 sheep peracre, buggy road (metalled), woolshcd,13 miles from raihvay. Price £5 15s.

5895400 ACRES}, 200 acres ingrass, 7 paddocks,

carry 2i sheep per acre, stock 500sheop and sotiao cattle, 4-rocmcd house,woolshed, dip, yards, cowbails, metalroad, 3 miles from railway, school, andcreamery. Price £6 per acre;terms.

5891600 ACRES, 420 acres in grass, balance

bush, 4 paddocks, half.flat, 2£ sheepcountry, 4-roonted house, .coAvbails,eheepyards, trapshed, metal road, 8miles railway,3 miles creamery. Price£5 15s per acre; terms. 5871

GENERAL STORE, country, shop, shoAV-window, bulk store, trapshed, stables',3 dwelling-rooms; turnoA'er £200 pormonth. Price £500; stock and plantat -valuation.

' '238

BLACKSMITH and WHEELWRIGHT,good shop and forge, leaso 5 years;rent 10spor Aveek;turnover about- £75per month. Price £130. 8B

W\H. TURNBULL & CO.3, PANAMA-STREET.

Kowtown Branch-1, RIDDIFORD-ST.

WRIGHT-STREET—

Good Section, at-tractive"6-rqomed House, and all con-A-eniences, including largo Avorkshop,etc. Price £750: terms. 2175,

TARANAKI-STREET (cloeo to Cour-tonay-placo)

— Valuable Business Site,House thereon let at £2 per Aveek."Prico £1700. 2174

KARORI — Land 44ft sin x 132ft, at-tractive 5-roomed House-and scullery,bathroom, outhouse, electric light.

'Price £600; £100 cash. , 2115KILBIRNIE— Land 33 x 165ft. 5-roomed

House, sculleiy,bathroom, Avashhouso,etc.;good drainage. Price £525. 2063

ISLAND BAY—

Land 45 x 118, splendidorchard in full bearing, shelter trees.Prico £5 per foot. 2153

SEASIDERESIDENCE, Evans Bay road,land 44 x 175, good villa, 7. rooms',4 fireplaces, just built, all large rooms,6ft ball. Price £675. 2159

KELBURNE—

For immediate sale, largoCorner Section, 9-roomed House, builtabout 12 months; diagonally lined, nobetter built house or better situated inthe colony. Price £1800. Owner leaA--ing district. 2162

J^ONAGHAN ESTATE"KARORI

Situated on MAIN ROAD. Regular PusService to connect with Kelburne

Tram

CHEAPEST AND BEST BUILDING

LAND INTHE MARKET.

SECTIONS FROM £1 PER FOOT.

EASIEST OF TERMS.

Particulars applyWM. H. TURNBULL AND CO._

SPLENDID BUSINESS AND RESI-DENTIAL SITES,

ADELAIDE - ROAD, BERHAMPORE.The tram line is uoav completed, and the

cars mo running right past these sections,placing them WITHIN 15 MINUTES O*'THE G.P.O.

REAL ESTATE IS THE BEST POS-SIBLE INVESTMENT, and only 30 Sec-tions are left in this magnificent biock.

EASY.TERMS! EASY TERMS!Ten per cent.' cash, 5 per cent, in 3,

6, and 9 months, balance can remain, for3 years at 4i per cent. NO INTERESTcharged for first 9 months. *

Plans and full dotaila fromWILLIAM H. TURNBULL AND CO.3. Panama-street.

DO YOU KNOWfTtHAT you aro missing tho best oppor-JL. Umity of obtaining

A FIRST-CLASS RESIDENCECloso to tho Centre of tho City?

Tho piuchnscr.s of our houses aro level-hcadod Biuiuofs Men— menwho know Avhenthoy have value for thoir monov. ALEADING ARCHITECT has just pur-chased ono of our nnio-roomod houses. Hoknows it is impossible to have a similarhomo built by contract for tho price i\twhich avo avo soiling.

A well-known business lady searchedWellington for Avnoks trvinir to get aBETTER PKOPISRTY than avo had offer-ed her, but it avhs-useless. That lady isnow thankful that sho av«9 uot 100 hvtoto socuro ojio of our up-to-dato residences.But

YOU WILL BE TOO LATEunices you come at onco and boo

THE KENSINGTON ESTATE COM-Offloa— lS. Kenginstton-streel. Tel. 1711.

B H JiETHUNE & CO.,AUCTIONEERS AND LAND AGENTS,

33,' F^athpiPton-stroet. Telephone64.FREEHOLD PROPERTIES.

NEAR RIDDIFOKD-STREET- Superior

7-roomed Dwelling, o-stalled brjck andcoucreto ftablc aud trapshed; let £91per annum; £950— £300 ca<h. Ais*5-roomed Cottago, plastered av*ll»,workshop, etc ;£650; terms.

UPPER WILLIS-STREET - Modern B-roomed Residence, eA'ery com'enience,vinery. l«nd 42 x 165. £1750. i

ORIENTAL BAY.— Now well-built 7-rdDwellinjy-hoiue,splendidly fitted. £1108

ADELAIDE-ROAD— 4oft x 134ft, 6 rooms,all conveniences, splendid vioaa'. £850.

SOUTB. WELLINGTON — Choice Aoro,165ft frontage, all Jovol for building.To.be leased 25 or 42 years, Splendidchance for a builder.HINTOUL-STREET — Large Block- ofLand, double frontage, 9-rd residouce,,up to date tennis court, etc.;Miitablitor, further building. £2000; tefmfarranged.'CBOFTOJf - Over iacre, quite level,close to ttation, £300 ;excellent See-

??NTnT» 3%lft road frontage, £165 ; select-

RflVi nU"« Sit6« £13 °; 6mall deposit.Pi ii?Pte,t0 ne* wharf» - 2 lev«*■Building Soctione, each 40 x 132, ati'O each; 156ft main road:,,f,, pic£ ok the bay, sheltered anos

LOWER5H5HUTTB{D^-'TTB{D^-' ««""■

'i »

tn p > ni"^w Subdivision, closqe»s»P?lt-°*» best sections, £20Qj

MO\""n%rllmt> now availahle.MO.NES TO LEND ONFREEHOLD

rtuw-i*80' P«*Kulars from WtzS^c*Go > No- <*■ L uo^-pOR SALE, in-KHbh^TTacreof Land,■JL with 6-roomed house; well laid outgarden; price £700; or would Exchangefor land. Apply Cory and 00.,t'Lamb-ton-quay.

FOR SALE, Owen-streat (off) La-j 13x100f t; pretty groomedco^ttße witha'l conveniences;price £575. Apply'Coryand Co., 5, Lambton-quay.T7W3R SALE, Newtown. off Souta-road,-f large section of Land, with 4-roomedcottage; plenty of room to build; prio*£600. Apply Cory and Co., 5, Lambton-quay- ,

ISOR SALE, cheap, 14-h.p. MutitubularBoiler, with firebars, funnel, andsmoke box; working pressure of 78. A*,ply to H. Udy, Timber Merchant, Pe-tone.

-TjMDR SALE, or to Leaso, 29-acxe Farm;X1 five minutos from Upper Hutt R»y.vi-ay Station. For particulars', apply Mrt.A. Keys, senior, Upper Hutt..

ffiENDERS will be received at this offioA until Noon of WEDNESDAY, tb25th January, for the Erection of aDair^Office, Boiler-house, and Farm BuUdin»at tho LevinIndustrial School. Plsna *iy

specifications may bo seen at PolOffices] Levinand Palmerston North, an .at this office.

The lowest or any tender not necessarilf .accepted.

JOHN CAMPBELL,Government Architect.

Public Works Office,Wellington, 30th December, 1904.

furniture! ;

WANTED to Buy, Houses of Furnitrue;highest price, cash down.

C. Daubney,74, Tory-street.FOItNITDRL.

\TJANTBD Jfiiowtt— Sidey, Moech'and» J Co.,Manners-street,areCash Buyers

ofFurniture, Pianos,and Libraries Eetab-lished over 35 years.

WANTED,W'ANTED, Buyer for Double.-bar StarRoadster, No. 3036;'very' suitable '

for heavy Avork;freo wheel, rim brake andback-pedalling brake; £10. Call and in-spect. 'Adams Star Cyolo Co.,- Mercer-st. -W;ANTED,.Buyers of Bouses, Land, or

■ Businesses, and those seeking in-vestments to call on us or send for ourProperty List. Cory and Co.,5, Lambton-quay "

WANTED, 100 Working Men. Bringyour ov.ii stuff;made in first-olaw

fashion, 30s. Repairs, cleaned, dyed andpressed. Business hours

—7 a.m. till 10

p.m. Tho Working Man's Tailor, 69a,Tory-stroot.

ANTED—

KirkcaJdie and Stains,Drapei-6, im-ita inspection of the

neAV shaped Hair Frames just lauded,specially adapted for all present faßuioM.Exceedingly cool and comfortable. Allcolours. One .Shilling each. " , '

W"ANTED to Sell, in .Queen-street, up-to-date 6-roomed Home on on*

floor', land 30 x 112:price £795, a bar-gain. Apply W. F. Shortt, Willis-street. _WANTED~to~SeUr26in"Roads"ter, No.

30*9;built of tho well-known Eadieparts;free wheeland back-pedalling brake ,fitted;will ba sold cheap;£8 cash. AdamsStar Cyo^e Company, Mercor-strefet."

WANTED— Scholefield's Ansonia LeverWatches, 7s 6d, reliable and correct

timekeepers, makes a useful present f^orman or boy;never late and no more re-pairs. Address— W. R. Schole.field, 36a,Manners-street, next sliop to Fielrfer's.'WANTED Known— lf you are about

to furnish, call at Shore's, Willis-Etreet, the cheapest houso in town, as th»goods are sold on behalf of the manu-facturers.WANTED, Buyers lor Gepts* Second-

hand Bicycles from £4 upwards.AH machines thoroughly overhauled andrepaired before being shown for sale. Day-ton Cycle Agency, Manners-street.>*TANTED to Exchange,abeautifulnew

» » 9-roomed House and grounds, free-hold, at Lower Hutt, for small Houses orlarge one in Wellington. Address Change,care of EA-oning Poet.

ANTED to Sell, Boys' Crescent Bi-cycle, No. 3013; suitable for boy

riding to school;good value at £4. Calland inspect. Adams Star Cycle Co., Mer-cor-street.

'ANTED to Sell, Section Land, 45 x132, Herald-street, neat tram line;

£4 15s per foot. G. E.Humphries,Builder,Contractor, and Valuator, 61; Adolaide-road.

WANTED to dispose ot an Eiswick,Bicycle, No. 3026; c,heap, £5 cash;

exist £30 new. Call and inspect. AdamsStar Cycle Co., Mercer-street.

rANTED— Scholefiold's pretty Pre-sents in Genuine Greanstone. Gold-

mounted Brooches, 5s 6d, Heart and Pin3s 6d, Beans Is 6d, Hearts 1& 6d,-Green-stono Rings 6s 6d, N.Z. Fern Brooch 7s6d, Pendants 2s 6d. See window, 36a,Manners-street, next shop, to Fielder's.

WANTED Known— Watch Repairing aSpeciality. Watches cleaned from

2s 6d;Main Springs, 2a;Hands fitted, od;Glasses, 4d;Keys, 3d. All work guaran-teed. A. Hawkes,111, Cuba-street.

WANTEDKnowu— Ono of the finfettassortments of Euglith »nd Colonial

Furniture ever shown in Wellington isiioav on view at Mr. W. F. Shortt's Suctionmart, Willis-streot. Call and inspect.

WANTEr~~Knovvn~^TFor~first-classTailoring, go to Watt and Shonnan,57a, Willis-street. Latest season's materialalways in Btoek. Your patronage,solicited. "

T\TANTED~Knowiv^l9os Model Os-**mouil Cycles just landed. Inspec-

tion invited. Dayton Qycla Agoncy, Man-nors-street.

ANTED^Wellington ladies say thenew Hair Frames at Kirkcaldic MidStainß', Drapers, are perfection for all

styles of hairdrossiug. Every lady shouldget ono. All colours. One Shilling caoh.Inspection invited.

'ANfKDTPiirchaser for Gent* Day-ton, No. 2091; roller brake fitted;good tiros. Choap at £9. Adams StarCyclo Company, Morccr-btrect.

\\f ANTED to Soil, a very"superiorT t newly-builthandsonio 6-roompd Resi-dence, LoAver Hutt, on perfectly dry sec-tion. For particulars apply Mr. BarlowPlumber, Hutt-road, near station.

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIALEvening Post Office, Saturday.

REVIEW OF TIIEYEAR.Ihe year which terminates to-day hasbeen in many respects excellent, whilecharges of a moro or less important char-acter have to be noted, whichmay or maynot prove to be 6erioii3. ,

THE MONEY MARKET.The year began with some degree of un-

certainty au to the probable movementsof tho market, but anadvance was expect-ed. The. outbreak of tho war betweenJapan and Russia nierely tended to con-firm the worst fears, although it must beadmitted that the actual hardening of themarket did not take placo for monthsafter the movement was expected.' TheLondon money market has boon remark-ably steady all through the year. TheBank rate at the opening was 4 per cent.,but by the end'of April tho rate was low-ered tp 3 per cent., and thero it has re-mained ever since. Notwithstanding thiscomparatively low rate, tho influx' of goldrapidly swelled the total in tho Iseue De-partment to £36,^-9,000 in the first weekin October. The open market discountrate was at ono period as low'as 115-16per cent., and went a& high as 3'per cent.,or on a par with Bank- rate. :'Ihe easyconditions proved temporary, for under thepressure of foreign demartds to' meet theloan requirements of Russia.-.gold has beenleaving the Bank of England; and thometal reserve has since % shrunk to£28,117,000. In.apito of a comparativelylow bank rate and apparently easy con-ditions, London financiers have showuthomselves averse to any loaa issues, andsuch of the colonies as have borrowed inLondon have had to pay stiff ratesi Theheavy loans for tho Bosr war, which costapproximately £300,000,000, brought aboutfinancial exhaustion, and a period of re-cuperation was necessary. The recoveryappeara tohave sot in, for it is now claim-ed that after mooting all the demands ofthe South African v/ar the United King-dom is' at the present time richer by£450,000,000 than when it commenced. Ifthis is a correct estimate, thero ought soonto be plenty of money available for o'lit-eide investment. InJanuary and again inI'obruary New South Wales issued£500,000 of Treasury Bills—on each occa-sion, netting £99 15s and £98 per cent.About the middle of September it was an-nounced that New Zealand debentures for£320,000 at 4.por cent., with a currency offive years, also two amounts of £85jOOO and£99,000 were issued. On the Bthinstant £1,000,000 of Treasury Bill?,at 4 per cent. wj.s .successfullyfloated at par, but certain fancy in*gcription concessions had to bo resorted to,besides allowing tho underwriters a- com-imission of lpor cent. The last emission1,is said to be for public works, from which*it may be assumed that the provision,hasbeen made for the maturing debentures.The Treasury Department is very 01030,and'scarcely any information is obtainable,and what is made- public is so coloured asto bo hardly worth.accepting as the literaltruth.

Further appeals to the Lgndon marketmust bo made by the colonies, and thePremier of New South Walos has takenoccasion to announce Chat his State willnext month issuo' a loan pTospoctuE, whiletho West Australian Government has justobtained Parliamentary authority to bor-row £750,000. -

As to the trend of theLon-don1 money market when' these and otherissues are made it is difficult to say; busi-ness has been very slack in, the UnitedKingdom, and tho cry of, the unemployedha3been loud -and piteous. The greatestmenace, however, does not lio in the do-mestic conditions so much as in tho de-mands of Russia and Japan, and the pros-pect of political disturbancesinRussia. ThoJRu^sian Government'has arranged for aloan to be placed in Germany next month,and the amount will be approximately£50,000,000, but that will not suffice forRussia. The Japaneso demands have beensmall, for the'Japs have tapped local re-sources to great advantage, and as thorice crop of the country is a record ono,there is likelihood that Japan will be»bJo to raiao considerable sums within herown territory. Besides the prospective de-mands of the combatants, there are Euro-pean deficits to be met. The British Chan-cellor of tho Exchequer will have a deficitestimated by owe authority at £14,000,000,and that will call for fresh' taxation; inGermany ilso a■deficit' is expected.' Thepolitical outlook is apparently serious inKussia, and may dovelop into a revolutionifm the spring months tho Japaneso againrecord victories, or if tho Baltic fleet issmashed by Togo. There aro also possibledevelopments with respect to the DogiterBank outrage.,Locally there have been developmentsresulting m tho hardening of money. Im-mediately on tho outbreak of war invest-ors,displayed caution, and there was a be-lief that money would advance, but thisw*snot realised. It wasnot until the lastquarter of the year that the adversemovements took-effect. First, we hod theadvance in the deposit rates of theSavings Banks, followed immediately afterby * similar movement on ,the part ofBuilding Societiesr and a few days~laterthe Ba.nks advanced their rates. The lend-ing ratca have moved in sympathy, but itmust be admitted that the hardening ofmoney has not been felt by the commun-ity to any extent; events have been toorecent to have made any impression. Dur-ing the year the rates of exchange inLon-don ceased to be a subject of agreementbetween tho banks, and the initiative in re-ducing the-rates was taken by the Bankof Australasia. One of tho reasons as-eigned for the step taken is that the com-petition for exchange outside the bankshas been increasing, notwithstanding that,with tho exception of two strong and im-portant companies, the institutions con-nected with the pastoral industry werepractically in agreement with the banks

STOOK EXCHANGE VALUES.Thero have been some severe fluctuationsin London Stock Exchange values duringtha year, almost wholly due to tho cir-cumstances of the war in the Ea«t. Atthe outbreak of hostilities Consols droppeda few points, but immediately recoveredwhen it was that the war wouldnot involve ofter nations. In July therewas again a slump, this, tijne the causebeing the activity of the Russian cruisers

in specially attacking British merchant-men. Immediately after tho Malacca inci-dent Consols dropped 22s 6d, but the mar-ket quickly recovered when the protests oftho British Government proved effective.Later on tho Dogger Bank outrage para-lysed the market, but thero has boon arecovery smco, and the price of Consolsthis,week is.on a par with the quotationof a-^ year ago. Tho comparison of thomarket quotations of gilt-edged securitiesis appended:

—

It will be noted that colonial stocks withfew exceptions aro lower than a year ago.Queensland 3i's are £3 higher, and Tas-Tnanion 3£'s aro lOi highor; New Zealand4's aro without variation, but all -otherstockn are lower.

THE SHAEEMARKET.The volumoof business recorded on thelocal Stock Exchange was quite as largo

_s in 1903, and values on tho whole haveboon well mnmtatuud. Bonking shareshavo come in for a good deal of attontion,antl Bank of New Zealand shares haverisen boyond all legitimate demands. Atono period speculators wero carried nwayby au optiininHc view of the "potentialproupucts," and the shares changed haudsut us high' ns £6 ss. But less optimismprevails npw, and £5 is to-day the outsidevalue. For the last of 3000 forfeited sharesthe tendors wero not as high as usual, andtho directors have taken the course offixing a reserve price for tho shares afterthe, opening of tenders. No applicationsat under £5 v/ill be entertained, and it isdoubtful whether tho whole 3000 shareshavebeen placed. Another fenture of theyear was the trading difficulties experienc-ed by the woollen companies, while with

'.respect to meat companies tho smallerlurn-ovei owing to the scarcity of fat«tock has caused considerable quietness.Ti>0 hardening of money will, of course,

exercise an influence, but this may ~ot.befolfc for some time to come. The P«c.scomparison of leading investment shares 11as under:—

Dec. 1903. Dec. 1901£ s (1 ■£ h d

Bank of N.Z. ... 317 0 5 0 0National Bank ... 411 6 416 0N.Z. Insurance ... 4 8 6 5 2 6South B.,lnsurance ... bll 0 ♥3 0Standard Insurance ... 018 0 019 0National Insurance 110 13 0Auckland Gas '14 10 0 14 0 0Wellington Gas

'19 10 0 18 0 0

N.Z. Shipping .'.'. 616 0 610 0Union Stoam . 13 0 0 13 0 0Mosgiel Woollen ".'4 2 0 317'0Kaiapoi Woollen 6 8 0 6 0 0Wollington Woollen 55 6 5 0 0Wei. Trust and Loan 711 0 619 6Equitable Building ... -12 6 9 2 6Wellington Building 912 6 9 2 6Meat Export 776 615 0Manawatu Rails ... 17 6 19 9With respect to the South British Insur-ance Company, the shares are quotedlowerthon a year ago, but this is not really so,because of changes m*de during tho year.Very littlo has been done in the way ofcompany flotation, and the few that Havebeen arranged have been of a semi-privatecharacter.

MINING.Mining has been markedly quiet during

tho year, notwithstanding that the produc-tion of the yellow melai shows a substan-tial increase on the previous year. Indredging -thero has been singular quiet-ness, scarcely warranted by the returns.The effects of the slump have scarcelywornoff, but perhaps next year more at-tention will be given to tho matter. At-tention has been attracted by the develop-msnt in tho Thames district. This dis-coveryof reefs in the Waihi Extended andWaihi Grand Junction, andbelieved to becorineoted with the system that has madetho Waihi'a world-famousmine, wasnatur-ally anevent of great moment. The Waio-tahi'mino1 has also again become promin-ent, and the shares have advanced veryconsiderably. The Talisman mine, afterbeing somewhat of an enigma, to specu-lators, ia again affording considerable ex-oitement, and justbeforo the holidays salesv/ero reported at 10s lOd. In the Com-monwealth tho output is expected to belarge; but not quite up to the level ofast year. The world's output of thcyel-ow metal is'steadily increasing, and when

rSouth Africa experiences the full effectslof recent developments we may expect to-see the output verymuch augmented.

REALESTATE.The volume of business in real estate

has not been quite as 'large as in the pre-vious year. It was thought a year agothat the supply of suburban land for build-ing purposes was muen in excess of thodemand, but since then fresh estates havebeen brought on the market, and there is

■now a congestion. It is difficult to seewhere the people are to come from, tooccupy the land and giVe it the fancyvalue at which it is 'being assessed byspeculators. What business has been donothis year andlast year has bean verymuch"on paper," and those who have been at-tracted by the so-called exceptionally easyterms are finding them rather troublesomet3 fulfil.

PRODUCE MARKETS.With the exception of wool, producs

generally has been maintained at fairvalues. Wool, we all know, ha* advanced,tho prices, especially of crossbred wool,reaching a record value. < The position ofwool was'recently-dealt with in this jour-nal, and it is therefore unnecessary to go

1over the same ground,but the phenome'ialrise in the values of crossbred.wool notedat tho sales held in London early thismonth is accounted for to a great extentby tho extensive orders placed by Japan.In the weekly edition of The Times of the11th November there appears the follow-ing:—"Very large orders for khaki clothandblankets for tho Japanese Governmentare now being executed in Dcwsbury anddistrict. One firm is engaged on a con-tract for no fewer than 800,000 blankets,two others are turning out 100,000 and an-other is producing 60,000. Dewsbury hasthus obtained a lnrge share of what is pro-bably the biggeat textile order this coun-!try has ever received from one customer.Stt largo are some of the contracts thatthose'who have accepted them ha^e beenobliged- to sublet, and about 30 mills arenow employed on tho work. Besidesblankets, orders have been given for, largequantities of blue army cloth, of whiohmaterial the Japanese Government has or-dered no less than a million yards. This'doth"is being: produced by Batley, Hor-bury, Huddersfield, Eceleshill, and Sower-by-bridge firms. It is computed,that thetotal- value of the goods now being pro-duced in the West RidiDg is £1,500,000.Ofi blankets alone 1,400,000 are required.Many more similar goods arc wanted be-foro next March, and it is expected thatadditional orders 'will bo placed shortly.IA Heywood (Lancashire) firm has securedan order for 120,000 horse rubs. < Thogoods aro examined and passed by theagents of tho Japanese Government asthoy aro made. Already 400,000 blanketsmanufactured in tho Dewsbury districthave been approved. Thousands of pacK-mg cases are required for the transporta-tion of tho goods, and in consequence thepacking case industry has received afillip."

The frozen moat market has been fairlysteady all through the year, and farmershave had no cause for complaint. Thesupply of freezing sheep has been smallerthan last year, due, as ie well krto-wn, tothe shrinkage in tho flocks. Tha loss iothe colony on the exports amounts to avery large sum, but the better priceruling for wool more than compensates forthis loss. Beef has been depressed owingto heavy shipments from Argent>nei anathe United States, but latterly there hasbeen an improvpment in the market, andprices are just now very satisfactory. Itmay be mentioned that the Argentine isagain free of the fcot and mouth disease,and the Government of tho Republic iapressing the British Government for theremoval of restrictions onlive stook.In dairy produce the opening price ofthe season was not as good as in the pre-vious year, but thero has since been are-covery as regards butter. A*s most of thofactories have sold thoir output on favour-able terms, the fluctuations of the market,or rather the fall in values, occasions 00alarm. Itwill be*interesting to watch the.trend of values two months henre, whenthe season is Hearing its close. The aver-age price for the season is not expected tobo as goodas the prqviousono. Cheese hasruled higher than last year,and lcrokingat theconditions prevailing in the centres of con-sumption this is not to bo wondered at.There is every prospect of cheese main-taining a fair value.

The grain markets are steady at anigher level of prices than for some timepa^t, with prospects of values bring main-tained. Now Zealand will, however, havevery little surplus to export, and tho sup-plies from tho Commonwealth will bo lessthan last season. Tho present price of33b 6d per quarter is not altogether anattractive price to New Zealand growers

—5s a. bushel or 40s a quarter at countrystations is what they profer but seldomget. There will be enough wheat for localrequirements, and consequently the prioeof bread should not be any higher thannow.

-■

New Zealandhemp has practically recov-ered the drop of a few months ago, andthn industry may be said to be in ashealthy a condition ns it ever wa-s1. Mil-lers have thoir contract books well filled,and the work in hand will keep tho ma-chinery fully employed until about thebpginning of April. Fresh orders would ofcourse extend tho time of activity.

THE OUTLOOK.It is difficult to mako any rlrcitled pro-

noiincrmfiit on tho outlook, bpcauso it inimpossible to say what effect the harden-ing of money will have on local condi-tions, and whether the stringency in thomoney market will be prolonged or merelytemporary. Tho state of trade in thoHome markets, the political unrest inEurope), aro all factors that must bo takeninto account. Tho immediate future looksbrightenoniarh, and wo may liopo that 1905will pi'ovc not loss prosperous for tftopeople of this colony than the year thatterminates to-day.

An india-rubber costume guaranteed torender any motorist proof against injuryfrom Occidents has been .invented by aNew Yorker. When a collision occurs,the wearer of the costume- bounces like aball, and the (sensation iasaid to be latherenjoyable.

1904DIARY OF EVENTS.

WELLINGTON.January 8.

—W. E. Mason wins New

Zealand Chess Championship.January 29.

— Corporation loan of££30,000* floated in London.January 30.

—Dr. Clark, founder of

Christian Endeavour movement, visitsWellington.

February 2.—

School Inspectors'Confer-ence opens.

February 8.—

Meeting held in protestagainst Rand Chinese labour.

February 9.— Very dry ■weather; waterfamine threatened.

February 17.—

University S2nate meetsin Wellington.

February 26.—L. Collinson murdered in

Wairaiapa.March17.v-Branch of the Navy League

formed.March 25.— Kempthorne and Prosser's

warehouse burnt.April 9.

—Premier opens Lower ,Hutt

bridge.April28.

—Mr.Aitkenre-elected Mayor.

April29.—

Bisley team sails by Athenic.May 15.

—Privy Council decides) in fav-

our of Newtown licensees.May 17.

—Newtown hotsls open again.

May 28.— Sir J. G. Ward lays founda-tion stone of new Petone station.

June 20.—

Lord Ranfurly departs andLord Plunket arrives and is sworn m asGovernor.

June 22.—

Premier celebrates his 59thbirthday. -

June 30.—

Electric trams besjin runningbetween Newtown and Basin

August 9.—

Heavy earthquake in Wel-lington;Public Library and GovernmentInsurance Building damaged.

August 13.—

New Zealand wins footballmatch against Britain (9— 3).

August 24.—

Mr. Robert Lee electedChairman of the Education Board.

August 24.—

New Mission to Seamen'sbuilding opened.

August 27.— Lord Plunket lays founda-tion stone of Victoria College.

September 8.—

Miramar tramway pro-posal lost by a large majority.

October 13.— Terrific gale "in Welling-ton.

November 2.—

Fatal gun accident atFort Ballance", onekilled and five wound-ed

November 15.—

Indignationmeetings ofshopkeepersoverShops and Offices Act.

November16.— Riotousmeetingat New-town over early-closing, Premier present.

November 28.—

Magistrate's Court dis-misses Shops Act Test Case. '

December 7.—

TownHall opened by theMayor.

December 28.— Hon. Huia Ons'.ow, chiefof the Ngatiraukawa, welcomed at Otaki.— St. George's Hull, Lambton-qua-y, de-stroyed by fire. *

NEW ZEALAND.January 5.— Australasian Science Con-

gress opens at Dunedin.January 7.— Premier opens Kokalahi

Bridge, West Coast.January 14.— Five cases smallpox in

Christchurch.January 15.

—Wellington wins the final

in the New Zealand BowlingTournament.January 20.'

—Premier protests against

Chinese being imported for the Randmines.

January 28.— Serious fire r Palmerston.February 2.-i-Bishop Nevill electedPri-

mate.February 8.— Government accepts ten-

der for West of England steam service.February 19.

—Mr. Justice Chapman

gazetted President of Arbitration Court.February 20.

—Meeting at Chriatehurch

in protest against Chinesein South Africa.March19.-7-Very heavy flopds in.Nel&Qn'district.'April4.

—Discoveryreturns to Lyttelton

front Antarctica. ', 'May 24.

—Mr. JacksGn Palmer appoint-

edNative Lund Court Judge. "May 25.— Disastrous landslips at 'Brun-

ner, eight killed.May 26.

—Heavy floods in Wanganuidis-

trict.June 27.

—Parliament opeped by Lord

Plunket.July 29.— Mr.* Hawkins returned for

Pahiatua.September' 7.

—House of Representa-

tives, by 44'votes to 26, decides to referland question to aRoyal Commission.

September 17.—

Blenheim Exhibitionopened by Lord Plunkefc.

September 30.-—

Mr. Seddon celebratessilver jubilee at Hokitika.

October 23.— Rotorua Grand Hotelburned down.

October 26.—

Legislative Council passesLicensing Bill.

October 6.— Boat crew (six) of H.M.S.Penguin lost at Kawau.

November 7.—

Fire at Collingwood,twenty shops burned.

November 10.— Shops and Offices Actcomes into force.

November 19.—

Formalopening of MainTrunk-section, Manpaweka to Taihape.November30,— Official openingof Otago

Central Railway to Omakau.December 7.— Nelson Boys' College de-

stroyed by fire.December 13.

—Seddon-Taylor libel case

begins in Christchurch.AUSTRALIA.

January 2.— Federal GovernmentinvitesMr. Chamberlain to visit Australia.

January 7.—

Boiler explosion, H.M.S.Wallaroo near Sydney, four killed.

January 11.—

Sir Arthur HaVelock re-signs Governorship of Tasmania.

January 21.—

LordNorthcote, new Go-vernor-General, sworn in.

January 24.—

Levuka, Fiji, wrecked byahurricane.

February 4.—

Major-General Sir Regi-nald Talbot appointed Governor of Vic-toria.

February 15.—

Dowie arrives in Sydney.February 16.— Mr. Bent becomes Pre-

mier of Victoria.February20.

—Tasmanian Women's Suf-

frage Act receives Royal assent.March 3.

—Commonwealth Parliament

opened.March 4.— N.S.W. Birthrate Commis-

sion reports.March 14.

—S.S. Arainac wrecked on

Queensland coast.April 23.

—Mr. Deakin's Ministry re-

signs after being defeated on the Arbitra-tion Bill.

'April27I—Mr.1

—Mr. Watson sworn inas head

of first Labour Commonwealth Ministry.June 2.— Bent Government returned at

Victorian elections.June 4.— Mr. E. Im Thurn appointed

Governor of Fiji.June13

—Sir John See, Premier of New

South Wales, resigns.June 20.— T\ and O. steampp Australia

wrecked at Port Phillip Heads.June 27.— Queensland Ministry resigns.July 7.

—Mr.'Propsting, Premier' of

Tasmania, resigns;Mr. Evans becomes,Premier.

July 11.— Hpavy floods and gale, NewSouth Wales;slcumer Nemesis lost withall hands.

August 1.—

Towns wins world's scullingchampionship at Sydney.

August B.— N.S.W."election— Waddell-O'Sullivan Government defeated.

August 11.— Commonwealth Parliamentpasses Capital Site Bill, fixing capital atDalgety, N.S.W. . f

August 12.—

Watson Government de-feated on ArbitrationBill.

August 13.— Mr. Daglish forms. firstWest Australian Labour Government.

August 16.—

Mr. Reid becomes PrimeMinister.

September 12.—

Massacre of Catholicmissionaries in New Britain.

November 11,— Irritation in Sydney

over restrictive trade regulations made byGermany in Marshall Inland1

-December 14.

—New isuutli Wa.cs A.s-

f-embly strike out Dalgety from list ofsites to be offered for Federal capital

THE EMPIRE.January 2.— Transvaal Legislature au-

thorises importation of 1000 Chinese forRand by 22 votes to 4.

January 10.— General Egerton defeatsMad Mullah at Jidballi, Somaliland.

January 18.— Waterspout wrecks por-tion of Bloemfontein.

January 23.— Lord Milner speaks infavour of Asiatic labour.

January 24.— Announced Transvaal pe-tition in favour of Asiatic labour signedby 45,000 persons.

February 5.—

Labour importation ord-mance passed in Pretoria.

February 15.—

Cape elections give Pro-gressives nwjoritv of 5.

February 20.— Sir J. Gordon Sprigg re-signs Premiership to Dr. Jameson.

March 14.—

Mi\ Stead welcomed toSouth Africa by the Afrikander Bond.

March 31.— Tibetan Mission has firstfight with the natives at Tuna.

April 11.—

Tibetan Mission arrives atGyangtee.

April 21.—

Great fire at Toronto.May 7.

—Outbreak of plague at Johan-

nesburg.June 23.— Sir C. N. Eliot, High Com-

missioner British East Africa, resigns in.protest against land grants.

July 7.— Tibetan Mis&ion captures Gy-angtse Jong.

August 7.—

Tibetan Mission arrives atLhasfa.

September 8.—

Treaty between GreatBritain and Tibet signed at Lhas.«a.

November 4.—

Canadian elections wonby Liberals.

November 29.— British mission .toKabul leaves Peshawur.

UNITEDKINGDOM.January 12.— Trial of Whitaker Wright

begins.February 2.

—Esher War Office Reform

Commission reports.February 2.

—Anglo-Italian Arbitration

Treaty signed. "February 2.— British Parliament rei

opene. "February 5.— Cotton famine in Lanca-

shireabout now.February 12.— Meeting in London j'ro-

tests against Chinese on the Rand.February 15.— Mr. Motley's motion of

censure on fiscal question is defeated.February 16.

—LordRoberts refuses In-

spector-Generalship under new armyscheme.

February 17.— Mr. Samuel's anti-Chin-ese motion defeated in the House of Com-mons.

Febrnary 17.— Duke of Connaught ap-pointed Inspector-Generalof the Army.' -

March2— Sir William Harcourt retiresfrom politics.

March21.— Submarine boat Alsunkbycollision.

April ,9.— Anglo-French Conventionsigned.

April19.—

House of Commons agrees toadditional duties on tea and tobacco.

May 29.—

Duke of Norfolk's ArmyCommission reports in favour of conscrip-tion.

June 6.—

Celebration of C'obdenCenten:ary.

June 28.—

Emigrant steamer Norgewrecked on Rockall Island, North At-lantic,1 over 500 lives lost.

July 16.—

New Zealand wins KolaporeCup at Bisley.

July 16.— Mr. Arnold-Forster intro-duces new army scheme.

July 20.— Mi-s. Maybrick leaves Eng-land a free woman. t

_"August 3.

—House of Lords decides in

favour of Free Church in Scottish Churchcase. Great sensation in Scotland.

August 15.— Parliament prorogued.September 3.— Mr. Chamberlain pro-

poses another Colonial Conference.'October 7.—:Free Church rejects arbi-

tration'proposal.November 19.— Duke of -'Devot&hire

elected President of Freetrade League.November 21.

—Royal Commission ap-

pointed to deal withScottish Church dis-pute.

November 22.—

Disastrous snowstornisthroughout England.

December 19.—

Great meeting of unem-ployed in London and violent speechesttmde.

December 22.— Dense fog throughoutEngland. Business at a standstill.

THE OUTSIDE WORLD.January 4.

—General de Giorgi appoint-

ed to command Macedonian reformscheme.

Januady 22.—

Severe weather in Ameri-ca, 52deg. frost in New York; trainssnowbound.

January 24.'—

Town of Alesund, Nor-way, destroyed by fire;12,000 peoplehomeless.

January 26.—

Turin Library destroyedby fire. '

February B.— /.Tremendous fire at Balti-more, U.S.A.;140 acres of buildings de-stroyed.

Februnry 24,—

Hague Court gives de-cision in Venezuela ca.se.

February 25.—

Panama Canal Treatyratified by United States.

February 27.— Great corner in Ameri-can wheat market. .

March 1.—

Franco-Spanish ArbitrationTreaty.

March 3.— Kins Leopold of Belgiumsued in the Law Courts by his daughter.

April 21.— Mr. Sully, New York cot-ton king, fails.

May I.— St. Louis Exposition opens.May 5.

—Popeprotests against M. Lou-

bfct's visit to the King of Italy.May 6.— United States Government as-

sumes control of Panama Canal.May 20,— American millionaire Var^ey

captured by Moorish brigands.May 23.— M. Nisard, French Ambassa-

dor to the Vatican, recalled.June> 26.— General Slocum disaster at

New York;600 lives lost.Juno 17.

—General Bobrikofi, Dictator

of Finland, assassinated.July 5.— Prince Obolensky appointed

Governor of Finland.July 7.

—French Chamber adopts two

years' military service system. :"July 12.-50,000 meat packers go on

strike in United States.July 28.— M. de Plehve. Ru&sian Minis-

ter of the Interior, assassinated.August1.

—Papal Nuncioleaves Paris.

August 12.—

Prince Alexis, heir to theRussian throne, born.

September 16.— Prince of Piedmont,heir to thethrone of Italy, born.

September 22.— King I'eter of Serviacrowned at Belgrade.

October 26.—

i'rench Chamber acceptsprinciple of separation of Church andState.

November 8.—

Mr. Roosevelt re-electedPresident of the United States*

November 12.— Mr. Hay, AmericanSecretary of State, invites the Powers toitpjcond" Peace Conference at The Hague.

November 23.— Congrcs of RussianZemstvos. at St. Petoisburg unanimouslydemands constitutional government.

November 27.— Tsai rejects demands ofZemstvos Congress for a constitutionalassembly.

December 2.— St. Louis Exhibitionclosed.December 8.— French Senate ratifies

-Anglo-French Convention 215 votes to 15.December 14.— A'lglo-Atncriran, Arbi-

tration Treaty signed at Washington.December 21.

—Moscow Municipality

ceiwuivsd by Government for adopting re-form resolutions.

.December 27-. — Tfiar issues decree order-ing plans for reforms tobe prepared.

December 28.— Moroccan Sheriefs de-mand rupture of relations with France.

THE KUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.February 5.— The Japanese AlTnistcr in

St. Petersburg announces rupture of dip-lomatic relations by order of his Govern-ment.

I February 8.— Russian gunboat KorietzI firrs tho first shot of tho war at Chem-ulpo.

February 9.— Attack by Japanese

squadron under Admiral Togo on PortArthur. Two Russian battleships (Cesare-vitch and Retviuan) and one cruiser (Pal-lada) torpedoed.

February 9.—

Naval action renewed.One Russian battleship (Poltava) and

1 three cruisers (Novik, Askold, Diana) in-jured. Naval fight off Chemulpo. Ja-panese destroy Russian cruiser Variagand gunboat Korietz.

February 10.— Formal declaration ofwar by Japan. Manifesto by the Tsar tothe Russian people.

February 12.— China proclaims her neu-r trality.

Febrnary 14.—

Attack on Porfc Arthurby Japanese destroyers in a snowstorm.Russian cruiser (Boyarin) torpedoed.

February 16.—

Admiral Alexieff leavesPorfc Arthur for Kharbin.

February 17.—

Admiral Makaroff ap-ipointed to supersede Admiral Starck.

February 21.—

General Kuropatkin ap-1pointed Commander-in-Chief of Russianforces in Manchuria.

March 6.— Admiral Kamimura bom-bards Vladivostock.

March 12.— General Kuropatkin leavesSt. Petersburg.

March 20.—

Opening of the JapaneseDiet. .April 6.-^Japatiese occupy. Wiju and1Russians retreat across Yaln., j

April 13.— Japanese destroyers cut offand sink a Russian destroyer in thevicinity of Port Arthur. Japanesecruis-ers decoy Admiral Makaroff out of PortArthur;on the return of the Russiansquadron-the Petropavlovsk is 6unk by amine, and Admiral Makaroff drowned.

April 25.—

Vladivostock squadron ap-pears suddenly off Gensan and sinks Ja-panese merchant steamer Goyo Maru.

April 29, 30, and May'l.— Battle of theYalu.

—The first Japanese army, underKuroki, forces _tho crossing of the Yalu

near Wiju, defeats Russians under Sas-- sulitch with great slaughter, and cap-tures 28 guns. Kiuliencheng capturedby the Japanese.

May 3.— Port Arthur blocked for bat-tleships and cruisers.

May 6.—

Japaneso occupy Fenghuan-cheng.

May 15.—

Japanese cruiser Yoshinosunk in collision with cruiser Kasuga.Japanese battleship Hatsuse sunk by amine near Port Arthur.

May 19.—

Japanese third army lands atTakushan.

May 27.— Battle of Kinchau;Japanesestorm Nanshan and capture 78 guns.

May 30.—

Japanese occupy Dalny.June 7.— Port Arthur daily bombarded

by the Japanese. Kuroki begins his ad-vance.

June 14-15.— Battle of Telissa. Japa-nese storm Russian position at Wafang-kau. Russians retire on Kaiping witha loss of 7000 men and 16 guns.-

June 15.—

Vladivostock squadron atsea; sinks two Japanese transports,Hitachi Maru and Sado Maru.

June 16.— Vladivostock squadron,under Admiral Skrydloff, captures theAllanton, bound from Muroran to Singa-pore.

June 27.-— Japanese capture three im-portant passes giving access to the LiaoValley.

June t$.—

Japanese 6th Division landsat Kerr Bay.

June 30.—

Vladivostock squadron bom-bards Gensan.

July 1.—

Vladivostock squadron eludesAdmiral Kamimura near Tsu Shima.

July 4-6.— The Peterburg and Smo-lensk, cruisers of the Volunteer Fleet,pass the Bosphorus under the com-mercial flag.

July 9.e-Second Japanese army,underGeneral Oko, occupies Kaiping.

July 13.— Steamer Malacca stopped byPeterburg in Red Sea and takon backto. Suez.

July 15.— Steamer Prinz Heinrichstopped bySmolensk and mails seized.

July 20,—

Vladivostock squadrop passesTsugaru Straits into the Pacific pursuedby Japanese torpedo flotilla.

July 24.—

Steamer Knight Commandersunk by Vladivostock squadron off Idzu..

July 25.— General Oko,,after severefighting, drives the Russians back fromTashihchiao.

July 26-30.— Severe fighting at PortArthur. Japanese capture Wolf Hill.July 27.— Release of the Malacca.July 31.

—General Japanese advance.

Japanese drive 'Russians back all alonj'the line, on Haicheng, Pensihu, andYangzuting.

August 10.— Sortie of the Port Arthurfleet Admiral Togo attacks and dis-perses it, seriously damaging five bat-tleships. Admiral Withoeft killed. Rus-sian vessels

'take refuge in the neutral

ports of Shanghai, Chefoo, and Tsingtau.August 12.— Birth of the Tsarevitch.

Japanese board and capture Russian de-stroyer Eechitclin in Chefoo Harbour.

August 14.— Admiral Kamimnra en-gages Vladivostock squadron 40 milesnorth-east,of Tsu Shima and sinks cruiserRurik. Japanesebombard Port Arthur.

August 19.— Japanese protest againstprolonged stay of Askold and Grosovoiat Shanghai.

August 20—

Japanese cruisers Chitoseand Tsushima drive Novik ashore inKorsakovsk Harbour.

August 21.— S.s. Comedian stopped bySmolensk 80 miles from East London.

August 23.— Russian battleship Sevas-topol damaged by a mine in Port Ar-'thur. General Kuroki's left column com-mences the operations leading up to thebattleof Liaoyang.

'August' 28.— Russians having lost alladvanced positions, are driven in upon, Liaoyang.

September 3.— Kuropatkin orders ageneral retreat.

September 4.—

Russian rearguard, afterdelaying Japanese for two days, finallyevacuate Liaoyang. The Japanese enter. Liaoyang at 3 a.m.

September 4-s.— Russian army in re-treat fights rearguard actions with Ku-roki, who occupies Yontai coal miners.

; September 6.— In vicinity of Zanzibar,British cruiser Forte conveys to thePeterburg and Smolensk the Tsar'sorders to desist from interfering withneutral shipping.

September 7.— Kuropatkin arrives atMukden.1 September 24.— Port Arthur water sup-ply works captured.

September 26.— Furious land and seaattacks on Port Arthur. Lull in thefield campaign.September 27.— General Gripenberg ap-> pointed to the command of the second

Manchurian army.October .14.— The great battle of Sha-

ho reported. Russians defeated withgreat losses and recross the Shaho; 761 Russian guns captured; Japanese report' 60,000 Russian casualties.

{ October 19.— Russia said to havedecid-. Ed, to evacuate Manchuria and mobilisean enormous army for tho following

; spring.j October' 21.— Baltic squadron attacks

British tr?,wling fleet in the North Sea;(

two fisheimen killed, a trawler sunk,ana several others damaged. Intense in-dignationand excitement in Great Bri-tain.

October 27.—

Serious prospect of warbetween Great Britain and Russia. Ac-

rtivity among British fleets.. The Tsarexpresses regret.

October 29.— British fleet in a positionto'intercept Baltic squadron.

October 31.— Russia apologises, and thedispute is referred to arbitration.

November 30.— Metre Hill at Port Ar-thur captured by Japanese.December 19.— Russian battleship Se-

1 bastopol at Poit Arthur completely de-- abled.December 22.

—Japanese fortifyingDalny

against a sea attack.

OBITUARY.

BEYOND THE COLONY.January 4.

—Princess Mathilde Bona-

parte.January 5.— General Longstreet, noted

U.S. Confederate officer.January B— J. Farrell, Australian jour-

nalist.January 11.

—Antoinette Sterling, sing-

er.January 19.

—AdmiralKeppel.

January 26.— Sir GrahamBerry,of Vic-toria, '' ''

January27.— Whitaker Wright.February 2.'

—Sir Edward Braddon, of

Tasmania.February 4.— Hon. William Whitney,

American sportsman and politicianFebruary B.— Right Hon. Hyacinth

O'Rorke (The MacDermott).February 11.— Canon A'inger, Master of

the Temple.February 17.

—Senator Marcus Hanna,

(U.S.A.)February 20.— Sir E. Dawes (Chairman

N.Z. Shipping Company).February 24,— Sir Leslie Stephen.March"7.— Count yon Waldersee.March 10.

—Lord Augustus Loftus.

March18.—

Duke of "Cambridge.March 25.— Sir Edwin Arnold.April 6.— Miss Frances Power Cobbe.April 11.

—Ex-Queen Isabella,of Spain.'

April 14.— Vassili Verestchagin, Rus-sian painter.

April 18.— Samuel Smiles, author of

"Self-Help."April 19.-— Sir Henry Thompson, sur-

geon.April 22.— Bishop Hobhouse.April 29.

—Miss Nellie Farren, actress.

May 2.— fan Autonin Dvorak, com- -1

poser.May 9.

—Maurus

'Jokai, Hungariannovelist.

May 10.— Sir, H. M. Stanley.June _10.— Mr. Levi. Letter, father ofi

Lady Curzon.June 23.

—Hon.1HenryCopeland, Agent-i

General for N.SW.June 27.— Clement Scott, dramatic

critic.July 3.

—Dr. Treodon Herzl, Zionist

leader.July 4.— G. F. Watts, artist.July 15.

—Sir Reginald Palgrave.

July 15.— Paul Kruger.July 23.

—Wilson Barrett, actor.

August 2.— Frederick Goodall, artist.August4.

— Judge O'Connor Morris.August 4.

—Sir George-Dibbs.

August 12.— M. Waldeck-Rousseau.August 27.

—Dean Hole. 1

August 31.— Ex-Sultan Murad of Tur-key.

September 11.—

Mr. James Lowther,M.P.

September 19.—

Prince Herbert Bis-marck.

September 20.—

Lord Hastings.September 23.

—Mr. George Adams, of'

Hobart ("Tattereall/') - . \September 26.

—Mel. B. Spurr, enter-

tainer.September 26.

—Professor Finsen, of

Copenhagen.September 29.

—Colin Hunter, artist.

October 3.— Sir William Harcouit.October 7.

—Signor Bartholdi, celebrat-

ed sculptor.October 11.

—John Hollingshead, author

and journalist.October 19.

—Princess of the Asturias,

heiress to the throne of Spain.October 26.— -Lady Dilke.November 1.— Dan Leno, comedian.November 7.

—Paul Cassaguac, French

.statesman.November 13—

Val. C. Prinsep, artist..December 5.— Adeline Sai'gear.t, author-

ess.''' "'',

December 9.— M. Syveton, Frenchpoli-tician.

(,1

December 23.— Admiral Sir ErasmusOmanney. ,«:> Vn ,,' " ■ NEW ZEALAND.

January 4.— Mr. C. D. Whitcombe (68),formerly ,proton _,Lands Commissioner,Taranaki.

'*'"'"January ,s.— Hon. W. C. Walter,

M.L.C.* - . ,

February 2.— Judge Butler, of NativeLand Court. . * '

February 18.— Mr. Thos. J. Mountain,of Wellington, oldsettler.

February 19.—

Mr. James T. Glover, ofWellington.

February 20.— Dr. Morice, of Hokitika.February 22.— James W. Nairn, artist.February 23.— Hon. Henare Tomoana,

M.L.C. ,February 25.— Mr. John Kihnister and

Mrs. Kilmister, veryold settlers.March 11.

—Mr. De Rosa, old settlerat

Hutt.March 29.— Mr. G. H. Bethune.April13.

—Mr. J. C. Andrew.

April 11.— Mr. Daniel Archibald, oldresident. , , 1

May 11.— Mp. J. B. Taylor. , ,May 18.— Hon..J. B. Acland, of Christ,

church. '>■''

May 19.— Mrs. J. H. Bethune.May 19.

—Mr. JohnHislop.

July 4.— Mir. O'Jteara, M.H.R.August 3.— Mr. W. T. Wyatt.August 8,— Mr. .John Cumin.August 23.

—Rev C. S Ogg.

September s.— Hon. T. Russell, C.M.G.September 19.— Major Parris.Septembei 29.

—Mr. John M'Gowan,

Commissioner of Taxca.October 18.

—Brother Mark Lenehan,

of Marist Brothers, Auckland.October 24.— Mr. C. B. Izard, of Wel-

lington.November 12.

—Mr. John Orr, of John-

sonville.November 19.

—Mr. J. W. Jago, of

Dunedin.December 12.

—Bishop Hadfield, form-

erly Primate of New Zealand.

A TOOLE STORY.

iJuring tho run of "Dearer than Life"Toole and.Lionel Brough betook them-selves to a photographer's to be "taken"'as the broken-down brothers inthe garretscene. Brough, wonderfully made up,wore the regulation workhouse costume, jand Toole was as shabby as an qut-at-elbows, insolvent tradesman could well|be.

Wliile the operator was'at work Toolesuggested that they 'should take a strollin their stage make-up in tho adjacentWest-end square.

Toole knocked at the door of the man-sion of a wealthy, purse-proud individual,who, 'having .sprung from nothing, wasinotoriously ashamed of his less prosperousrelations, and anxious to pose as the in-timate- friend of his aristocratic neigh-bours.

xae door was opened by a pompous,powdered, and plushed footman, wholooked in dismay on the disreputable in-truders.

"Master in?" asked'Toole."No, h& is not," said me flunkey."Not in?" eaid Toole, with aa air of

disappointment, which was also conveyedby the by-play of Brough. "Well, whenhe comes in, young man, tell him. as histwo brothers from the workhouse calledto seehim."— From T.Edgar Pcmberton's"Sir Charles Wyndham."

Tsar (Ruisia) to Ro7,hdestvensky(Vigo):"With all my heart Iam with you andyour dear squadron." The penultimateword underlined. Rozhdestvensky (Vigo)to Tsar (Russia) : "The squadron is witha single heart at the foot of yourMajes-ty's throne."Undoubtedly the safestposi-tion for the squadron, but not by anymean*so secure for the throne. Throne,trawler, and- torpedo-boat all contain theletters t aid r,and on adark night wouldbe practically undifltinguishable.

—St.

James's Budget. -

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.♥

SPECTATOR SUMMARY.LONDON, 12th November.

THE GUILDHALL BANQUET.Public interest during the week hasbeen centred on the Guildhall banquet,which took place on Wednesday night,when, in the absence of the Prime Min-ister, Lord Lansdowne replied to thetoast of "His Majesty's Ministers." Heconveyed to the assemblage Mr. Balfoursregrets, and assured them that, in spiteof his illness, the Prime Minister had'never for a moment ceased his attentionto'public work. The City, he continued,must always take a keen interest inforeign affairs, for our foreign policy waslargely determined by our commercialinterests. The City must in a peculiardegree regard war as "the most futileand ferocious of human follies." Hewas happy to be able to stand there andtell them that the peace of the countrywas unbroken, and that there was noreason why it shouldnot remain &o. Dur-ing his term of office, continued LordLansdown, he had signed five Arbitrationtreaties;andtwo more verein course ofnegotiation. But while it was good tosettle deputes amicably, it was betterto prevent them arising at all;and, inhis belief, the new Convention withFrance would remove many dangeiousquestions from the area- of controveisy.'lho good results of the new understand-ing had already been shown by the as-sistance France had given in settling thedifficulty with Russia. We congratulateLord Lansdowne on hia speech, and stillmore on the tact and ability he hasshown in handling amost difficult crisis.If, however, -we were superstitious,- weshould be inclined to iegar,d his wordsabout arbitration and the Fague Con-ference as of evil omen. The world hasfull of wars and rumours of waisever since the first Hague Conference,and the epoch of Treaties of Arbitrationhas coincided with au epoch of strife.Still, we-do not desire to seem pessi-mists ;and if-arbitration andPeace Con-ferences do help to prevent war, weshall yield to none in our thankfulness.ANOTHER ARBITRATION TREATY.

Lord Lnnsdowne's speech also contain-ed the welcome news that,the AmericanGovernment had approachedhim with aview of establishing a Treaty of Arbitra-tion.■ This ia indeed good tidings. .Wehave always felt it something of a dis-grace that the two branches of our raceshould not be bound by an Agreement

t which would make them realise that warbetween them, ifrit ever came, would becivil war. As to Treaties of Aib'itrationwith foreign Staics-'wo have never feltveiy sanguine, though we have alwayswelcomed them aa at any rate steps,however small, in the right direction. ATreaty with our own kindred is on avery different fooling. We deeply re-gretted the loss dt the Treaty pieparedby Mr. Olney and Lord Salisbury. Whileon the question of arbitiation, we maynote that Mr. Roosevelt's spec:fic sug-gestions for a new Hague Conferenceseem eminently practical and sound. Ifhe can get an exact definition of contra-band and make Prize Courts interna-tional tribunals, he will have accomplish-ed a great service to the world.

RUSSIA'S INTERNAL" 'CONDITION.The.effects of the war are being severe-ly felt by the poorer classes in Russia.Factory after factory has been shutdown,

and so great is the disturbance of therailway system that vans and trucks con-taining" in all 1,050,000' tons' of'grain are"blocked," and will in great part remainblocked till the spring, during which de-

lay1 the cultivators do 'not receive' theprice of their produce. Even this, how-ever, is a trifle compared with the miseryoi tho Reservists who are called outall over the Empire to fight in an un-popular war, and for whose familiesthere is noprovision. The Socialists tell-them that every summons is equivalentto a sentence of,death—which 1? ratheran exaggeration than v, falsehood— andthe resistance in the more disiffected dis-tricts, such as those of Poland, has bpenof the most violent description. Thetrouble is intensified by the Reservists'habit of getting drunk just before de-parture, in which condition they quarrelwith the Jewish spirit-sellers, and thenplunder the Jewish quarters'of the towns.We do not notice, however, that in anyinstance the officers fail to'get them intothe trains, or that the Regular troopsanywhere refuse to coerce.the r-ecusants.

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.President Roosevelt4has achieved nvic-

tory as striking as any -recorded inAmerican annals. As his opponent,Judge Parker, in his courteous telegram

of congratulation acknowledges}1 theAmerican people as a whole1 have* "em-phatically-approved his administration,"and expressed' their admiration of hispersonality.-Of the 476 votes in- the Elec-toral College, he has obtained 343, onedoubtful State, Missouri, having unex-pectedly gone for him, and the popularmajority, which cannot for another dayor two-be exactly stated, is obviouslyenormous.' Even New York, which tothe last was held to be doubtful, giveshim amajority of 175,000;Connecticut,which was supposed to be lost, one of30,000;Pennsylvania, usually non-enthus-iastic, one of 400,000; and Illinois oneof 225,000. Broadly speaking, Americansoalculate that Mr. Roosevelt is elected bya. two-thirds majority, and mtiy fairlybe considered the elect of the whole,na-tion, except that section in which thetest issu< of politics is the question ofcolour. The vote, of course, also en-dorses Mr. Roosevelt's policy; his re-solve that America shall be "actually aswell as potentially great in the politicsof the world;andhis determination tha,tthe Panama Canal shall be cut, and shallbe American. His power of action isfurther increased by the fact that forthe next 'three years both the, representa-tive body and the Senate will be Re-publican.

PROPHETIC POLITICS. "We dislike and distrust prophetic poli-

tics, and consequently regret that Mr.Roosevelt in his short letter tharjjng\the people for the honour they have donehim should have pledged himself notagain to offer himself for re-election. Hehas only been elected President once,and is not barred, therefore, by thehitherto unbroken American etiquette.His object, of course, is to disprove thecharges-of personal ambition, and especi-ally militarist ambition, so constantlylevelled at him;but he does not know,and cannot know, what the situationmay be in 1908. He may be needed byhis country on the eve of a great war

—suppose the German Emperor were elect-ed Sovereign of Southern Brazil

—or to

resist % flood of Socialist sentiment stir-red up by some gigantic development ofthe Trust system. Already Bryanism is

.lifting its head again, andBryanismmayeasily develop into a war against privateproperty. Tnere was no necessity forsuch a pledge, and though it leaves Mr.Roosevelt free of many kinds of injuriouspressure, we wish thut it hadnot beengiven.

THE ANGLO-FRENCH AGREEMENT.Two of the most striking speeches in

the debate in the French Cham-ber on the Anglo-French ententeon Tuesday were those of M.Delafosse and M. Etienne. Both, -these

gentlemen were supposed to b& Anglo-phobes, the former because qf his inces-sant attacks upon the Briubii occupation?of Egypt, the latter because he is theadvocate of colonial expansion, withwhich, he thinks, English ambition in-terferes. Both, however, stiongly ad-vised the ratification of the Agix-ementwith Great Britain, M. Delafosse arguingthat the rights conceded to France iaMorocco were worth "a hundrodiold"those she had abandoned in Egypt. M.Etienne fully assented to this view, whileboth theDeputies expressedstrong hope*that in- the end British friendship" lorFrance would lead to a. British arrange-ment withRussia, which would be gieat-ly tc the advantage of the world. Bothrepudiated the idea that'France wouldibieak with Russia, and mantaitied thatshe was the necessary go-between, who,said M. Etienne, had already conferreda, benefit on both Powers by helping inthe settlement of "the Hull difficulty."

ESPIONAGE IN THE ARMY.Passion is rising high in the French.

Chamber between the Nationalists andRepublicans. On Friday week, duringthe resumed debate on General Andre'aconduct in allowing espionage in the Aj>my, and consulting the 'Masonic lodge*as to the political views of individualofficers, the General was openly calleda "liar";and though hisassailant apolo-gi&td, the heat of the deljato mcieased,until at last a Deputy, M. Syveton,, rush-ed forward and struck the Minister forWar upon the forehead so violently thathe was covered v, ith bipod, andhas sincabeen seriously ill. On the followingTuesday "the Chamber byV vole of 4i5to 141 authorised M. B^vetoh's prosecu-tion, and he has sin^been arrested.The Government, mopeeVer^on the spotdemanded a. vote of "confident)© and re«ceived one by a majority of 343 to 246.The affair is considered amost scandalousone; but it is nevertheless evident thatthe more violent Nationalists approve, the conduct of M. Syveton, who, thoughliable.to serious consequences, makes no. apology, and is inclined to argue' that\ he ought to be challenged, and not pro-secuted. it is believed that, beside* th»new fury of the Clericals, the National-ists are influenced by a strong desire to>prevent the ratification of the Agreementwith Great Britain, which greatly offends'neir fiiends jn Rome and elsewhere.Their first motive, however, is doubtlesta desire to conciliate the Army, wfcich.i« offended by General Andres toleranceof espionage, and by the readiness ofthe Government 'to prosecute some ofthe worst actors in the Dreyfus case.

THE ITALIAN ELECTIONS.The Italian elections have been a. greatsuccess for the cause of order. It isuseless to give the precise figures until, the second ballots, which destioy all thodramatjc effect of a Continental election,

have been taken;,but it seems to" bacertain that the Government \H\\ have, a Urge majority, nnd, what is more im-portant, that the moderate 'Socialists," who wish to attain their objects throughParliamentary methods, have completelydefeated the extreme section, which re-lies either on violence or on sysl.em&tised

, and universal strikes. The great cities,such as Milan, Naples, and Genoa, wheretho \yorkmen are absolute,,hare distin-guished themselves-by their moderation;

> and tho Government, in the event ot iu-ture demonstrations such as those whichrecently for five days almost paralysedsocial life in tho industrial centres, willbe able to rely on Parliament. The re-sult is the more gratifying since it willstrengthen the tendency of' the Socialistparties, wherever they are'not oppressed,to become Radicals instead of 'revolt*,tionaries, and to rely upon the .vote tosecure such chang-es in social order as,

i after they have been taught discretion bythe -exercise of power, they may- still de.

i sire.

MR. ASQUITH'S SPEECH.,Mr. Atquith addressed a largeLibersl' meeting at Southampton on Monday.Dealing with the 2Jremier's complaintagainst his commentators, Mr. Asduithobserved that Mr. Balfour had this uniqueadvantage ov-.-r the ancient classics, that"he could criticise his own critics, andif he pleased amend and expurgate hisown text;but the duty of furnishing theworld with an authoritative translation

was lqft to Mr. Chamberlain, who sup-plied what schoolboys called a. 'crib.1"Air. A&quith noted 'the significant factthat Mr. (Cha#in's full-blooded Protec-tionist resolutionhad not been repudiatedby the Prime Minister or any member ofthe Government. Indeed, when Mr. Bal-four suggested the Fiscal Conference hoacknowledged that Retaliation by itself| <vas no longer a possible programme for1 what 3iad become a Protectionist pa,rty.Mr. Asquith contended that there wasnot the siightestoccasion for Retaliation,because it could not be shown, that w«suffered specially from hostile tariffs;

i but if we did adopt it, it would-not bo, effective unless wehad a.ready-made all-i round tariff, like all the other Protec-i tionist countries. This involved as inev-■ itable results, (1) tariff warfare with all'

its attendant evils;(2) the retention, fori Protective puiposes, of duties originally" put on for Retaliation;and (3) the ere-> ation of the Trust system. The peculiar■ value of Mr. Asquith'smissionary exer-1 tions resides in the fact that ho is not" content with merely preaching Free-tradein the abstract. He follows closely ini the track of Protectionist epeakers,< and supplies antidote to the bane 91a the

spot where the mischief has been done.It is a great service to a. cause which," properly understood, is the cause of thei nation.

~

1_____

THE SALE OF THE STANDARD.On Saturday last it wasannounced thatthe Standard, so long and so honourably; known as the organ of the Conservative

middle class, and lately as the only Un-ionist defender of Free-tradein thedailypress, had been purchased by Jltr., C.A. Pearson, the chairman of the Execu-tive Committee of the Tariff. ReformLeague, who was distinguished by Mr.Chamberlain as' the greatest "hustler" hehad ever known. Mr. Peawfon is alsothe founder and chief proprietor 6f theDaily Express, and controls the St.James's Gazette and several provincialnewspapers. Ithas been stated,,but.iiQtofficially, that the price paid for theStandard was £700,000 ;"but there seemsreason to believe that this is an exag-geration. We have not the slightest de-sire to impugn the right bf Mr. Pearsonand those who are acting with Mm tobuy, or of the late proprietors to sell.It was, no doubt, a perfectly honourableand square business transaction on bothsides. At the same time, wecannot helpdeploring the change. Throughout a largesection of the Unionist party the trans-fer of the Standard to the Protectionistside has produced a sense of annoyance,and of annoyance deepening into resent-ment and indignation, even though suchresentment and indignation may not bestrictly reasonable. Men feel that thesaner and more moderate Conservativeelements in the nation have been de-prived ol their one remaining represen-tative in the London daily press.

One may gain some inkling of 'the bit-terness with, which the war is regarded incertain parts of Russia from the descrip-tion of a secretly circulated caricaturewhich has just been confiscated by thepolice. It represents the late AdmiralMakharoff in the land of tho shades. Heis telephoning to the Tsar, and the pur-portof his message is as follows:"All iswell here. Great numbers of our menare arriving all the time. Up to thepresent noae of* the euejnyha.ye dajxd tointrude."-

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1904. 9

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THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1904.THE STORY-TELLER.

Gertrude.""I never see her, madam, without

thinking of, ma first cousin, Sir PhelimO'DowlestQn,'ofCastle Dowleroons County-Antrim. Idaresay you have heard ofhim. Faith, he was a fine old fellow,Sir Phelim;and it was at his house Imet her. She's a pretty woman now,but she has altered apower siijce then

—grown paler and quieter than she wasin those days, when she and DarrelBarnegat used to make the rooms ringwith their fun and laughing."

"She »nd who?" suddenly demandedMrs. Colonel Powerj with very unniajes-tic sharpness. She bad not been conde-scending to listen to Major Ogilvie at all.She rarely deigned to notice him at anytime, in fact; but his last words rousedher.

"Darrel Barnegat,"answered themajor."Barnegat, of King's Eagle;and it's a

■ queer thing to me that itisn't Barnegat,of King's Eagle, who is here with herto-day, instead of that fire-eating Cuban."

"Oh!" ejaculated Mrs. Colonel Power,"so she was engaged to him?"

"Me cousin, Sir Phelim," the little old■ major was beginning, when his eyes

caught the expression of Mrs. Power'scountenance ;or

—to give her the full

name that she insisted on being called,and that appeared on her cards— Mrs.Colonel Power. This expressioncheckedhim.' The sharp face of that estimablebut rigid widow was turned towards theunsuspecting object of discussion, and theblack fan in the black-gloved hands waswavingslowly, but ominously.

The major stopped at once. It sud-denly dawnedupon his mind that he hadmade a trifling blunder. He knew Mrs.Colonel Power and her sharp tongue ofold, and, it may be added, was not oneof her most favourite admirers. ■

"It's mischief she means," was his in-ward comment j "andit'smischief againstthat pretty, inoffensive Mrs. Yorke. Shehas never forgiven her for cutting outCordelia, the stiff-necked oldhypocrite inpetticoats!"

The ominous waving of the black fanwent on more swiftly. "You were say-ing, 1think, Majos Ogilvie, that Mrs.Yorke was formerly engaged to a friendof your cousin Sir Phelim," continuedMrs. Colonel Power.

1 "On me sowl, there's Jernagan!" ex-claimed the major, enthusiastically. "Jer-nagan, of Turftop. When did he.come?Imust speak to him. You'll excuse me,madam." ,&nd before Mrs. Colonel Powerhad tims/fa give'two waves of her fan,she found herself alone. . 'It was rather exasperating to be so

bereft of a choice bit of scandal,- whichmight have been used hereafter to anadvantage against that woman, her

'petanimosity, pretty, retiring, well-behaved.Mrs. Yorke. Nothing on earth wouldhave so pleased the august relict ofColonel Power as to find something tocavil at, to'condemn, even to shun inpoor Gertrudf Yorke. AsMajor Ogilvieisaid, Mrs. Power had never forgiven herfor her triumph over Cordelia.

Cordelia Power, the eldest of threedaughters, had inherited all her mother'sgraces of mind and person, and rumoursaidthat if Cordelia wasnot Mrs. Manuel

'Yorke, it was not Cordelia's fault; andthe fact was by no means to be attri-ibuted to a lack of industry on the partof that resplendent but somewhat raw-boned maiden.

Some years ago, Manuel Yorke, awealthy planter in Cuba, had passed aseason in London; had been intimatewith the late ColonelPower. Mrs. Power,a manoeuvring mother, had tried to se-cure him for Cordelia;but he did notbite. Now again they had met here atCarlsbad; Mr. Yorke had a pretty,gentle wife, and Cordelia was Cordeliayet/

This was why Mr3. Power was so stonyin jher carriage toward, so cordially de-tested, the pretty Gertrude. She madethe young' wife her especial detestationamong the summer flock of idlers andinvalids, considering it her special mis-sion to crush her intohumility with muchfrosty courtesy and majestic waving ofthe stiff-jointed but marvellously genteelmourning fan.- The hotel rooms were racher full thisevening. There were several new ar-rivals;but Gertrude Yorke had takenher place apart from the Test, as sheoften did. Just now, as she sat talkingto her little boy, she looked so singularlyyouthful that it soemed almost impos-sible to believe that she was the child'smother. That she was an American onecould see at the first glanoe

—her delicate

face, girlish figure, and black-lashed,agate-grey eyes were the attributes of noother type; but she left the countryyears ago— when she was only fourteen.An aunt, moving in good society, anda woman fond of gaiety, adopted her.In due time she had married ManuelYorke Since then she and her husbandhad wandered from place to place, untilthe present summer, when, hor healthfailing somewhat, they had lingered atCarlsbad.

Notwithstanding the quietness of Mrs.Yorke/s>life, andherretiring, gentle man-ners,ishe was made the subject of a.great deal'of comment. People, who foundit their duty -to be curious in such mat-ters, werea trifle "puzzled as to the stateof 'her' feelings towards her husband.You cannot need to ,be reminded whatthf; gossip of such places is. Mr. Yorkewas fond of bis ■ivife, tbo,fond;he wasjealous,,nervous, and excitable; his fieryCuban blood asserting itself strongly inthe smallest traits of his character. I\o-thing was more probable, said the din-ner table,, than 'the 'girl Wafc afraid ofhim, and'npthing so probable, said theladies' drawing-room, as that the girlhad given him cause for7 jealousy, andthence arose tjie ocoamonal shade,of sad-,nessthat touchedher delicateyoung face.Accordingly, the best-natured pitied hera little, and there were very few whodid not agree, in admiring her youthfulbeauty ana her tender-care for the wel-fare of her child. Among the best-natured, the little old Irish riio-jor rankedfirst Ho was persistently gallant, andpersistently admiring;he was continually"on duty" in her behalf, warding off gos-sip afld1 interference;and in time ttiegirl grewgrateful and fond of him Shelistened to his stories of Sir Phelim,of Castte Dowleroon, joined in his Dub-lin reminiscences, and encouraged herlittle boy's childish confidences in him;and, what delighted the major more thanall else, she always relied upon him foradvice and assistance if her husbandohanced to be absent. So the major wasnot at all surprised this evening, duringhi? conference with Jernagan, a fewminutes after he left Mrs. Colonel Power,to hear the sweet voice speaking to himat his elbow.

"Major, if you please--'Or, rather, it may be said that he

would not have been at all surprised, if,on this occasion there had not been astrange alteration in the voice— a strange,

■wild tvemor, as if the speaker had beenterrifiedi

He turnrd round in an instant; and,turning, was stricken at oncewith anxiousastonishment. Gertrude Yorke was slip-ping from the divan upon which she hadbe*n seated behind the major, andbeforelie or any one else could catoh her, shelay on fhe floor in a- dead faint.

A sudden hurried movement around;and then some gentleman pushed fiercelypast Major Ogilvie, raised the lady up,and placed her on the sofa cushions. Atsight of him the major started in aston-ishment, and his countenance changedas he gave vent to an exclamation.

"Barnegat, by tho sowl df me lady!"For jnmoments of excitement the major'stongue was apt to be conspicuous.

Mrs. Yorke was assisted to her roomandleft to the care of the feminine body-"guard, who made a general rush to thescene of action, ready to bustle, andsympathise, and assist, andprescribeaftertrue female fashion.

'Major Ogilvie held aloof. Infact, he

was not required at all just now. Heseemed to be in abewildered mood. Hewas grave and silent, and when he wan-dered outside to enjoy.the cool night airon the terrace his manner -was so changedthat one might have fancied him underthe influence cf an unexpected shock.

Leaning against one of the terrace pil-lars, smoking a cigar, stood the man whohadraised Mrs. Yorke. A tallman witha pale, refined face. Major Ogilvie heldout his hand and spoke, some latent ex-citement or anxiety showing itself inhistone.

"By the powers, Barnegat," he said,"this is abadmove."

Barnegat— a.handsome fellow, Irepeat,this Barnegat— long,and shapely-limbed;Barnegat stirred uneasily, arid seemed tofind'it necessary to give himself time inwhich to recover his self-control."I did not know she was here," hesaid, at length, speaking huskily.The major shook his head."A bad move," he repeated, "if Iam

not mistaken.""How mistaken?" demanded Mr. Barne-

gat, fiercely, "What the deuce do youmean?"

The major cost a cautious glancearoundhim, and then laid a finger upon theother's folded arms.

"Am Imistaken 'in thinking it isn'tquite over?" he asked, in a low Voice;"the oldboy-and-girl lov^ scrape."

Barnegat laughed. '/'What a senti-mental old womanyou are, Ogilvie !""I know' what's" what," nodded the

simple-minded, good-hearted fcajor;"andIknow what she and you felt for oneanother. Have you forgotten it, and hasshe, or do you remember it too well?It looks like it, me boy; this faultingthe minute she claps eyes on you. Beopen and above-board with me, Barne-gat: let me have the naked truth, forImake myself a sort of guardian to thogirl while her husband's away;she istoo pretty and yoimg to-be lef,fc-vto fighther own battles." '. -j ,

-Barnegat'sr cigar /W.ent'wh&aing'out

into the long grass, sent- there by a'des-perate fling;

'The man's eyes were filled

with wretched fire, and he broke into alittle groan, checked in its birth. I

"It's not over with me," he said \ "itnever will be over.'' '1' can 'say nothingabout that as to"

fieri ■ 1-don't under-stand women who can plpj fast and foosowith an honest man's love. Women! Ishould say girls. What was 'she but agirl, a child of seventeen, when she ledme oa with her pretty whims at Dow-leroon. What did she throw me off for?What had Idone to deserve it—to hejilted? Tell me that, Ogilvie." ''

But the major,knowing nothing, couldnot tell it.'

"When Ithought she was loving me■ with all her heart, Iheard of her mar-riage," went on Barnegat, apitiful touchof appeal in his changed tone. 'And

—Iwould like to ask what her hu'shandhas been doing to alter her so? Wherehave her pretty, bright, childish' waysgone? Iwas watching her for as hourto-night, before Ishowed myself.; Sheis as pale as a white rose, Ogilyift, jiandthere's a look in her eye tnjitT wouldnever have been there if she had beenmy wife."

The little major's hand was again 'laidupon his stalwart shoulder with a touchas gentle as a woman's.

"Hush!" he said, kindly. "This won'tdo, me boy. It isn't safe. Sure, Iscarcely know what to say to ye;andIknow nothing of the past. Mr. Yorkemade her acquaintance after you wentaway— and they weremarried not so longafter."

No response."I'm thinking, Barnegat, that youhad

better, maybe, leave herp before her hus-band comes back. He -,vent to Berlin aweek or so ago.

"The devil take her husband!" brokeout Barnegat, stung with wrath andjealousy. "I tell you Ishall stay, nowIhave come. Is Carlsbad not as freefor me as for him? You are gettjng intoyour dotage, major."

"If you wouldbut.listen to reason— ",

"She shall tell me why she jilted me,"broke in Barnegat. "Shemust haye hadareason;women scarcely do such thingswithout one. When our regiment wasordered away, and Iwent to bid hergood-bye, she clung tome, and cried likea tender-hearted child on my arm? Thenext thing Iheard was that she wasgone somewhere with that meddling oldaunt of hers, gone without leaving me aWord, and here she is to-day, anotherman's wife, and the mother of- anotherman's child, and the minute she sees meshe faints dead at my feet. What doesitall mean,Isoy?" his voice ringing outpassionately. "I'don't know."

The major knew not'what to say. Hehimself had alwayss believed that somemystery must attach to'the past, and heknew that ib was worse than usoless tocontend against Darrel Barnegat in suchamood. He know him of old;generous,impulsive, ffnd truly Irish in his highspirit and lightness of heart, but therehad never, yet been.a JJarnegat.who wasnot a whrlwind when driven to despera-tion. Inhis good-naturedanxiety for hisfavourite, the poor little major felt ter-ribly nervouSi Perhaps, odd though itmay seem, his nervousness arose quite as'much from an inwarot fear of Mrs. Poweras from weightier 'causes. Suppose thisunreasonable, excitable,Barnegat raised acommotion and caused a -scandal! Whatwould not that'mischief-making colonel'swidow make of it!

"For heaven's sake, me boy," he said,"listen to reason. Think of the poorgirl, an' think of tlie tabbies watchingher. Did ye see the ould cormorant withthe black fan?' If ye didn't, just lookout for her. She will be on the watchfor youimark that.',' '

Mr. Barnegat made no reply. Turningaway, he went forth. into the duskynight.

'" , ,

,On the following morning as MajorOgilvie was drinking his dose of thewaters with the rest,he felt a light touch'upon his arm, and, turning round, foundthe girl's pretty, pale face quite close tohis shoulder.

"Good morning," she said, in a voiceso pathetically sweet that it thrilled himto the heart. "Please to fill my glass forme, major."

She thanked him whenhe handed it toher, and, as she took it, he noticed thatthe shadow in her sad young eyes wasdeeper than ever, and that under theblack lashes lay faint rings of purple."I am glad that you are well enough

to be out," he ventured to say."Thank you," she answered. "I am

much better. The rooms must have beentoo warm, or

—or Iwas not as wellaa

usunl, major," slightly hesitating. "Pleasei do not alarm Mr. Yorke about it when■ he returns."

"Of course not," said the major, bend-; ing down to fill his glass again, andi trying to speak with good-natured in-

difference. "Where would bs the use of

frightening a man's senses out of himfor a bit of.a faint?" But, thought themajor to himself, other tongues will bebusy,,though mine is still.

Mrs. Yorke s,aid nothing more, and themajor refilled his glass.

While he drank the contents, she, stoodnear the railing, looking away dreamily;but when he liad finished she spoke tohim again.

"May Iwalk back to the house withyou?" she said;and then, all at once,the eyes she haduplifted to his falteied,and filled with apleading, desperate light.It seemed as if she knew he had readher heart— that it was of no use dis-sembling.

He put her arm withinhis in a fatherlyway, as he would that of his own child,and they walked away, she holding tohim witha curious strength in her slight,clinging hand.

Out yonder, beyond the hearing of thedrinking crowd, was a line of linden-trees, with rustic seats beneath theirshade;and, feeling that she was trem-bling, he led her to one of these benchesand made her sit down. He stood beforeher then, to shield her from pbservation,her pallor was so great,and the shrink-ing terror and grief in her large eyes sostrong. Some movement that he madeseemed to startle her. She misunder-stood it. Stretching out her unsteadyhands to him with the imploring gestureof a frightened child, he saw that shewas in tears.

"Oh, major," she cried out, "pleasestay with me'!— don't leave 'me! Staywith me as much as you can until

—until

Mr. Yorke comes.""Indeed, and isn't me best pleasure to

be with ye, me dear," he returned, in akind but light accent, as if he did notsee her emotion or know anything of thecause of her trouble. "And Iwish therooms were not so hot of an evening;I've been inconvenienced meself by it."

There was a great deal of tact aboutthis rusty little major, despite his slightbrogue andhis genuine Irish.pride in histitled relations. Mystified thoughhe was,he wouldno morehave askedher to ex-plain the matter to him than he wouldhavestruck her ablow. He believed thatshe and Mr. Barnegat, who was then alieutenant, had deeply loved one auotherin the old days, and why she should havemarried auother, and why she should beso sad, he knew not. Giving her hisarm again, they promenaded in thequieter walks, until the soft morning air

!had swept away the traces of her tears,even if it could not bring the colour toher cheeks.

Returning indoors, they encounteredMrs. Power coming forth, who professedmuch astonishment, anp; expressed it inher frosty manner. Was itpossible thatMrs. Yorke had so far recovered as tobe able to walk out? She had observedthat she left the hotel alone! Was itnot somewhat indiscreet to venture outunattended after .ao severe an indisposi-tion? She had imagined Mrs., Yorke'sswoonhad arisen from some serious cause.A number of guests were enquiring as tothe state of her health, among the re&ta late arrival, a Mr. Barnegat. In fact,the gentleman who had been near herwhen she fainted, and who had been thefirst to assist her

Mrs. Yorke parried the concern in hergentle way, and escaped as soon as shecould. What with it all, Mrs. Yorkewould probably havekept her^roora, butthat would have excited even morecomment, so she was seen about, hereand there, as usual.Itcost the major a great deal of diplo-

matic effort to keep off an encounterbetween her and Darrel Barnegat that

i morning;but somehow or other, by in-1 defatigable industry, he managed to suc-

ceed. Not so in the ■ afternoon. Theenemy was too much, for,him then. See-"ing the two alone for>a m<j#ient, Barne-gat strode across the room deliberately,

j and with evidentpurpose.The major wasas good as nobody then.

|Mrs. Yorke half'rose from her chair,

white as death."Do not be afraid of me, Gertrude,"

said Mr. Barnegat, with bitter sadness.'Idon't wish to harm you." And, fling-ing himself into a/chair, he held out hishands to the little boy, who was clingingtohis mother's dress.

"Won't you come to me?""Go to that gentleman, Eustace," said

Mrs. Yorke, faintly, and the child obeyedher.

For a moment or so Barnegat heldhim,looking down into his dark eyes with aworking face.

"Your child is not like you," he said.Gertrude turned her pallid face to the

window, trembling. "He is like Mr.Yorke," she answered.

Ifc seemed to the major that she wasafraid of Barnegat;afraid to Uust'her-self to look at him or to speak to him.Why should she be?It must have been 'her evident tremor

which caused the silence. No one spoke,and tho nervous shrinking in the girl'se3

-es was almost pitiable. The little major

grew restless under it, and was actuallyglad when Barnegat broke the pause.

"I scarcely expected to see you down-stairs to-day," he said. ''I was afraidthat your indisposition might be a seri-ous matter."

"No, it was nothing," answered Mrs.Yorke quickly. "I often faint;Ihave'not been strong for a year or two now."And the flutter of swift changing red andwhite onher cheek attested to the truthof her vords— that she wasnot strong.

Her timidity held her farther alooffrom Mr. Barnegat-than any stern effortof 'will could have done. Ho cpuld nomore have spoken out his, passion ofwrath und pain upon her, a» perhaps hehad meant in his anger to do, than hecould have forced it upon a panting,frightened child.'^ She" shrank away fromhis gaze, clinging ioher child's hand, asto a safeguard. Four years ago she halbeen abright, fearless, happy young crea-ture, every hour of whose existenceseemed warm withthe suaishine of youth.Surely there was something wrong, somemysterious, cause, to work .so great achange in her.

As he held to his place before her,chafing with the inward selise of injusticedone to him, tortured by tho love thatstijl filled every crevice of his heart,Darrel Barnegafc felt that .his. strong de-termination to read the riddle was forthe present thrown back upon him. Hedid'Ttotabandon it,. But it Was not' to be read to-day, or

,to-morrow; no1, nbr;ior mnny days tocome. Or the > qiorrow, when he had£g£in< approached ah<t-was exchanging afew commonplace- wordskwith her, he sawa swift change pass over her face, andshe turned towards the door, as if movedby some slow, magnetic influence. Therewaa no lighting up of the eyes, no glowof -brightness;nothing but a touch oftimid'anxiety in her expression;and yet'the moment that Barnegat caught sightof the lithe, slender, dark-faced man whowas crobsing the threshold, he was■stricken with a fierce, jealous pang,knowinghim to be her husband, as if byintuition.

The new comer came forward to herwith a quick step

—a hurried, restless

step one might say. There was a rest-lessness in all his movements, in his eyesandin his thin, dark, eager face.

He barely gaveMajor Ogilvio a greet-ing gesture, he pimply .glanced at Baine-gftt} he kissed his'child. All ina passingway, as, it seemed/- "while' he took pos-session of his Mify. It was, just asthoughhe asserted his right of commandto hec before he spoke.

"Gertrude," he said in a quick tone,"they tell me you have been ill."

"Notill," she answered. "Ifelb alittle

faint an evening or two ago;the roomwasi veryhot."

"ButIsay you have been ill. Iseeit in your face."

'"Indeed no, Manuel.""Do not say no," he cried, as he led

her away. "It is not true, Gertrude.Come withme. my denr. Your eyes lookas if you had shed tears. Why Inveyousuffered? Tell me all."

The little major waited a mii.ute, andthen touched his friend on the sshoulder."Let us walk outside," he said, "andsmoke a cigar." And Barnegat followedhim mechanically. ,

Once in the open air, under the shadeofthe lindens, Barneßat's passionatemiseryburst its bonds. He strode to and fro onthe walklike a jealous, raging tiger. Hedid not know who was to blame for thepast, but he felfc a passionate hatred ofthe man who, it seemed, hadrivalled him.He could have dealt him his death blowwithout a sting of conscience, though thewhole of his after life might hava beenfilled with remorse for the deed." That is her lord andmaster, is it?' hesaid. "By my faith, he is a despot!What right has such a fellow toa tendercreature like that?''"

Now be easy," cried the little major,soothingly. "You can't alter what is,Barnegat."

"She's afraid of him, Itell you!She's—"

And, with that, Barnegat broke down.Flinging himself on abench,he buriedhisface iahis hands with a groan."

Think how Iwouldhave worshippedher! Think how Iwould have watchedher, and cared for her delicate woman'sfancies! Ileave her for a week! Not foranhour. She's dying— be quiet, Ogilvie.It is my firm belief— andInow tell ityou

— that she is dying;dyingby inches—

as women like her do die sometimes."The major was discreetly silent. The

ghost of such a thought had more thanonce flitted across his own kindly littlebrain. Hehadseentimes when the prettyfavouritehad seemed so fair and spiritual,thathe had wondered if somuch fairnessand transparency was exactly the rightsort of thing, lovely as itwas. The beau-tifuleyashadlookedlarge,andbright,andworn,as if the wine of life hadbeen toostrong for the delicate fiame. His augustrelative, SirPhelim, had oncepraisedheras the brightiest and merriest of hisguests;now she was the quietest littlewomanin the hotel. But he did not saythis to Darrel Barcegat. He lethim wearout his hopeless rage, without interferingwith him, and then set on to calm andsooth him with no inconsiderable tactand delicacy."

Don't let the world see it, me boy,"hesaid.

"Youare cut up, Barnegat,but

don't let the world see- it— for her sake;for her sake. Think of the owld cats herewithall their eyes open; and that w.;dowPowerhas got hers the widest. Poorlittlesoul, she has enough to bear. Keep aboldheartfor her sake, Barnegat."

And, in saying this, the major touchedthe right chord. Barnegat pulledhimselftogether andbegan togrow reasonable.

When Gertrude Yorke met them againshe was onher husband's arm andmany aday passed before they caught even aglimpse of her alone. Ho was at leastattentive, this husband. It seemed thathe scarcely ever left her side. Itwasherhe cared for, not the child. Her slightesochange of expressionnever escaped him;her slightest movement, action, wish, wasresponded to. He loved her deeply, thatwasplain enough,but itmight havebeenthathis constant vigilance weariedher, forshe wasquieterandmors frail-looking thanever. Her mute Gubinissiveness to hiswill was fairly touching. She obeyed hisvery glance. He was lord and master.

And Mr. Barnegat faltered«in his pur-pose

— that of demanding of her an ex-planationof the mystery of the past. Forone thing, he could get no opportunity.From the time of her husband's arrival,they exchanged no words with one an-other, nothing save themerest recognitionof,politeness. Evon tho major wasthrownout of employment, and left to himself,though the girl had always a smile and agentle word for him. The people whonoticed her most, began to comment onthe sadness and languor of her pretty, paloface;and at last, one evening, aburlyGerman physician burst upon;igroup, whowere thus commenting, witha single gut-tural sentence, which fell upon them likea thunderbolt:"

Dot bretty woomans, mid her gleai-gomblexion ?" he said. " Ach! Yes. Shego into gonsumption.' And he said itwith the air of aman to whomit wasnonew idea, but a commonplace fact.

Barnegat was not oneof the hearers ofthis, but the major was;and when,after-wards, Gertrude came into the room,lean-ing- as usual upon her husband's arm, andlooking, inher thin, cloud-like, white mus-lin, like a whiteflower, the major,regard-ing'her attentively, felt his heart quicken,its beating, while a strange sense of dis-comfort flashed through it.

"Ye'U have to take good care of her,mt man, if ye'd keep her by ye," hethought.

All this time, the days passing on, Bar-negat made no sign. A belter feelinghadcome over him, and ho respected themajor's words:

"For her sake;'for her

sake." One evening, when the major wasin the linden walk, away from the lightsand sounds indoors, Barnegat approachedhim.

"They are going away," he said.'"When?" asked the major." To-morrow," answered Barnegat." Well, it. will be over then.""All the better for you," said the

major. "" Better that there should be anend to it. What good is it doing ye?Wearing your life out, grieving for au-other man's wife. It'sbut little use thereis in caiying after spilt milk."

Barnegat turned awayhis haggard face."It isn't that," he said doggedly, de-

spite his misery. "It's better that Ishouldn't be tormented with the sight ofher, but Iwant to get an explanation.How do Iknow what she has been madeto think of mo;what it was that causedher to throwmeoff. Ishould like to knowjust bomuch, Ogilvie, and I—lI —Icannot askit."

There was a queer, old-tashioned rosegarden in the grounds of the hotel— asweet, quaint rose garden, rich with col-our, and heavy with the perfume thatfloated above and around the hundredflower laden bushes, and it was to thisplace that Darrel Barnegat chanced tostroll, without any purpose, when he leftMajor Ogilvie standing alone under therow of lindens.Ithad been a rare treasure once, this

patchof bloom and fragrance, butit hadbeen somewhat neglected .of late years,and the roses had grown into a lovelythicket, stretching long, slender arms hereand there, from bed to bed, and outbar-ring intruders with a profusion of sweetbarricades. But there was stillroom for aramble clown the straight walks, and ifBarnegat bad any latent motives in seek-ingit, it was onaccount of its seclusion.

But some one was there before him, itseemed, though at first he wasnot awareof anypresence other thanhis own. Thefair moonlight made the place as brightas day, and in turning the corner of anarch of tangled rose vines he came sud-denly upon something white standing inthe path;a woman in a floating whitedress, and-with a white face turned up-wards to the cloudless night sky."

Gertrude !" he cried out.She might have been a spirit. She

looked hke one as she tume'd slowly to-wards him, in the light night. Her thindressmight have been moonlit roses. Htrface was delicately colourless, her skinpurely transparent.It was strange that she did not seem

startledi as perhaps, all things consider-ed, she might have been. S'^e looked at

him a little wonderingly;for his presencehad awakenedher from a dream."Pray do not think that Ifollowedyou,"he said. "

Ibeg yourpavdon, Mrs.Yorke. Ididnotknow you were here.'

She made a faint, quiet gesture withher hand."No,Ididnot think so," she said, ina low, calm voice. "Isee Low it was

—butIam glad you came. Ihave beenwishing, praying for this meeting, and Ithinkit has not come aboutby chance."

The sight of her had so amazed him,and she looked so spiritual andunearthlythat he could not find words just at firstto answerher."I am glad you came," she said again;

and her voice was so clear and tweet inits mysteriously-sounding, half-weanedtone, that it seemed to float towards himwith the perfume of the roses. "I havebeen wishing to speak to you," she wenton;"wishing to tell youbefore wepart—for we shall never see one another again—how it cameabout thatIam Mr. Yorke'swife instead of yours. Ipromised to beyours, you remember, when w6 were inIreland."

"Yes," he groaned. "Oh, my love— mylove,"

"You remember tint my aunt did notlike you."

x"No," he interrupted with suppressed

emotion;"she said 1was only abeggarlylieutenant;not rich enough for you."

"Do not blame her now, Darrel;shedied long ago. It seems long to me,though it is not yet three years. It wasshe who tpok me away from you," con-tinued Mrs. Yorke; "but she did notmake your poverty the plea. She toldme

—you had not been gone a week— a

terrible story of your loving another wo-man;not a lady, but a woman goodpeople didnot speakof.

"I did not know whether to believeher, but the tale was sa circumstantial,so apparently true. She had just dis-covered it, she said;she said the*personhad gone away with you. Ididnot quitebelieveher, Darrel, until you ceased writ-ing to me. It was my love that mademe weak andblind, Ithink;ifIhadnotlovedyou So, Ishould have known howeasy it was for her to play that poor,glaring, worn-out farce, and keep yourletters back."

"And she did that!" flaredBarnegat."That is nol all. Imight have fought

against that;have waitedpatiently untilyou came back, and asked yourselfwhether or not it was true. Later we-saw a paragraph in The Times about askirmish in which you had fought anddied. Died, Darrel!" And Mrs. Yorkeswayed a little, and caught hold of thetrunk of a tree.

"Oh, merciful heavens!" ejaculated Bar-negat

— buthe said no other word.It flashed across his mind so plainly

now. He remembered the blunder, hadlaughed at it a thousand times, aud yethadnever thought that it might float toher, as ithad floated to other people. Oh,careless man that he had been! light,reckless man!

— to fling away from his un-steady'hand a cup so full of peace andlove.

"Until the evening that you came intothe hotel salon, Ididnot know you werealive," went on Mrs. Yorke. "It wasthat that frightened me aud caused me tofaint. Since then Ihave been a littlefrightened at your looks, Darrel, espe-ciaLy since my husband came;Ithoughtyou wanted to pick a quarrel withhim."

"As Idid," acknowledged Mr. Barne-gat. "As 1 should have done but for

—for your sake, and for Ogilvie. \ou cau-not" tell me that you are happy withhim." #A faint colour stole to her face— hecould see it in the moonlight. "As happyas

—as

—ICan be with any one now. Heis verykind to me."

"Too kind," muttered Barnegat;"heleaves you no will of jour own. He isimperious, impetuous, exacting. Yourhusband ought to have been one to takethe tenderest care of you."

"He does take it;he tries to make mehappy—

and oh, he loves me greatly. Butlam always weary, Darrel;Iam sick,fading, drifting out of life."

"Don't say so !" he groaned."Look at ray face," she said, turning it

into the brighter light. "Look at myhand," and she held up to him theslender, immaterial hand that looked al-most that of a spirit, so bloodless andtransparent, "I am dying, Darrel."

Darrel Barnegat did not answer. Hadnot the same conviction struck himself?

"My husband does not believe me," shecontinued;"but it is true. Iam surethatIcannot be mistaken. AndIshouldbe glad to die, but for leaving my dearlittle boy. God knows what is best."

"He does not believe," repeatedBarne-gat mechanically.

"No, he does not. He says it was thiscold northern ■climate last winter thattook my strength from me aud made meill;and he is going to carry me away toCuba. He thinks IshaJ get all rightthere;but Iknow better, Darrel. AndIwanted to tell you the truth of the paatbefore Ileave— whichwill be to-morrow.Ididnot like you to think of me as falseand heartless all the rest of- your life."

"And now, hear me, Gertrude," hebroke forth,hke aman awakening from areverie. "I never had any thought ofanother woman save you. When IleftDublinIleft it alone,nothing accompany-ing mebut my thoughts of you. Ihavenever ceased to loveyou

—Ilove you still.Evl-ii asInow stand talking to you,look-ing at you,my heart is aching with itsbitjfccr pain. Your aunt called me poor;andIhad quite enough private propertythen, as you knew, and she knew, toretdei' us comfortable; end since then Ihave come into a large fortune throughmy eldest brother's, death. Iwould havemade you happier than he makes you,Gertrude. As my wife youmight havebejen blooming now, with roses on yourcheeks."

"Fate has been against us," she mur-mured, the hot tears trickling down herface;"and fate sways us all in spite ofour own will. It was surely fate that' brought you to Carlsbad now;it wasfate that tempted me out here alone to-night while my husband is entertainingtwo South American friends, who arepassing through the place, to dinner inprivate. Idid not think of meeting youwhen Icame out

— the moonlight was solovely, the night so balmy, that it tempt-ed me. And now that Ihave seen you,Darrel, thatIhave spoken what was inmy heart to speak, we will say good-bj c."

"Good-bye!" he reiterated, as she heldout to him the attenuated hand, whosetouch Was as the touch of a pityingspirit, "Only 'good-bye1after all theseyears of hopelessness! Only to meet andsay good-bye, Gertrude !"

"The suffering is mine, too," she whis-pered. "Life has been so hard to methatIam thankfuleven for this parting.A little while agoInever thought to beable to say it to you. Good-bye for ever,Darrel;and God be with you!"

Herslender handslipped itself dutof hisgrasp, and she- passed with a swift steptowards the hotel. Darrel Barnegat sankdown upon the nerrest bench, andhid hisface upon his arm.

In the breakfast-room the next morn-ing, Mrs. Yorke's place was empty. Shedid not feel well enough to come down,it was understood;and in the afternoonher husband took her away. The idlersin the hotel whiled away half an hourwatching the departure. Two carriagesfull. Mr. and Mrs. Yorke in one; 'thomaids and the child in the other;Mr.Yorke's man-ssrvant arid a courier in at-tendance. She had married wealth,at anyrate, if she had not married happiness.

Darrel Barnegat was left; left to wearout his passionate regrets through the

weary summer days. He stayed on atCarlsbad;there was a bitter comfoi tinthe thought that ehe had borne some ofher pain there. Only thelittle major un-derstood Mr. Bwnegat's silence, and theheavy cloud that just now seemed tohang over his life. As toMajor Ogilvie,three parts of his occupation seemed tohave gone out with the departure of Mrs.Yorke.

News reached them the following yearin the shape of an advertisement in thedeath columns of The Times, sent overby telegram from Cuba, to be inserted.It chanced that Mr. Barnegat and themajor were breakfasting together in Lon-don when they read it:

—"On the10th April, at Matanzas,Cuba,

Gertrude, the beloved wife of ManuelYorke."— From the Argosy.

"Nitshevo."

There is one word that does moreservice than any other in the Russianlanguage. At all times, be it in mo-ments of elation or in hours of depres-sion, it is falling from the lips of thoRussians.

That word is "nitshevo," and means"nothjng," or rather "it is nothing."Most often it is heard as a deprecatoryrejoinder to an expressionof thanks, likethe English idiom "Don't mention it,"of the German "Bitte." But there seemsto be no situation in Slavic life that doesaot resolve itself into "nitshevo."It is a word thoroughly characteristic

of the Slav character, giving expressionat oneand the same time to all that issunniest and all that is darkest in theuncertain gamut of Muscovite moods. Justas the Spanish word "manana" (to-mor-row) is characteristic of the procrastin-ating habits of the Spaniards, or as "allright" expresses the go-ahead tempera-ment of the Anglo-Saxon, so "nitshevo"is the aptest expression of all the fatalis-tic submissive tendencies of the Slav.

A Russian diplomat once told me thatwhen Bismarck served as Prussian Am-bassador in St. Petersburg, he wore aniron ring with the word "nitshevo" en-graved on it. Somebody asked him oncewhat the word signified to him. CountBi&maik replied "All Russia." Asked toexplain himself, lie told this etory. Onetime when he was driving to a bear-auiitover a mountainous trail, the moujiivwho held the reins drove so wildly thathe came near dashing the sleigh topieces. , "Look out there," said Count.Bismarck, "or you will kill us." Themoujik only shrugged his shoulders raidsaid, "Nitshevo." His driving becamemore furious than ever. "If you don'ttake more care," shouted Bismarck, cling-ing fast for dear life, "I shall be torsndout of the sleigh." "Nitshevo,'' respond-ed the driver. Presently one of the run-ners struck a rock.'thesleighupset, andthe hoi&es, shying, backed the jverturnedpleigh into a. deep ditch, where it brokethrough the ice. Count Bismarck arosefrom the wreck, his face bleeding, frombiuises. In his wrath he turned on thomoujik, threatening to thrash him. Butas he advanced on the culprit with up-lifted whip-stock, the man met him withan apologetic smile, and, wiping theblood from Bismarck's forehead, saidsoothingly:"Nitshevo, BAriji." CountBisnurck burst out laughing. He con-oidered the incident so characteristic ofthe Rusyian character, that lis had theabove-mentioned ring made from somoof the -wreckage of the sleigh, andhence-forth adopted " the word "nitshevo" forhis talisman while in Russia.

To me "uitshevo" has come to express.Mukden, the Russian army,the war with,Japan, the future of China; it is thestrongest of the Duany memorable impres-sions Ishall carry away with me fromManchurin. It was the first Russianword Ilearned. When people s>iid tome, "Do you speak Russian?" Iprompt-ly learned fc> answer "nitshevo," meaning"not a word." When the disgusting Chi-nese cripples and beggars that infest thestreets of Mukden come too close, or thepeddlers press forward too clamorously,you aiedriven to- a stentorian "nitshevo."When a staff officer politely bpgs yotirpardon, in Parisian French, for standingin your wayor for unintentionally brush-ing against " you with his sword,you murmur a depieeating "nitshevo."When news comes of another disastrousdefeatat thefront, or of thedeath of somebright-eyed young 'officer who but yes-terday was clinking glasses with you,the Russian officers will dismiss the inci-dent with a careless shrug and a ''nit-shevo."

"Yes, we have" lost guns, and flags,and a most important position, but whatdoes it amount to after all? Nitshevo."Ifauy one should ask "me for an explana-tion of the alrcfost incredible phenomenon,why the most gigantic nation on earthappears at a di&advnntage when matchedagainst a countrj smaller than some ofRuM&a's minor provinces, Ishould laythe lesponsibility on "nitsbevo";,''nittsheyo," the, indolent shiftless devil-may->care, stupidly fatalistic and" wonderfully,stoical' Shibboleth ofthe Slav, as 'ruin-ous in its,effects on -human fortunea-andon public affairs in 'Russia as the happy-go-lucky spirit of the Colt has been dis-astrous to Ireland. One night Iwns atthe Mukden Railway Stutidn with aRussian artillery captain whose batterywas to march to the front early nextmorning. Most of the nigh^ was spentwith other comrades of arms ia, farewelldrih'ks of vodka and un-iced champagne."I.don't &cc how youcan stand the mix-turfc," 1 s.iid, "especially as you haveto start off so early in the morning.""What of thyt?" he replied with a hic-cough, "nitshevo." At early dawn, whenhis sergeant came to report that the bat-tery was ready, the captain lay under thetable. To all the deferential pleadingsof the sergeant he only gave a mutteredreply of "nitshevo." The sergeant, notknowing what to do, left it to the offi-cerja commands to arouse him;but afterone -or two futile attempts they said"nitshevo," and ordered the sergeant totell the battery lieutenants to wait. Thecaptain slopt until nearly noon. Iaskedone pf the officers what would come ofthe incident. "Ob, nothing," said he,"nitshevo. The battery will get to thefront in good time. What is the useof hurrying to get killed?" Four dayslater, when a battle was folight in thehills 'of the Liaotung Peninsula, Iheardthat the battery of our friend had beenin the fight, andhad suffered .severe lossesfrom the Japanese shrapnel fire. Ialsoheard a high officer of Kuropatkin's staffexplain that the defeats in the LiaotungPeninsula, were due to the superiority oftho Japanese guns, which securedlbetterpositions owing to the inferior mobilityof the Russian artillery.

By far the most chaining man Ihadthe pleasure of meeting in Manchuria wasaRussian ra.ptain of engineers detailed toservice on the military railways. Bewas a gentleman to the core, hospitableand generous as a prince, considerateund kind to the commonest Cossack, andcourtly ever with the pestering China-men. To me, who was known to be introuble because of complications with theMilitary Press Censor, he showed him-self ever full of subtle courtesies,andcheering words of comfort.. "Nit«lievo" T

with him look on a soothing consolatorymeaning, which lulled you into the beliefthat your troubles would resolve them-selves into nothing. My friend's onlyfault, for fault it must be called, washis fondness for cards, and for liighplay.Once, whenIhadlost more rubles thanIcoUld afford to lose, he consoled me bysaying, "Oh, nitshevo. We often losefive hundred rubles on,a card here;1". I.thought he M-as exaggerating; but the

next night, *hen Iwandered into the°?cei'B? cei'B^pa?mo

J

'm-v fri«nd was so engross-ed at the caid table that he only turnedaside for a momentary smile and wel-coming nod. Another officer told me inan undertone that our frjend had lostthree thousand rubles, and was htill los-ing. 1 stayed to watch tbe high ployand lingered nil idr m[o t]]e j^Among the p.ayers wereother officer* ofthe military railway and a correspondentof the Novoe Vremya. I'had notictdhim there so often that Iasked himbantcringly when he ever didhis writin""I tell you franklyIdon't write. Whatis the use of earning my paltry journal-istic salary when Ican make ten timesus much here on the turn of a singlecard?" "But what do your editors say?""Nitshevo. Give me another card." Sud-denly, about two iv the morning, a rail-way guard entered' and saluted. Hisreport to my friend, thfe heavy losercaused him to'announce something quick-ly to the other railway officers. Oneof them, a lieutenant, jumped up ex-claiming, "Uiye, ye Everybody atthe card table burst out' laughing. Ashe dashed out of the roomIwent withhim, scenting a piece of possible war-news. "What is up'i".Iasked. "Amilitary train has come in and there wasnone of us at the station to meet itl""Nobody at all?" Iasked in wonder-ment, as in the day time they mostlyhad guards with drawn sabres,,one forevery car of a train. "Oh, there wereguards, of course," he replied, as westumbled through the deep mud in thedarkness, "but none of us officers." Whenwegot to the station the trainhad gone.There was' a general.on the platform ina towering rage. He had telegraphedfrom Harbin that he was coming withhis horses, and there had been, nobodythere to meet him. _ His horses had beencarried on to Liaoyang. His commandof Cossack "cuss" words would excitethe envy nf Gorky. My poor lieutenantwas very deferential and apologetic. (Herushed into tile telegraph bureau andkept two instruments Dusy providing forthe' reception pf the general's horses..Finally he was able to assure the general

,that all waswell. Hehopedhis Excellency1would suffer no moreinconvenienceaboutthem. "Nitshevo, nitshevo," said theold soldier kindly, patting him on theback. His wr.ath had evaporated. "Letus go and nave something in the buffet,!since it ia still open. Ihope yourAmerican friend will come too." Halfan hour later we were all three the bestof friends. The general ended by accept-*ing the lieutenant's invitetion to spendthe rest of the night in his quarters.'When Icame around about eleven thenext forenoon,.both were still asleep! Ifound my other friend, the heavy losqr,just gettingup. He was as cheorful andcordial as always.. "I hope you retrievedyour fortunes,"Isaid. "No,Ihad bsjdluck all night long." "How much didyou lose altogether?" "Thirty-five hun-dred rubles." "Too bad," Iyentured."Oh, nitshevo. It is nothing, some othernight Isholl win." The captain's entiresalary, as Iknew, did not amount tomuch more than the losses of this singlenight. He had already,confided to ,methat he had run through all his familyfortune when he was sowing his- wildoats in Paris and inMonteCarlo. Happyand serene as ever, he -locked his arminto mine and dragged me off to one- of'these interminable luncheons where youdrink five glasses of vodka., and,-by wayof getting an appetite, eat enough pre-liminary thing* to feed two men. Afterluncheon my friend appeared a trifletroubled. "What is the matter?" Iask-ed. "I am worried about poor IvanIvanovitCh. Did'you notice, he wasquite drunk again? He was drunk earlythis morning, andnow he is drunk again.That makes twice in one day. He willsleep it off, tobe sure, but to-night hewill do it again.- It is too much. Ihave spoken to him, and so have hisother superiors, and then tears come tothe poor fellow's eyes', and he promisesto reform, but he mostly gets drunk, thesame night from grief." "Itis a wonderto me how he can perform his duties,"Iventured, "especially in war time.""He doesn't, that is just the trouble,"said the captain with a smile. "Ihave■to do it for him all ths time, so- as toshield h/m.". "He is lucky,"..Iremarked,'"to have you for his superior officer.""Nitshevo."

One evening," when I'happened to sitalone on a bench in the Mukden Rail-way station, listening to the stirringstrains of a military, band playing infront of Viceroy; Alexicff's headquarterstrain\on a.'siding behind'the station, anelderly gentleman of rather modest de-meanour asked whether he might sitdownbeside me, "Do you know that'marchthey are playing?" he asked in French.Itold him Ididn't, bub thatIadmired^the music very much. ''It is' one of ourbest mnrches,"'he snid, "'Souvenird'jji-treuje Orient,' Ifancy;in time to,.come,we may be'reminded of Mukden wh'en,w&'hear it again." propping into perfect-German presently, he revealed himselfas a Kurlander., When wer exchangedcards he turned out to be a prince, acourt phamberkjn, and an imperial,me^-senger despatched'from St. Petersburg'to communicate with the Viceroy aboutsome matter that was either too confiden-tial or too complicated to be transactedin writing or by telegraph. He was themost democratic and the best-informedprinceIhave ever had the privilege tomeet. He nev^rhesitated to call a spadea spade. His-,vigorous arraignment ofthe 'initial f6lry' of this y«'r and of hiscountrymen's untoldmistakes of judgmentand of action that ,had followed in 'itssuit, if literally taken,down by me andpresented as an authentic interview toGeneral Pfiug next morning, would thenand there have cut short my career as awar correspondent l^ith ' the Russianforces.

General Pflug has no fondness forawkward truths, neither has tho Vice-roy. At least, so we ■\veie made togather from the way Francis M'Cullaghrthe New York Herald correspondent atMukden, fell under the ban of the PressCensor's displeasure. Before entering theRussian lines M'Cullagh had permittedhjmself some remarks.on the.,havdjdrink-ing capacity of some Russian officers hehad observedat Port Aithur just beforethe war. He remains unforgiven. ißutto return to the surprisingly frank con-versation Ihad with the prince fromKurland. During the long talk Ihadwith him that night, under the melloVlight of the Mancnurian moon, Inoticedthat he resorted to the expression "nit-shevo" but twice. But when, he1 said"nitshevo" it was with telling effect, likethe one recorded oath of George Wash-ington at the battle of Monmouth. Thefirst time when Iasked him how heliked travelling incessantly for twenty-two days across Europe and Asia, as hehad done, merely to dine with Alexieffand find,that the interview was unsatis-factory after all', arid then to travel backover the same weary stretch to make anunwelcome report to hi? Majesty theTsar. "Nitshevo," hesaid with a smile-;"I have been brought up not to quarrelwith my duty." Later in the evening,when he had inveighed against the stu-pidity of the war and the disastrousresults it had entailed, and had spokenwith emotion of the Tsar's grief whenthey broke the news to him of the firstignominious disasters of thfe. fleet, hecontinued: "And what of these poor fel-lows out here?— these friends we haveknown at St. Petersburg, at Moscow, atthe cadet school, at countless festiveboards, and these two hundred thousandmen meeting their fate here in this mis-erable Manchuria. We have given, themup in St. Petersburg. To us they are asgood as lost; we don't expect to cccthem again. They me nothing but thefirst; sacrifice. "■.N^li'evO? /We^mefcT tohave Madchu'ria/'and wo mean to'sweep

across the continent from sea to sea.What is this war to us? What are morewars- to come? If the follies of ourstatesmen provoke a crisis we may getembroiled in worse wars with more pow-erful antagonists. Our army may makea spectacle of itself, as it seems in a fairway of doing, the Russian Empire maygo bankrupt,yet we shall have our way,just as your people ■will have their trayin South America. What are five, teayears, or even a hundred, in the fulfil-ment of a nation'? destiny. Nitehevo!"—Edwin Emeisou. in the Contempor-ary Review.

LETTERS FROM PEOPLECURED OF RHEUMA-TISM, GOUT, LUMBAGO,

AND SCIATICA.From Miss Emily Woodhouse, 109, Wil-

liam-street, Sydney, N.S.W., 11thApril, 1904.

"Ihad suffered from rheumatism andsciatica for several years, and had triedmany remedies, also a trip to the HotLakes of New Zealand. The latter gaveme temporary relief, but after settlingdown in Sydney, the old complaint re-curred, so 1 gave Warner's Safe Cure fttrial fbr'some time, and can now confi-dently state that Ihave not had theslightest sign of the painful,trouble fromwhichIsuffered so long. Iam pleasedto state this for the benefit of Qthoir*who may suffer asIdid."From Mr. F. L. Seager, Waratah-street,

Darlinghurst, N.S.W., 17th Febru-a ry,1904."About six years agoIhad an attack

of lumbago, so severe that Icould notwalk for nine weeks. Itried manymedicines, porous plasters, and electricbatteries, without material relief. Mydoctor could do nothing for me. Hear-ing so much about Warner's Safe CureIdecided to try it: After taking tb*first bottle Ifelt greatly relieved, andstarted to walk again, and after takiQfeight bottles Iwas completely cured. Ihave not suffered in any way since, andstrongly recommend Warner's Safe Cur«to any one afflicted with a similar com-plaint. Iconsider the medicine invalu-ablo."

From Mr. John Spencer, 371, Paira-matta-road, Leichardt, N.S.W., 6thFebruary, 1901,"Some eight years ago I.commenced

to suffer from rheumatism and indiges-tion, and up to about two years agoobtained no relief from doctors nor anymedicine taken. Having read a pam-phlet containing many testimonials ofcures by Warner's Safe Cure, Idecidedto try that medicine myself, and aftertaking five or sis bottles, and followingthe directions given, IWas a new man.Ihave not suffered in any form since."

From Mr. William Pollock M'Auslan, 10,1 Russell-place, North Williamstown,

Vie."Some eight years agoIwas laid up

■with a very persistent attack of rheu-matism, and although Iwas under thecare of a leading medical man, at (heend.of four or live months, instead of-getting better, Iwas growing graduallyworse, and in the doctor's own words'would never make any permanent im-provement.' Fearing that his wordsmight come tvue,Irefused to take hismedicine any longer,and, as a last hope,gave Warner's Safe Cure and Warner'sSafe Rheumatic Cure a trial. From thetaking of the first dose Icould see hopeahi>ad, and in a very little while all painhadloft me, and Inever had the slight-est sign of any relapseuntil my completerecovery some seven weeks later. Thedoctor's words, thanks to Warner's medi-cines, have not been verified, as fromthat day, eight years ago, to this, Ihave,not had the slightest'symptom ofthat dreadful complaint."From Mr. George Wedlock (The Sand-

hurst Samson), Milburn's CoffeePalace, Bendigo, Vie, 4th Septem-ber, 1903. V

"About two years ago Iwas pros-trated with sciatica., and suffered, excru-ciating pain in my legs) mbro especiallyin my knee joints. Ihave always.beena strong, active man, and did not likethe idea of having to lay up, as I-wasadvised by a physician, so Itried vari-ous advertised fe'medies,\ but with noreal"benefit. At this time "Warner'sSafeCure wps brought under my notice1/ andIbegan to take it. I(took twG bottlespf the Safe Cure and aphial of WarneYaSafe Pills, whenall pain in ;ny legs leftmo, and' Iwas'ivtilo to get^about a? 'ac-tively as ever. {1am well known,*hiv-ihg '

exhibited my great power . andstrength tonumerous,audiences through-but the' Australian States." . ,j.

From Mi's.1 Nellie Davidson,. 32, Kejg-, street, Nowtown, N.S.W., 16th$Feb-ru'ary, 1903.

""

j"When jliving atBoggabri, abou^-'18months ago,Iwas laid up for nearly thewhole- wjnter with- rheumatism,' fendcould not obtain any relief from ariy,ofthe,several medicines Itook. One-dayIsaw a pamphlet, issued by you,,' inwhich was described a case similar, tomy own, and Idecided to try whetherWarner's Safo Cure would also benefitme. Itook three bottles of the medi-cine, and am veryglad to say that1wascompletely cured and could go about'-mywork cheerfully. Ihave not fell iheslightest syruptom of the return of fusyrheumatic pam since that time." %

From Mrs. S. A. Slater, 651, Harris-,, street, Ultimo, Sydney, N.5.W.4"Abouteight years'agoIwas a,great

sufferer from rheumatism, ,often havingto take to my bed for three oK fourweeks at a time. Itried all kinds ofmedicines without getting any better,and at last gaveup all hopeof ever get-ting well. Several of my friends recom-mended me to tike Warner's Safe "Cure,but Iwas so sick and tired of takingdifferent medicines, that for some tinieIrefused to follow the advice. Igave inat length, and now Iam glad to saythat Iam entirely free from my old com-plaint,' and have not had a touch of it,for about seven years, thanks to Warn-er's Safe Cure."From Mr. Albert E. Long, Port Pirn,

S.A., 9th January, 1903."Iam pleased to report that Ihave

taken five bottles of Warner's Safo Curefor rheumatism, and that the result Wasmarvellous. The pain has all left me,Iihave gained a stone in weight, and amnow in good health."From R. A. Thompson, Mining Engi-

neer, 148, Adelaide-terrace, BerthW.A., 21st July, 1902."When writing you some time back

as to the efficacy of Warner's SafePillsin biliousness, Imentioned being aboutto try a course of Warner's Saie vsu?cfor gout. The.result of taking the medi-cine was simply wonderful, as manypeople in Perth can testify, and Ispeakgratefully of the benefitIreceived. Theaction of the medicine was this: Firsta gradual toningup of the stoma'*1t en

"

better appetite, purer Wood-making, andslow (at first) but sure disappearanceofthe gout. The food taken during>thecourse was plain but wholesome. -Hamglad also to tell you that many ofMuvacquaintances haveI"'ved great benefitfrom both the Safe Pills and theS^Cure.-Advt.*afo

10

WATER is the groat carrier of infPj,>T tive germs; it is therefore advioAU, to., drink only ApolU'ntu-is;gwr&ntno/? *b?or%^e:Purity Wd &45<ffffiLi

POETRY.A SONG OF THE PLAINS.

No harp have Ifor the singing, noifingers fashioned for skill,

Nor evei shall words c<q>iess it, th«. song that is in my he.u-t,tA saga, ■ swept from the distance, hori-I zons beyond the hill,( Singing of life and endurance, and bid-\ ding me bear my part.fFor- this1 is Song, as Ising it, the sonfthat Ilove the fct^t,

The steady tramp in the furrow, thigrind of the gleaming steel,

(An anthem-,sung to the noonday, &, chani'of the open West,

/ Echoing deep, in my spirit, to gladderand help and heal.

/A'ndV'this is Life, asIread it, ancl Life'in its fairest' form,' To breathe the1 wind on the- ranges,the scent of the upturned &od,

To stride, and strive, and be- thankful.to weather .°hiuc a:—l storm,

Pencilling, over praines, the <teflinyplanned by God.

And. no iev.ard do Ic.^k for, save onlj, to work and wait,- To prciv tho God of my fathers, tc

labour beircnth His sky,To dwell alone inHis erealness, to strike

ancl to follow straight,Silent, and s-tiong, and contented— tho

lnnitle.-.s plains and I.—H. H tftsniord, in the Spectator.

AT BAY.My child is nuns. . a ,

Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh

Rocked on my breast and nurtured atmy knee, ,, ,

Fed with s,,.eet thoughts ere ever hedrew bieath,

Wrested in battle through the gates of1 death.With passionate patience is my

tieasure hoarded,And all my pain with priceless joy

rewarded.J!y child is mine,

but a thousand thousand powersof ill

Dispiite him with me: lurking wolf-Jiko still

Inevery covert of the ambushed years.Pisease and danger dog him:foes and

fear&"Bestride his path, with menace fierce

and stormy.Help /ne, 0 God! these are too

mighty for me!My child-is mine.

But'pomp .and glitter of the garish

worldMay weanhim hence; while, tenderly

unfurled /Like a spring leaf, his delicate spotkss

daysOpen in blinding sunlight. And the

blazeOf blue and blossom, scents and

.songs' at riot,May woo him from my wardenship

of quiet.Jly child is mine.

Vet all his gray forefathers of the pastChallenge the dear possession: they

o'ercastHis soul's clear purity with dregs and

leesOfvile unknown ar cestral impulses:

And viewless b-mds, from shadowyw

* regions groring,With dim negation frustrate all my

■* hoping.My child, is mine.

But what block fate, what ultimatedoom aecurs'd,

Shall be that radiant certainty re-_vers'd? '

Though hell should thrust its fieryi gulfs between,

Though all the heaven of heavenspnould intervene,

Bound with abond not GodHimselfwill sever,

The babeIbore is mine for ever andever.

My.child is mine— May Byron, in the Spectator.

LITERARY COLUMN.NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS.

f"A Southern Garland." Sydney: The

2 Bulletin Newspaper Company.The series of half-a-dozen "Bulletin

Booklets"— selections of verse by favour-. ite Australian writers— has pro\ed very

popular,and several of the sets have beeny a goo- while out of print. The publish-

ers have now issued the whole series,c in one volume,in handsome library bind-

ing. The respective sections are: 'ThefcHidden Tide" and "The Circling

i Hearths," by Roderic Quinnj "A Rose ofRegret," by James Hebblethwaite;, "Dreams in Flower," by Louise Mack;"The West Wind," by Hubert Church;' and "Dawnward?" by Bernard O'Dowd.Excellent portraits of the five authorsrepresented add to tho interest of the

i book, and besides the respective tablesof contents there is ■ a complete general.. index. It is not necessary to refer indetail to the contents, several of the

j booklets having been fully reviewed al-ready in'our pages. The book is a choice, garland of verse, presented in worthyiurm, and will be welcomed by lovers of, Australian literature."The Circle." By Katherine CecilThurston. London:. W. Blackwood

and' Sons."J6hrt"Chilcote, M.P." By KatherineCecil Ttinrston. London:W. Black-

wood andSons.The tirst of these books is a sixpenny

reprint. Apart from the demand whicn', has presumably led to the re-issue, itseems only right that a story displaying

■ so much originality ancl power— so wellconceived and carefully elaborated—should be presented to awider circle than'the more expensive editions would reach.For dramatic force and vividness, thescene in the tenth chapter, where Strode

Relates to his betrothed hei own life-story, with comments of his own

—wholly unsuspecting her identity withthe woman of whom ne speaks

—strikes

us as equal to the besi work of contem-porary story-tellers.'In ""Jo/in Chilcoto, M.P.," the author

has developedan original theme with re-markable skill. Chilcote, a statesman ofacknowledged ability, has fallen

'under

the dominion of i.ie morphia habit, islosing memory andmental capacity, andrealising that he has unfitted himselffor Ihe duties of his position, has falleninto a condition of nrofound melancholy.He casually encouK

'ts a stranger, one

johnLoder, and the two men are amazedat the resemblance they bear to eachother. A brief conversation reveals toChilcote that Loder, an ambitious liter-ary man in painfully straitened circum-stances, has force o- character and un-Msual ability, and moreover is exception-ally versedinPersian politics, whichpro-mise to become the question of the hour.An idea comes to him, and takes fullpossession of his mind, and some dayslate* he proposes to Loder a temporaryexchange of personalities. The sugges-tion is indignantly rejected

—the fact

that Chilcote has a wife, even if therewere no other reason, making such athing impossible. Chilcote explains thatthere need be m» difficulty on this score,as his wife and he have long since gonetheir several ways,and are almost strang-ers, in the end he carries his point,Loder takes his name and place, rehabi-litates the politician's waning reputation,ai|a renders the State distinguished ser-vice, while his "doppelgangeiy1 relievedof his responsibilities, falls still more

" hopelessly into the bondage of vice. Un-looked-for complications, of course, arise— Loder becomes deeply enamoured ofMrs. Chilccte, while she, on her part,finds her early affection return for theman ■ she supposes to be her husband,whom she had learned to despise. Theauthor has developed a difficult and im-probable story with »are skill, and a i

situation which in some hands wouldhave been decidedly risky, is carried ;through withunfailing tact. i

"The Commander of the Hirondqlle."A Sea Tale. By W. H. Fitchett.Melbourne: Fitchett Brothers.

The author of that won theEmpire," in this his latest book, takesus back a hundred%and eight years, tothe siege of Toulon, and carries us onthtbugh the Battle of St. Vincent. Thehero, Lieutenant Gaunt, is a typical Bri-tish sailor of romance;in daring andpluck, as well as in the contest of wits,he is more than amatch for the French-men, and is successful in love as in war.Wholesome, breezy, and full of life andadventure, his story is just the holidaybook for a schoolboy. Wo tried it onone, who made short work of it. "Verylike oneof Kingston's," was his verdict.The author need not wish for a highetcompliment.

"Thoughts on Ultimate Problems, beinga synoptic statement of Two Theo-dicies." ByF. W. Frankland. Wel-lington:W. J. Lankshear.

The name of Frankland has long beenassociated in the minds of students withmetaphysical enquiry and investigationsinto the theories of trancendental mathe-matics, and the present treatise, whiclithe author describes as setting forth his"speculations,tentative and provisional,"though too technical lor the ordinaryreader, will be full of interest and sug-gestive thought to those whose studieslie in these directions. Mr. Franklandhas been for some time in communicationwitha fellow-student, Mr. B. W. Weeks,whose (tentative) theodicy is set out mthe margin and discussed in the text.The author tells us at the outset that heholds the fundamental theorem of Berke-leyan Idealism— that all existence is ne-cessarily psychic— "as an indubitablyproven fact, being assured indeed thattne bare statement of any alternativeview involves a misuse of language."But, he suggests, the distinguished ideal-ist "was not quite right in denying trthe so-called primary qualities of matteian existence outside our minds, though,of course, he was quite right to deny theexistence of these or any other qualitiesoutside all minsd." Recent discoveriesin physics lead him to suggest the pos-sibility that "bothgross matter and alscaether will be banished, m the name oithe principle of parcimony .. . from theuniverse as having any existence distinctfrom electric charge. .. I venture thesurmise... that thesame principle...will yet banish matter, aether, and elec-tricity, in favour of space, the variedand changing geometries of which willbe found adequate to account for allthe phenomena of tho material world."Here Mr. Frankland vergeson mysticism,and elsewhere we find hie. quoting withrespect mystics such as Harris andNoyes.The tract is!the work of an- originalstudent who strives to reach foundationtruths, and the author's application ofhis theories to theology and practicalsociology will interest philosophic think-ers, however they may dissent from hisviews.

InSteele Rudd's Magazine for the sur-rent month the' editor gives a view of"Dad" inParliament, where he is scarce-ly a success. He sits on the hat of anirascible1 Irish member, and then fightshim, to the delight of the gallery. Thecontributions are markedby a good dealof humour of the "knockabout" class,and depict a reckless irresponsibility ofcharacter, which, though it may be afeature of Australian life, is not an at-tractive one, and is scarcely typical."TheuoingYear, by "Asphodel," whiclideservedly takes first place, is a poemof more thanaveragemerit ;a little piece,"If," alro touches a genuine note; "TheCall of the Never Never1' comes verynear the level of poetry, which is morethan can be said of the long rhapsody"Australia." Some of the drawings arevery good.

In the New Zealand Illustrated Maga-zine Mr. W, Townson has an interestingaccount of a botanical trip in the Lyelldistrict, with photograms pf the 'ocalflora. The most notable article is a studyby Mr. EdwardKemp of the life and lit-erary work of Edgar Allan Poe. Thepoetry includes a piece by "Roslyn,"and an original Christmas carol withmusic. '

'In the Young Man's Magazine for De-cember, Mr. Ernest D. Esterre has awell-writtenarticle on "The Lucerne of

> the South," and "the giants of Milford5 Sound." The fhst pme .story and poem, in the literary competition are both reallyl excellent pieces of work. The ilory, "An» Oxford M.A.," is by Mr. H. H. 'Dixon,. and the poem, "The Fiend's Philosophy,"1 by Mr. G. R. Huteheson, of Wellington.( Mr. F. W. Dunlop's attractive article on. "Student Life in Germany," is illustrated. with a life-like portrait of Profe&eor Ru-| dolf Eucken, of whom he writes in high1 terms. Mr. D. M'Laren, in a thoughtful1 article, discusses the question, "Was Jesusr a Socialist?" There is a summary of cur-. rent ne-n s,and the usual Bible-class notes.

LADIES' COLUMN.Girls' Gossip.

1 (Contributions to this column addressed5 "Priscilla" will be welcomed. They

should be concise, and must be signed, with the writer's full name and address,j not for publication, but as a guarantee' of authenticity.]j -"—

_- Mr Dear Kezia

—I "A Happy New Year to. You," andi better weather in the first month of '05( than wehave had in the last of '04. The> summer is still anxiously looked for,■ but one cannot help think it has'_ dropped out somehow, for even on the. sunniest days the air had a tang of cold' that forbids prints and muslins. Christ-| mas Eve was a perfect evening, and' Wellington streets were crowded. The- number of noises— of varying horror

—' that arose was extraordinary. Therer were squeaks and giunts, whistles and1 squeals, mingling vith the clung of the■ tram bell and the clatter of the crowd,5 and the effect was quite bewildering.5 Every man and woman had one child—-■ or more— and every child had a toy that» made it happy and night hideous. The' wonder was that, with such a seemingly! casual crowd the eleciric hams did not1 act thepart of Juggernaut cars and claim! a few victims. Fortunately the dismal"

2'r€dictions uttered when our electricj tram service was mooted have not been

fulfilled— though a populardistiust of thetrolley-pole is apparent.

\ Since charming Neil of Old Drury de-lighted us, Wellington has not heard

1 such a fascinating play a3 "Monsieur1 Beaucaire." The hero is absolutely cap-: tivating, in love or war. Indeed Mr.

Julius Knight's talent for love-making—1 on the stage— is well-known. To those; who have met Mr. Paderewski in his

brilliant moods, theie was a wonderfulsimilarity to the great pianiste in the.gay, witty, resourceful Frenchman. Therapid changes of expression, the gracefuland constant gesture, and the quaint

'. intonation— all reminded one of Mr. Pad-erev/ski. There were many feminine'siglus over the decay of the picturesque

( in the men's diess of to-day. But the, times have altered, too, and the men

themselves, and powder and patches, vel-vet doublet and silk stockings, do not

: ab all harmonise with modern sport ormodern money-making. Miss Jefieries is'splendidly handsome;even her severestcritics

—feminine, of course

—were not,

disappointed;but she is somewhat stiffand cold— perhaps purposely, to mukt afoil to Beaucaire's vivacity and gaiety.

, Her dresses were simply-made, but ofexquisite material and cut, and the redrltees that play so inipoitant a pait inthe story showed bravely against heigleaming white satin and the soft bluesilk of her two gowns*. A lovelj fiockof white brocade, strewn with rose-clusters, opened over a petticoat fes-tooned with lace and rose-buds. Another

1most effective gown was of blue andwhit* biocade in wide stripes. Tokenas a whole, the frocks in Monsieur Beau-caire were not so unlike our modes of to-day, so old-fashioned are the very latestwhims of feminine fancy.

Those who knew Miss Olga Morgan,who stayed some time in Wellingtonpainting miniatures, will be interested tohear of her engagement to Mr. LaurenceBradbury, one of the proprietors ofPunch. "The Punch Book," just tohand, has been illustrated by Miss Mor-gan, who, during her stay here, wascompleting a delightful child's bock, illus-trating it with qnaint humour and daintyskill.

Mi.*s Annie Taylor Blacke, who hasbeen for some years painting in England,arrivejj by theßuapehu. She intends tosettle in New Zealand and teach, and togive anexhibition of her pictures shortly.Among those works she has brought fromHome ii5*5* her Salon picture. We aregoing to lose Miss Hodgkins, whosebril-liant sketches are so much admired here.She goes Home shortly to be married.Lady Whitmore and Mrs. Dixon arrivedfrom England last week, and went onthe next day to Napier.

Quite a number of entertainments havebeen given for the Countess of Onslow.Mrs. Collins, with whom she is staying,has given dinner parties, as also Mis.Arthur Pearca. Misa Johnston gave apleasant dance on Thursday,evening, andChristmas Day wps spent at Mr. C.Johnston's beautifulplace at Karori, Mr.Johnston being Ihe godfather to theHon. Huia Onslow, who was born dur-ing Mr. Johnston's term of office asMayor. „ ,

The ceremony at Otabi on Wednes-day was attended by many Wellingtonpeople. Among those who accompanied'Ihe Countess of Onslow, Lady Dorothy,and the Hon. Huia Onslaw, were Dr.and Mrs. Collins, with whom they arestaying, Mr. C. Johnston, who is god-father to the young rangitira, and Mrs.Johnston, Bishop and Mrs.' Wallis, Mr.and Mrs. Field and Miss Hodgkins, SirJoseph Ward, and the Premier and hisfamily. The Countess, who althoughsuffering from a cold, appeared to enterinto the spirit of the ceremonies mostenthusiastically, wore dark green cloth■with wing net and lace vest and under-sleeves; Lady Dorothy, whose daintylooka and colouring won much admira-tion, being, dressed in pale grey, herhat and feather stole bsing white. Whenshe was decked out with the feathermat made for her, a delicate arrange-ment of soft browns, pale pinks, andyellows, the effect was charming. Thedignity of the Eon. Huia was remark-able, and he appeared to have the ad-mirable quality of tact. It is said thatat Home he seizes every opportunity oftalking to Maoris, and at Jubilee timeLord Onslow's house was open to thevisiting natives. Among the many giftswas an exquisitely carved stick mountedin silver, a present from Mr. Prosser,of Porirua.

Really, if this inclement weather con-tinues, "we shall be obliged to forego ourmuslins and obtain suitable wraps. TheDirectoire coats

—so delightfully illus-

trated in "Monsieur Beaucaire"—

are themode of the moment. These are of vel-vet or fine cloth, with huge revers andcuffs, and skirts that either slope away.sharply or are turned back to show ahandsome lining. With this a full skirt,trimmed in old-world mode, a jabot ofKaro lace, and a three-cornered hat,would suit charmingly. By the way,the rosette is -no longer to adorn ourgowns, though ribbon, .applied in bands,squares, or patterns, and always slightlygathered on one edge, is constantlyused. It is possible at sales to pick upfor a trifle a quantity of ribbon thatwilt make your autumn or winter gownmost artistic,, but it must be remem-bered that many yards"are reauired to

produce a good effect, and economy isimpossible if one is a devout votary ofDame Fashion. A frock worn recentlyby a lady just arrived from Englandwas, however, simple and yet Mn...it.Dark blue cloth formed the back groundfor little motifs and bands of pale tancloth embroidered with black and gold.The short coat was made with theshoulders falling over the top of thesleeve, and the skirt was of walkinglength.

Quite the newest trimming for ourcoming frocks is the "bouillonne," madefrom cord, covered with silk or gatheredinto ornaments of many sizes and shapes.The heavy cable cord is used for prefer-ence. Large discs are made by twistingthe cord round and round like a mat.These look extremely well on a coat,especially with pendants with knottedends hanging from the centre. Timelovers' knots, frogs, and medallions canbe mide out of this cord. It is import-ant to cut. the silk— taffeta for prefer-ence— exactly bias, and not too wide forthe cord, otherwise it will wrinkle un-evenly and loosely. Collars, cuffs, andwhole yokes are made of this in finecord, andmost charming effects are gain-ed by tacking on the 'covered cord to alace pattern and filling up the openspaces with point lace stitches in coarsesilk.

—Iam, yours,

PRISCILLA.

The Housekeeper.

SUMMER HINTS.Summer Housekeeping Without Ice.— Partly fill with water a shallow gran-

ite-ware pan. Place it in an open, shadywindow where there is a good draughtof air. In this put bottles of water,milk and cieam (sealed), wrapped withwet cloths reaching into the water. Putbutter in an earthen dish deep enough toprevent water getting in. Over thisturn an earthen iiower-pot wrapped witha wet cloth reaching into the water. Thepan should be fixed every morning andevening. With seveial of theie pans onecan keep hous-o very comfortably with-out ice.

Convenience of a Slate in 'the Kitchen.—I wonder if many housekeepers knowwhat a convenience a shite can be whenhung on the kiccheu wall with a pencilattached. It is a place to write downneeded articles and kitchen supplies astney run low. If you send the washingout each week and you must make a list,scratch on the back of the date, with apointed nail, in an even column, thenames of all articles likely to be sent.Then, each week you have only towrite the number befoie each name,and erase it when the clothes are all re-

1turned.A Simple Refrigerator.—Procure a -wire

meat-safe—

that is, abox covered by wiie-1netting on three sides, with a fly-proofIdoor. On top place « deep pan filledwith water. Take a piece of burlap theheight of the pan and safe, and ofsufficient length to reach around the en-tire safe. Tack it fast where the dooropens and closes. Tuck the upper edge!in the uater, and you. will have a well-ventilated refrigerator that costs nothingbut water to maintain.

To Deal with the Pestilent Fly.—Screen every door and window from topto bottom. Pit the window screens out-side the sash, and have the lower halfadjustable. If a few flies get in, shipthem with folded newspaper; but ilthere are many wait till four o'clock,which is their hungry time, and darkenthe room except one narrow ray. Setthere a plate of poison paper, and sweet-ened water. Lock the door and leavethem to their fate. Plates of flypaperon a shelf outside the kitchen door t\illdestroy myriads. To make a shelf tohold the plates of flypaper, nail up a boxopening outward.

A Siphon for Emptying a RefrigeratorPan

—Housekeepers who have no drain

for their lefrigerator know the annoyingconsequences of neglecting to empty therefrigerator pan. A siphon does thework nicely. Take twelve feet of verysmall rubber tubing, fill it with water,close botb ends, put one end i»i the pan,the other out of a near-by window anddown below the floor level. Then openboth ends. The water will begin to runout, and will continue to do so all thesummer. The flow is regulated by rais-ing or lowering or slightly closing theouter end.

A Refrigerator Screen.—

Buy an ordin-ary bedroom screen, preferably of thelargest size. Place upon each pair ofhorizontal bars, instead of the shirredgoods ordinarily used, a pl:.in, ungathei-ed, linen crash or cotton sheeting, theheavier the better, with a simple out-line design in wash silk or linen. Spongethe sheeting with warm water, leaving,a foot at the bottom dry to preventdripping. Then place the screen in anopen window or doorway, and it will bofound to bring down the temperatureof the room to a refreshing degree.

One Way to Keep a House Cool.—

Keep the windows open all night. Riseearly in the morning. Put a chair at thefoot of the bed, and throw the mattressover it, so that the wind cau blow underit. Beatup the pillows and put them hior near the windows

—in the sun, if pos-

sible. Leave till after breakfast. Afterthoroughly airing t.'ie house, close theblinds by 9 a.m. and the house willke«p cool all day.

HOME HINTS.The Wooden Spoon.— Itis better to use

a wooden spoon than oneof metal whenstirring milk or soups, and before usingbaking tinsyoushould grease them insidethoroughly either with butter or lard. Inorder to prevent them from burning, it isas well to take the piecaution of sprinkl-ing the shelves of the oven with'salt.

Hints to be Remembered when Choos-inga Lamp.— Always insist upon buyinga lampwith aheavy stand, abrass reser-voir, with a good tight screw, and onewith a double burner and a sheath roundthe wick. Burn good oil that won't ex-plode when warm, and, if possible, seethat there is a self-acting extinguisher.Use a fireproof globe, and the lamp willprove very safe if it is made of brass.

Oily Bottles.— When you wish to useglass bottles whichhave'contained oil forborne other purpose, and find it difficultto remove traces of the oil, try the fol-lowing:—Fiil the bottle with a&hes, andplace it in ccM water, which should beheated gradually till it boils. Let it boilfor an hour, andlet the bottle remain inthenater until cold. Then wash it \\ ithsoapsuds, rinsing in clear water.

Lamp Wicks.—

Lamp wicks should besoaked in strong vinegar and then driedbefore being used. This precaution willensure abetter light and a freedom fromsmoked lamp chimneys.

To Brighten a Shabby Carpst.— Altersweeping the carpet, rub it over with acloth wrung out in vinegar and water,and, if possible, do not let it hi walkedupon until it is "dry. The quantity ofvinegar is a teacupful to a pail of warmwater, and ibis treatment often has awonderfully gotfd effect in reviving tnefaded colours of an old carpet.

A Capital Whitewash.— Put a bushel 01lime into a rlcan wooden tub, andpouron it two buckets of boiling water, stir-ring it all the time. When the lime hasbeen slacked, dissolve in the water fourpounds of sulphate of zinc, and twopounds of coarse salt. These additionsare to prevent the whitewash from crack-ing off. To make the wasTi cieam-col-oured, add iv,o pounds of yellow ochre.From twoand a half to three buckets ofwash will be needed for a room oi grdin-ary size.

ALLEGED HUMOUR.LAZYLAND. !

Three travellers wandered along theIstrand, j

Each with a staffin his feeble hand;And they chanted low,We are go-o-o-Ingslow-o-ow-Ly to Lazyland,

"They've left ofi eating and drinking,there;

They never do any thinking, there:They never walk,And theynever talk,

And they fall asleep, without winking,there.

"Nobody's in a hurry, there:They aienot permitted to worry, there:

'Tis a wide, still place,And not a face

Shows any symptoms of flurry, there.-

''Nobells are mug in the morning, there;They care not at all for adorning, there;

All sounds are hushed,And a man who rushed

Would be treated with absolute scorning,theie.

They do noi take any papers, there;No politicianscut capers, there;

.They have no 'views,'And they tell no news,

And they burn no midnight tnpers,there.

"No lovers are permitted, there;Reformers are not admitted, there:They argue notIn that peaceful spot

And their clothes come ready fitted,there.

"Electricity has not been heard of theie,And steam has been spoken no woidof,

there:They stay where they are:

Anda coach or earThey hay« not so much as a third of

there.'

"'Oh, this worldis a truly crazy land:A worrying, hurrying, mazy land

We cannot stay:We imibfc find the way

—If there i& a way

—to Lazyland."May Vandergvilt.

MR. DOOLEY ON TRAVEL. ,In nis new series of articles, Mr.

Dooleyhas oneon "'The Comforts of Tra-vel." He travelled in a palace car, andsurrounded with luxuries, to "SaintLooey." On his return, he confided hisemotion to Mr. Hennessy :—:

—"Iam almost as wetl as befure Imade

me pleasure jaunt. I'm not goin' to doit again. Let thim that will, bask intheir comforts, Istay at home. Whin-

j iverItell th' desire to fly through space,Ithrow four dollars out iv th' window,put a cinder into me eye, an' go to bedon a shelf in th' closet."I guess, Hirmissy, whin ye come to

think iv *, they ain't army such thingas luxury in thravel. We was meant tostay where we found oursilves first, an'thravellin' is conthry to nature. Icango f'rm Chicago toNew York in twintyhours, but what's th' matter with Chi-cago Ican injye places betther be notgoin' to thim. Ithink iv Italy as th'home iv' th' Pope, but Hogan, who hasbeen there, thinks iv it as th' home iv'th' flea. Ican se th' dome iv St. Peth-er's risin* against th' sky, but ho canon'y sec th' cabman that charged himeighty liars or thirty cents iv our moneyto carry him around th' block. IthinkivNew York 'as aplace where peoplesatshinin' their dimonds with satin napkinsat th' Waldorf, an'> dhrinkin* champagneout iy gobld"coal-scuttles with Jawn W.(rates, but Iknow a man down therethai dhrives a cLhray, I've always want-ed to see tli Rocky Mountains, but theydon't look as tall near by as they do faraway.

"They ain't army easy way iv thravel-lin'. Our ancesthors didn't have armyfast thrains, but they didn't want thim.They look ona man thravellin' as a mandead, an' so he is. Comfort is in havin'things where ye can reach thim. A manis as comfortable on a camel as oh a pri-vate car,an' aman who cud injye bounc-in' over steel rails at sixty miles an hourcud go to sleep on top iv a donkeyinjine. The' good Lord didn't intind usto be gaddin' arount th' twurruld. Th'more we thry to do it, th' harder 'tismade f'r us. Aman is supposed to takehis meals an' his sleep in an attichood ivrepose. It ain't nachral to begin on abiled egg at Galesburg an' end on it atBloomington. We weren't expicted tospread a meal over two hundherd miles,an' our snores over a thousand. If th'Lord had wanted San Francisco to benear New York He'd have put it there.Th' railroods haven't made it armynearer. It's still tin thousan' miles, orwhativer it is, an' ye'd be more tiredif ye reached it in wan day thin ye wudif yedid it in two months in a coveredwaggon an' stopped f'r sleep an' meals.Th' faster a thrain goes, th' nearer th'jints iv the rails ar-re together. Manwas meant to stay where he is or walk.If Nature had intinded us to fly, sheI

wud 'ye fixed us with wings, an' taught|us to ate chicken food."

"But th* railroods assists Nature," saidMr. Hennessy.

"They do," said Mr. Dooley. "Theymake ithard to thravel."

IrvingBoothe— "Do younot think thatmy performance here to-night will be abenefit to your,town?" Mrs. Casey—"Sure; it's brought me good luck al-ready.Isold out all me rotten fruit be-fore noon time to-day."

"Ha\e you made any efforts to createenthusiasm among the masses?" "No,"answered the unpopular man who wasrunning for office. ''The onlysure wayIcan see to create enthusiasm is to getdefeated."

"I never become angiy because a mandoes not think quite asIdo," remarkedthe professor;"for whenIfind a. manwho disagrees- with meIrealise that itis probably with difficulty that he thinksat all."

"Say, dear," remarked Newlived, l!Itseems to me you cook entirely too muchfood for just us two." "Iknow,"» repliedhis young wife, "I do it purposely. Iwant to try some of those 'EconomicalLeft-over Dishes Mrs. Baker's Cook Booktells about."

Mrs. Casey— "So poor Mary, Flan-nery's man waskilt at the quarry." Mrs.Cassidy

—"Aye!Shure &he never was as ,

Ilucky as her cousin, Mag Gallagher."Mrs. Casey

—"What are ye sajdn"? Gal-

lagher -was blowed up in a quarry, too."Mrs. Casskly— "Thrue for ye! IJut he■was blowed into sich s^nall bits Ks wifewas sparedthe ixpinse of a fuite/tal."

"You say you got rid of thaft counter-feit quarter Igave you, Sam!?" "I cer-tainly did, boss." "But dont you knowit was wrong to pass it?" "I didn't'zactly pass it, boss; you see, Iwaspassin 'round de plate in church las'Sunday, an'Ijist exchanged, it!"

"You must remember laar. Iintroduc-ed youat my 'At Home.1

'1' "You intro-ducedme to so many people, how can 1remember?" "Bafc she wios wearing '(describes the costume minutely). "Oh,was that she? Of couree>Iremember herperfectly!"/

Mrs. Jenkins—

"Your son's engaged tobe married, Ihear. Iisaw a, young ladywith him to-day. Was that

"Mrs.

O'Bull—

"Yes, that wa,«j his fiasco."Maiden lady— "It is, very good of you,

sir, to give me your sfcat." PaC O'Brady—"Not at all, mum. It's a dooty we

owe to the sex. Scnne folks only do itwhen a womanis young and pretty;butIsays the sex, Pat, and not the indi-vidual."

"The South seems divided as to thenegioproblem." "Yes, the -whites wantto solve it by subtraction and the blackaby multiplication."

THE EVENING POST. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1904. 11

6 oO Serviceable and uii/l/sA 6©0 A great assemblage of blouses, embracing " U 0j&£ every description of garment. There are the jyf^llln Hjy? simple and inexpensive blouses for holiday wear, .^^^^o' A2^l the more elaborate garments for street wearv and j/Z' ||O special occasions, and dainty blouses for evening r*~^BHs3xd^ 00 wear and for social functions of importance. J^"^^^^^m^ ©0 There is good value in every garment at the J^^g^^^&^m^ ®

0 FLAKED LINEN and CRASH BLOUSES, in the S^M^^^W^^ ®0 popular shades;Very fineholiday garments dMim '*" WHITE MUSLIN BLOUSES, trimmed with insertionO and embroidered At 9/11, 14/6 each 4^%v fW\^

FANCY SATINLAINEBLOUSES^ in the newest shapes,' UM \

X in spots and floraleffects At 12/8, 14/6, 15/6 each Jjj€# §$dfa CREAM VOILE BLOUSES, with colouredspots, and very daintily trimmedir»l At 16/6 each 4^0 FANCY DELAINE BLOUSES, in all the favourite shades, in beautiful patterns and 00 latest styles At 16/6 each 00 Supej'b Silk SSlouses. 0X WHITE JAPANESE WASHING SILK BLOUSES, inabout250 different styles Xj| At 10/6, 12/6, 14/6, to 42/- each Jj

, JAPANESE SILK BLOUSES, in pale blue, eau-de-nil,pink, navy blue,cardinal,maize, |%a heliotrope,andblack At 15/6, 17/6, to 42/- each **0 CREAM JAPANESE SILK BLOUSES,yoke of briar stitch,and withnavy spots Q©At 23/- each &%@ CREAM JAPANESE SILK BLOUSES, with coloured spots and trimmedwithcoloured ©0 Cluny lace

'At 39/6 each 0

© " @© Sieautiful S&louse JLengths. @ft " ©0 EMBROIDERED IRISH LINEN At 17/6 the length q© EMBROIDERED MUSLIN

'At 16/6 to 27/6 the length ©

© EMBROIDERED JAPANESE SILK At 18/6 the length ©

8 Tjhe "Correct" Store, @0 ©© ©S jfCirkcaldee and Stains^, Juimited* %

i©" O " S

S MAY we be allowed to most heartily C{ thank the many thousands who, during" \/ the past year,have generouslyresponded V\ to our efforts, and have with equal C\ J generositybeenmost kind toour feelings. }

j IT will be our pleasure and business to c\ retain old customers and make newones ?

on absolutely straightforward business s/ lines. Neither indulging in catchpenny \\ dodges of questionable veracity,nor pro- (C mising what common sense clearly mdi- >/ catesas impossible businesspropositions. j

i WILL be of the best! Well-bought! )> Reasonably priced. Goods which will >J triumphantly standthe test of comparison \^s indicate the claim wehave often made

—(

\ Better Value Impossible. )X and strengthen the pleasant bonds of tC mutual trust and satisfaction which have \f been the most gratifying features of our S) business in the past. S\o9 © © 3

} 69, LAMBTON QUAY. j

Remarkable Treatment that tiovetaps \M^ithe Bust Six Iftcftesa«d Rounds out Jff\ ®\theFigure. PerfectlysafeandHarm- m \^lessHemeTreatmentFullyDescribed, T /0^&Free te AM, \/ JEvery wouiauwho, throutrb sickness or worry or any WJ t

"*~^—lM!j k'

other cauße, hicks the naturaldeveiopmeutof bust cau \A c>-,_c>-,_ "^^^ *'ensijy regainaperfect figurebyanewandremarkable treat- V>

- —=::— ~ ""

meut thatquicklyonliu-gesihubust to'fullproportions. i^MMM««Mtt«aM««"»«"«M«Mrs.Bb*ke writes:

—"Since using'Diano'my chest measurement hasincreased six

incliefe," Miss Moeeton vcrjites:—

'"Biauo" actiuu oplendidly; alrcadj developed two.uclios." Mrs.Crook writes,:—"' IMano'hashad wonderfuleffect;bosonm-gettingquitefull." Miss Gould1write*:— "My figureisperfectlydeTelopodby "Diano.' " Shalluot re-quiießnyii'Ore."T-hOsoJ^dieshaTeiintjinatedtiieirpletsureto^ivetheirexx'eriießcetoothcrs.

DlA'NJ©' lStt-'MX"X'r*°*T)t*"";?'*taBT l«*ly c«n eusilyupeinher priTate nparbneiits,

and it.euaraateedtocive tihedesirdi remit without tlieslightestmconvemonce.'Byscudiaf,' youranme, address,uicLtipenny stump to XSS Z.AXSX .KA2TAG-EX,

"■DZAI74V P.©- £5?9. TFBIiKOrCH'Oir, you will receive VKSKE full descrip-tion of thisremarkableMethodvrhWhTrill enable you to attainperfect bn&t developmentathomeat n. veryBhpht<*xpeune. The deicnption is mailed to you free in «. perfectlypiainauil sealedenvelop*, an*!you shouldhaveno heaitsucyinwriting. You 'will be de-lfchted to learnhow easilyimd. surely the bust eaa be developed, and it will payyou towrite to-day. Dfm'fcne^cct to dosp.

2"

TKSDESagETOPySgSS^AgTy^S BEHEST WBEBE BEHMEffIEBTts STOSW&T."

Our showing of High-class Goods suitable W^l^^f^^%^Jffil|^^^^^^^^^for Wedding Gifts surely entitles us to firsthonours. We take a specialprideinour stock. I^-r;^ f^JPtfJlllllllEvery article is carefully selected and judged ffr ;4^rs!SSfe§£j;BSs*%it;AfW^^before it enters ourShow-rooms. We have g-f"' /V. 'ZY-ft-"<P''?,#: *?W?'. \:'W-%fßw\nooldstock. All goods areup todate, and it kffi,$>| ))tM\£jj ;,;/2 -~-J ';«;lj i^h ,""''-<i;:\;,Vj 'j viis to your advantage toselect your Wedding &gjli-~.V'£'l £'iji- -;'"..rf^'^^lf''^K'l;'Hf' v 'if) £$l 3§| '$\Gifts where price and <juality are in your k'.j^^'"jr-Vj]'^h£;Yr L^s» v^M^W

l^^^^^^-''^^^/'')i^'^ G4409— Case of Fish or Dessert Knives andiFoLks,in oak cases.l^^^m^^^^^hr^H^Hj Dozen Knives and Foiks, pearl handles, and the case.Cases of half-dozen, 60/-, 70/- and 80/-thecase.

G3165—

lio-s. contain 111, Six l>siE P. .CakeForkb/12/6. ..>;,. . .»],__,

CATALOGUES SENT FREE ON APPLICATION.

F6538-Pairof Best E P. Jelly Spoons, W/^ltif-»Cr^^«-»in case, 14/6. 15 ▼ ▼

NEWS AND NOTES.The Japanese have complained a gooi

deal of the use of Chinese costumes b;the Russian tro;ps. The Russian Invalid explains that this is due to thfact that tho sudden descent of wintehas found some of the Russian regimentunsupplied with warm clothing. Wintegarments are being sent to the fronwith all possible speed, but in the meantime the commander of the Manchunaiarmy has, in certain cases, issued petmission for the purchase of warm autegarments from the native populationEvery effort has beenmade to alter thescostumes in such a manner as to proven

possibility of mistake, but, not unnaturally, their appearance is still mor

'Chinese than Russian.

The betrothal of the Imperial CrowiPrince of Germany to the Duchess Cgcilia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin has oniresult not altogether welcome to her owipeople. In Mecklenburg-Schwerin it iicustomary to raise dowries for member!of the Grand Ducal family by a speciatax, which the Diet is shortly -to delibcrate on, conformably to an arrangeraent dating-Irom 1755. MecklenburgBchwerin is not a rich country, thouglils Duke is wealthy, and it is not surprising to find adverse comments in th«German Liberal Press.

The house in Portland, Me., whereLongfellow wasborn, is 'now a tenemeniin the poorer part of the city, mostly inhabited by Irish. A few years ago iteacher in Portland was giving a lessoron the life oi the poet. At the end of ththour, she began to question her class,

"Where was Longfellow born?" ilunaked. A sma-M boy waved his ljancvigorously. When tho teacher called orhim, his answer did not seem toastonishthe rest of the class, but it was a coldshock to her. t-In Patsy Magee's bed-room," he said.

The Kielpilots who were onboard_thcRussian Fleet on its passage through theGreat Belt stated that the Russiancrewswere in a very depressed state of mirtd.Not only the petoy officers and seamen,but also the subalterns, \vere in completeignorance regarding the situation in EastAsia. They had not beeij.allowed tcland for weeks, anu some of thjp office^declared that they would give ten marksor more for a newspaper containing afull account of the situation. The lqoksandthe" bearing,even of the commandersand senior officers, betrayed anythingbut satisfaction or confidence.

"Roubles efc Roublards" is the title ofa book of experiences as war correspond-ent in the Russian lines by M. PierreGiffard, a title which the Sunday TimesParis correspondent aptly translates into"Roubles and Rascals." To take but aeingle instance of the difficulties of com-munication between St. Petersburg andKharbin— 2,000,000 roubles havebeen col-lected for the sickand wounded.^ Of thatcum only300,000leftthe central

"adminis-

tration, and those roubles were so "tap-ped" on the way thac practically nothingreached the front.

One of the six hats worn by Napoleonknown to be still in existence has beengiven by M. Napoleon de Mercey tothe Conde Museum at Chantilly. In aletter to the Paris Le Matin, M. deMercey explains:— "This 'hat became theproperty of my godmother, Queen Caro-line, on the occasion of a division of theproperty which came from St. Helena,when my grandfather represented theEmperor's eister. Wishing to bestow onhim proof of her gratitude for the devo-tion he always showed her, 'aa thoughehe were a well-beloved daughter,' theQueen gave him this hat, 'worn by theEmperor with the army at St. Helena,'to quote the exact terms of the auto-graph letter kept with the hat ina cedarchest. This hat is much worn, and thereis attached- to it, with a bent pjn, a"mall tricolour cockade."

The Times correspondents see omin-ous indications of something more thana lack of enthusiasm among the reservesleaving Russia, which are to constitutethe crushing reinforcements intended tosecure the ultimate victory of the Rus-sian arms. Several correspondents havebeen struck by the remarkable silenceboth of the crowd and of the troopsthemselves on the departure from St..Petersburg of several companiesof volun-unteers for the seat of war. In spiteof the martial music flayedby the band,the soldiers marched past in dead silence,the crowd uncovering as the flag wascarried by and making the sign of theCross.

The German Count of Wurtemberg isagitating the formation of anovel schoolin Germany, which shall have as its ob-ject the instruction of people who areconsidering the advisability of emigrat-ing toother lands. A person who wishesto leave the fatherland can go to this§ch#Jl for a short time and take acoursewhich will teach him the history andeconomic conditions of the country towhich he wishes to go, as well as thevarious industries which flourish in thedifferent sections of the country underdiscussion. It is thought that by thismeans Germans can tell whether or notthey can better themselves by leavingGermany.

The largest meteorite known to thecivilised world has found its final resting-place in the Museum of Natural History,sTew York. This gigantic mass of iron,■weighing thirty-six tons, for which Lieut.Peary made a special voyage to Green-land, was conveyed to the museum on atruck drawn by thirty-six horses. Somedoubt was originally thrown on thegenuineness of the meteorite, but the factthat it has the characteristic glossy ex-terior which results from fusion incidentto friction with our atmosphere, the pecu-liar pitted surface, and, when treatedwithnitric acid, exhibits the peculiarparkingsknown as Widmannstattian lines, hasconvinced all scientists that it is veritablya heavenly visitant. The Eskimo usedto procure iron points for their weaponsfrom the meteorite, which led to its dis-covery by Pearj', who questioned theEskimos as to the source of their supply.It is not our business, as the allies of

Japan (sa-ya the military correspondentof The Times), tocriticise the leading ofher armies with acerbity, or to use thefar-reaching influence of the British piessto exalt a renown which the Russinncommander has done comparatively littleas yet to deserve. But when results aresummed up neither Oyama nor Kuro-pa-tkin can expect, any more than Na-poleon, to find history oblivious of faults.We may, for example, find that- historywill bay that the prudent and carefulstrategy which united the three Japanesearmies on the battlefield of Liaoyang,after amarch through the mountains thatgave the enemy no chance of a counter-gtroke, was a great operation that wentnear to genius, but that when thesearmies were thus united Oyama was un-able toprofit by an unusually favourablesituation.

A Russian correspondent of The Times,writing recently of the way the SiberianTailway is being worked, said: "Most ofthe cars in which the troops are trans-ported are,Iam informed, not sent backto Russia, as they would, if returnedempty, cause very serious obstructionalong the Siberian railway, which is no-toriously ill-provided with sidings. Onreaching their destination the woodworkis removed and used for firing or forbuilding purposes, and the iron frame-Work -kejjb for future jjse or broken up

and used in different ways. This accounts for the shortage of goods van;for ordinary traffic, andan immense nuni

j ber of new cars -are being continuallyy built for the needs of the army.1'c "It don't matter who y' are, he'lr get drunk witcher," is the admiring trig bute of a policeman to- Tom Bradyr Mayor of Bayonne, New Jersey. Thifc Mayor is a wonder. He is a coal mcv| chant; he is honest; he is uneducated

His campaign speeches were each abou. six lines long. When he gqt in. he s^r the dignified Park Commissioner to wo'rltrimming treesonBayonne streets,the a'g tentativebeing to getout. HesettheCit;t Engineer, whose job was a sinecure,' ti

running a steam roller. Necessity foraising a lot of money having arisentho Mayor personally took the tax roll:to the offices of every corporation in thi

1city.

"Sir Oliver Lodge considers that thiprogress of mankind has already bpei_ considerable. It was but a moderate

time since our greatest men were chip, ping flints and carving bones into th;likeness of reindeer. More recently thejbecame able to build cathedrals ancmake poems. Now we are momentarilydiverted from immortal pursuits by vivicinterest in that kind of competitior

[ which has replaced tho competition o:' the sword,andby those extraordinary inequalities of possession and priv'ilegfwhich has been rendered possible by the'invention of "an indestructible and transmissible form of riqhes. We raised aiincense of smoke, and offered sacrifices1 of squalor and ugliness, in worship oi; this new idol. But it would pass; hu5 man life was, not meant to continue as ii; was now in city slums; nor was th«| strenuous futility qf mere accumulatioiUkely tp satisfy people when once thej

1 had beeji educated;i;he world was hea-i[ tiful» and might be far more wideljhappy tiian ithad been yet.

Memories of Thackeray and, in moderntimes, of Conan j)oyleare evoked by the| case of aman wjioappearedat the Guild-'hall Police Court recently (tays St5 James% Budget of 29th October). Eacl]has a story of a m,an who ltads> a double

[ lifp— ori> as beggar Jn the City and the' o,ther a$ a prosperous qtizen, with aJ happy and unconscious wife in another..quarter of Londqti. But the closer paral-! lelism is to be found in "The Man witht the Twisted Lip," pne of the famous. Sherlock Hblhios incidents, for whereas. Thackeray's hero swept a cros&ing, SiiP Conan Doyle's gained his surreptitious

wealth by shamming paralysis, the veryoffence which is laid to\ the charge -oi

■ Cecil de Smith, whois said to havemade■ £6 a week out of the charitable in this1 manner. Both, the real and the Holmes-■ inn heroes had their "pitches* neat the1 Stock Exchange* were,ostensibly match-■ sellers, and Uv^d in South London sub-

urbs in the odour of respectability withunsuspecting wire^ Truth is sometimes

1 at leaat as strange as fiction.Count yon Baudissin has been fined

£15, or, in default, tbirt— days' imprison-ment, for insulting the German army ina recent book of his. Count yon Baudis-sin, in his defence, maintained that hiswork was a serious endeavour to improvematters by showing up the dangers andevils attending the lives of officers. Hewished to show how society petted andspoiled young officers, who were oftenvery ignorant, thereby making the youngmen absurdly conceited; how people fedthe officers on champagne and caviare,while at home they were contented tomake a dinner off three-pennyworth ofetiusage. Owing to the poverty of thefamilies of many officers and the growingluxury of the army, about 15 per cent, ofthe officers coming from the cadet schoolswent wrong through debt. He wanted towarn society against the demoralisinghabit of spoiling officers. .

M. Paul de Cassagnac in dead, but it istoo much to hope that the duel, whichhad in him so puissant a principal, willdie. Napoleonhated the duel, butitstillthrives in France. The GermanEmperorhas denounced duelling, but fatal combatsoccur regularly in his army; while inVienna,three or four years ago the Mar-quis Taki and Captain Ledonowski wereconvicted by Court-martial of "coward-ice," because they declined a duel withblackguards. We have had our share ofthsse senseless tests in England (says aLondon paper), and none of us forgetsthat even so great aman as Gordon want-ed to call out Nubar Pasha. Englishmenmay beproud of the fact that Army andisavy regulationsexplicitly prohibit duels.We owe the regulation to Wellington,who, ten yearsbefore passing it,.hadhim-self fought Winchilsea in Battersea. Fields.

The London Telegraph's correspondentsends the interesting news that the elec-tion of Mrs. Johanna BrowD as constableof Hugo, Colorado, is now well'assured.She is the mother of twelve children, andis described as "handy with her gun."Her duty is to make arrests when neces-sary, and she has announced her intentionof enforcingthe closingof publichousesonSunday. The cowboya are all enthusias-tic for $frs. Brovyn's appointment, andno opposition will be offered to her elec-tion. The appointment of a woman asvillage constable is unusual, but not un-precedented.

A living, womannarrowly escaped be-ing dissected recently at the GrenobleSchool of Medicine, Paris. She had beenarrested for drunkenness on the previousday and taken to the police station. Nextmorning she was found stiff and cold inthe cell, and the doctor pronounced herto have been dead for twohours. Induecourse she was laid out for apost-mortemexamination. But while the surgeon wasgetting his instruments ready the sup-posed corpse'sat up and asked for a glassof water, to the horror of the me*dicalman and his students. The woman wassubject to epileptic fits, during which herbody assumed a corpse-like rigidity.

Berlin is becoming overcrowded withstatues. Seven years ago the Tiergartencontained but four statues, those of QueenLouise and her husband, and the Goetheand Lessing statues. Since then forty-eight havebeen unveiled. With themonu-ments in the Sieges Allee, the total in-crease iv seven years reaches a hundredand fourteen. Berliners have come to re-gard them as somany standing jokes.

BuffaloBill hpshad to give up for thepresent his chase after the robbers whorecently held up a Bank and killed thecashier in the town of Cody. The menhave escaped to the Bad Lands, wherebad Americans go while they live, andhauling them out is too tough a job whilethe-surrounding notables are so busy overthe Presidential election. But *r soon asthe election is over there is tobe a regu-lar battue of the Bad Lands and a round-up of the many ruffians who are knownto be wintering in those arid wastes. Inthe words of one of the local officials, itought to furnish "considerable sport."Blase big-game hunters from all parts ofthe world might well put in an applica-tion to join the party. It is not oftthat they will havea chance of tackling alion or a bear with as good a capacityfor hitting back as, for instance, "Hank1

'

Battersby, who killed seven men in aNebraska saloon only a few weeks ago.It will be about the biggest shoot foiwhich the colonel has ever entered.

The Berlin' police are very.strict aboutchildren's perambulators.Incertain of thebusiest streets, especially those in whichmost shopping is done, nurses are not al-lowed to wheel perambulators at all. Alicense-has tobe obtained from the'1policebefore ababy-carriage can be used flt all,

. and each vehicle is numbered*

POLITICAL POINTS.The Canadian press generally attributes

the Liberal victory at the Canadian elec-1 tions to Sir W. Laurier's wonderful per-"_ sonality and to the general prosperity of, the country. The Toronto News, Inde-g pendent, says that tha railway question.. mut.t now be regarded as settled by thei ratification of the people and that thej. public ownershipof railwayshas receivedt a decided check. This is to be regretted,[j ;but the people can have no ground of

oomplaint for a state of affairs whichy, they have freely sanctioned.0 Sir Wilfrid Laurier's decisive victoryr at the Canadian elections is welcomed in[f the United States, partly because Liberal-s kmand its leader are both popular there,a partly because it is believed that trade

relations between the two countries aremore likely tobe extendedunder Sir Wil-

9 frid Laurier, and largely because it is3 known that he desires that relations evera more important than those of trade, le-. lation.s of friendship, should be perma-3 nent. It is hoped that the Prime Minis-V ter, his power being once more firmly es-1 tablished, will resume the interruptedf negotiations for the settlement of the1 questions still at issue with the Unitedl States. 'f Writing of the American Presidential-

election The Times coirespondent says:—

3 "Americans are all seeking to discover3 the true reasonof that great movement of■ opinion which they call a 'landslide,' an1 'avalanche,1or a 'tidal wave.' Everybody*

seems to feel tbat this country lias takena new departure. But the only thing'which really explains Mr. Roosevelt'ssuc-\ cess is Mr. Roosevelt. Probably no Pre-* sidential triumph was ever so largelypersonal. The American people see in[ him anepitome of all their qualities. Heis their representative man. No Presi-dent has gone so far in personal rule orso well understood that democracy likes

! amaster. So yesterday they gavehim a, vote of confidence for the past and a. power of attorney for the future. Butthe greatness of Mr. Roosevelt's tri-l umph, though largely personal, is noti wholly so. Distrust of the Democracy, has been a great factor, and, perhaps stillL more, distrust of the men by whom Mr.. Parker was surrounded and supported."

An evidently inspired despatch fromi Washington says:

—"It is known that

i Japan, having been in full and free con-i ference wilh the State, Department and: with Mr Griscom, the- American Minis-j ter in Tokio, for many weekspast, is wil-r ing to entertain an offer of good officesI from Mr. Roosevelt or from King Ed-. ward, looking towards terminating thes war. But so far no such intimationhas. come from Russia, and the slightest sug-> gestion of an intention tourge peace upon. Russia has aroused both privateand offi-. cial resentment on the part of the Rus-t sian officials in Washington."i The majority of the Combes Govern-

ment in France dwindled down to twovotes on a recent occasion. The Times

[ says that it "is not likely that for the. present the Government majority willt again dwindle down to one or two votes.. But the prospects of the"Cabinet are noti brilliant, and there are many people who> talk of a Leon Bourgeois Ministry as[ within sight. In any case it should be: well understood abroad that the succes-[ sors of the Combes Cabinet will take over, identically the same programme as that; of the present Government, which is theI only one the country c«suld possibly be

induced to accept. Somewhat milder> methods are likely to be employed, but' those best acquainted with the temper ofi the French people outside Paris and one

or two large towns scout all idea of a' turn in the tide of existingpublic opinion\ inFrance. The separationof Church and* State, which will probably be the next

important measure in French domesticpolitic?!, is as sure ,of beii?g carried outwith a more moderate Republican Gov-ernment as it is with, the Combes Minis-try itself."

The extraordinary proposal for com-bining a working-class savings bank withan elaborate national lottery, formed thesubject of a recent debate in the Prus-sian Diet. The scheme was condemnedlast January by tue general verdict ofpublic opinion, but apprehensionsremain-ed with regard to the attitude of theGovernment towards it, and the Radicalsaccordingly issued a challenge to theGovernment in the form of a motionagainst any attempt io combine savingand gambling. In the course of a longspeech the Prussian Minister of the In-terior, Baron yon Hammerstein, urged-that the ambition to win a lottery prizewould serve the cause of thrift far morethan the ordinary savings banks hadhitherto done. It had been said thatthe realisation of the scheme would con-vert the whole country into one vastgambling hell, but to this view he wishedto demur. He evidently took the viewthat, since the gambling instinct was al-ready ineradicably present in the Germancharacter, it would be a pity to allowthis latent energy to run to waste.

Commenting on the charges madeagainst the French minister oj War,General Andre, of promoting only Re-publican officers in the Army, The Timessays:

—"'ln judging General Andre's ac-

tion it is only fair to remember that,whenhe .went to the War Office after theDreyfus case, France was really not veryfar from civil war. The army in itshigher grades had shown many alarmingsigns of hostility to the whole existingorder of things. r The persecution ofDieyfus was merely a culminating ex-ample of a system which was carriedout with unrelenting rigour withbhe ob-ject of excluding from the higher postsall but the pupils and followers of theJesuits. The task of re-establishing theauthority of the,Republic in place ofthat usurped by a foreign organisationwas oneof no little difficulty, and callingfor no ordinary firmness. If, in carryingit out, General Andre has had to resortto tho methods of those whom he had tocombat, Che tact cannot be thought veryextraordinary or altogether inexcusable."

The Sfc Petersburg correspondent ofthe Petit Parisien writes thus in refer-ence to the Dogger Bank enquiry :-"The large number of proofs collected byRussia will establish beyon,d doubt theabsolute good faith of Admiral Rozh-destvensky. In that case England canclaim nothing further thancompensationfor Ihe material damage caused to theHull fishermen, whom Russia had decid-ed from the first day to compensate asamply as possible. But before this comesoff we shall witness long and intricatedebates, as at present, according to adiplomatist to whomIowe most of thisinformation, there is absolute and com-plete disagreement between the two par-

, fcies. The Commission will, therefore, es-tablish facts beyond dispute, but it willconfine itself within those limits. It isanticipated that the settlement of theincident will require at least threemonths."

From inspired articles and paragraphs♥"Inchare beginning to make their spas-* modic appearance in the press, it may begathered (says The Times) that theReichstag and the German people are be-ing preparedby the Government for con-siderable financial demands in the nextEstimates for South-West Africa. It ap-pears to be contemplated to maintain theGerman forces now in the colony at theirpresent strength of over 7000 men or ateven greater strength during the wholeof 1905, and probably also during someportion of 1906, if not for the whole of

i that year as well. When it is remem-i bered that the whole force is composed

oi Europeans, some estimate may be. formed of the expenditure which the* Reichstag will be called upon to meet-when the Houso resumes its sittings atthe end of. this wonthj,

SHIPS AND THE SEA.H.M.S. Lizard, which is to be sold at

Sydney next month, is a well-known ves-sel in New Zealand, and is of the follow-ing dimensions:

—Length, 165ft; beam,

29ft; extieme diaught, 13ft; tonnage,715. She is composite built and copperfastened, andhas horizontal triple expan-sion surface condensing engines of 600natural draught and 1000 forced drauglithorse-power, steam being suppliedby twotwo-furnace multitubular boilers.

The St. Petersburg correspondent ofthe Financial News is responsible for thestatement that a great shipbuilding yardat St. Petersburg is about to be pro-moted. The Alexander Yard, as itia tobe called, will be endowed with aninitialcapital of 10,000,000 roubles by itsfounders, who include the directors ofthe Russian East Asiatic NavigationCompany and their Danish financialfriends^ Although orders for the mer-cantile marine will be accepted, theprin-cipal attention of the new concern willbe devoted to building men-o'-war. Upto the present time, the Russian ship-building industry has been greatly theinferior of any of the other EuropeanNaval Powers, and recent incidents inconrection with the Baltic fleethave fullyproved that fact. A Riga concernrecent-ly obtained an order for the building ofsix torpedo-destroyers, but, lacking thenecessary engineers' staff for the work,several hundred craftsmen and engineershad tobe "borrowed" from a similar con-cernat Stettin, Germany. All these menJiad to sign a contract for at least oneyear. At the same time the Stettin firmsupplied most of the machinery, plant,and tools.It can hardly be comforting to British

shipbuilders (says an English exchange)to know that Germany, once the best,and still a very good, customer of theirs,will in a. few years have so developed'her shipbuilding as to be able to con-struct all the merchant tonnage she re-quires. Probably the advent of thishardly desirable condition of things wouldhave been, longer delayed had not theGermans possessed the experience ofBritish builders and naval architects toguide them during the earlier stages oftheir steel" shipbuilding enterprises.Whether this is regrettable or no, thefact remains that, as Germany builds forher export account not a greatly lessamount of shipping than the new tonnagewhich she imports, she is very rapidlyapproaching the self-supporting stage. Itis generally supposed that war, and thepreparation for war, is an unprofitableoperation, retarding the advancement ofpacific industry. The German experience,■however, would' seem to prove the con-trafy of this economic statement, at leastso far as merchant shipbuilding is con-cerned. Germany has a navy, and thebuilding of this seems to have given avery considerable impetus to the construc-tion of merchant shipping, which is quiteunderstandable when it is rememberedthat a shipyard plant used for the con-struction of war vessels can also be em-ployed in the building of merchant ton-nage. In Germany, as in, Great Britainand Ireland, there seems to be a badtime in store for builders, and the causesare, of course, the same

—i.e., continued

depression of the freight market andover-production. At the commencementof 1900 there was under construction atGerman yards 321,000 tons of shippingagainst 317,000 tons in January, .1901,and 183,000 tons at the commencementof the present year. These figures show,in conjunction with the diminished im-ports of new ships, that German ownersare realising that they must earn divi-dends rather by "intensive" than exten-sive efforts. These facts can hold outno ray of hope toBritish builders, for itwould be folly did they regard.Germanyas a customer, when they must soonstrike her off their books

Lloyd's quarterly return of vesselstotally lost, condemned, etc., is alwaysan interesting document. 'The return forthe quarter ending 30th June is summar-ised by anEnglish shippingpaper, whichalso gives the following fble relative tothe shipping tonnage of the principalmaritime countries in the world:

—Steam Sail

Country. . Tonnage. Tonnage.United Kingdom 13,999,218 1,392,132Germany ... 2,891,869 477,938United'States ... 1,311,208 1,279,141France 1,252,457 440,909Norway 1,017,248 700,406British Colonies 867,309 322,186Italy 720,209 467,357Spain 714,172 467,357Holland 643,529 44,000The total amount of steam tonnage lostor condemned, or for other reasons with-drawn from the active list, amounted to123,427 tons, comprised in 64 vessels.Of this total British owners lost 30,520tons. The highest percentage was heldby Denmark, with a loss-roll of 7134 tonsout of a total ownery of a little ovenhalf a million tons, the percentage ofloss to tonnage owned being 1.41. Russialost 8389 tons; Germany, 9861. tons;and Spain, 7830 tons. The principalcause contributory to this loss-roll wasthat of "wrecked"

—under which heading!

is included all cases of stranding—

thatonnage lost in this manner being 57,778tons; while 4 steamers of 4465 tonsfoundered. Collision was responsible forthe loss of 17,211 tons, and 1steamer of2248 tons was burnt. It is gratifying,however, to note that there was not asingle instance of a steamer posted"missing" during the quarter. Comingto sailing-ships, the total withdrawals,through loss or otherwise, from the activelist was 30,199, of which Norway contri-buted 7422 tons; France, 5580 tons;the United States, 5314 tons; the Britishcolonies,2400 tons;and theUnited King-dom, 2219: The highest percentage wasthat of France, which lost 1.13 of thevessels owned and 1.33 of their totaltonnage. During the quarter 5 sailing-ships of 4038 tons were abandoned atsea, and a like number, aggregating 2570tons, wereposted "missing." Turning tothe particulars of these lost vessels, it isfound that 13 steamers of 16,288 tonswere broken up or condemned, of whichtotal only 1082 tons were built of steel.Ib is interesting to note that under theheading of "lost," there figure 13 Japan-ese and 3 Russian steamers, sunk in con-nection with the war in the Far East,the total tonnage thus removed from theregister being 39,335. Coming to sailing-ship disasters, 5 sailers were abandonedat sea, 2 of them being laden withcoal;while another, a Norwegian barque of1266 tons, was in ballast when her crewwere compelled to leave her. Sevensailing-vessels foundered, and of these 3were coal-laden and 2 were in ballast.The missing vessels numbered 5, thelargest of which was the French steelbarque Lamoriciere, of 1471 tons. Shewas bound for Glasgow with a cargo ofnickel ore, and has not been heard ofsince sailing. Collision was only respon-sible for the loss of 8 vessels, while nofewer than 23 sailers were lost throughstranding, and of this number 6 were inballast when they went ashore. The mostserious British loss from this cause wasthe Cambrian Warrior, 1383 tons, which"was bound on a voyage from Liverpoolto Fremantle with a general cargo, andwent ashore near Natal in the Brazils.Of the vessels which were broken up orcondemned, out of a total of 22, 8 wereNorwegian, 3 wereDutch, 5 were Italian,while the British contribution to the listconsisted of two small vessels of 166 and268 tons respectively, one of which wasbroken up and the other wws convertedinto a, lifiutert

GARDENING NOTES.[By Experience.]

THE FLOWER GARDEN.It is now time to be seriously at work

raising youngplants for next season. Thisremark refers chiefly to &ueh as are to beraised from seed, though jmucli usefulwork in the wayof propagating from cut-tings may also be done. A low aud lightgreenhouse is always moreuseful forseed-raising than frames, for they admit ofmore careful attention in all weathers. Ifframes are tobe used they mustbeplacedso as to face the midday sun;thus theygain the maximum amount of light. Be-fore bringing the frames into use seethatthe lights are in good condition to keepout rain drips, which causemuch loss. Ifthe*putty is cracked scrape it off, paintthe places it is stripped from, and re-putty. Clean out the inside of the frame,and cover the ground with about 3in deepof clean coal-ashes, from a furnace; ifthere are slugs about it ■will be wise tomix some fresh air-slaked lime with theashes. Seed-boxes may be about 3indeep, andif they are of uniform size, and-elected of such dimensions that a certainnumber will fit the frame, all the spacecanbe utilised. The bottoms of the boxesshould not be perfectly close, as thereshould be provision for surplus water torun through.

The frames and boxesbeing ready, thenext consideration is the soil. Goodsweet loam, leaf-mould, or very old man-ure decayed down tillit is little but vege-table mould, and sand are all that is re-quired. Inmixing the vegetablematter,if it is sweet, may predominate, butitisnot of much consequence so long as thecompost is sweet and perfectly friable.The soil ready, place in the boxesa layerof half-decayed stable manure, then fillnearly to the brim with the compost.Now give a thorough watering throughthe rose of a watering-pot, and let themstand about an hour to drain. Thiswatering will ensure sufficient moisturein the soil to, in most cases, start theseed into growth without further water-ing. More losses are caused to inexperi-enced or unskilful people by neglect ofthis than from any other cause. Whenseed has begun to germinate it is fatal toallow the soil to become dry, for many ofthe germs* are thereby destroyed, perish-ing for want of moisture;then a heavywatering is necessary, and more are des-troyed by the washing, so thatin the endbut few survive. The water having drain-ed off, take a box and spread over thewateredsod a little of the compost fromthe bench

—very little will suffice; then

press it down rather firmly and evenly;a handy thing to do it with will be apiece of planed timber l£in thick, 9in orlOin long, and half that width, with ahandle on top, after the fashion of aplasterer's spreader.

The box is now ready for the seed,whichmaybe sown in either of two ways— in drills or broadcast. If only smallquantities are to be sown drills will bebest, as several sorts may be sown in onabox without danger of mixing. Thedrills may be made with ablunt-jointedstick, the seed being covered either bydrawingback the soil, or by a little frejlifrom the bench. If the seed is sownbroadcast, it is best covered by using asieve with very fine mesh, or onehome-made, four narrow strips of board nailedtogether for the sides, and perforatedzinc for the bottom; riddle over justenough soil to evenly cover the seed.

The seed now being sown, the soil willnot require more water;theboxesmaybeput in their places, and should be shadedto conserve moisture. This may be J!J!>9|by covering with old newspapers;if tireseed is choice, or likely to be long germi-nating, a sheet of glass laid over thepaper will still further conserve the mois-ture,

Very fine seeds, like calceolaria, areusually not covered at all, or at mostonly'partially so with very fine sand.In such cases the boxes or pans should beclosely covered with paper, and the glassover is indispensable, because in this casethere must be preserved both moistureand darkness, this latter being providedby the soil when the seed is covered;and, further, it must bo understood thatif the soil gets dry before the'youngplanis yeup, they willnot come,and >tis difficult to give water without wastingthe seed and losing most of it. Shouldsuch a thing inadvertently happen,water-ing from the bottom is the only safe way.This is doneby plunging the panin waternearly to the brim, and leaving it till thesoil is saturated. Earthenpans arehardlysuitable things in .inexperienced handsfor seed-raising, as tke porous materialis likely to draw moisture from the soiland so dry it, or on the other hand be-come saturated and sour the soil.

Now, with regard to the kind ofthings to be raised, the various usefulbiennials, like Canterbury bells, stocks,wallflowers, and such like, demand atten-tion, and in addition any border peren-nials that may be fancied. Such thingsas those mentioned should be raised atonce, and grown on without check, asthey must have good growth to be use-ful. Pansies need not be sown till aboutthe end of March, as they flower readilyin spring if sown at that time.

Chrysanthemums will at this time begreatly benefitedif they are given a goodmulch -if stable manure; it need not betoo strong, rather strawy in fact, asthe chief requirement ">-Ml be to keepthe soil moist and cool about the roots.

THE GREENHOUSE.Primulas should now be moved into

the flowering pots. As they will occupythe pots for a considerable time, andbe expected to flower during all thewinter months, it will be obvious thatthe v potting material must be of thesweetest andpotting carefully done. Thepots must be clean; it may seemstrange, but they will not thrive indirty pots. To grow really good plants7in pots are required— or, perhaps, 1should say that size will be best, forgood plants can be, and are, grown ina size smaller, and useful plants in sin;still,Ihavealways wished for the largersize. The soil should be the best pos-sible loam, with plenty of fibre, and alarge part of the loose soil shaEen out;it should not be riddled, unless to re-move the loose soil. Add to this abouta third of good leaf-mould, andhalf thatof sand, not too fine. Crock carefullywith clean crocks, blind the crocks witha little clean fibre from the soil. Char-coal will be better than broken pots-herds for the drainage, and a. goodsprinkle of the same in the soil willhelp to kesp it sweet. Potting shouldbe done rather firmly, and if the soil isfairly moist, as it should be, the plantswill not require water for a few days,but may be dewed over at night, andkept a little loose till the roots get holdof the fresh soil. It is a mistake tocoddle Primulas; they do not require it—

they resent it, in fact," They requireprotection from glaring sun and the in-clemency of the weather, and nothingmore; therefore, give them plenty oflight and air rustling through the" foli-age. If they are in frames remove thelights for an hour or two every fineevening, and in the morning before thesun is on them.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN..Sow more peas andFrench beans, let-

tuce, radish, and onions, if required todraw young as saladmg. Attend care-fully to tomato plants, keeping off all* side shoots from the main stems, butcarefully preserve all the foliage on thejn*io».ftemji not-beinfl shpot^

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.An area of 16,000 acres in North Tara-

naki, close to the Mokau River, is to bethrown openin small dairy farms at thebeginning of the year.

The Picton Frecring Works has madean excellent start tins season. Alreadyover 3000 sheep and lambs have beenput through, as against about 400 for thecorresponding period of last year.

A record machine sheep-shearing wasput up at Smith's Ulrig Station HawkesBay. Twenty shearers in eight and three-quarter hours sheared 4229 sheep, T.Geinmell doing 280 in that time.

ihe blackbird is becoming a menaceto the farmer in the Wairarapa district,ft is said that it feeds on the younggreen rape, and one farmer in theUpaki states that the whole of his rape

this season has been practicallydevoured.

-A farmer near Winchester (Canterbury)

hit upon a novel idea by which he gothis shearing done in first-class style. Heoffered a prize for the shearer who turn-ed out the sheep best shorn. There waskeen competition, and the farmer is de-lighted with the result of his experiment.

The output of butter at the Bright-water Factory has been steadily increas-ing of late, and now amounts to abouthalf a ton a day. It is reported that thebutter from this factory has .a good nameon the Home market, and has beenspecially enquired for.

Experiments in sheep-crossing at theGovernment Farm, Sydney, show that inthe month-old iambs bred and rearedunder similar conditions, Lincoln-Merinosaveraged 32£lb, and Suffolk-Merinos 36lb.

A good start has now been made ino-culating calves at three points along thecoast and in Inglewood district, andover 13,000 calves havealready been vac-cinated and branded upon the neck withthe Governmentbrand "S."

Yellow hammers are said to do moredamage in the Masterton district to cropsthan the sparrows, anu it is now esti-mated that there are two yellow hammersto everysparrow in the district.

The untoward weather this season istelling on the profits of the dairy farmer,who finds that his butter fat test is thelowest in his experience. The pasturagehas no substance in it, and the cattlemight almost as well try to exist onwater as on most of the grass that hascome away under the stimulus of thedaily showers and wintry weather. Theresult is that the butter fat at the fac-tory shows a very marked depreciation.The condition of afiairs is therefore badfor the supplier and for the company.—North Otago Times.

Many practical fanners are beginningto realise that it is a mistake to attemptto work a large area of land. They have(says the Southlanu Times) not only cometo this conclusion, but they are tryingto place their views before their neigh-bours. It is nouncommon thing now tohear a farmer state that it is his beliefthat it is more profitable to work 200acr.es well than to atetmpt to work 1000acres. This is a good sign, and as farm-ers general y realise this we shall see agradual adoption of better methods offarming.

The Tarsnaki Herald say the policeareinvestigating reports as tothe.maiming ofstock (horses, cattle, sheep, and evenpoultry) on farms on the Lower Egmont-road. It is reported that several in-stances of maiming have occurred, and aspiritualistic circle who live in the dis-trict have been endeavouring to find outthe perpetrator through holding con-verse with spirit land through their fa-vourite medium. There is a good dealof excitement in the district over theoccurrence.

A record has been established this yearin regard to the picking of ripe toma-toes from outside vines. Growers havehitherto considered themselves lucky ifthey have gathered outside fruit byChristmas; but it has been reported thatripe tomatoes were picked this seasonfrom an outdoor plantation about themiddle of November. This is such anex-ceptional thing that tomato men aresorely puzzled as to how if. was done.But thereby appears to hang a secret,which has not been made public.

The prolongation of winter weather,with pev&istent rain and absence of sun-shine, has (says the Taien Advocate)caused a considerable shortage of feed forcattle in the Taieri at the present time,and in places where there is grass, owingto the excessive amount of water in it,cattle are not thriving. Farmers whowere wont to purchase cattle for fatten-ing find their operations restricted to a" serious extent, owing to the* want offeed, and is is estimated by a gentlemanin a position toknow that there is fullyone-third less cattle in the Taieri at thepresent time than there has been at thisperiod of the year for thepast eight orten years.

Some interesting revelations regardingthe use of preservatives in butter cameforth in the investigations of the Vic-toriaD Butter Commission. Mr. Ess-mann, a LondoD wholesale dealer, saidthat but for the use of boracic acid inthe butter the Australia!) article would

■ havea good sale in Germany. Mr. Ess-mannadded that the use of preservatives■was forbidden in Germany, Scandinavia,Denmark, and Russia. Dr. Norris, ofthe Central Health Board, assured theCommission that "out of Melbourne's1200 dairies not 20 had "adequate ac-commodation for those engaged in milk-ing to wash their hands." He also anim-adverted on the preservatives fad. "Itismerely done," he said, "to cloak dirtydairying methods. Itmasks the degene»rative process to which filth gives rise.There is absolutely no need for it."

The question, "Does exercise tend togive flavour to milk?" is one that hasbeen causing a considerable amount ofdiscussion. The idea is not unreasonable.Indigestion causes a disordered and un-natural condition of the food contents ofthe stomach of the cows.. Exercise pro-motes digestion by keeping tke organs inan active and healthy condition. Mr.Van Alystyne, who was iv charge ofthe daily test at the Pan-American Ex-position, states that they could not makea high flavoured butter during the test,notwithstanding that the milk was han-dled in the best known method. Finallyduring a short time the Jerseys were al-lowed to run in the yard for a few hourseach day, and during that time theirbutter scored the highest during the test,and the highest of any in the barn. Itis quite possible that this lack of exer-cise is the cause of so much pool- fla-voured butter from hand-fed cows.

InGlasgow recently Sheriff Scott Mon-criefl gave an important decision in acase of interest to dealers in butter. AnEast End dairyman was charged wilhhaving sold butter containing 85.27 percent, of foreign fat. The prosecutioncontended that the invoice produced didnot constitute a guarantee. The invoicewas headed "Best Irish Butter." HisLordship gave judgment, finding that re-spondent was entitled to rely on the in-voice as a guarantee. The statute, theSheriff remarked, recognised an invoice asa guarantee, and the invoice referred tobore out that it was "best Irish butter."Should the decision have been otherwise,the conditions under which Irish creambutter have of late years been marketedwouldbe severely compromised, the guar-antee being, in nearly all instances, re-corded at the foot of the invoice. It ispassing strange (remarks the DublinFarmers' Gazette) _ how desirous somepeople are to assist us in increasing ouroutput of "best" Irish butter. Itis in-deed An ageof £h.il«ntluogy,

THE! EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1904.12V

I

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WOMAN'S »ESBARTRIENT.— The Department for the Treatment of Womenis under the supervision of Dr. Elizabeth TThlte, M.D., a lady diagnostician of Inter-national skill, who bears Registration Papers from the Med.cal Boarus of VictoriaNew South Wales, New Zealt>n.i, and America She has studied under some of theGreatest Medical Specialists of the day in Nerve. -Blood, and Skin Diseases. Shehas an especial knowledge in the treatment of Children's DlvAses, and all other di-seases associated with the female sex. She may be consulted daily at her rooms223 Elizabeth-street, and privateappointments will be arra.sed if necessary. Cqn>Miltations in the interests of the Sick are free, cither personally, or by letter. OnlylesUimato treatment is considered.

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THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 81. 1004.MIMES AND MUSIC.

[By Orpheus.]

COMING EVENTS.OI'KRA HOUSE.

J. C. Williamson, to 21st January.Montgomery's Entertainers, 23rd to

28th January.George Stephenson's Co., 17th to

24th February.J. C. Williamson, 25th February to

4th March.J. C. Williamson, 9lh March to Ist

April.M'Mahon's Dramatic Company, 3rd to

11th April.THEATRE BOTAI,,

Dix Gaiety Company.HIS MAJESTI'S THEATBB.

Fuller's Entertainers.Mr. John Gunn, who acts as represen-

tative for Mr. Beerbohm Tree with thoKnight-Jeffries Company, now perform-ing at the Opera House, left for Sydneyby yesterday's steamer for the purpose ofconsulting withMr. Claude Meynell, whois about to leave for London. Mr. Gunn,who, it is understood, contemplates apartnership venture with Mr. Meynell,returns to the colony for the concludingpart of the company's tour. He was lastin the colony with Mr. JohnL. Toole.

Christmas Eve gifts among the man-agerial staff of the Knight-Jeffries Com-pany, now at the OperaHouse, includeda silver cigarette case to Mr. HaroldAshton, Mr. J. C. Williamson's genialmanager, from Mr. and Mrs. Nott-Os-borne (the latter known professionallyas Miss Maud Jeffries), and a case ofpipes to Mr. Bert Royle, treasurer of thecompany, from Miss and Master "Dick"Stewart.It is of great interest to know thatMr.

A. W. Pinerois writinghis next new playfor Mr. George Alexander. The piecewill be one of serious interest, and willbe produced at the St. James's Theatre,London,after Mr. Alexander's provincialtour in tho autumn of next year.

"Blind Man's Buff; or, Her OwnWay," now being produced by the

Nellie Stewart Company in Melbourne,was written for Maxine Elliot by ClydeFitch, and has been a great monetarysuccess. Melbourne people appear tolike it, and the critics review it favour-ably, though.not lavish with their super-latives. The opening scene is played bychildren, and the Australasian says thatthe piece would be worth going to scofor this opening scene alone; the child-ren act so well and intelligently, and thescore is novel and attractive. The Leadersays much the same thing.

Sydney papers state that Mr. Wil-liamson's new Dramatic Company, head-ea by Miss Tittell Brune, will probablywhen in New Zealand next year addPinero's "Eetty," "The Second Mrs.Tanqueray," and "

Zaza" to the reper-toire.It is to be hoped (says the Sydney

"Mail, referring to the Gilbert and Sul-livan revivals undertaken in Australia)that Mr. Williamson will not stop shortat the widely-known Gilbert and Sulli-van operas, but also produce the others,such as "Princess Ida," "Ruddigore,""The Grand Duke." "Ruddigore" hasnever been played in Australia, thoughstaged by Wellington amateurs in NewZealand. Sir Arthur's lovely "Rose ofPersia," and "The Emerald Isle" wouldalso be appreciated.

As a Christmas attraction Mr. J. C.Williamson intended to introduce into"The Orchid" at Melbourne last Satur-day night, a series of novelties securedin America. They were to include a gor-geous "Dance of the Butterflies," thewonderful effect described as the "GoldenRain," and were to conclude with a re-markable electrical illusion, conveyingthe idea of a dazzling pyrotechnic dis-play in full swing.

Musical comedy writers have had tofall back on Offenbach to brighten uptheir poorly-furnished productions. "ALittle of Everything," which originatedat the Moulin Rouge, in Paris, containsan "Offenbach review" of some of thebest, of all the things culled from theworks of that giant of light opera,playedby the characters to whom the numbersare allotted.

M. Gabrielle Rejane, the famousFrench actress, is in private life Mme.Porel, wifeof the manager of the Vaude-ville. Her daughter, Germaine, is intraining for the stage, and ifc is her moth-er's great ambition that the child willone day be able to play English roles.With that object she is having her tho-roughly taught the language.

At report from Paris says that thts

Italian music publisher, Sonzogno, intendsto arrange for a great Italian opera sea-son in the French capital, during whichthe principal works of the young Italianschool of composers will be introduced tothe Parisians. He is in aposition to dothis, since it is due to his prize competi-tions1, that the 'best of"the new operashave been written. The season is to befrom lsfc May to 15th June,1905.

Inept and purposeless, the phiy of theRev. Forbes Phillips, "For Church orStage," produced by Mrs. Brown Potterat the London Savoy in November, canonly be described (says the St. James'sBudget) as a direct insult to the Churchand the stage. Ifc is anutterlyuninterest-ing presentation of the episode of apar-sou philandering with a woman of loosomorale described as an actress. Leavinghis wife and family, the parson visits thelady ather hotel, and finally decides togo back to his- parish and stick to hiswork, this timely and eminently sensibleresolution evidently being brought aboutby the chastening influence of an exceed-ingly frugal supper. This feeble essay indrama was received with patience, andthe unconscious humour of the lasfc actgave rise to some mild expressions ofridicule. Another "failure" was producedat the Shaftesbury Theatre the same day,"The Flute of Pan," by John OlliverHobbea, with Miss Olga Nethersolc inthe leading role. The audience gave MiwNefchersole what the Budget de&eribes as"bratal tieatment," seeing that she wasstruggling with a "terribly verbose, irri-taticgly fibreles"! and altogether badlyconstructed" work.

Mr. Stead's general impression of thenew Pinero play, "A Wife " Without aSmile," has already been *made public,la the November number of the Reviewof Reviews, which has just been issued,he indulges, m most extensive criticisms.That he is very severe may be judgedfrom the following extracts:

— "My firstplay found me in Pro&pero's Enchanted

\ Isle. My second took me by the way ofIa caricature of history to the eve of the

Restoration. My third has landedme inthe Abyss of Lost Souls. And whatIfeelmost acutely and resent most bitterlyis thafc Ihave been made to laugh atHell. Yes, Ilaughed

—laughed heartily,

asIsuppose men laughed at the plays ofWycherley and Congreve and other come-dies of the Restoration, and ii was nonethe less amoral degradation to havebeenmade to laugh at the effac«ment of theDivine Image of God in man and stillworse in wo'inan. Ifc is as inhuman aperformance as was the old practice ofturning out some poor natural to displayhis witless inanity and naked obscenityfor the amusement of carousers after din-ner. The glitter of the dialogue is butlike the phosphorescentshimmer over thoputrifyingbody of the dead. Apart fromthe detestable vulgarity and atmospheie-

of morality which are the distinguishingchaiacteustics of this play, what a'e weto think of ita one sapremo joke which,often repeated,convulsed the house withlaughter? At the time ifc seemed to mesheer downright screaming farce, and Ilaughed with the rest. But afterwards,thinking over the connection betweencause and effect, it was evident that thesniggerers were right. If&o, the 'Eroto-meter' ought tohave been suppressedbythe policeas anoutrage onpublicdecency.Ifc is not even the plain,straightforwardpassion of healthy brutes, but partakesrather of the uuclcan antics of themonk-eys at the Zoo."

Miss Olga Beatfcy-Kingston, the charm-ing society actress, who came to Austra-lia with "Are Youa Mason?" Company,leaves London for New York on the 4thJanuary as a member of Mr. GeorgeEdwardes's "Duchess of Dantzic" GaietyCompany, and will play the part of theEmpress Josephine. Mr. George Ed-wardes goss out with the company, andthe productionis tobe ona scale of greatmagnificence, as no expense has beenspared on the scenery and dresses, andMr. Edwardes seems determined to tryand take New York by storm.

The eminentFrench organist, Guilmant,has published an extremely interestingarticle upon organmusic and organplay-ing. He traces the origin of the organto Italy, and has something to say ofmodern Italian players and organs.' "Anumber of Italianorganists are now mak-ing aneffort to restore the Italian schoolof organ composition and playing. Theyhave more than popular indifference toovercome; for the defects in the instru-ments make their taskpeculiarly difficult,and most of the organs lack many of theappliances necessary to the performance ofelaborate organ music. The fault lieswith the Italian organists who succeededthe early masters. They did not developthe legitimate style of organ playing ororgan composition. Instead of carryingforward the polyphonic school, they re-garded the organ merely as an accom-paniment for the voice. Italian organmusic, accordingly, didnot call for moreelaborate organs, and organ-builders hadno incentive to progress. The stops himany Italian organs are still divided intotreble and bafes, so that to draw themboth hands havetobeused at once. Thepedal boards are very deficient, and thepedals so short that the player has toreach out for them with his toes." Guil-mant is a foe of the arrangement of or-chestral works for the organ: "I amutterly opposed to the playing of orches-tral works on the organ;while the ren-dition of orchestral pieces on it, in anattempt toreproduce the orchestral colourof the original scoring, is, to my miud,deplorableenough. As between orchestrasand organ, each has its great qualitiesand its faults. The organ has a certainsolidity of resonance, while the orches-tra's resonance is restless, feverish. Theorgan holds, sustains. On the otherhand, oneof fhe great faults of the organis its lack of attack, or slowness ofresponse. Here Imay refer to a faultin technique which is often found. Manyorganists think it wise not to push downthekey too quickly or too far. Ithink,on the contrary, that the full pressureof the finger should be made at once,andthe key held down solidly until released."The French organist is not in favour ofthe modern multiplication of mechanicalappliances. "My opinion is'that organ-'builders should devote less time to me-chanical improvementsand more time toimproving the voicing of their instru-ments. Organ-playing, should be essen-tially musical, and, as far as possible,in the pure style of the organ;it shouldnot involve the necessity of constantlychanging the registration. There is toogreat a tendency to use the vibratingstops, such as the vox celeste, tremolo,or vox humana; so that, when theseeffects are really called for, they donotmake the desiredimpression."

Theatrical Clips.~The backer whofinds the money for anew theatrical en-terprise is called in New York slang an"angel." . . . Two very recent mu-sical comedies, 'The- Isle of Spice" and"The Royal Chef," were unqualified fail-ures in New York. . . . AlbertoRandegger celebrates this year the jubi-lee of his life in London, where he hasresided since 1854. His colleagues in theRoyal Academy of Music have presentedhim with a congratulatory address. . .Mme. Lydia Yeamans-Titus has beenmaking a successful reappearance in Mel-bourne. . . Colonne, the French con-ductor, has been engaged for twenty «on-certs in Sfc. Petersburg. . . It is an-nounced that Liza Lehinann is writing alight opera on the subject of the "'Vicarof Wakefield." David Bispham is to ap-pear in the title role. . . . HenriMarteau, the violinist, has been appoint-ed director in chief of the Conservatoryof Geneva, Switzerland. He is atpresentat the head of the violin department.. . . . The students attending theGuildhall School of Music, which is sub-sidised by the City of London, paid infees last year £28,450. There are 125teachers in the school. ... A Venetianmusicicwi, Jaoopo Taboga, claims to havefound, among a, number of manuscriptswhichhe bought in Switzerland, ahither-to unknown nocturne by Chopin. It willbe the twentieth, and, as he thinks, themost beautiful of the master's composi-tions in this style. . . . Yankee re-porters are going into ecstasies over MrsPatrick Campbell. They speak of thesmouldering fires of her eyes," her"dusky hair," hep "swishy skirt," and the'bronchitis-defying cut of her creamywaist." .... Dion Boucicault issaid to command enormous fees for shap-ing and starting new plays. . . Ac-cording to the (Stage, Mane Corelli has.promised to writs a new play for anAmerican manager. ... A sensa-tional representation of the war in theFar*East was to be one of the leadingattractions at the new Coliseum, London,this Christmas. So intricate is the ma-chinery of the Coliseum-ior the hugestages that a staff y>f one hundred engi-neers will be required to work it. . ,°.A French comedy company, including' inturn all the favourite Parisian artists, isto be brought to London this winter byColonel Mapleson More than tentons of cut glass were to be utilised inthe Christmas pantomime at the Grand,Minglon. . . . Kate Roike is to beForbes Robertson's leading lady in thenew play by H. V. Esmond, which hewill produce in America. . . . SignorCampamni, the San Carlo' conductor atCovert Garden, will, after leaving Lon-don, commence a five years' engagementat La Scala Opera House, Milan. .Sir Hubert Parry will compose new in-cidental music for Aristophanes Greekcomedy, "The Clouds," which is tobe performed next term by the OxfordUniversity Dramatic Society. . . Dr.Cowen, who has left London to take uphis winter work as conductor of theScottish Orchestra, which has its head-quarters in Glasgow, has revisedhis FifthSymphony, and the work will be givenatone of the London Philharmonic concertsnext spring. Kelly and Ashby aie tour-ing in America. . . . Norman Part-ridge is playing in Othello at the LondonCourt Theatre. . De WynneBrothers and Doody aJid Wright, were atHull when the moil left. . . MarieLloyd, the well-known music-hall artist,has been divorced from her husband,Percy Charles Courfcenay. The partieswere married at Hoxton in 1887, andthere wne ono child, agin of sixteen, whois now in a convent. . . Arthur Gar-ner is writing a series of articles for the.London Stage on"The Australian Stage:Its Growth and Condition." The seriesshould be interesting. . , Mrs. BrownPotter recently played- Julie in "A Man'sShadow," with Beerbohm Tree, at Wind-sor Castle,

Stories ofa Lawyer.

A book of the day is the "Reminis-cences of Sir Henry Hawkins" (LordBrampton). Born in 1817, Lord Bramp-ton entered on his 88th year in Septem-ber last. Fioin 1843 (when he was call-ed) to 1876, he practised at the bar, ap-pearing in almost) every important casefor 20 years, and making a great namefor himself as a- cross-examiner. In1876he Ayas raised to the bench, and heldoffice for 22 years. He was raised to thepeerage in 1899, the year after his resig-nation, and became ono of the membersof the Court; of Appeal, as well as ofthe Judicial Committee of the PrivyCouncil.

Mosb of the stories told by Lord^Brampton in his reminiscences relate to"the time when he was in large prac- itice as a barrister, viz., from about 1858!till he was made a judge. Few of thenames, even of the great cases in whichhe held briefs, are known to the presentgeneration. They included, however, theTichbofne case, which everybody hasheard about.RESOLVES AGAINST BETTING, Etc.

Although fond of racing, and when atthe bar standing counsel for the JockeyClub, Lord Brampton, exoepfc when avery young man, didnot bet. How hecame to leave off is thus told. HarryHill, one of.the "characters" at Tatter-sail's, said to him:

—"Mr. Hawkins, Isee you come here

pretty regularly on Sunday afternoons,but Iadvise younot to speculateamongstus, for if you do we shall beat you. Weknow our business better than you do,and you'll get nothing out of us anymore than we should get out of you ifwe were to dabble in your law, for youknow thatbusiness better than wedo."

He made one bet after that, putting£5 on the favourite, which was immedi-ately scratched. "This (adds LordBrampton) was the last betIever made;and Iowe my abandonment of the prac-tice to HarryHill, who gaveme excellentadvice, and enforced it with example."

Cards were given up in a similar way.Once at Ascot Mr. Hawkins^ startedplaying rouge-et-noir, and lost every shil-ling:

—"I made up my mind (he says)

as Iwalked alone and disappointedthrough the Windsor Park on my wayto the station, that Iwould never toucha card again. And Inever did. Forthe first time since setting out in themorning Ifelt hungry, and bought apennyworthof applesat a little stallkeptby anold woman, and abottle of ginger-beer. Such was my frugal meal; and thussustainedJ tramped on.My return ticketbeing my only possession in the world,Ireached Paddington witha sorry heart,and walked to the Temple, my good reso-lution my only comfort;but it was all- (

sufficient for the occasion, and for alltime to come."

In Lord Brampton's young days theprize-ring was apopular institution, andhe saw some noted matches fought.

SHORTENING WORDS.Mr. Hawkins was in a case in which

a brougham collided with an omnibus.His junior, Mr. Shaw, who wasnot verywell acquainted with the Scotch ver-nacular, had offended Lord Campbell,the Judge, by pronouncing brougham asif it were spelt with two syllables.

"Mr. Shaw," said Lord Campbell,"there is a way in Scotland we have ofcalling things by their reicht naames;but we're in England, and Iwould ob-sarve that the name of the noble andlamed lord was not Broug-hain, butBrougham. Ii is Sauterday afternoon,and, in addition to its being inelegantto call things by their wrong naames,it is a reason why it should be called asif spelt Broom. It would just save asyllable which is altogether just waaste,and would shorten the proceedings."

After this long speech, which wastedmuch more time than the fault complain-ed of, the case proceeded,until presentlyCampbell asked a witness which coursewaspursuedby the-,omnibus.Iwas waiting my opportunity, and

at last seized it."My lord," Isuggested, "as weall de-

sire, with your lordship, to get away,itbeing Saturday afternoon, would yourlordship see any great objection to call-ing that vehicle a 'bus? By that pro-nunciation we should save two syllablesmore.

"Campbell who, although quick-temper-

ed, was, nevertheless, quite appreciativeof a good joke, Inughed heartily, andsaid, withaffected pomposity, suitable tothe occasion

—"Be it so, Mr. Hawkins."ARTHUR ORTON'S READINESS.In his reference to Arthur Orton, the

claimant, in the Tichborne case, LordBrampton says:

—"One morning, onhis going into Court,

an elderly lady, dressed in deep mourn-ing, presented him with a religious tract.He thanked her, went to his seat, andperused the document. 'Then he wrotesomething on the tract, carefully revisedwhathehad written, and threw ifc on thefloor.

"The usher waswatching these proceed-ings, and, as soon as he could do so un-observed, secured the paper, and handedit tome.

"The tract was headed, 'Sinner, Re-,pent.' m

"Orton had written on it, 'Surely thismust have been meant for 'Orkins, notfor me.'"

AN ARTIFICE BY COUNSEL.A very ingenious trick enabled Mr.

Hawkins to get off a prisoner charged atHertford Sessions with felony, LordSalis-bury being in the chair.

Baron Martin, before the trial, grant-ed an order to release the man on bail.Mr. Hawkins asked the policeman whogave evidence

—"Now, policeman,Iam going to ask

you a question,but pray don't answer ittill you are told to do so, because mylearned friend may object to it."

Rodwell sprang to his feet and object-ed at once.

"What is the que&tion?" asked theMarquis. "We must hear what the ques-tion is before Ican rule as to your ob-jection, Mr.Rodwell."

This was a good one for Mr. Rodwell,andmade him colour up 10 his eyebrows,especially asIlooked at him. and smiled.

"The question, my lord," said I, "is avery simple one. Did not Mr.Baron Mar-tin Fay, when ?pplisd to for bail, thatthere w?s nol a rag of a case against theprisoner?"

The question was disallowed, but allthrough the case Mr. Hawkins kept up asubdued grumble. Lord Salisbury and thejury evidently felt that the prisoner wasbeingdeprivedof fair play. '"The jury willdraw their ownconclusion from Mr. Rod-well's objection," said the Marquis. Theprisoner was acquitted. Then, out ofcuriosity, Lord Salisbury asked thepolice-man what Baron Martin had really said.It appeared that, instead of saying therewas not a rag of a case, the Baron hadsaid he "looked on the whole lot as agang of thiwes." "

RECOVERING A LOST DOG.Lord Brampton gives tha true version

of a famous interview whichmany yearsago he had with Sam Linton, the greatdog-finder. Linton discovered that "Mr.Orkvns," hadnot only lost "a littledorg,"but had been fooikh enough to offer £14for his recovery." 'Well, Mr. Orkins, sir, ye see it isas this:you've lost a little dorg. Well,you'll say, "How do you know that 'ereSam?" "Well, sir,"Isay«, "'ow don'tIknow ib? Ain't you bin an' offered four-teen pun for thatthereleetle dorg? Why,

.it's knowed drekly all round Mile End—the werry 'ome of lorst dorgs— -and .that

Ithere dorg, find him when you wool;why, he ain't worthmore-'n fourten bob,sir:" Now, 'ow d'ye count for that, sir?'"

'You've seenhim, then?'"'Not I,' says Sam, unmovedeven by

a twitch; 'but Iknows a party as 'as,and ifc ain't likely, Mr. Orkins, as you'llget 'im, by orferin' a, price like that, forwhy? Why, it stands to reason— don't it,Mr. Orkins?

—it ain't the dorg you're

payin' for, but your feelin's afl these 'erewagabonds is tradin' on, Mr. Orkins;that's wh*r© it in. Oh, sir, it's abom-nible, as Itells 'em, keepin' a gennel-man's dorg.'"

The missing dog was speedily found.A FAVOURITE TERRIER. "

The constant companion of LordBramp-"ton for many years during the time hewas a Judge was Jack, a fox-terrier,given to him by Lord Falmoulh. Theterrier regularly accompanied his master,and was endowed withalmost human rea-son.

"I was once leading him with astring," saysLordBrampton, "because onseveral occasions he had given me theslip, and caused me tobe a little late inCourt. Iledhim, therefore, in the leash,until heknew his duty.

"On this day, however, as the crowdwas waiting for me on the little platformof a country station, my fox terrier jump-ed out in front of me while Iwas hold-ing him by the string." 'Good !' cried a voice from agentleman to whom Ihad previouslygiven a situation under Government, liv-ery and all found;'why, blow me-if1 theold bloke ain't blind! Lookee there, 'isdawg's a-leadin' 'im; wot d'ye think o'that?Blow me tight!'"

A READIED-UP WILL.A wife died, leaving, the

wholeof her property,amounting tonear-ly £100,000, to her husband. The willwas opposed on the ground that ehe hadbeen improperly influenced by her hus-band in making it. There was -a gooddeal of evidence toprove the validity ofme will, aftd Edwin James, Q.C.,scoredheavily, until through excess of confi-dence he called as witness the Rev. Mr.Faker, a distinguished dissenting minis-ter. This wasHawkins's chance, and hedrew a bow at a venture. The cross-ex-amination proceeded as follows:—

"Mr. Faker,"1said. "Sir," saysFaker."You have told us you acted as the ad-

viser of the testatrix." "Yes, sir.""Spiritual adviser, of course?"A spiritual bow."You advised the deceased lady; prob-

ably, as to her duties as a dying wo-man?" "Certainly."

"Duty to her husband— was that one?"A slight hesitation in Mr. Faker reveal-

ed the vast amount of fraud of whichhevrvs capable. It was the smallest peep-hole, but Isaw a good way. Till thenthere wasnothing to cross-examine about,but after that hesitation there was£100,000 worth. He had betrayed him-self. At last Faker said, "Yes, Mr.Hawkins;yes, sir

—her duty to her hus-

band.""In the way of providing for him?"

was my next question—

"Oh, yes, quiteso."

"You were careful, of course, as youtold your learned counsel, to avoid anyundue influence?"— "Certainly."

"The will was not completed,Ithink,when you first saw the dying woman— onthe day, Imean, of her death?"

—"Noj

not at that time.""Was it kept ina little bag by,the pil-

low of the dying woman, who retainedthe keys of the bag herself ?"-t-"Oh, yesjthat is quite*right."

"Had it been executedat this time? Ithink you said not'/"

—Not at this time;

it had to be revised.""How did 'you obtain possession of the

keys?"— "I obtained them.""Yes,Iknow;but withouther know-

ledge?"It was awkward for Faker, buthe had

to confess thathe wasnot sure. Then hefrankly admitted that the will was takenout of the bag— in the lady's presence, ofcourse, but whether she was quite deador almost alive was uncertain; and thenhe and the husband spiritually conferredas to what the real intentiont>f the dyingwoman in the circumstances was likelyto be, andhaving ascertained that, theymade another will, which they called"settling the former one" by, carrying outthe lady's intentions, the lady being nowdead to all intentions whatsoever.

This was the will which was offered forprobate!

Cresswell thought it was a curiousstate of affaij's, and listened with muchinterest to the further cross-examination:

"Had you ever seen any other will?"Ienquired. Itwas quite an accidentalquestion, as one wouldput ina desultorysort of conversation with a friend.

"Er— yes—Ihave," said Faker.

"What was that?"— "Well, it was awill, to tell you the truth, Mr. Haw-kins, executedin my favour for £5000."

"Where is it?"—"Ihave not the origi-

nal." said the minister, "butIhave acopy of it."

"Copy! but where is the original?"—"Original?" repeats Faker.

"Yes the original;there must havebeen anoriginal, if you havea copy."

"Oh," sard the Rev. Faker, "I remem-ber, the original was destroyed after thetestatrix's death."

"How?"— "Burnt."Even the very graveHannen, my ever-

respected friend and junior, smiled;Cresswell, never prone to smile at vil-lainy, smiled also.

"The original burnt! Andonly a copyproduced! What do you mean sir?"

The situation was dramatic."Is it not strange," Iasked, "even hi

your view of things, that the original willshould be burnt and the copy preserved?"—

"Yes," answered the reverend gentle-man; "perhaps it would have beenbetter."

"To have burnt the copy and given usthe original, and more especially afterthe lady was dead! But let me ask you,why did you destroy the original will?"Ipressed him again and again, but he

could not answer. The reason was plain.His ingenuity Mas exhausted, and soIgave him the finishing stroke with hisquestion:

"Will you swear, sir, that an originalwill ever existed?"

The answer was, "No!"Iknew it must be the answer; be-

cau&e there -could be no othei" that wouldnot betrayhim.

"What is your explanation?" askedCresswell— "My explanation, my lord, isthat the testatrix had often expressed tome her intention to leave me £5000, and!Iwrote the codicil which was destroyedto carry out her wishes."

'SIGNED WITH A DEAD HAND."A solicitor was charged with forging

the will of a lady, which devised to hima considerable amount of her property;but as the case proceededitbecame ctearto me that the will was signed after thelady's death, and then with a dry penheld in the hand of the deceased by theaccused himself while he guided it overa signature whkhhe had craftily forged.A woman was present when this wasdone, and as she had attested the execu-tion of the will, she was a necessary wit-ness for the'prisoner, and hi examination-in-chief she was very clear indeed that itwasby the hand of the deceased that thewill was signed, andthat she herself hadseen the deceased sign it. Suspicion onlyexisted as to what the real facts wereuntil this woman went into the box, andthen a scene, highly dramatic, occurredin her cross-examination. After gettingan admission that the will was signed inthe bed, with the prisoner near by, thewoman was asked:

"Did he put the pen into her hand?""Yes.""And assist her^whUe she-signed the

willy'"-

"Yes,""How did he assist her?""By raising her in the bed and sup-

porting her when he had raised her.'"Did he guide her hand?""No.""Did he touch her hand at all?""I think he did just touchher hand.""When he did touchher hand was she

dead?""At this last question the woman turn-

ed terribly pale, was seen to falter, andfell in a swoon on the ground, and so re-vealed the truth which Bhe had come todeny."

STORY OF A POISONING.This was a most diabolical murder by

Dr. Lamson, who had bought a practiceat Bournemouth. Jtiewas ane'er-do-well,and was heavily in debt. His wife'sbrother Percy, who was a cripple, was atschool at Blenheim House, Wimbledon.If he came of age he was entitled to£3000, but if he died one-half went toeach of his sisters.

"On 3rd December, 1880, the boy, he-irg still at school and in good health,was amusing himself with his schoolfel-lows, when his brother-in-law, Dr. Lam-so i, called. Percy was taken into theroom to see him, when the doctor said,'Well, Percy, old boy, how fat you arelooking.' It was a room 16ft square,with a gasolier over the table. Thedoctor sat down, and Percy was seatednear him. The visitor took out of a lit-tle bag aDundee cake and some sweets.Hethen cuta small slice of cake with hispenknife. About fifteenminutesafterwardshe said to Mr. Bedbury, the master, '1didnot forget you and yourboys. Thesecapsules will be nice for them to takenauseousmedicines in';andhe took sev-eral boxes of capsules from the bag andplaced them'on the table. One box hepushed towards Mr. Bedbury, askinghimto try them. "

"No one had seen Lamson take a cap-sule out of the box, but he was seen tofill one with sugar and give it to theboy, saying, 'Here, Percy, you are aswell pilltaker.' Within five minutesafter that the doctor excused himself foigoing so soon.

The boy died in three hours. The doc-tor was charged withmurder and foundguilty, but only one man

—the Judge-

actually saw through the murderousscheme.

"Itwasmy opinion,"saysLordßramp-ton, "andIbelieve that of the counselfor the defence, that, although so muctstress was laid upon the capsule and theadministration of the poison by thatmeans, it was not so administered, butthat the capsule was an artifice designedto hoodwink the doctors and the Treasury solicitors.

"To have poisoned the boy in such amanner would have been a clumsy de>vice for so keen and artful a criminalas Lamson;andIknew it was conveyedin another manner, although the solicitorsnever hit upon that point. It should bestated that in Lamson's pocket-bool*were found memoranda as to the symp-toms and effect of aconitine, and as tcthere being no test for its discovery.Lamson, therefore, had made the poison-ing of this boy a careful and particul&istudy. He was not such a clumsy opera-tor as to'administer it in the way sug-gested. The openness of that proceedingwas to blind the eyes of detectives andlawyers alike; the aconitine was convey-ed to the lad's stomach by means of araisin in the piece of Dundee cake whichLamson cut with his penknife andhandedto him. He knew, of course, the partof the cake whereit was."Iwas not able to bring the artifice

before the jury; the Crown had not dis-covered it,andLamson's deep-laidschemewas nearly successful. His plan, ofcourse, was to lead the prosecution tomaintain that he gave the poison in thecapsule, and then compel them to showthat there was no evidence in it. Thejury were satisfied that the boy waspoisonedby Lamson, and little troubledthemselves about the way it was done."

THE ROAD TO MANDALAY.They are collecting fares on the road

toMandalay. The road is a trolley-road.Itis also sevenmiles long, double-trackedthroughout, and equipped in the mostmodern style. We are informed that thecar-bodies in use are 35 feet 4£ incheslong, about 6 feet wide, and designedto provide seating accommodation for48 passengers. These cars run onwheels,which in turn, run on a track, which inturn runs over the country where former-ly elephants were a-pilin' teak. We pre-sume that the sludgy, squdgy creek hasamodern bridge over it. Naturally thereare no 'buses running from the Bank +oMandalay in the face of such competi-tion.

The most important result of this pro-digious material improvement will be thenecessity of a new edition of Kipling'spoems. The Bunnah girl will no longerbe described as "a-settin'." She willstandup andhang ona strap. Whackin'white cheroots are forbidden on the rearplatform. His very doubtful if anybodycanhear the East a-callin,' in view of therattle of the trolley. If the dawnpersistsin coming up like thunder, the railwaycompany will probably get out an in-junction.

—San Francisco Argonaut.

WRITING UNDER FIRE.

"M\A.P." quotes from a letter writtenby Captain Blizneteky, aRussian officer:

"Many of our men, out of bravado,gamble, jump for coppers, and cut simi-lar capers while under fire. However, Ithink the severest test of coolness iswriting letters while shells are explodingaround. Ihave tried to do it myself,butproduced queer scrawls.

"YesterdayIwitnessed this scene. TheJapanese were pouring in a tremendousfire, and' four or five shells had bursbquite close. In the trench where Ilaydown four soldiers were colloguing to-gether over the love-letters which theonly literary one in the lot was writingfor the others. 'Say something flowery

—■

something aboutthe heart, and the needletrue to the pole,' said one. A storm ofbullets whistledpast. 'You wouldn't likethose about the heart,' said the letter-writer."

'And tell PulcheriaI'vegot 70 roublessince the war began, and killed twentyJaps,' continuedthe amorous Ivan. 'Drawifc mild;I'llsay ten,' retorted the letter-writer. Here a shell burst, and the con-cussion tore the letter out of the learnedman's hand." 'Can you give us some paper, yourhonour?' Itore the back from a letter,and the amorist continued his work. 'Be-gin:Pulcheria, these are my respects,and11love you. . . .' But here an-other soldier, impatient, snatched thepaper, and said, 'Write for me:EkateriuaRodjonoff, Village of Semionova, Govern-ment of Khavkoff. My Beloved Ekat-erina,

—The bullets are whistling past,

but that only makes me think of you.Ihave been wounded twice, and ColonelFriedericks saysIam the bravest manin the army. Think of that, and yet Ilove you. . . .'

"Abullet pinged, and went through the"hero's coat>sleeve. A minute later theletter-writer fell dead."

Miss Alcxia Bassian, Mr. Williamson'snew operatic prima donna, will make her

.first appearance with the WilliamsonRepertoire Company as Mabel in "The.Pirates of Penzance" after "Patience- is"dene-io«ttv

13

or _^«$

£ \n|IDSQNS/ -««§r \ °*S A VERYLOrtSV""/ «^

%-JLt Hosm® tatlae

gt^» uhero everything infjjir and about a house is *4g®r bept so sweetand clean -41%r and pure, and clothes -^®** ars washed to spotless "^3Hf* Bhiteness.-theyarestill "^S%- *

«** n

£?. for getting these «^|f£»- delightful results; and&" just tha same results -£2€^" arepossible in the newHJT 9olonial homes by the*g£ game means. Savesg|L rubbing and scrubbing(§p4 and abolishes hardHs>» «rork in the house£^>i entirely. ■*$

—Jej'

Sotr"WELL, BLOW IT."

YOU may do this with your soup, butyou will find it more difficult with

the 'iot summer weather.Bot days are cerUinly trying, and when

not.up to par you will find it hard to"get amove on."

Unless you aye "in the know you willgo through this summer as you did last,and the ones before it— tired, listiess,faggßd-out, commencing tho day with ayaw*, and finishing1 up with a ,unlessyou aavemade tie acquaintance- of Plante-koi Then samflier days become a plea-sure. Plantekoa is to you what steam isto the engine—it makes you go, poursglofting, exhilarating vitality into you, andfills the bodywith life, ambition, and en-duraioe.

PURELY HERBAL.PLEASANT AS WINE.

'TOU'LL LIKE IT.THERE'S A REASON.

Special Agents.—

Wellington, W. L.Beech', 26, Vivian-street, and W. Camp-bell, general grocer, 21, Manners-Btreet,*nd 39, Riddi£ord-street. Hutt and Pe-tone, Wm. Inghs, chemist.

Purest of Emollients andpalest of Skin Cn.

The Most Wonderful Curativeof A[l_Time

Far ToMiig, DisfiguringSkin,lows

And Purest and Sweetest olT&ltet EffloHs.

Cuticura Oistment isbeyond questionthe most successful curative for tortur-ing,disfiguringhumoursof theskin andscalp, including loss of hair, eveicompounded, in proof of which asingleanointingpreceded byahotb&tbwith Cuticura Soap, and fojlowed inthe severer case3, by' a dose of Cuti-cura Eesolvent, is often sufficient toafl'ord immediate relief in the mostdistressing forms of itchiug, burningand scaly humours, permit rest auc|sleep,and point toaspeedy core whenall other remedies fail. Itis especiallysomthe treatmentof infants andchil-dren, cleansing, soothing and healingthe most distressing of infantile hu-mours, and preserving, purifying andbeautifying- theskin,scald andhair.

Cuticura Ointment possesses, at theBame time, the charm of satisfyingthesimple wantsof the toilet, incaring forthe skin, scalp, hah1,hands and feet,from infancy to age, far more effect-ually,agreeably and economically thanthe most expensiveoftoiletemollients.Its "Instani relief for skin-torturedbabies,"or"Sanative,antisepticcleans-ing," or "

One-night treatmentof thehands or feet," or "Single treatmentof thehair," or "Use after athletics,'cycling, golf, tennis, riding,sparring,or anysport, eachin connection withthe useof Cuticura Soap, is sufficientevidence of this.

CuticumKtiol-rtnt,l:ouidandintheformo*'ChocolateCarted fill', CuticnniOintmentand Ctiiicwa Scap arfjfflil throtiihoirt the world, fitpoti: Londiro,'JlClurtar-tlSUlcIM-;F«riJ, 6Rv>(tolaPan;AuntniiK.B-Towcu»Co.,Brd»eTj BoiSnn,V>7Columboj Avo. letterDrug*ChemicalCorp.Hol« PrnpnsbrnB3-Eosdfor"Tho CutkuraSkiaBooh."

paternoster's

THE RELIABLE REMEDYFOR

<SOUT, BHEUMATISM, SCIATICA, AND ALLPAINSOF HEAD, FACE, AND LIMBS,

Sun beoUained throughall Chemi-iti,Price,l/i2/6, 4/6.and 11/.payBox,andfromthe Proprietors,

POIMSDESTKE S. TRUMAN,11,OLD KBHX RO4.D. 2.ONDOM,S.&

OWE, TWO, OR THREE,According to age and constitution,may be takes.of

BILIOUS& LIVER PILLS(Giarauteed without Mercury).

These Pillshave beei prescribed byMedicalmenfocovor ioo years, are siilahead ofall Liver Pills:gentlein their action, restore tone to the tjener.ilsystem andare the safest andmost reliable familyciedicineforall aijes.Theya3>soßutp{y curethasymptoms of Torpid Ljver, such as Unplia-

bantBreath— Wind

— Giddiness— DhprsssivSpirits

—iNDiocbi ion

—Backache

—Spakvs

—Rough Tougue— Acidity asd CMiimcioK-stimulate the Liver to continued healthy aclion,and increa4nerve power.

Soldeverywherc-1/I*, 2/9 and4/6-per.box.J.Rorkc&Co.,i33YorkRd.,Lambert,London^

Wholesale Agents—3SHB NEW ZEALAND DRUG .CO.

; Allfaggedout— Scarcelyenoughenergy to getkome 15 in the evening

— No rest after you do get hcaaae— As |5 tked in the morning as you are atnight

— |r Back so lame that youcan scarcely bend it

— itabes |and throbs,and pains even when youlie still. |

1 Kidneys are toblame— |

j They're not taking the poison out of the Mccd— I

Need help, and needit at onee— |

i Other Wellington people have been in the same IJ condition— Hundveds of them

— They've taken |

i Aad they've been cured-— i[ Cured so quickly aad peiananeni&y tfeat they eeaM Ii scarcely believe theirewn senses

— |I They'H. tell youalsout ike goodness ©f Boat'sBaeik- Ic alike Kid«ey PiMs— TeH you with a glad eaE&estaaess 1] that you can't help "believing. |; Bead what ®&c Wellington mass, has I; to say:—; Mr. Bryca MeWalker, Blacksmith at Lyon?s- , JI 'Bus Stables, Abel-Smith Street, this city, says:

— 8"The statement whichhas appearedin the WeHiag- jj

i' tonpress that Doan's Backache Kidney Fills cured tj

i me of severe backache is quite true. These Pills NI provedAil. Before Itook this remedy Iused frc j§i queafcly teb* afflicted with colds inthekidneys,and' H

at these times thepaias w»uld be so severe 1&&fc*I m> couldscarcely doany work. IobtainedD«an's Prlls ffi

two andahalf Tearsago atFletcher'sPharmacy,and X! a skort course made a permanent cure. I've never S: had a coldki thekidneys since. Iwouldrecommend. V" an-yfeedy whe suffers inthis way touse this'reniedjvr" R', You can buyDoan's BacVaehe Kidney P3ls of aH 1< Chemists and Storekeepers,at 3/- per bos: (sax bex^s 1

16/6), or they wiil be posted on receipt of price by |Foster-McClellan Co., 76,Pitt Street,Sydney,N.S.W. 1

BUT BE SVBE THEY ASE SSAfTS. ICould Not SleepAyer's Sarsaparilla and PillsBring Back the Appetite, Insure Restful

Slsgp, Give Energy. Feif Twenty Years Younger.?,^ Mr. A. Moyes, Franklin St.,

Adelaide,So. Australia, sends usjaro^fjrc^^^ \*"s photograph,and says:

<ip VsMk\\ \"* *ee^sure*vat*** *s*° Ayer'*

11f 11 \ Sarsaparilla and Piha thatIowe£gjja/ ftffi^frg1 «§» /j I my good health. Previous touGffif**2tes2 toR v/\\ *a^'nS *k's medicine, Ihadno''.^y » *5T oVfe!n mjui\ appetite and suffered from loss

/ j| vls?*^ \*k Wflll °^ sleep, Ihadnoenergy todo//%.\'A f^sm^xr:!^^^^tltl or to anywllore- The doctor

Jlly^^^S^XM^W// told mot0 S° awayfOT a change.¥WmWwwIWPIII 1did so> andIdid not foel anyWP$/M( wJlfSaiW\.' tettera!fter comingback. Icameto the conclusion lt was *g«fflmffißplfc rSmmli X comingonme. Anyhow,Is joa

mmwi&^j {vOw®m If altered my opinionafter takingJ^^AX^Mk'jA^SM theSarsaparilla and Pills. NowfwSi^M^^mßKSlx * caneat andsleep wetl; ia fact»r JKwf^kSmml lfteltwenty y«arsy°unger. And/T^wl^^'^^M^W^^W -when WestIneed neverfear th«

J^^^^^W/£^ 0'rlietonehas topufcup on tbems3MJ3£s& (/$' 1 fields, when my niedieine-chest

xjzSfjM « \ contains a bottls orsoolAyer'si SarsaparillaandPills."

Why is it that Ayer'sSarsaparillais such a strongnervetonic ? Why is itthat this familymedicinebrings backthe appetite,makes the nerves.steadyand strong, and gives sound and refreshing sleep? The ans-wer is easy.Because it removes the impurities fromthebloodwhichirritate thenervesandkeep them in a restlessand weakenedcondition. When fed withpure

1 blood, the nerves settle right down to their regular duties; the brain,' stomach, kidneys, andheart all do their work asnature intended.To got these results you must take Ayer's Sarsaparilla,not some other

kind. The market is fuHof imitations.

M » el B°" & Vk. \fejr H

Purifies the Blood. Strengthens the Nerves.Ayer's Pillskeep the liveractive. They aid the Sarsaparilla.

PreparedbyDR.J.C.AYEECO., Xovyell.Mass.. XT.S.A.

X "Have used Chamberlain's ;,llw^ Stomach and LiverTabtets,and

always derived the greatestIMr T C BARNES benefit Usually carry a bottle1 '

with me, and inmany instancesI Learmonth, have met peopie suffering fromI Biliousness, Constipation, orI * Stomach and Liver troubte,and'^^^^^^^^^^^ have had the satisfaction of

l"l'—"j| beingthe medium oftheir reKef,

8 throughChamberlain'sTablets."

lUDSON'S EUjWENTHOL flPy-y JUJUBESFOR THE THROAT! THE VOICE! THE LUNGS!

MISS AMY CASTLES writes:— "l have used your EumentholJujubes, and have found them invaluable for the throat, par-ticularly in case of colds.

"Ishould Itke to recommendthera to-all singers."

■ JUrfJUfc $<3JLcJUJjJLfy,' -

-Sold^*R4he.ttiet9t Tin*.,1/6 each, SHAELiND fc-^-lKe«tt.

SPORT AND PASTIME.The Turf.[By Lochiel.]

RACING FIXTURES.December 31 and January 2

—Grey

mouth J.C. Summer MeetingJanuary 2and 3— Rangitikei R.C. Sum

mer Meeting.January 2 and 3— Hawkes Bay J.C

Summer Meeting.January 2and 3— WairarapaR.C. Hum

mer Meeting.

THE RACING CARNIVAL.The most important events of th

Christmas Racing Carnival have beeidecided this week, and as in each casthe financial -esults exceeded past recordthe various clubs have every reason tifeel highly satisfied. The ManawatiRacing Club's achievement is particularl;conspicuous, and is a distinct inceniivto continue the progiessive policy thahas been adopted by the club's executive. The amount put through the totalisator (£39,471) eclipsed all previourecords, being nearly double the suninvested at the last meeting on the ol<course, and, with a fair share of luckthere is every reason to believe that thexpectationsx of some of the stewardto chronicle a turnover of £40,000 wilsoon be realised. The Auckland meetingwhich does not conclude till Tuesda;next, also promises well, and Dunediiand Lower Valley likewise report aiadvance. A glance at the figures of thvarious meetings just held, compare*with corresponding meetings last yeargives some idea,of the stronghold raciujhas on the New Zealand public:

—1904. 1903

£. £Manawatu (two days) ... 39,471 31,37:Auckland (two days) ... 34,496 33,77:Ashhurst (two days) ... 11,921 11,86;Dunedin (two days) ... 10,800 7,69!Taranaki (two days) ... 9,055 9,011Lower 'Valley (two days) 8,161 5,48.Thames (two days) ... 5,474 5,40iReefton (two days) ... 5,308 6,51'

124,686 111,11!There are still two more days' racinj

of the Auckland meeting to be held. Iiaddition to the above figures trottinjwasheld at Auckland, Christchurch, amWestport, speculation at each place being fairly brisk.

. THE MANAWATU MEETING.Perfect weather favoured- the Mana

watu Racing Club for the opening of thSummer Meeting on the new course aAwapuni on Boxing Day, and the attendance, which was estimated at quitien thousand, included a large numbe,

af racing enthusiasts from Wellingtohwho strongly followed locally-owned coinpetitors. Backers, however, were alastray in their selections, and so weldid the handicapper (Mr. Henrys) manage to conceal the winners that not isingle favourite secured the judge's verdiet. Mr. E. Grant Sim, the actinjsecretary, is to be congratulated on thisuccess which attended his efforts in thdischarge of his onerous duties in th<absence of the club's permanent officialMr. Johnston.

Proceedings opened with the AwapunStakes, for which a field of ten1 facecthe starter. Solution was made a pronounced favourite, but the Soult-Problenfilly failed toact up toher private traclform, and let her connections down badly. Entering the straight Jeanne d'Arcwho was lying fourth, suddenly shot tithe front and challenged Ballarat, evemtually winning after a great race by )

length, Regulation being a head behimBallarat. The field for the First Ha,ndicap Hurdles numbered eight horses, MieiKingbeing a, red-hot favourite, with thiHutt-trainedLissa next in demand. Thiwinner turnedup in the Waipawa-owner.Pushful, a son of Strenuous, who showed considerable pace, and' is the cut o:an ideal cross-country horse.

With the finish of the Hurdle Rac<the way was now prepared for the eveniof the day

—the Manawatu Cup. Loci

Erne and Little Turk Mere the onljwithdrawals, leaving a. good field of teito contest the 500 soys. provided. Thihorses were eagerly scanned by the spectators. Convoy, carrying 9.2, and piloted by T. Wib.n, was selected by backers as the most likely one to score, fol-lowed by Joe Chamberlain and Asteroidin that order on the betting machineFrom a straggikig start, in which Arm-stice and' Benadr were the chief sufferersCannie Chiel and Joo Chamberlain wer<the first to show the way followed bjTercelet. Convoy then joined Sir Georg«Clifford's representative, and the pahraced neck and neck until the entranwto the straight, the pace being verjmerry. Here the Hawkes Bay mare, Asteroid, put in ahot challenge, andpass-ed speedily into the va.n. An excitingrace ensued, but the daughter of Apre-mont-Planet responding gamely to thecall of W. Price paesed the judge's boaa length in front of the fast-finishingConvoy, with the Porirua-trained Fla;men a neck away third. Cannie Chic!and Madrigal followed, and Joe Cham-berlain finished in the rear.. The tim<occupied f>>r the mile and a half wai2min 37 4-ssec.In the First Hack Hurdles six horses

put in an appeaxance at the startingpost, Athol Maid being made favouriteGipsy Jack andSpringbok werethefirst tcshow in front, but in taking the seconchurdle the former struck and threw hiirider. Springbok led past the stand, fol-lowedby AtholMaid. The Napier horseAnadega then commencedto overhaul th<leaders, and, holding his own to the fin-ish, won easily from the favourite, whewas several lengths in front of Spring-bok. The next event, the Maiden HadRace, -was onty second from a point oJinterest to 'the Cup, and attracted thelarge field of eleven. Shanks, 7.13, bjSou-Wester, and ridden by W. Price:■was pounced on by the public as a"good thing." The start was a capitaone, Lyrist and Aprti making the pac<up to the bend, with tfee rest of thefielcclose up. Entering the straight Barca,by Oyrenian— Primula, secured an open-ing, and took command, which he helcto the finish, and won a great race bja bare haif-tength, heads only separatingthe second and third horses. The severfurlongs was- covered in the good tim(

of lmin 32sec— not a bad performancefor so-called "hacks"

Six went to the post for the NurserjHandicap, and Chryseis, by Clanranald-Golden Crest, was entrusted with thfmost money. The race proved an exciting contest, two Hawkes Bay-brecaorsea— Probable and Medallist— fightingout a great finish, the former lastinglong enough to win by what the judg(declared to be "half a nose," with Chry.seis a length away in third place.

For the Hack Flat Handicap, RoaMbadder, Admiral Cerveras, MarinellaPolyanthus, and St. Myra declined th<cqntest, which reduced the number osMrters to ten, with St. Joe, 8.12, a<the head of the betting. The race resuited in a magnificent finish betweeiSeagull and St. Joe, the latter bcinjvanquished by a head, tht third hors<(Bonheur) only half a head away, th<rest of the field close up. The Grandstand Handicap was the last event oithe programme, and Full Cry, 8.5, wa:eorted out as the best good thingJeanne d'Arc andKaharoa being secon<farcies, and Little Turk, the outsiderAg.iiu the favourite failed, the first t<catch the judge'r eye being Huratus, b>(Jold Peef— Pureestring, followed b;

Ngatama and Rapids. The winner gothome by a length and a half, and return-ed the 'good pric. of £7 14s, the secondhorse paying £4 6s.

The President's Handicap, run on thesecond 'day, furnished another interestingrace. Cannie Chiel and Convoy were madefavourites on the machine, Armistice andJeanne d'Arc also having a fairly large

r- following. As the field turned into thestraight Jeanne d'Arc and Armistice were

t- in front, with Convoy, Douche, and Fla-tten close up. At the distance Convoy

!. -put in his claim, and passing Armistice,he ranged alongside Jeanne D Are and the

t- pair raced for home neck andneck, themare under punishment. Thirty yardsfrom home the issue was still in doubt,but weight told in the last few strides,and the gelding succumbsd by. half a

c neck on the post. Armistice ran a gieatn race, and is-evidently in better nick thanc she has been for some time past. Aster-

oid, who prevailed the previous day, was3 never prominent, and finished in the ruck,0 while Joe Chamberlain, on his runningv both days, quite failed to justify the high„ reputation,formed of mm after his Feild-

ing successes. Cannie Chiel also failed toc run up to form, andraced with the ruckt all the way.[. Regulation was looked upon as"a good

thing for the Summer Handicap. ILomare put iv a strong claim at the <tis-s tance, where Auratus seemed tohavemat-a ters pretty 'WelUall his own way. Chry-seis, who was the last to leave the tapes,

■> however, asserted herself at a criticalc point in the 'racing, and, ranging herself|® along,pushed the Gold Reef gelding very'*

hard for first place, the latter winningby>" a bare half length. Matuku finishedv fourth, and Shrapnel,, whoraced well fora five furlongs, fifth. St. Albert bolted twon miles before the race, and extinguished|what chance he.had. Levantannexed the* Handicap Hurdles in the easiest possible'' manner, after Lissa fell at the last jump.S Up to that point the two had raced neckand neck. Pushful, who was regardedbyi. many as having a big chance of winning,'<. came down at the second jump. Anadeja1 bad no difficulty in repeating his win ofI the previous day in the Hack Hurdles.3 Mr. Armstrong's colt Probable had little9 difficulty in disposing of Medallist, Va-0 lois, and Tussera in the Juvenile Stakes.5 The Hon..J, D. Ormond's Lyrist scoied6 the only win secured by the stable at the4 ineeting,;The Officer gelding defeatingMr.- Conricift; Bonheur by a head.9 ;

_____g " THE AUCKLAND CUP.

'II Mahutonga. .has added the Auckland5 Cup to his laurels. The absence 'of a* number of the best horses robbed the race!" of a good deal of its interest, but despite

this fact, the Quilt gelding put up a fineperformance,and his victory was a /meri-torious one. Much was expected of the

l- Porirua colt Ghoorka, who carried a goodc deal of local money. Judging from thet full;descriptions of the rac* published in,- the.Auckland papers, the colt rana goodc race, but the journey taxed him rather,v severely. Romeo was another horse thati, commanded--a large following, but hist- party's support wavered a good deal juntU before the race. It was always pretty,1 certain from the time speculation openedi- (says a writer in the New Zealand Her-a aid) thatMahutonga wouldrule favourite,"- and, though no second dividend was to beg declared, a good deal oflintere6l centredc- as to which horse would carry mostc money after Mahutonga. When the1 pre-e fiminary gallop*,came to be undertaken ittJ was apopular opinion that nothing went

quite so 'iree as ScoHy, though Mahu-ii tonga's long, loping strides captivated1 many. On the horses lining up at the„ post it seemed as though they would bed got.away quickly, but the Napier pair—_ Melodeon and Starshoot---niisbeluived[. themselves rather bactly, and the starter!f had to descendfrom his stand four or five0 times ere he was able to slip the barrier.

When the tapes flew up the start was aa good one, the colours of Starshoot andj Mahutonga being most prominent as theI, field dashed away. At the end of a cou-s pie of furlongs" Maiutonga was out byc himself, but at the end of seven,furlongsc Idas was level withhim." The QuiltIgeld-j ing, however, was 'a length in advance. when they went out of the straight. Whenf the last six. furlongs were entered upon

Homeo improved his position, and thec Leolantis gelding got to within three-fc quarters of a length of the favourite at

the three and a-half furlongs' post. Ma-- hutonga showed the -way into the straight,x but asRomeo, Ghoorka,"and Scotty werec seen handling themselves in fine style, in-_

'terest was well maintained. The whole. field ran a bit wide in the closing stage,. and, with whip's out all round at the half. distance, it was difficult to «ay how thej verdict would be. Ghoorka seemed like-

ly to reach the leader at the main stand,1 buthe swerved a bit under pressure, and

Mahutonga,keeping his opponentsat bay.g ran home a winner by ji length in frontj of Scotty, who finished up with a bril-b liant run under the judge's box, andr snatched second honours from Romeo onB the post by a short neck. Mahutonga"j and his rider, J. Buchanan, were ac-

corded an enthusiastic ovation oncoming. back to the enclosure, and it was a mat-ter for general regret that the owner of*the Cup winner Mas not present to see

s his horse achieve a memorable victory.t It was a popular opinion that Scotty. would run the race of his life, and the_ St. L.^er gelding must be given creditj for aperformance that was in every way_ up to the expectations of his most san-3 guine supportern. The following times of9 the various stages of the journey aie re-

corded:— Quartpr-mile, 26|sec; half-mile,j 52isec; six furlongs, lmin 19£ sec; one

mile, lmin 44sec;onemile anda quarter,* 2min 10£ sec; one mile and a half, 2minj 37sec; one mile and three-quarters,3minj 3Jtsec; two miles, 3min 30^ec. Melo-g deon burst a blood-vessel during the sec-

ond stage of the contest, and was easedI UP-B Recent winners of the Cup are as fol-

lows :—:—

j 1888—

Lochiel, 8.10 3 32. 1889—

Leopold, 7.4 3 33c 1890

—Crackshot, 8.3 3 30|

f 1891—

Pinfire, 6.10 3 32i, 1892—

St. Hippo, 8.9 3 30~f 1893 — Pegasus. 7.5 " 3 39

1894 — Lottie, 8.0 3 36|! 1895 — Anita, 6.9 3 371 1896

—Nestor, 6.12 3 32|

a 1897 — Antares, 7.11 3 361 1898 — Uhlan, 6.9 3 323

1899 — Bluejacket, 7.9 3 29|. 1900 — Bluejacket, 8.0 3 33I 1901

—St.Michael, 7.4 3 32|, 1,902 — Siege Gun, 8.6 3 33?L 1903 — Wairiki, 9.8 3 29|*

1904—

Mahutonga, 812. ... 3 30|» WAIRARAPA RACING CLUB.

Everything points to the fact that theT WairarapaRacing Club's meeting, which-

commences onMonday next, and will beb continued on thp following da-y, will be* one of the most successful held in the1 history of the club. The acceptances> are highly satisfactory, and the quality1 of the horses engaged is such as to en-6 sure some first-class racing. Trains will. leaye Wellington on Monday at 7 a.m.

and 8.20 a.m., tho hours of departureb from Feathersion on the return journey, being 6.25 p.m. and 7.48 p.m. On thec -second day (Tuesday) the 8.20 a.m. andf the 7.48 p.m. trains will run. Brakest will meet the trains at Featherston, and. convey visitors to the course, wherejj every arrangement has been made for- their convenience and comfort. The fol-g lowiag horses should run well in thec more important events:

—Cup -. Douche,

Jeanne d'Arc, and Tercelet. Tauhita-2 rata Handicap:Solution, Platypus, and

Pure Silver. Reynolds Handicap:Blaz-er, Gold Crown, and Good Intent. Hack

I Hurdles:Lissa and Valkyrie. Hack_ Handicap:Hinurewa andFancywork.°NEWS AND NOTES.

jr. Cuneiform will not race again, Mr.

Stead having decided to use her forbreeding purposes.

The Duriedin correspondentof the Post< telegraphs that the Hon. G. M'Lean has

pacticaltyfilled the vacancy in his stableby selecting William M'Dooald, trainerof Tfcrrapin and other horses, as trainerat the Wingatui stables. M'Donald wasas aboy in the service -of Stcphenson andHazlett, and rode Occident in the Dun-edin Cup, won by St. James.

At the Rangitikei meeting,-which com-mences on Monday, Convoy should ac-count for the Cup, and Regulation orWind for the Flying Handicap. MissKing's chances of annexing- the OhakeaHurdles look bright, and the Hack Hur-dles may to go Anadeja. ■ In the Wel-ter, Full Cry and Parkshot should beprominent at the finish. "

So severely have the starting price"brigade" in town been handled duringthe week over several heavy stable' com-missions that a .meeting ,was held atwhich it was decided to strictly limit theamount of any investor to a "fiver" ona race.

Mr. W. J. Jorgensen has placed histraining stables at the Hutb in the'hands ,of agents for sale. Owners ofother racing establishments in that lo-cality are also said to be on the look-out for buyers.

The sporting writer in the ManawatuStandard, referring to the Ashhurst-Po-bangina races, says the racing was mostinteresting throughout, though form pre-viously displayed at Palmerston enabledthe public topounce with accurate direct-ness upon several good things at the?meeting. As a consequence dividendswere small, the largest being on Swopin the Maiden Scurry, who beat Gauze,the second favourite,by a head after thelatterhad lost fully three or four lengthsat the post. The Guineas resulted in aneasy win for the Palmerston-owned St.Amelia,'trained by J. Maher, the fillyburying all opposition when her headwas loosened and scorer* comfortably, bya length and a half from St. fLudJam,who was just about equally supportedwith the filly. After the race St. Ameliawas paraded on the lawn, where MissHanlon, daughter of Mr. P. Hanlon, Pre-sident of the Club, placed the classicblue ribbon round the filly's neck. Cheerswere then given for Miss Hanlon, ththorse, owner, and rider. Both ownerand trainer were.roundly congratulatedupon their success. In the Cup thesame trainer's Seagull scored another popular win, and it is very evident Maherhas the chestnut daughter of St. Legeivery fit at present. The totalisator re-turns for the meeting were £11,921, asagainst £11,863 last year, an increase oi£64. There is no doubt tlial; bub for theunfortunate change ol weather*in thtafternoon, when heavy rain fell, the clubwouldhave easily outdistanced last year'sfigures. As it was, numerous people leftthe course when the rain came on.

A contingent of bookmakers occupied& corner of the Rakaia Domain on Mon-day, and warmly invited the rural popu-lation to "back their fancies." Thecountry gently responded withheartiness,and the cash-fielders, for once, had de-cidedly the worst of the wagering. "Wethought we'd make a pot of money onthe Cup and be able to catch the earlyexpress," remarked one of them, "butwe got hit pretty badly in that;so wereckoned we'd hang on and try and getour own back, but we fell further intothe soup."

Considerable disappointment was ex-pressed by a number of sports .presenlat the Manawatu meeting at the non-appearance of Martcho, the 900-guineucolt owned by Mr. Leicester and trainedby F. Tilley at Fordell. His withdrawalfrom the Nursery Handicap on,the firstday was (says a Palmerston writer) dueto being a little sore, and also to thefact that he is growing very fast. Thecolt is growing into anandsome specimenof the thoroughbred, One of the lean,wiry sort, and in the hands of Weyshould well emulate the 'deeds' of his' il-lustrious relatives nnd shed further lus-tre onhis defunct d-Jim, Rose of Welling-ton, ?

Mod and Gnu.[By Gamebag.]

[Contributions to this column, addressed"Gamebag," will be welcomed.' Theyshould be roncise. and must! be signedwith the writer's full name and ad-dress, not for publication, but as aguarantee of authenticity.]

A Blenheim paper records the recentcatching of the biggest trout (so far) ofthe season. It was caught at a spot inthe township by Mr. J. Ball, and weigh-ed 221b. 'After being 'frozen it id 'to beforwarded to Wellington.

A trout weighing 51b was caught in theTutaekuri River, Napier, a day or twoago. It is the first trout recorded ashaving been caught in that vicinity.Aucklandis much interested in the dis-covery of trout in the Lower Waikato,within comfortable distance of the city,Says the Herald:— "Mr. F. Earl, Presi-dent of the Auckland Acclimatisation So-citty, recently,sought the good offices ofPolice Inspector Cullen to ascertain thequantity and character.of the trout in theWaikato. Inspeotor Cullen has receivedfrom Constable F. A. Waterman, station-ed at Mercer, a leport tv the effect thattrout are becoming plentiful in tho Wai-kato, in all parts of the rivei. White-bait fishers,,who fish about20 miles downthe river from Mercer, report havingcaught several trout while fishing lastseason, and two' were recently caughtfrom Mercer Wharf, and one weighingabout 21b was caught about amile fromMercer. It is a frequent occurrence tosee the fish in tlr vicinity, and a shagwas shot recently whichhad a small troutinside 'it. Constable Waterman reportsthat the river is infested with shags,Avhich 'form large colonies on the rivershallows, exposed at low Mater, and thatthey undoubtedly play havoc among thefish. Inspector Cullen adds the- followingnote to the report:

—'Iam satisfied from

enquiries made by myself that trout arebecoming numerousin the Waikato River.On the evening of the 12th inst. (Decem-ber), Iwas at Ngaruawahia, and wentalong to the bridge over the Waipa, closeto Ngaruawahia, and saw trout risingfreely just above the Waipa bridge. Itis therefore evident that trout are.plenti-ful in the Waipa, where it joins the Wai-kato.'

"A fine brown trout, weighing between

3ilb and 41b was netted by .Jr. R. Sey-mour in the Waingawa River yesterday(says the Carterton Leader). The fishwas evidently in the last throes, as itmade but a faint effort now-and again toswim. Mr. Seymour, after landing thetrout, opened, it and lound that, whili theentrails contained the usual feed, theywere contused, and the practised fisher-man at once saw that the fish had beendynamited. It is a shame that such prac-tices should obtain, because they are .sodestructive, and. if any one is'caught atthe business a heavy punishment awaitshim. Mr. Seymour has had some goodfishing, notwithstanding the bright andboisterous weather. He grassed 31 forthree days, and .one- of his captures wasa beautiful rainbow trout. .

SEA RUN TROUT.

A DAY'S ANGLING.

The Field publishes a racy and well-written account by W. Quillian ot a.day's angling for sea-run' trout on thoNorway coast, in whatho terms the seastream, a channel pf wif** .which at a

certain stage of thetide flows fiom an in-land lake direct into the Gulf Stream.The writer accidentally dropped on thisstream when in its proper stage forttout fishing, and struck fi&h he neverbargained for. "I carried a ligho green-heart. My gut was the sume drawnstuff that Ihad been using on the lakeIput on a yellow Pennell and cast itinto the tumbling water. Tug! A giantfish had me at its mercy. Whir-i-r!the reel screamed. Splash!' The gieutfish left the water. Good-bye! The guthad parted, 'naturally. ,My eyes wereopened. Isoaked a' stout cast thorough-ly;Ibended it to my line;Itied onanother Pennell;Ithrew it in. Tug!Whir-r-r! SplashI as before, j but thegut held, and we had at it. The fishdid what he pleased with me. In thatrush of water he ran out line in themanner of the fabled tarpon. I-mayhave played him for fifteen seconds. Thenhe -went into the seaweed— the bright,golden, tough, abundant beaweed, andthenIwent in alter him, and recoveredmy fly with some difficulty. And theremy sport ended for the day, for notanother rise had I.< This was not to'be>bonie. Next day, rather earlier on theebb,Iwa." there with a double-handledsplit cane, 100 yards of line, and stoutgut. The sea stream ran out furiously,and the fish came bravely. One, two,three,Irose and missed;four, Ihook-ed. He jumped and was off. Five, Ilanded;2jlb. Six, Ihooked, played,and lost. Seven, Ilanded;2^lb. Eightandnine Irose and missed. The castingwas dead into the eye of a bright sun }there was no bieath of wind, and Isweated and swore and had the besttime of my life. For these were my firstsea trout. MacAlister sat on tho rocks,smoked, and told me his opinion of myangling. But Icared very little. Thediscovery was made, and -v\e knew wheuto tackle the sea stream in future.

"On the morrow MacAlister was setat them, and Iwent down to receiveinstruction. MacAlister took off hi."*coat, rolled up his sleeves, lit a vastpipe, and entered the water. One, two,three he rose, hooking and losingone of them. Four, he landed;2|lb. Five ran out 30 yards ofline, making apparently for Greenland,across the Arctic Sea. But MacAlisteimanaged to turn him, and there thejwere, fish tugging aAvay below MacAlis-ter, MacAlister 'holding on for dear liffcand biting into his pipe stem deeper anddeeper every moment. The trout hodnever shown himself (and,I'may add,never .did show himself), and this cir-cumstance has led MacAlister ever sinceto swear that he had to do with thefather of all sea trout. Igave him ad-vice. Isaid:'Come out on to theshoreBring the fish out of the fast water.Manoeuvre him into that little bay be-low you. You must lose him if you lethim hang on like that.1' MacAlister paidno attention to me, but pulled at hispipe till the bovi was ready to crack.After -a time "ho said something about'too much seaweed,' and something about'interfering fools,' and then tho fishbroke up stream towards him and his^monologue ceased. He reeled in nimbly,'and came out of the water. Whai therod bent again, the fish was in the weed,and, after hope had turned lo conviction,and conviction had become despair, mypoor friend waded in sadly, detached hislly, and set to work again, only lo riseone fish, which he hooked and lost. I.'.at on the rocks, smoked, and toldMacAlister my opinion of his angling.Presently the tide ran down to a dribble,and v/e went home. ' #rßoxt time their mutual friend the

Herr Dr. Oberhausen had a try. "Ifear that our presonce^may have dauntedhim, for he said that in such a sun ang-ling was folly, and affected a reluctanceto begin. But when he dropped his flieson to the smooth gliding surface a yardfrom the inner edge of the V, out fromthe foam came a great back fin, inspect-ed the butcher and the red and teal,swam all round them, followed themdown and across the stream, thoughtbetter of it, and returned whence it hadcpme.

'Did you see that ?' cried Ober-

hausen. Yes, we had undoubtedly seenthat. 'It's far vtoo bright,' said Ober-hausen. Wo

'encouraged him to con-tinue. He cast into the broken water,and a fish seized one of his flies with arush. Oberhausen drove the hook home,ran his fish down into the calmer water,mastered him, netted him, and came toland; 4lb. 'A fine fish,' said Ober-ha,usen. 'Clean run.' He pointed withpride to the obscene sea-lice which in-Jested the trout. '

Idoubt it's tooBright,' he wont 'on.

'Aren't my flies

too big?' 'Go into the water,' said I,asIpoleaxed the fish with the handle ofthe net. 'Go back into the water, anddon't waste yourbreath in such foolish-ness. Heavon smiles on you. Deserveits smiles. To work!' MacAlister andIhad hardly laid the fish reverently torest in the shade of a rock when weheard Oberhausen's reel singing again.This fish took him far down and over hiswaders, and MacAlister had to go outto him with the net; 3^lb. 'I doubt,'said I, as they came asnore, * 1doubtyour flics are too'big.' .'Better give itup,' said MacAlister.

'It's folly to fish

in such a sun. You will get no sport,Oberhansen.' But Oberhausen, the mo-ment the hook was released, hadboltedup to tho top of tho sea stream.He was wasting no time now.Nor did the fish give him muchbreathing' space, for the 3^-pound-er was barely dead ere the learned doc-tor was doing battle again. This fishplunged into a bed of weed, i*an throughit,- and leaped into the air on the other.'side. But the gods fought for Ober-hausen, the' tackle held, and the fishscaled 3J,Ib. 'He's into another,' saidMacAlister. By this time Oberhausenuas workinglike amachine. He ran hisfish down its allotted '50 yards, turnedhim at the proper point, haled him intothe calm little bay aforesaid, gave himthe butt, and scooped him ont with thenet. 'This fourth fish, however, escapedat the third manual exercise. Of course,with three good fish on the bank, no oneWould grudge a fourth his life. Ober-hausen himself— but then, Oberhausenwas fishing

—wanted one more. And in

five minutes he got it—

2^lb. This wasthe end. The sea stream had run downto nothing at all, the sea trout had allgone over the bar into deep water, wherefishing was out of the question. Ober-haasen, that he might have nothingwherewith to reproach himself, gavo itone more turn from top to bottom, andthen we loaded up the b;tsket and thenet with the four fish (13£lb in all), andset our faces for home, with high re-solves for the morrow."

Cricket.[By TheMid.]

The West Coast team engaged on theBasin Reserve this afternoon should fullyextend the local playeis. F. H. Robert-son is the well-known member of theMidland Club of former seasons. M.J. Crombie was playing last ssason inthe junior and senior elevens of the Well-ington Club. B. M'Carthy madehismarkafr St. Patrick's College when this in-stitution was able to give its opponentsa closer run than of late years. The" Cave Bros, take part in Wanganuicricket. One of the trio takes a longerrun than "Tom". Hales beiore deliveringthe ball. He visited Wellington four sea-sons ago, and was promptly named"Kox-twrtght" by his opponents. Ongleywas on the West' Coast of the SouthIsland when Pelhain Warner, and Co-visited that province. He is now lo-cated at Palmeiston Notth, which dis-trict is sending down thfSkeliy biorhets,who are ex-members of tho MidlandClub.

T. Maunsell, 'who scored 112 for Wai-

rarapa, gave a splendid display of driv-ing and leg hitting. The bowling cer-tainly was not of a convincing nature,but the batsman well deserved- the ap-plause on reaching his century. T.C'obcroft, the century-maker for Welling-ton, walked down the pitch to congratu-late the batsman, the incident provokinganother outburst of cheering.

T. Cobcroft during his innings forWellington gave a masterly performanceof back play. His hits were well-timed,and he used his favourite "punch" stroketo advantage.

Jones (38) acts as coach to the Master-ton schoolboys, and iras formerly at-tached to one of the London clubs. Ihave not heard of any coach being ob-tained by the Wellington Association toc-irry out this important branch of thegame, but no doubt when the BasinReserve has been renovated somethingin this direction will be done.'

C. Gore (56) let off a lot of leg de-liveries. Cobcroft also wa.s unable to dohimself justice on this side of thewicket.

C. E. Hickey (6 for 16) puzzled theWairarapa players in the first innings.The ball appeared to turn a. lot on awicket which lasted out the two days.

Syd. Nicholls, who was stumped inthe second innings, has never been caughtnapping in this direction d'u.ring hismany cricketing years. The Waiiarapacaptain when on the field always actsas custodian of the wickets, and for oncebe was beaten at his own game.

O. Parton, before being transferred toMasterton, took part in third-class crick-et for the now-defunct Union Club. Hisbrother, "W.A.," is a live member oftheUmpires' Association.It is to be hoped the Association will

maintain the present Country series ofrepresentative matches, which must provebeneficial to the inland players as timeprogresses. To quote the Wairarapa Cap-tain, "They are aneducation."

F. K. Kelling, the founder of theThi--d-class Championship, is taking partin the N.Z. chess tournament.

The recent mishap to A. C. Pearce isnot as serious as anticipated. He hasnotified the Selection Committee of theKarori Club that he will be availablenext Saturday.

A. Winters, the Albion captain, gavethe Shannon players a few samples ofhis bowling last' Monday. Six for 25was his record.

The Wadestown Club plays its annualmatch with Shannon on the 2ord Janu-ary. On the same day Levin is expectedto send dn eleven out to Karori.

The Old Boys did not visit Napierafter all, owing to the Hawker Bayplayers being unable to arrange onlyone match. The Old Boys wanted two.

Lawn Tennis.(By Huka.)

The chief reason for the New ZealandAssociation initiating the movement forthe formation of an Australasian LawnTennis Association was that a team couldbe sent to England to compete for theDavis Cup. It would be a pity were thechance lost of sending the team in 1905,■and for that reason alone the New Zea-land Association may recor.sider its de-cision and join the Association. At auyrate, no harm would be done, as NewZealand could withdraw if it was foundthat the amending of the constitutionto meet its ideas could not be carried.If a team U sent, H. A. Paiker willprobably be picked, and, from informa-tion received, probably Brookes wouldalso be able to go. With Brookes,Parker, and Wilding, the colonies wouldba able to make a good right, andif theyhad time for steady practice in Englandbeforehand, it is quite possible theywould go very near winning the cham-pionship.", ,_

The display given by the Wellingtonpublic school pupils at their champion-ship meeting was remarkable, and thespectators were highly delighted at theform shown. Without doubt the chil-dren have improved,and if they conlinueto progress in the same ratio by the nextmeeting they will be a match for manyof the competitors at present playing inthe Junior Shield competition.

Briendly, Hollis, Abbot, and North-cote are boys of great promise. Th,?former lad won Ihe championship, buthe has a bad habit of holding his racketwith both hands; Time will rectify thatfault. His first serve was a "snor'er"for a young player, and without doubthe will be heard of in tennis matches inthe future if he sticks to tho game.Abbot had the best style, but was notso sure as the champion. Hollis volleyedsplendidly in the doubles, and is a com-ing player.

Two lads who showed good style wereKirker and Focke, who should make realgood players.It seemed a pity y that more tennis-

players were not present to see thefinals, and it is to be hoped that themanagement will notify the public nextyear and ask for their support. A smalludmission fee, if necessary, might bocharged.

The girls were very pood, especiallyMisses Smith, Morgnn, Dimant, Atkin-son, Duncan,'Arthur, Howard, Reeve,and Lane. Mifs Atkinsor has lost thehard service which she had last year,but has a splendid crflss-court drive whichscored every time she got it iv. Herone fault wasthat she didnot watch theball right on to her racket.

Some time back several letters werereceived regarding the picking of clubteams. Some writers contend that theteam must be picked from the "ladder,"and others that the Selection Committeeshould only be assisted by the "ladder1"for the singles. The remarks previouslymade in this column on the subject ofpicking teams were the opinions of"Huka," and not of any particular clubmember. There are arguments on bothsides as to which is the KMer plan,and "Fair Play's" suggestion that clubs{fitould bring the matter up at their au-nual meeting is a good cne. Anotherwriter contends that his cub was theone the paragraph* regarding the pick-ing of teams hit at. Possibly he wasnot aware that'some three or four otherclubs were discussing the matter andwriting to "Huka" on the subject at thattime. The shoe pinched more than oneclub, judging by letters received. With-out doubt the "ladder" is a splendididea. Some clubs use it solely, so thattheir members can get single-practice,and tlio^o clubs contend that you canonly pick the single players by suchmeans, unless you introduce the doubleand combined "ladder" contests An-other writer contends that Ihe "ladder"is no good for picking teams, as some-times the sixth man, for example, willnot challenge those above him, althoughhe should be about second or third, andthe seventh man, although he cannot beatthe sixth man, can beat the fourth andfifth, but does not get the chance. Thesixth mnn acts ti3 a "buffer." Anotherwriter shows that two players held thedouble championship of their club, butcould not get into the team becsuse theywere not as good in single play as thefifth and sixth men, yet the fifth andsixth men played in a. men's double andcombined whilb their superiors at thoseplayed in the second team. In this casegames were lost which would have beenwon haa the stronger double and com:bined been in rhe team. The PetoneClub -\va<- the first to introduce the "lad-der,? and wits followed by the BroughamHill Club some five or si.t years ago."Huka" is not influenced by any side orparty, and hie comments are intended

only in the interest of the sport. Letterswhich suggest partisanship are droppedinto the waste-paper basket. If writerswill bring the matter before their\clubs,and urge others to do the same, at thenext annual meeting, "Huka" will withpleasure put forward both sides of thequestion—

say about a month before themeetings are held. The "ladder" is &vexed questioninmany clubs, andplayersof repute hold widely different opinionsas to its usefulness inpicking teams.

In reply to "Absent":Buy d NewZealand Handbook and see for yourself—Law 31, page 35. Ap umpire's decisionon fact is final, and you can only appealon a point of law. You were wrong.Once your partner received on the leftcourt, he could1not change to the rightto receive a service until the end of theset.

Swimming.

[By Side-stroke.]

It was stated on good authority inWellington last week that ~F. Lane, thewell-known Australian swimmer, has de-finitely retired from racing.

"Dick" Cavill believes in a swimmermastering the breast stroke before goingin for speed. He considers the breaststroke the hare'est to learn and verypuzzling. It takes a considerable timeto get the arms and legs to work to-gether..

With referenc-i to the remarks of theCanterbury Times swimming writer, re-published in this column the week be-fore last, dealing with the action ofthe Wellington Centre in appointing anew representative on the New ZealandCouncil, Ilearn from the Secretary ofthe local centre that the facts of thecase as far as Wellington is concernedare said to 'be as follows:— (l)Mr. Fran-cis has for some seasons been appointedthe Wellington Centre's representativeon the New Zealand Council. (2) Theonly letters received from the late re-presentative have been those acceptingelection each season. (3) Enquiries havebeen made to the centre's representativefor in formation, but the centre re-ceived, except in one or two isolatedcases, no reply. (4) The centre's repre-sentative has, it ia alleged, not alwaysacted in accordance with implied in-structions from the centre. (5) Mattersof great importance to the WellingtonCentre have received little or no atten-tion by its representative. (6) That inmatters of great importance to swim-ming in general, to the constitution ofthe N.Z.A.S.A. and the centres, andthe recent amalgamation of the N.Z.A.S.A. with the Northern body, theWellington representative has acted witha "lone hand," the centre knowing no-tliing about such matters until the re-sults were reported' in the local press.These, it is said, are the reasons thatthe Wellington Centre has chosen an-other representative on tho New -ZealandCouncil. The remarks about "hawkinground the billet" are said to*be untrue,and it is stated that only one personwas asked by the centre, and he ac-cepted the office. The Secretary of thecentre ridicules the idea of the South-ern writer challenging the WellingtonCentre's freedom of election, f.nd fur-ther stoles that the allegations madeagainst the centre ar* without any foun-dation whatever. In view of the abovefacts, it would seem that the writer inlbs Canteibury Times was labouringunder a misapprehension. *

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING.The New Zealand championships,whichhave this season been allotted toWanganui, are under the control of theWanganui Swimming Club. The firstday's sports was held at the Corporation

Baths on Wednesday last. A steady *amSet in aboutnoon, and continued all theafternoon. This did not, however, in-terfere with the attendance, tlit-rc 1ehyabout 1000 people present. During theafternoon two New Zealand champion-ships were decided, viz./220yds and 880yds. J. Hamilton, of Christchurch, wonbotn these events, and C. D. Campbell,of Wanganui, came second in both races.Hamilton was in good form, and wonboth championships easily. The wannercovered the 220yds in standardfime, aniwas Usec short of the standrrd time tjthe 88Uyds. R. Cavill suppliedplenty ofamusement to spectators with his fancydiving. The best handicap event was the100yds Handicap, which was the besicontested race of the day. R. Cavill,from scratch, won in the good time oflmin l|sec, G. H.Stubbs, ot Wellington,with_ 14sec handicap, came' second. Thedetails of the various events are asfollows :

—60yds Maiden Rnce:J. Hogan, 1;D.Tonks, 2. Time, 32sec.220yds New Zealand Championship:

J. Hamilton, 1; C. D.Campbell, 2. Alsostarted— D. Neven (Wellington), J.Knowles (Ahnriri), M. Hunter (Hawera).Time of winner,- 2rnin 50sec.

75yds Op^n Handicap.— First Heat:J. H. Nicholls (Wellington), 18sec, 1;I". Baird (Hawera), 18sec, 2; R. Cavill.(Sydney), scr, 3. Time, 56£ sec. SecondHeat:J. Hogan (Wanganui), 13sec, 1;G. Matthews (Wellington), lOsec, 2.Time, 56sec. Third Heat:O. Beavis (Wa-Jiganm), 20sec, 1;R. Menli (Wanganui),9sec, 2. Time, 58£sec. Final Heat: J.H. Nicholls, 1; F. Baird, 2. Time, 57sec.

880yds New Zealand Championship:J.Hamilton (Chruslchurch),- 1;C. D. Camp-bell (Wanganui), 2. Time, 14min 16£sec. (Standard,14min 15sec.) Also start-ed—X T. Hegglun and D. Neven (Wel-lington).

50yds Boys' Race: Cummings, 1jPierpont, 2. Time, 37£ sec.100yds Cavill Handicap.— R. Cavill,scr, 1; G. H. Stubbb (Wellington), 2.Time, lmin l^sec.

New Zealand Water Polo Champion-ship. —First Round: Wanganui beatHawera rather easily by 4 goals to nil.

The sports were well carried out, andthe various officials are to be congratu-lated upon the energetic manner' inwhich they performed the duties allottedto them

SERVING A BISHOP.

isl. Marcd Prevo&t, the French novelist,is tond of telling a story which is re-produced by M.A.P.

'"I entertained a bishop last year atdinner. My butler, an elderly man, hadbiought in from a friend's house an in-experiencedlad to help him, and this lad,during the laying of the cloth, annoyedthe butler beyond endurance with ques-tions as to his duties."

'How shall Ihold the plates?' ,''DoIserve the dishes on the right or

on the left side of the guests?1"''Must the bishop be served first or

second ?'"So he continued interminably, and at

last the impatient butler snid:"'All you will need to do will be to

aland behind the bishop's chair, aud,whenever hislordship puts downhisglass,you must reach over and wipe his mouthwith a napkin.' That, as the butler ex-pected, silenced his assistant.

"But the young m;'n actually took thebut'er's ironical remark for a serious orderAs f.oon ;<s dinner beganhe stationed him-t-elf behind the bishop, waited until hislordship had drunk and put down hisglass, and then, as deliberately as hisnervousness would permit, he opened oui,a largo napkin and wiped the dignifiedold genlkrnan's moutb,."

Bubsie Sahib.

Bubsie Sahib stood at a corner ofMarket and -Kearney streets, consideringwhich way he should go. Very straightof back was Bubsie Sahib; yery sturdyof leg;but the combined length of legand, back, added to the fluffy, yellow,curled head, was but three feet and threeinches;and although not a day went bythat Gunga -Ram. did not declare thathead to be "a long one," it was nearly jat the end of its four-year-old wisdomithis foggysummer afternoon. jIt was only three days since Bubsie ISahib

—with his mother, his father, sister iAlice, and Gunga Ram— had landed inAmerica from the huge steamer that had

brought them from India, where BubsieSahib's father had been, for many years,'

amissionary. Gunga Ram was a nativepreacher who had come with Doctorisaunders to this country to plead withgenerous people here for money,where-with to help build a big schoolhouse,where Telegu boys might get an educa-tion. He and the doctor were at a mis-sionary meeting this very moment, andBubsie Sahib, who hadnever before beenoff the mission compound by himself,was alone in Market-street.But this seemed a small matter to him.The serious business of the hour was*"■*■as c supposed,Alice was out alone, jAlice was fourteen years old, but whoin all India had ever heard of a girlgoing out alone? Pupa demurred whenmamma gave the little girl permission togo down to the dry-goods store on theground floor of the hotel building tomatch some ribbon.

"Is it best?" he a-ked; and mammareplied: ;"Certainly. America is not India, and

an American girl is quite safe in anAmerican city. At her age Iused togo about alone, and 'tis but a step."That settled it. Papa and Gunga Ramwere going off to their missionary meet-

ing;so" Alice went down to the stTeet,'door in their company. She -suits to doher errand and come back alone. Mean-time mamma told Bubsie Sahib, who wasplaying in a corner with his blocks, thatshe memt to lie down in the next room.

'"Alice will be here directly," she said;"so you won't be lonely." Then shekis'ed h'm and went into the ovher room.

Bubsie Sahib knew, that "directly"me-xnt at once;and although he said no-thing, he was very much disturbed aftermamma went away. He was never ableto understand the indifference of grown-ups to danger. How could mafauna goand lie down when Alice, who shouldhavebeen there "directly, wasnot back?She probably knew no better. Howoften he had heard Gunga Ram say:

"Women do not understand." Andusually the native would add:"It is aman's place to act."

He must not trouble mamma, for heknew!,that her head was aching badly,perhaps that was why she had forgottenAlice. He, however, as the only manat home, must act. So, -securing! his^cap,he crept softly from the room and wentdownstairs, forgetful of tho elevator,usually his dear delight.

At the main entrance he passed intothe street, and,promptly turned to theright. As he did so Alice entered fromthe left;but a big pillar was betweenthem, aud neither saw the! other.

That was an hour ago, and' ever sinceBubsie Sahib had been trudging aboutthe streat, .expecting every moment to

! find Alice and lead her triumph*l^ILome. He' had grown very tired, }° '|ever, and as he stood there at the cO"1*, watching the clanging cable carsJn

electric cars slip by in every directiffihe was thinking that he might fiud AWquicker if he were to take a train. ,

He knew all about trains— lie had,&**■them at;Madras; but there was alwaysa gurra to draw them, and that showeawhich, way they were going; wher*aathese queer things Lad no gurraat eitherend, aiid whenever one of them stoppedhe forgot at once which way it " wafgoing. How could he venture on bparawithout being sure of that? In.lllß

ipocket was a bright silver W'*""?'!piece; so he had no concern aJX>u*jmoney;that was a larger sum than Whad ever before owned, and he felt gUi»rich. ■ ,

At last, watching his chance, J»e.*«»'jdenly ran across the street. Howhe-eyerreached the other side alive is some""11!?we shall never understand untilo"1"^*are opened to see the caretakers t|li« **"always around the»e little ones," b* warrived safe on the opposite kerb.,1, >

Then he forgot all about taking atrain;for there, baside a drinking foun-tain, stood a little girl, perhaps* en/c5r8

old. She was very angry, aw "^doubled-up fists looked so dange'oui thatBubsie Sahib was almost afraid, untti.

1he saw that she was crying. Sb* WJ*" talking, too, between her sobs, butBub-sie Sahib had never before heard' «uchwords as she was screaming a* t^0

!rough-looking boys who stoodnear,laugh-ing, and telling her to'"go it."

'The sight of her teais touched* Bubsie

Sahib's heart, while he knew at oncethat the boys were not acting like the

, geutlemen. he hadbeen taught thfct« bite!boys always try to be, so he went Up tothe girl.

"What is the matter?" he' lSkei"shall Imake those boys behavef .She looked at him in astonisbij flt-

"What in the—" she began,'4'/ thenchanged it to "What d'ye want?1'!

\ "I want to help you," Bub»w 66*nib, said earnestly. "I will tell tho» boys, that their manner is very vru<l- WS*^probably they will stop.",(

"Glory !" exclaimed 'the- little girl."Say, there's yer ma?" And she lootedI anxiously about for the older person nh©should, %

she knew, be with this littlechap.

■ "She's lying down;her head a'cies.! Does jour head ache? Is that why you:cry?"j "Naw;a feller hit me an' swiped myj candy."

Bubsie Sahib was' shocked."I wish Ih»d been htre," he said

isternly,' "I'd have jtaught him." And hftdrew hipiself up straight. "But Ihave some money',"- .hja added; "and I

, will buy you somemore candy."A* this tie boysj came nearer."Show us yer money, kid," snii one,

i "let's see the chink."The girl turned oa them sava.ge!|."You clear!" the cried. "If yerdon't,

I'll call the cop.' And the boyarslunkaway, whi c she bint over Bubsie Sahib,

i "Say, litt'ie feller,' she said, "who beye? Ain't ye lost? Where'd ye comefrom?""I am Bubsie Sahib," the little ono

replied, with great dignity, "andIamnot

'lost;but my sister Alice is. We

came from India."I "Injia! Glory!" Then suddenly sj "Say! you come along withme, will ye?"!And, grasping his hand, she sped with,'

him down Kearney-street.

A NARRATIVEWORTH READING.

Education fqr the Uninitiated.The Oase of Mr. R. MANN.

(by a specialreporter )Worthyof morethan p-ssing notice and

attention are the following,remarks, whichwere made in the presence of our reporter,by Mr. Robert Mann, of Eicpresa Avenue,Newtown, Wellington -.—"For the last f«rty yearsIhave lived inWellington andhave made agreat numberof friends during that time, aud Idaresay

!!rou could find scores who could tell youiow terriblyIsuffered with the liver someyears ago. lam » carpenter by trade, andyo,u know what a lotof work wehave to doout in tho open,and what that means t* aman, when he is sick, during the coldweather."" Didyour liver only trouble youduringthe tvititer?" enquired the pressrepresentative.

"Oh!no, indeed;all the year round,pretty well;butIwas just remarkinghowmiserable it was to be so unhealthy duringthecold seasons, for thenamancanscarcelykeephinwiolf warm for want of energy. Iknew that often Iwas so. languid that Icould scarcely do a tap,aivd yetIwouldgohome atnight feeling as tired as if Ihadput ina goodhard day's work.""

Youwouldbe able to sleep all the bet-ter feelinglike that."" Don't youbelieve it, now. It was oneof UiogrMite.t.difficulties in the world formo to fall asleep whenIdid turn in. Thatirritated me as much asanything,forit washorrililo to be turning-and 'twisting fromntic side to the other tillit wasnearly timeto getup, aud that is just' exactly how itused to be with me. And when I got

'dressed and sat down to mybreakfast,moreoften than notIwasunable toeat anytiling.Ihad a nasty taste in the mouth, whichseemed to turn me against food;but itused to go awayabit during the day,'yetoven thenmy appetite waspoor.:>"No wonder you could nob work well,if you werenot able to take a fair amountof food.""

That's right. A man cannot expect toremain strong if he has to leave off takinghis food;buc when thero is no appetite,there is no choice about the matter. Butina casts likemine, whatis the good of eat-ing? Icouldnot digest anything,aud thatwas What th'-io-tghly knocked me out.Whenoiice I1ej.ni losing strength therewasno hope of holding itin check. Igotweaker aud weaker, until a!, last the leastthing becameagreat trouble to me. Every-thing that requiredaxevliou,uomatter howsmall,Istudiously avoided, because1 wasso easily exhausted. Yet, having to ,uctlike this preyed upon my miml, andIbe-cameas depreif-ed in spitits as you couldimagineanybody to be. WhenIwas walk-ing along the street sometimesIused tofeel astrange sensation coining over me, asifeverything wason the move, and by de-grees the thingsIsaw wouldget smaller andsmaller until at last, they appealed to benothing butlittle Mark siy-ek*;and thenIwouM get qnitrfJ giddy and likely to fall.Youcan take my word for it,Iused to hatethose nasty attacks, especially asIhad somany other things to putup with as well.""

After your meals, Idaresay, jourtroubles wouldbe morenumerousV"You have just hit it. That was thetime when mysuffering avivs atits height—shortly afterIhad taken a few mouthfuUof food. It was something abominable theway1got up from the table with a feelingin thestomach as if Ihad been filling,my-Melf with wind instead of merely takinjj alittle of something nourishing ;and beforomuch lon«er 1 felta leadened sensation ivmy chest, which made me quite shoit-winded.' Then,every day of my wretchedeniKionci;, Iwas almost driven to despairwith themosi. violent headaches thatamancould have. So distressed did they make

me that sometimes Ifelt a« if th«re wUnothing on earth worth caring for, and1wouldnob have minded what happened solong as Igot out of my misery. If 1chanced t« sleepfor a whileIhad the mastavuful dreams you coukl thivk of, and Iwekeup with such a heavy fe*ling in myeyes that'it took me ail my time to k««pthemopen. My tongue wmsever free froma thick, "slimy catting thut wu moat offtn-sive; and, in the early part of the day,Icouldeoarcely walkfor the aches aboutmyleins. On topof all this came i. compfoUbreak-up of my nervous system. Ah!tha<was aterrible calamity,for J worried morethan ever to find myself shaking likeamanou the verge of destruction;andit was re.markable hew mymind was tortured withideas abeut the dreadful things that wer«gfling to hap'pur,, but whroh, iv reality,neverdid occur. Yea;Ipity any«ne wh©suffers likeIdid,land thatis whyIh&vesooften recommended the use of ClementaTonic, because it iis the only sura remedythataperson cabtake." w"Youmust hawhad a wide etperienoatomak« * statement like that.""

Ifmy experience was limited IwooWnot mak* suchanAssertion, butInay th*<(becauseIhad tried most known medwumi(hiring the years|wai suffering with th«liver, and the only/Gue thathelped me,aadcured me, was Cl«mei*ts Tonio; and -itwouldbe impossible to get more,substantialproof than that. It was just a matter oJluck tUat everIcame to try it *t all, for \had got quite sickpf.buymg first one thingand then another, |.ndnothing ever comingof it;but it was;not so with Clemcttta.Tonic, as that medjeioewentstraight to tjtqfoundation of my physical infirmities jusd,began to effect repairs right away-*EpyrmuchItookIcannot sayprecisely, >bi»t themain thingwas that Igot my health backthrough its influence, and tliat is tviiabwouldnever have iome through auy othermedicine but Clements Tonic. Instead ofdragging out a miserable existence as for-merly, Clements Tonic, in a few weeks,mademe realise thatIwas alive and thatthis world wasnot ap gloomy after all. In-deed, Itook quite a;new interest in every-thing, for, when my digestion was tho-roughly restored, Ifelt like a man bornafiosh. Ioould cat jieartily and liever hadanydiscomfort afbermymeals agxjn;andIwas delightedto lindthat headaches, sleep-lessness, a->d the ills Ihad previously en-dured, could not livo against ClementaTonic, which remedied them all. ThankGod!my nervousness was also got over bythe same means,and, whatwasrmro to thr-point,Iregainedeveryparticle of strengthihadlost, and w<ts soonable to tackle the,hardest work without any trouble. Mycure was so thorough thatIfeltlilioayouthfull of vigor and spirit, and since the lostoccasion upon which Itook iv doso ofClements Tonic myhealth hns beea superb."" Are you willing tohave thispublished?"

"Certainly; you may puhftih eachsyllable in any way you desire."

STATUTORY DECLARATIONI.ROBXUT Mann, of E>p es* Avenui, New town.

Wellington,lit ili« Colony>tNew Zs_l»n4 dosolemnl-nnrl biureiely electro that I have care-fully rend the minted document consistingof three faUoa and oo.necutively mwbereil (ro£one tnthree, and that, it cpmuinn unjli» a truvandfaithful accountof my illixnand bure'by CiementrTamo,andalto containsuiyfull permfision 10 pub.lisU vi miy \v»y my Htalemciits— viiioli I glvtvohin'afilv, without receiving any pij ment; andImtlce this solemn declaration coitacpiitionily be.lievinff the same tohe tiuo, am) by virtueat thaI>vo\i»loni rf am Act of the Gune.al Assembly r.fNewZealand, intituled "The JustiCu.ofPeace Act,18s_."

Deolarei at Wellington,this eighteenth day otMay, one thousand ninehandled and three, btforjme, "

U, TEASER(JONES. J.l'.

THE ETENING POST, SA.TUEDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1904.14

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1904.Bubsiq Sahib followed, willingly

enough, to o innocent to wonder at any-thing that might happen in that bigplace; tot birthright brave, little as hewas to h' vfl&ny fe^r. In another mo-ment th* girl hod stopped at a cornersweetmeat &t«nc[, behind which stood atall, dark- faced Wm> who wore a longovercoat, and, about his head, a big

■ white tor*an, wound in many folds."Looket h*re> Siddhu," she cried,

"here's ajyounguti from Injia, what sayshe ain't lost, butIknow better."

The'dark-faced man looked down atBub&ie Sfthib, *ho stared*up athim veryhard. R£ was not Gunga Ram, yet helooked although he should be. It wasivery stTaige.' "FromVhere, in the good land, does

the little jahib come?" asked the stran-ger. And oh, joy! he spoke in the soft,liVKiid, Tjlegu dialect, which BubsuSaMiha^.known all his short life. IIwas gooa to " hear;for this great citjwas a*noisy place, and there was some-thing inBnbsie Sahib's throat that wasmaking it 'Hard for him to speak. H(could naY tell from what part of Indiehe had ciine,buthe slippedhis weehancinto thei'taH man's brown palm, ancjsa-id:

""Iam Bubsie Sahib, and Iwant mj

piother; »l«o, Iwant Gunga Ram, foihe puts Die-to bed, andIam jvery tired.1

Athis words the stranger started, ancthen squatted \ipoc. the sidewalk in frontof Bubsi* Sahib.

"What is this that thqu sayest, ohlight of^my eyesI.'" he cried, in Telegu"Dost tbou, know Gunga Ram? Ancwhat is he to thee?"

Bubsfy,Sahib could not speak., Hache trie^.he would have sobbed openlyand that would have filled him witlshame ;f for the little girl stood by, lost'in wonder. Never before had she seerthe impassive Oriental candy-seller s(

excited. )Well might he be;for Bubsie Sahil

had spoken, in his own language, th(name of hia » only brother

—the brothei

with Thorn he had quarrelled in far-ofIndia {,whom he had struck down ancleft, dead, as It* thought, upon thiground. Then he had fled to the Northand whenmen werjj wxnted togo to th<great fair in America, he had asked tcbe taken;although'he hardly knew whaia fair, or even what America, might beAlas! lie now knew both these thingsandmuch besides.

From. Chicago he came to San Francisco, where was to be held still anotheifair, which engaged his services ancthose of many others whomhe had comito know

—Turks, Persians, Hindoos

Arabs— all now, like himself, strandedpoor and homeless, in this far-off city.But none of them, he was sure, wasdriven and tormented as washe, by thesorrow that abode with him ever, bring-ing before his mind the memory of hisonly brother lying in a field, with hisback to the sky.

And now the little stranger Sahibclaspedhis hand and begged to be takento (Junga Ram, the name of names forthe,man who listened. With true Ori-ental patience he began toquestion Bub-sie Sahib, the little girl now and thenputting in a wondering word.

"You'd better call a cop," she wasjust saying. "This here's too many forus," when

—"Here he is, papa," a voice cried, and

in a moment the little group was sur-rojmded by all the people who made upBibsie Sahib's world. He was filledwith amazement; there was Alice, found' aj last;yes, and papa; also mamma,njd Gunga Ram, and two tall policemen,"vho seemed to know papa. But whjshould mamma be crying ;and why didie clasp him so close m her arrasBying:. "Oh, my little son! How could you

1,fiflhten us all so?",))""'» But GungaRani's eyes,were upon the

stranger in the long cunt, and at last,going up to him, he put a hand uponeither of his shoulders and gazi-J intohis face. Siddhu Ram return?1 thatgaze, tears running down his haggardcheeks;and at last he cried, in his ownspeech, which the gathering crowd could!not understand:■ "It is I, oh my brother; my life isthine; smite;but Irejoice that thouort living," whereupon Gunga Ram. jfilaspedhia brother to his heart and wept

"toitb him.'"*" Of c6urse all this would not do in the- '^Streets of an American city. The tall'"policemenmade the crowd pass on, and. Suggested to Dr. Saunders that he had'bettertake his menagerie indoors, a thing'which he was very glad to do.

—Adeline

jKhapp in the Household.

THE TIPPING TERROR.

"f"f

"Hundreds of men who are fond ofiport are compelled," says tho London(Mail, "to refuse tempting invitations to'country houses because of the 'tipping ter-ror' which is in them. Here is the little,'bill' which confronts the English country-house visitor: The coachman or chauf-Jieur, 10s; the butler who smiles at him,'£1 ;the man who valets him, £1 ;thebead-keeper who 'places' him, £1; the

■Tinder-keeperwholooks at him, 10s; total£4. The above items are based on athree or four days! ehoot. For a- fort-night's stay the figures would be nearlytrebled." InLondon itself as well as allovt.j the Continent, the tipping evil is

1 just as heavily felt, as is proved by theremarkable success of a "no-tipping" res-taurant

—the Lyons' Popular Uafe. To

thousands of people on the first day theattraction of a four-courss dinner for Isotl, or an eight-course dinner for 2s 6d,

, with freedom from the yoke of tippingtyranny, proved simply irresistible. Sogreat was the crush in the morning thattlie eager patrons had to be admittedearlier thanhad been anticipated, and byhalf-pasteleven two thousandpersons hadbegun their early lnndi amid surround-ings of surprising splendour. They revel-led in the courses swiftly and silentlylaid before them, and the waiters display-ed an attentiveness and considerationwhich noprospective tip could ever havecommanded. The scenes were as remark-- able as anything taat his ever been seenin shoppingLondon. Everybody wantedtoget in. Everybody wanted to eat fourcourses— or six— under th© shadow of themarble pillars, attended by those novelcuriosities of hotel life— waiters who onno consideration would accept a tip. "Tojudge by the crowds in the street," saysthe Express, "itmight hive been a great' political meeting— or a circus. The rooms■were incessantly ftdl of diners, and thestreet was crowded with people who"would like to dine, but could not get in,and had therofore to gaze upon tho vir-tuous waiters and the marbled splendoursfrom outside. By two o'clock ten thou-sand people had quick-lunched.

15

-'f So 25'ot leave Koiae Without |~'iCham^erlaisi'sColic, Cholera :E and DiarrhcSvi. Remedy. |2 ■'" ""

V'The importance <if having a bottle of

Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera, and Diar-llicea Remedy with them is realised byexperienced travellers, as this medicinecan not be bought on board the cars orsteamship. Change of water and dietoften deranges the stomach and bowelsand produces diarrhoea. As this is themost reliable medicine in use and quicklycures these ailments, care should be takento .have a bottle always at hand. Foreaie by all chemistsand storekeepers^

WfifHEALTH'S SAKE J

T 3 BECAUSE IT /; [Heaps the Skin Sicel' Prstests it against fyeati Kaeps the Pores Active. (

Wards off Infection; *') |Itis delightfullyemollient, freefiomevtessI sofallcali, And so exquisitely flagrant thatS t^e skin is greatly refreshi-d after its use.t ■ I Itis a highlyrefined soap.

' lSpecially adapted'. l for Hot Climates.

i §\ THE"sANiTAs

" c°- ltd'BETHXAIiGEEEN,

b ' — — -

Figures, jfPf 5S Pi"s ina Boxfcr1/t£ J3 f flSalo of over 6,000,690 ]\\ Bonos par annum. j

1 §S Vosira of Evor-ffrowlnj; J'} Oamands. \" > "J _ .

, k Pigtires, tikeactions, oftenspeak louder 1I , thanwords. Tbe figures hero {f I glvcarefer to a

,i t Cf «na wKhoat nny further elaboration \' t they should convince every thinking .. f wan and woman of the fact tliat this %k

' remedy mustbo ot !i J feXTRACRDIHARV MERIT. 1

! BEi-CHAM'SPILLS cleanse ffte 5Bloodof long standingImpurl- Cties:,brace up"}'■>■' VervousSys- \

1 tent ko a high fj^Jnt of vigour, fand \eTTectually chase away J1 oi/cryl ayfnptom of wsortnees 5; and oppression. 4

BEB^'KAIW'S PIU.S are specially \suitaM^for Females of all ages. Every iwoman!who values health should read \tbe instructions wrapped round each Abox.^ ■ , S

SoldBTerjwhere In Bonri,Ib. «a, (53Hllßi f\ ana 2s.9d ('8 Fills). \

M^CUREDwithout Operation,Pain,Danger,Incoureniencc,

.or Loss of Thno. A genuinesuoces;!. IJIME-DIATEBELIEF. The acme of comfort and afeelingofperfectconfidence is securedfrom the, first hour ot u«in;; Dr. Xaugston's combineii

I treatment. Write to-day for Tieatise No.12—

1 posted2stamps— andread the CONVINCING-TBSTIMOIT?received from all jiarto of Aus.tralia, fromhundredsofmon whoHAVEBSE2T,OUX£D. Used and endorsed by Clereymen,Statesmin,Lawyers,Physicians,Fanners, Arti-null,M»Tvies,Miuor»;in faot,menand womenm

1 every awtionivlife. Theselivingwitnesßea sup-port fact* thatleavenoroom for douht CallonorAddw»»—Sirgeon LAKGSTON,M.8.C.5.,Eng.,

188 Calline-straet. Molbouxno.

i^WE Ssi9P on Approvalclra ■'guaranteesufe delivery,JjjE? gradeCycles,fullyw*r-twtA ranted, LatestModels—P|.£2.10 toHyKßDunlo]) Tyres, "Wcsfcwood Steelf^iBims'I?reeWheel8'W:udGulvrdßWfM CASEIAGE FAZO to auyfwm Portin Awstralasla.VffiiVlotor Cars and Motocyclej,WSFT'ires, Accessories, Sporting' Goods and Sen ing Machines,

lalf UsualPrices. Write forCatalogue?tad Special Offer, usiusr sufficient for-

eign i>i-s|»ge. "MEAD" CYCLE GO., D«pt. 355^,

Chictto, U.S.A.and Liverpool, England.»!BBT«aiwawM^«mvttgw»wiaK^aaMauia <

IThet-GIIRUTH" Galf FoodI

I Contains 20 per cent Fat, B ]And is the ONLY Perfect Substitute|

4 for wholemilk. ffl

The^GILRUTH" Horse Food JA Stfnulating and Nourishing Food I

for horses of all ages." |The! "6ILRUTH" Poultry

, Condiment, 1A Great Egg Producer andHealth |J Maintained II

i Manufacturedby I.THEj A. & P. FOOD CO. ;

\ OFFICE: I ]

7 FJatherston Street, Wellington. |!

Wh2t IS 'J'HE ENEMYEOF ALL :] dirt? :(JRE-SOLVJ3NT.

Tnk^aoffeverything bubthe skin., On Salo Everywhere.

Wholesale-GBaBHAM, Ltd.,

3, Willis-street.

i O-6«^kj-xla4-^v Dif»K *#■! To be had from Storekeepers, or

; ,! REGISTERED. wfflil111 fi PillIHjFOB thepreservation- of GA.LVANISBD IEON ROOFS and;tbe purposes whero a _, LIMITBD.

b D. . . j Oil, Colour,Glass, andPaint of weariugpjoworis required.i This faint LaL wonderful weather resisting properties, and has beon proved to last Wall Paper MerCliailtS,

I THREE TO POUJB TIMESLONGER tbannny other paints. WELLINGTON, DUNEDIN,:1 NOSUPOisoNOTra. . AND CERISTCHURCH.

! i

I it// - \

I^ATO^^^^^ Feel th© Spark of Ufa jJ&^^^^^\ mQW Nerves

3 *ry /^iM^lw KQCOver Power Yeu \

\ <i?*?Prfc\ ulHl wi*s!fiM Would younot like fco ha-'e your !s '£ Xsipw \BpSlSi]\ fiends point to youas they v.aed to,| sir l|is an(^ "There goes a strong j/M?M WsnI man

'"ou n°k youreye

'I li\ '1® /^\J to be so briShfc' y°ur 8tGP "ofirm,i v\ iw Wtk ani

* your form s? erccfc fc'lsfc nsenanc^ *lfe\ vJK m^ A w°n»en will admire you and remark I%\ Wi^s^^^^ a^ OUI man^y bearing? Thtse are |i\\ i^S^^a_Z ■"

10 *nouSntsuppermostin the minds j* s^^^^^^i^^\ ofmodemmen~Phy3icalandJtlental ij , Perfection, Strength, and Manly j

'Pvsii^^^^^^S^\ ye us a man wno s ncrv° vsv-| f^^^^^^^^&MMa wnose tr»in and body are weak, j'^^^^sr^^^^^^J whosleeps badly, awakes more tired jj

J i*a^w*^^^OTF^^^' than when he goes to bed' who is 1J tip *^^^^^«^B^^^^ easily discouraged, inclined to brood iI

" ii* oVer masinftry troubles, who hasj * oak enei'gy and ambition to tackle

hard problems, and who lacksAnimal Electricity, and in three months of our treatment we willreorganisehis entire Nervous System, buildup wherehe is brokendown,

| invigorate his circulation, and pump his system full ofNew;Life, New! Energy, andNew Vigor.

!■ will do ifc for everyWeak Manwho haslost hispower andStrength;menwhohaveallowed themselves togo intodecline through excessesand bad fhabits, causing a wasteofthe amountof Electricity Nature gives toeverymanand woman. Itwill replace thatamount in the body, and give toeverybeinghia Vitality and Strength ofYouth.

What More Cotivsncin^ Evidenceccugd be given ?

Mr.Jclsa Bteknell,otBooth's Ite.2 MXI,Cartwto;!, writes insthSac, 1S04:-"Dear Sirs—

Ivanswer toyour tatterof2SthNovember,Iwish to«.iy tliat lam curedofNervousness IICicitableuuis, aud Despoudtincy. lam quite satisfied with tiie Helt for whatithns dove ]forme. Ishallalwaysrecommend the Belt toauyoneIthink itwouldbenefit. Thimkibg iyou for tho trouble yonhave takenin my case." jMr.E. A.E.Tatamof Wsipriairau, writeson 2SthMevemisor, ISO4:— DearSirs,— Afew hneq ito youtolot you kuow how lamprogressing, iam now permanentlycuredofwhatIwasusmg theBelt for. Ihareno6now worn v for a month,andIhaveuofc felt anyill-offccts.Mr.S. C.Lsncasiar,si Btlvntfen,Cartsj-tei;,who hat bosnsirfisrinu with norvout wiakneuwrites:—"l am sorry tliatIdid uot send before, but better lafe than never.Icanaddthat1now think tho Belt has donenilitposkibljcan for me,mi1buvouotbeen wearin"ifc

for the last, month, and noneofmy oldtroubleshaverelumed inany waywhatever *ndI(must ownthat tho goodhealthIam nowinisentirely dueto your Belt."

Mr.HonryPratt,of Mount Resklll, wrltw:— "lam gladtostate thatIhavereceivedgreat !benefit from the JtSelt you sent me. £ly b»ck is a lotstronger thanifc w««. For anyone !with aweakback your Belts ate tho1«t thingsinthe worldfor them. Tho firstnightIputyour Belt ouIcould net lift six pounds off the floor,butnow IcauKfta hundred-

'weightwithcase. lam 10ot131b now; soyouseeIhave gaiucd71bsince Xgot yourBelt." i

We bave Theusnads of Letters c! a Similar Nature.' r+ AB~i J Scud to-day for ourBeautifulIllustrated Health*iook,. Ei 9-4*»pMa

"k\CbfiS^ I'describes our wonderfulBeltand methodIIVW absolutelyand accurately. It gives -a*****^

i ■ ■' —* pliotoß andnamesof huudreds iot cuf-i patients,and is

J«j*^*^^vt -I

°v

"

full of goodtliiiigsfor asick mail. OurBelt isas i°'I?^oaafl^?igood for womenas'(or men. _^ft&^\y. PllO

OupBloeti'o-Plaatic Truss , *«)I*'TV -e^^^p_l^«£^o^^ ' jCuresRupture. _^-s**^*\«s cO^vQ**SZeg&o^^ To TnE &In^f^o^^^^^^^Mc^noHMKCo. |

\^ Gw » 2ateQ£s^^^ Please postme yourIllustrated \!» v |% \ Book as advertised. Iuuderstand that ['in© UT. \<fg^**^ you willsendit FreeandPost Paid. \

\ \%, NAME .....i S;J Co., \1 IISSwWiIH. Street,\l *J>l)Rnss " fB Woilinfiion. \m V

" 1

SBTOPP f AN EXTRAORDINARYil?.i.--°'.lz?',V''L.j F'RF'F' OP'F'P'T? T

Inorder to introduce our Cataloguo intoevery home,we have decided to absolutely give awuy 1,000 of ourfamous Gold-iilled and Silvor "Watches (Ladios' andGentlemen's). Our business is Mail Orders. We,wantyourorders anddesireyou tosend for our Catalogueandourliberal offer,which wo willpost toyou.

Ronrtpostalnotefor 4/6 foroneof our Lady or Gent'sTriiil Order Parcels, containing 6 articles of Jewellery.Brooches, Links, &c, and we send jou with tho parcelour aboveliberfll offer.

Send atonce,as thisoffer will be withdrawn whenwohave distributed sufilciont Watch 0808 to advertiso our

THE GOLDSMITHS' COLONIAL Co.,Pitt Street, Sydney, N.S.W.

TUST LANDED-ALarge Assortment of all the

MOST POPULAR PERFUMES,[n Fancy Caskets suitable for Presents.

Also,PERFUMESPRAYS,MANICURE SETS,

MILITARYHAIRBRUSHES, EtoCHAS. A.FLETCHER,

4, Willis-street.

CHAS. A. TURNER, Dermatologist,Hair and Massage Specialist.

VENUSTROLINE has new been broughtto perfection. A wonderful discovery fordoveloping the Bust, Neck, and Arras,making them plump, firm, and white,i3aporfect skin food, made with pure materi-als compounded with scientific accuracy.CREAM OF COWSLD?S, a delightfulpreparation for Face Development.Makes and keeps the skin smooth andclear, fills out hollow cheeks, preventswrinkles, and does away with the tiredlook round the eye. Inspection invited.Telephone 1435. Address— N.Z. TimesBuilding, Lambton-quay, Wellington.

GOLDEN VALLEY BUTTER!GOLDEN VALLEY BUTTER!

The best butter made.Free from every taint.Pure, palatable, and good.GOLDEN VALLEY BUTTER. 1

LORD'S SAPES,

FIRE AND BURGLAR PROOF.

WE have recthed, direct from tinManufacturers at Birmingham, i

Second Shipment of these renowned SiugLand Double SAFES, fitted with powderpioof locks. Tho cheapest and best Saf>on the market.

From £b to £21.TOWNSEND AND PAUL, LTD.,

Harris-street,Sole Agents.

IIOBINSON & PERRIN"A.K." CELLARS, HUNTER-ST.,

HAVE now on hand Full Stocks oWinter-brewed

"A.K." ALE (celebrated for its light anirefreshing tonic properties.

INVALID STOUT, full-bodied and we]matured.

HOP ALE, a sound, refreshing non-intoxicating beverage.

Telephone No. 449.

mRY STENT AND CO.'S BOTTLEIX ALE AND STOUT, specially breweifrom malt and hops for private usesquarts, 7b;pints, 4s;casks, 2a per gallon. Central Bi

-6wery, Quin-itreet, of

Ghuznee-Htreet. Telopkone 571. '.

ijj^^Finest Perfume for thoHandkerchief ""^X

TO BE HAD FROM ALL LEADING CHEMISTS, DRAPERSAND FANCY GOODS DEALERS THROUGHOUTNEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. ~-~-~- I

'jr "I do not hesitate to say it is the| best made pill in the kingdom." |* Dr. G. F. Collier, in thePharmacopoeia tI of the Royal College ofPhysicians ofLondon. I' 1

I FAMED as a family Medicine for a II Centyry. 1It* InvaluabSe to every Mother of a famiSy. j

»a'tf^»MP!? !a;liaait^v"OR'tfTgv<*«--

i'.^i,-'fi ._. __

t

I . , are those who always dis-8^" 5138**^^^ cover the pleasant way of i

fl^iMl^EiispMw fe^^ happiest who have found outyf OlPiO ■

a^ ' c pleasantest and gClilillf *$»'» ' ' surest wav °f curing 5.

IsKiirv * ! Srtfc3i2r©3ti<!>r3, Head" \SfM-9 ache, Biliousness, I"NATURES ffiySKSS THEORIGINAL 1 ' . '

$REASANT. S§J3»I AND i I DISSIHOSS, JUXATIVE

"/ E!S?j CENUiNE* S and other ills arising froml|j!||lH^ ~ \ HABITUAL 1Cf% ''IS l^^~ilr " %t ! CONST!PATiON |

L^lp&lh £§tWI i*s to ta e Caltf° rl"a SyruP

JRT ty} \\^^^^ eifects are seconded by its |!?|wsgasß3ageasss^^^ valuable tonic and strength-| ening effects upon the sluggish organs. jI Ask forCalifornia SyrupofFisr* ornii.nvmists, Jj, , CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP G0.,,% S^W HILL,LONDON, ENG.

DIZZINESS.SALLOW SKIN.

TheyTOUCH theLIVEH- "' Sma"Dot"

jeßß^a!»k'

Small Price.' '

", I Mistress: Never use any Soap I,f I for the children except ■ 1

d I Nurse:of course not, ma'am, 1'

j THE NURSERY SOAP. I

The ftSsw

Fashion'sLatest

Creation.

T,ej»» Wi<»|'!» ro 2 33 2 O*

£tiil&:&* JI« g§ >

3^ 3|gS|S§gE: ?1gg.og Pi§|^§|

WOMAN'S UNFAH.ING FRIEND.

FOR FEMALES. JPl| IC|Arc the Oldest, Safest and onlyReliable Remedyfor all Ladies' Ailments. Quicklycorrect all Irre-gularities',removeall Obstructions,and rclie\e theDistressing Symptoms sopre\alentwiththesex.

Prepared onlydy. ..K.T.TOWLE&Co.,

NOTTINGHAM,ENGLAND.And Sold^by all Chemists and Stores thrbughoul

Australasia.

MALTHOIDliOOPING

iS made of high-grade wool-fibre Felt,saturated with a gummy, waterproof

compound that will not dry out or rot,and coated with anon-oxydising, weather-proof material, so combining the qualitiesneces&ary to secure a perfect protection

,agaiußl the elements. A veady-10-lay Roof-ingmadein four thicknesses or ijlicsj. Suit-able for all classes of buildings. Send forsamples.JL\ &B.BUILDING PAPER

For Lining Woodon Houses.MALTHOID

DAMPCOURSE,Manufactured by

THE PARAFPINK PAINT COMPANY,SanFrancisco

ESTABLISHED 1884.

JAMES W. JACK,NEW ZEALAND AGENT,

WELLINGTON.

HUMOROUSADVERTISERS.

Like amushroom from thogroundspringsan article into the market,and before it idfnlly fledged it asks the public inademureand innocent manner to

'*lioware of Imita-tions."

YOU CANNOT BUT SMILE.The Original and Genuine

RUBEROID ROOEINGhas been on the market for over 13 years,

audits name is indelible.IT WAS USICD,

ISUSIOD, andWILL ALWAYS BE USED,

Becauseits merits havebeenproved.YOITSMILE AGAIN.

And AV-OH) AN-OIDthatis not EUBER-OID.

THE STEWART TIMBER, GLASS, ANDHARDWARE CO. (Ltd.),

WELLINGTON.

PLXMMERI*ON HOUSE,Wellington.

MRS.BARHETT begti to announce thatshe will open on17th December, the abovefavourito SEASIDE RESORT, and, haviugengaged a competent staff, patrons canrely upon receiving every attention. Pri-vato suites of apartments and a liberalcuisino. PLIMMERTON HOUSE, whichig only 17 miles from Wellington, com-mands a lull view of tho sea, is charm-ingly situated in ample grounds, contain-ing bathing sheds, and adjoining railwaystation. Telegrams and letters will receivepi'ompt attention.

SYPHON Sparklets— Charges,'Is 4d;

Fruit Crystals,Is;Smoked Glasses forsun and dust, from Is;Bleacho, cleansstraw hats, Is;Trilenes, for stoutness. W.Salok, Sydney Chemist, 17, Willis-Str<;t.

A POLLINARIS has,been aptly calledx3l "The Queen Table Waters," forno Banquet or Festivity is complete with-out it. By Appointment jt'o His Majestythe King and to His Roy&l Highness the.pjußß^qt WalesA eta.

T^ELLIXGTON RACING CLUBSUMMER~MEETING,

SATURDAY AND MONDAY,21st and 23rd JANUARY, 1905.

President, J.B.Harpourt;Vice-Presidenta,W. H. S. Moorhousc and K. T. Turn-bull;Stewards, Jas. Ames, J. W.Abbott, H. F. Johnston, Bon. T. K.Macdouald,N. M'Lean, D. J. Nathan,W. H. Turnbull, and Jno. Wilkins;Judge, W. H. HarlgUl; Clerk ofCourse, H. Arnold;Kandicappor, J.Chadwiek; Starter, H. Piper; Hon.Clerk of Scales, Jno. Wilkins; Hon.Timekeeper, Geo. F. Pearce;Hon.Surgeon, Dr. W. D. Perry; Hon.Veterinary Surgeons, C. J.Reakes andJ. M'Kio; Treasurer, O. S. Watkine.

FIRST DAY-SATURDAY, 21sfc JANUARiT. 190S!

1. ANNIVERSARY HANDICAP, of 120"soys; second horso to receive lSeova

from, the stake. Nomination, 1soy;acceptance, 1 soy. One mile.

2. BUAPEHUHACK HANDICAP,,of 90eovs;second horse to receive 15 boVbfrom the stake. 'Nomination, 1eoV;acceptance, 1 eov. Six furlong's.

3. THE WELLESLEY STAKES, of «0eovs; second horse to receive 50 eovsand the lliird borne 25 soys from* thestake. For two-year-dlds. Colts, 8.7;gelding6, 8.4; fillios, 8.4. All"horse*remaining in after sth Docomber, 1904,must pay the subscription of 6 soyson Monday, 16th January, 1905.(Closed.) Four furlong's.

4. WELLINGTON CUP (Handicap), of600 soys;6e6ond horse' to receive 75soys and tho third horse 25'iws fromtho stake. Nomination, 1soy, on sthDecember ; aoooptanco, 4 boys;finalpayment,5 soys. .One mileand a-half.

5. TELEGRAPH HANDICAP, of 200soys;second horse to receive 25 6ov«from the stake. Nomination, 1 boy;accoptance, 3 eovs. Six furlong^.

6. TONGARHtO HACK HANDICAP, o£90 soys;secondhorse to reqeive15 boy*from the stako. Nomination; 1soy;acceptance, 1boy. One mile.

7. NURSERY HANDICAP, of 150 boy«;' second horse to receive 20 eovs anathe third horse 10 boys from tho stake.For two-year-olds. Nomination, 1soy;,accoptance, 2 soys. Five furlongs.

8. ELECTRIC HANDICAP, of 110 soys;second horse to receive 10 sove fromthe stake. Nomination, 1soy; accept,auce,1soy. Five furlongs.

PENALTIES.— The winner of any raceor races after the declaration of weightsof the value of 50 soys and upward*- tocsrry 71b extra, except in the WellingtonCup. No penally in open events for winsin Hack Races. Unless otherwise pro-vided for the winner of any previous raceor races on tho same day shajl carvy "penalty of 71b oxtra,

SECOND DAY—'MONDAY, 23rd JANUARY, 1905.

1. JANUARY HANDICAP, of .110 soy«;second horso lo receive 10 soya froathe stako. Nomination, 1soy; accept-ance,1soy. Ope mile.

2. FITZHERBERT HANDICAP, of 120soys; second horse to receive 20 6ov&from the stake. For two-year-olds.Nomination, 1soy; acceptanqe, 1soyFive furlongs.

3- WELLINGTON RACING CLUBHANDICAP,of 400 soys;secondhorseto receive 50 bovb and the third horse10 sovß from the stake-. Nomination,1 soy;acceptance, 6 soys. One mileand a quarter4. PONEKE HACK HANDICAP, .of 90soys;second horse to reoeivo 15 boysfrom tho stake. Nomination, 1 boy;acceptance,1soy. Seven furloajrs5. METROPOLITANHANDICAP,of 150

boys;second horse to receive 20 boys.from the stake. Nomination, 1 boy;acceptance, 2 soysk Six furlongs.

6 DISPOSAL STAKES, of 90 soys; aec-ond horsa to recoive 15 soys from thestake. Threo-year-olds Bst, four-year-olds and upwards B.B^ fillies,and geld-ings allowed 31b.- Entrance, 2 sove;

1 Winner to be sold by auofton jinmedi-, atelyafter race for 100soys. ,tf entered, to be sold for 50ssoys, allowed Vlb.^ndsurplus to be equally divided betweenthe owner of the second horso and tho

race fund. Six furlongs.' ■ '7. WELLINGTON STAKES, of 400 bovb;

second horse to receive. 50 flova ,andtho third liorso 25 soys from the stake.For two aud tJiree-year-oWs. Two-year-olds 7st, three-year-olds S.I, fillies andgeldings allowed 31b. Winnois afterIst August, 1904, of any race or racescollectively of tho value of 200 sOys,51b extra; 300 bovs, ''7lb oxtra; 400soys, 101b extfi; 500 66Vb, J2lb extra.Maidentwo-yeai-oldsallowed-41b, three-yoar-olds 71b. All horses remaining iaafter sth Decombeiy1904;must pay thesubscription.of 6 soys on Monday,.16thJanuary, 1805. (Closed.) ~ Five fur-longs. . . . ,

8. PENCARROW HACKHANDICAP, 6f90 soys; seepnd horso to receive 15boys from the stake. "Noipmatio'n,'1soy;acceptance,1soy. Six furlongs.

DATES OF NOMINATIONS,WEIGHTS,AND ACCEPTANCES:N.B.— AH events closo at 9 p.m., unlessstated td the contrary. ■'

THURSDAY, sth JANUARY; J905.WEIGHTS declared for Wellington Cupand Telegraph Handicap.

MONDAY, 9th JANUARY.WEIGHTS declared forFirst Day's Handi.caps.ACCEfTANCES-WolliugtonCup, 4 bovb;Telegraph Handicap, 3 suvs.

MONDAY, 16th JANUARY.' "

ACCEPTANCES close for FiraiDay'a Han-dicaps.FINAL PAYMENTS-AVellington Cup,Wellington Stakes, Wollesley Stakes.SATURDAY, 2lst JANUARY.

':WEIGHTS for Second Day's Handicaps

win bo declared at 8 p.m.ACCEPTANCES receivedup t'o'lO o'clocktho same evening.. -"AVE.WHYTE,_ , . Secretary.Wellington, 2ndDecember, 1905. '

LAND TRANSFER ACT'NOTICE.

TyrOTIGE is hereby given that tho sever*.:-1-" parcels of land hereittaftei"describedwill be brought under the provisions<of"Tho Land Transfer Act, 1865," and itsamendments, unless .oavcat be lodged,for'bidding the same ontor before the 24th,day of January, 1905. i

3511. ELLEN CHALMERS, MARGAR-ET EFFIE CHALMERS,■fand"FREDER-ICK EDMOND OHALMERS.^-7658 acres2 roods 32 perches.-'Sections-22 to 25,* 65to 72, 77, 73, 674, and parts of Seotiong

26 lo 29, 64, 79 to 82, 617, 598, 599, 601.602, 603, 671, 672, and 673, WharQnmaBlock; also Section 91, «mcl parts of Sec-tions 80 to 33 and, 88 lo Sl,'Pahaua Blook,Otahoua and Rewa SurveyDistricts., Occu-pied by Frederick EUmon'd 'Chalmers,George Ernest Jackson, and Alfred HarryTinkham Rogers. ''" '" ■

3567. THE PUBLICTRUSTEE.—I61-10perches; part Seetioti 285, City of Welling-ton. Occupied by — Gillies and-other jteh-ants. '

3608. FREDERICK GEORGE ROUTH.10 1-10 perches, part SectionJ52, City ofWellington. Occupied by —

Graham and— Percy as weekly tenants.' "

3609. MARY ELLEN MEADOWS.-^87-10 perches, part Section 752, City ofWellington. Occupied by V.'Dentice asweekly tenant.

Diagrams maybo inspected at this office.Dated this 21st day of December, 1904,at the Lands Registry Office, Wellington.

J. tM. BATHAM,District Land Registrar.

CARDBOARD BOXES.'

CARDBOARD BOXES of'all" descrip.

V-* tions made to order. Ring,up Tele-phone 1021 for prices, or lor our Travel-ler to Call with samples.O. M. BANKS, LTD.,

Manufacturing and Commercial Stationers,5, Grey-street.

( 1

NORTON buys thousand*,of egg* everyyear-preserved in-J?rem.ier Egg-Bra*

Printedandpublished for BlukdellBros.,Limited,by John Ulunimcll, of Nairn-btroot, Wellington,printer nndpnblislier,andLouis Pboctoic BLUNDKLti,of W'oOi"combe -street, Wellington, printer andpublisher, :it the registered office of th*Company, Willis-street, Wellington.

Saturday, December 31. 18W.

THE EVENING POST, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 81. 1904.16DIOCE*^ HIGH SCHOOL FOR

GIRLS,AUCKLAND.

Chairman of Council, HON. E. MIT-CHELSON.

Head Mistress, MISS M. E. PULLING,B.A. (Lond.).

House Mistress, MISS B. A. WARD,B.Sc. (Lond.).

fTIHE New School Year will begin onJL 9th FEBRUARY, 1905. Entriesshould be made as early as possible.

The School will then be fully organised,with accommodation for all ages up to16, including a Preparatory Departmentfor children from five years of ago.

Fees for Day Pupils, £3 3s per term.Fees for Boarders, £18 18s per term

and upwards according to age.

Dinner at School, and escort by certaintrami, provided when desired.

Tho Head Mistress is at home ovoryThursday until 15th December, and toparents any day by appointment. Tele-phone 1680.FROM SCHOOL

TO £150 PER ANNUM!fTtHIS is the experience of one of curJL Students. He came to us from Col-lege, started on our Elementary BusinessCourse, completed that, and, finally, ourAccountancy Course. This occupied 18months, at the end of which time we in-troduced him to an employer, who engag-ed him at tho above salary.

Contrast this with the old method ofgoing to an employer— "Willing to learn

"

Wo do not,claim that the above resultis obtainable in every case, but we doclaim that any youth whom we can recom-mend as -having completed our courses willistart at a remuneration 50 per cent, to100 per cent, higher than his less fortunatefollows, and will savo at.least five years ofLin business life.

Take care you are not "Left Behind."CALL AT BANKS'S COMMERCIALCOLLEGE,"

58, VICTORIA-STREET, CITY.WRITE FOr"TpROSI?ECTUS.

MISS E. CAltR'S SCHOOL OFSHOKTHANO (Pitman'sand Light-line) and 'Jm'KWIUPINGr. BOUIv-KISKPINGand PAINTING.Typewriting Oflice :STKWAftT DAWSON'S UUfI.DINGS

(Corner Wjllis-streefcandLambton-quay).Prinoipals:Miss K.CAlllt,N.CJ.S.T..N.U.T,Mrs.J.F.GONNION, N.U.T.,N.sS.S.T.AtistniluHiiui Itecords,220 wordsperminuteHighest speeds in the shortest space of time

jigs I I CHRISTMAS GIFTS |"PRANK GRADY, a jl POD THPJ IAHIPC ifV IWATCHMAKER AND JKWELLER. | 4, Wiy *I& JOt Lw/\UI&*J. ¥ ?

CHKISTMAS NOVELTIES I i^O©^?3« We ?ct the spirit of Xmas illto our hearts at thls time ''^HPiii^ IfH^ GRADY'S for Watches, Clocks | Z^^^W^L. of tb* yeai'- You can iuakc thls a *«? haPPy Xmas -for SOme- AFRANK GRADY'S for St^hnglilver $ "> tWS -Year by °Qe° f theSe dC htfUl ai

'tiCleS' Ifrank GRADY'S tor Electroplate ♥ send auy ouc of them direct to the lady, post free. !!FRANK GRADY'S for Optical Goods ft "^ J!?JW\?\ "€#l&vfr IFRANK GRADY'S for Leather Goods t fi» » w - --. »

SIGHT-TESTING'ROOM" Greell6toUe * ,', , fiK3OlQl^(»fflii«QjQsC^liu3^3fc J"r'"'

AND CLOCK SHOWROOM. § 4 t-t cold £25. "^^^^^^^^^^^W^M'^, gold 75/.' 9 II* AJJ.» W.Ul.* X.AJXU\j\J\j j.>X X1\JX\ yjiXiOXl., m 1 .Manufacturing, Repairing, Engraving. X Parisian Pearl Necklet. v '

mHE OHOP T^OR TJRESENTS. $ 'WSSMtfk yf 7/6> 10'6'6'1Z6l15/6> a"d 21/" \>^ tUfok €M& iCountry orders receive prompt attention. i S\

''H— »„,.,-.■.

—t i Era G3186. PearlandTurquoiseBrooch. t\I "ctgold ®5/- ---5-5Sr|L get. gold. £2ia- J

"~"~ ][ G44SI. Pearl andTurquoiseBrooch. Broils G3BJ7. Pear!and Ruby Broach,II . get gold. 30/- JIHQW '

Sct'gold' 32 6 ||

WHAT is more fitting to " E«iSstrengthen the bonds which' '

JaiUs a 1 1

' j»nfi.'JlaQMfenilJwi GG33353335335- 9ct-

Gold Brooch. 21/-',

75, LAMBTON-QUAY. II jOl G-jJjo. jet.Gold Brooch, set with S JL A

! I Jill STEWARf DAWSOiM & CO. jV^LITTLEJOHN&SON, $ ' 8 TOgjf — —

M I *WATCHMAKERS, JEWELLERS, | [|j \|r Leading Jewellers, | |

AND OPTICIANS, 0 GSNJ Oct. Gold Cross Gmm. jetGold F3094.501.d9ct. G4783 Pearland I85, LAMBTON-QUAY, WELLINGTON I "^l^ WELLINGTON. *«-#»■ .^-^l^In?,w norms irnn. rvrrRTSTMAK ivn

SCHOOL OJ/1 DRESSCUTTING.■j^TRS. MACLEOD, Teacher of Worth'siY-B. System of Dressmaking in all itslfttesfc improvements. Classes from 2 to4;Eyening Classes, Tuesdays and Fridays," to v.

■Private Dressmaking also at the above.Newest style and perfect fit guaranteed.Patterns cut to measurement.106, Upper Willis-street,

mHE LANG.RR SCHOOL OF DRESS-A CUTTING.MISSKATE STEWART, Repreaentati".

Burnett's Building-, 01, Willis-street.This popular system of Dresscutting hasmet with the greatest success in Welling-

ton. It is essentially the "ladies' system,"on account of its wonderful capabilities.By its.means almost every article of cloth-ing may bo cut— from opera in&ntle3 andevening drestes to children's coats. ' In-spection and enquiry invited. One lessongiven free of charge. Offioa hours— 10 to12, 2 to 4. Evening Classes

—Tuesday andThursday, 7 to 9.

Patterns cut to measuro. Agonts wantedthroughout Wellington and Taranaki Pro-vinces.

The most usoful of all a lady's accom-plishments is the art of artotio dressmak-ing.

JJALL CAINE'S NEW NOVEL,"THE PRODIGAL SON."

A first supply just received by miil.Price 6s.

The Poems of"ALGERNONCHARLESSWINBURNE"

New Collected Edition, in 6 vols!****"'£2 2i.

S. AND , MACKAY,BOOKSELLERS,.

Lambton-quay and Cuba-street.PICTURES"! PICTURES!

FOR Presents we have a choice collec-tion of Framed Pictures on view.Please call and inspect them atT. BEADNALL AND SON'S

Fine Art Gallery,Corner Willis and Mercer streets.

RETIRING FROM BUSINESSWE CLOSE DOWN ON THE 31stMARCH, 1905.WHILE respectfully Thanking thePublic for a patronage extending

OVER 40 YEARS,MESSRS. WRIGGLESWORTH AND

BINNS,PHOTOGRAPHERS,

Beg to announce that theyWILLCLOSE THEIR STUDIO ON THE

31st MARCH, 1905.UNTIL THAT DATE PORTRAITS

WILL BETAKEN AS USUAL AT THEFOLLOWING REDUCED RATES:-CABINETS, 10s per doz.PARIS PANELS,17s 6d per doz.ART-FIN. CABINET BROMIDES, 25sART-FIN. PARISPANELSBROMIDES,

45s doz.ART-FIN. CELERON PANELS, BRO-MIDES, 50s doz.12 BURNISHED CABINETS, ON

SOUVENER MOUNTS and "MONA"ENLARGEMENTS, -JrtS £D!Larger Work and Groups by Arangement.The Best and Most Artistio COLOURED

WORK.Our Enlargements and Copies are still

Absolutely Unequalled for Excellence andBeauty. All who wish to avail themselvesof our services must kindly pay'us a visitbefore the end of March next.

WRIGGLESWORTH AND BINNS,Photographers,

7, WELLIS-STREET, WELLINGTON.The Premises to Let, with or without

the Business. Possession maybe had earlyinMay. 16 rooms. Every accommodation.Everything up-to-date. Best site in Wel-lington. Magnificent premises. Telephone.

By Special OTLjffir, flffi ar" an<*

Appointment "F_fS&&W<£ 'Countess oftothe 30s3sS?L*^v Kaufarly.

ANNOUNCEMENT."CTCTE beg to inform our clientele that■tV no orders will be taken until thoEND OF JANUARY, by which time ourstaff and premises will be enlarged, sothat ladiee will not h&vo to wait so longas formerly.

Our New Goods and styles will be readyabout 24th January.

nodine" & co.,30. WELLINGTON-TERRACE.

UNREDEEMED PLEDGES.WANTED Known, that W. Smart,

Pawnbrokf ■, vVilHs-street, has for&ale_l Graphopbor.o with 100 records, 2cases for same, reproducer, and reoordsr,cost £25, will sell for £7; 1Graphophonawith 20 records, in easo, £3 the lob;1Graphophon« with 35 diso records, cost'£17, will take £6 ;1up-to-datePiano byKirchner, £25 ;all bargains. Apply sharp.

RANGIURU HOUSE, OTAKL

mHE MISSES GELL are opening bothJL their houses for the season on2,othDecember. They have been thoroughlyrenovated, a large detached diningroomhiifl been built to serre bothhouses, and tooupure pcifect freshness. Bathing, SeaandRiver Fishing andBoating. Terms 011application.

LESSINGS for All- 300 oggs pro.sorved for Is with Norton's Pre.

mier E122 Preserv**-";— -

NEW YEAR.

13 LARGE CASES, BESIDES 8 PAR-CELS BY POST SINCE 7th NO-VEMBER.

We are now showing unusually fineGREENSTONE NOVELTIES, London-inado SILVER GOODS and PEARLJEWELLERY, andNew Designs in GEMRINGS.

"TJIXHIBITION of Works of Art now onview at

M'GREGOR WRIGHT AND CO.'S.129. Lambton-auay.

VITADATIO-'

STILL TRIUMPHANT

CONSTIPATION CURED.

Tattorsall's Hotel,Sydney, 7th July, 1903.

DEAR Slß— While in Ballarat kbtXmas Iwas in the theatre and tiw

your adverticement, and suffering fromConstipation, thought Iwould 'give yourTemedy a trial, end Ican assuro that Iamnow perfectly cured. Idid intend writ-ing to you before, but better late thannever. Ihavo sent letters to all myfriends in Balkrat about it, and allItayis, that Iwish you ovory Buccess with theremedy.

Yours faithfully,WLLTON CAREY.

VITADATIOCURES ECZEMA.

Remuera, Auckland, N.Z.Dbm Sir— Having suffered from Eczema

for two years without any relief from anyof tho many cures tried, Iwas completelycurod after taking three large bottles ofyour VITADATION two and ahalf yearsago.

Yours gratefully,MRS. A. CAMERON.

For further particulars,S. A. PALMER,

Head Office: 439, Flinders-lane, Melbourne

Correspondence invited. Write for testi-monials.

The price of medicine is 5a 6d and 3s 6dper bottle. All Chemists and Storekeepers.

Wholesale Agents— Kempthorne, Pros-ser and Co. (Ltd.), N.Z. Drug Co., andSharland and Co.

THE TYSININHALATION TREATMENT FOR

CONSUMPTION,ASTHMA, AND BRONCHITIS

la the Ally of the Open-air Treatment.

Call or write for free full particulars.

N.Z. MANUFACTURING ANT>IMPORTINGCOMPANY,

12, Feathereton-street,Agents.

MAGNETISM.—

The Himalayas aresmall in comparison with the height

of perfection which can be attained by a■ close study of Prof. Dewar's illustrated

set of thirty-five Lectures on MagnetioHealing and Psyohio Development. Everyone wishing to gain tho means of rising

; to the top of his trade or profession shouldprocure a copy of Prof. Dewar's (100 page)set of lectures, the most complete andinstructive ever issued at the price, beingequal to the thirty-guinea course of foreign

' authors, together with book containingvaluable occult knowledge. Send for freesample pago of lectures and doscriptivacircular, also price. Address

—PROF. DEWAR,

1 Auckland.

WHEAVEY, General Dealer, 143,k

" Upper Cuba-street, Buys and Sells( new and second-hind Furniture in any

quantity. Large stock of general house-hold Furnishings at cheapest rates in town.. For bargains in ove

try line xmdei the sun. come to us. We buy and sell at the right

Jlricei,

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR, 1904-5.

iHAVE pleasure in calling attention toextensive importations for the present

season, consisting of USEFUL ANDORNAMENTAL GOODS liN' CHINA,GLASS, EARTHENWARE, AND ELEC-TROPLATE.

During tho present year my premiseshavo been considerably enlarged, and mystock is now very complete, making oneof tho largest and iinest displays in thecolony.

BREAKFAST, DINNER, AND TEAWAKE ina large variety of stock patternsthat can always be matched. I

Also the Newc3t Designs in SINGLEand DOUBLE TOILET SERVICES,DINNER SETS, GLASS TABLESUITES, DESSERT SERVICES, andORNAMEINTS of every description, suit- 1,ablo " for CHRISTMAS and WEDDING-PRESENTS or GENERAL FURNISH-ING.

LAMPSand LAMP FITTINGS'oloverydescription".

During the present monfh several 'steam-er shipments have arrived 61 ART BOT-TER.Y and GLASSWARE', indiiainfr1

-tho

productions of Doulloh, Royal Worcester,CrownDarby, Coalport, and many others,also an assortment of Photograph Develop-ing Dishe3.

Goods packed by thoroughly efficientpackers.

EDWARD ANDERSON,41 and 43, WILLIS-ST., WELLINGTON.

Established over Fifty Years.

FREEZING SHEEP AND LAMBS.

PpHE WELLINGTON MEAT EXPORTCOMPANY (Ltb.) is prepared to PUR-CHASE FAT SHEEP and LAMBS by

weight or at per head.The Company also offers clients every

facility for freezing on their own account.

Prices can be obtained on applicationat the Company's Office* or from any ofthe Buyers in tho ceuntry.

DILNOT SLADDEN,Secretary.

BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME!

THE EXHIBITION OF'

BRONZES, , ,ART FURNITURE,

FANCY GOODS,CLOCKS,

WORK TABLES,PALM STANDS, Etc, Etc.,

Now on. All Useful Presents.

cA. CLAGES AND CO.

165a, LAMBTON- QUAY (nextMackay's).

FELLOWS'S Syrup, 5b 4d; Doan'sBackache andKidney Pills, 2s 9d;Dr

Williams' Pink Pills; 2s,Sd;Iron ,WiaeTonio (quarts), 2s ; Scott's Emulsion,2s and'66 lOd; Clement's Toaro, 2s 9d;Blaud's Tonio and Blood Pills, warrantedas prescribed in all the leading Hospitals,Is 6d per 100;second quality, Isper 100;Bvens' Skin Ointment, 2b;Angier'g Emul-sion, 2s 4d. Prescriptions skilfully com-pounded. We are direct importers, ourgoods being specially selected byour HomeAgents.

C. AND H. V..EVENS,.Chemists and General Importers,

Manners-street.

A SUITABLE Xmas Present is a nicePotPlant. Wo have then inallprices

from Is to 20s, including Palms, Aspara-gus,. Maiden Hair Ferns, etc.

1". COOPER,30, Manners-street,

Wellington.

■jMT AHA RA r HOUSE,WAIKANAE.

Accommodation of tho very HighestClats.

Address— "THE MANAGER." __PREMIER Egg l'reteiv,ativn is tho bent

> go thousands say. Itand 2e 6d tins.

NEW GOODS,NOW ON* VIEW.

U#HELDER'S.

Jlrassi Fenders aud Curbs, from 30■

Brnis Coul ViihCs, from -SUsI'ire lsrast,Bs, from os GdBliiukami Gold Coal Vases, fi'Om 7a 6dAntique 1'opi>ei: andBra.»s FiraScreens,

from 23sBrass mounted Budsteads, from 35s

ALL BRASS TWIN BEDdTii'AUS,NKWHbT IDEAS.

ANTIQUE .OAKiffURNITUUK ASPECIALITY.

Azminster Carpets, specially selected,fromCt 3ti

Inl.dd 'J'ile Linoleums, Art Dosigue,from<la Gd

Heavy Linoleums, from 1« 10dLave Curtains, from 4b Cd

ESTIMATES AND DKSIGNS .latlSiS OFCOST.

Occasional Puites. from JMOLeather Suites, from -SI2ftliu'oi'-back fciirioboaid. from -£4 10sDuohcss Clients, from£2 lbs

A VISIT OV INSPECTION SOLICITED.

ynrr anted known.RICHARDSON BROS.,

The Cheapest House Furnishers, of 115,CUBA-STREET, are selling-

English whito and gold china "-ujjaand saucers 5d and 6d, chinaplates 3d and sd, strong kitchencups and saucers 3rl cup and saucer, niceflowered tumblers 3d and 4d, enamel can-dlesticks 6d, grand assortment of cheesedishes 3s, bottle and glass 8d pair,sets jugs Is lid set, cake tins (3 in set) 6ilper sot, glass jam dishes from 2d, mgarbasins and butter dishes 6d. Just landed,large aseortmeut of teapots, very lowprices. Toilet sets 6s 6d, 83 6d,up to 30s.Odd jugs and basins and chambers, verylow prices. China candlesticks 6cl, chinacruets from 9d each, china jugs and mugsfrom 3d each, curtain poles complete Is6d, dinner ect3 19s 6d, bauce bottles 7d,vegetable dishes from 2s 3d, teapots from6d each, odd chambers from 6(1, hair,brooms from Is 3d, clothes brushes andhstir brushes from 6d each, shoo brushesfrom lOd a sot of 3, galvanised bucketsfrom lOd each, galvanised baths, largo size3s, tin washbasins from 4d to Is,meat tins6d to Is 9d, also large stock of chairs,tables, bedsteads, stretchers, bedding,blankets, sheets, quilts, curtains, table-cloths, duchess chests, washstands, couches,suites of furniture, hearthrugs, wool matsand slip mats, oilcloths, linoleums; infact, everything in the furnishing line.For cash or on terms. Noto the address

—j

115, UPPER CUBA-STREET, oppositethe ArmyHome.

TTALF A MILLION TONS! jHALF A MILLION TONS!

Is the ANNUAL OUTPUT of

COALBROOKDALE COAL

It is obtainable everywhere. Ask yourcoal merchant for it

MAY OATWAYAY OATWAY

FIRE ALARMS.FIRE ALARMS.

TEN PKR CENT, insurance re-duction where these are used.

TURNBULL &~JO^ES, LTD.,WILLIS-STREET,. Wellington.

'1

rafM- CRABTREE AND SONS,MILLWRIGHTS,

ENGINEERS AND BOILERMAKERS.

Makers o[ c\u!y description of Brick-makmg Machinery. Crushing Rollins,linck Pres-sei, Sanitary Drain-pipe Ma-chines and Dies ana Laundry Machineiy.

Agents for BROADBENT AND SON'SHYDRO EXTRACTORS.

CARROL'S,No.1, WDLLIS-STREET.

T UNCHEON AND TEA ROOMS.JU

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAMFresh Daily.

CHRISTMAS CAKES IN GREATVARIETY.

PASTRY OF ALL KINDSSupplied to Any Part of the City.

AT HOMES, ETC., CATERED FOR.

PLUM PUDDINGS'Specially made for Xmas. Order early.

CARROL'S,PASTRYCOOK AND CONFECTIONER,

No. 1, WILLIS-STREET.

Telephone 2066.

VIEWSOb"

OLD WELLINGTON./"\N SAMS by all Booksellers andjNewsAgents and at the KVEiSING POST office.

Over EIGHTY VIEWS OF THE CUT in

its early days.

This formsa nice Present to Frieudx, anda

souvenir of"

old times."

PRICE— ONX SHILLING.

MAORI CYCLES!

ARE you satisfied with purchasing yournow Bicycle ready-made? Perhaps

not. Perhaps you know the best featuresin each make? We can embody all thesefor,you in one Bicycle. Wo havo had 16years' experience! in making bicycles 10order.

Coaster Hubs fitted to any make of bicyclefor 30s.

HAWLEY & DOHERTY,No. 2. RINTbUL-STREET.. MALTHOID DAMPCOURSE,

mESTED for compression tc 25 tonsJL per square foot. Made in widthsfrom 4jin to 42in, in rools ready forimmediate use.

MALTHOID ROOFING,For all classes of roof and wall covering.

JAMES W. JACK,N.Z. Agent, Wellington.

PAROID,FOR Roofing Outhouses, Fowlhouses,

Cowsheds, and for side-walling atlow cost.

Do not buy until you have obtainedsamples andprices of Paroid and NepoosotRoofing and Building Paper from yourstorekeeper.

E. W. MILLS '&, CO. (Ltd.),Wholesale Agents for Now Zealand.

NOTICE.

TO CONTRACTORS, CARTERS, ANDOTHERS.

~%a7'Ehave arranged to keep a supply of» » leliable young Draught, Express,

and light Harness Horses on haid, as fromthe beginning of JANUARY, 1905. Thohorses will be running on Mr. H. D.Crawford's Kilbirnie property, and appli-cations may bi> made to him as our Agont.Every horse offered for pale will be guaran-teed sound unless the contrary is pointedout, and will be sold bubject to a satislac-torj\ trial.ABRAHAM AND WILLIAMS, LTD.,'

Auctioneers

CHRISTMAS CHEEPv!WANTED, Every One to Remembertheir Friends this Christmas. What

better Gift than an Umbrella or Sunshade?We havo a good stock. Silver and 18ctGold-plato Mountedat,83" lid to 35s eaoh;others at 4s lid to 7s lid.

Umbrellas made to your" order and de-sign within one hour. Umbrellas andSunshades covered and repaired.

CITY UMBRELLA WORKS,25, Willis street (under Oriental Hotel).A POLLIXARIS. Apoliinaris.— lU pui-

-*Xity offers the best security against thfdangers of ordinary drinkingwater.

IMMUTABLE QUALITY.

QUALITY is the foundation of everyworthy '.oa— it is essential if the

health of the community is not to beinjured. Inferior tea is absolvutce]y in-junoiiE, and should never bo taken.

CRESCENTBLEND

TEANEVER VARLES IN QUALITY,NEVER VARIESINFLAVOUR

It is the purest and most wholesome teaobtainable at 2s a pound. It is blendedand packed in Wellington, and the reputa.tions of the Empire Tea Company and ofthe Tea Blonder go with every packet. Thenumber of pleased patrons of CrescentBlend Tea increases yearly.

SOLD AT ALL STORES.

JENKINS & MACK,HOUSE AND SHIP PLUMBERS,

GASFITTERS, LOCKSMITHS,METAL MERCHANTS & IMPORTERS.

WE beg to inform our numerous cus-tomers and the public generally

that we are now carrying on business inour New Premises, Featherston-street, op-posite the New Zealand Loan and Mer-cantile Building, and close to the nowCustomhouse and Ferry Wharves..

We keep a large staff of competentworkmen in the various branches of ourbusiness, and aim at doing only the bestwork at the most moderate charges, andconfidently guarantee satisfaction.Orders per telephone will receive prompt

attention.JENKINS k MACK,

HOUSE AND SHIP PLUMBERS,GASFITTERS,LOCKSMITHS,

METAL MERCHANTS & IMPORTERS,FEATHERSTON AND BALLANCE

STREETS,Wellington. Telenhone 55.

EDWARD COLLIE,KEWTOWN.

BEDSTEADS! BEDSTEADS!

BEDSTEADS!

Ihave 58 Single Bedsteads to Sell underCoat Piice.

COME AND SKE THEM!

They are all Best English Make,andGenuine Bargains.

E. COLLIE, !NKWTOWN.

Under JSg «gs ~fi^ Lord Gordon

Distinguished 2|jy>«gS||!fssj& tl . i c

Patronage. Glasgow.NEW ZEALAND CURIOS!

FINEST GREENSTONE CURIOSMAORI-BASKETSN.Z. SHELLS nnd SOUVENIRS

At tho

BRITISH HUSTLE SALE!Now is tho time to select suitable present*.Electro-plated Ware, Gold and SilverWatches, Noielriesj etc. Solid value

at HUSTLE PRICES.Watch our Windows for Model Battleship

H.MS. New Zealand and ElectricalSurprises.

Patronised dailyby thousandsofinterestedspectators and buyers.

JUDD'S, MANNERS-STREET.

TOYS SmOY BAZAAR!A TOY BAZAARI69, WILLIS-STREET (M'Gill's Buildings)1000 PRETTY DOLLS, big andlittle.Bats, Balls, Trumpets, Horses, Ships, TeaSots, Drums, Engines, RailwayTrains, Go-carts, Hoops, etc.CHRISTMAS CARDS

—Thousando to

choose from.PURSES and POCKETBOOKS for pre-

sents, plain and silver-mountedTOYS OF ALL KINDS.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING1

HOME-CURED HAMS AND BACONCHRISTMASPOULTRY, Etc.A BANKS, 59, Willis-street, has-tX-» largest assortment Hams and Bacon,

mild sugar-cured, "from best selected ,pigsdirect from farmers. Christmas Poultry,especially Turkeys, suitable for everybody,and ready trussed. We keep everythingyou require in this direction, and guaran-tee to please you with our genuine Christ-mas selections.

N.B.— Best price given for live poultryin any quantities.

A. BANKS(Late F. Martin).Telephone 422.

AERMOTOR WINDMILLS.nnHESE Mills are the best obtainable,"*" and may be had for pumping onlyor geared for power, to drive Chaffeutters,Circular Saw .Benches, Corncrubhera, etc.

E. W. MILLS & CO. (Ltd.),Scle Agents for New Zealand.

mAILORS' MISFIT SUlTS.— Splendid"*- line of neat pattern, good fitting,and -excellent value Misfit Suits; alsoGold and Silver Watches and Chains (newand second-hand) at auction prices. Jewel-lery suitable for Christmas presents keptin stock. Start from ABC and go downto Z, 21, Ingestre-street. Maurice Ziman,Pawnboker and General Dealer.

SAWMILLERS and Users of WIREROPES should only U3eTHOS. & WILLIAM SMITH'S.

All ropes made by this firm are of thevery finest material, and may be obtainedonly fromE. W. MILLS & CO. (Ltp.).

SOCIETY PROTECTION WOMEN ANDCHILDREN.

THEbusiness of tho Society during theScerotarj-'s lines;, will bo attended toby Mrs. Holgato. at St. John .vmbulanoaRooms, 200a, Willis-street, between the

hours of 8.30 and 9.30 a.m. aud 2 and 3p.m.

MRS. STARKIE,CERTIFICATED MIDWIFE,

Late of QueenCharlotte Hospital, London,Certificates from

Obstetrical Society of London,Central Midwivcs Board, London,

H&s commenced practice in Wellington,and will attend patients at their onuhomes

Has Removed to 4, Cambridge-terrace

W. AND H. FLY,MAIL CONTRACTORS & GENERALCABRIKRS, MASTKRTON-A.ll orders strictly attended' to. Agent

NZ. Express Co.

mHE NEW ZEALAND GOVERN-JL MENT STATE FIRE INSURANCEOFFICE will be prepared to accept FiroRisks onand after 4th January, I'JOS.Advantages :

Insured Share Profits"State Guarantee.Lowest RatoE. *Equitable and Prompt Settlements.

Offices: Corner of &6RKY audFEATHERSTON STSEETSr'

J. W. BRIKDLEY,Genoral

ONDON AND LANCASHIRE FIREINSURANCE COMPANY.

Special Features: I

Lowoßt Premiiuns, Prompt Payments, andLiberal Settlements.

Capital 1£2,228,875Premium Income, 19G2 .. ,1,209,518Total Security 1^81686,091

JOHNSTON AND CO., TJ/TD:,Agents and KttdtnoyG.

HE NORTH BRITISH AND MER-CANTILE INSURAJICE

COMPA^r?, "LONDON AND EDINBURGH.

Subscribed Capital ... .(. £2,750.000Paid up .J.. 687,500Fire Reserve 2,135,374

MURRAY, ROBERTS AND CO.,Agents.

NORTH QUEENSLAND INSURANCECOMPANY, LTD

FIRE'AND MARINE,Head Office for New Zealand:

Hunter-street, Wellington.Fire and Marine Ricks accepted at Lowest

Rate*:. _1 Agents throughout New Zealand.

D. A. ABERCROMBIE, Secretary.

mHE VICTORIA INSURANCEJL COMPANY, LTD.Fire, Marine, and Fidelity Guarantee.

Established 1849.Fire, Marine, and Fidelity GuannteeRisks accepted at Lowest Current Rates.

LEVIN AND CO., LTD.,,'Agents.

SOUTH BRITISH FIRE ANDMARINE INSURANCE CO.

Capital £1,900,000Accumulated Funds exceed .. 420,000

IFiro and Marine Insurances of every kindI at very lowest rates.OHAS. W. BENBOW, Manager.

Office— 27, Lambton-quay, Wellington.

NEW ZEALAND INSURANCE COEIRE'AND MARINE.Capital, £1,000,000. Paid-up Cipital andReserves, including undivided profits,£520,305. Net Annual Revenue for1902, £408,923.

Fire and Marine Risks of every descrip.tion accepted.

Wellington Branch— Corner of Grey-street and Lambton-quay.C. A. EWEN, Manager.

MONEY TO LEND.

£iftn nnfb T0 i^ND-at 5 per*J.UUjUUU cent, on FreeholdSecurity, town or country, on the fol-lowing basis:—

Country Property, three-fifths of totalvaluation._Town or Suburban,- three-fifths of thevalue of land and half the valueof the improvements,' such asbuildings, fencing, drainige, etc.

Immediate application is invited, as ourclients are anxious to get tkiB moneyinvested.

DWAN BROS., WiIfcsstreet..£ treet.

MONEY TO LEND,

CHEAPEST MONEY L\T!THEMARKET. }

WE beg to inform client* that wecan now Lend Sums ofi£loo andUPWARDS at 5 PER CENI on-Ap-pro\ed Freehold Securities in. town o;

country.Easy terms made for payment of prin-cipal.

KIRK AND WILSOIJ,Wellington. Otaki. andjPotona.

MONEY TO LEND ,n an* mm onapproved Freehold Cily ahd CountryStecuritiea at LOWEST tfURRENTRATJVX" Y^vivi^.i

Po\ve_r for borrower to repay any por-tions of the loan during term!KENNETH DOUULASSolicitor,'

18, Colonial Mutual Chamberg (opposite

BOLTON AKlToi^^Barristers and .Solicitors, aud' 'PatentAgents,37, Foatherston-stroDt Walloon, andJackson-street, Potonc.

MONEY to LendoniaPpro;ed FreeholdSecurities at Lowest Current Rites*lso on Chattel Seemly. Co»drepayment duringterm'CMrbe arranged.MONEY TO LENi,

ON"ON"

Appfy^to0"" Fr6ehold Property

HALL AND KNIGHTSolicitoru6(Bran'onst)_ u__ Welliuston."T\[ORTON'S"-Ifs. goo'dTMiiiio^r^

_$New Zealand jAdbj|[ Goverm*ieiltjLIFE INSURANCE DEPART2'lENT

ILIBERAL TERMS. PROMPT SETTLEMENTS.J 43,1S6 POLICIES IN FORCE

\ AND <£10,060,262 assurance !V ]N KJSW iIEALAND/

\ J. 11. EICHAHD^p-*\ Ooiiimissioner.

AUSTRALIAN MUTUAL"SB" PIIOyiDENT SOCIETY

HOLDS THE WOELD'S EK^ORD FOX LARGEST BONUSES.I

ALL POLICIES ISSUED ON OR PRIOR TO THE31sr DECEMBER NJKXT WILL SHARE IN THE,PROEITS TO BE DWIDED AS AT THAT DATE.

CASHBONUSES already dividedainongsl tbo Membors £10 94i9 6i2Tlie AMOUNT of CASHPROFITS divided for ONliYEAK (1003) . £582 168

EVERY YEAB A BONUS YEAR.INSURE AT ONCE AND PARTfC/PATE IN THE PROFITS FOR THE

CURIpNT YEAR.EDWARD W. LOWE,

Branob Office: Retidcut Secretary.Customhouse-quay, Wellington.

PutroniHed b tUeir Kxoellenoies theGovernorsof New Zealana.

pOKKR'S FAMILY HOTBI^CHItISTCHUHCH.*

Within one minute ol the lUiiiv&y SUtioaJAMES HATFJKJ.D,Pkopuiktok.

Letters will receive every attention.P.O.Box No. '291.1 Teleuhone. No.a3t

WHERE TO STAY INCHRIST-'

CHURCH.

STOREY'S TERMINUS HOTEH(Opposite Christchurch RailwayStation.)

Licensee-F. W. MILLWARD.Visitors to this spacious hotel receive

evoiy possible attention and modern com*fort. Letters and telegrams are promptly-attended to. Telephone 795.

SPEIGHT'S PRIZE ALES on draught.Special arrangements made with perma-

nent boarders and theatrical parties, etc.Tariff— 8s per day; £2 iis per week.LAREND O N HOTEL,'

CHRISTCHURCH,Within 2 minute!,' walk of the Cathedraland G.P.O. Replete with every modemconvenience for VISITORS, TOURISTS,and COMMERCIALGENTLEMEN.

All communications promptly attendedto.

Telephone1297. P.O. Box 2(7.D. COLLINS, Proprietor.

SHADES HOT EL,HADES HOTEL,

HEREFORD-ST., CHRISTCHUROE,'Twiff, 7b per day.

W. BROADWAY, ,Proprietor

OCKAYNE'B LEVIATHAN TE*fc'PERANCE HOTEL, Manchester^.,Christchurch.

—The additions to this pojn»

lar Temperance Hotel are now complee,and consist of 110 tingle and double bed-rooms. The ouisine is under the controlofa fir*t-cla3B chef, and leaves nothing]tobe desired. Private diningroom for ladls.Suites of apartments, imoking and rod-ing rooms. Night porter. Tariff on b-plioation.— MßS. COCKAYNE, Propi.tres*. T"All vrno would acnievn tueceu than

endeavour to merit it." 1WE have during the past year «pmj

no expense in endeavouring omake our Beer second to non» in NirZealand, and can now confidently ass|kice havo succeeded in doing so. ,

We invite all who enjoy 1A GOOD GLASS OF BEER .

To ask for ISTAPLES' BE9.

On Draught at almost all Hotels in thCityandsurrouudingdistricts.

And confidently anticipate their verdkwill be chat Staples and Co. have succe.fullyremoved the reproach that good B< toould not be brewed in Wellington.

J. STAPLES AND CO. (LTD.),Molebworlti aadMurrjbjstreeti.

XMAS GOODS. iHOLIDAY BOOTS AT GREi?REDUCTIONS.

!BALLOONS! BALLOONSI

Every child receives one.

Every Purchaser of 15s or over will I>presented with a beautiful Wall PookiCalendar. '

CALL AND INSPECT THE WINDOW*Come insideand enquirefor whatyou

are lookingfor.Noone pressed to buy.

DISCOUNT STAMPS.Telephono 712.

JT. J. LEIGHTON,02, MOLESWORTH-STREIiT. ■

. 1mHE' CENTRAL DAIRY,-1- 32, Ghuznee-stroet.PURE MILK delivered '.'Vice Daily,

Alto Cream, Butter, aud Eggs.Try our famous GOLDEN VALLEY

BUTTER at lid per lb.SILVERDALE BUTTER lOd per lb.

1 Fresh from Taranaki.Customers will send orders to

SCOTT & JONES, Proprietors.

HINEMOADAIRY!"

MRS. GEORGE COCHRANE, 139/Cuba-street, has Xmas Hams, Prim«Cheese, best brands Butter,Eggs, etc.

Home-made Brawns a specialty.Fresh Milk and Cream daily.

J#FLYGUSH & CO.,*

SANITARY UNDKRTAKKftS,20, CUiU-STRBBT

A larpe aaiortmeut of Funeral Furnishing:*now in stock.

Funeralsarranged at reasonable nrionsEMBALMING A SPECIALIT.

TnlftDiione1073