I cannot help admiring Mr D. H. McKen zie, Chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board. I beg his pardon, I should have said Captain McKenzie, as I believe he was at one time the skipper of a firewood barge, or dug-out, or something of that sort. Anyway, whatever be his title, I cannot help admiring him. At the invi tation of the Minister for Publio Works, (by-the-way I notice that the Waikato Times is the only paper that gives Mr Oliver's official title correctly, the other papers call him the Minister of Public Works) Mr or "Captain" McKenzie waited on him with regard to the reclamation works known as Dempsey's contract. He took with him another "ancient mariner, " who is a member of the Harbour Board, Mr Jakins, anothsr member, and Mr Brigham, the modest and retiring Secretary of the Board. Altogether, it was essen tially a deputation from the Harbour Board, and yet they expressed *n opinion diametrically opposed to that of the ma jority of the members, and the worthy Chairman naively stated at a meeting of the Board, that ho informed Mr Oliver that the opinion he expresssd was his own private opinion. I used to consider D. H. McKenzie honest and straight forward, but this is rather " too much joy." The only reason I can assign for the change in Ivw is that he took the "iGrej-feyer',' and was made a head-centre, pr Chairman of the Central Committee, and £ would sug gest the propriety of appointing an inqui rendo dc lunatico. Apropos of the title of "Captain," I heard a story about Captain A , who used to be a prominent member of the Northern Club. He went into the Cus tom House one day, to get a licence to shoot game. A number of business men and clerks were at the counter passing en tries. Satisfied of his own importance, he pushed through them, and said, "I want a gun licence." The Customs Officer, a little man, looked up at him, and said,- "You will be attended to in your turn," and went on with his work. When it came to Captain A 's turn he said, "Now sir, what can I do for you ?" "I want a gun licence." "Licences to buy firearms upstairs," said the little man, and weniron with his work. 