The "Loafer in the Street ill tho " Canterbury Press," comments ns follows on an announcement in the Australian iilea that Mr Hoskins is playing Shakespeare in Melbourne :—" Touchstono was tho part allotted to our great all-round actor, but the performance was not a great success. In deed, one critic describes it as ' one of tho sorriest spectacles ever wittics*cd on the stage.' The theatrical critic of the 'Austra lasian ' lets the veteran very kindly down, probably for the saice of old times, Ho also informs his readers ot a fact that will doubtless surprise New Zealaudcrs. Mr Hoskins iagoing to take a farewell benefit. His kind-hearted critic, in a very friendly notice of this performance, say< — 'Air Iloskins belongs to a race of actors who are passing away, and of whom there are no successors.' This is perhaps as well. Let them paas. Tho race of actors the veteran belonged to was the ' Half Salary race,' and in this respect he certainly, in JNew Zealand at any rate, has made the ' forms of the drama thoroughly under stood ' With all his little peculiarities, however, we miss him much. New Zea land for the last few months has lacked a something. Until I noticed the announce ment in the 'Australasian,' 1 could not quite think what it was. Now I know. I missed the usual monthly advertisement that 'Mr Hoskins will take a farewell benclit prior to bis de parture tor England.' Come back to us once agaiu Hoskins, and play Pangloss, Uaralet, Affable Hawk, Chrysos, Dazzle, Macbeth, Hicholicu, Charles Surface, Borneo, Claude Melnotte, Young Marlow, and Jack Sheppard, iv a round of farewells throueh Wellington, Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invorcargill, Leeston, and Kaiapoi, but only once Hoskins, only once more, sweet youth "

The following lamcntaoie results of a thoroughly practical application of the principles of communism have been going the round of the English papers. It ii quoted from Mr J. 0. Crawford's " Kecollec tiona of Travel in New Zealand and Australia." A short residence among the Maoris affords an opportunity of estimating the merits and demerits of communism ; and the admirers of that system might, with advantage, study the results practically arrived at in the old tribal organisation uf Mew Zealand. No man could fairly call his properly his own. 