There were three hundred arid sixty nine applications for the position of in speotor of nuisances to the borough of Marrickville, New South Wales, at a salary of £3 a week, •

The Insurance Times, New York, of recent date pays a graceful compliment to the Mutual Life Association of Aus tralasia, of which Mr 0. J. Owen is tho District Manager, in Wellington, and Mr !P. Gill the Resident Agent and capable representative in the Wairarapa. Thus speaks the paper iii question:—"Sydney seems to be the head-quarters of Austra lia's principal life insurance companies, Mr J. : O. Reoiineton, a well-known underwriter, whose fame occasionally reaches this country and Europe, is the General Manager of tho Mutual Life As sociation of Australasia, a Sydney insti tution established in 1869. The Austra lian companies are.well managed, and they are held perhaps in higher repute than are similar institutions anywhere else in the world."

The third of the sorios of winter even ing entertainments in aid of the choir fund of St. Matfchow's Church is to be given in tho schoolroom this (Tuesday) evening. A numbor of the leading vocalists of Mastertoa ate contributing to the musical portion of the programme, and Mr R. W. Rawnsley will deliver a highly interesting lecture, illustrated with lime lifthts, on his " Travels in the Pacific" We expect on this ocoasion to see a good audience,

An enterprising firm of Wellington tailors is offering prizes of extra pairs of trousers for the nearest guess to the time it will take to burn a certain largo candle. An amusing incident in connection with the announcement of the fact ocourred the other evening. A modest young school-girl was proceeding along the Btreet a few yards in front of her mater nal relative when she was aoco'ated by a precocious youth distributing handbills who exclaimed, " Here you are miss, if you win you'll get a pair of trousers I" The fair and innocent one, little thinking that the extension of tho, franchise to women was so near at hand, and having no idea of matrimony, resented (he soft impoachment and smote the offender across the head with such vigour that he is uot likely to repeat the insult. 