1 When is an actor not an actor V— ' Nine times out of teo.'

8ome lix months hart now tlapttd e'mo* tbe Union »nd T.8,N. Oompaaltt amalgamated, tod a brief surrey of tht manner ia which they art treating tbt Tasmaaiun branch o( this business will be inifreiting. When tbe anion was effected iobi doubts wtre expressed that it wo«M not ploys adTantageooi to this city, but these forebodings have b*an drs polled. Ae trade has expanded thty havo met tht demand in their toaaagt, and all the intercolonial lioei art now (quipped by tbe hoe ateatnt't for whiob both companies bar* b«en noted, Tbe Rotomabaoa, whiob baa long btl4 tho proud poiit<on of tht fattest t*t« going steamer iu the colonies, hat btea altered and •p<cit«lly improved for tht Launceeton-Melbuurne aervioo, and tht Ausualao public bave not b»en long in recogniuiog the faoiliiiea ofiared to reach the aiaitorium of the colonist, and are ciosiiog B*** Sir»n« in largt number* every week, Tbt Nonh West Coatt is now vupplied with rtga lar weekly oommuniotfcloa by the fiat- BteHiner P.ttena, And it ia to be hoped that the company will be lupported ift the euterpriHe ubowu in proTidisg thii terncfi. 'ihe Jtiol ait-Syduey trad* baa expanded oomidtrably lately, and the 6oe ateaiuera Ojnah and Flora art now tmployed in it, tbua giving fivt day Bmliuga from end to end. Thii ia belpiDg to develop tbo tounat traffic which ia of ao much importance to tbt uluud generally. Arrabgrmatti for through ■.oitner and orerland tioktta have bten made with the Railway Departmenta io tbe othtr ooloniai, and no effort rpared to render travtUing % comfort. Numbera of paanecgera litv ing Melbourne fur New Zealand tron over to LtaDceatoo, and after apending a day or two io the island, join ft ateamer in Hobar*. Id tbe rtcent visit to Hobart, Mr James Mil's, managing director of tbt ojmpaoy, arranged a mail contract with the Treasurer, which ia great'y to tho advauta^e of tht oolony and business people generally. The ma* giving! whiob weie felt at tht tioit of the amalgamation, that local interta'l would kuffor, havo not been realised. 