THE SCHOLARSHIPS.

It is again our pleasing duty to compliment the headmaster and the teachers of the Gisborne school upon the position the school has maintained as disclosed by the results of tho scholarship examination. There h»s always been a friendly rivalry between the schools over this examination, and hithert Gisborne has always managed to secure the bulk of the plums. This year, though the honor of being dux of the whole district has passed to a clever little girl from Waipawa, Gisborne has obtained the largest number of the scholarships for which it was able to compete. A Gisborue boy, Horace Goldsmith, ran Amy t'chenk very close for pride of place, and live other pupils of the school have by their meritorious work secured the opportunity of improving their education at a high seliuol. This is a result highly satisfactory and shows that the school is well able to hold its own as the years go by. It should be remembered that tho Napier school, being much larger than the Gisborne, hus more material from which to secure scholarship winners, and therefore ought by the law of proportion to obtain a larger number of prizes, tut we find that of the scholarships lor which tho whole distiict competed Gisborne secured six as against Napier's four. It may bo just as well to take this opportunity of correcting v miestatement made by tho Hawke's Bay Herald. After congratulating the country schools on their successes, our Kapier namesake says : — ' ■ The Napier school hus come ont splendidly in the examinations, and heads the list iv point of numbers, no less than nine scholarship going to that school, five Commissioners' and four Education Board awards. Gisborne comes next with six, and seeing the friendly emulation that exists between the two schools, Ciiaborne will no doubt make a bit» effort next year to reverse the results." The comparison made is not fair to Gisborne Bchool, which was not eligible to compete for tho Commissioners' scholarships, they being restricted to competition from the Hawke's Bay schools. Had they been open to competition from this district, according to the examination maika Gisborne would have secured three, Matawhero one, and Napier only one, and the uggregute results of the examination would have shown Gisborne wilh nine scholarships and Napier five. It is too soon, thereforo, for Napier lo crow over Gisborne, and it still remains for them to make a big effort to reverse the results.

As already intimated, there will be no issue of the Herald on Christmas Day and Buxing Day. This office will also be closed ou Now Year's Day. Nuhaka promises to be one of the most popular of the holiday resorts, and it is Baid that sume thirty or forty equestrians will be on the track to the springs to-morrow. We are requested to state tbat holders o Education Board scholarships ein receive their balances on application to Mr W. Morgan. Messrs Common Shelton & Co. announce, in the Huddart-Parker advertisement, that their offices will be open on Saturday ovening from 5 to 7 for booking passengers for the Anglian for Auckland and Sydney. Mr Stuart, tho Registrar of Deeds at New Plymouth, arrives in Gisborne op Saturday, coming to open tho Land Transfer office here at the beginning of the year. He will be here temporarily for a few weeks until some other officer is appointed. Several errors occurred in the transmission of the messßge giving the results of the scholarship examination, uud theso inadvertently got into last night's issue. The name of Harold Bright, a scholarship winner, fifth on tho list, was omitted, the number of marks scmed by him being 004. James B«ylc should havo been James Doyle ; Fanny Fiumn, Funny Friar ; and Flora Somerville, Flora A. Somervell. Final returns of the polling for tho Eastern Maori electorate show that at Mangapohatu twelve votes were recorded, all of them being for YVi Pere. At Hick's Bay tho figures were : Wi Pere 3, Tamati Tautuhi 8 ; ut Te Ngae :Wi Pere 11. At Waimarama, Maika Turuhe polled 2 and Tamati 4, and not Maika 1 i\nd Tamati 2 as previously announced. Tho totals therefore are : Wi Pore 2419, Tare Mate 524, Maika Tnruhe IS2, Tamali Tautuhi 774, Eriata Nopere 65. Mr F. A. Tifien's homestead at Puhatikotike was destroyed by Ore between 9 and 10 o'clock yestuiday morning. Mr Tififen and Mr Mcl'hail were at work in tho woolshed when the lire whs first noticed, but by tho timo they reached tho place tho Humes had got such a firm hold that they were not able to save anything beyond v low personal elVects. After the long spell of dry weather tho building \\ua ua dry us tinder, and burut so fiercely that in a very few minutes it was totally destroyed. The cause of the outbreak is unknown, but it is conjectured that some livo embers fell out of the stove, which bad been banked up after breakfast, and net lire to the kitchen. The building was insured for £250, and the furniture for £125 in the Standard Office, but Mr Tiffen estimates his loss ut more than £150 over tho amount of the insurance Mrs Tiffen was ju Gisborno at the time,

The erection of the Dunedin abattoirs at Burnaide is now under way. A proposal to light the town of New Plymouth by electricity ia being considered. The Southland Daily News advocates the establishment in Southland of a woollen mill. The final result of the election for the Northern Maori district is Heke 1706, Kapa 390. The firat race at the Park on Saturday — the Flying Handicap — will be started punctually at noon. Handsome pictorial card almanacs have come to hand from the Liverpool, London, vnd Globe Insurance Co. and the Shaw, Suvill and Albion Co. The heavy rains which lately prevailed on the West Coast were beneficial to the miners in giviug them plenty of water for the Christmas waah-up. Mr M'Nab, lato M.H.R. for Mataura, is about to do the grand tour of the world. Vlr M'Nab expects to leave early in January iind the tour will occupy about nine months. A young laborer named James Aitken, iiged 18, working on the road at Pleasant Point, near Titnaru, suffered a sunstroke ',he day being very hot, and died soon after The Chief Surveyor of Otago, Mr Adamß' takes charge of the Malborough land district, and will be succeeded by Mr John Hay, District Surveyor of Southland. A Milburn blacksmith named Chalmers lias invented a machine for distributing ground lime on land. As the dray moves the lime ib fed upon a, disc, which, revolving rapidly, throws the fertiliser a distance of nine yards by its centrifugal action. Shortly the New Plymouth Borough Council hopes to be in a position to go in for a proper scheme of drainage, without making the burden upon the ratepayers heavier than it is at present. During the trip of the Te Anau from Wellington to Lyttelton, an old tarpaulin ia the lower hold was found to be on fire, but the flames were soon extinguished. Some cargo was injured by water, but otherwise no damage was done. A boy, 7 years of age, a son of Mr Charles Madeson, of Westport, on one hot day a fortnight ago, while in a heated state, went into the water to bathe. He was subsequently seized with rheumatic fever, and | died last week after a painful illness. I Greymouth needs a new hospital, and towards the cost of this (£5000) sporta held (he other day provided £100. An art union is expected to give £150 more, so that the institution, with Government subsidy on these sums, will be richer by £550 through the exertionß made. The Takapuna took 3391 packages of butter from the New Plymouth breakwater on Monday night, and the Mahinnpua tonic , 2052 on Friday. The total export from the Tnranaki freezing works since the opening of the season has been 25,932 packages. Some thousands of packages have also been shipped at VVaitara. The VVhataupoko Band will 'give an open air performance this evening, commencing at 7.30, in front of the post office. The programme will include the following items : — March, " The Garrison ;" valse, " Dreams of j the Past ;" polka, " Queen of Beauty ;" ! overture, "Arcadia;" valse, "My Polly;" march, "Killarney;" galop, "Final Flutter." Gentle showers which fell last night and early this morning freshened the vegetation tion and cooled the atmosphere, which was tempered still further by a light southerly wind. Tho weather promises to be fine for tho holidays, and if the thermometer keeps as low as it is to-day will be delightful after the season of oppressive heal we have just been through. The Tennis Club intend holding a "progressive tennis" match on Boxing Diy. Progressive tennis is, as its name implies, plnyed similarly to progressive euchre, and it will, of course, be necessary for nil the inteuding players, both ladies and gentlemen, to be on the ground when the games begin, or otherwise they will be handicapped by all the sets played in their abseuco counting as lost seta to them. Mr R. Stewart, of Patutahi Valley, has reported to Messrs Featon and Son that the lambs last put through the dip at, the trial of tho concentrated aulpho-car'iol emulsion (lip on Tuesday, are perfectly clear of ticks. The strength of the dip when these lambs were put through was one to 150 gallons of water, showing that the rapid immersion in a strong solution was more than equivalent to a long immersion in a weak solution. The practice of decorating tho shops for Christmas seems to be dying out, and there are only one or two local tradespeople who have preserved the good old custom, notable amongst them being Mr J. VV. Whinray, who has made an attractive display of evergreens outside his furniture emporium at "tho West End," Messrs Bull and Son, John Lewis, and B. Humphreys, fruiterers, and Mr J. Craig, whose window has been tastefully and temptingly set out with good things for Christmas. An exciting game of bowls was played at the Gisborne Bowling Club's green yesterday afternoon, when the winners of the badges presented by the president and vice-president had to meet a team which challenged their title to the prizes. The game was very evenly played. At the twentieth head the badge holders required three to tie, and in the final head were laying the requisite number of shots, when the opposing skip by an excellent piece of judgment and skill with his last bowl got in and won the game. The scores were : Jackson, Muir, Bright, W. O. Skeet (skip) 19 v. Witty, Willock, F. Skeet, and J. Coleman (skip) 15. A challenge to the new winners of the badges was immediately posted. The installation of officers of Lodge Montrose, S. C , took place at the Masonic Hall last uicht. Bro. R. Johnstou, P.M., was installing master, Bro. W. O. Skeet, Lodge Turanganui, was master of ceremonies, and there wore about 50 members and visitors present. Tho following officers wore installed :— Bro. J. R. Little, W.M. elect; Bro. T. J. Dickson.D.M.; Bro. R. Johnston, S.W.j Bro. C. F. Lewis, J W.; Bro. J. W. Wade, S D.; Bro. S. Williams, J.D ; Bro. J. Whinray, Sec. and Treas ; Bro. T. Ritchie, 1.G. ; Bro. L. Buscke, Tyler. The ceremony was followed by a banquet, the catering for which was entrusted to Bro. J. Craig, who had also catered for tho banquet of Lodge Turanganui. The usual loyal and Masnnio toasts were duly honored, and songs were contributed by Bros. Winter, Allen, Lewis, Faram, Johnston, Coster, and Sawyer. It is surmised (says the Auckland Herald) that the first task to which Mr Seddon will havo to direct hie mind after the Christmas holidays will be some modification or reconstruction of his Cabinet. It is quite obvious that things cannot go on aa they did last session. . . . But how can Mr Seddon strengthen himself, and in making the necessary changes will he not endanger his majority, which is not too large ? It is probable that ho will feel constrained to offer Iho porl folio of Colonial Treasurer to Mr Ward. . . . The only other man that we consider it necessary to mention is Mr George Fisher, who has ngain been re-elected for Wellington. He has something in his eyo ; that may be relied upon. But whether a portfolio or a Chairmanship of Committees, or something else, remains to bo seen. Some kind of rearrangement is necessary in tho Cabinet, and the piocess of making it is risky. One of the most enjoyable social events of thu year took placo lnsL evening in Holy Trinity Schoolroom, whore a large number of ladies and gentlemen assembled by invita' tion at an entertainment given by the pupils attending Miss Rees' school. It was a most delightful entertainment, greatly enjoyed by the audience, who frequently demonstrated tlioir appreciation by hearty applause. Tho fii'yt purl of tha programtno was taken up with vocal and instrumental pieces by tho pupils, who gave evidence of very careful and able tuition, and with songs by Mrs J.usk, Miss R. Rees, and Mr T. Fergusson. Then followed the chief event of the evening, n pretty little three-act drama, "80-Peep," which was very pleasantly interpreted. Tho children, who were most tastefully attired to suit the various characters, thoroughly entered into tho spirit of the pieeo, and their singing and acting could hardly have been surpassed. The play was beautifully mounted, a line setting of " The House that Jack Built," painted by Mrs Lusk, boing greatly admired. Altogether is wbb a very enjoyable production, reflecting high credit upon the pupils and their instmctreas,

At the Magistrate's Court, Christohuroh, A, B. Bishop, chemist, was fined £5 and costs for having sold poison to one Pearce, who was not known to him and not introduced by some other person known to him. Two hundred applications were received for tho post of caretaker of the Little Barrier Reserve, salary £150. Several shipmasters were among the applicants. A Dunedin lady is reported to have received such a careful instruction from her husband as to the candidates for whom she should vote, that the dutiful woman brought back in her handbag her ballot paper, which ahe had carefully preserved to prove to her spouse that she had voted straight. An instance of the extraordinary dryness of the season. Some ducks (batched in October) belonging to a Napier resident, had seen so littlejwater, except, of course, what they required for drinkiug purposes, that when the last heavy shower fell they actually ran under cover, frightened of the big drops! -H.B. Herald. A death surrounded by sordid circumstances was revealed at the inquest on David Broadfoot, found dead in Skipper's Creek on 4th December. Deceased had been drinking for some.days, and was lying facedown in about 15 inches of water. His hat and half a bottle of whisky were standing on a bank about three feet from the body, A verdict of " Found' Dead " was returned. The prophet Te Kere, -who resides some 20 miles above Tangarakau, is inciting the Natives, the Wanganui Herald uuderstands, to prevent the work of clearing the stream being done, the reason, as usual, being pure cuasednesa. The Natives on the stream and on the Wanganui are most anxious to have the work done, and the Herald hopes that, if any obstruction is caused, the Government will be prompt- and firm. It might be interesting to parents to know (says the Duuedin Star) that David Hutton, a scholar attending the High street school, has been present every time the school was open for the past nine years. The case is all the more meritorious seeiug that Hutton begins work the year round at 5 a.m., when he assists in milking ; and after school he is engaged till 9 o'clock at night in distributing the evening paper. In presenting the prizes at the Wanganui Collegiate School, Lord Glagow said he had nnver beeu to a public school in his life, having goue to sea at the early age of 12 years. The only school he had attended was a day school, the Edinburgh Academy, to which he used to go at 8 30 o'clock in the moruiug with a penny in his pocket for lunch. Dunedin people are very much incensed at the decision of the New Zealand and Shaw Savill Shipping Companies not to take their steamers up the Victoria Channel to Dunedin, and are inviting competition. They also do not intend to pay the railage on goods from Port Chalmers to Dunedin without an attempt to test whether a cheaper mode of transit cannot be established. A number of leading firms are calling for tenders for the carrying to Dunedin of cargo which will be discharged from Home steamers or vessels at Port Chalmers. Referring to the sinking of the s.s. Orotava the Hawke's Bay Herald says : We are informed that one of the direct New Zealand liners, now off the running, nearly came to grief a few years ago, coaling the same way as the Austral and Orotava, through side ports. She was lying alongside the wharf at Lyttelton coaling from a hulk, and had it not been for the ropes holding her she would have foundered. She was saved by hauling the hulk round the wharf and taking in sufficient coal to straighten her up. A ludy witness at the Wellington Magistrate's Court stated that her father thrashed all the family regularly, but went to church every Sunday and took them all with him. He swore all the way there and cursed all the way home, and ill-treated them when they were at home ; but he never failed to conduct them to church. He did not swear iv church usually. Counsel for the defence asked if sheever heard him swearing during his sleep. The witness replied that she was not by him then, but he swore on the church doorstep ! Iv spite of hopes, protests, and sage prognostications, says a Home paper, the large hat survives as a leading winter model. Tho new Paris shapes are conspicuously huge as to brim and ridiculously high as to crowD. After experiments and benevolent resolutions in favor of permanently abolishing the wide hat, vanity proves triumphant. Headgear broad, lofty, and inspiring has come promptly back into popular wear. Designers of hats, it is said, desire to give us a taste of the first end of our century, especially the date when Queen Victoria was young.