The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DECEMBER 9, 1901.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 283, 9 December 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DECEMBER 9, 1901.

STOPPAGE OP PUBLIC WORKS. The Auckland Press has during the past week been devoting columns of matter to the subject of the stoppage of public works in that district, and every day sees a vigorous protest from one or other of the local papers. Under the significant heading of “ Where is the mailed fist ?” the Herald of Saturday makes the following comments : —“ Ministers having virtually stopped all public works in the provincial district of Auckland, what are we to do about it ? 'They have shut down these public worksthrowing hundreds of men idle into our streets—without even giving a reason, the pretexts put forward being simply efforts to poke fun at us Are we to sit down quietly, and keep on glorifying Ministers, and sending their thick and thin supporters to Parliament ? Who are the persons to whom we should naturally look to take the lead in this matter? First, certainly, our members. Have we not been told for years past, has it not been dinned into our ears at election after election, that whether or not we got public works depended upon our returning men who would support the Government ? Government candidates told us that as an argument for their election. Well, we have done it, and what is our reward ? It would have been far better for us if we had returned independent men. We should say that the Auckland members feel themselves in a very humiliating position. Did we not, during last session, hear something about applying ‘ the mailed fist ’ to the Government if Ministers would not do justice to this part of the colony ? Where is the mailed fist now ? In reality, we saw’ more of 1 itching palms ’ than of mailed fists. Here is Mr Jackson Palmer, a fervent follower of Ministers, and yet a small railway line in his district, perhaps the most imperative and necessary in the colony, is stopped, and with him there is no sign of a mailed fist. His allegiance to Mr Seddon is as sure as ever. It seems as if our members, after the veracious telegrams they have received, are satisfied to fold their hands, shrug their shoulders, and say that nothing can be done. As for the members of the Northern districts, Mr Houston and Mr Thompson, we have given them fib long ago. No one can understand their motives for action. Next, we have the Railway League, formed for the purpose of keeping Ministers up to the mark, and seeing that the railway works in this district were pushed on with unremitting vigor. They are not disposed to sit down quietly under this great wrong. We understand that the League will call a meeting at an early date, and invite our members to b R present, so as tc determine upon a course of pckt!'_’aaction. There is a third element tc be considered. Tliero are a number of organisations in Auckland representing specially the working men of the community. Are they to stand calmly by and see hundreds of working men thrown out of employment for no reason whatever, which Ministers can give? If they do not remonstrate and get these men set to work again, they will soon find out that it will be their turn to look in vain for something to do. But in the meantime the responsibility for what Ministers have done must rest upon our representatives in Parliament, who have undertaken to support the Government.”

The Hawke's Bar cricket team to go South includes Trot:, and Hussey, a 10111161’ Gisboroitc. The subject of Mrs Bracher’s lecture to-night will be •* Indigestion.’_ There should be a crowded theatre to-night. Good progress is being made with the rebuilding of the Grand Hotel in Auckland, destroyed by fire in May last. The Horticultural Society have received live entries for the best kept garden. . General entries for the show close tomorrow evening. Sergt.-Major Finn, Government drillinstructor, arrived from Napier on Saturday, and will inspect the Gisborne duties this evening. The annua! general meeting of the Caledonian Society of Poverty Bay will be held at the Hall over Dalrymple’s tonight. Messrs .J. S. Johnston, Gamble, and Jacobie, representing Auckland commercial houses, were passengers by the TaraI wera for Gisborne yesterday.

The Tarawera made a good run from Auckland, the voyage occupying a .ittle under twenty-three hours. The steamer brought twenty-three passengers for this port. Mr and Mrs Blundell and Miss Blundell, of Wellington, were passengers for Wellington by the Tarawera yesterday, returning home after a twelve months tour of England and Europe. At the Police Court on Saturday a

young man named John McLean was charged with the theft of a bridle valued at 14s, the property of James House, of Wairoa. Accused was remanded to Wairoa, bail being allowed. Mr Passmore, of the Auckland Fibre Company, was a passenger by Tarawera yesterday. The object of his visit to the latter place is to inspect the consignments of flax on the ship Waimate which was damaged by fire last week.

The Guardian states that thousands of small green beetles have been w-ashed up by tho sea on the Wairoa beach, and the stench arising therefrom is such that the locality is just now anything but a pleasant picnic ground. Mr J. D. Kelley notifies in regard to Christmas presents that “ The most sensible and enduring would be a nicely framed picture, or one of Kelley’s oil portraits. Thirty per cent, travellers’ commission saved by ordering at Studio direct.”

There was a good congregation at Wesley Church last night when tho Rev. B. F. Rcthwell preached an earnest and pointed sermon on “ Felix before Paul,” dealing with tho sublime audacity and faithfulness of Raul, the folly of procrastination, and the presumption of those who would make a convenience of religion. A full choir rendered the anthem, “ What are These,” very effectively. Miss Foster’s solo during the offertory was sweetly sung. Mr Frank D. Fox, of the post and telegraph department, has received notice of transfer from Gisborne to Wellington. Mr Fox is a smart and careful operator and a capable and obliging member of the staff, and though his many friends will in a sense regret his departure they will be pleased to know that he is to be given a turn in the Empire City. Mr Fox leaves for Wellington on Wednesday evening, and his place at Gisborne will be taken by Mr Sigley (of Wellington), who arrives on Saturday. The Waikato farmers are much pleased with the mannor in which the returns for cattle sold to the Auckland Freezing Company by live weight are turning out (says the Cambridge correspondent of the Auckland Star). It appears to be the rule that the average comes to more than what they would have sold the animals for in the paddock, and once the cattle are trucked everything is left to the Freezing Company to attend to, and apparently with much success. This is one of the good things the Fanners’ Club initiated.

The members of tho St. John’s Ambulance Association will be pleased to learn that the Secretary has arranged for the examination of students to take place before the Christmas holidays. The ladies will meet for practice at Mr Townley’s rooms on Friday evening next, th,e 13th inst., at 7.30, and meet again for examination at the same place and time on the following Monday evening. The gentlemen will meet for practice at Dr. Fisher’s house on the evening of Monday, 16th inst., at 7.30, and meet for examination at Mr Townlcy’s rooms the following evening at the same hour. We have to hand a verbatim report of Mr Spurrell’s reply to Mr Hill, Inspector of Schools. Tho reply shows up Mr Spurrell’s sido of the case in a very forcible way, and Mr Hill is handled so severely that, in face of the libel laws, we dare not publish tho remarks. Mr Spurrell again declared to bo utterly false the statement that he had told Mr Hill “ho and the whole. Board could go to blazes.” He asked that his report be viewed in an impartial spirit, and stated, “ I do not ask for sympathy, nor crave for favor, but I do ask you to render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to Spurrell that which is Spurrell’s.” The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company’s London produce report, states Butter.—During

the past three weeks the enquiry for all descriptions lias been firm, and supplies of finest butter in moderate compass prices have marked an all round advance, Danish having realised up to 130 s per cwt. The relatively high rates, however, have had the effect of checking trade, and a quieter tone has supervened, the official quotation for Danish being reduced three kroner. The first arrival of Australian blitter for the season, received per Oroya, lias just been landed, and sales arc being effected at from 112 s to 120 s per cwt., according to quality. At the top price the outlets arc comparatively restricted, but as the arrivals for some time to come will be moderate, we think that a maintenance of about present values may be looked for during the next few weeks.

That highway-robbery craze is spreading to the gentler and more cunning sex. A most audacious affair shook up Sydney last week. One of those burning afternoons a gilded, plump, and middle-aged dame wandered into the Gardens, and finding all the seats occupied, settled down at the foot of the embankment under the shade of a pepper-wood tree. The slum be ous afr< noon wore on. .ml as t!v lady nodded, her expensive 1.0 of law and;, -up;-:; irotu her shoo' -.us 011 !.- the :• I- ; hack. Above. ;v 1 ra'.l u well -i ends looked down ••• d s'-;., ;

cons:,! u i- Then one cast a siring, drew it up ii-.i,. , • ;t it again, ami that tune I non- -i :ti" e >pn gliding up the embankmein. Tin o lady was shouted and called to. but -k - took no notice, and the cape rc-.ehed the top of the embankment. As the maraud.rs -led, and disappeared through me my t-t ios, a young man rushed up t,i the lady and asked her hadn't she heard the shouting. She looked up at him with an air of mild astonishment. ■‘Certainly I did, but surely you didn’t expect ME to take any notice of shouting 7” But she shouted pretty loud herself when she found her beautiful cape had gone. —Sydney correspondent.

The meeting of Te Arai Road Board on Saturday was attended by Messrs C. White (Chairman), Morrison, J. Clark, D. J. Fuaier. am, jc.v2!?±C. ™K»S±S took place with regard to the proposal for the erection of. a bridge ovor To Arai river. The Clerk said that the Government had put on the Estimates .£3OO for the work that year, and another £IOO would come next" year. The Government only intended to give up to .£4OO. There being some doubt as to the cost of the bridge, it was decided to make application to the County Council for the Engineer's services. The following tenders were received for the Tokonui contract: — Rodgers Bros., No. 4 section, £1 10s per chain. No. 5 JBI 15s (accepted) ! J. M. Niehol, £3 8s and £4 19s: James Hyde, £2 3s 9d and £2 6s 3d; W. Peryer, £2 17s and £3 9s ; O’Donoghue and Co., £l4s os for the first section and £239 for the second, with 30s each for the culverts. Mr Guy Porter wrote complaining of a point on the Tokonui road near Mr C. J. Parker’s homestead, and requesting that the road be made open for wheeled traffic as far as Wilson's. It was decided to inform Mr Porter that Mr Jex-Blake had been authorised to expend £lO on the road. I

A new telephone exchange list has been supplied to subscribers. Messrs Common, Shelton and Co. hold 1 a sale of stock at Waimata on the 20th j February at Mr Akrovd's vards. The ! present entries art 2000 sheep. , Mr Andrew Mcßride, chief engineer of j tile Union Company's steamer Moura, ; has received well earned ..motion as j chief chief engineer of Ur . moanv's mail 1 steamer Moana. ' ' The Auckland II ; ,f Saturdav I published a telcgrai- ,:;h a big heading j reporting a lice a* .isbccne. The tire j reierred to was o : the opposite coast. | Evidently the usually accurate Northern j journal mixed up the telegram about Mr Carroll being at Jerusalem with tho tries- ! sage from the same quarter about a tire. I It is a remarkable fact that tho two items of information came to Gisborne in the one telegram. A meeting of the Hamilton Borough | Council was held on Thursday, for the I purpose of consulting with lit H. H. Metcalfe as to the best means of securing a water supply for a specified area in Hamilton \\est. Mr Metcalfe described the plan which he proposes. In consists in sinking a well on the bank of the river, and pumping the water by means of a gas engine to a reservoir to be constructed on the hill adjacent to Mr Save’s late residence. He calculates that a supply of 600,000 gallons a week could bo secured for an original outlay of £1,500, and that the cost of maintenance, working, and interest on .£SOOO at ot- per cent, would amount to £3OO per annum. The following petition, signed by fifty workmen recently discharged from the Paeroa-Waihi railway, was received by Mr George Fowlds, M.H.E.: “ We, the undersigned workmen, lately employed on the Paeroa-Waihi railway, request you to inquire into tho reason why we should be discharged from work so near Christmas. We think it a groat injustice, considering the work is not completed and considering tho loan of £1,000,00( lately floated, we are sure it is not the want of capital. Taking into considera tion the bad state of work in the district, there is simply nothing for a man to do, therefore we ask you, in the name of God and justice between man and man, what we aro to do. Wo earnestly request you to cause the work to bo resumed on the line, and wo will ever pray.” (Here follow fifty signatures.) A telegram from Wellington states : The increased demand for holidays and the payment of overtime to men working on holidays, is becoming a serious one for some of the larger employers of labor. Tho matter has been a good deal discussed in connection with the present Seamen’s Union ease now before the Conciliation Board. To-day the Chairman of the Conciliation Board asked tho representative of the Seamen’s Union if he claimed holidays while the men were at sea. He pointed out that a fireman at sea must work ; there was no option. The firoman knew when he entered upon his calling that this was the case. If there was a possibility of giving a holiday then the matter would bo different. If a man died on a Saturday night, and had to be buried on Sunday, the undertaker’s men would not claim overtime. Mr Jones said this was by no means certain ; the undertakers had not yet brought a case. What his Union claimed was not that the men be given a holiday on Sunday at sea, but be paid extra for their work on that day. Further particulars in regard to the fatal railway accident in the South show that when the search party reached the scene of the accident, Ganger Gordon, from Edendile, heard a voice exclaiming, “ Oh, Jack, I’m glad you’ve come.” Following j tho sound of the voice, ho discovered Fraser on the bank of a depression, a considerable distance from the line, to which he had dragged himself after regaining con . sciousness. His leg was broken a ovo the ankle and he had sustained o th e r injuries. In the depression the line the body of Thomas was found. His head was KfioCKed about somewhat, but the most severe injury was on his back, near tho shoulders, where there was a deep wound. He was quite dead, and the body was becoming cold. Fraser had a miraculous escape. It appears the men had finished inspecting their length before schedule time, and were returning from Woodlands to Morton Mains when they met the train. It is probable that a curve about five chains ahead of tho scene of the accident prevented the men from seeing tho approaching mail special. Thomas was sitting with his back to the train, and Fraser facing it. Fraser can give no other reason than this for not noticing the danger they were running into. Thomas was 25 years of age, and came from Kingston. Fraser is from North Invercargill. Both were single, and were to have been married shortly, Fraser this month. They were exceptionally well thought of in the Department, and had the reputation of being very sober and industrious men.