Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3564, 2 July 1912, Page 4

Local and General.

Lambing has started at Pnlia, but it will be another two or three weeks before lambs are seen in the Motu district.

The estates of 220 deceased persons were certified to for stamp duty during .Tune, the largest being Joseph H. Williams, Napier, £65,715. Other Hawke’s Bav estates were: Charles Morton £3107. Mary A. Dolbel £2021. Clms. H. Robinson £994, John Walters £877, Hiha Maora £523. “Our Own” telegraphs, from Wellington : “The price of State coal lias been raised by 2s per ton as from today. the increase having been decided upon bv Cabinet. The higher prices will be charged for all household coal sold at tho various depots. The advance is due to increased freight and the increased cost cf handling coal at the ports.” Previous to the Maheno’s departure from Sydney for Auckland a. trimmer on the' vessel had a quarrel with an assistant butcher. He went to his quarters, returning with a razor, and encountered W. Norman, an ex-em-ployee of the Union Company. Evidently mistaking him for the butcher, he slashed his face below the ear to beneath the jaw, causing terrible injuries. The assailant was arrested. Norman was conveyed to the hospital. P.A. message. Alleged breaches of the Gaming Act resulted in several men being charged at tlie police court to-day with being in Queen Street for the purposes oi betting, and others that being bookmakers thev did bet m \ ulcan Lane. His Worship intimated that he would impose such fines as were necessary when the whole of the cases had been heard. All the defendants pleaded not. guilty. P.A- message.

Which is correct to say—the biggest or the largest? If it refers to. bargains or sales, we would unhesitatingly e<7- that beyond doubt the biggest or largest bargains are to be found at Melbourne Cash Great Clearance Sale. Never mind which is correct, the gieat thing is to got your c.othmg anci drapery cheap-* Von Arx, “the man of mystery ” astounded everyone by the ease with which lie picked half-crowns out of the atmosphere. Gisborneites. by dealing at the People’s Emporium, the new’ shop next the Kimpton Cycle Co-, can pick up pennies, threepenny-bits,, sixpences, shillings, half-crowns— aye, and oven pounds—every day of tlie week. Call and see if this is not a fact.*

A notice of motion will be moved by the chairman of the Harbor Board (Mr. J. Tcwnley) that new upset prices be fixed for the balance .of the. Tauwhareparae \endowment. Tho fourth annual general meeting of the Poverty Bay Employers’ Association! was held in McKee’s buildings last evening, there being a fairly large attendance. Tho report and balance sheet were adopted and officers and committee elected. Mr G- Smith again being chosen as president. An urgent special meeting of the East Coast Trades and Labor Council is to he held this evening in Townley’s Hall. The special business to he considered is in connection with, the proposed visit of the Federation of Label’. Delegatee, who are expected to arrive in Gisborne to-morrow (Wednesday) morning.

Says a Timaru P.A. message: Ross Gis bon, wh.o was arrested in Gisborne, pleaded guilty to issuing eight valueless cheques for £lO each to business people on June 15. In most cases he paid small amounts and'got change, and decamped the same day. He was remanded for sentence. Pail in the sum of £2OO was allowed. With a string of aliases to his name, one Michael Delaney was. arraigned before Mr W. A. Barton, S-M., yesterday on a third charge of drunkenness within three months and sent to prison for 10 days. In addition, his rights to enter public houses or consume liquor anywhere in the Dominion were cancelled for twelve months. Several first offenders were dealt with.

A young man named John Heaily, alias Melville, appeared before the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of having travelled from Napier to Gisborne on Saturday last without paying his fare. Accused, who said he came here because he heard that there was plenty of work offering, pleaded guilty. “I had a few shillings with mo when I went aboard,” he said, “but woke up with nothing.” His Worship imposed a fine of £2 and costs (7s), in default 7 days’ imprisonment.

A meeting of the general committee appointed to arrange details for the Garrison Ball was held last evening. The various sub-committees reported that their work was well in hand. The question of decorations was fully considered, and the Garrison Hall will be tastefully decorated for the occasion. The hall promises to be one of the most successful functions of the kind ever held in Gisborne. Tickets are now available and may be obtained from members of the committee. Already a large number have been disposed of.

The Auckland district council of the United Labor party has resolved: “That this organisation respectfully demands that a return should be issued immediately giving clear and fully detailed statement of amount expended on new compulsory military training scheme up to date; (2) a clear and detailed estimate of expenditure for balance of year and probable future expenditure; (3) the number and salaries of Imperial and other officers and amount expended by them on travelling expenses; (1) number of men liable for training and actual number under training, and number passed through camps, and stating henmany of these were old volunteers; (5) the names of contractors for uniforms and equipment, with amounts of their contracts.—P.A. message.

Tenders for the new public buildings in Gisborne are to be called shortly and will close on July 31. The building will be erected between the Pest Office and the Magistrate’s Courthouse. and it will have frontages to both. Read’s Quay and Customhouse Street-. It will be constructed of brick and will accommodate the. Labor Department, Native Land Department, Tairawhiti Land Board, 1-ands Department. Agricultural Department. Public Works Department. Tourist Department, Stamps and Deeds Department, Valuation Department, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The building will provide ample accommodation for many years to come, and everything will Ire done to ensure the convenience of the public and the comfort of the various staffs- It will be lighted with electric light, and a liot-water heating service will be installed.

A deputation from the Wellington Trades and Labor Council waited oil tins Minister of Mines at Wellington yesterday, to complain of the shortage of State coal in Wellington. The Minister stated that loss was occurring through the Department being unable to fill orders, but it was not the fault of the Government. They had bar harbors to contend with, and the new mine at Point Elizabeth had not- been opened up yet. A great deal of morifev had to be expended in getting the railway line in to this mine, but within the next three or four months they hoped to be able to supply all requirements, and have a little to spare. While it was true that £54,000 in freights was paid to shipping companies in the last year, the State had got a quid pro quo, loose coal unsaleable by the Department being purchased by the companies. If jn office when the new mine was opened up lie would urge on the Government the necessity of getting vessels to carry the output. Regarding a suggestion that the Government should secure a mine in the North Island, the Minister said the difficulty was that there were no Crown lands with coal-bearing areas in the North Island. It was desirable, however, to have a State mine in the North Tsland, if it were possible to get one.— P.A. message.

Speaking at the Hastings Chamber of Commerce, the president, Mr E. H. Williams, made an instructive reference’ to tho labor unrest. After reviewing the position, be said: “Whatever the remedy may be, 1 suggest that Socialism, as popular understood, will not eiu*e the ills we suffer'from. I venture vo assert that Socialism will not take deep root in New Zealand if. the people are wise enough to develop the country by subdividing the land and putting on it as many bona-fide settlers as it will carry. If that'is done it would be well to grant the settlers the easiest possible terms, so that the land will be occupied and brought into profitable use as soon as possible. By this means only will stable government be obtained in New Zealand, for useless fads will find no support from men who make a home on the land, and IVho justly claim that if they work and .use their energy and ability in bringing their allotments into profit they are entitled to all the benefits thev can derive therefrom. That class of man is worth bis weight in gold to his country. He is engaged in constructive work as against destructive methods adopted by the man who will not work, and endeavors to prevent his fellow-man from doing the same.”

During the storm on Saturdaynight the roof of a.'shed belonging to Mr- Leader, a fishmonger, who resides in Kaiti, was blown off. It fell against the smoke-house, which caught on fire, and was destroyed. Some 500 mutton birds were 'also burned as tho result of the outbreak.

Shortl.y before midnight on Sunday a fire occurred in Miss Lunn’s workroom, situated in Palmerston Read. Mies Lunn’s attention was attracted by a smell of burning, and on investigating found the room on fire. _ With the assistance of two friends a garden hose was brought into use, and the outbreak was soon suppressed Though the contents were insured for a small amount, Miss Lunn’s loss will be fairly heavy.

A,special attraction in the new programme which the Pathe Picture Coywill present at His Majesty’s Theatre to-morrow evening will be a splendid picture of the last Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase, run on March 28. The four-mile course over which this historic race is run is one of the stiffest in the world, and the spills which occur add to the interest of the spectacle. Jerry M. is shown winning by six lengths from Bloodstone, with Axle Pin third.

A valuable acquisition to Auckland file fighting plant in the shai>e of an electric telescope turntable ladder has arrived from London, and is now being fitted up for commission. The‘ladder is the first of its kind to be imported into New Zealand —in fact the only” other in Australasia is in Sydney. The ladder has a reach of 87 feet, and has ‘three extensions. The electric driving gear-is of 86 h.p. and has a capacity- of 18 miles an hour- —P.A. message. ' -

The Building Inspector to the Borough Council has compiled the following statistics, of the building permits issued during the six months, the previous year’s figure.-: being given in parenthesis: January, (£6118), £6372; February, (£7867). £6667: March, (£4721),' £9006: April, (£2515), £17,742; Mav, (£5584), £6314; June, (£3760), "£4.599; total, (£30,565), £50,640. During the six months 178 permits- were issued, as follows:—63 dwellings, value £25,174; 52 additions to dwellings, £4303; 1 theatre, £lO,000; 1 shop and office, £2700; 56 sundry jobs, £8463; total, £SO-640. For the month of June, 1912, 40 permits were issued, as under: 9 dwellings, value £3320-, 16 additions to dwellings, £881; 15 sundry jobs, £398: total, £4599. Rather encouraging were the remarks made by the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Hawke’s Bay district, at the ballot for sections in the Te Whitiataru block, for which there were some 370 applicants. “Before long,” he said, “there would be any amount of land available for settlement. Many estates had been offered to the Government, the only consideration now being as to whether the prices set on them by owners would make them profitable for tors. If owners would part with" their land at a reasonable price Government would do what, it possibly could to settle the country. He had visited five estates in the few days he had been here, and before the year was over he would know as much about the Hawke’s Bay- distinct as any man in the’kall.”

Speaking at a No-license mass meeting at Wellington the Rev. F. W. Chatterton, principal of the Te .Rau College, Gisborne, said :< number of commissions had been set up, one of them being on the cost of living. He could give one of the factors to account 'for the increased cost. The country probably spent £5,000,000 or £6.000.000 annually in drink, and he thought that would in itfeelf afford an explanation. Until this expenditure was curtailed we should continue to complain of the cost of living. Tne loss of this sum of money must have a severe effect in various ways. Ihe speaker went on to deal with the eifeets of liquor on the physical irame. Dining four months of a sort- of prohibition on the East- Coast, much good had been done. Natives from the Bav of Plenty had informed him m that period £SOOO had been banked by the Maoris of a district, and another body of Natives had established cooperative trading with a capital or £io.ooo. of which £9OOO was subscii i-e-1 (Applause.) He hoped in iuture elections the people would use their full voting power, many last vear having voted against local nolieense. thinking that Dominion prohibition would be carried.