Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3594, 6 August 1912, Page 4

Local and General.

Owing to the fact that the Management Committee of the Rugby Union did not supply a report of their meeting last evening, which for some extraordinary reason is still held in camera, we are unable to publish their fixtures this morning. “Our Own” at Wairoa says it- is understood that Mr R. A. Bygum has disposed of his station property, with all the stock, etc-., as a going concern to Messrs Wm. Pettie, Reginald D. B. Robinson, and Oswald R. Younghusband, of Gisborne. 14ie leases of the balance of the Tauwlmreparae endowment will be offered by public auction at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday next by Messrs Williams and Kettle. Tins will afford the public an excellent o;>portunity of acquiring a section on easy terms with compensation for improvements, and there should be a good demand.

Up to a late hour last evening 'no word was received of the dredger Maui since she left Auckland, llith the favorable weather that has prevailed. she should put in an appearance this afternoon. A telegram .from East Cape reported the passing of an unknown vessel at- 9.20 p.m., but- this is hardly likely to lie the dredger. The Southland District Labor Council passed the following resolution “That in the opinion of the Council it is inimical to the interests -of tho Labor Party that any sitting Liberal member during the present Parliament he recognised as a- Labor member, and that it is desirous that such attitude he observed until the next General Election, when the Liberals who join the Labor Party will have to take their chances at' the ballot with other candidates, before they can he recognised as Labor members of Parliament.”-—P.A.

Yesterday was tho coldest day experienced in Gisborne since ISSO, 8 degrees of frost being registered. Tho records kept by Mr C. Ferris. Borough Meteorologist, show that the' lowest temperature hitherto recorded was 27 degrees. This was registered on August 6. 1886. August 1, 1898. August 1, 1899, August C, 1901, and August- 1. 1912. Yesterday morning the temperature was 24 degrees. The taps in many instances wore frozen, which is quite a new experience for Gisborne. Last evening rain set in and was falling at, an early hour this morning.

Our Own at Auckland wires: The annual election of officers of the Karangahake branch of the Thames Miners' Union took place on Saturday. It mas attended by an unusual amount of interest, the contest resolving itself into a trial of strength between the supporters of arbitration on the one side and + of the Federation of Labor on the other. Both sections had nominated full tickets and the result proved to be a complete victory for the supporters of arbitration, not a single member of the opposing ticket being returned.

The sculling championship between Arnst and Barry, which has recently taken place on tho Thames, evoked world-wide, interest in the race A great disappointment was tho wet weather. However, Melbourne Cash has made preparation for the M'et, and are selling ladies’ umbrellas foils lid, and gents. ’ 3s 6d each.*

Upstairs in Dunlop’s Buildings, Lowe Street, is to be found the Poverty Bay Billiard Parlor, the largest, best appointed, and most popular billiard room in Gisborne. Three fastrunning, perfectly true tables are kept constantly going. Everyone welcome.

At the Magistrate’s Court at Napier yesterday a territorial was fined £3 or seven days’ imprisonment for not attending parades or camps.— P.A. Joseph Morris was fined 10s and costs yesterday morning by Mr W. A. Barton, S.M., for using a vehicle on county roads with tyres which were not the regulation width. Very heavy rain fell in Auckland yesterday and considerably hampered outside work. Cargo-loading on tho wharf was abandoned in some cases, but present indications are for an improvement in conditions. —P.A. Our Tokornaru Bay correspondent states that Farmer’s new store is nearing completion, a cordial factory is to be started before the summer, and additions are being made to the Te Puka Hotc-l which"will bring the premises thoroughly up-to-date. • A Timaru P.A. wire says that an elderly man was charged with drunkenness and remanded yesterday morning for medical treatment. He bought n bottle of methylated spirits at Album- and drank it as lie camped along the road. H.s was picked up in a pitlab’e condition.

The Waiapu County Council will join the Cook and Waikohu Counties in sending a deputation to Wellington on the district’s requirements. Messrs K. S. Williams and E. R. Murphy will represent Waiapu County, and Messrs H. Ken way and C. S. Williams Cook County. The Waikohu representatives have not yet been appointed. A P.A. message from Invercargill says that the Norwegian whalers Hobart and Campbell were engaged at Bluff yesterday discharging their first consignment of whale oil into the steamer Kaikoura- The vessels will return to the Stewart Island'whaling grounds.

Two wliales in Bluff harbor created much interest on Friday morning (says the “Southland Times.”) There was an absence of the excitement of old. however, and for the first time on record no crew put out after them. The mammals swam spouting out of the harbor at one o'clock.

When the steamer Rotorua was at Timaru the week before last persistent north-easterly seas (not a common direction there) caused some trouble in holding her to the wharf- An active newspaper discussion is going on for and against adding 590 ft. to the eastern mole as a remedy for such annoyance. The Harbor Board has hequested the Engineer to prepare plans and estimates for such an extension. — P.A.

The chairman of the Graham Benefit- Committee has circularised a number of the leading citizens of Gisborne asking their assistance towards tho benefit fund cf 6000 shillings. The response so far lias been very satisfactory. and it is asked that those who intend to give the financial assistance asked for will do so as soon as possible in order that the fund may be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

The schooner Amelia Sims was ready to put to sea on Saturday, but, as reported yesterday, two of her crew. John Rcbert-s and Richard McGill, deserted and in consequence the vessel was unable t-o commence her voyage. Ihe nine were brought before Mr 11". A. Barton, S.M. yesterday m-oming, and after hearing the evidence the Magistrate imposed sentences of 14 days’ imprisonment in ea'di ease and ordered the accused to forfeit from their pay the sum of 3s each, the Cost of a man hired in their places, and in addition to forfeit two days’ pay.

Mr. AY. A. Barton, S.M.. presided at the Police Court yesterday morning. \Ym. James Joseph Miles, who pleaded guiltv to a charge of drunkenness, was fined 2(!s and costs (2s). in default 48 hours’ imprisonment. On a further charge of procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order be was lined £5 and costs (2s), in diifault 2-8 days’ imprisonment. the terms to lie cumulative. Win. Burgess, who had twice previously been convicted on a charge of drunkenness, pleaded "guilty” to a similar charge and was fined 18s and costs <j2s).

On July 30 a man named Percy Taylor was driving along Gladstone Road and his dog was following him. When near the Coronation Hotel a. greyhound whic-h had been in the habitof worrying Ills dog. again sought to pick a quarrel. Taylor became annoyed and some Gentle Annie metal which had been sparely bestrewn in rut? in the road, provided him with ammunition to ventilate his grievance. Picking up sevra! pieces of this lie opened fire on the greyhound, butaccording to Mr A. J. Cc::, jeweller, four missies went wide of the mark and the fifth went thiough. Mr F. Eure's window. Strange to say tills window was blown in towards tho end of June by a southerly gale, and this is the second catastrophe that has happened to it within a few weeks. As a result cf his bad shot Taylor, for whom Mr T- A. Coleman appeared, was charged at the Police Court yesterday morning with throwing stones to the danger of the public. The Magistrate after hearing the evidence, imposed a fine of 10s and costs £T Is.

Tho annual meeting of the Nuhaka j A; and P. Society M as held on July 20. i The report and balance-sheet sliOM-ed. tho year’s receipts „totalled £291 4s Stl: the expenditure Mas £IS6 l(ss 3d; j cash in hand. £97 8s 7d: cash in hand j£G 19s lOd. The report was a favorj able one in many respects- The vanj ous classes of stock 'had come forward i in good condition, and merited ad mb'i ation; the freezers coming in for spcc- ! ial praise. There Mere one or two fine j specimens of draughts, but Use light I horse class was a very large one and j distinctly creditable to the district, as most of them were locally bred. '*r Joplin Mas elected president, and Mr J. M. Taylor vice-president. Mr R. Steed was elected 'treasurer. The following gentlemen M-ere elected a committee with power to add: Messrs R. E. Jefferson, S. Syinos, G. D. Todd. TV. 'bait, C. Ri Sainslmry, F. Vaughan, Richardson, J. Richardson. A. Mayo. €• Turner, S. Black, J. Black, F. Joblin. J. Cooper,. C. Symes, H. J. Harris, R. Love. TV. Good, L. Drummond, X. Mclntyre, R. Mclntyre, R. Cooper, J. A. Thomson, J. Austin. A. J. Cameron. G. H. Marsh, J- L. Bowen, H. Marshall, G. Ormond, junr., R. Baty and Ihaka TYhaanga. Mr R. E. Jefferson was unanimously elected a life member of the Society in recognition of his past services to ilie Society.

“Nothing succeeds like success” is an axiom the truth of which is universally acknowledged. The reason that the People’s Emporium, the new shop next the Ivimpton Cycle Co., Gladstone Road, has made such a signal success of their business is because the- ~ ; ve honest value at a fair price, and believe in small profits and quick returns.*

£ - It as a peculiar fact that comnvconents for lunacy come in hatches , , Dunedin. For months there -.-•'l liarrdly .he any, then a series. Just now—whatever the cause may be—the Magistrate is having all sorts of weaklings brought to him for examination, and it is the rare exception to find in those cases a subject who otan be safely restored to his friends Homicidal mania is decidedly increasing.

A year or two ago a newlv-wedded ■couple who received -a sunny day for the ceremony in accordance with a general forecast issued by the Weather Office, gratefully sent Mr D- C. Bates a bit of bridal cake, and glowiim words of thanksgiving. Apparently" he was regarded as personally responsible for the sunshine (savs the Wellington ‘‘Post.-”) In violent contrast with that gift came a little package recently from the Wairarapa.' A woman’s hand had penned a remonstrance against the dreadful weather painfully true to the specification outlined daily by Mr Bates, and sbe enclosed half a dozen liver pills in the hope thatrethe result, would he a * brighter outlook for Mr Bates, and better weather for the Wairarapa.

A Waipawa resident recently bad the noultry fever infused into his veins. It apneaps ho mas successful in a poultry show art union, the prize being a trio of the purest of white Leghorns. A hurried inspection, on. arrival of the birds, was sufficient for him ro see wealth and fame in -the near future. Ho then called tenders for the building of an up-to-date fowlhouse, priced an incubator, and interviewed the editor of a local paper re an advertisement, drawing the public’s attention to thc-sir'"’-- of fresh eggs and prime chickens" that would he shortly placed on the poultry farm. The editor being a bird fancier himself, accepted the pressing invitation to inspect the farm, and found that the trio from which great tilings were expected, were three cockerels. It is needless to say that it is anything but safe to talk poultry farming to our friend at present.—‘•'Mail.”

To Puke lias a title to fame, according to its journal, which proudly boasts that the township holds a unique position in regard to its representation in Parliament, and can but be deemed to be exceptionally fortunate in the calibre of its members, of whom it has two. In the Mackenzie Ministry it was represented by the- Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, Minister for Public Works- In the Cabinet it is represented by Hon. W. H. Herries, who holds the portfolio of Native Affairs and Railways. The “Te Puke Times” explains that one side cf Te Puke’s main street is. in the- Bay of Plenty electorate, represented by Mr MacDonald, and the other in the Tauranga electorate, represented by Mr Herr.es.

•‘The earth was ruled by the first man who walked upright upon it. Who was the first master of the sea history does not toll us; hut lie who first adventured on the treacherous main with oar and sail was the hardiest of the race of hardy mariners. His genius unwittingly gave primitive civilisation to the world along both coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. There remained oik? element, one realm only to he conquered, that of the air. By the wonderful genius of Wilbur Wright and his brother, Americans, has a new heaven been added to the conquests of man—earth and sea, and now the sky. Henceforth man walks the earth with the beasts of the field, swims the sea as do the monsters of the deep, and now and ever will fly the air swifter than ■eagle and albatross, ruler of the three elements; and by his capture and taming of the lightning, master of . fire, the fourth,” says the “New York Independent.”

By voting the enonumu. mm of £129,090.000 for the Russian Navy during the next five years the Duma has shown its determination to restore the naval, position of Russia. This -sum will allow for annual naval estimate'; of about twenty-six millions, and will place Russia next to the United Kingdom in order of naval expenditure, and before, t-lre United States. Germany, and France, The effect of this vast outlay upon the balance of power in Europe will be appreciable. At the present moment Russia has four Dreadnoughts completing in the Baltic and three on the stocks in the Black Sea, all building from British designs. The first four are to he ready in mid-1914; the second three in mid-1915. Four more large'- battlecruisers are apparently to be laid down in the near future, which will bring the Russian total of Dreadnoughts to eleven. A clear idea of the stupendous effort which Russia is making may be obtained by comparing her new programme with that laid down by the German Navy Act of 1998, which has since been expanded- The German Act provided for a total expenditure of 297 millions spread over ten years, giving an annual expenditure of 20f millions. The Russian Act provides, as has been shown, for an annual expenditure of 29 millions in the next five years.

Some throe weeks ago a bitter attack on the financial methods, or the borrowing methods, of the late New Zealand Government was made hv the Sydney “Bulletin” in its “Wild Cat Column.” The article stated inter alia that the last four million loan was floated at 4 per cent. “The Rickettv Islands,” it stated, “had given their word to repay £2,77.9,000 during this year,” and “the bill was renewed at 4 per cent.” “The Bulletin” stated, further, that the amount the aforesaid islands would have to pay to “Cohen” in the next two years was £12,000,000, and it suggested that the Dominion should set aside £750,000 per year for sinking fund in order to repay the whole of its debt in 42 years. Recently the Minister for Finance pointed out certain obvious errors in the statements made, which, he claimed, discredited the criticism in question. In the first place, the loan avis for £4.500,000, and not £4,000,000. Further, - the loan Avas not issued at 4 per cent., but at 3-J per cent. Me pointed out, also, that nearly all the loans floated in London during the last seven years had been at a discount, and that the amount which the Dominion would have to repay in two years would not amount to £12,000,000 It was also erroneous to state that the debt could be paid olr in 42 years by. an annual setting aside of £750,000." These errors, Mr. Allen claimed, Avere of such importance to descredit utterly the Bulletin criticism.

' esterday week marked the fifteenth anniversary of the wreck of the Tasmania on her way from Gisborne to Napier, when- ton lives were lost. Nothing was ever salved from the wreck. The vessel, after striking, backed into deep water, where she went down. ~r—

In conversation with a Napier “Daily Telegraph” reporter, a • coal dealer stated that before long the price of coal in Napier must rise. Ho said that with labor troubles the coal companies had had to raise their prices, and local dealers would have to follow suit. Another factor was the rise in the price. of sacks of Is per toii, but the chief trouble was the increased cost of labor. The Auckland Goal Dealers’ Association have advanced the price of the household commodity 2s per ton.

Inquiries ioi flax fibre have recently increased considerably, and at present tho "respects of tire flax-milling industry arc much brighter than lias been the case for some years past (says the “Winton Record”)., As a result a number of mills which have been lying idle are to be put into commission again, and it is understood that some new mills will be established in the near future. Flaxmiller.s are not confining their attention to the mainland, as some ex-Winton flaxmill-owners on Run puke Island, - where a great quantity cf suitable flax exists. The island is situated fourteen miles in an eastcrlv direction from Bluff, and it xs hoped that the new venture will create active and renewed interest in the island. Many years ago Mr. William Guthrie had a fiaxmill on Ruapu’ke Island, but it was destroyed by fire, and since the destruction of tins mill the flax-milling industry on tlie island lias been at a standstill.. It is intended to carry, on the industry more extensively ..than was hitherto the case, and no doubt success w-11 attend the efforts of these enterprising speculators.

The garage proprietor who told a “Press” reporter on Tuesday that the taxi-cab has beaten the horse-cab right out, has different opinions to some of the city cabmen. The competition, they say, has made their business a better one, for it has meant that only the fittest have survived. The steady, regular cabman lias only been slightly affected. One cabman remarked that lie knew, without being told, that the taxi fares would have to be put up, and when that came about they would seeuvhat they would see. Of course, there was room for both, but there were far too many taxis at present in Christchurch—they were only cutting their own throats instead of the cabmen’s. The horse would last alongside any car, and there would be no need to stuff his carcase and preserve it 'as a relic.

Because they found they could not clothe their thoughts with the right words, several speakers at a presentation social bewailed their fate in rather humorous fashion. .“I am not gifted with verbosity,” said one, “neither am 1 likely to be carried away hv the elouqence of my own tongue.” Another said, with a laugh, “I have not much of a vocabulary, but I will have to get along with the words I have.” Talking about County Councils. ajarmer said: “We want a chairman that can talk, but somehow the councillors with'the ability won’t take on the iob.” The guest at the gafchering gave a good description of his feelings when lie remarked, after an effort: “! feel just as bad as a man in a dentist’s side-room, waiting to have a tooth drawn.”

Colonel A. W. Robin, C.M.G., late Adjutant-General of the New Zealand Forces, who Avas appointed to represent the Dominion on the Imperial General Staff in London, in the course of a chatty letter to an old and intimate friend in Wellington (written Avliile en route across Canada), said: —“Whilst at Vancouver on May 24th a hi-- shooting match Avas held on the range there. I Avas present, at the earnest desire of some of the officers. They use the Ross rifle, which is different to ours. It has an entirely different style of sight—a peep-hole and a barley-corn- fine sight, also enclosed in a circle of metal. The Ross has a double pull. Colonel Leckie and Major Sclater (avlio are going with them to Bisley this year), and Captain Miller. insisted that I should try their rifle. With considerable hesitancy (it is a long time since 1 did any shooting), T agreed, and am glad for New Zealand’s sake that I kept the target all the time at 200 yards, 500 yards, and 600 yards. Only twice did I get a magpie, and got bulls at the longest ran go! thus keeping up my average, and Avithout the use of the sling. Thev all use the tAvi steel sling. and declared thev could not shoot without it. They expressed some surprise that anyone could shoot decently without it. Resuit. I am invited to he a ‘Canadian at their pavilion at Bisley.”