Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3710, 20 December 1912, Page 4

Local and General.

j Yesterday witnessed the arrival at the “Times” office of scores upon scores of orders for extra copies of the Xmas Illustrated Number, which will be published to-morrow morning. The number, as has already been explained, will consist of 28 pages, and it is fairly safe to claim that for size, illustrations, and matter, it will not have been excelled" at any time by any of the daily metropolitan newspapers of the Dominion. In many instances the Publishing Department . has had forwarded to it lists, of .addresses to which it is requested that •' wrapped copies should be posted. A : glance over the lists, it is interesting to note, discloses the fact that al- ! though most of the addressees reside j within the Dominion, a great many copies are wanted for residents in all parts of Australia, and a somewhat , lesser number will be despatched to ! the United Kingdom. As instancing i how widely circulated the Xmas numj her is certain to be it may be further mentioned that copies are also ordered for India, France, the United States, and Canada. District agents of the “Times” have also intimated that they anticipate very heavy sales. Readers may rely on all orders being faithfully attended to, but as sales may exceed even our confident- expectations, orders should be at once sent in to avoid disappointment. The Xmas Number is being issned at the usual price of only one penny.

The breaking-up ceremony in connection with the Mangapapa School takes place at 11 a.ra. to-day. The children of the Catholic School will attend the ‘‘ice-cream matinee” < n Saturday afternoon at the Opera House. Before Mr W. A. Barton. S.M.. yesterday, judgment for plaintiffs bydefault was given in the following cases : Thomas Hally wood (Mr Stock) v. Hewa Grant. £3 4s and costs (Ids* Bruce and O’Brien and others (Mr Bernard) v. C. Miller. £0 14s. costs (8s); solicitor’s fee (Ids,). Tiie Monowai .from the .South next week will now leave 'Wellington at 20 a.in. -mi Christmas Day for Gisborne direct. The vessel will he tendered here on Boxing Day with only one launch at y a.m. instead of 2 p.m. as originally intended. She will leave immediately afterwards for Auckland via Tokomaru Bay. Passengers and intending passengers will do well to note the alteration. The Wellington Laud Board had before it yesterday the first application for a postponement of payment of remand it decided to recommend the Minister to grant the application. This was under section 13 of the new Act which provides for such relief as has been stated subject to the approval of the Minister when rent cannot be paid when due through "natural disaster or other sufficient cause. " —P.A.

Some time ago the Government of Fiji sent Hon. Ismay M’Owan to .Fonga to settle some trouble concerning British interests. A private letter received in We’lington states that He M’Owan’s mission was highly successful, and the British residents at 1 onga are so pleased at the manner in which he lias settled the difuculty that they have petitioned the Home i Government to appoint him British | Consul there. Jhe Xew Zealand “Herald” states that the causes of bush sickness have been the subject of searching investigation by officers of the Department of Agriculture for some time, and it is now believed that an explanation has been found for the strange disease that affects cat he in a large area in the Rotorua district. With a view to a closer study of the disease and a practical examination of suggested remedies, a farm of 305 acres has been acquired at Mamuka. An hour of the Magistrate's Court's time was occupied yesterday afternoon witn the hearing of a case in which Alfred H. Burgess (Mr Dawson) claimed from Lilian McCormick (Mr Kane) the sum of £3 16s 6d for damage done to his stock through water from the Burlington Tea Rooms trickling down into Ins shop. A fair amount 'of evidence was heard and His Worship gave judgment for the amount claimed with costs (10s), witnesses' expenses (16s). and solicitor’s fee (£1 Is) remarking that the claim might well have been settled out of Court.

Frederick Kenipstou. who appeared on remand before Mr AA\ A. Barton. S.M., yesterday, pleaded guilty to having obtained 10s by means of a false pretence. Detective Mitchell said accused went to the Opera House about 8.4 d on the evening of the 17th and asked for change of half-a-sover-oign. He put on the ticket counter what appeared to be half-a-sovereign, but which was in realitv a one cent piece. The boy gave the change, and when accused received the money lie left. Accused was remanded to' appear this morning so that the probation officer could report.

I Before Mr AV. A. Barton, S.M. yesterday, there was mentioned the case of George John Winter, surveyor (Mr Stock) v. Emma Alary Dunlop, of Parnell (Air Buruard, instructed bv Air Dunlop) of Auckland, a claim of £3l Ss, alleged to be due for surveying and valuing a portion of section 3*3, Gisborne. Air Buruard said an application had been made for evidence to be taken at Auckland. Air Stock {minted out that the case had been adjourned for a fortnight, as the defendant was to come to Gisborne and defend the ease. He thought the application to take evidence was made purely for the purpose of delaying the proceedings. Air Buruard replied that he did not think the Court could refuse the defendant an opjxirtimitv to bo heard. His Worship granted the application, on condition that the amount of the claim was paid into Court by to-morrow morning.

I “A Rogue of the Turf'’ will lie j screened at the Opera House this eveJ ning for the last time, an ’entire change being screened to-morrow. Most mothers and fathers know what a real worry it is selecting presents for Christmas—yet it has to be done. Let us suggest to our readers the most up-to-date, easiest, and most economical way. Mate a list of those for whom you are purchasing presents and simply go straight to the Melbourne Cash, where you will hare no difficulty in making a selection of most useful presents.*

Owing t o tho shortage of water the" Council notifies that the Borough sup-, ply must not be used for other than* purely domestic purposes.-- . Blight, in the form of a green fly, which has attacked hedges at Dann'evirke, is devoting its attention to lettuce and other vegetables.

Gooseberry crops are very large this .year in the Dannevirke district, while raspberries are promising to do jurticularly well also. H. MTntosli, who was seriously injured when Biddy fell with him on the second day of the Marlborough Racing Club’s spring meeting oil November 21, died at Blenheim last Friday evening. - The great “Battle Hymn of the Republic-' film will be screened by Bathe Pictures for the last time this evening. An entire change will make its appearance to-morrow night, when something off the beaten track will make its appea ra lice

Tlie advent of summer is evidently regarded by sharks as an opportune time to cruise along this coast (says a Wanganui correspondent of the “Dominion”). A fishing party which went “outside - ’ recently included in their haul no fewer than 42 sharks —mostly half-grown. According to the Canterbury Automobile Association, the driver of a motor car, were all other-local authorities to adopt the registration by-law adopted in Christchurch, would require about 10 certificates before lie could drive from Christchurch to Hanmer or Akaroa.

A conference of Commissioners of Crown Lands is being arranged by tlie •Minister for Lands (Mr Massey) and will be held early in February in Wellington. The question of pastoral leases will be among tbc matters to be considered.—P.A. message from Auckland. Mr Thomas Horton, the wellknown nurseryman, is leaving bv the lonic on the 27th inst (says the' New Zealand "limes'") for Buenos .Vires, where he will make inquiries with a view to opening up an export trade with that country in apples and horticultural products. He expects to he absent about six month--.

The social portion of the meeting of the Gisbo rue Temperance Association last evening was devoted to “impromptu speaking.” Bro. Anderson had charge of the evening, and tlie following took part in the discussions: Sister Coleman and Bros. West, Hatten, Petheriek, Spencer. Hatten, Ingram, Towles, and Kao. A peculiar instance of cargo-broach-ing is reported from 'Wanganui. A hotelkeeper exhibits a bottle which had a hole skilfully made in it, and the contents (lager beer) extracted. was one of 13 in a case dealt with. Another local publican found, on opening a case recently, that a number of bottles had been emptied in the same manner while in transit from the port of exportation. A Hawera P.A. wire states that at a- meeting of the Taranaki Provincial Executive of the Fanners’ Fnion yesfterday, the Executive considered recent amendments .to the Land Act, and all members/except one stated that the present. System of land taxation was unsatisfactory. It decided to refer the following resolution from the Opunake braii/h to the Dominion Executive ; 'that/is the present system of valuing lanyfov taxation purposes has proved a failure owing to tlie impossibility of a/curately separating tlie improved value this conference considers a much /airer and much simpler way would be to tax on annual value w: , the sai/e exemptions as capital investfed in/ other industries, the annual val uq/to be 5 per cent, of the capital va u/. i liere are some patriotic youngsters flVa-nganui—boys who have no time for Germany or what it produces. According to a story told to the “Wanganui Chronicle.” it appears that a lady went into a local store and purchased some wearing apparel attached to which, was a ticket hearing the well-known trade indicator, “Made in Germany.” The mother was not looking for trade locality tickets, and so they escaped her observation, otherwise, being aware of her boys’ objections to' German productions, she would not have made tlie purchases. However, when she reached home and opened the parcels, the lads’ keen eyes soon discovered what mother had failUcl to see, and no amount of persuasion can induce them to wear'the articles. “Made in Germany” is certainly no recommendation to the Wanganui boys in question, who only favor British made goods.