Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3830, 13 May 1913, Page 4

Local and General.

Mails for Napier and South will be despatched per Ruru this morning at 8 o’clock. -

The Trinity Schoolroom was filled yesterday at Mr Hugo’s second lecture on physiognomy. As usual Mr Hugo showed a great wealth of illustration and made the subject attractive.' Tho platform delineations of the. faces of young ludjes and gentlemen caused mucli amusement. The next. lecture will be Thursday evening upon noses.

■ ' ' , ' A commencement was xnade jresterday with work in connection with tho construction of the new bridge over the TVaimata River, connecting Ormond Road with Ruteno Street. The ’ work of trimming the piles and erecting a derrick to drive the piers was started. The contractor, Mr J. A. Nicol, has lost, no time in getting his men to work.

For a fortnight past, a house-to-house inspection has been going on in the Borough. In this connection, one or those engaged in tho ta.:-k ha..; boon brought from Wellington. The authorities, it is understood, have discovered that a great deal of carelessness has been shown in the matter of keeping premises clean and sanitary. To 1 ago Bay and other parts of the Coast where typhoid has been existent aro to bo visited in duo coyrse.

It is said that a well-known Dunedin citizen, who has occupied a responsible position in a local offi e fur many years past, finding the we ght of private debts incurred by him too burdensome, left surreptitiously 2 lew days ago for Australia. It isTurther said tliat the creditors whom In has left in the lurch have been taking steps, by medium of wire’ess telegraphy, to have him stepped and brought back to Dunedin to answer <ertain pertinent questions.

The Gisborne trams continue to be fairly well patronised. It is estimated that the takings for last week will work out at about £42, making .L'uO for the past -fortnight. Special ears were put on .for the opening of the football season on Saturday, but these were not too well patronised. Most of the passengers for Victoria Domain got off at Carnarvon Street. The cars did good business on Saturday night, being well patronised up till'dosing time.

Wliile a good deal of speculation goes on in Canterbury and West.and as to whether the Government will accept fresh tenders for tbs' completion of the Otira tunnel work, here atOtira writes a correspondent, it is confidently hoped tliat the Public Works Department, with Mr, TV. H. Gavin as resident engineer, will put the big hole through, for not < nly is v, good progress being made in ~ alt branches of the work, but there is more labor offering than there has been for seme time past.

Of the four thousand and forty men in camp at Oringi last month, nine hundred and thirty-seven were treated by the medical staff. This may seem a very high percentage, but it must be remembered that, when doctors with big reputations are to be consulted free, gratis, and for nothing, natients will not be wanting. Trivial complaints die also responsible lor many of the nine hundred odd cases, while instances of that virulent disease “malingering” were not conspicuous bv their absence. /

Tiie fact that the great opportunities w hich New Zealand offers to the farmer are being recognised was emphasised upon the arrival of the Marama from Vancouver on Tuesday. Bv the steamer there came a wealthy Canadian farmer, who lias been making inquiries concerning the prospects of securing a farm in the North I=land. It. is his intention to acquire a sheep station, and for tins purpose he has now left on his way south to make an extensive tour of the farming districts.

An interesting ocean race should result from the departure from the Columbia River of . the American fourmasted barque Amaranth and the American four-masted schooner Samar. both vessels being bound for Auckland. The Amaranth cleared the Columbia River on March 2*. and the Samar is believed to have sailed the same day. The two vessels are loaded with over two and a-lialf million feet of Oregon'pine, consigned to the Leyland-O’Brien Timber Co., and should put in an appearance at Auckland at the end of this month.

The wrecked Star of Canada has hoen faring very badly during the last few weeks. The steamer’s stern is now nKmt 10 feet above high water, and all the cabins on the main deck are flooded, while the main-topmast which broke off short last week is now hanging from the crosstrees and the foremast- is only visible for 8 feet, and is leaning at an acute angle towards the shore. The derrick and winch with the boilers which were used to provide power for the salvagers have been removed from the steamer, and are now on the Ivaiti wharf.

"I hope the Union Company will see its wav to continue the ferry service with Napier beyond the' end of the present month, ’ remarked Mr John Townley at the meeting of the Harbor Board yesterday morning. The service had been started in a small way. but all were agreed that it was going to lead to something better. The s.s. Takapuna had been so successful in working the port that they had reason for expecting her to be kept running permanently in the service. Mr Humphreys : Yes. all through the winter. The Chairman remarked that they also wanted a ferry service with Auckland. which would make them independent with the intercolonial boats.

A largely-attended meeting of the Freezers’ Union was held last night. Professor Mills attended and addressed the meeting on the Unity Congress proposals. He was well received. After, his retirement the selection of delegates was prooeded with, and Messrs G. Downey and A. J. Hill were elected to represent the Union at- the Congress to bo hold in Wellington, commencing on July 1. Several matters of routine were dealt with. Mr W. Rowell, the secretary, then brought forward a scheme suggesting that the Union should dispose of its freehold property and invest the funds towards establishing a social club in which ail unionists'might participate. After considerable discussion, the proposal was rejected.

The Manaia postmaster, Mr. H. Dixon (the "Witness” reports), was the victim of a very cowardly and unprovoked as-ault- at the hands of a* gang of rowdies at an early hour on Tuesday morning. Some time in the vi init-y cf midnight cm Monday night. 51 r. Dixon, and no doubt many other residents, wore awakened by a noisy demonstration in the Octagon, the actors in the. scene being a group t f six or seven men and a horse. Am'cng other performances they amused themselves by pulling the horse—a sick, weedydvioking r-nnual—around bv the tail and generally making things lively. In a little while they to 'k tinanimal towards the post- office and proceeded to put him on the lawn for refreshment. Mr. Dixon, who had been a spectator of the proceeding-; from his window, wont down and objected to the proceeding. His objection was re eived with a volley of aim q and obscenity, and oh at-temtping to pu-li the fiorse out through the gate, he was struck a vio’ent blow on the eye by one of the gang, and at the samemoment received a blow i n tit • side of the head. Fearing further ii- lence he retreated towards his borne, followed by the howling and cursing tn' baml was fortunately able to g t inside anil shut the door in their tacos. The matter has been reported to the police. ' ■--’-.-i -

A seasonable paragraph for ibis chilly weather.—Good warm underclothing is "the best prescription any dorter can give at- this season of the year. You cannot- buy better anywhere, and y< u make a big saving by buying at Melbourne Cash. They have just secured a big lot of hi dies’ costumes very cheap. Ladies’ hug winter coats from Ils Gd.*

You can buy men's clothing from D. S. Snow at Matawai cheaper th*n you can buy at Gisbomo.*

The beautiful Vitagvaph drama. “In Oki California,” .will l>o shown' by Path© Pictures for the last time at His Majesty's Theatre to-night.

An additional winch and boiler have been fitted to the scow Era, which is being fitted out for the dropping of the concrete blocks at the extension *i.- '-«»aUwatar.. - - . Vaa vaaL, Ul vv... .. ..

A Christchurch P.A. wire states that there was a prolonged discussion at the City Council last evening over tho appointment of committees, much party spirit being displayed by the two parties

> The Auckland City Council is desirous of entering into an agreement whereby the Police Department will undertake the control of tho street traffic in Auckland upon similar terms to those agreed upon in Wellington. The Minister for Justice, writing to tho Auckland Council on the matter, •, suggested that v inasmuch as the regulf I lation of traffic by the police in Wellington is still in an experimental stage, it would be better to let the question of the Auckland traffic stand over for a short time, and see how tho experiment works in Wellington. Past good work is good reference; more important is the quality of today's and to-morrow’s. —A. W. J. Maim, Cnem.st-Optician.*