Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3832, 15 May 1913, Page 4

Local and General.

Messrs Levin and Co. have sold the coastal steamer Gertie for £'269 to the Government for use as a coal hulk at Wellington.— P.A.

"The Stolen Favorite,” a sensational sporting-detective film, will ho repeated by Pathe Pictures at His Majesty’s Theatre to-night.

The monthly meeting of the Trades Council was held last night in downlev’s Hall. In the absence of the president, Mr. J. O. E. Turner was elect, etl to the chair. Correspondence on various matters was dealt with, and accounts passed for payment.

An enjoyable evening was spent by the members of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Society at Wootton’.s Rooms last evening, when the following programme was presented:—Piano solo, Mrs l’hethean ; duet, Messrs Cade and Wilkinson ; song, Mrs Scott; reading, Mr Cox, “Battle of Wakefield,” from Shakespeare’s Henry VI. ; comic. Mr Smith; song, Mr F. Cade.

Wiring last evening the Wellington agent of the Press Association said : At a meeting to-day of the County Councils’ Association the question of holding a conference during the coming session was discussed, and it was decided that the executive should ascertain from the Minister what Local Government Bills are to be introduced, so that, if necessary, a conference can be arranged.

The Government has acquired the Knowsley Park estate of 4993 acres situated seven miles from Mataura. This will be cut into moderate-sized mixed farms. The Government has also completed the purchase of the Waiarikiki estate, 4113 acres, eight miles from Mataura railway station, suitable for sub-division into moder-ate-sized farms. Dairying can be profitably carried on over a considerable portion of the area (says a P.A. wire from Wellington).

While descending the grade on the Wairoa Road, opposite Mather and Melnnes’s, on Tuesday, one of the metal trucks behind the Gentle Annie tramway locomotive became uncoupled and jumped the rails. The rest of the trucks, having considerable momentum on, were also thrown off and capsized. into the ditch alongside the track. A gang of men was put < n later to remove the overturned trucks and to pla.e the metal into fresh ones.. Nobody was injured.

An jmmaculately..dressed individual, whose baggy trousers and tight grip of the reins, loudly proclaimed him to be a “Jackoroo,” was the source of annoyance to his horse and everyone else in Lowe Street about 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. Flo had such a Tod Sloan seat and held on with such a limpet-like grip to the reins that Iris horse was soon cavorting along the street sideways. A little girl coming along the street on a bicycle saw certain disaster looming ahead, and jumping off her machine she rushed for the sidewalk. The Jackoroo, still maintaining an insecure sent somewhere near the horse’s oars, steered straight for the prostrate bicycle, and trampled it into tlio dust. An individual in a blue uniform came along, and, taking out a notebook, made some pertinent inquiries, while the owner of the sadly-damaged machine made off down the street, grateful to have escaped with her life.

A seasonable paragraph for this chilly weather. —Good warm _ underclothing is the best prescription ,nnv doctor can give at this season of the year. You cannot buy better anywhere, and you make a big saving by buying at Melbourne Cash. They have just scared a big lot of ladies’ Costumes very cheap. Ladies’ Fug winter coats from Us 6d.*

The Government is offering for ' settlement in the North Island at present an aggregate area of 241,000 acres of land. An area of 100,000 acres will ho available for settlement before the end of June,

Tho cost of opening lines and rolling stock on the Gisborne railways at March 31, 1912, is "iven m the last Gazette as £203,596, while the estimated cost of unopened lines is given as £265,280.

The Mayor, in company with tho Borough Enpineer, made an inspection of the roads of tho borough terday, ami gave instructions that maintenance work should lie proceeded with where urgently, required. The Mayor (Mr J. R. Kirk) and Councillors will to-day make a tour of inspection of the Gentle Annie and Patutahi quarries, and other depots jirom which metal-is being obtained for the borough streets. Jhe putty will leave town at 12.30 p.m.

During the course of a visit of msiiection of the borough yestei day, the Mayor (Mr J. R- Kirk) came across six milking cows grazing on the rubbish heap at the sanitary depot at Awapuni. Instructions were given that all cows found in the sanitary depot should be impounded.

Two platelayers were crossing the Wiienuakura bridge last week on a jigger when an exceptionally strong mist of wind lifted the jigger oft the rails. Tho men were thrown on the line and had a narrow escape from being hurled into the river below, which was in a flooded state at the time (says the “Patea Press.”) It is expected that tho new Parliament Buildings will be ready for occupation bv Parliament in 1916, but the whole block will not l*o completed for some three years after that. I lie cost of the- first section, lor winch tenders will be called, will amount to about £150,000. The total cost will be over £250.000.

“X have been a side-man for many years, and it almost make me sick, when taking round the offort-orv, to see people who willingly give 10s tor a seat at the opera, feel in then pockets for their smallest coin when the bag is put before them.” So said one of the speakers at tho annual meeting of parishioners of Christ Church (Wanganui).

A suggestion that all cattle intended* for "slaughter should he dehorned has been put forward by the Auckland .Provincial .Master Butchers’ L nion. it wt.s brought up at a meeting of the executive el the Auckland A. and P. Association, and after discussion was approved. In the course of discussion it was pointed out that cattle are frequently injured while travelling by railway truck to the saleynrds, and sometimes while in the pens by being horned.

Large shipments of sheep continue to be made from this district to the S«»u>‘li. Last evening the s.s. Arapawa left the Gisborne wharf with a line of (til sleep for Lyttelton. The s.s. Waitcmata will arrive in a few days to take 5600 to Lyttelton, while she will be followed by the s.s. Petone find s.s. Kowiiai, which will both take sheep to Lyttelton. Since the beginnning of March 16.500 sheep have been sent- South, the majority of these going to Lyttelton. ,

The annual meeting of the local branch of the Navy League will.be held in the Borough Council Chambers to-morrow evening. The branch was established four or five rears ago and the juvenile section became very strong. It was allowed to pall int-o a comatose state for a time, but in the interest- of the clsildreif’ it is to he revived. In other centres the Navy League is an institution of power, and there is no reason whir is should not lx? strong in Gisborne. The children are enthusiastic and need only the encouragement and assistance of their elders to make the branch a success. It is hoped, therefore, that the meeting will be well attended by members and by others willing to lie enrolled.

When using the telephone many people experience annoyance when they fail to receive an immediate reply from the exchange, but at times the fault is entirely their own (says the Auckland “Herald”). For instance' a few nights ago, the boarders at a large boarding-house were much perturbed because they could obtain no answer from “central.” Ultimately, however, it was discovered that some forgetful person had left- a pair of eyeglasses resting across both terminals, with the result that a short circuit occurred each time the handle was turned.’ Not only did this cut off communication with the exchange, but each time the hell was rung the attendant at the exchange received an electric shock.

A sensation incident occurred in Auckland on Friday afternoon, when a pony and gig belonging to Air J. E. Wheeler dashed down the Railway wharf and disappeared into the harbor. The horse, which appears to have taken fright in Quay Street, bolted in the direction of the Railway wharf, and, turning on to the wharf, con tinned its career down tlio western side until it went over Into the water. The horse and gig sank immediately, the animal being drowned. An effort was made to recover the pony and gig with grappling iron.s but without success. Next morning tlie services of a diver were requisitioned, and, after being located by liim, the horse and gig were lifted out of tlie water. Tlie pony was a valuable one, and Mr Whecltr estimates his loss at over £IOO.

The last Gazette shows that the traffic returns for the Gisborne railway section for the month ending March 31st last were as follows: 7434 passengers, were carried, as compared with 5142 for the same month last year.. The goods traffic comprised. 13,047 sheep (16,650 the previous March), 59 cattle, 58 pigs, 685 parcels (increase 143), 66 dogs, 12 horses, 4 carriages and drays, together with 3649 tons of goods (increase of 492 tons). The goods included chaff, lime, etc., 198 tons, wool 11 tons, firewood 354 tons, timber 548 tons, grain 330 tons, merchandise 226 .tons, and coal 20/2 tons. Ihe revenue for the month was £1863, or £223 better than the corresponding period of 1912. It was made up as follows: Passengers £596 (£3Bl last year), parcels, luggage and mails £Bl, goods £1079 (£722), miscellaneous £lO3 (£454), rents and commissions £27.

M'ith regard to Professor Pereival’s cabled statement concerning a “bier blow-up ’ for New Zealand some dav, 1 lofessor 1 hoinas, of Auckland, has emphasised that there is no need for alarm. As to our late visitor’s reference to “tlie line of fault.” Profesnew iu° ni iT- Said V “ Tl, * re is nothing 1 eu ill this statement : the san>o Hung was said a hundred years a-o.” Tie addeo that whilst speculations such as those put forward bv Professor ereival might bo interestinoamong geologists there was nothin? to warrant the publishing of statements implying that New Zealand 'V as -V angerous place. “We can thankfully wait,” he said, “without, being iu the least alarmed as to anv eruption that might take place; at am rate, nothing that Professor Percival might say will alter things.” It was worth recording that when in Auckland Professor Pereival gave utterance to quite a different view to Hint cabled, his opinion on that oeo-’-sum. being that “the nest of volcanoes around Auckland was never likolv to be a menace, and the whole tendency of. volcanic agency was to come to an end.” He added: “The thermal phenomena at Rotorua will slowly cease, and it is unlikely that there will ever he another Tara wora eruption.”' : ■ . • . ' : V

Nineteen boroughs in New Zealand have this year elected tlieir Mayor without opposition. ,

The first annual general meeting of shareholders of the Gisborne Opera House Company will be held to-day.

A notable member of the Native race, Rangiuhaia To Puni, died at Petone last Saturday. She was a member of the Nghtimaniapoto, Waikato, Ngatitoa, Ngatitama and other leading tribes, and was a descendant of Takarangi and Itaumahora. The deceased, who was 96 years of age, was friendly to the pakeha in the early days of settlement, and through her instrumentality the Europeans - were guarded against marauding Nat- ■ ives.

Another large crowd patronised the Waerenga-a-hika Bazaar last night-, when brisk business was done, and all spent a thoroughly-enjoyable tune. It is anticipated that there will be a packed attendance to-night, when tho principal items for competition will bo submitted, and the art union will be drawn. The remainder of the goods will be sold by auction, and the bazaar will conclude with a social and dance.

Great amusement was caused in the Auckland Police Court on Friday morning, when a Maori was charged with being drunk. The accused intimated that he was unable to understand a word of English. Mr. Lundon offered his services as an interpreter. Ho then put the charge in Maori to the accused, who responded, through his interpreter, to the effect that he did not object to speaking English to tho Court, -but that he would not talk to a policeman. Almost immediately the accused, amid much laughter, threw the interpreter’s services to the wind, and burst out into English, the quality of which would have put many Englishmen to shame.

At the meeting held at Mangapapa Inst night for the purpose of forming a town district or a borough. 3lr IV. H.. Smith, at the request of Mr Duncan, made a statement regarding the subject of lighting Mangapapa. Mr Smith said that, a.s had lieen requested at the receut meeting, he had made inquiries and had found that, if electric light was wanted, they would have to provide poles, etc. The gas company was prepared to carry pipes along certain streets, free of charge, and to make other concessions. He would see that a report on the matter was presented to the next meeting or the newly-elected committee.

Defective eyes—most of us have them—cause constant muscular strain. Relief in glasses—if they’re right.— A. W J. Maun, Chemist-Optician.*