LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 45, 24 September 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr Allan McDonald makes hie final address to the electors at McFarlane’s Hall this evening, when there is certain to be an immense meeting. The proceedings begin at 7.30. An interesting column of Irish news is given on our fourth page. Mr Andrew Graham will address the electors in the Theatre Royal at 8.30 this evening. A notification appears in our advertising columns in reference to the repeal of the Borough by-laws. A fiat-bottomed boat has been found at Papawhariki, the owner of which may have same on paying expenses. The s.s. Suva arrived from the South early this morning. She had on board about 5 tons of cargo consigned to various persons in Gisborne. The annual parade of stallions takes place at the Waikanae from 12 to 2 to-day. After the parade the annual meeting of the Pastoral Society takes place, at the Masonic Hotel. There was a pretty little scene at the R.M. Court on Thursday, the eruption being caused by a little over-amiability between two representatives of the legal profession. T'he elections for the County Council will taka place on the 10th November, the original date, the 9th, being unsuitable as that day is a public holiday. Carroll’s election to the House has been favorably noticed all over the colony, and the rumors that an attempt will be made to unseat him do not gain much credence outside.

At the County Council meeting on Thursday it was resolved upon the motion of Or Gray to write to the Law Society asking whether anything further had been done in the Brassey case. The Pall Mall Gazette is again before its readers with another of those incisive and spicy articles for which it has made such a name for itself. The Gazette always strikes hard when it does strike, and generally comes out the best. Our telegrams will give a cue to the latest sensation.

The great pea competition at Messrs Graham, Pitt, and Bennett’s eloses to-night, when tickets must be in. The decision will be given on Monday—polling day—when the winners will no doubt be made as proud as the victor in political honors.

It is estimated (says an Otago paper) by competeutauthorities that the singularly good winter wa have had in New Zealand will make a difference of considerably over a quarter of a million sterling in value of our wool export, not to speak of the good promise in store for the farmers.

It is astonishing to see how quickly Glad' stone road dries up with a little tine weather' On Wednesday night the mud on the road was nearly as bad as it was before Councillor Lucas’ experiment was tried, and in a couple of hours on the following morning ths road was quite herd. In spite of all the cry of hard times, it would seem that the labouring clashes have small need to growl about lack of employment. At the County Council meeting on Thursday a letter was read from a Taloga Bay contractor alleging as a reason for the non-fulfilment of a contract that he could not get labour. One of the councillors also mentioned that just recently a contractor had sent to town for thirty men but could only get half the requisite number.

" Aford" sends a long complaint on the low depths to which our commercial morality has sunk when an ordinary laborer, without claim to particular skill in any direction, can get into debt to the extent of hundreds of pounds. The object of the letter appears to be to direct attention to a late bankruptcy, but no doubt the creditors themselves will be the best able to judge. So long} as unlimited credit is given, there will be a continuation of such cases. The evil may eventually work its own cure.

There seems to be a perfect license given during election times for the most atrocious of falsehoods. A few days ago a telegram came from Timarn which excited the utmost indignation amongst all parties. It was reported that a candidate named Palmer was driven from the door of a schoolhouse at Hinds, where he was to hold a meeting, and stoned and pommelled till he was not expected to recover. But the statement has since been contradicted on behalf of Mr Palmer. It appears that the meeting was duly held and carried through, though the proceedings were not very orderly. Political tactics are often carried to such an excess as to keep many people shy of the turmoil altogether, but when one politician shows a genuine cleverness in trying to turn the laugh on an opponent—even though the joke rebounds to the disadvantage of his own pet—real merit must be appreciated. A local artist has got up a capital cartoon, in which he goes on the principle that “ the last shall be first.” The artist of course explains the ideas with some very suggestive descriptive appendices. As a cartoon the work is really good, but as a shadow of coming events it is a downright—never mind, Monday will show what. Mr Cassin has possession of the picture. The usual meeting of the Cook County was held on Thursday last. The business was of an unimportant character. Payments totalling £342 were authorised. In the absence of Cr Stubbs the consideration of his motion re a £12,000 loan was deferred until he should return. The Chairman alluded to the desirability of having some steps taken to eradicate the thistles along the County roads, and it was decided to call for tenders at the next meeting of the Council from persons willing to undertake to keep the roads cleared of this nuisance during the coming season. A request from Mr McLeod, Tologa Bay, to be relieved of a portion of his contract was refused, as was also a demand made by Messrs Rees and Day on behalf of a native client for £2O damages for trespass by Mr Dover the Dog Registrar. The general rate is to be the same as last year.

Sir J, Vogel speaks at Napier to-night, and Mr Ormond will reply to him. The policeman whose conduct at Mr Ivess meeting at Napier was complained of, has received orders to proceed to Wellington, where he will be dealt with. The first meeting of creditors in the estate of Otene Pomare Will be held at the office of the Deputy Official Assignee, Lowe Street, on Monday next, at 2 p.m. The late easterly gales detained the s.s. Te Anau a day in her trip from Sydney to Auckland, and in consequence she did not leave Auckland until 1 p,m. yesterday. She will arrive here about three o'clock this afternoon, and proceed South at 7 p.m, Mr Gannon had an enthusiastic meeting last night, in McFarlane’s Hall. The hall was crowed to the doors. The address was a most excellent one, and was listened to very attentively. A vote of thanks and con, fidence was unanimously passed, and three hearty cheers were given to the candidate. The J Battery paraded for inspection on Thursday evening, under the command of Captain Boylan. Four Corporals—Rawson, Luhn, Tucker, and Smith—went up for examination. At the conclusion Capt. Winter, the examining officer, highly complimented Corporals Rawson and Lunn for the manner in which they performed their duties that evening, and said their knowledge of drill would do credit to any drill instructor. The s.s, Australia came into the Bay about 11 o’clock on Thursday night. She had about 108 tons of cargo for here, the principal portion of which was cement for the harbour works. The work of lightering the cargo commenced about six o’clock yesterday morning and was finished in time to allow of her. getting aWay at three in ths afternoon. Mesdamcs Brooke and two children, and Douglas ; and Messrs E. K. Brown, Ruku, McMichael, Archdeacon Williams, Captain Leys and Wi Pere ware the passengers from Gisborne, South. The Customs authorities in Auckland recently made a seizure of 1440 Waterbury watches alleging that they were under-valued in the invoice. The law provides that if the Customs think goods are undervalued in the invoice form they have power to sell the goods and pay the owner invoice price with ten per cent, added. These particular Watches in question were sold by auction in Auckland yesterday blit did not realize the prioe affixed to the invoice by the owner. It was a losing speculation for Her Majesty’s Customs. A Wellington cab proprietor has been seeking an injunction from the Supreme Court to restrain the Tramway Company from running trams within a quarter of a mile of each other, The concession to the Company stipulates that they shall not run steam trams within that distance of each other, but the Company now use horses, and the Judge said horse trains are not steam trams, and the cabmen must put up with the difference. Whatever effect the elections may have upon the people generally they do not seem to have much effect upon our dominant profession, the law. During the Week we had a little of a bailiff trouble which has no prospect of a speedy settlement, and if very little of what is currently reported can be believed there will be a fine crop of actions for the next Supreme Court. Libel, slander, false imprisonment, trespass, and other actions are threatened. If people will litigate there will be a harvest to be reaped by someone. A sad case was heard at the Timaru Police Court last week. A woman was arrested drunk, With a dead child in her arms. She was fined £1 for being drunk. At the inquest on the child the woman Said that a girl from Wellington was the mother of the child. The child only lived a few minutes, and she took it down town with the intention 0! getting the doctor to certify that it died naturally. The child was not washed, and was only wrapped in a piece of flannel. A verdict was returned of death from natural causes.

The election excitement is gradually getting more intense as the eventful day draws nearer, and the friends of the several candidates are pushing the interests of their principals to the utmost. Some of the workers are more earnest than wise, and it is not uncommon for two individuals representing different views to use more than words to back up their contentions. Thia may be amusing at the time, but calmer consideration would not tolerate it. There is no doubt all parties will bo glad when the strife has been ended, and the electors have decided who is to have the coveted position. The toil the respective candidates have to undergo in hurrying from place to place must ba a great strain on them. A contributor sends us the following: — Captain Tucker’s quotation at the nomination “It is better to have the devil you known than the devil you _ don’t know ” reminds one of a little incident which happened at an election some years ago. The popular but diminutive Shrimski was standing for Oamaru, and caused a placard to be printed “ Of two evils choose the least," Some wag during the night prefixed a D to the Word " evils," thus giving the quotation a meaning that would doubtless be resented on either side. The alteration was so well made that it appeared to have been done in the printing office, and there was a great rumpus. Threats of horsewhipping were freely made, but eventually an amicable understanding was arrived at. A very dry case was being urged in banco in Christchurch the other day, but one of the Counsel engaged in it managed to enliven it with a joke apropos 0! the present crisis. At the close of the argument of one of the learned counsel engaged, His Honor suggested that being late in the afternoon the Court had perhaps better adjourn. This was cheerlully acquiesced in by the counsel present, but it so happened that both the Registrar and the crier were absent for the moment and there was no one to pronounce the mystic formula that the Court stand adjourned until next day. In this dilemma His Honor himself, with much impressiveness, went through the ceremony. One of the counssl, who happens to be a candidate for Parliamentary honours, said quietly," I suppose, your Honor, this is a foretaste of what will happen under a system of retrenchment.” Presbyterian Church Services next Sunday (to-morrow)—Karaka 11, Ormond 2, Was-renga-a-hika 8.30, St. Andrews 7, Rev. J. MeAra ; St. Andrews 11, Matawhero 2.30, Mr R. H. Scott.—(Advt.)