LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 602, 2 May 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At the football ground this afternoon the Turanganui and Taruheru Clubs try conclusions. The Waimata’ratepayers hold their annual meeting to day, and the Kaiti ratepayers meet on Monday. Banking gives promise of a good season in some of the cities in the cool months. The City Rink opens for ricking this afternoon and evening. Royal Hotel has been having a great overhaul since Mr Martin assumed the proprietorship, and it now presents a very attractive and cheerful appearance. On Thursday evening the members of the Gisborne Rowing Club held a musical reunion, prior to Mr Bourn’s departure for Christchurch, and he was presented with a handsome dressing ease. Owners again are reminded that nominations for the Waerenga-ahika Queen’s Birthday races close to-night at 8 o’clock at the Masonic Hotel; nominations to be in due form, must be accompanied by 1 sov. for each handicap event. From the 23rd of December, 1890, to the close of the AJ.C. Meeting on April 4, 1891, the Hon. D. S. Wallace’s horses have won in stakes the chief contributor of course to which was the son of Musket—Mersey. Frisky, the smart pony by The Chief, was bought for £l2 10s, after running unsuccessfully in a selling hack race at Ashburton, and subsequently found her way to Australia and then to India, won the principal race at Lucknow Spring Meeting in February. In the Paremata appeal case the plaintiffs were nonsuited, with costs on the highest scale in both Courts. The defendant Land Company had pleaded as an alternative defence that the matters might form the subject of an enquiry before the Native Land Commission appointed under the Act of 1889.

The well known firm of Pitt and Maguire has dissolved partnership. Mr Maguire, who has energetically and successfully managed the Gisborne branch of the business, has it now under his sole, oontrol. It will be continued in the same promises, and the new arrangement will bo made more manifest by the offering of substantial advantages to those who patronise the shop, All right when understood. First our contemporary couldn’t understand the reason of the present Native Land Commission ; then they found it was all right when understood, but would have an evil effect ; and now they thoroughly understand the Commission, and think it will do good. We arrived at the last conclusion on the day the Commission was suggested,

The Press in Australia began early to entertain a high idea of its mission. In 1824, the editor of the Hobart Town Gazette and Van Dieman's Land Advertiser grandiosely declared, “ We esteem ourselves a beacon, placed by a Divine graciousness on the awfully perilous coast of human frailty.” A year afterwards he was sent to gaol for calling the Governor " the Gideonite of tyranny,” and the beacon went out with a splutter.

Mr Cecil Lewis, the local agent for the Mutual Life Association of Australasia, has handed us a report of the directors for the year 1890. The proposals numbered 3,421. amounting to £858,730 7s. Of these 969 were declined, or are in the course of completion, leaving 2,452 proposals completed, for £596,335 7s, and adding 157 accepted prior to 31st of December, 1889, gives a total of 2,609 policies issued during the year. The above figures will show the sound and steady increase of the business of this Australian office. Anyone wishing a copy of the Directors’ report, or tables of rates, can obtain them on application to the local agent. Are rabbits a nuisance? So queries the Marlborough Express in reporting the visit of Mr Weddel, of London, who a few days ago visited the two rabbit factories in Blenheim, the result of which was an “ eyeopener ”to him. He is not quite sure whether rabbits are a curse to Marlborough or not. Going into figure l , for this is the invariable test which city men apply, he finds :that they afford more labor and bring in more money than if the same land were used for sheep breeding. Mr Weddel Bays, and there is some force in bis contention, that there is a lot of land about here which will not grow sheep, and it this land could be fenced off and used as rabbit warrens, he sees no reason why this should not be done.

The Marlborough Express has come into collision with the Fire Brigade of that town, owing to what the members of the brigade deem over severity of criticism. The result is that the whole brigade, officers and men, have resigned in a body. They have, however, given tho Borough Council a month’s notice, in order that the town may not be left defenceless, and a valuable plant be destroyed, while their places are being filled. What the Express itse'f describes as one of the “warmest” meetings held in Blenheim, was that at which the brigade officers and ' men discussed the way in which they had been treated by that journal, and at which they all finally decided to resign. How far the comments and strictures of the Express were justified, we are not in a position to say. The Captain of the brigade was most indignant, because, as he eaid, he was defenceless. “If the Express were to try and slaughter him as a Borough Councillor he could get an expression of opinion from the public when it came to his turn for election, but as a fireman he had no such opportunity offered to him.” He further said that it was impossible to get men to join the brigade, because of the constant set made upon it by that paper, "Young fellows, when asked to join, said they would not, to be blackguarded by the paper next day.”

The intentions of the Government in regard to native lands and the best manner of dealing with them are now subjects of keen interest in many parts of the colony, especially in the North Island. The proposal to abolish the purchase of native lands, and to have perpetual lease without the right of purchase, finds no sympathy with the Native Minister. The Hon. Mr Cadman’s views are that the Government should introduce a Bill of a permissive character providing for either purchase or leasing. The Government should purchase where they can, and where they can’t they should lease. These, however, are only the Minister’s individual views, and we think that they are not in harmony with views expressed by the Premier. In any case, we may say that we heartily endorse the views of Mr Cadman, and shall have more to say about them in a future issue. Mr Cadman is of opinion that there should always be available a considerable sum of money for the purchase of native lands, and he intends to ask for a tolerably largo vote when Parliament meets. Meanwhile, he has surveyors at work on blocks of Maori land in the Auckland, Hawke’s Buy, Wanganui, and Taranaki districts, getting them ready so that as soon as the funds are available the Government may acquire them. The report of the Native Commission will not I be ready for several days yet,—Tress. I

Messrs Clark, J. W. Sunderland, J. Fergusson, and E. W. Wells have been nominated for the Fatutahi Road Board.

The Starlight Maori troupe is going to scintillate in Gisborne next week. It is said that it will knock the shine ont of the Harry crowd. A shrewd Maori who has been getting some printing done at the Standard office proposed to enter into an agreement that if it was not done by a certain hour and dale a third of its cost was to be awarded to him by way of fine upon the printers. Mr J. A. Renall of Te Whiti informs the Star that a short time ago he liberated twelve weasels upon his property and has found already eight dead. He supposes that a large buck rabbit known to be on his property and which has hitberto defied gun and poison, has been having a boxing match with these weasels with the result above mentioned.

There was a good attendance at the Union Literary Society on Thursday night, when “ Dickens ” and his writings formed the subject. Mrs H. Williams was to lead off in the discussion, but was unable to be present, and the Rev. Mr Gardiner] gave the introductory notice of the great writer. Readings and criticisms followed, but no one could be found who dared say he was not an admirer of the works of the popular author. Next Thursday night there will be an impromptu debate. After the parade of the East Coast Hussars on Saturday afternoon a handsome sword was presented to Captain Winter by Sergeant-Major Colebourno, representing the troop. In making the presentation the Sergeant-Major alluded to the high esteem in which their Captain was held, and the great assistance he had always rendered in volunteer matters, and said that the gift was but a slight token of what they felt Captain Winter, in responding, mentioned that he would the more highly prize the sword, because it was the only gift he had received in connection with volunteering during his thirty-two years' experience.

The New Zealand Times, writing of the match between the Wellington and Ponekes, played on Saturday last, remarks" Every well-contested game should show good temper. There was not any good temper. There was on the contrary some very bad temper. That marred the play deplorably. It caused a dreadful amount of bad language, and it produced a great deal of quite unnecessary roughness in the game. The air was polluted with oalhs, and the wounds eustained by several of the players weremani festly result of practices for which no excuse can possibly be made. If football is to degenerate into an exhibition of brutality of conduct and ruffianism of language, it will lose its place, and very deservedly, as a popular game. We commend the matter to the energetic and determined notice of the Rugby Union,'* A correspondent sends us (Wanganui Herald) an amusing account of how the aheap market is rigged on this coast, but wo are unable to publish his letter, as it contains statements that are c'early libellous, even if true, as we have no doubt they are. He asserts that there is a ring of buyers on this coast who attend stock sales and run up the settlers in want of store sheep, and either make them pay more than the sheep are worth or go without them. The “ring,” which will soon find its occupation gone, in acting thus does not escape soathless, as its members frequently get sheep knocked down to them at prices they cannot fail to make a loss on. This will of itself help to cure the evil, as not even a “ ring" can stand repeated losses of the kind for any length of time. If settlers in want of store sheep are wise they will refrain from bidding against these people, and negotiate privately with owners of store sheep, as by doing so they will save money and get safely past the “ ring.” The Hauraki Tribune writes on tho forthcoming Te Acoha election :—We have a word to say to tho electors who consent to be engineered for money considerations in election contests. Many men have spent their whole lives in a continual struggle to give to the working man the right to vote—the Suffrage ; and the right to vote in such a way that no man might be able to challenge him for his vote or the way he used it—the Ballot. Is tho result in this and preceding elections all that is to come of it ? Is democracy a fraud and the independence (of the working man a sham ? Will he not vote unless he is paid for it, and only on the side which pays him ? John Sheehan's election cost some 1,500; L. M. Grace’s £l,OOO or £1,200; James Mackay's a considerable sum. Do the electors hope, or think or suppose that men will into a contest for a seat for three years to gain an honororium of £l5O a session, on these expensive conditions, unless they have some other object in view that will pay them ? If they do, they are greater fools than we take them for.

Of Carbine the Bulletin says :—“ Everything smells pure and wholesome in any race Carbine starts for, and the very punters who have invested a trifle on one of his opponents just on the off chance are ready with a magnanimous cheer when Mr D. Wallace's wonder comes in as usual. The racing world wears a bright and happy, almost honest, aspect as good old Carbine returns to scale. You don't hear anyone cursing bis luck because he had wasted a pound on something else. The ' books,’ accept the victories of ‘ old pay-over ’ in a pleasant sort of way, for they have left off gambling against him in weight-for-age races. A halo of sanctity shines around Carbine’s not very handsome bead. He has never beou ‘ milked ’on the betting market. If not intended to run for a race he is scratched at the first opportunity. He has never been the hero of ’ myterious movements'; be runs to win, and does so as many as sixteen times in succession. It is supposed that a jockey who attempted to ‘ pull ’ Carbine would immediately fall dead from the saddle, and then the horse would pick np the corpse with his teeth and get there all the same. He represents all that is excellent, honest, and plucky in horse-flesh and tutf politics,” A Chinaman named Klock Young Gee, residing in Ballarat East, has commenced legal proceedings with the view of obtaining a divorce from his wife, Jessica Klo k Young. “Johnny’s” petition is based mainly on the ground of desertion—Jessica absconded with a Hindoo some time ago—but there is an addenda in the original document, which, as prepared by a Celestial interpreter, charges the woman with—" Too muchey talkee with neighbors, too muchey paint face and eyebrows, too muchey drink Yulepean brandy, too muchey fight, too muchey snore ip sleep, too muchey boss about, too muchey dream, too muchey say ' Kilum husband, and too muchey no good. The solicitor who has been entrusted with the preparation of the case for the Divorce Court has advised Klock Young Gee that he must proceed only on the complaints of desertion and neglect of household duties (according to the Ballarat Star), but the Mongolian cannot understand why the other oomplaints, especially that relating to the application of pigmeat to the face and eyebrows, are not as in China, a warranty for legal proceedings for divorce in this country.