LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 53, 13 February 1911, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Bishop of Waiapu will hold a confirmation service and deliver an address in St. Matthew's Church, Hastings, on Wednesday night. The question of adopting the Edison storage battery cars for the Gisborne borough has been referred to the Electrical Committee for a report. ■St. Bide’s Roman Catholic Col legiate School, Christchurch, was formally opened by Bishop Grimes on Saturday afternoon in the presence of a large gathering. The new serial story, “Her Dearest Wish,” commences with to-day's issue, and we have every confidence in recommending it to our readers' attention as being a highly interesting tale full of incident, and well adapted to the popular taste. Mr. Eustace Lane has given notice to move at the next general meeting of the Hawke's Bay Harbour Ratepayers’ Protection Association, “That the Government be called upon to refute the charge of Tammanyism and vindicate the proper principle of State nominees

on a harbour board by the appointment of the two best men to be found in the district to the Napier Harbour Board which is to be newj ly constituted in April next.” The Ikaroa Distiict Maori Land Board holds meetings of the assembled owners of various blocks in the Dannevirke and Porangahau districts this week at Dannevirke, Takapau and Waipawa. to ascertain the wishes of the natives in ; answer to the proposals of the Gov- ■ eminent to purchase those estates. ‘ Mr. A. L. D. Fraser left this morning to attend the various meetings on behalf of the owners and others interested. The revenue of the 2753 miles of Government railways of the DomI inion for the four weeks ended * January 7, was £321,450, and the i expenditure £164,537. The North > Island (1150 miles) contributed £171,699 on an expenditure of £82,270, and the South Island (1603 i miles) £149,751, on an expenditure of £82,266. With almost the same expenditure the revenue of the ’ North Island lines exceeded the revenue of the South Island raili ways by no less than £21,948. ' The following message was re- £ ceived from Dunedin on Friday: “Miss Amy Castles received a tremendous ovation at her opening | concert here last night. The theatre I was crowded in all parts. Her suci cess was electrical. The enthus siasm only culminated when . the ’ young singer was recalled a dozen | times, and bowed her acknowledgments, amidst a profusion of floral tributes, finally responding with ! 'Home, Sweet Home.’ This wop followed by cheer after cheer re ' sounding through the building, and tears welled in the eyes of the ma j jority present. The supporting artists received a great -cception. The * booking for this evening’s concert is splendid.”

Inspector Dwyer, officer in charge of the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne ' districts, returned to Napier by the steamer this morning. Questioned r at Gisborne regarding the new gaol * nearing completion in that town. >he stated that the present prei raises, the original portion of which * had been erected about 40 years. I will probably be demolished to * make room for mo>e adequate station buildings for the local force. All persons arrested will be con- ! fined at the new institution. Provision, he thought, might be made for detaining short-sentence prisoners (up to three months) at the new gaol, but this had so far not been decided. With the closing down of the Napier gaol, Gisborne long-sentence prisoners would go to Wellington or the new central gaol along the Main Trunk line. Proceedings at the last meeting of the Gisborne Borough Council; at times resembled the proverbial ‘ bear garden,” says the Poverty Bay Herald. Several debatable subjects were handled, and the usual “pleasantries"' were indulged in before a small audience of the public. The most regrettable incident was a brush between Crs. Pet- > tie and Harris, who sit together at i one side of the table. A division J had been taken, when a warm pas-! sage-at-arms ensued between the; Councillors mentioned. Several re-' marks of a personal nature were made in the heat of the moment.. Cr. Jackson, rising, intimated that he would leave the Council table if ■ that sort of thing went on; the: Mayor interposed, and there were mutual withdrawals, but there wasalmost immediately another warm, passage. Last night’s Council meeting extended until 2.30 this morning-

The State and Catholic Schools re-opened this morning after the midsummer holidays.

The executive of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce meets tonight.

Mr. W. Porter has disposed of his interests in the Stortford Lodge Hotel, Hastings, to Mr. Greenside, late of Te Aute.

Plans for the new fire station at Hastings are in course of preparation, and tenders will probably be called for next week. Rev. Bates’ forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day is as follows :— Moderate to strong south east oily winds, weather probably «00l ;tr,d changeable, clearing soon. G : £W little movement. The Customs duties collected in Xapier last week amounted to £ll3l/6'5( the surtax to £24/19/7, beer duty to £144/16 2, and other receipts to £24/6/2, making a total of £1375'8/4. The figures for the previous week were as follows: — Customs duties £2252/4/-, surtax £49/9/6. beer duty £7O/1/9, other receipts £22/8/1; total £2394/3/4. During the performance at Wirth's circus on Saturday afternoon, one of the equestrian performers sustained a broken collar-bone through his horse falling. He was, however, able to finish the act. In the afternoon one of the elephants considerably knocked about a keeper against whom she is supposed to have a grudge.

There have been noisy sounds of deep distress coming from the Hastings police cells since Saturday night. The disturbance emanated from a strong-lunged but unfortunate mentally deranged native, who was brought in from Fernhill on Saturday by Constable Dwyer. He was brought before Mr. 1 S. E. McCarthy, S.M., and remanded for medical examination. This took place this morning, when Drs. I Tosswell and Macdonald b--vj a i certificate of insanit*'.

The appointment of census enumerators will be announced shortly. Preliminary arrangements for counting the people are in full swing, and everything promises to be in readiness for the taking of the census on 2nd April. It is intended to take the electoral census in conjunction with the general census, and to compile the main rolls from the information then gathered.