LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 652, 17 March 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

♦ ; To-day being the anniversary of St. Patrick, the Banks were closed for business. We are, of course, not up to everything m the way of giving a reason " Why ;" but we shall be very thankful to any one who will inform us what St. Patrick had to do with banking business, that the banks should hold him m such reverential memory ? We know why the Banks keep holiday on St. George's Day. It was because St.fGreorge killed a dragon, m proof of which we see the event commemorated on some of those pleasant golden coins known as a sovereign. How the banks came to discover the day on which the dragon was killed by St. George thrusting a spear down its throat is a mystery which the Bank officials keep quite to themselves. St. Andrew is another Bank holiday. We have asked severel of the officials attached to these establishments, but. no one appears to know anything ; about St. Andrew except that he was m some way or other connected with Scotch thistles, which, while one law insists shall be destroyed, a contrary regulation says shall be commemorated by a holiday. There is an old saying that as we live we learn ; but really, m respect of St. Patrick, St. George, and St. Andrew, the longer we live the less we come to the understanding of them. A Committee meeting of the Gisborne Government School was held on Saturday evening m the Municipal Council Chambers when, m consequence of the resignation of Mr. C. D. Bennet, it was necessary to elect a Chairman to supply his place. Mr. D. Johnston (Collector of Customs) was elected, and Mr. J. Bromley elected to the vacancy m the committee caused by the retirement of Mr. Bennett. It was deemed essential by the Committee that a paid Secretary should be appointed, when Mr. F. J. Piesse was unanimously chosen. This will cause another vacancy m the Committee which will be filled up at its next meeting. A better man than Mr. Bromley could scarcely have been elected, nor a better Chairman than Mr. Johnston.

The light-weights of the Gisborne Rowing Club are not satisfied at being beaten by the heavy weights on Saturday afternoon. They are resolved to try the issue a second time, and have challenged the "heavies." The challenge has been accepted, and the match, likely to be a very exciting one indeed, will come off on Wednesday afternoon, the start to be 4 o'clock. The only change is that the ( "lights," will pull m the boat the " heavies" rowed on Saturday. Both crews go into immediate and hard practice. It will be, we anticipate, another hard struggle but we expect the victory to go with the whites this time, as the build of , the boats will give the benefit if any exists to them. The Undine being fuller m the bends is better adapted for a heavy crew, while the reverse with the Mermaid will cause her to sit too deep m the water, when freighted with the heavies men. However, we are glad to see the excitement has not yet died out, and will be well pleased to see the lights score on this time against the heavies. We suppose, upon the principle that what is everybody's business is nobody's, will be found, the solution why no public attempt has been made to raise subscriptions for the relief of the widows and orphans of the men who were choked to death m the Kaitaugata Mine. Gisborne has always stood well m its charitable contributions m cases of distress and calamity, and we should regret seeing a duty shirked on such a special occasion, when relief is so urgent. Mr. W. Good announces that he will hold his Art Union m the Masonic Hall on Wednesday night. The opposition offered to Mr. Good, and the unfeeling mauner m which the opposition was made to display itself, will, we trust, have quite the contrary effect intended, and that the whole of the tickets will be taken up. At the Native Lands Court, now being held at Tologa Bay, the whole of the succesion claims have been gone through and successors appointed. On Satueday, the Court began the investigation of title to land. The first case was the Pukeakura Block. It is understood that the cases will be taken m the order they come m the Gazette. The hearing of these cases will probably occupy the Court for the next month. The English Mail will most probably reach here by the Rangatira to-morrow. If not, it will be brought m by the Lady Bird, from Auckland, reaching Gisborne on Wednesday. A Councillor of the Borough Council of Adelaide, at a late sitting, moved that a screen be erected for the use of bathers while dressing aud undressing. A Councillor Kelly suggested that bathers adopt the practice m vogue m Continental countries, namely, bathing m dresses, when men and women could bathe when they liked without women's modesty being put to the blush. This is what we have recommended for Gisborne bathers. A screen would cost very little money, and would cause bathing m the open to be quite unobjectionable. At a meeting of the members of the Poverty Bay Licensed Victuallers Association, held on Saturday last, there was a large attendance of members, both town and country. The rules of the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers Association were unanimously adopted. Subscriptions were freely paid, and there was a unanimity of feeling expressed as to the conduct and management of the Association. The rules were ordered to be printed and distributed among the members. Shareholders m the Buildiug Society are reminded that their fees will be received at the Society's office only, between the hours of 7 and 8 o'clock this evening, and other evenings of usual meeting. The writer of the article on Colonial Governors m the Melbourne Imperial Review evidently has a high opinion of our ex-Premier, He says : — "Sir Julius Yogel spoilt his career by taking the AgentGeneralship. There are rumours of hia return to New Zealand, and we think it is the right place for him. He is only acting a part m those feeble efforts m the way of magazine articles on the empire. Let the Blackfords and Lowes do the twaddle, while the Beaconsfields and Vogels act. But the fact is Sir Julius is too fond of luxury. London is his Capua. While Graham Berry kept the little grocery shopin Prahan, Sir J. Yogel was the out-at-elbows reporter at luglewood. He missed his ambition of getting a seat m the Victorian Assembly, and went m a huff to New Zealand, or he might have guided the destiny of the Australian Cabinet. It has at length been discovered that Mr. C. N. Roberts, whose mysterious disappearance caused so much anxiety, is m Australia. When the R. M.S. City of Sydney appeared m Auckland on Tuesday, some of his friends went aboard with a photograph of him. . They showed the carte cle visile to the officers who at once recognised it as the likeness of a gentleman passenger who went to Sydney with them. We are informed by a party just returned from Ashburton (says the Oainaru Mail) that one lot of crop on the plains there, equal to 1300 acres m extent, on being threshed out recently, yielded the poor average of 11 bushels per acre ; while another area of 1500 acres, belonging to one owner, only returned the miserable result of five bushels per acre. We imagined we had suffered m Oainaru district from, drought, hot winds, and the numerous ills that crops generally are liable to, but on learning the above we believe our farmers have cause to be grateful. It is somewhat late m the day to tell it (says a writer m the Lyttelton Times), but — inasmuch as the story has not been told before — not too late. Shortly after Sir George grey succeeded Major Atkinson, the Major, upon leaving a house they were both visiting took up Sir George Grey's hat by mistake, and immediately apologised. " Don't mention it." said the owner ; " it's only a fair exchange." " How so ?" asked Major Atkinson. " Well, you know," was the reply, "I have just stepped into your slwes." The gallant ex-Premier " smoleda smile." In the trial scene of the nautical drama of " Black-eyed Susan," it may be remembered, one of the witnesses, when asked ' what he knows of the prisoner's moral ; character, replies with much fervour, : " Please your honor, he plays the fiddle i like an angel." It has been reserved for a : defendant at the Foxton's Resident Magis- , trate's Court, however, to adduce the pos- ] session of a " fine tenor voice" as evidence , of exemplary conduct and integrity. The ( gentleman m question was charged with horse-stealing, and produced a number of ' testimonials, which stated that the bearer " had been for nine years a member of a church choir ; that he possessed a fine i tenor voice ; and that he would be an -\ acquisition to any church choir." It is ] needless to add that such a recommenda- ] tion must have weighed powerfully with , his Worship m procuring an acquittal, and the Manawatu Herald, m recording the circumstance, says it would have been a dreadful pity to see a young man with a 1 fine tenor voice wasting his sweetness upon an audience of gaol-birds. J