LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 804, 9 June 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

From the outside world all is darkness to-day m the Herald : for the telegraph lines are down and there conies nothing to ! hand. It will not m any way alter the i state of things, and appetite for news must waib upon its coming. We trust to readers satisfying themselves with what we furnish them on matters local. The line broke down m the vicinity of the Big Kiver, and { the lineman is out repairing damages which, I it is believed, will be effected m time for our next issue. The Gisborne Sash and Door Company has been fairly launched into existence ; and, we trust with every prospect of success. It will be said that just now times are bad. We admit this to be tb.e case. Therefore it is well that we should enter upon some profitable enterprise which is calculated to ameliorate the cbnditiou of thingd. A sash and door making company is just one of those undertakings which come well within our reach. It is estimated that the average probable weekly expenditure for wages, material, Ac, will be £200. This includes every class of material and labor to turn out the finished article.' It is probable that the average income will be about £250 per week ; leaving a clear profit of £50 per week, or 20 per cent, on the capital to be called up. Here then is an enterprise which gives employment to labor while it promises investors a handsome return. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, Mr Robert Wilson, landlord of the Royal Hotel, was fined £5 and costs for permitting gambling m his licensed premises. The informant is a man named Dick, and he stated that he had lost £24, being the proceeds of a cheque he had just previously received. The informant swore that the defendant Wilson had taken part m the transaction. Hut this . was not proved m evidence, and this fine was inflicted for the lesser offence. The sale of the Patutahi sections, advertised m our columns, will take place to-morrow, Mr. Featon afcting as Government auctioneer. The general opinion is, that the upset prices are too high, and that most of the sections will be passed over, the land fever, owing to general impecuniosity, having considerably abated. Mr. W. Ratcliffe, commission and general agent, has now on view at his office, some splendid samples of opossum, and bear skin ruga, received per Arawata from the celebrated furriers, Messrs. Reed and Archibald, of Melbourne. They are well worth an inspection, and as they are to be sold at prices within the reach of all, we have no doubt that the large consignment which is to follow will be speedily . purchased by those who really can appreciate warmth, comfort, and elegance.

Mr Cribb, of the telegraph department here, does not expect the repairs to the broken line being made good for the next two days. The line crosses the river on this side of the bridge, and no boat can tand ithe rush of water to allow repairs being effected. Bourke and Smith's sale of 60 head mixed cattle will be held on Wednesday next, 11th instant. This sale was postponed from Saturday last, m consequence of the inclement State of the weather. A meeting of the Tnranganui Lodge, No. 1480, E.C., will be held this evening, m the new lodge-room, at 8 p.m. sharp*. The adjourned meeting of the Turanganui Caledonian Club will be held this evening at the Club-room, at 8 o'clock, when all members are requestod to be present. Bromley and Buller will sell, to-morrow, under a bill of sale, on the premises lately occupied by Mr. O'Shannassy, the outfit of a livery stable-keeper. At a recent sitting of the Hokitika Borough Council a letter was received from 27 respectable citizens and ratepayers, drawing notice to the large number of applications for publicans' licenses of that district and asking the Council to make such representations to the Licensing Bench as would induce the limitation of issue of license to those hotelkeepers only who can (m addinion to good repute) provide the necessary accommodation for travellers m the way of beds, meals. &c. It so happens that the Hokitika Council comprise five publicans among its eight members, and some among them evaded the responsibility by arguing that it would be interfering with the police if the Council made the required recommendation. It need scarcely be said that these were not the proprietors of the best hotels m the borough. Writing on the subject of life assurance, a correspondent of the Wanganui Herald expresses surprise that the " free policy " system adopted by many of the chief English and American companies, is. not introduced into the colony. Under this system a policy never lapses. The payment of premiums is not for life, but is limited to 20 years, but of course if the assured die within the prescribed time his heirs receive the full amount of his insnrance. The peculiarity of the system is that each year's premium assures onetwentieth oi the total. If a man- be inaured for £1000, and he is unable, after the lapse of,* say, five years, to continue paying the premiums, .he is still insured for £250, which will be paid to his heirs at death, without any further premium. If he pays 10 years he is absolutely insured for £500, and so on. This system has become very popular where tried, and our Government might with advantage introduce it to the colony. A tradesman m the Wairarapa (says the Standard) who indulges m the pleasing occupation of keeping a shop, intends to only keep it open one-half the day. The reason assigned for taking this step is that he intends to go out to work the other half, that he may earn enough, to make up for what he loses on his business during his shop is open. It will be remembered that a short while ago the Hon. Mr. Sheehan was sued at the Resident's Magistrate's Court, Napier, by. the Bank of Australasia, on a dishonored promissory note for £80. The Auckland Herald says : — "lt is only* due to Mr. Sheehan that the facts should be stated. The bill m question was not, to the extent of one shilling, the private liability of Mr. Sheehan. It was given to cover a multitude of debts owing by natives to a local storekeeper. The amounts were payable by other parties for whom Mr. Sheehan only acted as agent. The summons was served on Mr. Sheehan as the steamer left the wharf m Wellington bringing him up to the Waikato meeting. He immediately informed the really responsible parties, and had no doubt that they had protected him. Considering that Mr. Sheehan has sacrificed entirely his private business to the public interest, it must be somewhat mortifying to him to have his name telegraphed over the colony as having been found liable on a dishonored bill." Truly the roof of the Athenaeum at Wellington covers a multitude — if not sins — of incongruities : Says the Post : — Last night for example, a devotional meeting was going on m one room, a ball m another, a meeting respecting a choral hall, drill shed, and gymnasium m another, while -m an adjoining apartment some experiments with the phonograph were being conducted. The solemnity of the prayer meeting was sadly disturbed by the gusts of profane melody which ever and anon swept into the room from the festive throng downstairs, while the gravity of the speakers at the public meeting was greatly upset by derisive cock-a-doodle-doos and infectious fits of laughter from the phonograph. . How the occupants of the reading-room managed to pursue their studies m the midst of these distracting influences is better imagined than described. It is reported, however, that much tearing of hair, and muttering of curses went on m that part of the instituf tion.