LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, 21 August 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Two letters, which appear m our issue of this afternoon, will require a reply from ■ Mr.: Woodbine Johnson, m .respect of an i alleged broken promise,' ' re the coming elections. . Our columns are as freely open "■ io-Rfr. Johnson as his accusers. ! . ; Members of the Skating Club are re- , minded that there will be a re-union this evening, at the Masonic Hall. As some misapprehension 'has existed as to the i precise night on which there would be a meeting, we are reqnested to make this intimation. ■' ■ The third of the series of Quadrille Assemblies will be held at the Masonic Hall, to-morrow (Friday) evening. ' The charge of Hot against'Matene Kaipau and others, was again proceeded with this morning at the R. M. Ourt, before Captain Gudgeon, R.M.. Messrs. Rogan and •Brassey appeared for the; prosecution, and Messrs. Rees and Nolan for the defence. Several Natives were examined for the defence, but there was nothing of a relevant nature relative to the charge elicited. We cannot say when the case will be "concluded, but as most of the witnesses have now been examined, it will possibly be terminated ibhis week. An amusing scene took place yesterday upon the occasion of the departure of the Hon. John Sheehan. The worthy host of the hotel honored by the Native Minister's patronage, on discovering that the hon. gentleman's score had not been paid, despatched a messenger at once to obtain payment. The hon. gentleman who did not appear m the least confused, and exhibited no signs of nervousness, stated that he was five shillings short of the amount required, whereupon 'a late legal colleague of his offered to become security. There was no alternative. The Native Minister hadn't got the money, but as his travelling expenses are allowed him, it is , probable the live shillings will be placed on the supple-, mentary estimates under the head of •'Ministerial Travelling Allowances." The weekly company parades of the Gisborne Rifles and J. Battery will be held at Macfarlarie's Hall . to-morrow evening. At the termination of the parades, the question of providing a suitable Volunteer drill-shed will be discussed, and steps taken to form 'a committee to make strenuous efforts m furtherance of that object. As the Government has signified its willingness to contribute £1 for £1, we think that not only the Volunteers but. the general public should take an active interest m the matter being aa it is a pressing local requirement, A Tasmanian journalist has arrived at Wellington with the special object of starting a Punch there. The Empire City should supply ample material for the elaboration of wit and humour, and offer many targets for the shaft of satire, but ifc. is a singular fact that hitherto comic publications have not thriven m New Zealand. Look at the inventions of 1878. The 1 magnetic writer ; the carbon telephone ; the phonograph ; the megaphone ; the phonometer ; the electric light ; and the microphone.

Onr local industries are so few, that when we meet with a genuine attempt to establish one, it then comes within our province to direct special attention t<j the particular enterprise. We find that Mr. J. B. Browne, of the Big River, has established a manufactory for the making of ships' bread, or m other words, ships' biscuits. We have not only been shown a sample, which m itself might mean very little, but we have been shown a dozen or more of large cases, all of which have found ready customers, and only await shipment. The biscuits are of a very superior quality to those of Auckland manufacture, while the price to ship purchasers is no higher, There is one thing which should recommend them to local buyers above and beyond all other considerations. This is, that the wheat which made the flour, which made the dough, which made the biscuits, was grown m Poverty Bay soil ; was ground at a Gisborne Flour Mill and conveyed to the manufactory at the Big River ma. locally-owned boat. We have tried the biscuits aw natural. Not with cheese and bottled porter ; nor with any flavoring accompaniments. We tried them m their naked condition, and pronounce them excellent. Crisp, but not hard ; well baked, but still of a good wheaten color — a biscuit that will not be severe upon the ivories, but still requires the palm of one hand to hold it while the other divides it into smaller portions. Therefore, on the whole, we think it is our duty to recommend Mr. J. E. Browne's locally-manufactured biscuits to public notice. Mr. M. G. Nasmith'B row of shops, with convenient offices, demanded our inspection this morning, which is only a little before they receive, above and below, the finishing touches previous to being occupied by tenants are completed. There are three .very tastefully built shops, which comprise the ground floor. Orie of these is occupied by Mr. Nasmith himself, as a'jeweller's and watchmaker's. The shop to the right and the other to the left will be shortly tenanted. Above the basement floor are. ten officeSj all distinct one from the other,several of which have been rented by tenants, who only await the drying of paint and completion of papering before occupying them. The Gladstone Chambers, for this is the name they will iv future be known by, are so centrally situated, that they will shortly be known .as the commercial and professional offices of Gisborne. We can only wish that Mr. Nasmith's enterprise will meet with all the" success its spirited proprietor can look for. The Watch Maori offers balm and consolation to the shopkeepers at Napier, while slyly inserting a word for its own interests. ♦•Napier, we are informed," says our dusky contemporary, "will shortly be visited by a few hundred Natives from Whanganui and the West Coast, with money IN their pockets. It was determined by the parties interested to have the titles to a large blook of land m the Fatea district, called Otamakapua, investigated m the Land Court, but a dispute arose as to where the Court should sit, one party being m favor of one place and the other of another place. As neither would give way the matter was referred to Renata Kawepo, who decided that the investigation should take place m the Court .at Napier. A payment of some thousands of ; pounds, we believe, ' has lately been made to them ou account of land, a considerable proportion of which we have no doubt«will be spent m Napier. We therefore suggest that the intelligent traders of this town advertise their goods by distributing largely among these visitors neat Maori handbills Printed at the Office, oi 1 the WakaMaori. The man who, distributes the greatest number of handbills will surely take the greatest amount of cash. We make no charge for translation." Very good indeed ! As several thousand pounds will be paid to Poverty Bay Natives m a few days by the Land Purchase Commissioner, we also suggest to "intelligent traders " of Gisborne to advertise their goods m the Herald and by distributing neat Maori hand-bills printed at this office, the benefits will be immediate and palpable. . Notwithstanding the agitation being kept up iv Victoria by the Catholic Union against the State schools, "it has transpired that three-fourths of the Catholic children of the school-going age are being educated iq them. The Melbourne Leader makes some strong comments on the . policy adopted by the Catholics, m making every other question of policy subservient to that of education. It says:— "Are they content with'the position they are asked to take up ? Are they willing to become strangers and aliens m our midst, to cut themselves off from their fellows at the ballot boxj and to vote according -to the-., dictation not of their own judsjment as to what is best for the colony, but according to the dictation of a power not only outside the community, but indifferent to political interests. How would they like to' be taken at their word? How iike to hear someone start the question, — Well, if you will act like aliens you shall be treated as aliens? This Catholic agitation is not only unreasonable* unpatriotic and foolish ;it is fruitless also. To quote one of their own speakers : " Service is worse than, Berry." I? they turn the present Ministry out, and thenext afterit, they will be no nearer their end. No Government dare take office which would grant their claims, and all they can hope to do is to confuse our poli tical situation, and prevent reform and the progress of necessary legislation."