Poverty Bay herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE : THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1883. THE PROPOSED TRAMWAY SCHEME.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume X, Issue 2035, 15 November 1883, Page 2

Poverty Bay herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE : THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1883. THE PROPOSED TRAMWAY SCHEME.

Some time ago efforts were made to induce the Borough and County Councils to co-operate in getting a tramway laid to Patutahi for the purpose of bringing down limestone for metalling purposes. But for various reasons the overtures made could not be entertained. At the last meeting of Cook County Council, the tramway question was again brought to the fore in the Chairman, Cr. Chambers, giving notice of motion — " That at its next meeting the Council take into consideration the advisability of advertising throughout the Colony for tenders to lay down a permanent tramway from the town boundary to the Patufcahi quarry, offering to tenderers the sole right of haulage of metal, goods, and passengers at rates for a term of years." There are many arguments thac may be used in support of such a proposal. In view of the town of Gisborne growing in importance as a commercial centre as the surrounding country becomes more generally settled, and its resources developed, there will naturally arise a desire on the part of commercial men and private residents to erect buildings of material of a more durable nature than timber. There is no doubt stone would long ago have been utilised for building purposes had it been accessible ; but now that Government have reserved the splendid limestone quarry at Patutahi, and handed it over to the local authorities for the benefit and requirements of this locality, there are no longer any reasonable grounds for leaving the mountains of stone lying embedded where nature has deposited them. It is also patent to everyone that better material is required for macadamising the highways than that so largely used in the past, and therefore the existence of such a supply is a boon of incalculable benefit to the future of botJi town and country. The question now perm£U D g the minds of County Councillors is one ? e Wft^ flnJ mems ' The Council is afflicteu wlfch , tha^ epidemic so general in the North Islanu known as " tightness of the chest," and therefore unable, of its own resources, to utiliso in a manner calculated to impart the greatest good to the largest number the material the roads require to make them thoroughly serviceable. They have no money wherewith to lay a tramway to the northern quarry at Patutahi and construct a bridge across the creek, and, in order to utiliso as far as possible the stone, they propose to commence operations at the southern quarry, a point in close proximity to the road. Last week we adduced several arguments against that proposal ; since then the County Engineer has reported adversely to that proposi-

tion, one reason being that a formidable swamp intervenes between the road and the quarry which would require the expenditure of a very large sum of money upon it to make a roadway for dray traffic. If the County Council can be the medium of putting into practice the proposition of which notice of motion has been given by the County Chairman, the County would be relieved of j a very heavy expenditure, and the end ] desired attained. Not only could the metal be brought from the quarry, but the public requirements met in affording easy, and yet cheap passenger communication and goods traffic along the line of route between Gisborne and Ormond. For the construction of a permanent tramway there is not a better line of road in the world. Between Gisborne and Ormond we have level country. The roadway is sufficiently wide to admit of the running of trams without interfering with the accommodation provided for vehicles. The formation, then, of a good, powerful company, subsidised by the Count} 1 Council — and probably by the Borough Council — could not fail, in view of the large quantity of wool and other produce to be brought down, the quantities of which are annually increasing, with the revenue they would obtain from the haulage of stone for building, masonary, and metalling purposes, together with the passenger and merchandise traffic, to make the tramway from Gisbprne to Ormond and Patutahi a payable concern. In the interests of the settlers of Cook County, County Councillors should unanimously support the motion to be discussed at their next meeting.

The sewing done by the girls attending the ] Gisborne Public School will be on view to the parents and to the public on Friday afternoon in the new school room. At the R.M. Court this morning, Richard Bullen was fined ss, with 5s costs, for a breach of the Borough by-lawa by leading his horse on the footpath. The five silver cups presented by Captain Porter, Mayor-elect, to be competed for by the Rowing Club crews on St. Andrew's Day, on the occasion of the Hospital Fete, are now on view in the window of Messrs. Good Bros., jewellers. They are very handsome cups. Supplementary mails for the United Kingdom, Continent of Europe, and America, via San Francisco, will close on Saturday, the 17th of November, at 7 p.m., far transmission to Auckland per Rinyarooma. We publish the following proposition again, which was proposed by Mr. Kenny, seconded by Mr. Joyce, and carried, at the last meeting of the Harbor Board, as there seems to be some misunderstanding as to its nature : — " That Messrs. Common, Shelton and Co. be written and informed that they will be liable to a penalty of £20 for each offence if they continue to load, discharge, or land goods at any other than the mentioned place as stated in Clause 9 of By-law 2, unless they make special arrangements with the Harbor Board under Clause 11 of the said by-law.

In accordance with arrangements previously made, His Honor Judge Brookfield went over the river this morning to Rutene's house (the latter being too ill to attend the Court) to take evidence with respect to the boundary between Rutene's party and Riperata's party of owners in the Kaiti Block. His Honor, it will be remembered, with the unanimous assent of all parties, was asked to act as arbitrator between the parties. Up to the time of going to press, no agreement had been arrived at, although one had been suggested by His Honor.

At a meeting of the Library Committee held last evening, the balance-sheet of the late Exhibition was submitted by the hon. treasurer as follows : — Receipts : Doors, refreshment bar and catalogues, £66 12a 9d ; season tickets, £10 10s ; art union, £54 ; donation from the Sable Orphans, £10 10a ; advertisements, £3 17s 6d, and donations, £11 19s 6d. Total, £157 9s 9d. Expenditure : Insurance, £2 14s lid ; cartage, £4 12s 6d; goods art union, £26 16s; decoration, £2 ; refreshments, £4 5s lOd ; music, £1 5s ; labor, £4 16s ; clerical assistance, £6; printing and advertising, £23 ; contingences, £7 4s ; stationery, 14s. Cr. balance, £74 Is 6d. Total, £157 9s 9d. The balance-sheet was duly audited by Mr J. Warren and adopted by the Committee, who are to be congratulated upon so successful a result to their labors.

Mr. S. M. Wilson, of the Albtou Club Hotel, has again given another proof of his enterprise by importing to the bay, now numbering his 18th vehicle, two English, ladies pheatons, which we inspected this morning. They are very lightly constructed, but nevertheless strongly built. One is by Kello, of Guildford, fitted with Collins patent axles, upholstered with brown cloth, and hair stuffing, equipped with the latest make of lampa, sidowings to catch the mud, and with English fore-carriage. The other has been built by Bloss, of Croydon, near London, also fitted with Collins pateut axles, upholstered with blue cloth, hair stuffed cushions, and turned out with all the latest improvements. These pretty little pheatons will carry four passengers each, are only raised a short distance from the ground, and can be drawn by either one or two ponies. In addition to the two vehicles, Mr Wilson has also imported two set 3of harness, fitted with White's patent, which simplifies all fastenings. In the introduction of these vehicles, the enterprising proprietor of the Albion Livery Stables has met a want long felt by the ladies of the town of Gisborne.

We have received the twenty -third annual report of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, to December, 1882. It is a volume containing 286 pages of facts and figures, In addition to the branch now formed at Gisborne, we notice there are branches at Ashburton, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Oamaru, Timaru, aud Wellington. The total value of the funds and other property belonging to the Society at the end of the last financial year was L 52.112 15s 10£ d, or L2 los s|d per member. The receipts of the year were L 49,363 ; the disbursements, L 43.035, out of which L 1,640, 640 had been paid in aid of those who had met with accidents, and L 2,238 to the burial fund. Forty-two members were admitted into the New Zealand branches during the year, the membership being 261. The total amount paid in benefits since the formation of the Society to unemployed, for purchase of tools, the sick, for funerals, accidents, superannuation, trade privileges, benevolent grants, and loans to other trades is L 414.465.

There have been heavy floods, occasioned by the recent rains, at Paeroa and the lowlying districts of Upper Thames, which have caused serious damage. The Huming of the Karangahake battery has been carried away, and with a large quantity of timber stacked at the battery. Three of the brjdgOß on the Waihi road are carried away, and tjie cor^munipation is stopped. A large quantity of timber tying on the landing at X J aeroa, for Alfred Shepherd's new hotel at Karangahake was also swept away by the flood. In crossing the Komata on Saturday, Mr F, Qwk b hai} > yarrow escape of his life. ]VJr Jtiely, of who'was following btoi,"h«4 to turn t>JM>k. A large quantity of ■*•* Waitefoim battery fluinjng ja carried t... *fc Paci'Oa the rjyer j-qsjc seven feat away. z*. ~«t &$ hour, The s,maii in about a quartet •* wei'e moved bridges en the Katikati roau " —*-v from their position. All tho large Couuv,, bridges aro safe. The Prince of Wales plays the banjo, the Princess Louise touches the light guitar, the Princess of Wales accompanies the Duchess of Tcck on the piano when she sings her contralto songa (aud at one time accompanied Nilsson), the Duke of Edinburgh is a virtuoso on the violin, and the Duch 3ss is able to turn the pages of a full score, while the Duke of Albany is a sound theoretical and historian musician. Queen Victoria herself has played many a clnet with Mendelssohn, and her musical subjects in Poverty Bay drink Allanach and Hanson's ale and stout an their favorite refresh incuts when engaged at musical entertainments.

A recent issne of the Capo Argus says :—- --" The number of people anxious to obtain passage to Australia and New Zealand is on the increase to such an extent as to make this exodus to other colonies a matter of serious concern to all who have the interest of this country at heart. There canuot be a doubt that a very large number of one of the most useful classes in the community-^the skilled artisan class— are leaving the country. It is to be hoped that such a tide of prosperity will soon set in again as will hold out inducements to these and all intending emigrants to remain in South Africa." Next to stealing from a church robbing o clergyman must be considered the most unpardonable offence ; but an instance of this crime which came before the City Court recently did not subject the offenders to 1 punishment. " Travel acquaiuts a man with strange c friends,' " and a clergyman on a visit to Melbourne proved the truth of the poet's words. By some unexplained conjunction of circumstances the rev. gentleman came to be parading the streets in the incongruous compauy of an actress and a barmaid, and as a natural consequence the police were J subsequently informed that the rev. gentle j man had been robbed. The offending damsels were duly arrested, but the rev. victim failed to appear to prosecute, and they were discharged. It i 8 stated on good authority that turf can be successfully laid in dry and hot sum mer weather ty simply covering it wh-n finished, before it gets too dry, witli about a quarter of an inch of light soil put through a half inch sieve. The grass begius to grow through the soil in a very few days. The growing relations between church and stage may be judged by the following paragraph from an American paper :— " A new building atCiunbridge, Maryland, is a theatre and church combined, with scenery and footlights for dramatic use, and in the centre is a large trap out of which an altar is raised on Sundays and other holy dayß for Roman Catholic services. The exterior bears a steeple."