Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1891.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6025, 24 March 1891, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1891.

A DYING KICK.

The recent disturbance at Clermont is almost a certain sign of ...the. collapse of the .shearers' strike in Queensland. The resort to violence not only shows the badness of the cause, but it is a practical acknowledgment of the Unionists that their causo is hopeless. The shearers cannot be so devoid of in. telligence and thought as to believe that they will obtain their ends by revolutionary means. Victory obtained in- that way would almost ruin the pastoral industry of Queensland, besides loosening the very foundations of society. Every intelligent matt in Quse»ia)aud must feel that the welfare of th'o country depends upon the maintenance of law and order. If the shoareis ware a large body of the population ground down by tho existing industrial state of affairs, and if at the pame time they saw no hope of obtaining relief by peaceable methods, there would be some excuse for reporting to violence ; but there is positively nothing which can be put forward in extenuation for the disgraceful proceedings which took place a few days ago in the neighborhood of Clermont. The Queensland shearers, as frequently pointed out, are the best; paid body of unskilled laborers in the world, and they have nothing to complain in the treatment accorded to them by their employ- , ers. The whole disturbance has arisen j out of the demand of the Shearers' Union that the pastoralists shall forego freedom of contract, and thus place themselves at the mercy of the most reckless and irresponsible body of workmen in the cojonjes, The interests Involved are 100

great to permit of compliance with that order. The Queensland squatters have the moral support of the greit body of their fellow-colonists in resisting the demands of the Uuion* and no Government would be worth a rush th it did not use all the powers of the State if necessary to repress riotous proceedings. The Queensland Government has merely done ita duty by despatching a sufficient force t^the disturbed district to maintain order and protect life and property. The miscreants who wantonly destroyed private and public property had only to be confronted with the organised forces of the Stato to be at once convinced that they were engaged in a hopeless struggle. It is frequently said tlvit a few firebrands tire primarily responsible for the extreme methods adopted, and that by far the larger number of the strikers are not free agents owing to the state of terrorism in which they are placed. But men who under the influence of terrorism will commit outrages are quite as worthless and as dangerous enemies of society as the instigators. The howling and cowardly mob that surrounded Sergeant Dillon should each and all be punished, although unfortunately such an extensive application of justice is not practicable. If there is a spark of manliness amongst the shearers who were present on the occasion, the murderous stone thrower who at the distance of a few paces took deliberate aim at the brave police officer will be handed over to the law. But probably the majority sympathise with the scoundrel, and regret that the sergeant so luckily escnped. Fire-raising is a worse off«ne<? ■ than personal violence, because there is ! less risk of detection. In a sun -scorched country like Queensland the harm that may be wrought by incendiaries is incalculable. The sheepfarmers of that colony cannot afford to run any additional risks. Mr Young, who has been largely instrumental in organising the Pastoral Association of Australia, stated recently that those who invested hi sheepfarming in Queensland did not obtain a laryer return on their outlay than they would receive if they had lodged tho money in a bank. It is, therefore, plain that the shearers and other employees in the tropical colony are as well paid as the earnings of the pastoral industry will per- j mit. If an end does not speedily come to the disturbed condition of affairs, moat assuredly capitalists will refuse to embark their money in the pastoral industry, and thus there will be less employment for shearers and others. The disaffected Unionists are acting madly against their own interests in attempting to paralyse the industry by which they get their own living. Why, a profit-unarms* arrangement would give less remuneration than the wages now earned by those willing to work. The audited statement of accounts of the frisborne Harbour Board, for the year ending 3lßfc December, 1890, are published in another column. This morning information was laid by the police against a business man in town for cruelty in having a number of fowls cooped up one on top of the other from Saturday until Monday. The secretary to the Gisborne Rowing Club Athletic Carnival informs us tint Mr Jas. Eaton, champion five mile skater of New Zei'and, h '8 consented to compete in a skating race to be held at tlio carniral tomorrow night week. The Native who was principal in the quar el in Gladstone road yesterday afternoon, and who created most of the noise, was named Nikora Kori Paura. His excitement did not cease, and so Const. Brooking arrested him for being disorderly whilst drunk. Nikora had great objection to the whareherere and resisted, with which offence he was also charged before Mr Matthewson, J.P., this morning. He pleaded guilty, and Colonul Porter speaking as to his good character, ha was let off lightly, the Justice inflicting a fine of 5s and Is cab fare. Fears are again entertained for the safety of the fishing boat Don. The Don left Tolft^o the night before last and has not since shown up. The wind has been blowing strongly from the west, and it is likely the little craft hia been blown out to sea. Mr Loisel states that yesterday from the rang s thia side of Tolago he saw a sail which he thought to be that of a small boat, though ib »v s so minute that he could barely distinguish it. [Since the above was in type the Don reached Gisborne, arriving in the river late this afternoon.] The annual meeting of the St. Andrew's Literary Society was held last evening in the Presbyterian Church, the Rev Mr Ryburn presiding Mr T. Adair rend the report of the outgoing committee, which stated that thirteen meetings had been hold during the last session. The ordinary attendance had not been so good as during the previous session, but this waa accountable in the want of a president, through the Church being without a resident minister. The membership was 17, the average attendance being 11. Interesting lectures were given by the Rev R. Williams, and Mr Hugo, and proved very successful, attracting on each occasion a 1 rge attendance of the public. Essays had been given by Messrs Smaill, Evans, Armstrong, and M'Callum There had been three issues of the manuscript journal, but the editor had not received such assistance as was wished for. The short essays delivered during the session were exceptionally good, the essayists b ing Misses Sntherlaud, A. Evans, and Rack, and Messrs Rosie and Parnell. Two interesting biographical sketches had also boon given, one on Tennyson by Miss Adair, and one on Milton by Miss Kvans. Other evenings had been devoted to readings, recitations, etc., while the annual soiree on May 6 was very successful. The report mentioned the loss the Society had sustained by the departure of Messrs Smaill and J, J hnston, who had from tho first taken great interest in the work and given much assistance. In conclusion the committee tendered warm thanks for the support accorded during the session. Owing to the small attendance the election of officers was deferred until a further meeting to be held ou Thursday week, when it is hoped all members who possibly can will be present. A correspondent writes us suggesting that the Rugby Union might well take into consideration the necessity of holding all meetings of football clubs at some place other than a public-house, certainly under different circumstances to the manner in which these meetings have been held hitherto. It is well known, he says, that nearly nil meet' ings -of athletic clubs take pbice in the room of an hotel, which is supplied free \y the publican on the understanding that aa soon as the meeting is over all present "shake for drinks," otherwise, play Yankee crab, which for the knowledge of the uninitiated is : Each person present puts one shi'ling in the pool and the dice are supplied by the hotelkeoper and thrown, and whoever throws the highest number takes the pool and piys for drinks, which are supplied all round to the crowd. The publican is thus paid for fchc use of hia room by the profit ou his liquors. The evil of this manner of meeting is this, that it induces many young fellows to drink and gamble who otherwise would not, for with the idea that the hotel!* eeper ought to be paid for his room they do not like to stand out from putting their shillings in. Everyone knows how c sily some young fellows are led away, <>nd it should be tho aim of all associations for the advancement of matTy sport to tuke away all alluring temptations from the young fellows who are members. Very oftep thoae who attend these meetings do not etop at one th»w of thdice or ono drink, but remain at the hofce , or whafc it worse, make a round of the bare. It is ra,ther ft shocking fact that a great deal of drinking takes place hero amongst mere boys of respectable parents, »nd the writer says he has heard of instances where men have left the bare in disgust when they saw several youths enter and oali for their whiskies. It is a shame that the publicans supply these young fellows with drink, and those who are older and have more sense should seriously consider the example which they set the youtha. Were the athletic cluht to remove their place of meeting from the hotels fche influence could not but be beneficial. Temptation to drink should be kept tmfc of ihe way of those, above all others, who are catering upon the threshold of Jjfe.

At a committee meeting of the Gisborne Junior Ro ving Club he d last evening, tho fo lowing crews were selectcj to represent , the club at the regatta • — F. Muir (stroke}, j P. Keid (3), D. Watt (2), J. Morell (bow) ; E. Wilkiuson (stroke), F. Henderson (3), H. Smith (2), H. Johnston (bow). The schooner Maud Graham left the other day for Tokomaru, but returned to-lay to obtain a boat to assist in the shipment of cargo at that place. The Maud Graham is to take on boa^d the plant of ihe Southern Cross Petroleum Company, and to convey it to Christclmroh. The date of Mr M. Hall's sa eat Waerenga ii-hika was printed last evening as Thursday, 28th instant, instead of 26th. This will be a capital opportunity for anyone desirous of purchasing a first-class dairy cow, as all those offered are guaranteed as being in fill! milk. Several hacka, eto., wM also be offered for sale. Serious complaints are made at the wharf by all connected with shipping that the ►crthage accommodation is insufficient. There are -a preseut iv port ten vessels. including lighters, all with cargo to discharge or reoeive, and the wh rf on the town Bide will only accommodate three, and that on the breakwater side one of them. Thoa« who have to wait for berths complain most bitterly, as it is a matter of moment to them to g-t d, quick desp >.tch from tho port, for if bad weather come on they are detained perhaps a week. These small vessels, running cheap freights, lose very con&idernbly by detention owing to want of conveniences at the port Our VVaipiro correspondent wires stating that Hohepa te Pere, who was committed for trial fur larceny from the peraon, and who esciiped from gaol on Friday night, was re-captured yesr.enl y afternoon. The police with a party of Natives under Tufct Nihoniho went out and searched for Hohepa, Constable Gerrard and Pekanu Waiti found him hidden in a bush at Akuaku, three miles from Waiptro. He wap brought to safe custody, and thia morning was to have been taken before Mr VVaHiB, J.P., and charged with prison breaking.