Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1892.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6295, 16 February 1892, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1892.

THE GOVERNOR AND HIS ADVISERS. Eakl Onslow takes his departure from the capital to-morrow, and in a few days more his official connection with the colony will be at an end. During his three years' | stay here he did not let the grass grow under his feet in making himself accjuainted with the natural features and resources of the country. The retiring Governor is an able, observant, and active man. Ue came to New Zealand to obtain colonial experience, and he has mado the best use of his time. Mr Ballance, at the Wellington farewell banquet, expressed a hope that Lord Onslow would yet occupy a hiech position in tho Home Government ; but his political advancement for some years to come will greatly depend upon the result of the next general election for the House of Commons. He is a Conservative, and should the Gladstone party shorty return to power. Lord Onslow's promotion to a seat in the "English Cabinet will most likely be deferred until a change in public opinion again places the Conservative p:irty in power. The retiring Governor was formerly Under-Secret-uy for the Colonies in the Salisbury Ministry, and afterwards Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade. Before he came to New Zealand he was looked upon i s one of the most promising of the younger members of the Conservative party. H'"s colonial career has been moat successful, and in relation to his prospects will more than make up for his temporary ceveranco from Home politics. The affairs of Greater Britain are every day filling a larger space in the eyes of Imperial statesmen In the near future knowledge of the colonies will probably be considered of more importance in a public man than acquaintance with the affairs of the Continent of Europe. Lord Onslow stands an excellent chance of being Colonial Secretary in the next Conservative Governmon — perhaps in the present one if the general election which is fast approaching. His Excellency during the whole of his time in New Zealand has been on excellent terms with his responsible advisers. The difference he has had within the past few days with Ministers on the question of appointments to the Legislative Council most probably has not in any degree disturbed the good feeling. Tim Premier must have been fully aware that tho Governor would not consent to flooding the Upper Chamber with new members. The theory of some people is that the sole business of a Governor is to register the decrees of tho party in power for the time being. Lord Onslow has practically disposed of that notion. There is no limit to the number of Legislative Councillors. If the claim of the Ballance Government w«rc- admitted to make fifteen appointman's, an equal right could | not reasonably be denied to successive Governments. Supposing Lord Onslow had acceded to the request of his Ministers, it is quite possible that tho Trades and Labor Councils would not be satisfied, and thus the necessity for fresh creations might be pressed upon Ministers. In that case, another batch might be presented for appointment to Lord Glasgow. If the real truth wcro known, it would probably be found that Mr Ballance and his colleagues are moro pleased than dissutistied at Lord Onslow's refusal to •'swamp the Council." There will be less intense disappointment amongst Ministerial supporters, especially in Trades and _ Labor circles. The question is to be re- : legated to the next Governor, and it is quite on the cards that he will refuse to fulfil the large order of Ministers. There is nothira in the political pituutioi) which

warrants such a grent chatigu as that coti> templated. The Government disclaim all intentionß of entering upon an extreme policy. In fact, Ministers are finding that the best policy for themselves and for tho country, is to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. It is even quite possible that the Land and Income Tax will not be collected, for it is perfectly clear that it will not by a long way brine; in the sum yielded by the Property Tax ; and the Treasurer cannot afford any large loss of revenue. Tho addition of fifteen members to the Legislative Council would in one way and another cost at least L3OOO, an outlay which is thoroughly unnecessary.

The Inspector of Nuisances (Mr Faram) has, we believe, drawn up a report on the sanitary condition of the da : ries in town, which will be submitted to the Borough Council at this evening's ircet'ig. " Enquirer " asks : " Who is third heir in succession to the English throne ?" Tlie Duchess of Fife, through having married a subject, is barred altogether by the Act of Settlement. The third now in succession is Victoria, second daughter of the Pr.' ice of Wales. Miss Stewart, matron of the Hospital, who is confined to her bed with au attack of typhoid fever, continues to maintain her strength, and the fever has slightly abated. It has not yet reached its crisis, however. The muggy weather which has been experienced of late must be very trying to those laid up on beds of sickness. A large hawk was noticed yesterday afternoon hovering over the Gas Works with some prey in its beak. This was dropped, and on a workman running to where the object fell he found ?j wee wild duckling swimming about in aVat of water, into which it had falleu uninjured. The little stranger has taken up its abode at the works, and is rapidly becoming acclimatised to those sultry regions. It should be unnecessary to remind stockowiiers and others of the great sale of sheep by Messrs Common, Shelton, and Co., which is to bo held at their new yards, near Waercnga-a-hika, to-morrow. The sale will lie by far the largest ever held on this Coast, and as there is a good demand for sheep the competition is certain to be spirited. The weather now promises to be fine for the sale, and do doubt there will be a large attendance of settlers. The annual general meeting of the Gisboi ac Gas Company was held at the Company's office at the works last evening, where there were present — Messrs W. Maude (in the chair), T. Chrisp, J. Townley, G. F. Butt, H. J. Finn, E. J. Chrisp, C. P. Davies, and Mrs Butt. The report of the directors and statement of accounts were taken as read and adopted, the payment of a dividend of lOd per share for the half -year being thus confirmed. Messrs T. Chrisp, G. F. Butt, and H. J. Finn were unanimously re-elected directors, and Messrs C. P. Davies and E. J. Chrisp were re-appointed auditors. The meeting then terminated. Captain Nicholas, of the schooner Waiapu, this morning made complaint to Mr Townley, Chairman of the Harbor Beard, regarding the insufficient wharf accommodation at the port, and this led to an investigation by the Chairman into the matter. Mr Townloy found the bcrthage space all occupied, the Waiapu being moored to the wharf on the breakwater side of the river. This wharf is so blocked with timber that there is not space there for the discharge of the Waiapu's cargo, and it is alleged that some of the timber and posts on that wharf have been allowed to remain there for a week or two. The Chairman's instructions were that the material be cleared away, and Mr Townley also came to the condition that the Waiapu might have been berthed alongside another vessel on the Gisborne side of the river. The question of wharf accommodation, however.is one that seriously demands the attention of the Board, for of late complaints from masters of vessels have been numerous. Captain Page, of the schooner Gisborne, made complaint that his vessel was kept here three days owing to tlie inability to put ballast on board. Such a loss of time to these sailing craft is annoying and expensive, and at a comparatively small cost to the Board could be avoided. We have just heard a story illustrative of the cruel manner in which a well-known guileless, unsophisticated, and philanthropic Wellington lawyer was deceived by a wicked Maori. The heartless savage went to the luminary in quession and borrowed from him some few hundred of pounds, repayment of which was duly secured by a mortgage on the Maori's valuable property in favor of the lawyer's better half. After a time the wicked Maori returned, requesting a further advance, but the legal philanthropist couldn't sec it, and at the expiration of the term for winch tlie money was lent, no interest being forthcoming, foreclosed. Then it was found that the unprincipled colored man had sold his interest in that property many years before the mortgage was executed. Without doubt the Caucasian is played out. — Catholic Times. Tlie Christchurch Committee on the Chicago Inhibition report that "as there is little probability of New Zealand exhibitors doin 1 .; business 'in America, nor any good likely to result therefrom, there is not sufficient inducement for them to exhibit." Just so. It would be a mere reckless waste of money to expend one sixpence of the public funds" on such a venture. Tlie United Slat". have so fenced themselv-s round with stiff protective tariffs that her exhibitions cm only be regarded as decoys, intended to show her ow.i resources and entrap customers to her ovrn shop. — Dunedin Star. (ireat dissatisfaction is felt regarding the recent law examination, which was the first conducted under the auspices of of the New Zealand University. The paper in criminal law is said to have been of such a catchy character that not a third of the practising bar could have passed in it, and all, or nearly all, the candidates, nearly 70 in number, were plucked in it. A general impression seems to prevail that the candidates were not fairly treated, or their real attainments properly tested in the examination. We, Auckland Star, are glad to notice that Miss Lilian Edger, M.A., is a candidate for election to one of the vacant seats at the Auckland Board of Education. More than one half the scholars and two thirds of the teachers are of the feminrne sex, and yet they have no dist : ictive representation at the "governing body. This is not the case in (heat Britain, where a considerable proportion of the Boards include women ainon« their membership, an addition which is found to have very great advantages. At the recent election for the London School Board the Tower Hamlets 'districts returned Mrs Ruth Homan at the head of the poll with a majority of 2,251, the candidate poll-ng no fewer than H,2!il votes. Miss Davenport Hill was elected for the c!iy, and Miss M. A. Ere for Finsbury. Miss Edger has pecular claims upon the electors, possessing the distinction of being the first lady admitted to M.A. degree in New Zealand. A Wanganui farmer was asked the other day what the land about there was worth. " Almut £13 an acre," he answered. Said the Hawke's Bay i»a". " What per centage on your invested capital do you reckon to make V" The farmer stared hard, aud replied, "I don't quite understand you." Hawke's Bay man : — "I mean, what rate of interest do you get on your capital." " Rate of ' iterest ! Do you mean, what I makes besides tucker ?" " Yes " " Lor', bless you, nothing. We just live by trying t« make a sixpence out of our neighbors. We run about from sale to sale to pick up a sheep or a cow, which we hope to sell at a shilling or two more than we gave for it." The Hawke's Bay man was not impressed with farming on the West Coast. Thk Weather. — Weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. to-day : Wind between north and east and south-east at all places northward of Napier, Taupo, and Manukau, and between north-east and north and west at all other places. Sea heavy on eastern and increase on western coast. Warnings for easterly gales after 12 to £0 hours have been sent to all places northward of Napier, Taupo, and Raglan, and for northerly gales to all other places. Synopsis of last 24 hours: Throughout the country the barometer has risen slowly, and strong Avesterly winds have been prevalent. — R. A. Edwin. What should you say to an incursion of Russian Jews ? Uo, tlie thing is not at all beyond the 'bounds of possibility. The Russo-Jewish Committee sitting in London state in their first report that New Zealand "appears to present a fair field," though the voyage is terribly costly.— London cor} respondent.

% tha Iteaident Magistrate o1 Auckland ha« decided that "tin bread" does not come under the denomination of " French bread," and has fined a baker 40s for not having his ■'tin bread" full weight. This has been brought about by the Act of last session, and bakers will therefore stop making " tin bread." At Kakanui during the flood Mr Arthur was awakened at one o'clock, and on getting out of bed stepped into water up to his knees. He had great difficulty in getting his wife and family out of the house into a two story stone building, which stood adjacent. They remained in the top story till rescued. The house was then in the waste of waters. There was 7£f t of water around the house. Describing the work of Balvage at the s.s. Rotomahana, a Lau naeston exchange says : — The tugs Wybia, Ea^le, and Racer got fast to the s.s. ilotomahaua at high tide, and pulled at the vessel at full speed for some time. The Ea^le and Racer pulled astei-i, while the Wybia, which was of lighter draught, towed on the starbor.rd quarter. The telegram posted at the local telegraph office in the afternoon was not assuring, stating as it did that " At 12.00 p.m. the tugs Wybia, Ea^le, and Racer failed to move the s.s. Rotomahana ; still aground on the spit." During the afternoon, the harbormaster, Captain J. J. Bradley, at Tamar Heads, forwarded a telegram, stating that the tugs had succeeded at the midday tide in moving the vessel about 30 feet, when the hawser iixed to the Wybia parted. The tugs a^ain made fast at full tide, and put on all steam, finally succeeded in pulling the vessel into deep water at 11 o'clock. The position of the vessel was tliou'jht to be very serious the previous morning, inconsequence of the appearance of her being so fast amidships, but the full power of the tiujs satis-facloi-Uy mastered the situation. The Eagle and Racer, which are two of the most powerful tu^s in the Southern seas, have done their work woU. The Ea^le is the p/operJy of Messrs Huddart, Parker and Co. , aud the Racer that of the Melbourne Coal Company." The Oamaru Times of lost Tuesday states : — Early yesterday morning Mr Watson, of Reidston, rode into town and informed Sergeant O'Grady that owing to the rapidity with which the river had risen lives were endangered, that several families and a number of men were imprisoned by the rapidly rising waters. Sergeant O'Grady at once saw the Mayor, and with that gentleman interviewed Mr Crombie and Cipta ; -i Sewell. The result was that a boat was conveyed to Maheno by train, and with this Mr A. Dixon, his wife, and two children were rescued, as were also Mrs D. Hay and family, Mr Hay remaining behind. Sergeant O'Grady was accompanied to Maheno by the Mayor, Sergeant Dwyer, and Messrs Crouch, Gruppelaur, Cooper, and Luxon, the four latter going as the boat's crew. Mr A. Thomson's slaughter works stood in the flood, the hands having been driven from their tents in the early morning, five to seek refuge in a meat van and six in the slaughter-house. An attempt was made to rescue them. The boat, held by a rope, was allowed to drift dov. _i to the meat van, and the five men got moo her, and one from the slaughter-house also managed to get aboard. At this moment the boat was carried by the current round the van and sunk. Five of the men, after some risk, managed to get back to the meat van, but one (George Rait) was carried some 50 or GO yards down the stream till he came to a fence, which he managed to hold on to. Mr J. Cooper made several attempts to reach him, but failed, and from another paint of the line a rope wo.-, th.own to him, which he tied around his waist. He was then drawn through the water towards the shore, but the rope becoming entangled in a fence Rait ran great danger of being drowned, till Mr Adamson, a resident of the locality, pluckily rushed into the water, and gettiug hold of Rait, both were drawn ashore. At this stage the river began to fall rapidly, and it was thought be3t to delay operations till the river went dow;i. In the eveirnjj a rope was passed to the men, and they walked through the now shallower water to a place of safety. The boat, which broke adrift, was secured by Mr J. Dallas, of Kakanui, who swam in after it. It was found to have had a hole knocked i i its bottom.