Poverty Bay Herald.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6785, 23 September 1893, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald.

GISBORNE, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1893. THE WORKS STATEMENT. The Public Works Statement puts the financial position of the colony in a most favorable light. There has been no borrowing since 1887, yefc for the year 1893-4, the Government can afford to appropriate nearly L 700.000 for pablic vroika purposes. Both the Ministry and the colony are to be congratulated on the general position of affairs, though we cannot congratulate Mr Seddon on his references to the Opposition party ; but misrepresentation of opponents is one of his characteristics. We merely gave a summary of the Statement, thus saving our readers from wading through a mass of figures and details very difficult to follow. The full text shows that the Premier gives the whole credib to the Government for the non-borrowing policy. That is bad enough, but when he goes on to state that the present Opposition declared that the colony could not get on without further resorting to the money market, he positively eclipses himself in the line for which he has made himself distinguished above all other men who have held high office in this colony. No fact in the recent political history of the colony is more plain than that the non - borrowing policy was inaugurated and practised for three years by the Atkinson Government, and that the party in Parliament and the country that was formerly Jed by Sir Harry Atkinson and now by Mr Itolleston, has been consistent all along in its hostility to more borrowing. Now, when Mr Seddon became Minister for Public Works he threw out feelers on the subject, obviously with the intention of raising further loans, but the idea met with such a storm of opposition that the Government was forced to fall back on the non-borrowing lines of its opponents. Mr Seddon has unbounded faith in the ignorance of his supporters in the country, or else he must think that they are so devoid of moral qualities that they will excuse any election trick. The Public Works Statement was framed, of course, with an eye to the elections. The administrative case of the Government was strong enough without the Premier making unfounded statements regarding his opponents on a grave matter of public policy ; but some men cannot help making an exhibition of their natural failings. The rule of the present Government has turned out better than espected. They have not yet reached that deficit to which it was alleged they were galloping. On the contrary, they have kept expenditure well within means, and have further demonstrated that the colony can get along without the dangerous expedient of borrowing. But before the Ballance Government took office abstention from borrowing was the settled policy of the country, and public steadfastness on this matter has kept the party now in power to the mark.

The attention of golfers ia directed to an advertisement in this issue. Mr G. J. Stewart will preach in the Oddfellows' Hall to-morrow evening, Electors favorable to Mr DeLantour's candidature are invited to meet him at Macfarlane's Hall on Friday evening next. Messrs Common, Shelton, and Co. request us to remind settlers that their next sale of wool, skins, hides, and tallow will be held on Friday next, the 29th September. At an executive meeting of the Caledonian Society held last night, it was decided to hold the annual general meeting of the Society on October 10th. The Orchestral Society's concert to be held on Tuesday next at the Academy of Music is creating a good deal of interest. Mr H. Spademan, a talented violinist of Wellington, is to take part. We have been requested to state that the baptism service at the Church of England will take place at a quarter-past two, and not at three p.m. as previously annouueed. Mr McElwaine, the captain of the Wanderers Football Club, severely cut his foot yesterday whilst bushfelling in the Wsimata. His injuries were attended to by Dr. Williams. At Napier Supreme Court next week the civil business includes these cases : — Herman and anoxher v. Joyce ; ard Roes v. Evening News Company. In the latter case the plaintiff seeks to recover £50 said to be lent, but which defendants claim was given. The Union Company wrote to the Napier Harbor Board on Tuesday last re, s.s. Moa striking the western pier when entering the harbor. The vessel had two feet of water in her aft hold when she reached the wharf, and three cases of drapery were damaged in consequence. The western mole should be inspected, with a view to the removal of the exposed bolts there. An examination was ordered. At the nexb sittings of the Supreme Court ab Gisborne, a case in which £300 damages are claimed against a constable will be heard. Constable Reddell arrested a man named James Wallace at Tologa Bay, on a charge of false pretences at Hawera, the arrest being effected on information received from that place. Wallace has a cousin who, it is alleged, committed the offrnce, but they are so alike that the constable mistook one for the other. The Court will be asked to decide whether the plaintiff is entitled to any damages for illegal arrest.— Napier Telegraph. The City Rink was again crowded last night when the Rev. Mr Isitt lectured on " Norman McLeod." The Rev. Mr Griffin, who occupied the Chair, brießy reviewed the temperance work of the week. The Rev L. M. Isitb delivered an eloquent lecture full of humor, pathos, and stirring incidents, bringing out the remarkable points of that noble life of Norman McLeod, preacher, philanthropist, poet, and humorist, of Glasgow. At the conclusion, a vote of thanks was moved by the Rev. Mr Ryburn, and seconded by MrDeLautour, who said that in what they had just heard, they had had revealed the characteristics of two lives, the life of Norman McLeod, and the life of Leonard Isitt. Both Mr Ryburn and Mr DoLautour spoke of the good results likely to follow the direct veto mission just terminated, and in responding to the vote of thanks (which was carried with great applause) Mr Isitt said it was for them to exercise their political influence. They must not neglect moral suasion nor prevention, and he urged them to oarry out the proposed reform club movement. He expressed thanks for the treatment received in Gisborne, and a hope that ho would be back again won,

At Napier Mr Edward Alfred Rees has icen admitted as a solicitor of the Court, ipon the application of Mr W. L. Rees. Fifteen thousand people, or one-half the >opulation of Wellington, attended the uneral of Mr Levin in Wellington last Sunday. Napier Telegraph says :— We hear that Mr \V. Shriinpton, Chairman of the Hawke's Ray County Council, has been asked to itand for the East Coast seat at the next jlection, but declines the proffered honor. At the Education Board meeting these local matters were dealt with: — From Matuwhero, relative to surface water on the school site. — The sum of £20 was voted bowards drainage and filling in. - From Fatutahi, asking that the staff might be paid on the previous quarter's attendance. — Deferred until the intentions of the Government were known. — From Waerengakuri, explaining why the guarantee for the salary of a teacher of an aided school had not been signed, and stating that Miss Steele, late of the Gisborne school, was willing to accept the terms offered by the settlers.— Appointment temporarily approved, pending a visit from the Inspector. The new electoral law places women exactly in the same position as men in regard to the Parliamentary franchise. Every woman who has reached the age of twentyone years, and who has resided three months in the district, has the right to have her name placed upon the electoral roll. No property qualification is required. To-morrow's Home Mission services wil 1 be conducted by the Rev. G. W. J. Spence, of Napier, in Wesley Church morning and evening. A children's service will be held in the afternoon at three o'clock. The annual Home Missionary meeting will be held on Monday evening as intimated by advertisement. The Education Board declined to entertain the request of the Teachers' Institute that reports of Inspectors should not be published. The secretary laid on the table lettera from other Boards as to the custom in their districts, and in none were the publication of reports prohibited. Mr Harding said suppression would lead to garbled versions of the reports being published. The Rev. L. M. Isitt was rough on a certain kind of Christianity last night. Speaking of Norman McLeod's kindly sympathy towards his fellow-man, he said : " God deliver me from the Christianity that separates itself from the world with the comforting thought that a lot of the people are going to perdition. You have a litte of that Christianity in Gisborne, and there is a need for every Christian man who desires to sec the righteousness that would exalt a nation to cry fco God to exorcise that devil." (Great applause.)