Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, MONDAY, JUNE 22,1896.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7662, 22 June 1896, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, MONDAY, JUNE 22,1896.

If the East Coast Nativo Laud Board Bill is to become law this sesion it will be necessary for it to be backed up by a very strong petition from the residents, both pakeha and Maori, .of this district. The inclination of most members of Parliament ia to shelve Native matters, and it is a deplorable fact that when a Nativo Bill is called on in the House there are always a number of members who troop out of the chamber, who will not be bothered to make themselves acquainted with the subject uuder discussion, but are content to vote at the bidding of their party whips when the division bells ring. It is no doubt owing largely to this listlessness of legislators that there have been so many faulty enactments dealing with Native Lands placed upon the statute book. It is also owing in a great degree to the lack of combined representations from this part of the country that the district lias been hampered with its load of native difficulties. If the people had united and mado their voice hoard in Parliameut, probably they would have received greater consideration, and the welfare of the district would not have boeu neglected as it has been. Upon the Eaßt Coast there are thousands of acres of land which for many years have been barred to settlement, which are still barred, and which are likely to remain bo until the people of the district emphatically demand that the barriers shall be removed. Whilst these vast areas remain idle and unproductive the district cannot be expected to make any marked progress; if the lands were thrown open and settled there would be an appreciable gain to the town and country, and everyone would share in the iuoreased prosperity The Bill which it is proposed to introduce into Parliament this session is an attempt to remove tho barriers. Its principles havo been carefully revised by a committee of townsmen and the Validation Court, and it has further been supported by tho Borough Council. When it comes before Parliament it is Bure to receive careful revision, and if imperfect in any details, or if its methods can be improved, no doubt it will be altorcd accordingly. The measure is an earnest attempt to solve the difficulties which beset the Native laud question and to open theso waste areas to settlement. As such it is deserving of the support of every inhabitant of the district, and if a unanimously signed petition is sent forward to Wellington iv support of the Bill it will at any rate direct the attention of Parliament to the great requirement of tho district, and compel that attention which we are not otherwise likely to get. It is to the interest of ovorybody to see this Native question permanently settled, and an increaso of population and development of tho waste lands ore the only things which will make the district go ahead and benefit overybody. We may not all understand or be agreed as to how it is to be done, but we can all at any rato direct attention 10 our wants Unlesß wo muke a loud ciy Parliament will noi listen to us ; and it is only by making such i cry and obtuiuiug the cur of Puiliameni that we may expeel rudioss of our grievances. It is for this reason, if for no other, we would urge that tho petition should b>signed by all. Tho Bill, it is pointed out, is framed with the object of bettering the community in which wo live, and at the same time entails no cost upon the people of the community, the charges of administration having to bo borne by the landi

Mr John Boylan, who is coming to report on the proposed water supply for Gisborue, arrives by the a. a. Waihora on Wednesday. Mr F. B. O'Meara, of the Union Uo.'s shore staff, Ims been transferred from Westport to Napier. Mr George Matthewson's reappoinlmentas a member of the Hawke's Bay Land Board ia gazetted. The arrivals in the colony during May totalled 1060, and the departures 1600— a loss to the population of 540. The Te Anau has been out of commission for about 14 months, her last visit to Gisborne having been in April of laßt year. The Te Anau is now under command of Captain Wald, late chief officer of the s s. Talune. Queen Makea, of Raratonga, has sent five cases of oranges to Wellington for members of the New Zealand Parliament, Mrs Annie Carswell, of Wairoa, Hawke's Buy, uud late of Masterton, is petitioning the House for a grant of land as being the first child born of European parents in the colony. In order to eneourago the study of literature, the Marlborough Education Board has agreed to subsidise committees that wish to establish school libraries at the rate of £ for £ up to £5. Mr Heke has a Bill for the election of a Maori Parliament to make laws to exclusively " deal with the personal rights, lands and all other property of the Natives of New Zealand." A prisoner convicted at the Napier Supreme Court asked the Judge not to send him to the Napier gaol as it was quite a second-class establishment, and, besides, he could not carry on his studies there. In the excitement of the Ward business last week the Premier's fifty-first birthday was almost forgotten, and the formal presentation of an illuminated address was postponed until this evening. New Plymouth Harbour Board wanted a 25-ton crane, but could not afford to buy one. A local syndicate has guaranteed the necessary amount (about £1200), and is to be paid by the Board in monthly instalments. The report that the Bank of New Zealand discounts bills in Australia at 3 per cent., while it charges 5 and 6 per cent, in New Zealand, is being enquired into by Mr W. Hutchison, who will ask the Premier if this is so, and why 1 The Blenheim School Committee is objecting to children being given home work, and has instructed a committtee to investigate the system adopted in the borough schools. One committeeman declared that ho would not allow his children to do home work. One of Mr Ward's choice phrases in the House on Tuesday night : — " Rather than be associated with the contemptible creatures who had attacked and hounded him down, he would jninp off the wharf and drown himaelf." A Dunedin lady, Miss Gertrude Wise, who went Home on a trip some six months since, lust her purse at the opera, and thought her pocket had been picked. The last mail brought the missing purse from London, the finder having posted it to the address it bore. The Government has granted a subsidy oj £2475 10s Sd towards the erection of the new hospital at Wanganui. This sum represents 24s in the £ on the voluntary contributions of : the district. The cost of the new hospital is represented at about £10,000. • A Home paper says that the uniform selected for the feminine section of "God's American Volunteers " (the name taken by the secedcrs from the Salvation Army) will attract coquettish Christians, The ugly features of the old Salvationist poke bonnet have been discarded, and the dresses worn by the new lady volunteers will have a relatively stylish out. During the past five years Mr Seddon has filled well-nigh every office in the Ministry. Starting as Minister of Public Works, he has since, for more or less lengthy periods, been Minister of Mines, Justice, Defence, Labor, and Native Affairs, has acted as Minister of Marine, Commissioner of Customs and Stamps, Colonial Secretary, and for the past three years has been Premier of the colony. Now he is Colonial Treasurer. Truly a political Jack-of-all-trades. The work of repairing the breakwater is making very satisfactory progress. The first breach is now almost completed and every effort has been put forth to ensure the stability not only of the new work but of the main structuie. It is estimated that the concrete block with which the hole is being filled will weigh about 50 tons. Captain Thomson expects that this work will be fiuished about Wednesday. Immediately on its completion the work on the large break will bo put in hand, Mr Kettle, S.M., in dealing at Wanganui with the case of a prohibited person named Craig, oharged with drunkenness, is reported to have said that the Government would not receive any more persons charged with habitual drunkenness. They had written him ordering him to cancel the order committing Kirkwood (whoso case was of a similar nature) to the Wellington Asylum forthwith, which he had declined to do. In addresaiug Craig, his Worship said that if he was brought before him again he would deal with him under the Lunatics Act, and leave the responsibility with the Government. The case of Mrs Brooking, the wife of Constable Brooking, of Waihi, is a very hard one, Bays the Auckland Herald. Her husband was a fine strong man, but contracted blood poisoning by handling the dead body found in the Waihi mine, and died from the effects. He was in perfect, health when ho went into the mine, and died within a week, leaving a widow and five young children. If it had not been for a subscription at Waihi she would have been totally destitute. She surely has a claim on the Government for compassionate allowance, seeing that her husband died from a dreadful disease contracted in the discharge of his duty. The Post of Friday has the following with reference to the recent accident to Mr J. H. Popo : — Some concern has been felt for the last day or two regarding the condition of Mr J. H, Pope, Inspector of Native Schools, who was thrown from his horse on Wednesday evening of last week between Maketu and Matata, in the Bay of Plenty district, and is now at the residence of Mr Capper, master of the Te Matai Native school. It seems that after his accident Mr Popo was exposed to the weather all night, and as a result he developed pleurisy and bronchitis, while his fall had already caused him the fracture of two ribs and the bruising of two others, besides contusions. Mr Popo is 23 miles from the, noarosb medical aid, but a doctor from Tauranga has twice been out to sco him, and we are glad to say that yesterday moro reassuring nows was received — viz., that tho lung troubles aro not serious, and tho doctor does not think the patient's condition now calls for anxiety. At tho adjournod mooting of creditors of Wood, Shand and Co., in Ohristchurch last week, tho Official Assignee, Mr G. L. Greenwood, read a legal opinion ho had received, in which it was stated ho was not bound to accept the proof of debt put in by tho Union Bank, as he had a right, under section 102, sub-section 8, of tho Bankruptcy Act to insist upon the bank taking over the Louden Hills property at a valuation, to be assessor!, if necessary, under tho provisions of the Arbitration Act, 1890. Tho Assigueo said that, acting upon his solicitor's advice, he could not (to anything else thun reject the proof. Ho remarked that there were certain mutters iv regard to the Gisborue estate with which it would be his duty to deal, but about which ho required further information. A conversation took place, during which Mr Cowlishaw said that it appeared that Wood, Shand and Co. had found the bulk of the money for working the Gishorne property. Mr Hunt said that Mr Barr had put iv about £3000 Mr Cowlishaw said that, he understood that wus so, and that Mr Jackson had found £1000. Tho Official Assignee said thut he would lonk into the matters he had referred to. Mr Hill moved: "That the creditors present supgfst that the bankrupts obtain their discharge at as early a period as possible." Mr Ashby seconded tho motion. The Official Assignee said that he hail not heard a single word casting the slightest reflection upon tho firm,, or any of its members. The motion was carried unanimously, and. the meeting olosed,

Hastings is ambitious. The local paper says : — " When Hastings resembles Christchurch, Napier will be our Lyttelton. and everything now points in that direction." A North Island resident has offered to make each bereaved family in Brunner a present of a aide of bacou and a saci of potatoes, A Victorian man summoned as a juryman the other day asked exemption on tha ground thathewas " not intelligeut enough." Mr Seddon has laid it down that a Prime Minister is responsible for every public action of his colleagues during their term of office. Mr B. W. Andrews, one of the masters of the Collegiate school, broke his leg whilst playing Association football on the school grounds at Wanganui. The Rev. C. Woolnough, Congregational minister, fell dead one evening last week shortly after having conducted service in the MarricUville Church, Sydney. A " vegetable caterpillar " fouud at the Teremakau has been sent to the Wellington Museum The sprout growing out of its head is a foot in length. 3£The new system of lighting the railway carriages with compressed gas will be introduced on the Southern railway lines in about a fortnight. Twenty-five carriages have been fitted up with the new apparatus. English papers contain an advertisement for a Commander of the Forces for New Zealand, at a salary of £700 a year, £150 for house, and £200 for travelling allowance. It is stipulated that the officer is to be of the rank of a Major in the Imperial service. Some enterprising youths of Onmaru have trained a dog to steal sausages from a butcher's shop window. Recently a youth of 15 pleaded guilty to stealing lib of sausages, valued at 6d, in the way mentioned \ The Magistrate said that he regretted that he could not order corporal punishment. He discharged the accused with a severe caution. At a meeting of the Wellington Cathedral Committtee it was announced that the sum proposed for the new Cathedral was nw; v £40,000 of which £2500 had already been received. Bishop Wallis said another £1100 was required before the Committee could get Mr Booth's -second donation, and a committee was appointed to canvass for subscriptions. An Auckland shopkeeper has issued a handbill to be placed on the door of his shop when closed on the weekly half-holiday. It states that the shop is shut " in unwilling obedience to an ill-considered, arbitrary and unjust law, under which poor and struggling shopkeepers (many of whom cannot afford to employ assistants, and are barely able to keep out of the Bankruptcy Court) are deprived of one-twelfth of their opportunity for earning an honest living." The Post says the feeling against the proposed Banking Committee appears to be growing in strength, and there is some talk of the Premier forsaking his guns and falling back upon a Royal Commission of Enquiry. The postponement on Thursday in both Houses of the motions to sefc up the Committee was no doubt meant to enable Ministors to guage the opinions of members. A Royal Commission seems probable. The Otago Education Board have been having some stormy meetings lately, and of their last meeting the Dunedin Star says : — " The proceedings throughout were scarcely edifying, and almost justified Mr Gallaway's observation that if country committees had witnessed them they would not apply to the Board for directions, as the day's work did not constitute an object lesson of which any public body would be proud." One incident of the siege of Bulawayo by the Matabele will always stand out boldly, and that is the gallant act of Trooper Frank W illiatn Baxter, when surrounded by the enemy, and with death staring him in the face, unselfishly gave up his horse to a wounded comrade. The comrade escaped, but Baxter, pierced by assegais, fell a victim to tho ferocity of the natives. Poor Baxter, had he escaped, would have deserved the Victoria Cross. The Government Dairy School, Southland, was opened afc Edendale on Saturday last. Mr MacEwan arrived at Edendale on Saturday, likewise Instructors Sorenson (butter), Wayte (testing), Lang (cheese), and Thornton (separator), with MrH. Evatt as clerk. The number of students booked to date io 57, including three ladies ; all are South .Islanders except two — one enoh from Ballance and Maetawa districts, in the North Island. The school is to be open four weeks. The Hon. George McLean, ex-chairman of the Colonial Bank, told a press reporter that at present people seem to be taking a great deal for granted, and from some of the wild criticisms that had been uttered in regard to the bank one would think that the directors were thieves and robbers instead of honorable men. The directors had not put their hands in the till ; they had not taken one shilling for themselves nor for their relations ; neither had they sold a single share. All their actions had been clear and above board, and they would come out of the matter with perfectly clean hands. There was another scene at the Wellington City Council meeting last week. A deputat tion of prohibitionists appeared to protesagainst the Mayor's proposed by-law regulating street preaching, and after they had retired His Worship, in most excited tones, quoted from the Prohibitionist of December 14, 1895, in reference to his election to the Mayorality. The article, he said, " showed the bloodthirsty nature of the ghouls who wrote for this paper." The people who wrote that kind of thing now came to the Council, and in most courteous words asked that the by-law should not be passed. He had lived in Wellington 26 years, and for 20 he had been in public life. Ho had been a City Councillor and a Minister of the Crown. He had been Mayor of the city five times. Had he committed any crime ? Had he ever done any wrong ? What right had a wretched rag to speak of him in such terms as those contained in the article in question ? In his own way he would kick the man who wrote the article as he now kicked the paper. Mr Fisher here threw the paper on tho floor and kicked it.