The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2012, 22 February 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1907.

Three years before his assassination anti before lie occupied the Presidential chair of the United States of America, Mr. James Abraham Garfield delivered a speech in Boston wherein ho said: “Real political issues cannot be manufactured by the leaders of political parties, and real ones cannot be evaded by political parties. The real political issues of the day declare themselves, and come out of the depths of that deep which wo call public opinion.” Garfield was prophetic on that occasion, though perhaps ho did not know it, or intend to be prophetic; yet how true are his words to-day if wo apply them to tlio McNab Land Bill. The Government tried to manufacture political issues on the land question ; they tried to evade the real political issues on that question, but have failed in both instances, and have proved the truth o- : Garfield’s prophetic words. Orly’ a few short' months ago the Govo'iiment attempted to raise political issues on the question of freehold versus leasehold and vowed that tlio Ministry would stand or fall by them; but the issues were not real ones because in the first place they attempted to set up unnatural and untenable conditions, and because in the second place they got submerged in “the depths of that deep which we call public opinion,” and wore not bTto/ant' enough to float to its surface. Once the Government lias been trying ever surface of that deep they sank. Kill the Government has been trying < cr since to fish them up; but lave fount task, for to-day the Native Minister they have practically a band a i :>l tie task, for to-day tlio Native Minister has hinted that the Bill « ■"• id he dropped. The information is not surprising in tlio. least, notwithstanding the threats of dissolution and the boasts of the Government 1 bat they would stand or fall by the Bill. “Of all sciences,” says Hume, “there is none where first appearances are more deceitful than in polities,” and anyone who thought that the appearances portended the Government standing or falling by any bill of their own creation were easily deceived, for the Government is not built that way. Yet ,while it was expected that! they woul dclimb v n, it could hardly have been expyi/id that tlio descent would have lean co ignominious as it has proved to bo afer the blatant boast that was trumpeted by the Premier so short a time ago. To climb down was bad enough under the circumstances, althoid l »t was attempted to break the momentum of the fall by recasting and then dividing the Bill ,but for ths very author of the measure to give cp the whole principle of it and um nnee himself an out and out freeholder as he did at Whangarei on Tuesday evening last is nothing short - of a most headlong tumble. In his latest speech there is no record of his adherence to the leasehold prinoipio, and instead of talking lease no. J be announced that “all the lands t: ten fiom large freehold estates would siill ! retain the freehold,” and that all ' Native lands “declared by the CVm- | missioners to he surplus " uid be dealt with by legislation,” and ’ they woul dbo disposed of under the freeI Isold system on terms favorable to buyers.” What a sacrifice of politi-

0.1 principle is this if tho Government over possessed a shred of that commodity. AVlmt a sacrifice of political honor, too, if the Government over had a vestige of that highly desirable personal endowment 1 to throw away 1 Talk about political somersaults after that exhibition of opportunism. Can anyone believe that there is or over has been a vestige ol political honesty or earnestness in the Ministry that could in so short a time, and for such palpable causes, abandon its one and only political citod to maintain itsell in olliceP If thoro are any who can believe that, in the face of prosont irrefutable evidence, they are such only as are uneonvineihle, and whom it would be folly to try to convince, for fact and rouson cannot do it. But the curious tiling about tho thing is that while the Minister for Lands has suddenly somorsaultod from tho leasehold creed to tho freehold, tho Minister ior Native Affairs lias somersaulted in tho opposite direction. Speaking at AVairoa on AVednesday evening the hon. James Carroll guardedly pronounced himself oil the leasehold side although not so very long ago in answer to a question irom tho I amici s Union he replied “Ales” in answer t, tho question, “Are you in favor oi tho freehold?” and appended his autograph thereto with a blue poncil. Still, tho answer is quite legible enough, and so is the signature, although tho honorable gentleman’s character for political stability, liko that of his colleagues, is blotted out completely thereby Some day, no doubt, both gentlemen will try to explain away their gymnastic poriormaucos; but tho days of miracles are passed and political necromancy is beginning to find its true place beneath public opinion.

Tho steamer Kiimara left for Napier at II last night. The ketch lCororu returned from tho Coast last night. Tile annual social in aid oi the Roman Catholic Church at To Karaka will bo hold on Easter Monday night (April Ist) at King’s Theatre, Te Karaka. A mooting of St. Patrick’s Sports Committee will be held at tho Masonic Hotel this evening at 8. An inquiry will bo hold to-day concerning the circumstances of the disappearance of G. Hanley from the scow AVaikonini off Port Awanui on AVednesday. There will be no mail steamer from Auckland to Sail Francisco until loth March. In tho meantime every advantage will be taken of the Suez route.

The San Francisco mail does not leave Auckland until March loth, and the best despatch for English correspondence will he per the P. and O. steamer leaving Melbourne March 6th, due in London April 6th, and closing at Gisborne Saturday, 23rd., at‘9 a.m. Mr. AV. Howard, hon. secretary of the Poverty Bay Referees’ Association, has received a letter from Mr. J. M. Robb, AA’ellington, secretary of the New Zealand Referees’ Association, stating that the conference and annual general meeting will take place at Dunedin commencing on March 29th (Good Friday). Tho committee trusts that all associations would endeavor to be represented at the conference. An indication of the time and place of mooting would be forwarded to the respective secretaries in due course.

Tho AA r anganui Brass Band works on probably tho most systematic lines of any band in the colony. , It is run somewhat on the basis of a friendly society. The band has a sick fund, a committee, and appoints regular visiting members when any bands"mon are invalided. Should necessity arise, tho committee do not hestitato to send a member who has been incapacitated away on a Holiday with , a substantial cheque for expenses.

Inquiry has elicited the fact (says the Star) that as far as slaughtermen in tho Auckland district are concerned, they arc not likely to be affected by the strike in tho South. One reason is that several of the Auckland firms are already paying the rates claimed in the South, and the further reason is that tho men hero are working under an award of the Arbitration Court which has still some time to run. A meeting of butchers has been called at the Federal Hall, by Mr F. R. Burt, representative of the New Zealand Butchers’ Federal Association.

Captain AA 7 . Stevens, of tho Union Company’s steamer AVanalia, has handed the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company’s cheque for £5 to the' Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society of New Zealand. The company forwarded the cheque to Captain Stevens in recognition of the care taken of tlio 1000 sheep shipped by his vessel from Timaru to Auckland, which were landed without loss on Friday last. The Sydney Morning Herald is championing the cause of tho girls in the soft-goods houses It says:— “Girls in the factories and warehouses are now hard at work making models of winter gowns. The heavy materials and the hot atmosphere they generate make mos tof the workers feel sick and faint. Nearly every girl goes home at night more or less ill. Next July or August, when tho winds are blowing keenly, they will try on muslin gowns, with their teeth chattering.” According to the N.Z. Herald’s Matamata correspondent, a rather serious caso of poisoning occurred in the family of Mr John Finucrty, of Waharoa, a few days ago. Several of the members were considerably affected. Dr. Endlitzborgcr, of Matamata, lias had the caso in hand, and Mr Finnerty is said to be still in a very ' dangerous condition. It is supposed that the poisoning was due to eating smoked fish.

Tho following is the version given by the captain of the scow Waikonini, of the collision which occurred on February Ist, off Maru point, when the schooner Awanui had her jibboom snapped off. On the evening of the date mentioned, stated the captain, the schooner Awanui was standing off shore on the port tack. A two-knot breeze was blowing in a northerly direction. The IVaikonini was standing inshore on the starboard tack, and kept on her course. When the schooner was close under her lee they tried to put the vessel about, instead of keeping away, but she missed stays; therefore the Waikonini’s helm was put down and she came to the wind. The Awanui paid off and hit the scow amidships, doing no damage, but the Awauui’s jibboom was carried away. Had the Waikonini kept away the vessels would probably have met end on — then more damage must have resulted. The captain and crew -of the Waikonini’ did their best to avoid a collision. When the scow arrived at Mercury Bay she was beached and a covering board was found to be lilted, and a seam required caulking.

Lord Plunket made some interesting remarks at the presentation oi medals in connection with tile Innitv College of Music. Miss Lucie Feiliie, of Dunedin, who is 19 years of age, succeeded in winning the Plunket medal, she being the bes student examined in the colony. His Jiixcellency said it was evident that the college, together with its sister institution, the Associated. Board, was doing good work in the interests or music in New Zealand, but there was one point of regret, namely, the continued absence of male candidates at these functions. He noticed that nearly all the successful candidates were females, and it was a regrettable thing to him. It would be a great deal better for -boys to study music than to be lounging about the streets (as he had often seen them), smoking and wasting their time. He had noticed in the papers within the last day or two, some comment with reference to the .ward of the I lunket medal, and he took tins opportunity of making a statement on the subject. He wished it understood that ha gave the medal for the purpose of fostering the study ok music among the young people of New Zealand, and it was apparent the meaning of the award was not quite clear to the complainants. He had no reflection whatever to make upon the head oi affairs in New Zealand, Mr. Micks, or the local committee assisting him. but at the same time he wished it to be understood that the responsibility of the award rested entirely with the visiting examiner, who came out from England. That gentleman had no interest whatever in the medal, and it was a matter of suxiremp indifference whether a candidate came from Auckland, or, say, even the Chatham Islands. All that had to be done was to select from the students a candidate, not necessarily the one who gained the highest number of marks, who, in his opinion, was the most capable musician in the colony. The examiner was the sole judge of this, and he (Lord Plunket) was perfectly satisfied with the award.

An inquiry will bo made by tlio Collector of Customs, Mr Hawley, into tho circumstances of the collision of tho schooner Awanui and the scow AVaikonini, which occurred on February Ist.

Thoro are still ninny obscure points to ho olucidatcd in tlio manufacture and application of the new atmospheric nitrogen manures before they cun bo accepted as a wholly reliable cheap substitute for tlio hotter known but costly iiitrogoniferous fertilisers. At present they appear to net regularly, probably owing to tlio greater or less rapidity in decomposition caused by varying qualities of soil. Professor AVagnor thinks it possible that on some soils tlio ammonia is sot l’roo too rapidly, that again free is at times sullioiont to provo detrimental to plants, and, finally, that in eortain eases a portion of the nitrogen is converted into dicyaiiiiitido, a combination hurtful to vegetation.

Tlio Registrar of Friendly Societies in West Australia having refused to register unions whose rules permit them to spend funds for political purposes, a deputation of union officers waited on Mr .J. D. Connolly, Colonial Secretary, to protest. The Minister, who declined to express an opinion- on the legal aspect of tho question, said that personally lie saw very grave objection to allowing trades unions using their funds Unpolitical purposes ns it would bo for any friendly society to use its funds for a similar purpose, more particularly as the unions bad the power under the Act to sue members for contributions. It was not just that a mini who joined a union for trades union purposes should bo forced to contribute to political funds, the monoy of which might be used against liis political idoas. Mr. Glance said tho unions wanted an answer—“ Yes or “No.” They wore tired of waiting for a settlement of tho question. He would remind the Minister that the unions had made up their minds in tho matter, and wore not likely to consider the law. Back in the days when Tarawera was turbulent (says the AVonderland Gazette) the Hollowing story originates. The characters are still with us and wo must therefore let their names ho Smith and Brown. The day of tho eruption, these two bosom friends had drank not wisely but two well of the beer of those times and both, strange to relate, fell into a Rip A 7 im AVinkle sleep. meanwhile Tarawera thundered and belched and affrighted citizens sought safely beyond the confines of the old town. The earth rocked and tilings generally were smashed, hut neither Smith nor Brown stirred. From their slumbers, which were almost as loud and deep ns tho grumblings of Tarawera itself, they woke at last to find a deserted . town, and quietly made their way to the public house to refresh. Much to their surprise and delight they found the hotel deserted too. Not troubling to enquire tho reason they hugged one another with delight and proceeded to drink themselves into tho state they were subsequently found by the returning inhabitants.