The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2134, 17 July 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1907.

A fortnightly assembly will be held at tho Ormond Hall fortnightly, commencing on the 17th at. S p.m. shaip, doors open half past 7.

Tho Commissioner and members of the Land Board paid a visit of inspection yesterday to Te Aral. Jhe work of cutting up tho block tor settlement is proceeding apace.

Mr. Chas. G. Bloore reports having sold the lease of the well-known Whareratn accommodation house and store to Mrs. F. D. Kennedy of lolaga Bay.

Mr. Gibbon, Borough Engineer, is pushing Oil the exacting worts of fixing tho permanent levels. Every available opportunity is utilised lor tho purpose.

John Cameron, coach proprietor and contractor, a very old resident of West-land died at Hokitika yestermorning after a long and lingering illness.

Plans of the new Borough Council were finally approved at last night s meeting. Tenders aro to be called at. once, returnable in six weeks time.

An inspection of tho Patutalii quarry will he made by the Borough and County Engineers on Tuesday next, with a view to reporting on tho quantity of stone, available from that source. ,

At a meeting of tlio Gisborne Wharf Laborers’ Union held in Good s Buildings last evening, the delegate, ftir Fitzmaurice, was instructed to attend tho annual conference of the Union.

As a result of tho recent social, the School Baths Fund will bo augmented by about £l5O. The treasurer has £146 in hand and tickets have yet to come in. With tho £IBO to credit from last year, tho fund now amounts to about £33o—a result highly creditable to tlio enthusiastic promoters.

Carelessness in fastening up business premises frequently conics under the notice of the night watchman (Mr. W. Fraser). During the last fortnight two more cases occurred. A largo business firm’s premises were found open, and on another occasion the door leading to a suite of upstairs offices was noticed unclosed.

The lack of road metal again! Reporting to the Council last evening the Borough Engineer remarked : “Tlio work of maintenance is being performed as well as the very limited amount of material in hand will permit. The quantity of metal at the Council’s depot' does not exceed 40 yards, and only an odd truck of gravel 'comes to hand now and again.” A successful practice of Sterndale Bennett’s “May Queen” was held last evening at the Trinity bclioo - room, and everything promises well for a fine performance of tlio work. The solos have been placed in reliable hands, and some of the concerted numbers will ho a feature of the cantata. No date has been definitely fixed yet, but it is understood that the announcement of the performance will he made shortly.

“It is very hard to get some people out of the old groove,” remarked the Mayor last evening when discussing plans of the new building. Cr. Miller seemed to take this as an immense joke, observing, sotto voce (for the edification of other Councillors) ‘.‘We have been trying to get you to move along for some time past.” (Laughter.) The Mayor took the little innuendo in his usual genial style, but gave ill return one of the left-handed “hard knocks” at which he is such an adept. c

Mr. Percy Sydow, a hairdresser in the employ of Messrs. Tanner Bros, tells the following story. When he was leaving the Petonc school he received'a reference from the headmaster, Mr. James Horne. He packed the reference away and thought that it was quite safe until a stranger approached him yesterday morning and presenting the reference asked him if it. belonged to him. Mr. Sydow recognised the document and asked the gentleman where ho had got it. The stranger replied that it was found in the centre of a. bag of potatoes which had conic from The River Don Trading Co., Tasmania, Australia.

The following are the latest new connections with tlio Gisborne Telephone Exchange:—lo4. J. W. J. Preston, manager Union S.S. Co., private residence; 152, C. G. Bloore, land agent, Lowo-street; 357, A. A. Fromm, private residence, Kaiti; 414, J. L. Spence, Patutahi (2 long rings • 435, A. Cutlibert, private residence, Kaiti; 142, E. Shelton, Newstead (1 long and 2 short rings). The following are deleted: —104, W. G. Fraser, Kaiti; 152, Kerr and Carter, Lowe-street; 432, Dr. A. Stewart, Bright-street. Amended : —l2’B, Nurse Taylor, private hospital, Cliffordstr’eet-' 242, Wade and Gray, plumbers, Gladstonc-road.

In calling over the accounts last evening tlio Mayor came across an item in connection witli the renovations at the Morgue. “Wo have provided a marble slab for the doctors’ benefit,” lie remarked to Dr. Williams. “I hope it will be a lqng time before we have to use it, sir, was the Councillor’s apt rejoinder. Cr. Sawyer mentioned that one poor victim bad had to he laid on the floor recently, there being no proper table. The Mayor: Yes, they were too hasty altogether and burnt the old tables before the new slab came to band. Anyway the Morgue is well fitted up now. I don’t 'know any other place in the colony with such a marble table. Cr. Williams: There is nothing like being progressive, you know. Cr. Bright: These extravagant doctors are responsible. (Laughter.)

Mr. E. XT. Fenton’s suggestions re traction power, referred to last evening at the meeting of the Borough Council will be looked into. The train he suggests will consist of a steam locomotor or one of Thacker’s steam waggons as a hauler and from three to six waggons, each waggon capable of carrying from three to six tons (1 i to 2 cubic yards) and weighing, loaded, from three to four tons. The steamer would carry three tons and weigh five tons loaded. A train of steamer and six waggons loaded would weigh from 25 to 30 tons, distributed over a road surface of about 30 yards. He explained the construction of the waggons, couplings and brake appliances in detail, adding, “This form of road train will be serpentine and will follow closely the steamer without yawing from side to side of the road. It is believed that such a train could with a suitable steamer travel eight- or nine miles loaded, or 10 or 12 miles light. For timber transit special waggons might be required.”