The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, SEPT. 2, 1907. THE DUTY ON BICYCLES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2174, 2 September 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, SEPT. 2, 1907. THE DUTY ON BICYCLES.

There are many industries which, if reasonably protected by the tariff, could attain substantial dimensions in this country with much benefit to the community, but the manufacture of bicycles is not one of these. Mr. Millar, as Minister of Customs, was asked on Friday by some members of the cycle trade to impose a straight-out duty of £2 on every imported machine. The present Government has embarked upon a fairly liigli protective policy, but it is scarcely likely to be so' foolish as to accede to this request. Such a duty would simply come as a direct tax upon every person who uses a bicycle without establishing a local industry of any magnitude. Even were tlio amount of duty asked for doubled New Zealanders would etill import the majority of their cycles, and would pay a higher price accordingly. The fact of the matter is that in cycle manufacturing more tliaii in most industries tlio art of specialisation lias been carried to an. extreme degree. In England, America, and Germany there are immense factories dovoted to the construction of particular portions of bicycles. One will manufacture balls, another hubs, another chains, whilst tyres and fittings, such as saddles, brakes, bells, etc., are all dealt with in separate establishments. Eveti such huge companies as those sending out Premiers, Humbers, Rudge Whitworths, Centaurs, Swifts, etc., whose individual output is enormous, do not themselves manufacture a complete bicycle, but patronise some of the specialising firms for certain parts. It will readily be understood, therefore, how impracticable it is for New Zealanders, with such a limited market as is provided by our population, to engage ill cycle manufacturing in competition with the factories of the Old AVorld. Tho most that can be attempted here is what is known as “assembling.” This consists simply of putting together the imported parts, and this is all that our socalled cycle manufacture has ever amounted to, or is likely to amount to for a considerable period. N.Z. cycle trades import all the essential portions of the bicycle complete with the exception of tho tubing and spokes, which have to be subsequently cut into the necessary lengths. Some of the parts are in the rough, and the work of enamelling and plating these gives employment to a fair number of cycle mechanics. This is certainly not an ambitious industry, but to the extent that it assists to find work for a section of the community it is worthy of encouragement, and for this reason the deputation referred to were quite justified in asking the Minister to remove the existing duty of 20 per cent, which is enacted in regard to ball-heads, bottom brackets, chains, chain wheels, and hubs. If these are admitted free the assembling of bicycle parts will'probably again become ail important feature of tho cycle trade.

Tolaga is said to show signs of lirogress, in the form of several new buildings of lute.

The liner Caronia in Juno arrived, in Liverpool with 2174 passengers, the largest number that has ever been carried from America on a single snip.

Tho Secretary of the Technical School announces by advertisement in this issue that new quarters loi tho English, bookkeeping and typewriting clussos commence to-morrow evening.

The chairman of the Lund luiehaso Board, Mr. Barron, arrived on Saturday from Napier, accompanied hv Mr Findlay. Business ill connection with the Arai estate.resumption will recoivo their attention.

Shareholders of the Gisborne Od Co., Ltd., are notified of an ordn.aiy general mooting to bo Roltl on 19th hist. Tho business mejudos toll sidoration of the roport and balance shoot.

Several applications from compel out men woro received loi tli? posi tion of bandmaster to the Gisboi ne City Band. Mr. A. M. 1 ckfoid. tho lion, secretary, states that the appointment will he announced day or two.

For several years it has been the Union Company’s practice to mime its passenger steamers after New Zealand lakes. The new 6000-tou steamer tor tlio intercolonial trade lias been named Mamma, which is tho Maori word for tlio moon.

Yesterday the Salvation Army extended a welcome to Mr. Nicholas, late bandmaster of the Dannevirke Band. Mr. Nicholas intends to settie in Gisborne, and should prove an acquisition to the Salvation Army Band.

Montgomery’s Entertainers concluded their Gisborne season on Saturday. In the afternoon a matinee for tho benefit of children was given, and in tho evening the programme or tho previous night was repeated. 4lie company left lust niglit for Napier.

It is stated that tlio capital of the Maorilaud Steamship Company, tho owners of the steamers Ennerdale and Torgauton, is £30,000. The majority of tho shares are held in Wellington, but there are also shareholders on tile West Coast and in other parts 4 New Zealand.

During his recont visit to Gis borne Major Glover, of the Salvation Army, instituted a scheme of collectin'l'' money for social work, holders of collecting-boxes promising to pay a penny por week. Tho first quartei of tlie scheme lias now.expired, and the not result is expected to bo nearly £2O.

The meetings under tho auspices of the Salvation Army yesterday were conducted by the young people of the corps. There were excellent congregations at all the services, which were in charge of Sergt.-Major Coleman. The collections throughout the day were good, and will be devoted to the children’s prize fund.

Rain fell on 18 days during August, the highest for one day .92 on ~ Ist, and the total tor the month was 2.69 inches. For August of last year the register showed 1.40 inches, rain having fallen on 13 days. The average for the last 29 years is stated to be 4.39 inches oil 16 davs, so that last month was milder than usual.

On Saturday the following tenders were received b.v Mr. H. J. Brownlee, architect, for additions to Messrs. Murray, Roberts, and Co. s warehouse: —Skeet Bros. £2/5, Mackroll and Colley £289, Geo. Smith £3BB, M. Haisman £389, Lord and Holdsworth £399. John Somervell £420, H. Anderson £425, Webb and Son £4G6. No tender has yet been accepted.

Those persons who recently became honorary- members of tlie Salvation Army Band will have an opportunity on Thursday of exercising the. privileges which membership conveys. The band, assisted by the singing company of the corps, will render a service of song, entitled “Uncle Tom.” To this performance honorary members will be admitted free. Tlie band will give a number of selections, and a pleasant evening s entertainment is promised.

The production at an early date of tho drama “Ticket of Leave Mail. ’ by Rice’s Theatrical Company, will bo all event of moro than ordinary interest to local olaycoers. A strong east has been obtained, and the first rehearsal will take place on Tuesday evening. The play selected is a standard jiiece, and the success of Mr. Rice’s previous theatrical productions is a guarantee that “The Ticket of Leave Man” will be staged in first-class style.

At a meeting of the Council of the Northern Bowling Association, the rules, which have been lately revised, wore considered and approved. The programme of the next tournament, which is to commence at Auckland in January, was passed, and it was decided that there should bo a special prize of tlie value of a guinea per player given to the two rinks representing tlio club which has had the least points scored against them, apart from, winners of tlio first and second prizes.

Some “humane cattle-killers,” a samall but effective weapon imported by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for the purx>ose of killing injured animals, havo arrived in Wellington. It was decided, at a meeting of tlie Christchurch Society, to place an instrument at the different police stations in the city. The “killer” is loaded with a cartridge and placed oil tho animal’s forehead. A light tap explodes the cartridge, which quietly and effects ively kills the animal. Tlie chief topic of conversation oil hoard the Hainburg-American liners (remarks an exchange) is whether the new Cunarders will follow their example and establish a restaurant. It seems doubtful, although the German line kindly lent one of their very ablest restaurant managers, Keller, as an expert adviser. Keller, whom ill passengers by the Kaiserin Aiunisto know, has designed the restaurant arrangements on the liew German boat now building. They will be a great improvement. The restaurant and palm garden will probabU- be more compact, and the kitchen arrangements superior.

Messrs. Miller and Craig report the following prices at Saturday morning’s sale: —Roosters Is Gd to' 2s 2d, hens Is (id to 2s 3d, ducks Is 9d to 2s, turkey hens 3s 6d to 4s 6d, turkey gobblers; 7s to 9s, ducklings 9d to Uld, lemons 3d‘ to 4d dozen, leeks 3d to 5d bundle, celery 3d to 7d bundle, p irsnips 9d bag, onions Id to lid lb, carrots Gd bag, 3s 6d to 4s Gd sack, onion plants 3d bundle, kumeras ljd lb, swedes Gd to Is 3d ba" cauliflowers 7d to Is 5d each, cabbage 2s 9d dozen, seed potatoes Id to lid lb, honey 4d lb, eggs 9d to lOd dozen, butter 7d to lOd lb, potatoes 10s to 11s Gd sack.

Acording to the latest reports from Preservation Inlet, it would appear that a substantial revival in the goldmining industry is about to take place in that interesting and picturesquo locality, says tlio “Otago Daily Times.” A' quartz reef is to be exploited. at Cuttle Cove, for which purpose the steamer Rimu landed a large quantity of machinery at Cromarty recently, and also took some machinery for the sluicing claim at Gulch’s Head, where some very fine samples of gold are said to have been obtained. A recent visitor to the locality states that he is of the opinion tliat mining will probably boom down there shortly. It is understood that a great deal of Australian capital has been put into the new venture, which is is hoped will turn out more successful than its predecesors.

miners who have gone out to New Zealand havo sent Home to England for their clogs (says “St. James’s Budget”). Your genuine son of the toil in Lancashire, and in some other parts of tlio north, is never happy in other fotweur than this extraordinary sample. Clogs are worn by women and children as well as by the men. A baby in arms changes from woollen socks to clogs. To one not accustomed to their use, clogs are an instrument of torture, but to the native Lancastrian they aro tho ideal of comfort, and tho very tilings in which to walk far and well. Put a Lancashire lnss into dancing slippers on a ballroom floor, and she will bo ns helpless as a ship without a rudder, but in her clogs she is a paragon of grace. Economy may havo a little to do with this choice of shoos, but that is only a minor factor. Another local record is furnished by tho Customs figures for August.The rovonuo received for tho month was as follows: —Customs duties £4519 8s 2d, beer duty £123 9s 6d, light dues £46 18s 7d, shipping fees £22 Os Id, Harbor Board revenue £506 17s 9d, other receipts 7s; total, £5219 Is Id. Tlio Customs duties were : —Spirits £1587 10s 6d, cigars, cigarettes, and snuff £2BB 15s, tobacco £317 19s 6d, wines, etc., beor, etc., £230 7s 2d, coffee 3s 6d, sugar, molasses, and treacle £248 10s, goods by weight £291 19s 6d (preferential tariff £1 11s Cd), goods ad valorem £1486 9s (preferential tariff £ls 3s), duties not specified above £67 14s (preferential £6 18s), excise £123 9s 6d. For the corresponding month of last year the total was £2971 Is 2d. Tho previous best record was last March, £3719 2s 9d. Last week tho following revenue was received: Customs duties £1213 7s 2d, beer duty £32 0s 6d, light dues £22 4s 4d, shipping foes £9 4s 3d, Harbor Board revenuo £252 2s sd, other receipts 7s; total, £1529 5s Bd.

Troulilo has already arisen under section 58 of the now Merchant Shipping Act, which professes to reduce tho qualification of an able, seaman (says the Shipping Gazette). As a matter of fact, and as was rather anticipated, the now provision seems likely to assist in the creation of an artificial scarcity of seamen, simply because superintendents of mercantile marine, who are now under the control of tlie Board of Trade, are giviflg a very strict interpretation to it. The new Act provides that a seaman must give proof of service ill order to be entitled to tho rating of A.B. The result has been, we learn, that at various ports in the country men of 30 or 40 years of age, who arc obviously exporioncod seamen, have .been refused permission to sign as A.B.’s, simply because they have not been ablo to establish tlieir title. Complaints on this score apply to most of the outports, although, fortunately, up to the present none seem to have arisen in London. Naval reserve men and ox-naval seamen have, we understand, in some instances been treated as ordinary seamen by officials who havo jiot considered that they have had sufficient proof. It is easy to see that superintendents aro entrusted with a very delicate task, and that they may render this section of the Act- a farce. Probably had mercantile marine superintendents still been under the control of shipowners there would have been little difficulty about the matter. As it is, an Act which professes to make it more easy for a mail to obtain tho rating of an A.B. is being so used as to make it more difficult.

A well-attended meeting of tlie Drovers’ Association was held in the Farmers’ Union Club rooms on Saturday, several sheepfarmers being present. Mr. E. Bousfield was voted to tho chair. Messrs. F. Bousfield and C. Farlie forwarded suggestions for tho conduct of the Association, and proposed the following to work on tho committee :—Messrs. W. Perry, D. McDonald, H. Lysnar, J. AV. Bright, A. S. Waclismann, A. Watson, T. Holden, E. M. Hutchinson, W. D. vS. MacDonald, L. Spence, L. O. Kenderdine, Runcimaii, C. White, L. B. Saxbv, V. Mitford, and IT. Ford. —In discussion Mr. C. White urged the representation of stockowners oil tlio committee, the chairman concurring.—Mr. Scott asked if it was proposed to classify members .into tlirec classes, as lie did not think that would work satisfactorily.—ln reply to a question as to whether owners must take tlie next mail oil the list, tlie chairman explained that the secretary would read down the list, and the stock-owners could pick wliat men they wanted.—Mr. White: Will the Association want to deal with all tlie stock from tlie yards?— The Chairman : Not at all. This is not. a union, hut an association for mutual benefit.- —On the motion of Air. Scott it was decided to alter the title to the “Slieenf a rulers’ and Drovers’ Association?’ —A proposal was made that- for convenience the office of the Association should bo attached to one of the livery stables, but the majority decided in favor of an ordinary office ill town (the secretary’s). —The following drovers were appointed a committee : —Messrs. James Scott, J. H. Walker, E. Bousfield, W. Small, W. R. Aitkin, F. Hodge. T. Ged.ve, AI. C. Winter, C. Camphell. C. Fairlie, Alclntosh, and Krause.: —At a meeting of the committee subsequently Air. Grahame Johnston was appointed secretary.