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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2188, 12 May 1908, Page 2

lii the chnilfpionsliip competition at the Victoria Saloon last niglTt, AV. Nikola boat R. Kay rather easily by 89 points. To-night J. Nugent will meet B. Lucas at 7.30 p.m.

Two Alaoris named AVhare Ahenga and Kaka Akarana are at present under escort to Gisborne from AVaipiro and Tuparoa respectively. Thoy are both charged with forgery, and the former was brought before Justices at AVaipiro, being committed to tho Supremo Court in Auckland.

The recently-formed Y.M.C'.A. literary and debating society held a very successful debate upon “tV-lnch wields the greater power, tho Frees or the Pulpit?” in tho Baptist Church last evening. Mr. Grubb spoke for the pulpit, and Mr. Dawson contended icr tho press. On a vote being taken, Air Grubb secured 23, against Mr Dawson’s 19. Next Alonday evening a mock banquet will bo held, and speeches suitable to the occasion will be given.

A well-known New Zealand land agent, who is making a world-wide tour, has written to a AA’airarapa settler expressing his opinion that there would be a good opening for New Zealand mutton in Japan. At present, he says, Australian frozen meat is fetching 9d and 10 pier lb in tho land of tho chrysanthemum. A Wellington mercantile firm is in receipt of information that a representative of a big Tokio firm will be in the Dominion shortly for the purpose of arranging for regular supplies of meat to Japan.

According to tho AVellington correspondent of the “Auckland Star,” the Maoris who recently agitated for the erection of a hostelry in AVellington for the accommodation of visiting natives have, with tho assistance of several well-known Maori chiefs, including Te Heulieu, taken tlio matter into their own hands. They have purchased a valuably property in Sydney Street, near tho Parliamentry Buildings, containing a 20-rooined residence which is to be converted into an accomodation house for visiting natives.

The Freezers’ Union hold their usual monthly meeting last night, the attendance being only moderate. Matters relating to tho conditions under which some of tho men are working were discussed, and it was decided to take steps to try and improve them. Tho secretary, Air. Jackson, handed in his resignation, to take effect from the next monthly meeting. Messrs Old and Hewitt were appointed delegates to attend tho meeting of delegates to form a Trades and Labor Council. The notice of motion to amend tho rules was left over for a moro representative meeting.

On one of tho Southern railway lines there is a station building that is uncommonly small. It is of this station that the story is told that an old farmer was expecting a hen-house to arrive there, and ho sent one or his hands, a new-comer, to fetch it. Arriving there, the man saw the house, loaded it on his waggon, and started' for home. On the way he was overtaken by a man in uniform, with the word “Stationmaster” on his cap. “Say, hold on. AA’Lnt have you got on that waggon?” lie asked . “A henhouse, of course,” was the reply. “Hen-hou6e be jiggered I” exploded the official. “That's the station I”

“Life is too short for a man to sell himself hotly and soul to his employers,’.’ said a witness at the Arbitration Court yesterday, in answer to a question put up by the manager of tho Devenport Ferry Company as to working hours. “AA’ell, why don’t you get anoHier job?” asked Air. Alison. “There is one good tiling about the company,” responded the witness, “there are no growlers amongst the officials.” A former employee of the company, who now directs the operations of a two-horse plough, said he was well satisfied with his new work. “Are you a member of the union,” ho was asked. “I belong to nothing, thank heaven,” said the witness.

Tlieh “Otago Daily Times” says that till© Rev. Dr. AVaddell, of St. Andrew’s Church, Dunedin, has a happy knack of using a humorous story' to cmrhae.'se a point and fix it in tlio minds of his hearers. He made use of two such stories on Sunday night when speaking of the apathy aind carelessness with which some people treat tho Bible. One was about- a Welshman, whose wife had taken ill. The pastor had been sent for, ami n friend suggested that a Bible ciUould be procured in readiness, as be might wish, to read. The AVelshman pomlorcd for a moment. “Bible? A'es, I think there is one at tho bottom of the old chest. But,” he said, “we have had no use for them sort r of books for a long time —not since the okl cow died!” The other story concerned' an ignorant man who had been, taught to road by the local clergyman. Alerting the man’s wife one day. tdie clergyman asked her how John was getting on with his reading. “I suppose.” he remarked, “that he can read the Bible pretty well now?” “Oh, bless you, yes.” was the response. “He’s out off the Bible and into the newspaper long ago.” The preacher followed this up hv warning his hearers to take care that they did not themselves resemble these people they had been laughing at.

Conductors on the Auckland trams occasionally find some curious thing “left behind” by absent-minded passengers. One of the men on a late trip tlio other night was startled to hear a loud' crowing. Proceeding to investigate he discovered on the .back platform a rooster jn a crate. As the feathered traveller, jia<l not been claimed when the conductor went off shift, ho handed it in with 31b of butter that someone else had left in the car in the meantime. In relating tho circumstance, (tho “N.Z. Herald” says) the conductor in question suggested that if “Air Rooster” is not called for shortly, he will probably be cooked. “I found a purse the other day,” said this gatherer of unconsidered trifles, as the perron in whom he was confiding alighted. “It contained a diamond ring and money. I got 5s reward for that,” and bo contentedly gave the signal for the car to proceed.

Needless to remark when Euclid, one of the greatest mathematicians tho world has ever seen, laid clown as one of his axioms that the definition of a straight line was tho shortest distance between two points, he was not aware than this week it’s fifty feet clothes lines for eight pence at Parnell’s Popular Saturday Sale.

Tlio Itov. P, H. Spencer will deliver a luntern lecture, entitled “From Capo to Cairo,’’ in tlio Baptist Tabernacle this evening. Admission will bo free, but a collection, in aid of the funds of tlio British and Foreign Bible Society will bo taken up.

Somo strange arguments are sometimes adduced, at tho Arbitration Court why firms should bo brought undor various awards. Recently it was put forward at Auckland as a tangible reason why tho Sugar Company should bo brought under tho Carpenters’ Award, that tlio Company showed a profit of £150,000 during the past year. This was, however, eclipsed this morning when a Union secretary argued that that it would bo no hardship for tho Gas Company to bo included as a party to tho Engineers’ Award becauso tho Company had recently made an all-round reduction in tho price of gas equivalent to a loss of £SOOO a year. “That shows how generous they are to the public,” commented Mr Brown.

“Drunkenness amongst women in London and other cities in England,” declared Mr John Hansson, a Swedish visitor to Auckland, “is considerable. I made a practice of looking into the hotel liars when I was there, and I seldom found them free horn women. 1 have never seen such degradation amongst th sex as I saw over thore—in London particularly.” Mr Hansson thought that the athletic life led in the Old Country by tho young men was tending to check the drinking habit. “At all events,” ho assorted, “you will find nearly as many drunken women on the streets of London ns men in that condition. Statistical investigation has shown, moreover, that whereas drinking by men is decreasing, drinking tv women is on the increase.”