The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1908.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2242, 14 July 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1908.

It is not intended, says the Premier, to .introduce any licensing legislation this tension.

Tlie Minister for Lands, states that there is no intention to amend tlio Land Act this session.

The Poverty Bay Rowing Club will hold a long night assembly danco on Thursday night next.

The Premier iniot-mod Mr. Italian, yesterday, that it does not intend to provido for an .increase in tlio graduations of the income tax.

Amendments to tlio Old Ago Pensions Act are to bo brought down by tho Government, this session, says tho Premier.

A special summoned meeting of the Star of -Gisborno Lodge, 1.0.0. F., is called for this evening in tho lax!go Room, Groy street, at 8 o’clock.

Tho adjourned general meeting of tho Poverty Bay Employers’ Association will bo held in the .Board room of the Gisborne Sheopfarmers’ Company, Ltd., this evening at 7.30.

“It is wonderful what people will light about in this Court,” said Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., during tlio hearing of a civil case at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court the other day.

“Beforo proceeding to establish.a mint in New Zealand,” said Sir Joseph Ward, in answer to Mr. Hanan, “tho annual output of gold should bo considerably increased, otherwise tlio country would have to face a loss.”

Messrs Miller and Craig, auctioneers, held a, most successful sale of the stock-in-trade in the insolvent estate of W. Crump, builder, of Gisborne, yesterday, all of the lines, except the portable boiler-, being sold at satisfactory figures.

It is hardly necessary to remind subscribers to the Gisborne Orchestral Society that the first subscription concert for the season 1908 will be held to-night. As a great- number of subscribers have not yet booked seats the management urges that they will do so to-day, otherwise they will have difficulty in securing good seats.

“I ■am in constant employment, and shall lose it if you send mo to prison,” pleaded an* elderly mail at the Police Court yesterday morning. “I really cannot help that. You should consider tlieso matters beforo you go drinking,” was tlio rejoinder of the S.M., when inviting the individual to become a guest of the Government for, fourtoen-.days.

Mr. W. Lissant Clayton, sharebroker, received the following telegraphic mining quotations last night:—Tnirua Golden Hills (now 9d paid up) 4s 3d, Brilliants -ljd, Champions (con.) 4s lOd, May Queen 2s 9d, Waitangis 6s, Dominions (con.) sd. Mountain Kings 4il, Talisman 465, Waiotahis 2s lOd, Knrangahake Bd, Tairua Triumph (con.) Is,

In connection with tho AA'aerenga-.i-hika burglary, the man named Edward‘Boniface, at present o>i remand, will again appear to-morrow morning. in addition, two other men who were arrested in Christchurch and alleged to he implicated in the -affair will also ho charged. The two men will arrive by to-morrow morning’s boat under escort. Astonishing developments are anticipated in the case.

“The Land of the Pharaohs’’ was the title of an illustrated lecture given in the Baptist Tabernacle by 'Dr. Gerard Smith, under the auspices of the V.M.C.A. Debating Society, last evening. The Bev. W. Lamb occupied the chair, and the building was crowded. The lecturer graphically described ancient Egypt, and showed some well-colored views of the Pyramids and other sights. Mr. Pointon worked the lantern. At the conclusion of the lecture a collection was taken up to defray expenses.

A gentleman when passing a postoffice in. the South Island recently observed a starling coming out of a posting box with a letter in its bill, which it dropped as it flew away. The surprised observer reported the Jotter, and explained the circumstances to the postal authorities. Apparently the post office has a new terror to face ill' .the widening of the field of possible excuses for non-receipt of letters. “Stolen by starlings” has quite a titular Bound.

The quarterly meeting of the Freezers’ Union was held hist night, the attendance being moderate. A quantity of general business was put through. The application for an interpretation of the present award. refused by the Department of Labor, but the secretary was instructed to take steps to have the position made clear if tho employers have to be cited for a breach of award. Two more delegates were appointed to the Trades and Labor Council, and the Union also decided to help the Council financially. Tile quarterly accounts were passed for payment'".

Tho steamer Yeddo, from San Francisco, brings a striking instance of ■bow acute is tho trade depression ill America just now—a'depression which Mr. Lloyd-Gcorge stated in the House of Commons the other day, is almost world-wide (says the “New Zealand Herald”). “At San Francisco,” said one of the officers yesterday, “hundreds of men came aboard'asking if they might work their passage to either New Zealand or Australia. We could have filled our holds with people desirous of petting out of America. It seemed strange to us coming into Auckland to find men coining aboard here and asking a similar favor. To-day we have about twenty men on board asking for a passage to Sydney.” D

. The alarming notions that prevail in other lands regarding life and conditions ill New Zealand are almost innumerable, though the old idea that the Dominion was populated by a race of cannibals has happily given V* , to ** more favorable impression of what “God’s owu country” really is. As an instance of the ignorance there is, a well-known Auckland commercial traveller, whose wife is at present in London, lias received 1 a letter from her, in which she states tint while dining at a restaurant she mentioned casually that she was a visitor from New Zealand. “How cold it must be over there,” came the rejoinder; “that’s where all the frozen mutton- comes from, isn’t it?” It took no little persuasion to induce t-lie Londoner to believe that an artificial process was responsible for frozen yfloat, and that the Dominion m reality was a warmer country than England.

The opening of tho Motu tramway with its wealth of possibilities is being looked forward to by quit© a number of people interested, though this number represents only a small proportion of those interested in Colorado silver dessert spoons for eight pence each at Parnell’s Popular Saturday Sales, eighteenth, inst. only.

“You cannot offer a good Minister less than 11200 a year; they aro not so plentiful as that,” remarked a Minister at a recent mooting of the Ti’maru Presbytery.

It is expected that the report upon a drainage system will he forwarded to the Borough Council by Mr. .lickell, of P.ilmerstou North, in time for tho meeting of the Council to bo held on July 28th.

In regard to the Auditor-General's “tag” to the Wnimaknriri Harbor Board's accounts, usking why funds had boon spout on u banquet, tlio official reply from tho Board stated that it was on tlio occasion of tho starting of tho dredge, and members considered that under tho Municipal Corporations Act such public functions wero allowed thero would bo no exooption taken. Further, added tho letter, it was tho first time in thirty years tlio Board had entertained its friends.

Cabs will ho much in demand (luring Hoot week, says tho “Now Zealand Herald,” and it is stated that tlioro is to ho an importation of “growlers” from other parts of the Dominion. Neither tho executive nor tho Commissioners have received any information on this head, so it is probably a “fleet rumor.” It is pretty certain though, that vehicular .accommodation will ho scarce during fleet week, as the Commissioners have commandeered a dozen vehicles •for Government requirements, and tho executive liavo also retained a number.

One of tho "rincipal attractions during the visit of the American lleol will bo tho presence of the famous Filipino Band' in Melbourne (says the “Argus”). This band was placed second at tlio band competition held in connection with tho St. Louis Exhibition, a French band being placed, first, and Sousa’s baud being third. The Filipino hand which consists of natives ot the Philippines, number 80 performers, who play brass, reed, and string instruments. It is a military band, but lias been granted leave of absence, with tho approval of tlio President of tho United 'States. It proceeds first to New Zealand, and will subsequently go to Sydney and Melbourne. Although consisting of colored members, it will ho permitted to Australia by permission of tho Fcdral Government, and will subsequently return to tho Philippines in one of tho Amoricnn battleships.

Tho hard work of the Government Commissioners in preparing the American Hoot arrangements is frequently relieved by visits from,individuals burning with patriotism and loyalty to their country, who are full of great ideas for entertaining tlio Dominion’s American guests. The fact that most of tho suggestions involve an expenditure of millions of pounds, and years of lahor (says “Mercutio” in the “Now Zealand Herald”), is merely an incident. Applicants for billets also aro numerous, and one man offered his sorvices:—“To sing lo tho fleet, compose an opera, write a poem, or whitewash Queen Street.” He was informed that his last offer would he considered, and departed full of hopes and smiles. Another gentleman undertook to treat every man of the fleet to a glass of Auck land beer if the Commissioners would find the money. They kindly undertook to look to it, and ho went on his way rejoicing.

The “New Zealand Herald” says the Government Commissioners were kept going from early to lato with the multitudinous duties that fall on their sliouklors in arranging the Government details of the programme. Their task is rendered tho harder by the shoals of gratuitous suggestions that come to hand daily from all quarters many of which would easily land the Government in an outlay of millions. Many of tho writers and callers liavo ail exaggerated idea of the importance that should be attached to their visit to Auckland. For instance, there is a gentleman who wants a family front seat for everything. Several hundreds of theso individuals liavo called on tlie Commissioners already. They give the names, ages, weights and color of their relatives—also the family pedigee. They aro disposed of diplomatically by a cordial shake of the hand and an assuranco that their requests will be “kept steadily in view.” One portly goutloman tolegraplied from a back-blocks town: “Keep room for mo' everywhere.”

Can. a witness be' compelled' to answer a question by either a, direct affirmative or negative? An interesting observation on the subject was made by Mr. Justice Cooper during the hearing of a slander action on Friday at Wellington (says tho “Dominion”). “I insist, on your answering ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to my question,” urged counsel for plaintiff. “But I can’t,” replied the defendant, who was being exhaustively cross-exam-ined on a vital point. His Honor, interposing, said that he had always understood that a witness was entitled to answer a question in his own words. A question might ho put ill such a form that a witness could not answer it correctly by replying either “\es” or “No.” The incident recalls a story which illustrates how a rising barrister was once “hoist on his own petard.” A witness had confidently asserted that some question required careful' consideration, and, what was more, even then, bo correctly answered by a direct affirmative or negative. “Wliat nonsense,”, counsel replied, “I should like you to''put s'uch a question to me.” Without hesitation the witness as'ked: “Have you stopped beating your wife ”

In view of the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Government thought £SOOO was the sum ’.vliicls should be paid to John James Meikle as compensation for his wrongful, imprisonment (says the “Now Zealand Herald”), it is interesting to recall the. claim made by the Meikle Executive Committee to the Government some time ago.. The items of compensation were enumerated in detail, and made a total of £17,000. The committee stated that n carefully prepared balance-sheet, submitted to the late, Mr. Seddon, showed at the time of Mr. Meikle’s conviction the not equity of his estate was £3,442, based upon the''- Government loan value of his land, which was £4 10s per acre. If this sum had been invested at trix per cent., to accumulate with compound interest, it would now have reached £IO,OOO. The late Arthur Meikle whose death was said to have been due to the shock received by his father’s was tho mainstay of a broken hearted mother and a young family, and the compensation due for his loss was placed at £2.000. “For false imprisonment,” continued the report,- “wo feel we cannot in justice name a less sum than that naid to Adolph Beck, namely, £5,000: although. Meikle’s case by far outweighs Bede's easo in merit, inasmuch as the latter did not suffer and fight for twenty years to secure compensation, as Meikle has, and is yet doing, but. was promptly paid the £5,000 and granted a free pardon.”