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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2266, 11 August 1908, Page 2

A Native named Til Raraoa was committed for trial at Port Awanui yesterday on a charge of horse-steal-ing.

A short sitting of the Magistrate’s Court was held yesterday afternoon, before Captain Chrisp and Mr. G. Matthewson, J-P.’s, when a young man, understood to lie a. native of England, was committed to the 'Avondale Mental Asylum, having been certified to be insane. The annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute will be held at Dunedin in January next, and on Saturday last the Poverty Bay Teachers Institute decided to send the following remits for discussion:—“(a) That rifle-shooting, should he placed on .the syllabus as an optional subject; (b) that a scheme of promotion for teachers is urgently needed; (c) that the evils of payment on average attendance have not been removed.”

The usual meeting of the Y.M.C.A. Debating Society was held in the Baptist Tabernacle last night, when there was a large attendance of both ladies and gentlemen. The evening was devoted to “Prepared Speeches,” and the subjects dealt with were: “Protection,” Mr. Dunstan ; “Chivalry,” Mr. .1. Dawson; and “The Tendency of Modern Reading,” Mr. H. j. Brownlee. An interesting discussion took place after the delivery of each speech, the following taking part:. Messrs Foster, Grundy. H. Adair, F. S. Malcolm, P. 'Saunders, and E. Yardley: The next meeting of the Society will be devoted to a debate “That Trial by Jury be Abolished.” Mr. C. G. Bloore takes the affirmative and Mr. C. Tattersfield the negative.

The shaft of tho AV’aibi East Goldmining Company is to bo wink to a depth of COOit., at which depth transverso cuttings will be made to jolt and right into the two reefs which run through the property. Tile site, of tho shaft is dose to the boumlory of tho Wailii Gold Alining Company’s profitable claim.

Tho Waikato stock track, via Maungapoliatu, will bo available lor lioiv.o traifio by buptombor. By Christmas ctio trat'K will bo availably lor travelling stock, lor which it will afford an excellent route. This truck, giving communication between Uisbor.no unu Waikato, lias long been required by sheep iarmors, it means the opening ot communication, with the wnolo oi Poverty Bay. Tho counterfeit coiner is evidently at work, writes the Auckland correspondent of tho ".Lyttelton Times,"’ and local tradesmen are warned by the police to look out for countorieit sixpences. Tho coins uro dated 19U6, and are perfect facsimiles, rendering distinction of the base specimens lrom the genuine very difficult, even when minutely examined. The bogus sixpences are precisely ifho same weight as the real ones.

The men employed on the Government works at Broken River have two priucipal amusements, football and rifle shooting. Tlio shooting takes precedence. Tho rifle club is expert and puts on good scores, both on the local range and at- others it visi.s. The suggestion has been made that if the Government gave definite encouragement to its public works’ employees to take up l-iilo shooting as a recreation, tho training -. no obtained would convert a largo number of men into a very valuable element in the defensive economy of New Zealand. The usual fortnightly meeting of the 1.0.0. F., M.U., was held in the Ma-omic Hall last evening. Bro. McConnell, N.G., occupied tiio chair. The quarterly balance-sheet was read, and showed the very prosperous posirtion of the Lodge. During the quarter tho funds have increased by £l5O, and the membership is very satisfactory. Bro. McPherson, P.G., was presented with n- Past Grand’s embleini Permanent Secretary Amliridge, in making the presentation, referred in eulogistic terms to the energy and interest displayed by P.G. McPherson, during bis term of office. Most persons have hoard of the servant who was “just about” to wash her master’s Bibles, but very few have heard of a washable Bible. Such a rarity is to be found at the Supremo Court at Christchurch, the usher having conceived the idea of covering the Court Bible with a casing of collujoid, 60 that it may be washed or wiped after the swearing of witnesses. The celluloid is very neatly placeil on the covers, -and presents a smooth and microhc-proof surface. Tho question has hot yet risen whether an oath sworn on tho celluloid cover is as binding as one sworn on tho actual Bible.

A meeting of tho Mai hi East Goldmining Company was held last Saturday evening, Mr. Warren occupying tho chair. Tho meeting was called primarily for tho reason of considering an offer from tho proprietors of the Wnihi Empire Claim to amalgamate the two properties. After a lengthy discussion it was unanimously decided not to increase tho area of the Wailii East holding, which at present covers 64 acres. The new company which is now being floated to take over tho Wailii East claim is divided into 300,000 shares of 2s each. Threepence per share must be paid on application, and calls of one-penny per sliaro per month. The; syndicate holding the mine at present is to receive 100,000 fully paid-up shares in the new company.

Satisfaction was expressed in tho House by Mr. Poole, the other day, at the fact that no canvassers had been appointed by the Government to place people on the electoral rolls, because it gnvo the lie to those irresponsible and unprincipled characters who alleged that, they had been engaged by the Government to secure names and were at .tho samo time in tho employ of tho,liquor traffic endeavoring to secure the n film's of tiiose going to vote continuenco while ignoring the claims of tlioso who advocated no-license. Ho strongly protested against the deception which was going on for the purpose of stuffing the rolls, urged that offenders should bo punished, and predicted that “temperance reform was coining as sure as day followed night.” Mr. Jennings donrcciatcd the allegations that certain parties wore attempting to stuff the roll, remarking that such statements were mere bunkum at- the present time .

It may bo thought that, like the sheep, the hares and rabbits on the snow-covorcd country are suffering a lingering death by starvation, and that, while the loss of sheep is to bo deplored, the annihilation of such vast numbers of the destructive rodent can be viewed as one of the redeeming features of the snowfall. Hares and rabbits, however, are very much to tho fore, says the “Oaniaru Mail”; at any rate, they are not hiving such a- bad time as people aro wont to imagine. Certainly the change of diet to which they have been forced to accommodate themselves may not be so appetising as the succulent herbage which now is lost to sight, but it will at -least 6erve to keep them alive until the snow his molted -and thoy are enabled to again secure their natural food. They have now established themselves on the frozen snow, and may be seen commingling in large numbers larounil any shrubs or treo trunks that may be showing above the surface, the leaves and bark of which they strip until nothing hut the hard wood remains.

In reporting on a case recently hoard enquiring into the possibilities of improvements in the condition of domestic servants, it was remarked that if they . woro provided with things necessary tp lessen and lighten their daily round little would be heard except that this week its wire saucepan scrubs for fivepence each at Parnell’s Popular Saturday Sales, 15tli inst. onlv.