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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2328, 22 October 1908, Page 4

Tho fifth progressive.euchre tournament will be held in St. Mary’s Schoolroom this evening, play commencing at- 8 o’clock sharp. According to a' return made up to September "30, there were then 498,654 names on the electoral rolls of New Zealand, as compared with 483,081 at the date of last election. A large number of machinery and trade exhibits will be shown at the A. and P. Association’s coming spring show. The secretary (Mr. li. M. Porter) was busy at the show grounds yesterday afternoon, allotting spaces "to the various exhibitors. ■lt js stated an Wellington that the Symes’ Trustees (tho Melbourne “Age” proprietary) have arranged to start another daily newspaper in Wellington. The rumor is to the effect that the new journal will be produced in January. The last of the series of card tournaments in connection with the Friendly Societies’ Conference was hold in the Oddfellows’ Hall last evening, when the Foresters met the Oddfellows, the result being a drawn game. A most enjoyable evening was spent. After the tournament several members contributed songs, and supper was partaken of. As the result of the above game, the Druids win the challenge shield for the season, beating the Hibernians by one point. (Miss Christie, who lectured under tho auspices of the Theosophical Society last night, gave a somewhat surprising illustration of the low degree of intelligence of somo, at all events, of the Australian blackfellows, with wh o m, she said, she had been familiar in years gone by. She asserted that they were, in frequent instances, unable to remember from one, week to another, so that for them there was practically no “last week.” Somo, she said, appeared scarcely able to remember what had happened a day or two earlier. Miss C. W. Christie delivered an address yesterday evening, under the auspices of the Gisborne Theosophical •Society, in. the Masonic Hall. There was an attendance of about twenty people ,and Mr. John Townley presided. 'The lady presented her pantheistic philosophy in graceful and impressive fashion, with great command of well-chosen language, and 1 with an earnestness which showed clearly tho sincerity of her convictions. After the address she answered a number of questions, and was accorded a vote of thanks. \ ' The Christchurch tramway receipts for tho four weeks ending October 11th totalled £6526 8s Bd. The operating expenses were £4098 8s Id, which left a -net profit of £2428 0s 7d. After making deductions for interest and sinking fuff cl, depreciation, and fire and accident reserves, there was a loss of £237 9s Bd. Since April Ist, when tho Board’s financial' year commences, tho deficiency totals £2917 9s lil, but renewals, interest, sinking fund, and depreciation have been allowed for. On Labor Day 47.445 passengers were carried on the Chirstchurch tramways. Tho whole represented a net revenue to tho Board of £O3O 4s lOd.

Yetorclay .being,the 102nd aniversary of Trafalgar -Day, flags were flown from the• Government buildings. A meeting of the Hospital Social Committee was held last evening at the Borough Council offices. Mr. JJ. Lysnar was in the chair. Details, or the catering for the social were, discussed, and it was decided to issue tickets for sale during show week. It has been arranged that Mr. Septimus Johnston', the well-known judge of poultry and dogs, will judge the poulti’y classes at th© local A. and P. Show next week. Mr. Johnston is considered to be one of the leading .experts on both dogs and poultry in the Dominion. The strength of the Australian Navy on October 31, 1907, in ships built, 'was as follows: —Battlesnips, y ■ armored cruisers, 3; protected cruisers, 5 ; torpedo gunboats, 11; tor-pedo-boat destroyers, 4; torpedotioats, 37. Last year there were 13 vessels on the river Danube. The following unclaimed letters are lying at the Tost Office : —From United Kingdom—,G. W. Anderson, G. J. .Smith, John Walker; from Tasmania —J. Bird, W. Dolan; from Natal— Mrs. Davern; from Victoria —Mrs. E. C. Gregory, W. L. Snaith; from New South WaiesT—S. F. Gidney, J. James, E. Jvoerner, T. Robinson; from Canada —M. J. Hhghes; from U.S.A. — J. Moore.

Our Wellington correspond exit states that the Government has decided to send Mr. Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries/to England to obtain 1,00U,0(X) Atlantic salmon ova and any English fish such as haddock which it may be considered advisable by Home experts to send to the Dominion. Last year a lai'ge supply of Atlantic salmon ova was obtained from Canada. The Atlantic salmon is a fine sporting fish, being in this respect unlike the Pacific salmon which has now been successfully acclimatised in the Waitake and its tributaries. The latter, however, will afford an excellent food supply: A curious instance of the importation of a New Zealand bracken fern is given by the rector of St. An-drew-by-tke-Wardro.be. Recently he came across a small fern growing in the joint of, a leaking pipe outside Sion .College, London. He -transplanted it to the greenhouse in his pretty little garden off Queen V* c ' toria Street, and there it has flourished to an extent' enabling authorities to class the stranger as a visitor from New Zealand. The theory is that the seed was blown on to the embankment from a barge passing up the River Thames.’

A w'eading and the opening of the bowling season «at Mataura recently gave a practical joker, an opportunity of exercising his wit at the expense of an esteemed member of the cloth. The clergyman, having -arranged to officiate at the nuptial ceremony, and being desirous of participating :n Se ancient game,” took his bowlls to the church, in the usual carry-all, depositing them in the vestry. The i .r----riage knot having been duly tied, ffe sporting parson hurried to the green, his mind intent upon “kissing kitty” as soon as that rather elusive personage should permit. But imagine his chagrin when, on opening the carry-all, he found instead of his “wood,” —two large lumps of lignite.

Within the last few months a considerable amount of bush has been felled on the Papuni block, away oil the Upper Ituakituri. This land is being developed by the East Coast ■Native Trust. On the border of the river a reservation of two acres was made in a spot of historic interest. The river here is divided by an island, where a clump of lofty totaras rise. In the pursuit of Te Ivooti during his retreat after the Poverty Bay massacre, a company attacked his .forces in this, the only practicable pass on the route to Lake Waikaremoana. Here fell a British officer and two privates.- A cemented tomb bears on a copper plate the inscription : “Captain Oswald Carr, R.A., of Hedgely, Northumberland, August Btli, 1888, aged 31 years.” Two New Zealand volunteers also fell, Messrs Conning and O’Reilly. The Mayor of Hastings (Mr T. J. Thompson) Oias received the following letter from the Town Clerk of Hastings (England):—“l have the honor to acknowledge, on behalf of the Right Worshipful the Mayor (who is at present on the Continent) receipt of the letter from yourself and 4 the Chairman of the Hastings (New Zealand) District High School Committee, of the 27th May last, and the parcel containing the -Union Jack, together with views of your town and district, and of the District High School, provided by your school children for transmission to our leading public school, and packets off letters for distribution amongst the upper scholars in our school, and to inform you that ’the letter and parcel will be submitted to His Worship immediately upon his return, and the letter will in due course bo laid before tlie corporation.”

A gloomy (picture of declining Ireland was painted by Mr Joseph Tatlow, railway manager, at a sitting of the Vice-regal Commission on Irish Railways in Dublin. In a general survey of the condition of Ireland as affecting railways, he referred to the dearth of great industries and to the declining population. Ho said that in tilio last fifteen years—from 1891 to 1906 —the population had decreased to tho extent of 292,370, being equal to 6.25 per cent of the population of 1891, while during tilio same period th* population of ‘England and Wales had increased by 5,461,197, equal to 15.78 per ceiit., and Scotland had- increased* by 659,58'0, equal to 17-.09 percent. The decreasing number of harvestmen r in England during recent years was an encouraging sign; and a hopeful feature as regarded industries was that the milling trado was increasing in a marked degree. There were great possibilities also in the Irish timber trade.

Tho appointment oF a "dog ranger and. the inaugurating of the dog pound is no doubt the result of such a. number of dogs straying about apparently wthout owners. Under the circumstances it behoves those who have valuable dogs or one which they prize for other reasons to remember that this week it’s dog for eight pence each at Barnoll’s Popular Saturday Sales, twenty-fourth inst. only. No matter how delicate, the stomach, Stearns’ Wine always agrees with tho patient. Thus it can bo used as a tonic when others would be useless. It is a great restorative,

The Gisborne sittings of the Arbitration Court, which were set down to commence, on Thursday, October 29, have been postponed presumably on account of Carnival VVeok. It has been definitely decided that The sittings here will commence on Monday, November 2nd, at 10 a.m. The Defence Department has been advised that Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Poore expects to arrive at Wellington on November 17th with the ill "ship Powerful. He hopes to be accompanied by six other cruisers of the Australasian squadron. “Respectability, its Rise and Remedy ” was the title of an address given’in Wellington the other night. In the course of his remarks the speaker managed to cover a very large field, -including priestcraft, slavery, hats, jewellery, society, socialism, and the Church. He was given a patient hearing. The adoption of a sack 40Jin by 24-fm as the standard grain sack has resulted in the importation for this season’s harvest in South Canterbury off at least three sizes off sacks, the old and new standard sizes, and one 44in by 26in. The old standard Pick will be used for oats and flour, and the new standard sack for wheat, but Timaru millers state that it .will be useless -for flour as it will not hold 2001 b without undue pressing. The third size has been imported bv one of the Timaru milling firms, which holds that it will be equally serviceable for bolding 20001 b of either wheat or flour.

“Sentry” writes as follows in the “Otago- Daily Times”: —Recognised as a country of legislation in regard to social and economic questions it would have created no surprise had New Zealand struck out along original or advanced lines in regard to the problem of defence. In this matter, however, it appears we are destined to grub along in the old, effete, conservative groove until some more wide-awake and less -fearful Government creates a precedent, or until some speculative enemy has convinced us "that an effective defence -force is a necessity. Our present Government has a holy horror of mentioning. even with bated_ breath, the word “compulsory” in connection with defence. A fear or popular disapproval and that unreasoning and altogether absurd cry of “British freedom” muzzle the and gngs the members of - the. Defence Council and staff. Officers throughout the Dominion are well-nigh unanimous in the opinion that some form of compulsory service is the only solution of the problem, although they may differ as to the system that; would prove most suitable. The thiuking public is becoming educated to the necessity of the innovation. When some months ago, the impression went abroad that the Militia was to be organised for training, quite a number of young men began to make inquiries with a view to joining the volunteers. When it is made compulsory—as it must be sooner or lator —that all young men undergo a reasonable amount of training annually, it will be 'found that the public will accommodate itself to the conditions dn a very short time.