GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2424, 12 February 1909, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

Last year, and the year before, .scarlet fever appeared in epidemic form in several parts of the Dominion, Jr its epidemic form it has disappeared, and at present there arc comparatively few cases. The. Health Depart ment reports that the general health of the people is excellent, there being no serious epidemics of any kind.

Some people have peculiar ideas of what constitutes sensible amusement. For the munificent sum of five shillings a man, fully clothed, jumped into the Avon River at the Cashel Street bridge on Friday (states the “Press”), and swam about a hundred yards down stream. His performance was watched by a laughing crowd, and lie was cheered as lie climbed out on the river bank. He was then the one cool man in the crowd.

Miss Ada Ward, who has created some sensation by leaving the stage for the Salvation*Army, of which she is a prominent member, will arrive in New Zealand on May sth, and. will occupy three weeks in this Domimon speaking to the people. This officer of the Salvation Army is conducting a six months’ campaign throughout Australasia, and it is understood slm will be unable to extend the time set down as sufficient for New Zealand.

Dr Thacker told a Christchurch an dienco the other night that Mr G Laurensoii, ALP., had said that child rcu would be able to grow grey-headed walking along Mr H. G. Ell’s Summit Road, but they would not see a Christchurch canal. He would tell Mr Lau ronson that he would see that canal in operation before flic member for Lvttelton bad time to develop grey hairs himself. More than that, lie might see the work started within e. matter of weeks only.

It goes without saying that unusual curiosity has been manifested as to the identity of the person who made representations to the- General Manager of Railways as to the alleged. "'Government stroke” at the Addington Workshops, and which led to Air Ronayno s now famous memorandum on the subject. The Wellington correspondent of the Auckland “Star” has excellent reasons for stating that Mr Ronayne s informant corresponds with a gentleman who has a thorough knowledge of the conditions existing at Addington, and who, moreover, is a member of the Legislative Council.

Mastertou has been so stirred by a perusal of the Navy League- and its story of the success of the German Navy League, which is reported to bo raising large sums of money by penny subscriptions to “smash the perfidious Englanders,” that it is in constant communication with the Wellington 2s aw Teague. It- is understood, t-liut the Mastertou branch will offer a £2OO scholarship in connection with the work of the Navy League, and Air Palmer, secretary of the Wellington branch,’ will possibly go to Mastertou to arrange details for the winning el tin's handsome prize.

Counsel for claimants in a case before the Compensation Court at Wellington the. other day was of opinion that some of the valuers for respondents knew no hounds in their efforts to underestimate the value' of property. One of them, he said, reminded him very much of “Punch’s” gallant Irishman, who, when asked by a lady what lie would consider her ago to be, replied “’Ron me word, I don’t know, but yo don’t look it.” He could just imagine this particular witness answering the question, “Wlu.it was the award of the Compensation Court?” “’Pon mo word, I don’t know, but it was too much.” '

Whichever way one turns there is room for expansion, opportunity for the employment of labor and capital, idle land calling for development, par-tially-settled districts demanding greater facilities of every kind. Only very foolish man will assert r'nat a nation of one million in a country callable of supporting in comfort many times that number is injured by the arrival of fellow-colonists. As a matter of fact, if we do not get the Ik !p of many British hands, we shall bo unable to refuse entrance to Asiatics. Those who raise objections to British immigration are pro-Asiatic, agitators in effect, however anti-Asiatic thev may consider themselves. —Auckland “Herald.”

It is very unusual for a man to step off a train in broad daylight and then disappear completely, yet this is apparently what lias happened to Mr Matthew Todd, a Feildmg baker, who was formerly in business in Palmerston North with Air Charker. Air Todd (says the “Dominion’s” Palmerston correspondent) left Feilding for that town bj r the 10.30 train on Friday morning. He was seen to stop off the train at the Terrace End, and since that he had disappeared. His family expected him back on the same day, and are very much exercised to know wliat lias happened. Mr Charker, his former partner in business, received a telephone message „ from Foxton by a Mr Brown, but inquiries have failed to corroborate tho statement as to bis whereabouts. Air Todd is well known to the guard on the Foxton train, and the latter states positively that he did not go down by train. The police have tho matter in hand.

A Pitt-street (Sydney) restaurantkeeper gave a rather remarkable opinion before the Hotel, Club, ancl .Restaurant Employees’ Board, concerning the old old question of a living wage. Asked by the representatives of the Union what he considered to be a living wage for working men, be replied, "£2 or £2 10s.” The latter sum was sufficient for a working man to bring up a family, and live in comfort. '‘But,” complained the Union’s representative, "men in your employ arc receiving less than that. How are thoy to live ” The answer of the employer was that his employees were not competent to get more anywhere else. It was following upon that answer that the restaurant-keeper expressed the remarkable statement that "unskilled workers wore not entitled to a living wage.” Pressed as to whether a kitchen mail or female employees should be paid a living wage, he declined to answer. Later, under the questioning of the employers’ representative on the Board, the witness said that lie did not know wliat ho meant; he was talking about his cook. He got "boxed up.”

On not infrequent occasions complaints have reached the Dominion of the.way in which frozen meat cargoes have been bandied in discharging operations at London. There are generally two sides to a story (says,a. Wqjjihgton correspondent), and the version of an officer for many years engaged on one cargo steamer releases the Old Country in a measure of tho stigma placed upon it. He fixes tho responsibility for tho trouble at this end, pointing out that loading under difficulties in open roadsteads from lighters is often attended with damage to the carcases, and that in a heavy swell tho slings may knock against the side of the ship and upset the equilibrium of the frozen mutton. Then carcases tumble out of the canvas * into the hold, and tho result is bruised ile.sli and broken shanks. Hence the complaints regarding the handling at Lon. don is, according to tho officer, above reproach.

Reports from Fiji point to the possibility of a rising of tho Indian population working on the. sugar plantations. The Indians arc being steadily drafted into the island colony to workin the canefields, and ever since they have been in the colony they have been a disturbing influence. The managers and foremen placed over them have frequently been murdered. A batch of 2,000 Indians was expected to arrive at Suva in the steamer Sangolia, and it is reported that when they get ashore trouble may be expected, for there arc several agitators amongst the number, who it is thought will endeavor to work their countrymen up to a fighting pitch. White residents in the cane districts are laying in stores of arms and ammunition, and the Government lias been advised of the unrest that exists among the collies. At Lautkoa, Ba, Labasa and Nausori, the coolies outnumber the whites by more than 100 to one, so that in the event of an uprising the Europeans might faro rather badly. Most of the male adult Europeans outside Suva are members of rifle-clubs and fair shots, but their homes are so widely scattered that a sudden uprising might prove disastrous tor them. ___