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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2474, 13 April 1909, Page 4

The annual meeting of the Gisborne Football Club will be held at 8 p.m. today at Mr. C. Morses’ hairdressing saloon.

The Cinderella Dancing Club will hold a dance next Thursday night, instead of to-night. Dancing will be from 8 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.

It is notified that the dates for the next meetings of the Land Board are as follows:—At Napier, Friday, April 16; Gisborne, Saturday, April 17.

Owing to tlie wet weather yesterday the Freezing Works’ Sports, which were to have been held at AY aerenga-a-hika, were postponed until a date to be fixed, probably Monday, May 24 (Empire Day).

The annual general meeting of the West End Football Club will be held in the Te Ran College at 7.30 p.m. today. The principal business will be the adoption of the report and balance-sheet and the formation of a new club under the club scheme.

Signor It. Bragato, Government viticulturist, is at present on an official visit to Gisborne, and will remain until Thursday. He was prevented by tho rain yesterday from visiting the few vineries in the district, but hopes to be able to do so to-day. He will be pleased to meet grape growers and give them anv information on viticulture during his stay here. Signor Bragato is staying at the Masonic hotel.

At the annual meeting of the Ocean Accident Insurance Company, held in London, the income of the company for the year ended 1908 was reported to have been £1,450,513, tne balance to credit to profit and loss, after paying all claims and expenses (including provision for outstanding claims), being ■£741,483. The reserves at December 31st ’stood at £1.750,298 and assets totalled £2,453,0:30.

Some yields in connection with tins season’s crops Lave been almost exceptional. For example, says tlie 'YYairarapa “Daily Times/’ Mr. Edward Haigh, of Greytown, has just taken 16 tons of onions from one acre. This prolific yield works out- at something like £SO per acre as prices rule at present. If there be a stringency in the money market, the farmers, according to the testimony of many in that district., hardly feel it as yet. The members of the Rebekah Lodge 1.0.0. F., gave their Easter dance and first social of the season in Erskine’s Hall last night. About 40 couples were present, and danced until after midnight to music supplied by Messrs Dodds" and Vita. Messrs R. Robb and* E. Swinnerton acted as M.C.’s, and the committee in charge of the social were Mrs. R. Is. Jones, Misses Somervell. E. Robb and C. Quigley, Messrs A. T. Coleman. E. D. Smith, W. L. Clayton, R. J. Robb, and A. M. Coleman. Miss D. Osborne and Mr. C. M. Sargisson acted as joint secretaries.

A meeting of the Finance Committee of the Harbor Board has been called for Thursday afternoon to discuss the financial position of the Board with regard to the proposed purchase of a dredge. This meeting will be followed by a special general meeting of tho t Board on Monday afternoon to receive the committee’s report and to finally consider the offer of Mesrs Simons and Co. to construct a dredge guaranteed to cut and lift papa rock. It is considered that the Board will, at Monday’s meeting, come to a definite decision regarding the proposed purchase.

Unmistakable evidence of the severity of the earthquake which took place on Tuesday, March 23rd, is to be found on the Milford Sound track (says the “Otago Daily Times”). Those who have journeyed over the MacKinnon Pass since the earthquake say that huge boulders which have evidently broken away from Mount Balloon lie on the track in Clinton Valley in ‘several places, and in many instances entirely block it. Some of the -boulders must range from five to ten tons in weight. The hush that was standing in the course of the stones has, of course, been crushed to the ground. In addition the track shows slight cracks, also caused by the seismic disturbance. One of the guides, who was just beginning to ascend the Pass at the time of the shock, threw down his baggage and ran back as fast as he could to avoid any serious consequences.

Looking through the “remarks” column in the visitors’ book, which lies on the counter of the Tourist Office, one cannot help being struck with the lack of originalty displayed in the range of observations (says the “Christchurch Press”). Nearly all the visitors apparently desire to say something nice' •about New Zealand or Christchurch, but they rarely get beyond such trite remarks as:— “Like it very much,” “Fine country^ ’’ “Very nice,” “Lovely climate,” etc. One visitor says the is charmed with Christchurch after an absence of forty-one years.” A few sot down their stock on Maori, which seems to consist almost entirely of “Kin ora” and “Kapai.” Sarcasm is represented by a remark that the information supplied by the London Office is “most accurate,” but the witty and original tourist is apparently au unknown qua!- • j -,v

The annual meeting of tho Star Foot—dl Club will be held at 8 p.m. go-day.

Tho Union Steamship Company's s.s. Flora, from Auckland, arrived about 4 p.m. yesterday, having been delayed by the southerly gale, of which she experienced the full force. Owing to the state of the river and the gale, the Tuatea was unable to go out to her until 7 p.m., and did not return til! a quarter past 2 o’clock this morning. She' brought a number of from the Flora, and those of them who had no place to go to at once, were made as comfortable as possible with rugs and blankets in the Tuatea’s cabin. The Flora left for Napier at 2 a.m.

Mr. Hwang, tho Chinese Consul in Wellington, says he is puzzled to know why Chinese wish to become British, subjects while they are held in contempt by the people w r ho grant them the privilege. To a “Post” ' reporter the consul, who is an enlightened gentleman and a Christian, talked plainly about some of the indignities his countrymen are subjected to in the colonies. Foi* instance he referred to the fingerprint identification, -which, he said, -was. not applied to Frenchmen or Germans and yet had to be submitted to by Chinese. The system was no doubt useful for detecting criminals,, but it should not be applied to free men and those men British subjects, or at least people of a nation friendly to Great Britain. “The Chinese in New Zealand,” he said, are a diminishing quantity, and I do not see why they should increase. They earn more money here than, in China, perhaps, but they are worse off, as the purchasing power of the money is so very much less. I have looked into the matter carefully, and. seeing what progress China is making in railway development, manufacturing find mining, I cannot understand what Chinese gain hy being here at all. British naturalisation is of no value to Chinamen, and I have told them so, so long as their socia status is not recognised as equal to that of other British. I only give you my personal opinion. As a consul I have nothing to say.”