The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1909. THE IMPROVEMENT OF NAPIER

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2489, 30 April 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1909. THE IMPROVEMENT OF NAPIER

That the people of Napier are not lacking in enterprise and courage is shown by their action in passing all the different loan proposals, totalling £134,-

J, which were submitted to' tl’fem oil Tuesday. As a result nearly £20,000 is to be spent upon the formation of roads, £15,000 on a public destructor and in improving and extending the water supply system, £35,000 on drainage construction, £35,000 upon an electric light and electric tramways scheme, £25,000 on a municipal theatre, and £SOOO on a public park. A noticeable feature of this huge loan policy is. the fact that its promoters claim that the expenditure can be made without, adding a penny to the rates, and when the matter is investigated it will be seen that this is quite possible. In the first place it is claimed that as the Council is at the present time spending £4OOO per year on road works- out of revenue, the bulk of this will be saved as the result of the road loan. Then the Council spends at present £1,300 per year in carting rubbish out of the town, and it is expected that by the erection of a destructor ’£3oo per year will be saved under this head. A profit of £6OO per year is looked for in the working of the Electric light and tramway scheme and a net revenue of £1,900 from the theatre. On top of this comes £B2O anticipated as the result of increased property valuations and' increased rents oh Borough property. There is no doubt but that the expenditure of this £134,QU0 in tho manner indicated will, have a very stimulating effect upon our neighboring town, and the loan can, in all probability, be fully -justified, but it appears somewhat a risky business to prophesy that the theatre will show such large returns and that electric lighting, as well as a tramway scheme, will both prove self-supporting from the outset. "Wo should think that Napier is fully warranted in this stage of its development in deciding to instal an electric tramway .system, and this ■should ultimately prove, not only of immense convenience to the inhabitants, but a’so a source of considerable revenue, but expenses have a habit of mounting up in an alarming and totally unexpected fashion in. the inauguration of such undertakings, so that it i.s rare that a profit is shown at the outset. Side by side with the tram way proposals is a scheme for providing electric light for the streets and. presumably, for sale also to private consumers, and power is also to be distributed. In this respect the Mayor of Napier recently said to a reporter: ‘T need scarcely remind you that the various firms who in the past sought rights from your Council, were never doubtful as to the power and lighting supply paying, and that my own opinion has consistently been that this branch of the business would be decidedly profitable, as it has fully proved itself to be in New Plymouth and other towns.”

The amount to he devoted to a theatre, £25,000, should provide for quite a palatial edifice and one that should meet the requirements of the town for many years to come. It should prove a good asset, but it is scarcely to be expected that it will pay interest upon capital as well as expenses for somo time to come. One of the most enthusiastic advocates for the loan proposals that have just been carried is Mr Vigor Brown, the energetic Mayor of the town. Interviewed prior to the polling day he spoke on the subject as follows :

“I think that the ratepayers will bo. true to themselves and pass the whole of the .proposals. They “will do this if they .want Napier to rise out of itself and become a still more prosperous town than it is. Napier, and indeed, the whole of Hawke’s Bay, has vastly improved during the past live or six years and if any further material advance 'is to be made the loan proposals are absolutely necessary for the progress of the town. “Napier will not ho alone in tho manner in which it is proposed to deal with its municipal affairs. To give an. idea of tvliat is being done by other municipal bodies in New Zealand I need only refer to Dunedin, which 1 visited about a fortnight ago. The Dunedin City Council have considerably increased their overdraft by embarking on now and payable undertakings. Some considerable time ago their overdraft was £30,000 while to-day it is £78,000. During last year their profits from municipal trading afforded a. striking example of what may ho expected in this respect. For instance, the water scheme shows a profit of £.3000, gas £BOOO, electric tramways £3700, abattoirs £4OO, electric lighting and power £IOOO, showing a splendid total of profits amounting to £22,100 in one year. Dunedin people are richly endowed with the business instinct and are . never afraid to borrow money and operate on an overdraft provided the works they undertake are reproductive. “Of course'it is impossible.to make all municipal works reproductive. Sewerage and roads may not show any financial return in tho Council's. balancesheet, but they are a permanent essential of the town and are absolutely necessary for public- health and convenience.”

The fact that the recent loans have 'been proposed and sanctioned is an indication that our Napier friends are not lacking in confidence in their town and, while congratulating them upon their enterprise, we must ,hope that the .results -will' he as satisfactory as they anticipate.

The Inspector of Stock (Mr. Ross) yesterday condemned a cow as unfit to be offered for Bale at the stock sales at Mutawhero.

Tho eleventh half-yearly general meeting of the Poverty Bay Co-opera-tive Supply Association will be held in Townley’s ITall at 8 p.m. to-day.

The first meeting of the newly-elected Borough Council and the formal installation of Mr. W. D. Lysnar as Mayor will be held on Wednesday evening next. .

The annual meeting of the Licensing Committee for the district of Gisborne will be held in the Courthouse >at noon on Friday, June 4. All .applications must bo lodged with the clerk (Mr. J. A. Johnstone) not later than Thursday, May 13. The acquisition of Mr Sydney Williamson’s Ngatapa property, comprising 10,697 acres, is officially announced. Possession is to be given on March 15 next to enable the. owner to dispose of bis stock and for the survey and subdivision of the estate to be effected.

The Telegraph Department notifies that on and after Ist May the charge for cable messages to Chiii, Bolivia, and Peru, via Eastern and Madeira, or via Eastern and North Atlantic, will be tho same as for the Argentine, namely 6s 4d and 7s 2d per word for the respective routes.

The director of Technical Education in Taranaki, Mr. W. A. Ballantyne,, has decided to make dairy science one of the chief subjects for 1909 at the, Stratford District High School, with the idea that all junior teachers shall quahfy themselves to give instruction in this important subject.

The sporting reporter is usually a most 7 - eliable and virtuous person with tho kind of infallibility that! is generally attributed only to a high church functionary, and that is why a writer in the Christchurch paper recently wrote that “a great finish was seen between Lady Lylian and Ben Hur, only a week divided them at the finish.” He might as well hare made it a lunar month while he was about it.

A party of men from Christchurch, who had previously visited Ban’kside twice during this autumn, went there again during the Easter holidays to shoot rabbits, taking ferrets with them (says the. ‘(Lyttelton Times”). For the three visits tlie party averaged eight guns, and the total bag amounted to a thousand and fifty rabbits. The average number secured by each member of the party at each visit r ag forty-three.

Sailing in the wake of closer settlement. as ho frequently does, the Chinaman is beginning to make bis presence -felt in Ohakune. Three Chinese were originally in business there and a reinforcement of eight went last week. Some of the now arrivals have at once set to work prospecting for vege-table-garden sites .and one of them showed his confidence in the future of tlie little town by leasing a small shop and paying two years’ rent (£104) in advance.

The largest estate certified for probate during the month of April was that of RoberF Maunsell (Wellington), £101,422. Other large amounts are: Wellington, Thomas Midgley £26,941, Anders_ Anderson £15,636, Emma Wixon £7200, Alex. Meßetli £5033, John Graham £5636; Auckland, Edward Coliollv £18,362; Southland," Alexander Hamilton £5993; Otago, Ann Forsyth £5256; Taranaki, William J. Cleave £16,094; Christchurch, Henry J. Washbourne £13,791, Willliam Little £7240, Samuel Coleman £6384, Daniel Gorrie £5445.

The .programme of the Maugatu sports, to be held on the Whatatntu racec._ft"se on Empire Day, Monday, May 24, is advertised in this issue. It is of a varied and very attractive character. The athletic events comprise hurdle and flat races, and a drop-kick competition. There are several horse events, including a leaping match and a wire jump. The prize-list is a very liberal one. Entries for the handicap events will close with the lion, secretary (Mr. C. F. Henderson) at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May S. . Amusements'and races for children will be held under the supervision of Messrs M. Dargan and W. Evans.

A special meeting ofl the Board of Directors of the Y.M.C.A. was held last evening, when it was decided ip nublisl? a monthly leaflet, to be called the “Y.M.C.A. Monthly,” with the object of keeping members, who are unable to frequent thej rooms in touch with the doings of the various clubs and activities of the Association. The question of establishing a gymnasium was also considered, and a committee was appointed to select rooms and purchase equipment. The membership of the 'Association now totals 361. The physical work committee of the Y.M.C.A.’ are arranfjog to ihold a 5-mile Marathon race tor a medal, presented by Mr. 14. J. Grieve.

A .great many convp’aints have been received at the Town Clerk’s office on the temporary cessation of the borough water supply .while the pipe-line is being repaired. The Town Clerk yesterday informed .a ‘‘Times” reporter that the supply will only be available on an average of about one day a week for about six weeks to come, as the repairs will take considerable time to carry out. In order that residents may be put to as little inconvenience as possible, it would be well if the authorities -would notify, before each interruption of the service, the day when the. supply will he cut off. This was not done in the case -of the present break in the service, aiiu milch inconvenience was occasioned thereby.

That the knowledge of how to use ‘one’s fists for the purposes of defence and not aggression is a very useful asset was exemplified on board a ferry 'steamer on the way from Auckland to Northcote.- A Maori passenger was inoffensively taking a trip across the harbor when a tall, athletic man endeavored to strike up a conversation in the , Maori language. The Native .jocularly informed his interviewer that he could not talk Maori, and that lie Was only “making a fool of it.” Upon this the tall fellow became abusive, and eventually assaulted the Maori. As it was a onesided contest owing to the long reach of the taller man and his persistency in continuing the attack, several passengers vainly tried to interfere. Seeing their fruitless endeavors a young man of light build and .short stature stepped into the breach, hud notwithstanding the odds against him on these points, was so Well posted in the art of using his fists that he settled the big fellow in ai couple of seconds, much to "the delight and .relief of the dock passengers, who were ft fra i d of some serious injury resulting, from the-attack on the Native.

A general meeting <jf the East Coast Mounted Rifles will be Held at the__Gar~ risen Hall at 7.30 p.m. to-day for the purpose or electing a lieutenant. _ l* !e squadron is now ‘m a very promising condition. There are about 60 members on the roll, and it is expected that the full strength of 84 will' be reached during the present year.

The Wellington City Council’s overdraft at the present time stands at £30,990. The overdraft on the electric lighting service is £14,573, and that on general account is £18,143, a total of £32,716, but against this there are credit on loan accounts amounting to £1726, which would bring the overdraft down to £30,990.

Business people throughout the North Island towns are inclined to the view that trade is now making a good .recovery from the sluyn]'i which it suffered during the March quarter. Ihe increase (says a “.Dominion” corres--pondent, has been rather marked in Palmerston North, Masterton, W anganui, and Napier. In the last mentioned town there arc no empty houses at present.

A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that the Prime Minister paid a visit to Taieri yesterday, and received a number of deputations concerning local matters, and in the evening he was present at a social at Mosgiel tendered,to the Hon. T. Mackenzie in honor of his elevation to Cabinet rank, a number of complimentary speeches being made. To-day Sir Joseph Ward will proceed to Invercargill.

“1 have got the Church on one side doing nothing.” said an aggrieved property owner in the Auckland Assessment- Court, in endeavoring to impress the Court with the reasons why the valuation of his property should be reduced. “The Church,” he added, “is a bad neighbor and a poor farmer, and to make matters worse I have got a Chinaman on the other side.” After this recital of his tale of woe, the objector was granted a reduction.

It does not seem to be generally known) that at the present time the Government have stopped granting assistance to male immigrants unless they can prove conclusively that they are farming people. To guard against deception the staff of the High Commissioner’s office in London always insists upon the production of two references from reputable persons showing that the applicant has had actual experience on the land.

A means for obtaining motive-power from the action of the sea has been invented by Mark Saunders, of Timaru, •ironworker, who is applying for patent rights. The specifications are of a simple and easily understandable nature, which differentiates them from most patents specifications. They state that a pipe, or a number of pipes, each tapering towards one end, is, or are, arranged with their larger ends so disposed as to be mainly below the level of the water. These, pipes are then inclined upwards to their back end. and are made to extend in a direction corresponding to the direction of movement of the waves, so that such waves in their motion will pass up into such pipes. As each wave passes into the mouth of the pipe it- will imprison the air within such pipe, and compress and drive it- up the- pipe and into a com-pressed-air tank connected, wit.i tee pipe. At the same time this water will bo delivered from the back end of the pine into a trough or flume arranged to"receive it. and by such flume be conveyed bv gravity to”operate, a Belton or other motor. Suitable valves will be provided for preventing any backflow ol compressed air or water. Tire pines will be so disposed that their mouths mav be raised or lowered at will, so that they may be adjusted to the varying heights caused by the rise and fall* of the tide.