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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2516, 1 June 1909, Page 4

A sharp shock of earthquake was felt in Gisborne at about half-past seven o’clock yesterday morning.

A mock Parliamentary Election will be held by the Y.M.C.A. Literary and Debating Society this evening. Mr J. Dawsoif will act as returning officer.

The Mayor and Borough Councillors will visit the Gentle Annie quarry today. Drags will leave the Masonic Hotel corner at 9 o’clock a.m.

Mr. TV. D. S. MacDonald has just sold 7000 acres of unimproved land, held under native lease, at the East Cape to Messrs Dampney Bros., late of Mohaka.

The annual conference of delegates from the Various Farmers’ Unions in the Poverty Bay district was to have been held yesterday, but as the only delegates present were Messrs A. It. Watson, C. It. Sainsbury and W. Bissau t Clayton, the conference was allowed to lapse.

A “laughing gallon.’,' ’ a place of entertainment which should be especially popular with juveniles, is to be opened in Gisborne on Thursday next. The location and particulars will be announced in to-morrow’s Issue. Mr. Harry Somerset Is now in town completing the necessary arrangements.

The committee responsible for the success of the East Coast Mounted Rifles’ ball is already at work with the preliminary arrangements, and no efforts will be spared to make it a brilliant function. The City Band has been engaged, and some new music, being imported from London, will be played for the first time in Gisborne. The date of the ball is June 25.

The amount of Customs duties collected at the local Custom-liousc during the month of May is as follows: Spirits £1517 8s 4d; cigars and cigarettes. £I4S lo.s; tobacco, £599 4s; wine, £B2 8s 3d; .goods by weight, £9B 4s 6d; goods ad valorem, £403 15s 3d; other duties, £29 18s sd; total, £2879 13s 9d; excise duty, £ll6 7s 6d. For the corresponding period last year the amount collected was £34IS 16s Id.

The following is the return of the quantity and value of the principal exports of New Zealand produce exported from Gisborne during the month of May: Butter, 176 cwt, £8S0; hides, 1004, £1165; frozen beef, 12,797 cwt, £11,516; frozen lamb, 41,516 carcases (12,423 cwt), £19,375; frozen mutton, 79,822 carcases (39,450 cwt), £42,134; mutton (joints), 95cwt, £B9; skins (all kinds), 104,181, £9231; tallow, 41S tons, £8578; wool, 934,3121b5, £26,116.

There is on view at Mr William Miller’s a handsome shield made from New Zealand woods and presented by Mr. F. Hall for competition among the local companies of Public School Cadets for shooting. The conditions are; The seven best shots from each company to .compete and the team scoring the highest aggregate to hold the shield for one year. The highest- individual scorer in the competition is to receive a medal presented by Messrs Speight and Co, of Dunedin.

• The usual monthly sitting of the Old Ao-e Pensions Court was held yesterday morning before Mr TV. A. Barton, S.M., when the following applications for renewals were granted; Renata Ngarangi £lB, Tenaera Otutu £lo, Margaret Ann Graveq £25, John -Tackett £26, Robext Stewart £26. Original applications were granted as follows : John Adolphus Von Stein £zo, William Tliarratt £23, Martin Casey £25. Ono application was .remsed, on account of an adverse police report, and two others were adjourned, one owing to the non-appcai ance of -ie applicant and the other for proof of residence.

There was a fairly large meeting of householders in the Kaiti schoolroom last evening to elect a school committee. Mr. J. Hay occupied the chair, and the‘nominations received were: Messrs K. Humphreys, H. E. Hill,a. J Fyson, R. Rowan, A. H. Buxgess, J. 0. Turner, E. McDowell, T James, and E. F. Sullivan. On a ballot being taken, Messrs) K. Humphreys, H. RHill, A. J. Fyson, It. A LTurner, J. Jones, and E. F. Sullivan were elected. The newly elected committee then mot, and elected M A. J. Fyson as chairman, wand fixed tlio night of meeting for tho last Friday in the month. Mr. H. E. Hill wa s appointed secretary.

The following communication from the Prime Minister has been received bv Mr. W. D. S. MacDonald, M I "'Re Moanua ?;oad formation, referring to your letter to me of 23rd Maicli, enclosing a communication from Mcssis Thomas and Evans, of Makauri, m regard to access to their lands.-I hml upon enquiry that the matter lias non been taken in. hand by the Roads Dc partment. One party of workmen has been forming the road to Messis L nomas and Evans’ section for so me little time and two more parties of lorn men each' will . join them next week and yvrobnhlv a third party a little later, nod the work will be unshed on as speedily as circumstances will pel lint.

A riflo club has been formed at Rotorua.

During tbo month of May 33 births, 17 marriages and 11 deaths wore registered in Gisborno.

The Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association has decided to give over £SO in prizes for ploughing competitions to bo held this season.

According to Mr Justice Cooper, a good deal of the contradictory evidence that is given in Courts of law is due to misunderstanding.

Queensland is celebrating its jubilee this year. In 50 years its exports have increased from £500,000 to £15,000,000 a year.

“Two years ago we had groat difficulty in getting carpentors. Now wo can get them in hundreds,” said Mr Alexander Campbell, builder, Wellington, before the Timber Commission.

Of those who have signed petition for a military pension for New Zealand field service the youngest is given as 61 years, quite a number are over 70, one 02 and one 99.

A freak in fruit growth has been exhibited in Invercargill—black cm rants ripening in winter. From the bud which should produce next year’s leaf and fruit berries have emerged, singly in most eases, and some of these are ripe enough to be edible.

The State Coal Department has found it necessary to keep a tighter band on credit (says a Wellington paper), it was started to supply "oal at bed-rock cash prices, but short credit has been given for the convenieice of customers and the innovation has been a bus ed. Instruction's have, thererme, been given that cash must in future ne paid with the older

A benefactor to the Wellington 2foo "is the Duke of Bedford, a collector of wild animals, who has written to the superintendent of the Zoo informing him that a consignment will reach Wellington in about a week’s time by the Wakanui. There will be three buff rheas, three grey rheas, eight thar goats, three llamas, and six axis deer, of a total value of £-500.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Harbor Board, Mr. Harris read a petition from a number! of timber merchants, referring to the scarcity of accommodation at the wharf, and protesting against the proposed increase of wharfages. On tbo motion of Mr. Harris, the ouestion of wharf accommodation was left in the hands of the W orks Committee to report, and the other portion of the petition was held over pending discussion.

Mining quotations telegraphed to Mr W. Lissant Clayton, sharebroker, yesterday, read as "follows: Wailii Consolidated's, sellers 2s 4d, buyers 2s 2d; Grand Junctions. 465. and 45s 6d;. Options, 20s and 19s 6d; Waihi Extended?. 6s 9d and 6s 7d; Tairua Golden Hills, 7s and 6s lOd. A later telegram stated that Grand Junctions changed hands at 45s 9d at the last call, and Extendeds at 6s 7d. It is anticipated that Junctions will be easier in a day or two. although there is a lot of speculation in these stocks, well as Extendeds, Pride of Waihis, and Consolidateds.

«3>“You will find bootmakers to-day,” said Mr Dalziel, manager of the Taupo Timber Co., to the Timber Commission, '•“who are making fortunes; you will not find sawmillers who have made fortunes yet.” “No,” _ added Mr Clark, one of -tho commissioners, “but they have made mistakes.” Mr Dalziel replied that it was unfair for people living in the towns to criticise the difficulties with which pioneers had to contend. His own company had not yet paid a dividend, but was on the point of doing so when the “slump” came.

About midday yesterday, says a “Dominion” of last week, hundreds of people were to be observed gazing skyward. just in front of the Town Hall at Wellington. The reason of this unusual interest in the top of the hall was seen in the spectacle of a man risking life and limb, / between 200 ft and 300 ft above the street, in an endeavor to replace the halyards to the Town Hall flag-pole. The rope had given way, and it was decided to replace it with steel wire. The operation was performed by Mr T. W. Leslie, custodian of the building, and Mr M imamson, a member of the Fire Brigade, the latter undertaking the perilous climb. He proceeded to the top cn the pole, which is at least a couple of feet in. thickness, assisted by a rope round his body and placed the wire through the An idea of tlie ciifiicultv to be. overcome by the cumber may" be gained from the fact that his socks were worn completely through by the pressure on the flag-pole.