Untitled

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2579, 13 August 1909, Page 4

The Borough overseer completed the repairs to the Whataupoko bridge yesterday. A meeting of citizens and others interested will bo held at the Borough Council Chambers at 8 p.m. to-day to make arrangements for holding a hospital social.

As the Poverty Bay Hunt Club’s annual races will be held on the Park Racecourse on Thursday next, the usual fortnightly sale of stock at the Maiawhero yards will be held on "Wednesday. Mr. F. • Hall announces that he is prepared to build, to suit clients, on the section in Lowe Street, now occupied by the Old Library Buildings. As the position is central, early application for rooms or suites of offices will be necessary.

The Y.M.C.A. hockey club intend holding a meeting at the rooms at 7.15 to-morrow night when the action of the Poverty Bay Hockey Association in passing three members of the recently disbanded Kia Kaha club to West End will bo considered.

Prior to his departure for South on Wednesday evening Mr E. McGregor, of the Customs Department, was presented by the Rev. Mr Graham, on behalf of the members of the Matawhero Bible Class, with a fountain pen, jjs a small momento of remembrance. The clerk of tlie \v aikoliu County Council has received advice by the Valuation Department that a voucher for the payment of £845 14s 5d has been passed on to the Treasury. This is the first Government subsidy for the Waikohu County Council, being in the £ on rates collected.

Several young men walked along the groyne yesterday afternoon to see how the cut was acting during the rough weather yesterday aiternoon. Their curiosity was assuaged, but their interest in the matter -was somewhat dampened, as a wave, coining through, sent up a high shower of foam, which caught and thoroughly drenched them.

The planets Venus and Jupiter were in conjunction in the western sky last evening, and as the night was clear, presented a striking sight. Jupiter appearing as a satellite to Venus. An eclipse of Jupiter by Venus has, never been recorded, as the planets, in following their orbits, are never in a straight line from any part of the earth.

Among the passengers for the south by the s.s. Victoria on Wednesday were no fewer than three couples who had entered into the bonds of matrimony in Gisborne that day. The activity in the marriage market thus implied was accompanied by a degree of privacy not usual in such cases, for in no case was any public record made of the happy events.

Mr. Gordon Esam, Inspector of Orchards under the Agricultural Department, gave a demonstration of orchard spraying, similar to that given by Mr. Boucher at Wbataunoko last -week, at Mr. J. Atkins’ garden, Patutahi, yesterday afternoon. There was a large crowd present, and the operations were watched with interest. A similar demonstration will be given at Ormond this afternoon.

In regard to the proposed bridge over the Waimata river Mr I)e G. Fraser explains that the statement made at the Borough council meeting that plans had been drawn by. the County Engineer is scarcely correct. Some months ago the result of a conversation with the Mayor he gave a rough estimate of the cost of a bridge from measurements supplied by the Borough Overseer. He drew a rough sketch, but not plans in the recognised sense of the word, and what action he took was merely in a personal capacity and not as County Engineer.

The s.s. Ruru, which arrived from Napier yesterday afternoon, had considerable- difficulty in getting into the river owing to the range from the hoavy seas duo to the storm from the soulli on Wednesday evening. The master of the steamer expressed tho opinion that the cut in the groyne would not decrease the range, and the only remedy was an extension of the breakwater. Mr. John Townley, chairman of the Harbor Board, is watching the effect of the division of the wall with interest, and is of opinion that another opening will have to be rnado nearer tho beach before any benefit will he obtained.

In reference to the mishap to the machinery of the Patho Pictures at His Majesty’s Theatre last evening, the management, of tho entertainment states that after giving the machinery a trial run yesterday afternoon, the operator left the plant in perfect order at 6 p.m. On returning to tho theatre at 7 o’clock he found that- the engine would not start, and, despito the efforts of the staff, it was 9 o’clock before tho trouble was located, when some sand was found in tho carburetter Mr. Pearson, tho operator, feels certain that the damage was done by some mischievous person between 6 and 7 o’clock, .and the matter lias been placed in the hands of the police. There is, aocording to the “Poet”, a great deal of smuggling going on at Wellington. Everyone on board a ship arriving from overseas has to make an official declaration as to the quantity of dutiable goods in his or her possession, but few, the officials say; appear to have any feelings of honesty in this respect, ana smuggling is the rule. The chief offenders are women, and it is distinctly stated by the officials that on o woman in particular makes a; regular living out of the profits earned by defrauding the Customs. They know she does it, and they know liow she does it, but without a female searcher it is a difficult matter to make a raid, and so far she has gone scot free. But that is only one instance. There .are, however, evidences that the officials are getting tired of the frequent evasions of the law which it is known occur every day—recent prosecutions point in that direction —and it is understood that more drastic measures to prevent the revenue's being defrauded are in contemplation. .

The monthly meeting of the Waikohu County Council will be held at Te Karaka to-day.

Applications for the position of caretaker for the Turanganui Bowling Club will be received b- the bon. secretary, Mr. W. 0. Skeet, till 4 p.m-. to-day.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington last night states that an Extraordinary Gazette published last night further prorogues Parliament to September 9th. A very enjoyable complimentary social, .tendered by St. Mary’s choir to Messrs Vita Bros., was given in Erskine’s Hall last evening. Between 40 and 50 couples were present, and dancing was indulged in till a late hour. The application made to the Harbor Board by the Poverty Bay Rowing Club for permission to erect a new boathouse at the foot of Bright street has been granted for the site adjoining Mr. G. Smith’s timber yard.

The Otago “Daily Times” says:—After a Sounds cruise extending over five weeks the fish freezer Kakeno has returned to the Bluff, bringing a handsome take of 800 cases of well-sized blue cod, together with a quantity of groper. The market value of the take is, say, £250, at which rate she must have been doing equal to £SO per week. She candes a complement of seven men.

In honor of his being the first of their race to occupy the position of Acting-Prime Minister, the-members of the Rangitane tribe have decided to present an address to the Hon. Jas. Carroll. The Hon. A. T. Ngata, Dr. Buck, M.P., and other-Native members of Paliainent will come to Palmerston for the occasion. Mr Moffatt is the hon. secretary of the movement. A similar presentation was made in the Wairarapa recently. The Mayor (Mr. W. D. Lysnar) telegraphed the Hon. James Carroll to try and persuade the Hon. T. Mackenzie to accompany him on his visit to Gisborne, as there were several matters connected with that Minister’s Department which Gisborne people desire to discuss with him. The Hon. J. Carroll replied: “I think I can arrange for the Hon. Thos. Mackenzie to visit you later on. Ho cannot be there' upon the occasion of my visit, as his engagements prevent it.—J. Carroll.”

The Lux kerosene lanpi has been removed from in front of the Sievwright 'monument in Peel street, and the old gas lamp re-erected. The difference in the amount of light given is remai'kable, and already there have been many complaints as to tlie small light given by the gas lamp as compared with the Jmx lamp. It has been suggested that the Borough Council should erect a Lux light, at a height of about 30 or 40 feet at the Peel street junction of Gladstone road, as sucli a lamp would light both streets much better than gas

Sir Charles Lucas, interviewed at Auckland, speaking of his impressions of the Dominion, so far as he had been able to judge, said that he had been much interested in all he had seen. The rich fertility of the land was obvious, and in the North Island as in the South, he had been much surprised at the remarkable amount of cultivation. “1 know full well-what the settlers of New Zealand have been able to accomplish: that has long been known to me. But I must admit my surprise at finding such evidence of cultivation and population,” continued Sir Charles. “Did I not know the population of this Dominion, perhaps my surprise would not have been so great, but when one -remembers that New Zealand contains only a million people, and is the size of the United Kingdom, it is indeed remarkable to find such wide settlement, with cleared lands, green fields, and houses in every part of the country.”