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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2583, 18 August 1909, Page 4

Train arrangements lin connection with the Hunt Club races to-morrow are advertised in this issue. Messrs J. Greig and Son, architects, announce that they have commenced tho practice of their profession in Gisborne. Their office is at tho Farmers’ Club rooms, Lowe Street. The Akaroa correspondent of the “Lyttelton Times” states that there has at last been a stir in the cocksfoot market. During the last week several parcels have been quitted, 5d per pound being the highest price recorded. A witness in the Supreme Court, Auckland, last week, was described by examining solicitor as a farmer. With a conscientious desire to observe his oath he replied that strictly speaking ho was an apiarist. “What is that?” queried His Honor Mr Justice Edwards, scanning witness with the interest a naturalist might display in a new s >ecimen. “A bee farmer. Your Honor,” explained counsel. “Oh, an apiarist,” rejoined tho judge, lapsing into a smile. “I thought he said a Napierist.” This year Dominion Day, September 26th, falls on a Sunday, and will bo fittingly observed on that day. Cabinet has expressed a desire that church parades of the defence forces shall be held, and that in the larger centres an open-air afternoon service would bo tho most suitable. The chief of the General Defence Staff (Colonel Robin) has issued orders to the officers commanding districts in accordance with this suggestion. “You will arrange,” be says, “for a church parade and services suitable to the local conditions, embracing all branches of tho defence forces under your command.” It will be left to their discretion, according to the orders issued, as to the time of the parade.

A growing hut little known export from New Zealand is scrap-iron, states the Wellington correspondent of tho “Lyttelton Times.” It is taken by China to a very large extent, and the port to which it is consigned is Shanghai. From Wellington alone 100 tons have been exported during the past three months. The iron _ pays two freights, however, viz., New Zealand to Sydney, and Sydney to Shanghai, in all £2 per ton. Direct shipment between New Zealand and the Far East would, of course, mean a substantial reduction in freights, leading, it is believed, to an improvement in tlie volume of trade which is slowly, but steadily, growing between New Zealand and China and Japan. New Zealand is now able to participate in the benefits of the subsidies paid by' both the Victorian and New South Wales Governments to the E. and A.. Line to call at Shanghai and take freight there on practically the same basis as to Hong Ivong.

The Telegraph Department forwarded the following memorandum last itigiit; Berne advises Fao lino restored. W. J. Burling, farmer, aged 67, a recent arrival from south, died suddenly at Taupiri on his way to Hamilton hospital yesterday. Mr J. Jarrett inspected the Patutahi and Gentle Annie quarries on Monday and the ICaitaratahi gravel beds yesterday. He will he present at a special meeting of the Borough Council to be held at 2 p.m. to-day to submit a report on the metal supply question. The members of the Gisborne hire Board met at the Borough Council Chambers yesterday afternoon in an informal wav to meet Captain Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades. Mr Jopn Townloy, chairman of the Board, pi<sidod. and Captain Hugo had a long. balk with the members present on tile efficiency of the local fire brigade, ana the need lor improved fire-fighting apparatus. Speaking at the annual meeting, ot the Canterbury Automobile Association, the president, Dr. Neeley, said that m the ease of a German or foreign invasion it would be possible to transpor troops, by means of motor cars, Horn Christchurch to Groymouth m eight hours. That was, of course, providing the weather was favorable -and the rivers were negotiable by the cars, lie, for one, hoped that if such an occasion should arise he would be one to participate in the movement. Writing to the “Post,” a correspondent says:—“The present supplies of milk in the city of Wellington are far from the correct thing. It is a wonder that half of the infants in this city do not die from the adulterated article that has been served to the public. It is bad enough in a city like London, but in Wellington it should he a different thing, and should 1 not be tolerated. I beg to protest against this adulteration of milk, as I find that the milk is more impure on Wednesdays and Saturdays than any other day.” Whilst on the journey through Canada. on routo to the Old Country, the New Zealand Press delegates visited the large lumber mills at Vancouver and thereabouts. Mr. G. Fenwick, of the “Otago Daily Times,” in the coupe of a speech subsequently, said: —“The magnitude of the operations of these mills surprised us. nothing to them being found in Australia or New Zealand. We were the more interested in these mills owing to the fact that large quantities of lumber from uio.ci are shipped to our country. IVe speak of this lumber as Oregon, and I had. always been under the impression that the lumber we were getting was Oregon pine. I find, as a matter of fact, that it is Douglas fir.” The Paoeete correspondent of the “Sydney ‘Morning Herald,” writing of the Maori entertainers who passed through en route to San Francisco, says: —“lt was a sight to see them arguing with the Chinese in the shops over the chango they got. They had had a certain elementary grounding in the matter of French coinage before they set foot on Tahiti, but of what use was it all when they found American dimes and cents thrown in with francs and centimes, .and other articles of coinage too numerous to mention? They simply gave it up, and took everything for granted, and gave everybody credit for being honest, because, perforce, they had to. If they had to stay here much longer they would be among those whom the gods make mad in Papeete.” One of the largest purchases of poultry ever made in New Zealand has just been completed by Messrs A. Moritszon and Co., Dunedin. They have contracted for the coming; season for the delivery of 20,000 ducklings and 5000 chickens, all to weigh 41b each and over. This deal has been effected with Mr Burley, Avonhead Farm, Riccarton, and the poultry will bo packed and graded at the Government depot in Christchurch and forwarded to the freezer for export (says the “Otago Daily Times.”) A contract has also been entered into by the same firm for the year 1911 for the supply of 30,000 ducklings and 10,000 chickens. On the farm from which these orders are being secured there are sufficient incubators to hatch out 12,000 birds at one setting.

A wag at Masterton has perpetrated a hoax at the expense of seven guileless insurance agents (says the local “Times”). A well-known employee at one of the tailoring establishments in town has persistently turned a deaf ear to the eloquence of the local agents. This morning the heart of each was gladdened by the receipt of a post-card asking him to call at the establishment at 11.45 a.m. regarding the insurance of one who had hitherto resisted their individual plausibility. It speaks well lor their punctuality that all arrived within a minute of each other, primed policies and all necessary data. Naturally it did not take them long to discover that they had been hoaxed, and as each pulled out his post-card making the appointment the language increased in intensity and luridness. Now seven irate men. are looking for the penetrator of the joke.

The trains that run in the Kaipara district, in the Auckland province, are believed to be the slowest in the world. Throughout the north they are known as “taihoa” trains. Their slowness has long been proverbial, and on several occasions successive members representing the district have amused their more fortunate southern colleagues, by relating from their place in Parliament, anecdotes connected with the great velocity attained on the northern line. It is stated that it is a common thing for these trains to have “to run bade and make a dash at a hill before it could get up.” It has also been pointed out to the Minister that the total stoppages between Auckland and Helenville, a distance of only thirtyeight miles, amount in some cases to no less than seventy minutes. The c‘slowest and most tedious trains in the Dominion” is the title earned by this service.

Another good audience greeted the “Patlic Pictures” at Elis Majesty’s Theatre last night, when the entertainment was greatly enjoyed by all present. On Saturday next the management promise their first complete change of programme, when they will present 8000 ft of entirely now subjects, headed by a brilliant football picture of tlie “All Blacks” playing the “Kangaroos,” recently taken in Sydney. This is said to bo a magnificent picture. Another attraction promised is “Napoleon and the English Sailor,” an incident in the life of tho great Frenchman. An industrial picture worthy of note is entitled “Poor Man’s Butter,” said to be descriptive fo the margarine industry in l Denmark. Other pictures will be “The Kidnapped Mother-in-Law,” “Venice from a Gondola,” “A Trip through Savoy/’ and “The Vendetta.” ' The comic element will be supplied by “The Rocket Policeman,” “The Energetic Woman,” “The Bear on the Stairs,” and other pictures. The company will show at Wacrenga-a-hika to-night, at Ormond to-morrow. To Karaka on Friday, and at Patutahi and Te Arai on Monday and Tuesday next.

Messrs Brenmer and Leitherlance, from Tologa, and Miss Elm*, from Pakarae, arrived by Messrs Redstone andl Sons' coaches yesterday afternoon. if A member of the Fire Brigade, Fiveman J. Kane, while going to the fire at Whataupoko last iught, was knocked down in Fox Street by a horseman who came behind him galloping at full pace. The fireman, fortunately was not seriously hurt, and was able to make his way to the fire.

The annual congregational meeting in connection with St. Andrew s I resbyterian Church will be held m Whinray’s Hall at 7.30 p.rn. to-day. As several matters of importance are to be considered, it is hoped there will be a large attendance. At the close of the business a short musical progiamme will be gone through and refreshments will he served.

Mrs. Katherine Lent Stevenson, who has acquired considerable celebrity as a lecturer in connection with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, will give addresses in His Majesty’s Theatre on Monday and Tuesday next. The subjects of her lectures will be announced later. The following telegram was received from the Rev. F. W. Isitt last evening.:; ‘“Mrs. Stevenson is a very impressive, capable and attractive speaker.”

“Is the canal project dead or not?” asked a councillor, at the last meeting of the Christchurch City Council. “As dead as Caesar,” replied Councillor W. H. Cooper. The Mayor (Mr. C. Allison) said that he could assure councillors that the project was not dead. As Chairman of the Cana] League he did not wish to forestall what the League’s representative on the Harbor Board had to pay. They were quite ready to discuss the matter, and after that'the League would call a meeting and lay further information before the public.

“It is not good policy,” said Mr Gilbert Anderson, ex-manager of the Christchurch Meat Co. to a pressman in London recently, “to let buyers see your stocks. In the case of heavy surpluses such as we have now, why not ‘dump’ these into new markets, sell for what you can get, and so relieve the strained situation in London?” This question arises when congestion comes and promises to bo lasting. It is worth consideration (says the representative of the “Pastoralists’ Review”). Australian mutton stocks might be used in this way. Such policy is the very essence of the successful American way of handling meat. In a billiard match now proceeding in Sydney between Lindrum, Australian billiard champion, and Master George Gray, who recently toured New Zealand. Gray made a break recently of 574, of which 495 was scored off the red ball, Gray’s average for the season being 285. This wonderful achievement constitutes the Australasian billiard record and the world s record off the red ball, Gray, in both instances, having broken bis previous records. The match is being played on an Alcock standard table, built to the British Billiard Association Templates, consequently the records will hold good and be accepted, in due course, by the British Billiard Association.

An example of the “profitableness” of accident insurance was mentioned by the manager of an insurance company in a letter read at a meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board. The writer stated that the premiums paid by the Board had totalled £249, the claims paid totalled £525. and the company had escaped a claim of £4OO only owing to one of the Board’s employees, who had. died as the result of an accident, having no dependents. In addition, there was an outstanding claim that would probably cost the company £IOO. Naturally the writer of the letter asked that his company should have a chance of recouping itself by the Board continuing to insure with his company.

It is well known to farmers (an exchange remarks) that cows sometimes take a great fancy to chewing bones, and occasionally get choked in their efforts at swallowing them. A farmer near Stratford recently lost a cow that fell a victim to its unnatural appetite. He held a post-mortem examination and discovered that the cow had choked herself in an endeavor to swallow the skull of a lamb, which she had picked' up in the paddock. This fancy for boues on the part of the cow is rather peculiar, but it is not at all uncommon. A cow will sometimes spend hours in sucking and chewing a bone, quite heedless of the succulent pasture by which she may be surrounded.

The annual meeting of the Gisborne b ranch of the Methodist Home Mission Society was held in the Methodist Church last night. The Rev. J. A. Loclioro presided, and about 60 members and sympathisers were present. After a short address, the chairman called upon the Rev. T. G. Brooke, organising secretary of the Home Mission Society, t-o address the meeting. Mr. Brooke, in an eloquent manner, outlined the work being done, both in the European and Maori branches. During the year the fund has supported three European and eight Native ministers, two European deaconesses, and one homo missionary in Native work, at a cost of £2154* and in European work has assisted in the support of twenty-one home missionaries on separate stations, nine home missionaries in constituted circuits, and one city missionary, at! a cost of £929. It also assisted thirty-one circuits and three citv missions to sustain their agencies, at'a cost of £1049. An appeal was made to the meeting to assist the fund, and after the collection had been taken up, it was announced that tho collections towards the fund from last night’s meeting and from last Sunday’s services amounted to £lO 11s 4d, and that annual donations amounting to £2l 10s had been promised. A hearty vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. J. C. Aitken, and seconded by Mr. E. S. Goldsmith, was accorded to Mr. Brooke for his address, and the meeting then terminated.