GENERAL NEWS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2590, 26 August 1909, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

A majority of the witnesses at the criminal sittings of the Auckland Supreme Court have been natives, and all lxave elected to give their exddence in the Maori language, with the result that the services of an interpreter have been necessary a fid progress slow. “I. sxxppose these witnesses can speak English,” His Honor remarked, as an intelligent-looking Maori entered the box. , The interpreter interrogated the witness, and received a negative reply. His Honor: ‘“lf someone asked you to have a drink, ’ would you not understand?” The bland face of the native turned to the interpreter, in wellfeigned surprise, but the joke had appealed too strongly to his risibility, and a broad smile illumined his face, to the amusement of those in Coxirt. The services of the interpreter were, however, not clisnensed xvith.

Gifts of four kea and six kiwi have been made to the Emperor of Austria by tho New Zealand Tourist Department. The birds are for the Emperor’s private “Zoo” at Schoenbrunn, and they will be ready for shipment in a fortnight. It will be remembered that His- Imperial few years ago presented the New Zealand Government, through the Prime Minister, with some chamois, ..which were broxxght to the colony after very great difficulty. Of them 'it may be truly said “they were the first that ever hurst, into tho Southern Sea” (to modify Coleridge). The animals were liberated at Mount Cook, near the Hermitage. Some of them have since been seen and they appeared to be xvell nourished. Young were among them, showing that the chamois had bred in the Southern Alps. The suggestion of the introduction of chamois originated with Ritter Commander von Hoehnel, who was out here in command of the Austrian cruiser Panther.

A lay advocate, appearing to conduct his own case at the Suprce Court at Christchurch last week, complained that a legal volume he intended to quote from, and which he had before him earlier in the day, had disappeared. “It ha& probably walked out,” suggested the opposing counsel., “On human legs, then,” retorted the suitor. The. presiding judge, after* advising the litigant to make sure the book was not in tlio locality of the barristers’ table mentioned another instance of a simirar trouble where’learned counsel after inquiring indignantly for a missing authority was found to he “sitting on the case.” The applicant thereupon rumaged round and discovered the volume close beside him. “It is nearly a s bad here,’"’ he exclaimed; “I was? not exactly sitting on the case, but I had my elbow on it.”

The Wellington “Post” says that, Mr A. W. Hogg’s meeting at Shannon was largely attended. He related certain incidents in his experiences as a Minister that led up to his retirement, and denied emphatically that there had been any compulsion. The speech that had given offence was on the lines of the late Mr Ballance’s policy, which some who called themselves Liberals abandoned. Surrounded by place-seekers, Ministers -resembled a party of Russian travellers attacked by hungry wolves. Asked to go out to propitiate the wolves, he read'v did so, but the wolves had. fled. The Premier had made a dramatic exit from New Zealand to arrange regarding Dreadnoughts and future loans. He v(r Hogg) had made a 'dramatic exit frorri the Cabinet to awaken the people to a sense of their danger. The Premier’s danger signal ivas the Jingo flag; his (Mr Hogg’s) was the flag of freedom from landgrahbers and usurers.

A man named Marsh, living in. America. who; thirty-five years ago, had bemieatlied tp him by a wealthy aunt, fin*old Riblo, has recently found £BOOO worth of bonds between the , pages. Marsh had 1 not opened the hook before, and it was onlv on account of an argument that he had occasion, to refer to one of the Psalms, and thus made the welcome discovery.