The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1909. PESSIMISM AND OPTIMISM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2603, 10 September 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1909. PESSIMISM AND OPTIMISM.

Mr. G. T. Booth, a well-known commercial man of Christchurch, lias just returned from an extended business trip to Australia, and has been giving a southern pressman some of his observations- As Mr. Booth lias been president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce on many occasions, and is recognised as one of the shrewdest business men of the City of the Plains, his judgment is entitled tv more than ordinary n'espeet. Mr. Booth whs greatly impressed with the Commonwealth and predicts for it a future such as few v at present dream. One filing which strongly impressed him was the tone of the business community, and he compared the optimism evident there with the pessimism that seems to prevail in New Zealand. ‘‘ln this Dominion,” he said to a reporter, “all the people are looking down their noses, anticipating bad times, and the pressure of a financial stringency. In Australia there is hardly oven any indication of that kind of thing. Money seems to be plentiful, rates of interest •re not high, business apparently is good, there has been a succession of good seasons after the abundant rains that have fallen over nearly all the continent, a ‘bumper’ season is expected this year, and the country generally, in fact, is exceedingly prosperous. I cannot account for the different tone in the two countries. I cannot help thinking that there must be conditions in New Zealand that do not exist in Australia, but it is not easy to say what those conditions are. The dominant feature of the position here seems to bo the tightness of money. The dominant feature of the position n Australia saoms to be just the opposite. A gentleman whom I met on the other side told me that there was already a fairly abundant supply of money available, and I really don’t know wliat they will say when they get this season’s wool clip, and thirty millions come into the country. As it is, there is certainly ample money for all projects—public or private. The information I received on this point is supported by the Lord Mayor of Sydney.”

It is not surprising that an intelligent New Zealander using his senses should be impressed by the ‘‘bigness'’ of Australia and the marvellous possibilities of its future. Nor is it remarkable that our neighbors of the Commonwealth are in good heart, for in so vast and resourceful a land wealth quickly accumulates, given such favorable seasons as the Commonwealth has enjoyed of late. Even the sot-back in the price of wool was largely nullified by the great weight of the clip and the high values obtained by wheat, of which a bountiful harvest was garnered last year. The prospects of the coming season are exceptionally good, so that there is every reason for the existence of the buoyant feeling Mr. Booth describes. Our own Dominion is but slowly recovering from the depression that set in last year, but if lie season now approaching proves as profitable as it promises, money should soon be plentiful again, and the pessimism deplored by the Christchurch merchant should quickly give nay to optimism.

Mr. R. S. Chilton, 13litLsh < Empire Hotel, advertises that he lias Speight i draught ale on xa]>.

The half-yearly general meeting of the Poverty Bav Co-oporative Supply Association’ will be held at S p.m. tocia\ in To.vnley's Hall. The annual general meeting of the Wanderers’ Cricket Club will be held at the Record Reign Hotel at s p.m. to-day.

A large number of seats for the Orchestral Society's concert, to be given on Tuesday next, were booked yesterday. The final rehearsal is to be held on' Monday evening.

Applicants for the position of lighthouse keeper and also for that of harbormaster's assistant are requested to call at the Harbor Board office for their copies of testimonials. On account of the inclement weather the social which was to have been held last night in aid of the Te Kara’ka public library, has been postponed tili Thursday. September 23. A verv enjoyable entertainment is to be given in His Majesty s Theatre on Wednesday next, when the pretty opretta "Marjorie, the Flower Girl will be performed, under the direction of Miss Fishenden, by a band of seventy children whom she is training. The business of the Gisborne Police Court yesterday morning was confined to dealing with a solitary drunk. The man was a first offender, and the Bench disposed of the case with a line of os and costs, or 24 .murs’. Messrs J. W. Bright and F. W. Riach were the presiding Justices. Lambing returns from various parts of the Mastert-on district go to show rliat the percentage will be a good one. There will be a big increase in the number of black-faced lambs bred, as they are particularly suited for freezing purposes, and always command a satisfactory price. At the Ormond Presbyterian Church on Wednesday Mr. Henry George White and Miss Isabella Catherine Cameron were married by the Rev. E. W. Walker. The bride, who is the oldest daughter of Mr. Ewen Cameron, was given away by her brother. She wore a handsome dress of creme satin, and Miss Dunne, the bridesmaid, was attired in white silk. A defective chimney was the cause of what might have been a serious conflagration last evening. Shortly before 7 (7’clock a fire broke out in a bedroom of Captain Ferris’s residence, Fox Street, but with the aid of a good supply of water and a garden hose, the inmates got the fire out. It was caused by the overheating of a chimney between the dining-room and the bedroom, the fire having broken out between the partitions of the two rooms. The damage done was estimated at about £lO. Footballing as a Christianising agency among the Maoris is recognised by the vicar of Waipjro Bay. In referring to the Rev. Nikora Tautau in the "Church Chronicle” the vicar says: —“He is perhaps the strongest Native clergyman in these parts. He is well known in both islands. He speaks deep spiritual truths in continual metaphors, and his oratory is very taking and effective. He takes a great interest in football, and has therefore much influence among the young Maori men of Tologa Bay and the district.” When the purchase of a thirty-four-year-old locomotive was being discussed by the Lyttelton Harbor Board Mr J. L. Scott stated that his firm had once purchased some old locomotives from the Government as “scrap,”., and found on breaking them up that the cylinders of these engines were in places only a sixteenth of an inch thick. Mr A. Kaye said (reports the Christchurch "Star”) that a great railway authority had stated that a locomotive which had been well looked after was as good as ever after forty years’ work. j Mr Scott gently murmured “Bunkum!”

A pleasant function took place at the Wesley Schoolroom last night, when the members of the W osleyan Bible Class and Christian Endeavor Societv mot to tender a congratulatory ‘‘social” to Miss Violet Holmes in view of her approaching marriage. The ltev. J. A. Loehore, in making the presentation of a silver cake disli to Miss Holmes, wished her every happiness in her new sphere of life. During the evening a. number of musical items were rendered, and after a light- supper the. gathering broke lip with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.” Yesterday afternoon a chess match took place in the Gisborne Chees Club s rooms between teams representing the Gisborne Chess Club and the Y.M.C.A. The Gisborne club won 9 games, and the Y.M.C.A 2, the following being the results. Gisborne club players being mentioned first: Crawford (won 2) v. D G. Malcolm (won 0): J. "Witty (2) v. J. C E. Kissling (0). Sainsbury (2) v C. Tattersfield (0). Blackburn (2) v. Rassmussen (0-, Rowley (0) v. Townson (1), King (1) v. F. &• Malcolm (1). Only one game was played between Messrs Rowley and Townson. It will not be very long before the areas set aside by the Government for allocation under "improved farm settlement conditions will be available, The .New Zealand Times” states that survey parties are busily at work, and by the end of the present month the \Wellington areas ana the first hatch of those in Taranaki will be thrown open for selection. Other areas in both provinces will be dealt with later on, when the road exploration and survey work is sufficiently advanced to enable settlers to be located. Some of the land in the Auckland province will also be ready this month.

Doctors appear to differ over the diagnosing of the eye disease known as trachoma, as they do over many other ills that the flesh is heir to. Reference has already been made to the detention at San Francisco of Maoris who are alleged to he suffering from trachoma. It would seem that trachoma is the stalking horse for the exclusion of immigrants to the States. Not at San Francisco, but at Boston, New York, and other ports of entry in the States, any redness of the eyes among steerage passengers is set down to be trachoma.' Two steerage passengers who came back by the Manapouri/ to Wellington were shut out at San Francisco because they were alleged to be suffering from trachoma. Speaking to a "New Zealand Herald” representative one of the newcomers by the s.s. Cornwall, which arrived at Auckland the other day, said the labor conditions in the Old Country, especially at Liverpool and Glasgow, were verv bad, work beinn; scarce and wages low. Hundreds of young men were being driven out of the country, but it was only those who had saved enough to pay their passage money who could make the trip to New Zealand. They were all fully aware that- work in the Dominion at the present time was not plentiful, but the labor conditions out here could not be worse than they were at present in London, Liverpool, Glasgow. and Manchester. They were not afraid of work and were willing to takeup positions in the country as well as in the town.

Messrs -J- -J- Niven and C’<>. announce that they have throe pairs of blacksmith's bellows ior sale. The annual general me- tmg of the Gisborne Tennis Chub will be held in Townley's Hall ax r p.m. to-day. The m- nthly meeting of the Committee "t the Turanganui Bowling Club will be held at the Record Reign Hotel at 7.30 p.m. thi> evening. The members of the Hastings Girls’ High School hockey team will aner.a the performance of the Rathe Pictures Company at His Majesty .- 1 neat re tonight as the guests of the management. The members of the Catholic Young Men's Club purpose holding a mock banquet in St. -Marys Hal: on W nc-sday. September 29th. _ Invitations in connection therewith will be issued shortly.

Mr. W. D. Lysuar, chairman of the Gisborne Farmers C nioii. lias recoitvd a telegram stating that the Whakatane Countv Council, whose decision is now being awaited m regard to the rabbit pest question, is taking steps to ascertain the feeling of settlers respecting the formation of a Rabbit Board. \ verv successful ball was held in the Makaraka Hall last night There was a large gathering, which filled the hall to its utmost capo nit y for dancing. Mr. J. Collev was M.C., and filled that position in a" very capable manner. 4 lie music, which was provided by Wta Bros.’ orchestra, was excellent, alusic for the extras was very well played by Misses X. Bousficld. Johnston, E. Parker. and J. Stephenson. Dainty iefreslnnents were served. A children & social will be hold in the hall to-niglu-It is intended that fortnightly assembly dances shall be held in the hall, commencing on Thursday next, September 16th. That Gisborne is not altogether free from males of the “hoodlum” type was evidenced early this morning. Just prior to the termination of the Hockey Club dance in Erskine s Hall, several stenes wore heard rattling on tile roof, and almost immediately a large bouldo”. as big as a man’s two clenched hands, came hurtling through the " niuow, Jittering the floor right across the room with broken glass. The "lancers” were in progress at the time, and a young lady, Miss Dawson, dancinu in a set near the window, had a very narrow escape from serious injury. as the missile in its- flight- passed within an inch or so of her head.