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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2619, 29 September 1909, Page 4

Chamber matter s will bo taken by Mr. Justice Cooper in the Supremo Court, at 10 a.in. to-day. In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, judgment by default was given in the case in which Dr. J. C. Collins sued J. A. Bowman for £8 11s. Costs amounted to £1 4 S 6d. A srrioking-roorn for women is included in the plan for a "two million and a-half dining place” on Broadway, which will open in September and contain every element of luxury besides. The women’s smoking room is expected to cost more than £15,000. We are further told that "the furnishings will be Assyrian, and attendants in the garb of Babylonian days will, hand the fair smokers rare bronze caskets filled with the costliest cigarettes.”

A sample of the new "aperture” rifle sight, the use of which was sanctioned at Bisley last meeting, has been received by Colonel Collins, executive olHeer of the Dominion Rifle Association. says the "Post.” Though it is a wind iguage, an orthoptic, and a rifle sight all in one, it is sturdily and compactly built, and its shape allows of it lying close to the rifle when not in use, in a way that protects it from any chance injury. A "Post” representative. who sighted through it recently, found' that its focusing powers were exceptionally good. As it is likoiy to be sold cheaper than some other complex sights that are now upon the New Zealand market, its use should . become general on New Zealand ranges during the next few months, especially as the use of it has been authorised for the next Dominion championship meeting.

The telegranh authorities were advised last evening that the Fao route, between Bagdad and Bassorah, was again interrupted. The Gisborne Volunteers aro getting up a combined gymnastic and military display with the Y.M.C.A. on the 15th and 16th of next month. The volunteer classes aro practising on Monday and Friday evenings. Owing to the silted state of the river the Tuatea will leave the Kaiti wharf instead of her usual berth on the town side at 9.30 this morning, for the s.s. Monowai. She leaves from her usual berth at 6 a.m

The following passengers arrived by Messrs Redstone and Sons’ coaches yesterday afternoon;—From Tologa — Mrs. Murphy, Mrs. Chick, Messrs G. Miller and Weatherby; from Tokomaru—lnspector Dwyer, Messrs Webby and Campbell; from Waipiro—Mr. Parker-

A Morton Mains correspondent writes to the “Southland News:”—“Quite a Chinese colony is springing up in the vicinity of Invercargill. Lately several farmers in the Morton Mains and Edcndals districts have shown a marked preference for the Celestials, and it is given out on good authority that somo farmers intend to introduce Chinese labor into their milking-sheds. The experiment will Jx: watched with interest as marking a new departure in the dairying industry.’ ’ The sight of a drunken man in charge of a horse sometimes presents a ludicrous appearance. Yesterday afternoon a man with more liquor aboard than was conducive to good riding, had been in charge of a horse in Gladstone Road, but when Sergeant Hutton put in an appearance was clinging affectionately to mother earth. The sergeant helped the delinquent on to his horse and quietly led the animal in the direction of the police station. The effective and 3 uiet manner in which the deed was one took the fancy of the spectators, of whom a great many had gathered, and they expressed their approval of the sergeant with three hearty cheers. On the Burns, Philp boats, which carry tourists from eastern Australian ports on the island cruise, they are wisely not very particular on the- subject of dress, observes a writer in the “Auckland Star.” The tyranny of the black coat and high collar has never been established, hut the captain insists that at dinner all men shall wear coats —in addition, of course, to one or two other articles of apparel. On a return trip recently, it was noticed that one of the passengers-, a Papuan digger, took his meals on deck. ‘‘You can’t stand the heat of the cabin.” suggested one of the passengers. “Can’t I?” exclaimed the digger. “I can stand anything the rest of you can stand. I’ve got mv saloon ticket too, but I forgot to bring my boots and socks on board, and the steward won’t let me into the saloon. They’re getting too dashed particular on this line.”

The chairman of the Christchurch Hospital Board drew attention at the last meeting to the fact that there were between £SOO and £GOO owing to the institution by those who (had been patients during the last ten months, and expressed the opinion that something should be done to ascertain whether those owing the money could or could not afford to pay. It was stated that a debt-collecting firm was allowed 124 per cent, commission on amounts collected, but they were nox able to collect many accounts. Mr. Horrell was of opinion that the Board should employ its own collecter, as a collector who was collecting for shopkeepers as well as the Hospital was likely to press the claims of shopkeepers more than those of the institution. It was decided to discuss the matter at the Board’s next meeting, a return tn be prepared in the meantime showing the amount uncollected during the past five years. Some excitement and interest were caused in the city and port of Nelson a week back, says the “Mail,” because the Takapuna. on her outward passage, anchored outside for about an hour. The telephone wires were put into service with inquiries regarding what had occurred; but it turned out that the crew were, merely being put through tiie statutory boat-drill, as such is not permitted at the wharves. Six boats were lowered into the water, and some of the crews were sent a quarter of a mile away from the vessel. On other boats sails were hoisted, and they went for a spin. Usually these monthly boatdrills were held when the steamers were lying alongside the. wharf, and were more or less of a perfunctory nature. But in the open roadstead much more practical work can be done, while the conditions are more like what would happen in an emergency. Skippers of other steamers would therefore do well to follow the example of Captain Stewart, of the Takapuna. In his lecture on Russia, Mr. John Foster Fraser told of lights night after night in the streets of Baku, always resulting in half a dozen men being killed in the feuds between Tartars and Armenians (says the Sydney “Morning Herald”). “I found myself after a "while, loking at- men who had been killed with no more interest than I would look at a horse that has come down in a slippery roadway,” ho said, impressively, “and when I found it becoming such a matter of indifference to me I began to realise the utter disregard for human life there. ’ And this manner in which familiarity brings indifference was emphasised by a scene on the screen, of a wretch, who had been done to death, lying near the footpath, and men and women passing by heedless. The Czar, Mr. Fraser declares to be a humane man, who would probably give Russia a constitutional government, such as that of Great Britain, if it were not for his being physically weak, and under the influence of the grand Ducal party. But the country, lie predicts, will have to travel a long .journey through darkness before it comes to light. - \

A correspondent -writes as follows to tlie “Marlborough Herald’’ -In. seeking for information from Old Identities. I came across the following, which may be of interest to the Captain Cook Memorial Committee When Captain Cook visited Endeavour Inlet ho nailed a copper plate to a tree, with an inscription bearing date and other matter. In 1859 Dr. Hochstetter arrived in Marlborough on a geological survey for the Austrian Government, and, according to an old whaler named Thoms, (now dead) Dr. Hochstetter took down and carried away with him the, copper plate commemorative of our ore at navigator’s visit to Marlborough, ft it is not too late for the Committee to communicate with Mr. .Robert M‘Nab, 1 should suggest that they do so and. as'k him to make inquiries of the Austrian Government in reference to the matter, as this valuable memento—if recoverable —would he an interesting addition to the memorial, or, at any rate, to a Marlborough museum. No doubt it is reposing in some museum in Austria, Dr. Hochstetter being far too patriotic an Austrian to consider a private person a fit custodian for such a relic, oven though that individual were himself.

Messrs F. S. Malcolm ’and Co., auctioneers, have a change of advertisement in this issue.

Mr. Dick Arnst, Champion sculler of the world, arrives by the Monowai this morning, and will bo given a public reception at the Rowing Club banquet tonight .

The receipt of the September number of tho “Waitakian” is acknowledged, being the magazine of the Waitaki Boys’ High School, Oamaru. The publication is well illustrated, and contain.* much of interest to old boys-

.Speaking to a “News” reporter at Christchurch, the Hon. D. Buddo said the work of reorganising the Health Department is still proceeding. He has decided to institute a system of specialising, whereby experts in different branches shall take charge of the division for which their training has suit'ed them. Some little delay has occurred in getting matters into trim, but everything is going on without friction of any kind, and it is hoped that finality will be arrived at before long.

A motor cyclist on his way from Havelock to Nelson recently met with a serious mishap on the Rai Saddle in peculiar circumstances. While ascending the hill he met a timber waggon descending. There was just room for the cyclist to pass and as he was abreast of the leaders a chain trace (the horses not being in the collar) swung over the handle-bar of the machine, bringing it to a standstill. The rider endeavored to extricate his machine, but before he could do this the waggon was on top of him, and he had to abandon the cycle, which was badly damaged, the wheels of the waggon passing right over the frame. The driver was unable to stop the waggon in so short a distance on the down grade.

As an evidence of the growth ot popular feeling towards the famous Bass ales, the early start of the concern is interesting. Eariy in the 18th century, in the days when railways were undreamt of, and the woik of transporting goods in England was done by means of great lumbering waggons, in which passengers were seated, one of the chief carriers of the time was a certain Bass, of Staffordshire. Bass combined the business of brewing with that of carrying, but his liquor s became so extremely popular that he disposed of his carrying business and devoted himself to* brewing. Thus was established the famous Bass concern of to-da- whose ales, bottled under the name of Dog’s Head, by Messrs Read Bros., Ltd., constitute by far the largest proportion of ales imported to the Dominion, indicating that their superior quality is proportionately as widely recognised in New Zealand to-day as in the Old Land

“You would have been surprised, as 1 was at the attitude of responsible men in Great Britain towards New Zealand’s offer < f a battleship,” said a returned traveller to a “Post” reporter last week. “I was in Egypt at the time.” he went on to say, "but 1 went shortly afterwards to London, and it was still all the talk. It came as an absolute shock. 'Wrapped up in the contemplation of their own affairs,_ looking no further than the boundaries ot their little island, they had not contemplated the possibility of a colonial view of world-politics. The offer made by Sir Joseph Ward and Ins Cabinet plainly meant that the New Zealand Government saw the possibility, at any rate, of New Zealand being transferred to a Foreign Power, and that, apart altogether from considerations of loyalty. New Zealand was prepared to sink a big sum in the form of an insurance policy. But,” added the traveller, “the*singular fact was that the people at Home had not considered that point at all, and they received two lessons (in addition to the surprise) — one. that New Zealand has a pretty clear outlook on things happening at the other end of the world ; and, two. that when New Zealand sees the necessity for effecting a leg insurance scheme she is not the one to 'lose the ship for the li'a’porth of tar.’ ” An interesting prohibition case (briefly mentioned in a telegram the other day) has been recently decided in Hamilton (Waikato), when an application for the cancellation of a prohibition order against Ali Mahomet, a res-taurant-keeper. on tho grounds that such an order was inimical to the business carried on by Ali, was successful. After investigation, it was found that the court—doubtful at first, as to its power in the matter —possessed jurisdiction. Evidence was called to show that it was quite conceivable that Mahomet's business bad suffered because of defendant being 'a prohibited person. though probably for his own welfare the order was a good thing. The pi lice officer concerned pointed out that he had received a letter from the Minister of Justice complaining that he was unduly interfering in the matter of issuing orders against people, and advising that application should only be made by the children of the person whom it was sought to prohibit. Tho Bench expressed "astonishment at the instruction referred to, and pointed out that the law would thus lay very unfairly in the case of a man without kin. They considered that where a man drank to excess, and all other circumstances justified an application being made for an order the constable was quite within his rights as an. officer of the peace in asking' the Court to make an order. After Mahomet had received warning and promised to abstain, tlie Bench suspended the order. A very pretty wedding took place at Hol v Trinity Church yesterday afternoon, when Miss Lena Matthews, second daughter of Mr. A. Forde Matthews. was united in wedlock to Mr. John Dunsceville Bell, fourth son of the Rev. H. W. Bell, of Aberdeen. The Rev. L. Dawson Thomas was the officiating clergyman. The bride, who was given away by her father, was attended by her sister, Miss Matthews, and Miss Hilda Watkins, and by her two little sisters, Annie and Mary. Mr A. Guthrie-Smith acted as best man, arid Mr. F. Davis as groomsman, while Masters Edgar and Percy Akroyd accompanied the little girls. The bride was attired in a chic trained gown of white satin Eumineuv, in princess form, skirt -empiccement, and belt soutaelied in silver, tulle lace sleeves and yoke and silver buttons. Mrs. E. F. Matthews wore a draped princess frock of white chine silk, trimmed with dainty white silk guipure lace and passementerie balls; while the little bridesmaids wore pretty frocks of white Japanese silk, trimmed with Valenciennes lace and. insertion. Mrs. Matthews, the bride’s mother, was dressed in an elegant gown of black satin Mervilleux. with black lace entredeux, cream lace yoke and buttons. The bride’s travelling dress is a mole-colored cloth costume, hand braided. Alter the ceremony*. which was performed in the presence of a large number of friends, the bridal party repaired to the residence of the bride’s parents, where the reception was held and a number of guests entertained. The happy couple leave by the Monowai this morning for Auckland, where the honeymoon will be spent.

A Japanese family of workers can. live for a month on less than a British workman can keep his family on lor a week.

The Right Hon. John Burns, M.P., has been an engineer, a boxer, a striker, a prisoner, a labor secretary, and a Cabinet Minister.

The Orient Company’s steamer Orient, which has been running as a mail steamer between London and Australia, left Sydney a few days ago her final voyage a s a mail steamer. She is now considered obsolete, her place being taken by the new 12,000-ton liners. The vessel was built in 1879 by John Elder and Co., of Glasgow. “If I'm not mistaken, you’ve been drinking this morning,” said Mr. Barton, fS.M., to a defendant in tho Police Court yesterday. “I beg to differ,” was the reply. Later the accused remarked that from the way be was }>eing treated he might as well plead guilty. His Worship: “If you are not careful and don’t behave yourself I'll deal with you in a different way.” A Melbourne playgoer, who, after four successive nights failed to obtain admission to “Othello,” wrote to the Mevnoil and Gunn management asking that he should be refunded out-of-pocket expenses incurred in journeying to town. The management readily complied with this request, and retained the letter, with its unique claim, for advertising purposes.