The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1909. BOROUGH MATTERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2651, 5 November 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5,1909. BOROUGH MATTERS.

.....“The metal question is settled” declared the Mayor at last Council meeting, and even his own supporters smiled at His 'Worship’s calm assurance. Truth to tell this difficult problem is almost as far off solution as possible. The only progress that has been made during the last twelve months has been in showing that an ample supply of useful metal can be obtained, from the Gentle Annie Quarry. The real problem is the old one of haulage, which has always, been the bugbear of local authorities. For years there has been an abundance of good metal available at Patutahi, but it has been impossible to'bring it into town by horse and waggons in sufficient quantities to have any marked effect upon the streets of the Borough. Last year the Borough tried a Striker waggon and spent at the rate of over 12s per yard in a frantic endeavor to get the metal into town land even then only 596 yards could be obtained. The actual figures in this connection are: —

£371 10 0 This shows the cost of carting 596 yards to have been 12s old per yard. Now, His Worship urges the Council to buy more Straker waggons. He has ahyays claimed that they can haul metal at about 3s per yard, whilst Mr Jarrett allows 3s 3td. Now, the Wellington gentleman may be ah authority' on Strakers, but it seems to us that before the Mayor can ask the ratepayers to sanction a loan for roads ■on the basis he desires be must explain clearly how the iCouncil’s own experience worked out so unsatisfactorily. Time after time he has been confronted with the figures quoted above, yet lie has never attempted to answer them. He may be able to induce a servile majority to vote with him on tlio Council, but it is a moral certainty that the people who have to find the money will want to know more about the matter before they decide to guarantee the account. It will not be'Sufficient for the Council to is-, sue a schedule showing that so in-ny thousand yards of metal are to bo obtained from Gentle Annie at 3s per yard; the ratepayers will demand .some reasonable ■ assurance that the haulage can- be arranged for that amount. They will want to know what our local financiers were up to last year when they spent £371 to get less than 600 yards of metal. We are quite ready to be convinced on this and other matters, but-the facts must bo forthcoming. Moreover, His Worship must not run away with the impression that because he has a working majority on the Council he can afford to ignore the legitimate arguments of the minority. At last meeting Cr. Clayton strongly urged that the Cook County Council should be approached in order to see whether or not they would be prepared to co-operate with the Borough in the matter of quarrying stone at Gentle Annie and having it conveyed to town by tramway. The mover showed, conclusively that this would result in, the streets being constructed entirely of Gentle Annie metal —instead of one part Gentfe Annie metal and seven parts river shingle as at present proposed—without aiding materially to the total cost. But according to the Mayor “the metal question is settled” and Cr. Clayton’s temperate resolution never got a hearing. Mr Marchant, although much more favorably impressed with Strakers than we have ,beeu, had stated/ that if the two Councils cooperated, tramways would he preferable for haulage, and Mr Jarrett likewise found tramways cheaper for a largo output, yet His Worship would not even consent to the County Council being asked if it would consider the matter. The Mayor may bo right in advising the ratepayers to reject the idea of tramway haulage, but before he can carry his loan proposals he will have to answer the objections of those Councillors who disagree with him. He may be right in advocating the purchase of a number of Straker waggons at £IOOO each, but TT© must first give an effective reply to those who declare that the machine purchased by the Council on his recommendation last year has proved a white elephant. Any •ratepayer who cares to inspect the vehicle itself is likely to share tins unfavorable opinion. It will riot be sufficient to discuss matters in committee and thus rrish his proposals through. Next week a meeting is to be held to consider this topic, but despite the strenuous protest of the minority, His Worship succeeded in arranging that the press shall be excluded. These methods are far from satisfactory and in the long run will most certainly defeat their own end. The suggestior that Councillors cannot discuss important proposals fir’ a reasonable manner so long as the proceedings are open to the public constitutes a gross reflection on those gentlemen . If they need to shut themselves up in a dark room in order , to, make up .their minds. as to the wisdom of a; certain line of. action then they- are obviously unfitted for the positions they occupy. “In camera 1 meetings merely breed suspicion jtdft at a time whu» confidence is the one thing needed.

The wet weather is delaying shearing considerably.

A fly bacteriologically examined has been found to carry 100,000 bacteria. Messrs 'Common, Shelton and Co.’s employees intend to hold a picnic on Tuesday next, and -will go up the line to Waihuka.

The following have been added to the telephone exchange:—33B, Smith G., residence, Grey Street; 519, Boland, C. J., residence, Aberdeen Road.

•Mr. G. 11. Wyllie, of Gisborne, has received a letter from his son in Waikato stating that at a recent sheep sale in that district fat ewes fetched 19s Gd, fat woolly hoggets 23s Gd, and shorn fat wethers IGs 9d.

Shearers, it is stated, are not so plentiful in the Wairarapa as in former seasons. The reason is put down to tho rainy weather that has been experienced in Australia, which has delayed the shearing there beyond the usual time.

Unclaimed letters from places beyond the Dominion are lying at the Gisborne Post Olfice for the following:—Mr. G. Bailie, Mr. O. Brown, Mr. Charles Brown, Mr. John Smith Bushly, Mr. John W. Davies, Mr. J. Grace, William Mo Lachlan, Fred. Smith.

On Tuesday next the x>oy Scouts will muster at 9 a.in. at the firebell, prior to taking part in a campaign during the day. The Union Jack will be hoisted over the tower, and the boys are to salute the flag. His Worship the Mayor lias agreed to address the boys on the occasion.

A large number of carcases of sheep that perished in the Ashburton County, as a result of the recent storm, are being carted to the Fairfield „ Freezing works, where they will be manufactured into manure. One evening there were no fewer than 1000 carcases at the works ready to be treated. Specimens of several kinds of queer marine animals have been washed up on the Timaru beach, near the eastern mole. •'--One of the most numerous (says the “Herald”) is a thing like a red sausage, about Gin long, with a small mouth, at one end, and a thin, hut tough skin.

The first of a series of lectures to be given by Dr. Hastings Young under the auspices of the Cook County Women’s Guild will be delivered at the Masonic Hall at 8 p..m to-day. The subject is “Motherhood and its Responsibilities,” a matter so important that there should be a large attendance. Evidence that the rabbit pest is becoming a serious menace to this district is contained in the following letter received yesterday by His Worship the Mayor from Mr. D. Boss, Rabbit Inspector for Hawke’s Bay: “I have to inform you that rabbits were recently caught, one at the junction of Cricklewood and Mohaka roads and one at Wairoa Heads, on the south bank of the river.’ ”

On the East Coast route alone there is more than one undeveloped Taranaki, and experience has abundantly shown that, taken as a whole, Auckland is the real dairying province of the Dominion, states the “New Zealand Her aid.” Butter to the value of a million sterling could be raised yearly in Auckland province as easily as., a million loan can be raised once in London, provided only that the. settlement were permitted on the locked-up lands.

With .a timber famine, threatening every timber-supplying country in the world, who is to say that in thirty years New Zealand could buy any timber from other lands? We may have to depend entirely upon our own sunolies. This is no chimera; forestry experts all over the world- look with grave anxiety to the future of the timber industry. Uc should, therefore, lose no time in making our Forestry Department a much more important department of the State than heretofore. —Christchurch “Press.”

- A good deal of amusement was caused in the Anglican Synod last week, says a southern contemporary, by the vehemence with which Mr; A. M- Barnett (of Oamaru) opposed a motion to allow women the right to vote at Parish meetings. Mr. Barnett did not hesitate to say that the State’s concession of the right to women had caused men to pander to the women’s vote, and his last argument was a perfect thunder of convincement: —“Men are ruled by the women ; you send to your General Synod the chancellor of a university which endows a chair to teach women how to use a camp oven.” There was a general explosion at this.

The Eltliam “Argus” recounts a strange story of a gentleman who was in Wanganui and wished to catch the express train for the North, but who missed the train for Aramoho. However, he was a man of resource and not easily beaten, so he hired a cab. He was driven at a furious rate to Aramoho, and as he reached the station he heard the engine whistle, and just on the tick of the train starting he scrambled aboard, panting and exhausted. When he recovered,his breath he told his fellow-passem gers of his.experience. Then„the laugh came in. In his impetuous eagerness he had boarded the wrong train, and was being taken back to his starting point—Wanganui.

“A. man carries his life in his hands the whole tame working for the masters,” said: a delegate to the Timberworkers’ Conference at Wellington, on Monday. “Nearly every timber worker is marked in some way.” “Yes, here you are,” cried another delegate, holding up the stump of a crippled thumb. “What about one?” cried another showing a mained hand. “We’ve all been in the wars.” In bush sawmills particularly was there danger. Several delegates mentioned accidents occurring in mills fi%, sixty, and seventy miles away from a doctor. One worker told how the horses bolted on a bush tramway and the trollies went over him. It was twenty miles to a doctor. There was no provision in the mills for firstaid. It was decided to recommend the Government to legislate that all sawmills should he equipped with a stretcher, medicine chest, splints, and bandages, together with a \ printed card of instructions.

The South African headquarters of Dame Rumour are situated in Johannesburg, in which dusty city of gold and aliens more private scandal to the square foot is manufactured, and more canards of a public nature invented, than in any other part of the Union. As an example, a few weeks ago the press was filled with nothing but ac„counts of a stray airship, which had been seen by any number of people willing—nay, anxious—to be interviewed. It was never heard of again, and the alleged airy vision has given place to a report of the discovery .of ,an improved explosive,- which is to bankrupt Nobel, Kyjiock, and every other high-explos-ive manufacturer. One of the merits of the new dynamite is its total absence of deleterious fumes; indeed, I understand (writes a correspondent) that on explosion it gives off a mingled scent of roses and violets, with no ill-effects to the miners. Next week we mav hear of the discovery of Kruger’s buried millions ; they, have not been re-diseovered for some months, and are about duo.

The U.S.S. Co. notify by ment in another column.that tlm season’s .‘Mediterranean dried ruite ex the Varzin will arrive at Auckland fiy the Maheno from foydney on uini y next. . A new theatre is being built in Gore by private enterprise. It will date 1200 people, while . Hie scat ng capacity of the Town Hall,, wlncn n been made to serve the theatre for many years, is in the ■ h borhood of 400.

It is noted by the Dunedin Star” that there is a. rumor to Vac effect that the Otago University Coun cil will not be able to fill up the pto posed chair of Domestic Science as no suitable candidate.will be available till the year 1911. The various committees in connection with the coming Industrial Art aKj Curio Exhibition met in the City Ban room last night. Very satisfactory reports were presented as to the pi d_, , made, and the arrangements werektund to be well forward. _ It is confident! anticipated by those in charge that t It is anticipated that there will be a large muster of veterans at the meet---12 to be held in the Farmers’ Union Club rooms at 3 o’clock this afternoon with the object of forming a branch of the Royal New Zealand Association of His Maiesty’s Veterans. Ihe objects of the Association are excellent, and as there are many veterans m this district, a strong branch should’ ue formed. . What is vaguely termed, “a . voice frequently provides the _ one piece o humour in a long evening of steady talk. The other evening, at Plnlhr stown school (says the Lyttelton Times”) a man, who was engaged in a strenuous speech, stated that in fifteen years he had never been defeated m a school election. “Cheer up! you will next time!’ put in “the voice, and oven tlie recipient of the ad/vioc had o smile.

The South Australian Government has just located the grave of Jofin Charles Darke, who was killed by blacks on Eyre Peninsula, on 24th October, 1844 and intend to erect a monument there. Darke assisted in laying out Melbourne in 1838, and afterwards joined the South Australan Survey Department. under Colonel Frome. He located the beautiful country which is about to be opened up by a railway that will pass within eight miles of his < r rave, but over which no white man ever passed for over half - a century after his death.

In New Zealand there is good reason to hope, says the. Christchurch “Press,” that the money market will become easier, for there is a marked connection between the price of money and the activity of the wool-buyers, and it is believed in some quarters that the comparative weakness in the opening sales in Brisbane the other day was due to the increased dearness of money at Home. A rise in the bank rate may therefore have very material bearing upon the prosperity of the farmers, and therefore of the Dominion, and the course of the money market will be watched with more than usual interest during the next few. months.

Wages (6 months at 23 er week) £3 10s £ 62 s. d. 13 11 Fuel ... ... 63 13 0 Oil and water 12 2 0 Repairs 33 2 0 Depreciation, 15 ,per £1000 cent ton 150 0 0 Interest on capitalcent. on £1000 —o 23 er 50 0 0