“ONLY £523.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2687, 17 December 1909, Page 4

“ONLY £523.”

‘‘Only £523 on first year” was the sub-heading given by our evening contemporary to a Press Association telegram received on Tuesday concerning the Wanganui trams. Ever since the loan proposals became a vital issue in Gisborne the “Herald” lias missed no opportunity of quoting Wanganui as a shining example to Gisborne in the ma'tter of tramways. If Wanganui with - light railway already in existence could make tramways pay, how much more so should be the case with Gisborne, which at present possesses no such convenience for the transport of the inhabitants. Then with disconcerting suddenness came the news that the first twelve months’ running in Wanganui showed a deficiency of £523. Whereujpon the “Herald,” n a determined effort to make the best of a bad job, put up the heading “Only £523,” and presumably will maintain a dignified silence in the future on the subject of Wanganui trams. Strictly speaking the Wanganui people have no reason to be dissatisfied with the first year’s showing of their tramway system. If £523 is the total loss, though that is by no means certain —as expenditure in administration and other items may not be included — the deficiency is certainly not out of the way, and should in no sense act as a discouragement to municipal enterprise in Gisborne. But when we find the Mayor of the town issuing a financial statement to the ratepayers based on an estimated profit from the first year of £930 annually, it is clearly time to draw attention to his extravagant optimism. We believe that tramways are needed in Gisborne, and that they will ultimately prove a sound investment, but at the same time they will for the first few years almost certainly prove a burden to the ratepayers, who will have to make up any difference in receipts and expenditure.

A public meeting, to consider the question of obtaining a .public hall at Matawai, will be held in Mr. Mortleman’s woolshed at 8 p.m. to-morrow. Mr. P. H. Graham, architect to the Gisborne High School Board of Governors, invites tenders for the erection of the High School master’s and pupils’ residence. Tenders will close at noon on Thursday, December 23rd. The Magistrate’s Court will open at 9.45 a.m. to-dav. when the civil case W. J. P. Gaudin v. Juliet Leonard Carmichael will be beard, so -s to allow criminal cases to come on at the usual time. All witnesses in this case will be required to attend at 9.45 a.m. Special coal supplies have been laid in by the Wellington City Council so as to carry the city power stations over a period of eight weeks in the event of supplies being stopped by a strike. The yards at Harris Street and Victoria \Street works are carrying a stock of 1674 tone at present, and this total will be run up to 3000 tons when the whole of tile orders have been completed. There wa R a fair attendance at His Majesty’s Theatre last evening "when the programme was repeated. “Yachting at Cowes,” showing the race for the King’s Cun, will be shown for the last time this evening. To-monow a new programme will arrive, and includes- a pictorial adaptation of Sardon’s great drama “La Tosca,” showing Madam Sarah Bernhardt in the leading role. This magnificent picture will be shown first at the matinee tomorrow afternoon. Staff-Oaptain Orames, the Provincial Secretary of the North Island, will visit Gisborne to conduct the anniversary services of the Salvation Army. Twen-ty-three years ago the Army opened in Gisborne, and, has been steadily marphing on over since. To-day it has a good number of soldiers, and a splendid brass band. On Sunday afternoon the staff-captain will present the prizes to the Sunday School children. About 90 prizes will be given out. On Tuesday. December 21st, the anniversary tea will be held, commencing at 6.30 p.m. sharp. Everybody is invited. The price of admission is Is. “More harm is done by publicity in connection with prosecution of females than by any hole-and-corner privacy,” said the Attorney-General, when the Reformatory Institutions Bill was urn der consideration, and the question had ' been raised that such cases might he heard and determined by a Magistrate in private. “To-day the publicity is mainly used for the pollution of minds through a certain kind of‘journalism,” he added. “It is monstrous that a girl has frequently to go to a public court to establish a claim against a man in affiliation cases.” The Hon. 0. Samuel agreed that in some cases publicity was unnecessary and cruel, and simply deleaved the community. The practice of making dogs run after electric cars on long journeys is decidedly cruel, ' especially in hot weather. Speaking to a Christchurch “Press” representative ,the other day, a tram conductor stated he had noticed many bod cases of this nature. Dogs which were manifestly in anything but a suitable condition for a long run attempted to keep up with the cars, and, although greatly disti-essed, were coaxed on by their owners at every stopping place. He instanced one case in which a big, long-haired, pet collie, in a very soft condition, kept in the wake of a. tram journeying to the seaside, arriving about five minutes later than the car, .in a terribly distressed condition. Immediately on reaching the terminus, the fatigued animal stretched itself out in the side chanlie!, panting painfully, arid a few minutes later took a fit, during which it almost died. ............ 4 .. . -

It is estimated that the dairy pro duce shipped from New Zealand up to the end of November shows an incicase of £140,000 over that of last year. The various fiaxmills in the Horowlienua and Oroua counties (Wellmg ton) are stated to be working double shifts at present in order to /tab© advantage of the (present satisfactory prices. Interviewed an Christchurcli on is return from Australia, Mr E. .Y . ’ secretary of the Canterbury ms Association, said it was almost '.pi that the next Davis cup contest would be held in New Zealand. The first day’s shooting, in a match between members of the Gisboine li-lies took nlace yesterday afternoon on the Haiti range. Despite the rather hazy weather, the shooting was on the whole, good, and three possibles v ere made at the 500yds range. Re match will be‘continued to-morrow afternoon. Mr. Sydney Low, in the “Nineteenth Century, declares that the matrimonial experiences of authors are often unfortunate because husband and wile have too much of one another s companv This opinion .as to the dangers of constant' companionship appears liavo been shared bv at least, one distinguished authoress, for a Trench writer tells us that “when M- Genlis married ho said to his wife; He I me not to be ridiculous,’ and she, with perfect tact and good sense, replied.. ‘lt depends on yourself; we must never meet in public.’ ”

At the Baptist Garden Fete yesterday afternoon, a pleasing ceremony took place, when the Rev. W. Lamb, on behalf of tho Bajptist Church choir, presented the conductor, Mr. H. JBrownlee, with a silver-mounted ebony baton, in 'a morocco case, as a mark of their appreciation of the manner in which he had carried out the duties of conductor. Mr. Lamb referred in terms of high praise to Mr. Brownlee s capabilities as a conductor, and to the esteem in - which be was held by the members of the choir. Mr. Brownlee appropriately responded.

A “Lyttelton Times” reporter was informed by a member of the Christchurch Prohibition League that a resident of Christchurch who had become a chronic alcoholic subject, and who applied to the Magistrate’s Court for admission to the Pakatoa Institution, was refused the necessary order for admission on the ground that he had not been convicted for drunkenness the statutory number of times. The man thereupon went through the procedure imposed upon him by the law,, got himself into a sufficient state of insobriety on two occasions to secure his arrest, and was at last granted admission to the institution.

The twelve-mile road race under the ■ auspices of the Britannia Cycling Club was run off last night. The roads were in fairly good order, and a most, interesting finish was seen. The number of starters, 20, constituted a re- ■ cord. The following was the result: G. Anderson. 36min 49see, 1; J. Jones, So min 52sec, 2; Lionel Wilkinson. 36min 47sec, 3; C. Morrow, 38miu 47sec, 4; ! A. Sutton, 58min 17sec, 5; A. Wilkin- ' sen, 35min 57sec, 6 (and fastest unplaced prize). S. Whitehead secured , the medal for the rider doing the distance in the fastest time, completing the course in 35min 47sec. A protest was entered against the winner, it being alleged that he had been paced. | The Young Men’s Catholic Dramatic Students have had the stirring drama, "Unjustly Accused” under rehearsal for several months past, and intend staging it on Monday next, December 20th. The box plan is now open at Mr Miller’s .and as the seating accommodation will be somewhat tAxed, intending patrons would do well to book their seats early, for which no extra charge will be made. This drama will, judging from recent rehearsals, be one of the most successful local performances ever attempted. The club have been very fortunate in secur_ ing the services of Mr. A. H. Clark, the well-known local stage manager. The cast is a (particularly strong one, and those who attend will see a firstclass performance. In the House of Representatives last week Mr R. Heaton Rhodes asked the Minister of Agriculture "whether he will this year place a sum on the Estimates to provide for the collection of, and experiments with, our native grasses, with a view to ascertaining their suitability for grazing purposes in different parts of the Dominion.” The Minister, in reply, stated:—"The question of re-grassing our pastoral country is one of the very first importance, and the Government is about to further experiment by enclosing areas of 25 acres for the purpose of ascertaining the extent to which native grasses will come again by protection. Where this docs not occur, tests will be made cf both native and introduced grasses.” An example cf grit and perseverance worthy of record was mentioned by the Rector of St. Patrick’s College, Wellington, at the prize distribution ceremony. Charles Laird, the ’lad who won one of Lord Plunket’s junior prizes for a (paper on “India,” was not present, having left College, it was explained, to earn enough to ’keep him at College during the next year. Laird is a farmer lad, who, having had an ordinary primary school education, determined to equip himself with secondary school training, and immediately set about earning enough money to do so. This money has now been expended, but young Laird has gone to work again to provide for another year’s education. The story of Master Laird’s pluck was greeted with hearty applause. Excellent results are being obtained from the market garden at the now gaol (says the "Southland News”). Financial success in this line of business largely depends on obtaining crops in times of scarcity, and this the management recognises and lays its jdans accordingly. It will surprise many people to learn that lettuce has been marketed, from as far back as August, and That a considerable revenue has been derived from this source already this season. New peas are also being nulled, well-filled pods of the William Hurst variety, which is one of the best for early cropping in Southland. As a rule growers, if peas come in at Christmas, think they have done well, and therefore to be four to five weeks ahead argues a favorable season, suitable soil, and. good culture. New potatoes are almost ready to dig, and cauliflowers are being cut. Last year the revenue from the market garden was about £4OO, and the gaoler’s estimate of a considerable increase for the current year is certain of realisation. Men have made themselves many inventions, but a shrewd idea may still lead on to fortune.> The simpler the idea, the better, so long as it is essentially new. The thing is to make cure of your agent. Ogilvy and Co., land agents, have developed their profession to an art. Their illustrated monthly journal. "Progress,” is tihe only journal of invention published in the bouthern Hemisphere. ■

The heat was found particularly oppressive in Gisborne yesterday afternoon, and a thick haze of smoke from the bush fires on the surrounding hills added greatly to the sultriness ofjjjie day. Owing to the absence, in Wellington, of a number of the members of the Cook County Council, the ordinary monthly meeting of that body which was to have been held to-day, has beer postponed until Wednesday next. Tin Harbor Board meets on the afternoon of the same day. _ a • t. ! M ft I'* \

“When is a bicycle not a bicycle? When it is a motor bicycle,” was the purport of a legal opinion conveyed to the Hutt Borough Council the other night, by Mr. T. E. Martin, solicitor t 0 the Municipal Association. Mr. Martin said that in his opinion a motor bicycle was not a bicycle within the meaning of the council’s by-law' of March, 1900., A motor cycle was a motor within the meaning of the Motor Regulations Act, 1908.

Mr George D. Portus will arrive in 'Xew Zealand shortly to herald the coining George Hackensclimi<it, sup'ported by Gunner Moir, Herman the ’Strong and probably Clarence 'Weber. The tour will open in Australia at the Melbourne Town Hall on-Boxing Night. ’Hackensclimidt’s tour is limited to ten ’weeks during which the much-discuss-ed contest with Goteh is expected to ’take place. The New Zealand tour 'will begin at Auckland on Monday,. ’January 17.

“For years I have been an ardent, supporter of compulsory military training for all boys and young men,” saidMr. J. P- Firth, principal of Wellington College, at the prize-giving ceremony, last week. “I feel sure,” hecontinued, “that all who saw our massed gymnastic w r ork and our cadet drill both "in our own squad companies and in the matches against St. Patrick’s College, recognised the value of such, training to the boys taking part, andtherefore -to the nation.” Mr. Harry Worth, the niglitwatchman at Messrs Evans, Nield and Co.'s timber yard, was found in a state of collapse at the factory yesterday morning, and was conveyed to the hospital. He was lying in an unconscious state the whole of the day, and at a late hour last evening was in the samecondition. The patient is an elderly man, and it i s surmised that he collapsed owing to the heat. The lights were found burning, so that evidently he had been unconscious the greaterpart of the night.

Whether it is an evidence of thetightening of the silken bonds of kinship, or a testimony to the disinclination of Dominion housewives to undertake what was once regarded as one of the most sacred of household duties, it’ may be mentioned (says the Christchurch “Press”) that a very large'trade in imported Christmas puddings (compounded in the Home Country) l has sprung up during recent years, a number of firms having lately received ‘numerous 400-gallon tanks packed of these satisfying delicacies for the ‘forthcoming Christmas trade. A few weeks ago a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce waited upon the Chief Postmaster (Mr. W. H. Renner), and. amongst other representations, urged that the telephone exchange attendants might be permitted to inform any subscriber who rang up on Sundays as to the time the boat from Auckland was expected to arrive in the bay. Mr. Renner forwardedHie request to Wellington, and has now received a reply stating that the Department has agreed to the course suggested. The position now stands that as soon as Mr. Preston, the local manager of the U.S.S. Co., receives the customary telegram as to what hour the incoming vessel passed East Cape, he will immediately communicate with the exchange, and the attendants will then he in a position to inform inquirers when the launch will leave the wharf. It is anticipated that the new arrangement will prove a boon to those people, especially in the suburbs and the country, who wish to meet the boat.

Morse is the sole agent for the farfamed “Parasene” hair restorer. Paraosno is no local concoction, but is imported direct from the manufacturer, E. Holland, Melbourne. We give ft guarantee with “Parasene.” ana have numbers of local testimonials from doctors and leading citizens. C. Morse, Tobacconist and Hairdresser, Gladstone Road. The leading sports depot in Poverty Bay.*