Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3717, 31 December 1912, Page 4

Local and General.

Mails for Napier and South will be despatched per Muritai to-day at II a. m. The custodian of the Old Men's Home acknowledges with thanks donations from Messrs Clare and Sons, and I . Harris. From January 1. 1913, the inland parcel post rates will i>e reduced to 3d the first pound, and lid for each succeeding pound. The men to be employed by the Hirer Board in removing obstructions in the Waipaoa River will commence work early in the year. The running match for £2o aside between H. C. Davy and P. S. Turnbull over 380 yards will be run at the Te Karaka sports on January 2, Davy allowing Turnbull 2oyds. Our Napier correspondent wires:— i A large whale created a sweat deal of | attention tills morning close to the i beach between the inner harbor and j the breakwater. The mammal was I last seen going in the direction of Ma- ! hia. i It has been decided by the Government to send Mr W. S. Short (Assistant End for Public Works) to Australia to report upon the public works system of the various States in so far as they relate to roads and bridges (says a Wellington P.A. telegram). Mr R. T. Sadd (Commissioner of Crown Lands) has just completed an inspection of the much maligned Taugoio estate. He says the blackberry nuisance is only bad in two sections and there should be no trouble in future if the arsenic spray is used twice in next year. He had seen many worse h hick berry areas many times ! ref ore.—Napier correspondent. .A Bannevirke wire says that Lord Liverpool was waited cn while passing through to Hastings yesterday by the Mayer (Mr Ransom) and Mr Rathhone (president of the A. and P. Association) and asked to open the new Daimevirke show grounds for the show on February 12 and 13. His Excellency replied that he would Ire delighted _to perform the opening ceremony if it could be made to fit in with his other arrangements.

- A Napier swimming writers savs. "Hie visit of the >, a pier team should give swimming and life-saving a good start, and before long we may expect n visit from the Gisborne swimmers, some of whom are good men and with plenty of practice will prove tough opponents. The teams had a very rough passage home, but enjoyed their stay in Gisborne, not only socially but from the fact that they have been instrumental in starting a branch of one of the greatest institutions vet promoted.”

The Lady Superintendent of the Hospital acknowledges receipt of all donations towards the * Christmas tree: also thanks to Mr Holden for geese and lamb, to Mr Jex-Blake for turkeys, Mrs White and Mr Clare cakes, Mr Tuohy lamb, Mr Barry cordials, and. Mr "Henderson vegetables; also thanks to Mesdamesj.'' Horne and Haultain for cups and saucers, to Mrs Farnie invalid chair. Mrs Kenway books, Mr Prime and Mrs Douglas Blair magazines. There will be no publication of the* "Gisborne Times’’ to-morrow.

The Borough Council officials who are undertaking repair work in Butene Rpnd. Kaiti, were faced yesterday with a problem which must have taxed their ingenuity to no small extent. It was found necessary to bring the scarifier into use and. presumably because of the state of the Kaiti bridge, it was impossible to take the engine, which is usually employed to draw the scarifier, across the river. The services of horses in pulling the unwieldJ ly c ontrivance through the road were j of no avail and finally the unique spectacle of 10 working" bullocks harness!ed to the implement was presented. The team proved very docile and the puncher” in charge, it is satisfactory to note, did not have anv verv arduous duties to perform. Here are a few New Year wishes which 4t Crito/ ? in the Napier “Telegraph,” hopes for':—“First and foremost that the year 1913 will see the re-commencement of work on the East Coast railway. That the harbor question will be settled once and for al! That we hall see the town ht lelectric light and trams running. That the Borough Council will talk *ess and work more harmoniously for the welfare of the ratepayers. That the Competition Carnival next Easter will put up a new record. That -ho balance sheet of the first year of tl-o Municipal Theatre will confound the pessimists. _ That the Thirty Thousand Club will have attained its full membership.” If “Crito’s” wishes bear fruit, Napier will doubtless be of New Zealand’s bright particular sports.

At- a meeting of t'he Labor Party last night it -vvas decided to consult all the unions in regard to the selection of candidates for the forthcoming municipal election in April next. It is expected that a large number of members will attend the “shoot” to be held at Makanri on January 2, under the auspices of.-, the Defence Rifle Club.

The town presented a festive appearance last evening, several shopkeepers being open late. Preparations have been thorough, and there will, doubtless, be much merry-making in town to-night.

The Waikanae Beach was liberally patronised yesterday, large numbers of people seeking the comfort of the cooling surf. • The heat was abnormal 69 degrees in the shade being registered at 9 a.m., and 82 by 2 p.m. During the year just'closing there have been 18 bankruptcies in Wellington —one more than in 1911. The total number of fires in the city this year calling for the services of the brigade w f as 254. The most serious "was Wkitcombo and Tombs, the damage by which amounted to £70,000. —P.A. A special holiday programme will he submitted by Patlie Pictures at His Majesty’s Theatre to-morrow night. The series will be headed by a powerful story, “A Victim of the Mormons” which deals with the abduction of a young girl by a Mormon, and of her exciting ancl dramatic rescue by her parents and fiancee.

“The Unwritten Law” will be screened for the last time at the Opera House this evening, ancl will give place to a grand holiday programme on New Year’s night, headed by “Too Late,” a tale of the days of Cardinal Richelieu". On Thursday a partial change will be'made, when- “Martin Clmzzlewit,” a Dickens’ story, will be the chief attraction.

The ceaseless and terrible hum of the big motor fire-tender’s loud-voiced siren could be heard from all quarters last evening for the brigade was called out by an alarm, sounded from the Whataupoko bell at 5.45 p.m. The engine went- up Palmerston Road a good wav..lmt only a faint reflection (said to'bo from a hush fire) could he detected in the distance, and a return was mad? over the Peel Street bridge.

On Saturday, five domestics" from Home, whose passages were arranged by the local Ladies’ Syndicate, arrived in Gisborne, having come to New Zealand by the Mamari. The girls are a particularly desirable lot ancl all appear satisfied with the posts in which they have been placed, as previously arranged for them. In addition, a number of young men immigrants arrived, mostly tradesmen, while several are country workers.

The annual meeting of the Gisborne Electoral Branch of the United Labor Party was held last evening. Following is the result of the election of officers:—President, Mr D. W. Coleman; vice-presidents, Mr A. H. Hill ; secretary, Mr Gill Inglis; auditors, Messrs J. Hall and G. Byown; minute secretary, Mr Chas. Gibson; executive committee, Messrs .1. Meade. G. Bartlett, J. Hall, V . Rowell and J. Bird. The balance sheet showed a good balance in hand.

For the convenience of passengers the office of the Union S.S. Co. will he open on New Year’s Day from' 9 to 10 a.m. and from 6.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Mokoia leaves for Auckland via Tokomaru Bay at 10 a.m. She will he tendered inwards at 6 a.m. and outwards at 10 a.m. The Tarawera will he tendered on arrivad during the afternoon and the last launch will leave the wharf at 7 p.m. The Takapuna is due from Napier early on New Year’s morning, and is fixed to leave at 10.30 p.m. same night* (weather permitting).

An interesting curiosity in the shape of the “passengers’ contractticket” was left at the office of the “Timam Post” last week by Mr. /John Forgan, who came to New Zealand in the ship Mersey, landing at Lyttelton in 1862.. On the ticket is set forth the “bill of fare”—the weekly allowance of provisions for each “adult” passenger. When analysed it really shows how little a man or woman was expected to “live on.” The weekly allowance included: lib preserved meat, lf 1b salt beef, 111) pork, 3ilb biscuits, 31b flour, i pint peas, 1 pint oatmeal, lib sugar, 6oz limejuic-e, loz tea, 2oz coffee, 4oz butter, ilb raisins, 6oz stiet, 3 pint pickles, ? £ oz mustard, loz -pepper, 2oz salt, 21b fresh and fib pieserved potatoes. Certain substitutes were allowed, say treacle instead of sugar, but the scale was still skeleton. Dumped on the table, the “week’s rations” as enumerated would hardly supply the modern immigrant for one day; “and if. say, laid before a sailor or a watersider, would be followed by •a strike.