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Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3720, 4 January 1913, Page 7

I 1 V hat is claimed to be the most sensational drama ever screened, “The Leap to Death,” will head the new programme which Pathe Pictures will present at His Majesty’s Theatre at the matinee this 'afternoon and again air 8 o’clock this evening. This remarkable picture will ''be screened for to-night only as it lias to make way for further attractions on Monday evening.

No toll-gates of any kind. Nobody at the doors to. conduct you. Nobody to inveigle yen to buy. No officious attention anywhere. A free pass to look and examine prices and show your friends up and down as far as you like and as long as you please, from S in tile morning until 5.30 in the evening. You feel at home when- you visit the People’s Emporium, the new shop next the Kimpton Cycle Co.*

Whilst the Tarawera was unloading at the Napier breakwater wharf on Thursday, by some means, two piles which were • being lifted on to the wharf struck a tally-clerk named J. 11. Taylor, on the jaw, felling him to the ground. The sufferer was taken to his home and was subsequently attended by Dr. Locking. Though the injury was painful, it is not thought that Taylor’s jaw is broken.

Mr Small, secretary of the Tiniroto Sports Club, desires to acknowledge with thanks on behalf of the Club the following donations: Mossi\s Dalgety and Co., Ltd., (Wairoa) 1 guinea; Mr Gordon Stanford lgn.; Mr H. T. Dahm lgn.; Mr A. Mills, lgn.; Mr D. Barry lgn.; Mr D. Graham lgn. Three motor cars have already been hooked by a party of Gisborneites to take them through to the Tiniroto sports meeting, and a fourth is going to run if a full complement can be obtained.

A vast improvement is shown by the migration statistics for the port of Auckland for the past 12 months, and for the first time for the past four years the arrivals have outnumbered the departures. During 1912, a total of 14.962 people arrived at the port, while 13,830 people departed, making an excess of 1132 arrivals over departures. This compares more than favorably with the figures for 1911 and 1910, which were 14,232 arrivals and 15.062 departures, and 11,026 and 12,007 respectively. New Year’s Eve jollifications ended rather sorrowfully for at least one individual, a resident of Hastings. On returning to his home he rapped at the door demanding admittance. Receiving no reply he knocked harder, and finally partly gained his object by thrusting his arm through a window. By so doing he cut his wrist badly, including the sinews, and before help was obtained he had lost-'a quantity of blood and was in a low condition. After being attended to by a doctor, be was sent to the Napier Hospital for treatment.

The observance of January 1 as New Year’s Day is comparatively modern in England, having been commenced in 1751. Many dates have at successive times been adopted by various countries. It was not until the adoption of the Julian calendar by Julius Caesar that the Romans first fixed upon January 1. In Anglo-Saxon England, December 25 was observed for the festival. Later on, England adopted March 25, the date commonly held as the beginning of the year among most Christian peoples in the mediaeval times. When in 1582 the Gregorian calendar again made January 1 the beginning of the year, it was adopted by all Catholic countries; hut England held aloof from the change until 1751. It was among the Romans customary to make gifts at the New Year, and while the custom has given way to Christmas presentations, it still survives on the Continent generally. The custom is still observed in Scotland; and Scotsmen the world over give priority as a festival to January 1.

It was stated yesterday (says Wednesday’s “New Zealand Herald”) that the daily consumption of water by the city of Auckland and the suburbs it supplies amounts to 6,000,000 gallons. This figure, is impressive enough, but the annual flow of water, when regarded as one volume, represents a huge quantity. The “water year” ends on March 31, and no exact figures are at hand to give tlie amount used from January to December. For the year ended last March, however, the amount was 1,524,000,000 gallons; and the current year, allowing for a natural increase due to the growth of the population and of business, will probably answer for 1,600,000,000 gallons. This astoundingly large bulk of water would fill a tank 1000 ft square and 256 ft deep, and if some untiring laborer, dipping, with a two-gallon bucket at the rate of 60 bucketfuls a minute, could keep.on dipping without stopping day or night, it would take him nearly 25-J years to empty. The winter consumption of water is about 5,000,000 gallons a day, owing to the reduction in the amount of bathing indulged in, and to the smaller demand oil water by gardeners. In the district in the vicinity of Mararoa there is a herd of about 600 wild cattle, half of which are bulls, and graziers naturally are averse to their presence, which is a menace to station operations and a danger to human beings (says the “Southland News”). Several attempts have been made by venturesome stockmen to remove them by the usual means, but all have failed the animals being extremely intractable, while the country is rough, adding to the difficulties of tlie task. Two residents of Invercargill recently spent six weeks in the district, and made repeated efforts to secure control of some of the beasts, but though provided with horses and dogs and armed with rifles no success was met with. The bulls veie the wildest, but the cows showed almost as strong resentment to interference, and the rifle had to he used on more than one occasion in self-de-fence. It is a dangerous task, hut would have proved a, profitable one to the banters had they been able to reduce to control a. dozen or so of the animals. It is stated that owners of properties affected are only too willing to allow hunters on. the ground, and that no charge would be made if any animals were secured.