Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3784, 20 March 1913, Page 4

Local and General.

There will be no publication of tlie “Gisborne Times” to-morrow.

Constable T. jonnston is at present at Te Karaka, relieving Constable Doyle, who is on leave.

Tlie stock sale held at Te Karaka on Monday was not a great success in point of entry or demand, only a few cows and one horse being disposed of.

The manufacture of tobacco (says the “Waikato Argus”) is attaining tlie dimensions of an important industry in Hamilton. Tlie industry has been carried on successfully for some time, and 1 the demand for the tobacco has grown to such an extent that a new company is being floated to extend the business. .

Men who aspire to be caretakers seem to be very plentiful (says the “New Zealand Herald”). The Auckland Harbor Board received 238 applications from men who were anxious to undertake the custodianship of the waterside workers’ waiting-room on the Queen Street- wharf. Forty-seven men applied for the position of boatman and watchman.

District business report that the effect of the manner in which the Natives gave open-heartedly at the recent hui is being felt at all the Maori centres. The average Maori is in a temporary state of impecuniosity, and is forced to practice self-abnega-tion. At Te Ivaraka. the comparative absence of the Native is making matters exceedingly quiet.

On Sunday afternoon the Gisborne City Band will make its first appearance in public since reorganisation by playing at the Recreation Grounds. The well-known cornetist, Mr J. Davies, has consented to play with the band, and will be heal'd, in the sacred solo “Abide With Me.” The bandsmen have been practising assiduously, and the combination has reached a state of high efficiency, so that an enjoyable afternoon may be looked forward to.

A Press Association message from Wellington states that the Public Works Department is inviting tenders for the construction of a tunnel and adjacent piece of line on the Strat-ford-Ongarue railway. The tunnel will pierce the hill in a very difficult piece of country"'at the eastern end, about four miles from the main trunk, and will provide a key to communication between the fertile Ohura Valley and the outside world. The tunnel will lie about a mile long, and the greater half over very broken country, requiring a* remarkable zigzag route to be adopted for the line.

The Palmerston North correspondent of the Auckland “Star” states that the Chief Justice has given a- farreaching judgment on appeal affecting the sale of poisons to dairy farmers. It arose from the celebrated case of the Crown versus Scott, a Palmerston veterinary chemist, and was the re-

It was persistently rumored in town yesterday that Mr J. It* Kirk had <lccided to contest the Mayoralty against all comers.

The meeting of the Housewives’ Union, called tor yesterday, was adjourned until next Wednesday owing to the absence of the President.

“A Message from Niagara, a stirring story which gives magnificent views of the famous falls, will, be■repeated by Pathe Pictures at His Majesty’s Theatre to-night. Last night the East Trades Council decided to invite Prof. W. 1--Mills to again visit Gisborne cn a lecturing. tour.

St. Patrick’s sports, to be held at the Park on Monday, promise to be one of the principal Easter attractions. Messrs. T. G. Lawless and O. Morse are accepting entries f-r the Hospital Race (100 yards).

A large audience assemlbed at the Opera House last evening to witness the screening of the remarkable him “Shanghaied.” This production is well set up with a sensational plot, and will he repeated again this evening for the last time.

The Mounted Rifles, who are encamped at the Makaraka acocourse were paraded at Mr Witte-S paddock at Makauri yesterday. During the afternoon the men were inspected, -y the officer commanding the district, Colonel Chaytor, and company manoeuvres were gone through.

The Trades Council at their' meeting last night decided to render financial assistance to Mr. Owen, wlio is at present in the local hospital as a result of an accident on the Matatua. Messrs. J. C. E. Turner, D. M . Coleman, E. Marsh, and A. S. Richards were elected a committee to deal witn the matter. The usual monthly meeting of the Trades Council was held last nigit, under the chairmanship of the president (Mr. J. C. E. Turner), theee bein'/ a fair attendance of delegates. The usual detail business was dealt with, and nominations for officers for the ensuing year were received.

The Trades Council last evening passed a resolution congratulating Mr. Lloyd Georgs and the English Labor Party on the proposed Bill to a minimum wage Of £1 per week for all agricultural walkers. A copy cf the resolution is to be forwarded to Mr. Lloyd George and Mn. Ramsay Macdonald, leader of the Labor Paity in the House of Commons. At Waimate on Tuesday n ght, referring to the Southland case, and the alleged warning to the Government by a southern membei, Mr Massey said he wished it to be ■ noted that the speech referred in was never delivered as it appeared in Hansard and was quoted by newspapers.—P.A. A Christchurch P.A. wire says the excellent achievement of the "West Coast contingent which arrived at the Yaldhurst camp at 10 o’clock on Tuesday night was the talk of the camp yesterday. Under the worst possible weather conditions the batch of untrained men performed a forced march that men in the pink cf condition would have considered a matter to boast over.

A number of “drunks” were dealt with by Mr W. A. Barton, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning. Three first offenders were convicted and fined the usual amount. Thomas -lxellv, alias John Barry, was fined 10s and' costs 2s. in default 48 hours. For a third lapse within 12 months. Charles Hurry was sentenced to 14 days, and a prohibition order was made against him. At the present time sea fisheries :n New Zealand are under the coir-cl of the Marine Department, and so also are most river fisheries Fro.-' fish ins in the lakes is under the control of the Tourist Department. The Government is now considering a i' r:| - posal which will mean, if it is adopted. that all fresh-water fisheries w>H bw placed under a single control, that of the Department of Internal Affairs, which at present cnotrols the Acclimatisation Societies. Regret and surprise were expressed at the meeting of the Auckland tu>versitv College Council yesterday when it received the resignations or Professor F. D. Brown, who holds the chairs of chemistry and physics, and Professor A. P. W. Thomas, who holds the chairs of biology and geology Both have been professors at the college since its inception 30 years ago. Professor Brown explained that the increasing effort he found necessary to carry out his duties warned ]iiin that it was time to retire. He gave notice that- he intended to resign at the end of February, 1914. Professor Thomas said he intended to resign owing to the heavy and increasing "duties "which imposed a heavy strain on him, while liis sight had suffered. The council exuressed very great regret, and carried resolutions recording the great and earnest- work done by both professors for so many years.—P.A. >

Speaking of Mr. R. McNab’s historical pursuits, the “Press” states that he expects to publish his new work. “The Old Whaling Days,” on which he has been working since the publication of “Murihiku” four years ago, in April or May. The new volume will comprise the record of New Zealand early history from 1830 to 1840, and will deal especially with Cook Strait and the South Island. Mr. McNab proposes to leave New Zealand in June to complete, his investigations of French, Spanish, and Portuguese records, and he will probably do this in time to enab’e him to publish his first book in reference to the North Island (the fourth of the series of which ‘ ‘The Old Whaling Days” is the third) an London before his return. The work will necessitate rather a prolonged residence in Paris, in the French ports, and in London, and the date of Mr. McNairs return is therefore uncertain at present—so uncertain that he will resign his seat on the Victoria College Council and other bodies in Wellington and Palmerston North before leaving. After a week or two m South hand, Mr. McNab will return, to, Wellington to supervise the publication of “The Old Whaling Days,” and will afterwards wind up his affairs in Palmerston North before the end. of June.

The special services to be held in Holy Trinity Church to-morrow (Good Friday) are advertised in this issue. At the 7.30 evening service there will be lantern slides of sacred pictures by the old masters. The Vicar wishes it to he noted that this is simply a. church service, with the address illustrated by slides illustrating scenes in our Lora’s life. A similar lantern service will be held in St. John’s Church Hall at 7.30 on Good Friday evening. Owing to 'unforeseen circumstances it has been found impossible to hold lantern services in Haiti and Te Hapara. Ordinary evening service at 7.30 will, however, be conducted in these two centres on Good Friday. Arrangements are being made to hold a lantern service at tile military camp on Good Friday evening, subject to permission being given by the officer commanding. The communicants are reminded that there will; be. acceleration „.atS, _a,m, Jormorr

Yesterday was the centenary of the birth of David Livingstone, the great missionary cxplorcp.

* Tlie following is a late entry in connection with the St. Patrick’s sports: —H. Slight, of Feilding: -Hurdles, 9 yds behind scr.; 1 mile, 20yds; 12yds; St. Patrick’s Handicap—loo yds, 6yds; 220yds, Byds; 440yds, 8 yds. In the St. Patrick’s Handicap, 100yds, A. G. Gerrard has been placed on the 6yds mark.-

A remarkable instance of the cannibalistic tendencies of rainbow troutwas related bv ( Mr. W. H. Hazard (president of tho Auckland Acclimatisation Society) 'at the meeting of the society on Tuesday. Mr. Hazard ecently visited the game farm and fi-n hatchery at Tapapa, and chanced to capture a small trout, about lfin. long which had the tail of another of its species protruding from its mouth. The capture was such an interesting one that Mr. Hazard has had the cannibal fish and its victim preserved m spirits.

Mr. W. Goodlet, of the Otago Museum, while in Auckland a few days ago on a holiday trip, presented to the Auckland Museum, and also to the Wellington Museum, a sample of the ruby rock (Goodletite) with the rubies embedded, which he discovered some years' ago at Rimu, on the West Coast, near Hokitika. At tin*, time of the discovery Mr. Goodlet was under engagement to the late Mr Coddon, Minister of Mines, to give information and instruction to miners as to the best method of identifying mmera Is. and the best way to clean goldHe had been assistant to Professor Black at the Otago University tor 17 years There is a sample of ruby rock in the Otago Museum. Mr. Goodlet brought back with him thiee grades o kauri gum, which has been placed m the Otago Museum.

A characteristic and amusing letter was read at the Patea County Council meeting on Tuesdav from the Maoris of Pariroa pa. The clerk (Mr. Horner) and the council’s solicitor (Mr. Hamertoh) have been, endeavoring to get rates out of the ha trees, and the following was the latter s reply “To Mr. Hamerton, lawyer, PMea. This is our statement to you as lawyer of the Patea Council, who sent us bills requesting us to pay our rates. Listen: Both you and Mr. Horner and the Council. We paid rates on the land in the first years—that is for lands in the division cf Pariroa, but in those years we asked that our road from the Main Road should be formed, but it has not been done to this day. Therefore, we think what is the good of paying rates to that council at Patea wiien the council will do nothing to cur road, and we are not disposed to pay any further money to the Patea Council.” “That is the straight tip,” was the comment of the chairman cf th? council (Mr G. V. Pearce, M.P.) when the letter was read. The council decided to make another effort to persuade the Maoris to pay up, and instructed the solicitor to try again.