Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3950, 5 June 1913, Page 4

Local and General.

A mail for Wellington and south per Hohndale, closes to-day at 4 p.m.

Several “endless chains of prayer are reported to be in circulation in Christchurch.

A dozen huts, manufactured at the Public Works Department’s Gisborne workshop, were despatched yesterday to the railway works at Matawai.

Last year Argentina shipped to Great Britain 303099 tons of frozen beef out of a total of 317,620 tons exported.

A man has been arrested at Port Aw.anui on warrant,-for having failed to comply with a maintenance order, and is on remand to appear at Auckland on Friday.

As Mr W. A. Barton, S.AI., will not bo in town', one of the members of the Licensing Committee will be called on to preside over the annual meeting to be held to-morrow.

Automatic telephones are being installed throughout Parliament Buildings, and by the time the House meets every switchboard connection will have been converted.

A New Plymouth chemist stated in the Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning that during the year 1905 he paid nine guineas to a local doctor for commission on prescriptions.

The Prime Minister, in reply to a No-license League deputation at Hamilton, regarding the reduction of the majority vote, said that a Bill was at present under consideration, and the Government did not intend to go hack on anything promised.

A circular has been issued by the Unity Congress Committee to unions asking them and similar bodies, whether represented at the congress or not, to forward a list showing the number of unemployed in their particular trades on June 15, 1913.

Sen.-Sergeant Hutton has received advice of the arrest at Auckland of a Native named Nui Makaari, on a charge of having stolen a horse at the recent hui at Manutuke, the property of Hare Tarpika. The accused is on remand to appear at Gisborne.

The Mayor of Hamilton considers that publicans’ license fees should be assessed on a population basis, seeing that while the population of Hamilton has doubled in recent years, nnich to the benefit of the hotels, the license fees are still the same.

The question of Sunday interments in the cemetery was discussed by the Kaponga Town Board on Saturday. It was decided, owing to the sexton requiring extra payment for the work on that day, that in future the charge for the sexton’s services should be half as much again for Sunday funerals.

The Kapuni, which went ashore at Patea last week, and was floated off, sustained practically no damage, only a few minor repairs being necessary, and she was able to load cheese for Wellington, for which port she left on Sunday morning. When attempting to refloat her on the first night she bumped against the guide pier, slightly damaging the seaward end.

An approximate idea of the expansion of the fruit-growing industry in the districts between Beaumont and Roxburgh may be formed (says the “Mount Benger Mail”) when it is stated that last week five trucks of young trees for these districts arrived in Lawrence. It is estimated that the consignment contains well over 100,000 trees.

“The Dairyman” says that owing to a big drop in the price of cheese several of the larger dairy companies are turning their attention to buttermaking again, and already in South Taranaki the Jolls, Hawera. Meremere, Riverdale, and Nor man by factories are manufacturing butter instead of cheese, duplicating plants enabling these companies to do so.

It is not uncommon for people in other parts of the Dominion (says the Dunedin “Star”), to refer to Dunedin as slow and lacking in enterprise. They, however, are quick enough to look to this city when, any financial difficulty crops up. A local body in the north recently tried to raise a loan of £IO,OOO, but without success. Then they sent to Dunedin, where no difficulty was experienced in getting the money at 5 per cent.

One of WhanarePsbest known scenic assets is the natural stone wharf that juts out into the harbor at Wlianarei Deads, which, besides being much visited by tourists, is also of great- use to the settlers in the surrounding districts for sliipipng produce. Unfortunately, on a recent occasion during a, heavy gale the natural wharf was badly wrecked in -consequence of it being pounded by drifting logs. At a meeting of the Harbor Board the matter was referred to with deep regret, and the question of restoring the rock by means of cementing the broken .pieces together was discussed.

Bicycle-lifting .is said to he prevalent in Masterton at present.

The Borough Council will meet in committee to-morrow afternoon to discuss the question with sewerage work and othei matters of moment. A A Hastings P ; A. wire states that the annual meeting of the H.B. Licensing Committee was held yesterday. The police report on the hotels in the district was favorable and all the licenses were renewed.

Mr W. D- Lysnar, who returned to Gisborne yesterday,, state that the formation of the Bristol and Dominions’ Producers Association was now assured, and that on Saturday, ho cabled to Bristol that tho required number (10,000), had been applied for fn New Zealand Tho venture will thus be launched at an early date.

At last evening’s meeting m fUimray’s Hall, the Rev. P. W. Clarkson, on behalf or the Bible-m : schools League, replied to recent criticisms by His Lordship Bishop Cleary. U\vina to exceptional pressure on space the report of the explanations is held over till to-morrow.

“It is to be deprecated that appeals should be made to this Court irom Magistrates’ decisions on questions_oi fact.” remarked Mr Justice Denniston in a banco case at tho Supreme Court at Christchurch last Wednesday.' “A Magistrate,” bis honor continued, “is as well qualified to decide on facts as a Judge.

Airs Keef, a chieftainess of the A gatirakehu tribe, and great granddaughter of Airs Clough, the first Maori woman to welcome H. Al.fi>. Britomart at Akaroa, in the year IS4O, presented Captain. Halsey with a korowai and kiakia mat during the visit of the New Zealand to Akaroa.

The “Southland Times” reports that mining at Preservation is quiet, but one or two' parties are getting good alluvial gold until stress of weather caused a temporary cessation of-oper-ations. Air George A\oods biought hack some fine samples cf heavy alluvial gold from his claim—a number or nuggets the size of peas.

“Nurses are net so very easy to get now, and it is quite evident to the department that there is a dearth of nurses,” remarked Dr. Valintine (In-spector-General of Hospitals) at the meeting of the Christchurch Hospital Board.” He said some difficulty was experienced in getting staff nurses for provincial hospitals. There were so many other avenues of employment open to women now that those offering their services as nurses were not as numerous as in the piast.

A farmer who has just returned from a trip to America admits that he had his eyes opened in the dairy districts. He saw large barns and sheds lit up with electricity, with all the modern inventions to produce pure and healthy milk for the people. In one shed lie saw a vacuum cleaner which was used to clean the cow’s skin before she went into the milking pen, in order that no dust would fall from her into the milk.

The anticipated rise in the scale c 4 charges recognised bv the Auckland restaurant-keepers will not be brought about just at present. A meeting_of the Restaurant-keepers’ Association was held fast week, when the proposal to raise the price of meals was brought forward, but owing to the fact that the gathering was not a representative one, those present considered it- would not be wise to pass any resolutions. The matter, however, will be discussed at a future meeting.

The invitations to the Unity Congress have met with a good response, and at present 170 organisations have signified their intention of being represented. This will probably mean from 260 to 270 delegates, and when the whole of the replies have been received there will be about 300 representatives. The best response has been from Auckland, Wellington, and the AYest Coast of the South'lsland,, where only two unions are not sending delegates. There are very few unions in New Zealand, so a reporter was informed yesterday, that had shown antagonism towards the movement.

With reference to the “find” of £'l49 worth of gold made the other dav near Clyde, a Southland veteran digger states his belief that this gold would be identified with part of the escort gold robbery committed by Rennie and another at Dunstan forty years ago. for which crime Rennie was imprisoned. He states that the robbers “planted” their bc-oty in several different places, and. as to his certain knowledge—he being on the Dunstan field at the time —no coarse gold was obtained from the Waikeri Valley, it is reasonable to assume that the “find” was part of the stolen escort gold.

“This is an example of the slipshow way in which our Acts are drafted.” remarked Mr. Justice Sim in a Wellington case, referring to a flaw in the licensing Act. “If,” said Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P., and counsel in the case, “your Honor were one of eighty trying to put these things in order—every one with a different solution of the problem—you would know how difficult it- is. It is a wonder the Statutes come out so well.” “Butthe draughtsman always has the opportunity to put things in order finally,’’ said His Honor.. “This reflects very little credit on him, in my opinion.”

A butcher's assistant- was delivering an order at the residence of a customer in the city when a rather singular incident occurred (says the “Auckland Star”). He had been in the habit of bringing some meat for the household cat, a large black animal, which was usually waiting on a gatepost for the arrival of its commissariat. On this particular morning the butcher was riding up the entry to the back door, when all at once his horse commencecf to buck and plunge violently, nearly unseating the rider and his basket. Glancing round to. see what had caused this unusual display on the part of his steed, the butcher found that the cat had sprung from the gatepost, landing fairly on the horse’s back, into which it stuck its claws to ensure a good hold, and was making its way to the meat basket.

A correspondent Newcastle has written to the London correspondent of the Auckland “Herald,” stating that the new general manager, of the New Zealand Railways has had a unique experience. He says: “When assistant district superintendent in Newcastle he had the supervision of the electrification of the Newcastle suburban lines, this being the first instance of the substitution of electricity for steam haulage without the suspension of the daily service. As passenger manager of the Great Northern Railway lie officiated on a railway with the second largest suburban service out of London, and as district goodsand docks manager at Hul l , his district included Hull and Goole, the former being the third largest port in England, the value of the trade passed through the docks amounting to 70 millions per annum. In lfls northern office the mineral traffic amounted to over 40 million tons a year.”

.Facts speak louder than words. Whatever day or whatever hour you may go to Melbourne Cash you are sure to find them busy—generally quite busy. And why is this? Because their system of "absolutely cash enables them to sell at such small prices and being cash buyers they are always picking up a lot of very cheap bargain lines.* % -

The Natives Rates deputation from the district County Councils will leave for Wellington oat Sunday. They meet together m Wellington on Monday night, and on Tuesday morning interview the Minister for Native Affairs, Hon. W. ti Herries. The deputationists are as follow:—Cook County, Messrs H Kenway, O. H. Williams and J. Warl ren; Waiapu County, Alessrs R. g. Williams and AY. O’Ryan; AVaikolut' Messrs H. Telford and C. H. BridgeTauranga, Mr. McEwen; AVhakatane’, Mr. Reid; Patea, Messrs Horner and Pierce. An invitation has also been sent to Raglan County to licSrepresented.

Before Air R. S. Florence, S.AI., yesterday, F. Peryer and Pita te Hau were charged with having, on Alay 23, driven a two-wheeled dray without springs and having tyres less than fire inches wide, and which was drawn by three horses. They did not appear. Evidence was given by the County clerk that the by-law was operative from May 16 to September 16, and the by-law had been duly advertised. Mr Dorrington for tho Cook County Council, said tho Council had scum difficulty in keeping their roads and bridges in order, and there were only a few carters who had the narrow tyros, and they were trying to evade the by-law. He asked for a substantial penalty. A fine of £1 arid costs (£1 14s 9d) was inflicted in eo<h case.

The optician who lias mind on t he money ho is going to “save” you is .likely to slight his work.—A. \Y. J. Mann, Chernist-Optician.*