LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 188, 28 August 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Children’s Carnival, in connection with the Theatre Royal Kink, will be held on Saturday afternoon, September 15. The ease Cook County Council v. Borough Council for cutting up a county road comes on to-day. We have little doubt as to the result. A little boy, a son of Mr Warren, had a narrow escape from being seriously hurt, at the harbor works on Sunday, owing to some boys playing with trucks. Each sitting of the Victorian Assembly costs the colony about £7OO in salaries exclusive of Ministerial expenses A recent sitting was mainly devoted to the question of licensing the little boys who go around collecting beer-bottles.

By the supplementary estimates it will be noticed that a sum is set down for refund of duty on volunteer uniforms ordered for England prior to the adoption of the new tariff. This we should suppose, will apply to the case of the East Coast Hussars. Mr Booth returned from the Coast on Saturday. We understand that arrangements have been made by which he will not be compelled to leave Gisborne and his magisterial duties in a way we have already commented upon. This is as it should be. against Flora Baldwin for criminal libel was heard at the R.M. Court on Saturday, before Messrs C. D. Bennett and Campbell, J.P.s, the defendant being committed for trial. Bail was allowed. A similar charge against the defendant was dismissed without costs. In the competition for the Cup, presented to the East Coast Hussars by Mr J. W. Johnson, Sergt. Thelwall made the highest score, 168, Trooper Tansley being second with 165. The latter, however, had a handicap of eight points, which made him the winner of the Cup. At the Mutual Improvement Society last night, an essay on '• Telegraphy ” was read by Mr M. B. Ford. The essay was written in a light and racy style, and gave in an interesting manner a great deal of information as to the practical working of the telegraph. Mr Ford is a practical telegraphist himself, so he is able to speak with authority on his subject. A lecture in connection with the Preshy. terian Literary Association will be delivered in St. Andrew’s Church this evening by Mr J. W. Witty. The subject, “ The early days of New Zealand,” is sure to be ably dealt with by the lecturer, as'he is intimately acquainted with the earty history of the colony, and in addition to this he has a good reputation as a reader. A collection will be made in aid of the Society’s building fund.

The Financial News damns the Panama scheme as utterly impracticable. * There is, ' it says ‘ something melancholy in seeing M. De Lesseps struggling to make the impossible possible. He is too deeply committed to the project to withdraw from it, or to declare himself beaten, but beaten he must be in the end. When he has to take to such makeshifts as the lottery loan floated on Tuesday, and to appeal to our amour propre instead of our common sense, it is apparent that his scheme is hopeless. The following tale is being told at the expense of two of our local great unpaid. It happened last week that they were the justices who, according to the official rota, would take their seats on the bench. When a certain case was reached counsel for one nf the parties stood up and said “ I would like this case put down for a time when Mr —— (meaning another justice) could attend; I may say this is a matter with which your worships are not competent to deal,” (a slight pause during which the bench changed color and appeared uncomfortable), “ I do not mean that you are incompetent through lack of wisdom, but the statute requires that Mr —— shall be present at the hearing of this case.” The bench, relieved, “ Oh 1”

A Sydney paper tells the following story : —At a recent Auckland (N. Z.) flower-show the Artillery Band was performing some choice airs when news was received of the sudden death of the commanding officer of the district, and ont of respect to the deceased it was resolved to discontinue all music. This did not please one of the committee. The music, he said, had been paid for, and ought to be forthcoming. When it was pointed out to him that it would be cruelty to ask a volunteer band to play under the circumstances, he exclaimed : ** If the band winna play I’ll get a Hieland piper that’ll mak mair noise than the dizzen o’ them I” He departed in haste to carry out his fearful threat, but fortunately was not able to carry it into|execution.

The experts insist with much iteration that the real reason why, so far as butter is concerned, the foreigner is beating the English farmer out of his own market is that the foreign butter, even if it is not of such high quality as the finest English or Irish, oan be and is sent over in immense quantities of perfectly uniform quality, where as every diary farmer in England makes his butter of a different flavour, color, and texture. The fashionable color in the London market now is primrose vellow, and butter of other shades, whether lighter or darker, is not saleable. Going away from London the tastes differs. In London it must taste quite fresh ; but as one goes North it has to be salter and salter; until what is in demand there could hardly be sold in London at all. A meeting of ratepayers in the Whataupoko Road District was held on Saturday evening. About a dozen ratepayers were present, Mr Coleman being in the chair. The proposal to borrow a sum of £2300 under the provisions of the Loans to Local Bodies Act, was approved of. A resolution was carried, that in the opinion of the meeting the Board should have full discretion to use either gravel or metal on the works performed with the loan money. Another resolution was carried that the County Council should be urged to take advantage of the Loans to Local Bodies Act. and by the formation of roads and the building of bridges, promote settlement. The Chairman notified that a poll of ratepayers would be taken, due notice of which would be given.

Lady journalists are beginning to taka some of the most coveted positions on the great dallies as well as on the " society " papers. Mrs Crawford, the Paris correspondent of the Daily News, has gained the enviable reputation of being xearly always first in the field with important news, and now it is said that the magnificent telegrams in that journal anent the death and funeral of the Emperor Frederick were the work of a lady. Mrs Humphries (also “Madge"in Truth) has long been a regular contributor to both English and American Dailies ; and Mrs Humphrey Ward (author of “ Robert Elsmere”) pleads guilty to occasional leaders in the Times. Mrs Lynn Linton and Mrs Stannard everyone knows as diligent journalists, and many lesser lights are trying to effect lodgments on good staffs. On the other hand women do not appear to shine as editors, even such journals as are devoted wholly to feminine attire being edited by men. Oscar Wilde is, perhaps, the ideal ladies’ editor, just as dear old Mr Bently is, pur exoellecen, the publisher.