LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 279, 28 March 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A letter from " Schoolboys’s Father " unaviodably held over.

Parliament is expected to meet about the middle of June.

The Rawson Commission has finished its sittings, the whole affair being a fizzle. People will now be wanting to know who is to bear the expense of this humbug. A dinner takes place to-night in hoi or of the Napier rowing men at present on a visit to Gisborne. The dinner commences at 8 o’clock, at the Masonic Hotel. A meeting of the members of the J Battery was held at the Drill Shed last evening, when a balance sheet was presented and adopted. An amount of routine business was gone through, and the meeting was adjourned till the 10th April to finally wind up the affairs of the corps. The time for receiving tenders for quarrying and helping to load 1000 yards of metal at Patutahi has been extended until Saturday. In their last match in England the Maori football team defeated Widnsss by a goal and three tries to one try. The team leave for Adelaide to-morrow. Above the leader will be found an advertisement from the proprietors of the New Zealand Clothing Factory. It contains several items which they want to be made known.

There was a fair attendance at the Tent on Tuesday night, although the storm was very boisterous. Mr Hare has fully decided to close meetings on Sunday night. The subject this evening will deal with “ Future rewards and punishments. How will they be determined ? Will there be degrees in glory ?” The annual match between Napier and Gisborne was rowed off on the Taruheru river yesterday afternoon, and as was anticipated resulted in an easy win for the former. The Poverty Bay Club row the Napier crew this afternoon, when both crewswill leave the shed at 3 30. The race to-day will be a well contested one, as both crews are more evenly matched. The local crew are the favorites. The season for killing native game opens on April 1, terminating on July 31. The season for killing cock pheasants and hares opens a month latter. Mr P. E. Richardson has been appointed Ranger for Makaraka and surrounding districts.

The New Zealand Bible, Tract, and Book Society have opened a depfit, in the premise-* next the Theatre Royal, with a large collection of Prize Books, Wall Cards, Church and Sunday School Material, Family Pew and Pocket Bibles, in variety cf binding. Hymn Books, Prayer Books, etc. Birthday and Reward Cards. Inspection invited.—Ad.

Parties to suits in the R.M. Court in which natives are concerned will in future have to find their own interpreters, the necessary expence being paid by the unsuccessful party, as when solicitors are employed. This ought to have some effect on indiscriminate credit being allowed to natives. Messrs Lysnar and Collins (in Mr DeLautour’s office) have this week been undergoing an examination in general knowledge as required to be passed by solicitors. It will be some time before they will know whether they have been successful or not. There is every prospect of a big success for the St. Patrick’s Ball to be held in the City Rink to-morrow night. The promoters of the ball are receiving the conjoint support of those who are proud to call themselves Britishers, and in this respect the affair promises to be a very enjoyable one. The minor details are being attended to by those who are quite able to supervise these matters, and on that score there is certain to be full satisfaction given. The membets of the lately disbanded J Battery performed a very graceful act last night, in presenting to Lieutenant Kenny the handsome flag which was some years ago made a gift to the Battery by the ladies of Gisborne. Lieutenant Kenny was an acquisition to the corps from the time Its j’oined it, and if all Volunteers took the trouble to study up the subj’ect as he has done there would never be any reason to complain of inefficiency. Though the ladies who first presented the flag to the Battery will no doubt be equally regretful with others as to the fate which has befallen the corps, we feel certain they will cordially approve of the way in which the flag has been ultimately disposed of. Mr Nelson is at present in Gisborne, making preliminary arrangements for the establishment of meat freezing works in the district. A site will be chosen alongside the Taruheru river, two or three miles up, and we believe that the construction of the works will be put in hands almost immediately. It is hard to estimate the beneficial effect which the establishment of these works will have upon the district. We can centre our hopes upon Mr Nelson as being a certain benefactor to the district, one who gives us a hope of steady progress and does not expect us to live for fifteen years on hope deferred and made agonising by its varying tendency. The ensuing football season promises to be a very active one. The members of the Bover Club meet to-morrow night, and those of the Gisborne on Saturday night. There ought to be a certainty of at least one match with Wairoa this year, and there is promise of a strong junior club that will give the second fifteens of the senior clubs some trouble to beat. The ball might be set rolling next Saturday for practice, with such exhilarating weather as we have been having lately. The formal opening' of the season would be rather improved than interfered with by a prior start being made. The main event of the boating season will be over, there is no cricketing, and by getting themselves Into form this season at an early period Gisborne Should have an opportunity to 883 M t 8 the tote la footbfcll matters,

A sharp shock of earthquake was felt in Gisborne just after 5 yesterday afternoon. A man at Lyttelton deliberately walked over the edge of the wharf into the sea on Tuesday night, and beyond that be was seen struggling in the water, nothing further has been heard of him. In a bundle that wai

subsequently recovered the name of David Breeze was found written in a Bible.

Captain Tucker has received a telegram from Mr R. Hill Fisher, stating that at a further meeting of the Christchurch shareholders in the South Pacific Petroleum Company, it was decided to forward proxies to a gentleman in Sydney. Mr Fisher

wished to know if the Gisborne shareholders would take joint action in the matter. There was no mention, in the telegram, of the proposed delegates. The Sydney Daily Telegraph has spoken out straightforwardly with regard to the Dunedin Imposition, and if the taxpayers of New Zealand are blind in these matters they may have their sight restored by plain speaking from outside. The Telegraph says the Exhibition (more correctly, Imposition) is purely a business affair and not entitled to be supported by public funds. It is mistaken in its assertion with regard to coal, but that really has

nothing to do with the main point. Clearly if, as stated, tha Waipawa people lost by ths recent Exhibition held in that town, they have good ground for petitioning the Government for a few thousands to make up tha deficiency and remunerate the plucky people of that little place.

The British electors are to be congratulated on having got rid of another of those blackguards who are a disgrace to mankind. Colonel Hughes-Hallet has resigned his Beat

in the House of Commons. It would do no good to refer to this man’s pedigree—anyone who has read the newspapers must be aware of the character which the man bears, and those who do not would not be edified by our telling them. He would be a disgrace to a West End shanty, let alone the premier legislature in the world. With Gant-Davies and Hughes singled out from that body, and decent men, no matter what may be their political views, elected to the vacancies, thera is a prospect of the House occupying a much higher tone than was created for it by certain individuals whose only redeeming ” virtue ” was that they were on the " social ” scale many steps above the ordinary class of honest people.

The demolition of the village of Llanwddyn, the site of which is to bo occupied by Lake Vyrnwy, has been completed. Most of the buildings, including the parish church, have been blown up by dynamite. Upwards of 100 human skulls and remiins have been removed and re-interred in the new burial grounds. Some fine old yew trees in the churchyard have also been uprooted and removed. Lord Powis having granted leases to most of the householders before selling the land to the Liverpool Corporation, they have received compensation for disturbance. There is now no inn in the neighborhood, but an hotel is being built by the corporation. The annual meeting of St. Andrew’s Literary Society was held on Tuesday evening, the President (Rev J. McAra) in the chair. Very satisfactory reports were presented by Mr E. Evans, Secretary, and Mr T. Adair, Treasurer. The financial statement showed that £l5 had been paid off the building account, leaving only a small amount due. Votes of thanks were awarded to those who had mainly helped towards the progress of the Society, and the following office bearers were elected for the ensuing year s—President, Rev. J. McAra ; Vice Presidents, Mr Ambridge and Miss Sutherland; Secretary, Mr T. Adair; Treasurer, Miss E. Warren; Editor of Journal, Mr R. H. Scott; Assistant Editor, Mr E. Parnell; Members of Committee, Miss G. Adair and Miss Johnstone.

Mr Chambers must have a much higher opinion of our legislators than is held by the majority of those who put them into their positions. At the last meeting of the Harbor Board Mr Chambers was eulogising the capabilities of the Engineer, and said that it had even bsen stated in Parliament that he was one of the best in his profession that could be found in New Zealand. Mr Thomson will be crying out “ save me from my friends ” if this is all the recommendation they can bring forward on his behalf—if the pages of Hansard could be taken as an average sample of the New Zealand people’s acquisition of that qualification known as commonsense then it would be a pity for the country. Mr Chambers should let it be known beforehand, when he is laying stress upon a point of this kind, whether he intends bis words to be taken as a joke; Mr Thomson, we are sure, does not require any such references as to his ability. The motion with regard to the letting of the breakwater in sections caused a great deal of public interest to be taken in the last meeting of the Harbor Board, but after waiting patiently for over two hours a number of ratepayers retired with anything but a high opinion of the Board’s business capacity. One ratepayer reckoned the district would be ruined if the members had to be paid by the hour—he would under those circumstances be in favor of the business being done by contract. But joking aside, we wonder what the members could have found attractive in sitting about three and a half hours on a cold, cheerless night, transacting business that the members would individually have been able to get through in fifteen minutes. The postponement of the contract question will not do any harm, for it will give the ratepayers time to consider the seriousness of making any alteration o the present system. A letter on this subject reached us too late for publication this morning.

Margaret M’Garry, a young women of weak intellect, met with' a terrible death. The deceased lived with a man named Smith, a rag gatherer; at Newcastle-under-Lyme, and as the pair lay before the fire in their dwelling Smith, who was intoxicated, seems to have raked by accident some burning embers from the fire, which set the woman’s clothes in flames. She appealed to him for help, and also to open the door, but although she lay burning to death at his feet he made no effort on her behalf. Meanwhile the neighbors, attracted by her screams rushed to the spot, but could not enter the house as the doors were locked. They, too, appealed to Smith, who, however, made no response, but coolly watched M’Garry burn. Eventually the woman, with her body in flames, leaped through a window at the back of the premises, and was conveyed to the North Staffordshire Infirmary, where she died. At the inquest a verdict of " accidental death ” was returned, but the coroner, censuring Smith, said he was the most depraved brute he had ever met with in his life, and none but a half-witted woman would have lived with him. The following particulars of the recent strike at Cape Foulwind are given by a visitor to that locality:—There are about 200 men engaged there in quarrying rock for the Westport Harbour. While the work was going on tinder the former Harbour Board these men were paid at a rate of 8s a day. Soon after the Government had dismissed the old Harbor Board, and practically taken the whole work into their own hands, the Newcastle coal miners’ strike took place. The Newcastle Union was supported by theDenniston miners, who also struck, and ultimately arranged terms on piece work basis with the owners. The Cape Foulwind quarrymen took the opportunity to demand a rise to 9s a day and the Government after a slight demur gave way to them. It was subsequently resolved to let the quarrying by contract, and the contract was taken by Messrs Wilkie. Soon after they had undertaken the contract they gave notice to reduce the wages to Bs. The men, who are all Unionists, resisted. Thereupon Mr Wilkie temporised. He acceded to their demands, agreeing to employ none but Union men and to give the preference of employment to married Unionists, and, having employed men of his own from Wanganui, he, at the instance of the Union, dismissed them. Meanwhile he entered into negotiations with non-Union laborers in Auckland and the Union having made a new demand on him, not to employ any man who had not been first certified to be satisfactory by the Union, he said “he must draw a line somewhere, and would draw it at that.” Then the Union men, having knowledge that men were to be brought from Auckland, sent to the Seamen's Union to stop any of the men being shipped. This difficulty was apparently overcome, and the men were brought to the number of about 100 to Cape Fouimfid,

It is stated there has been a big row in the Ministerial Cabinet over the recent prosecutions under the Beer Duty Act. A horse attached to a buggy took fright, at the upper end of Aberdeen road, on Tuesday. He made a sorry mess of the buggy, and io jumping a fence got his legs badly cut with the barbed wire.

Mr D. McDonald leaves for Napier to-day in charge of 2,000 sheep, for the Freezing Works, and Mr Colville on Friday, follows with another mob of 2,000 sheep for the same place.

Jurors and witnesses, excepting those engaged in the murder case, will not be required to attend at the Supreme Court till Friday morning, when the charge of sheep stealing preferred against Mr Mossman will come on for hearing. The meeting of ratepayers in the Mangapapa Block, to have been held on Tuesday evening, lapsed, only two persons putting in an appearance. The meeting was for the purpose of considering a proposal to erect three bridges, and metal the centre street, but there could hardly expect to be a good attendance on such a night. The Fire Brigade had a steam practice last night, when steam was got up in six minutes and three good were played on Mr Parnell’s shop. The Brigade worked exceptionally well, and the hose and everything was in good order. It was decided to hold the annual competition on the 24th May. A third person has died owing to injuries received by the rocket explosion at Otakei. The third victim’s name is Grant.

A scheme for connecting the English and Bristol Channels wil be brought before the public in the course of a few months. The route fixed upon by the engineers who have recently explored the districts is from Stol ford, in Bridgwater Bay, passing through the towns of Bridgwater, Lingport, Illminster, and Chard, to Seaton, on the English Ch annel. The total length of the canal will be about 45 miles, and, with the exception of the Chard range of hills, the works of exca vating, &c., for the whole distance will be comparatively easy, presenting no engineering difficulties. The canal is intended to be capable of admitting the largest steamers afloat, as well as the ships forming the Channel Squadron. Mr Labouchere, tells a good story of himself while at Eton, and having more money than he knew what to do with, he entered the largest hotel in the town and ordered a private room and a bowl of punch. What to do with the punch he didn’t know. But —as the Christian Member now says—“ the desire to do the big toff was full upon him.” Flinging the punch in a cupboard, he astonished the waiter by ordering a second bowl. The second potation went the way of the first. Then the young rascal swaggered into the strset, " fully persuaded,” as Mr Labouohere says, “ that the eyes of the whale inn were upon me, which, in my exultant state of mind, were tantamount to those of all Europe. ” Brussels was thrown into great excitement by a tragic event that happened in the courtyard of the bouse belonging to the Corporation of Fishmongers. Some days ago a travelling menagerie arrived in Brussels, and attracted great attention by its enormous elephant. The menagerie bivouacked in the courtyard of the Fishmongers’ house. A boy of seventeen, who was employed in distributing bandbills of the menagerie, was in the habit of teasing the elephant by twisting his tail. The elephant never remonstrated with the boy, and submitted to all his pranks with extraordinary patience. One morning the boy threw a bucket full of water over the elephant’s head. This was too much. The weather was cold, and the elephant lost its temper. With one whisk of its trunk it seized the boy by the right ankle and whirled him twice over its head and then dashed him against the wall. Death was instantaneous. In January the magisterial investigation took place into the charge against William Barrett, the milkman, charged with the murder and mutilation of the boy Gill at Bradford on December 29 last and he was then acquitted. He was afterwards rearrested and has again been discharged. At the investigation in January the Bench found unanimously that no prima facie case had been made out against Barrett. The decision was greeted with great applause in court. On the following Saturday Barrett was the object of a demonstration at Crossbills, near Skipton. A waggonette, containing Barrett and the Rev. J. D. Whittaker, vicar of Cononley, were met by the Farnhill brass band, playing *' See the conquering hero comes.” The horse was unharnessed from the carriage, which was drawn through Crosshills by the people, hundreds of persons lining the streets. A meeting was also held at which the action of the Bradford police was denounced.