LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 293, 2 May 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Gisborne School Committee require tenders for a supply of gravel, etc. The last report presented to the shareholders of the Bank of New Zealand was a very hopeful one.

A dividend of 15 per cent, has been declared by the Bank of New South Wales, together with a bonus of 2| per cent. The long delayed second action in re Harbor Board v. McKenzie, for rates, will be brought on at the R.M. Court this morning. On our back page there is a report of the recent football match between the Ponekes, of Wellington, and the Pirates, of Napier. A case of measles is reported from the Whataupoko. Messrs Graham, Pitt and Bennett hold a sale of stock at Messrs Currie and Hogan’s yards at noon to-day. The opening of the new Sunday School building in oonneotion with Holy Trinity Church, takes place this evening, when a soiree and concert will he held. The tea will commence at 6.30. The programme of the concert appears in another column. There ought to be‘a large attendance. There have been several chimneys on fire in town lately, the last one being at the residence of Father Kehoe on Tuesday evening, when a serious conflagration was prevented by the timely arrival of Constable Hansen and some others, who had to work hard to get the flames under, and thia was hot done till some of the chimney had been pulled down, The Chinese in Sydney have intimated to Sir Henry Parkes that they are willing to bring Chinese women to the colony and assume the duties of citizenship if religious toleration will ba guaranteed and land for a cemetery be set apart, Leeturattes are becoming fashionable now in Sydney. The Lecturetter rises, puts his thumbs together, spreads out his fingers, says ” Ladies and Gentlemen ” a few times, smiles and subsides. It is a great deal better than cribbing a lecture.

The usual weekly meeting of the Presbyterian Church Literary Association was held on Tuesday evening, when the President delivered an essay on “ George Moore, merchant and philanthropist.” The members expressed the pleasure they had hud in listening to the paper, which was very interesting and suitable for such a meeting. Two new members were elected and three nominations received.

It was resolved at the last meeting of the Borough Council to “ wait until after some heavy rain, then scrape the mud off the road, and plaster it on the footpath (from Masonic corner to Peel street), a coating of shingle to be put bn top.” We can imagine the shower of blessings that would have rained on the Council during this transportation of filth. The foothpath is now being satisfactorily completed without any recourse to the strange plan agreed upon. The widow of a lately-deceased medical practitioner in Queensland hac been appointed matron to a country hospital. The minority of the committee who appointed her insisted on entering in the minutes that they objected to the apppointment on the grounds that the applicant is young and pretty. The first ordinary meeting of Gisborne School Committee was held last evening, when all the members ware present, Mr I>. Johnston in the chair. The Visiting Committee were instructed to report on the various works that are required in and about the school. It was decided to have a shed erected which will be used for keeping saddles, &e. in. Accounts amounting to £l6 18s 4d were passed for payment.

' The Board of Reviewers for hearing objections to the Property Tax assessment have been sitting during the last couple of days. In reply to correspondents who wish to know further as to she conditions upon which prospectors will be permitted to go to the Uriwera country, so far there is nothing definitely settled. If the Government are satisfied with the conditional permission of the natives, which will no doubt mean the assumption of considerable responsibility, it is certain to be made known in due course.

Many complaints reach us in connection with the Whataupoko pound. It is stated that undue favoritism is shown, and that any evening the stock of privileged persons may be seen grazing on the roads. If thia is so the proper courae is to make oomplaint to the Hoad Board authorities.

The last number to hand of Capital and Colonization says:—The pioneers, Mr and Mrs Birrell and family, Mr Mullins, and Mr Dodd, are starting for Gisborne by the R.M.B.S. Aorangi. Many applications to join this party had to be refused, aa the arrangements in tba colony were not complete. Mr Birrell carries with him full instructions, and will receive assistance from gentlemen who are acting for the Association in Gisborne in preparing for the papty which goes in March. Mr Birrell has promised to write to Capital and Colonisation his impressions of the new country. We wish them a happy and prosperous voyage. The petition got up by the natives of thia district, to have Judge Barton (Land Court) permanently stationed here, is being numerously signed in Tologa, Mangatu, Murewai, and all outlying districts, even including Wairoa. If the petition has no further effeoi —and we believe the object will be attained—it is a high compliment to Judge Barton, showing the faith which the natives repose in him.

A Sydney papers says :—A member of the New South Wales Parliament has been summoned for using insulting language. There must—oh, yes, there must be a mistake somewhere. Members of Parliament never use insulting language at any time—the term’s too mild by half.

The annual football match, Pakehas v, Maoris, takes place next Saturday, in Capt. Tucker’s paddock. The following are the respective teams: —Pakehas: Bourn, Dunlop, F. Lysnar, C. Lewis, J. Morgan, Rees, Snow, Staite, H. Maude, Langford, W. Marshall, G. Crawford, Aif. Wade, G. Johnstone, T, King. Maoris: Hone Terua, Herewlni, Riki, Haimona, Nepia, Tam&ti, Remuera, Teruru, Hemi Kara, Pauns, Bare, Tamoana, Mokemoke, Weka, and Toko, A shocking murder has been committed in Dundee, the self-accused murderer being the husband of the victim. He is named William Henry Bury, and was a sawdust merchant in the east end of London. He and hie wife had been living in miserable quarters in Dundee for about a month, and drinking heavily dur ing that time. According to Bury’s own statement to the police, he awoke after a debauch of this kind to find his wife lying on the floor with a rope round her neck, and quite dead. Acting under a sudden frenzy he took out his pocketknife and stabbed the body several times in the abdomen, and then crushed it into a box, which he proceeded to pack tightly with clothes, books, papers, &o. At the end of the week he cot Id keep the secret no longer, and accordingly gave himself up to the police. On the occurrence becoming known, the neighborhood was thrown into a state of intense excitement, as it was rumoured that the prisoner was “ Jack the Ripper.” He has since been committed for trial on a charge of murder. The deceased woman was about 88 years of age, and is described as having been tall Bfld gobd-Mbk-i»g<

Mr Dow, the Victorian Minister of Agriculture, is preparing a scheme for the development of the agricultural industry by expending £50,000 yearly for the next five years in encouraging new industries by granting bonuses for establishment of factories for dealing with products of the soil, and appointing experts to lecture to farmers throughout the colony.

An Opotiki correspondent writes:—This season’s maize crop gives promise that it will be the largest which the district has ever produced. During the early part of the season this crop suffered severely from frost. The settlers were much puzzled as to what steps to take, as there seemed very little hope of its recovery, many thinking it was totally destroyed, and in many oases the ground was re-ploughed and re-sown. Experience has now proved that the first sowing was the best, as the frost did not do the amount of damage which at first sight appeared to be the case. However, the second crop has come on very well, end is not far behind. Regarding the oat crop, the yield was exceedingly good, but prices were very disappointing. The sparrows are indeed a great pest, and are a most serious drawback to the successful growth of this cereal. Too much faith has hitherto been pinned to the maize, and it is said this coming season the crops will be much more varied than formerly. Mr John Gordon raised a very successful crop of barley, for which a good price was realised.

The Ven. Archdeacon Julius, the popular Church of England clergyman, of Ballarat, has, like Napoleon the Third, been filling the role of a special constable. On a recent Saturday uight a resident of Dana street, named William Frank Powell, assaulted his sister-in-law, who is a cripple, by throwing her off a chair against a fender and cutting her forehead. Dr Gordon was first summoned to attend to the physical requirements of the patient, and subsequently Archdeacon Julius was sent for to afford the sufferer spiritual consolation. This done, the Archdeacon made inquiries regarding the assault, and on a prima facie case being apparently made out, the Archdeacon went in search of the alleged woman-beater, and on discovering his whereabouts he arrested and marched him off to the city look-up. The lock-up keeper, who describes “ the grip ” of the venerable gentleman as something more than official as far as security of hold is concerned, was much surprised when the popular preacher appeared in the police camp with his prisoner, against whom he had signed the charge, Archdeacon Julius is an earnest dispenser, of spiritual comforts, and, when necessity requires it, he can, by virtue of his early training with the gloves, deal out hard knocks to the erring members of Christianity, The prisoner, when brought before the Polios Court, was discharged, as no one appeared to prosecute. The Age has published a leading article on the case, asserting that the Archdeacon had no right to take upon himself the t'ols of special constable.