LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 295, 7 May 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At the Trust Commissioner’s Court yesterday, a conveyance o£ the Mangaoae Block, from Pirihi Tutukohe and others to R. Cooper, was granted.

By a mistake some of the Southern mails for Gisborne were carried on by the steamer on Sunday, and a mail bag for Brisbane was left in its place. The Giaborne bag will get back by Thursday's steamer.

Messrs Gregg and Robertson yesterday commenced their contract of laying down crossings in Gladstone Road. The Borough Council invite tenders for spreading metal on the Gladstone Road.

Mr A. Keefer has for sale a four roomed house with half an acre, in the Ormond township. The Hospital Trustees meet at the usual hour to-morrow evening.

Some Ashburton people are trying to institute a Wednesday half-holiday for those employed in shops, and strong efforts have been taken in that direction, the result of which it is expected will be success. The annual meeting of ratepayers of the Kaiti Road district was held yesterday. The balance sheet for the year ended 31st March shewed the assets over liabilities at £B5 4s Sd, out of which £45 6s 101 was placed to the general account. The Board meets at noon to-day.

The H. B Harald says I—Mr H. S. Tiffen'e numerous friends will ba sorry to learn that the eye trouble from which he was suffering when he left Napier has developed into a cataract. In San Francisco he was examined by a celebrated oculist, who pronounced one eye to be certainly affected by cataract, and there was little doubt as to the other being also affected. This will probably prolong his absence from New Zealand, as some time must elapse before the surgical operation necessary to a radical cure can be attempted.

A late cablegram states that Mr Rees sailed for New Zealand in the Kaikora, so that it appears safe to assume that his mission has not succeeded, So far as his original scheme is concerned, we are glad to hear that it has not been attempted as proposed, but still Mr Rees may have succeeded in doing a lot of good. If his schemes failed entirely, the public attention which has been directed to this district cannot fail to be of much benefit. However, it will be some months at least before we can attempt to gunge the result of Mr Rees' efforts.

On Saturday evening Miss Sylvester, the Champion lacy skater of the World, gave her second exhibition at the City Bink ; being indisposed in the afternoon it was decided that an afternoon exhibition should be given to-morrow Instead of Saturday. In ths evening the rink was crowded, many people being unable to obtain seats in the gallery. At the time appointed Miss Sylvester appeared in the hall and was received with applause. She delighted the spectators by her wonderful performance on the roller skates, and it was amusing to hear the remarks of some of the astonished onlookers, The waltaing seemed to bo the most popular performance, and it certainly was extremely pretty, every action being so graceful that to those who have had no experience in the art of skating it appeared as easy as could be. As each new feat was performed Miss Sylvester was loudly applauded, and when she had concluded, the appreciation of the spectators was more forcibly demonstrated by the continued applause. Last night Miss Sylvester excelled her previous performances. There were in all 36 lights placed on the door, and Miss Sylvester waltzed in and. out on the skates, went through with the use of the two front wheels, and then on the back wheels, and on the whole acquitted herself much better oven than on the two previous ooueeions—whioh li laying s great dial.

Mr W. Akroyd advertises a four roomed cottage etc., for sale.

Another section of the breakwater has been completed since the Malta! went alongside the pier.

Among the attractions at the City Rink to-night will be “ the grand medley dance "j by Mies Sylventer (not on skates). She' gives an exhibition to-morrow afternoon, and prior to her own performance in costume Miss Sylvester will join with the other rinkera, and suggest to them points for the acquiring of greater proficiency. The opportunity will be one worth taking advantage of by our amateur Tinkers.

Mr W. Gault, the new proprietor of the “ old ” Bettlere' Hotel, evidently intends to to give that well-known hostelry a fresh start. In addition to having completely restocked it, he has determined to cater most liberally for the requirements of visitors and will have constantly on hand, for their use, the leading New Zealand newspapers. Mr Gault is genial and humorous, as the following will show. He says—

The “ Settlers’" now Is In full swing, With spirits sweet as honey, 1 Como In and give the house a try, But don't forget the money. The case against the pugilists Harry Laing and W. Smith was heard at Wanganui on Friday before three Justices of the Peace. After a repetition of the former evidence the case was dismissed, Mr Krull, in giving the decision of the Bench, made the following remarks :—“ The case the police have relied upon and quoted has no parallel with that which took pls.ee at Wanganui, The one was disorderly altogether, and we should not like to have it go forward that there was anything disgraceful occurred here such as took place in the case in England. Wangauui may have a reputation of being a great sporting place, but there is a spirit of fair play in it, and the people are as a rule good-hearted. The police, we think, are to blame. If they intended to have stopped the coutest they should have done so from the beginning and, if they had done so, the fight would never have taken place, and the slur, if it was a slur, would not have happened in Wanganui. ” Laing and Smith have signed articles for another match for £5O aside to be fought in Wellington on Saturday, May 18.

A short time ago it was telegraphed to the colony that Mr J. A. Froude had become a Homa Bule convert. We stated at the time that we did not believe it could be true, after all that Mr Froude had written against the cause, and news by the mail proves that we were right. In a letter written by Mr Froude he says The opinion of a person like myself on a great political question is not of sufficient consequence tor the notice of the newspapers. Since, however, random stories have been circulated, and you think it worth your while to ask what that opinion is, I can only answsr that it remains what it has always been—Home Bule will bo the first and probably irrevocable step towards the separation of the islands; it will increase the wretchedness of Ireland, and will be followed at no distant period by the break up of the British Empire,”

The usual meeting of the Harbor Board takes place to-night, when two important matters will come up, that is the question of calling for tenders for the construction of the breakwater and also in connection with the trouble in regard to the Engineer. The impending lawsuit will no doubt give the ratepayers an increased Interest in the proceedings of the Board. The proposed leasing of the Tauwhareparae block will probably also be brought forward. A short time ago we made allusion to th® large export of fish from this colony to Melbourne, and mention was made of the possibility of Gisborne being able to participate in the trade. We are now informed that on the Mahia peninsula there is a lagoon in which there is a great abundance of fish, and a short time back 1000 flounders were oaught there. Communication could be had with the plaoe by steamer.

The Land Court will shortly be occupied in hearing the Fotutu Block, and there is something likely to be done in the subdivision of Bakikiteroa. It is to be hoped that both the Natives and Europeans will one with the other strive to settle their land disputes and titles within the jurisdiction of the Court which is at present sitting, as that tribunal appears to be giving satisfaction to both races. There is no doubt but that the Natives do not come forward as they could and should, which is possibly owing to their past experiences of the erratic shifting of the Land Court Judges.

In the Native Land Court yesterday morning, Judge Barton gave a somewhat lengthy decision with reference to the leasehold interests of the Native Land Company, and also of Mr A. McDonald, in the Haiti. The Court upheld the Company’s claim, and Judge Barton also allowed the Natives interested to occupy about 40 acres odd. Mr Brusey appeared for Mr McDonald and Mr Watson for the Natives, whilst Mr Day acted fur Mr DeLautour on behalf of the Land Company. His Honor complimented Mr Brooking on the general accuracy of his work as Registrar, and remarked that in the multiplicity of orders <to , received by him, that gentleman seldom made an error. After the rendering of the judgment, Bawiri Karaha argued that the acreage allowed required adjustment. His Honor explained to the Natives that he was acting on the certificated plan, <fce., and fon which he was giving bis judgment. It might be mentioned that the onus of costs was considered to be npon Mr McDonald, but His Honor thought that under the circumstances it would be advisable for the Court not to award’ cost! in the matter.

“Rejoice" is informed that his letter cannot appear in our columns; the first part is really only a repetition, in more brusque language, of the line that has been taken up in our leading columns, and no matter how bad a man's side may be, it is not right that he should he harried and made a butt of until in the end he becomes looked upon as e martyr and his critics as persecutors. We have taken advantage of fitting opportunities, first to give friendly advice, and when that failed, to speak out straightforwardly, but without vituperation—indeed more in sorrow than in anger, As we have stated, in public matter’ Mr Joyce's worst friend is himself. In regard to the second part of the latter referring to Councillor Hardlmr, it might be published, only that it would not be fair tn ro mutilate what our correspondent has written. At the lame time we do not see what Councillor Harding .has done that he should be abused. He explained that he had misunderstood the intention of the motion when he seconded if; but Councillors might have taken a different attitude altogether. As it was if Councillor Harding had not seconded Councillor Joyce’s motion, the latter could have had all the “ speechi’ying” to himself while the other Councillors would have had their mouths shut, and ratepayers not conversant with the forms of the Council might have thought that the offended Councillors were afraid to speak. As to 1 tbe other attitude which might have been adopted, the motion (which in ordinary circumstances could not have bean taken as a reflection on the other Councillors) could have been taken as a self-condemnation of the mover, and dieousMd in that strain, thus giving the ratepayers a certain indication as to how matters really stood. Perhaps Councillor Harding, who as a Councillor is the vary opposite of Councillor Joyce, considered the matter in the light we have suggested.

When are we going to hear the last of the complaints about the unsatisfactory system of electing School Committees? An Auckland telegram states“ Complaint has been made to the Board of Education that at the election of a school committee for Victoria Valley a number of young men attended the meeting and _ endeavored to get a majority on the committee favorable to the use of the building for dancing and boxing. The Chairman said that it was time the Board made a definite rule as to the use of school buildings. It was resolved to ask the committee for an explanation.” A telegram from Timaru is as follows “ At the Board of' Education meeting it was decided to draw tbs line at rinking among the uses schoolrooms may be put to during evenings. Out of fifty school districts seven failed to elect, six of them from error, supposing people cannot be elected in their absence ; one was elected on a wrong day. The Education Board resolved to represent to the depart, mint its, opinion that |h< papers for the scholarships examinations should be prepared by the dsnertmsnt, to ensure uniformity »t

In an advertisement appearing in our oontemporaryjast evening, being a notification from the Hawke's Bay Education Board, there were oneor two mistakes which must have caused a good many householders to feel amazed. The notification appears correctly in our advertising columns this morning.

The Woodville paper says that it has been decided to run Mr J. G. Gilbert! (brother of the Mr Gil bard at present in Gisborne) against Mr Ormond tor Napier at next general election. Napier working men are to be congratulated on making a better choice of a candidate than they have done on recent occasions.

Mutual Improvement Societies are sometimes very ambitious. The Waipukurau Society are going to settle (in the members’ own minds, of course) whether if John Bright had lived until to-day he would have been an Unionist or Home Ruler. Considering that honest John only died the other day they might let him rest for awhile,

At the Mutual Improvement Society last night Messrs Murray and Birch debated the question 11 Was the Deluge universal?” The subject was well threshed out and it was eventually decided that the flood was universal. In connection with the above we may add a good story that has come in our way. George M'Cullagh Reed, editor of the Auckland Bell, once, by way of a joke, published a story of his own invention (but attributing it to the Levant Herald), giving an account of the discovery of Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat and the purchase of that ancient edifice by a syndicate of American tourists who happened to be at Damascus at the time. The story was clipped by sen-sation-hunting sub-editors in almost every country in the world, and Mr Reed has a wonderful collection of these clippings with the sub ediiprial comments thereon. An American funny paper published the additional intelligence “that the identity of the discovery with Noah's Ark ha. been clearly established by the finding of a spot of grease in Ham's bunk " —whereupon a religious organ (which apparently goes tbe entire animal on the truth of the yarn) takes its humorous contemporary to task for ridiculing holy things, and for waking to oast doubt on a circumstance that eo conclusively proves the truth of the Mosaic account of ths Deluge, The statement of accounts filed by Messrs Banner and Liddle, of Napier, bankrupts, was as follows I—Unsecured creditors, £7780 18s 9d ; secured creditors, £13,818 10s Id. less estimated value of securities, £18,391 8s lOd ; other liabilities, £7103, making a total of £15,311 8s fid. The free aseets wore valued at £11,388 18s Id, leaving a deficiency of £3922 10s fid. Tbe chief assets were— Stoolt-ia-trade, Napier and Sydney, £1093 lie id, estimated to produce £873 I book debts, £5303 Is 3d, estimated to produce £2OOO | bills receivable, £9103 8s fid, estimated to produce £7103 8s fid ; furniture (dumping plant and machinery), £537 5s 9d ; and- other property. £75. The following statement is attached We commenced business together in 1877 as auctioneers and commission agents, and in 1881 we added to that the business of general merchants and wool shippers. During that time we have lost by bad debts the earn of £11,420, of which £5300 have arisen daring the past few months. Also by the fire which destroyed our premises in Tennyeon-street in December. 1888, we lost (over and above the amount recovered from insurance) a further sum of £2300, and we have lost by speculation in land £560, making a total loss during that period of £14,280, which accounts for the cause of our bankruptcy. For some months back we have been endeavoring to realise upon our different properties, with the view of reducing our business back to a purely commission one, and of gradually workin; out a number of weak accounts which hat

got into our books ; wa believe now that if wo had been allowed sufficient time we

should have been enabled to effect this purpose, and have avoided the necessity of filing, but two executions, levied by tbe Bank of New South Wales and Messrs Levin and Co., of Wellington, respectively, destroyed any such hope, and we were compelled, in tbe interests of tbe other creditors, to seek the protection of the Bankruptcy Court.