LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 300, 18 May 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Native Minister recently received a report on the Urewera country from Mr Locke, as also correspondence from the Urewera chiefs, through him, as to the prospecting of the country. As the question is a large one, and the opening up of that, at present, inaccessible district may be indefinitely delayed through any mistake or misadventure, any decision will be deferred until the Native Minister has returned to Wellington and consulted the Cabinet. For the football match this afternoon, between the Rovers and Gisborne Clubs, the team finally selected by the Rovers is as follows: —Back : Stuart; three-quarter backs : Skeet, Simon, and Rua; half backs: Lemuel (Captain), Wade, Fairlie; forwards: King, Leslie, Nepia, Lewis, Marshall, Weka, Biki, Toha; emergencies: Austin and Stephenson. For the Gisborne Club, the following have been selected:—Full back: Staite; threequarter backs: Snow, J. Morgan, M. Fere; half backs: Bees and Dodds; forwards: Lysnar, Langford, Dunlop, Martin, King, Tarapuki, Johnston, Hepburn, Button. In connection witn the Union Gymnasium Club, it is almost certain that permission will be obtained for the use of the Volunteer shed, which would be a much better place than the schoolroom. At a meeting of the Club the age limit was fixed at 16. The appointment of Director and sub-Director was deferred for the time being; the Bev A. Gardiner was unanimously elected Secretary and Treasurer, and the Committee elected were—Messrs Mann, F. Drummond, F. Lysnar, and F. Rowley. The fee was fixed at five shillings.

Lawyers in Court are not always overcourteous to one another, and what sounded to bystanders as a sharp rebuke to discourtesy was administered by Mr Booth, on Thursday. The Magistrate was explaining the difficulty he had in making an order of commitment against the defendant in the case Connor v. Allan McDonald, knowing as he did personally that McDonald .when in flourishing circumstances was one who always paid his debts honestly, when Mr Ward stepped forward and addressed the Bench as, he said, a friend and intimate acquaintance of the defendant. Mr Ward had spoken but a few moments, when Mr Sievwright, plaintiff's solicitor, interposed and wanted to know by what right Mr Ward interfered; he was not McDonald’s solicitor. Mr Ward : I suppose you would call it im-

pertinence. Mr Sievwright: I do. Mr Booth : Come into the box, Mr Ward, and be sworn as a witness, and no one will accuse

you of impertinence there. Mr Ward then went into the box,, was sworn, and continued his statement to the Bench. The first general meeting of the Union Literary and Debating Society was held on Thursday, when an opening lecture was given by the Rev J, E. Fox, who took “Chess” for his subject. There was a good attendance, and the lecture was amusing, instructive, and elevating. The subject was treated from various standpoints, concluding with the philosophical and spiritual aspects, from which the lecturer gave illustrations from the battle of real life, in which the side of right was sure to win. The applause of the audience proved that the lecture was highly appreciated, and at the conclusion Mr Warren moved a

vote of thanks, which was carried by acclamation. That gentleman said he was opposed to the playing of chess on the ground that it

was a waste of time, but from the new light in which it had been painted by the lecturer he was inclined to take an altogether different view. The proposed rules and a skeleton syllabus for the Literary Society were then read, and members enrolled. It was decided to defer the appointment of officers and the passing of rules until next meeting. If it is not out of place to give a word of advice to the provisional Committee, it would be that they should appoint an active Secretary pro tern, and that he should make a good canvass

for signatures, A good fault with the most promising yoking people is as a rule that they are very modest, and that they are likely to shrink from coming forward when they bsc such an array of intellect as this Society begins with; a little friendly canvassing would soon overcome this backwardness.

No further (particulars regarding the sad death of Mr H. Cannon are to hand, excepting that he was riding a young horse at the time, and it is supposed that the animal refused to cross the river, and on urging It forward, the rider was thrown head first on to a boulder, which no doubt caused the marks on his forehead. It is stated that Mr Cannon was in company with another man, who saw him thrown from bis horse, and also saw him floating down the river, but instead of going to his aid at once, the man rode off about a mile distant to geek assistance. Until we are in possession of further information, it would be wrong to form a judgment, but the conduct of the companion seems hard to satisfactorily explain. The body was not brought down by the s.s. Austrulia last night, as the sea was too rough to admit of the body being shipped, and it will probably be interred on the Coast.

Mr B. Hill returned to Napier bv last night’s steamer. While in Gisborne Mr 'Hill, who is wall versed In geology, made a study of the artesian well boring operations now going on, and bis experience leads him to strongly condemn the site. Ho considers that it is only throwing money away to continue the present operations, that the bore may be continued through the papa but with barren results. Thare is, he believes, a basin ' which might ba tapped higher up on the Waikanae. Mr Hill’s opinion on the subject is entitled to weighty consideration; in Napier, many instances have secured in which Mr Hill has foretold the success or failure of a. bore.

There is a downward movement in the Sydney wheat market, owing to excess of supplies. This will perhaps be a bitter lesson to those New Zealanders who were too grasping.

The interest in the intended Fire Brigade demonstration on Queen’s Birday increases as the date becomes nearer. The officers appointed to supervise the operations, met last night for practice in the respective duties they have undertaken to perform. It was decided that the proceedings should begin at 8.30 a.m.

We have received the names and addresses of the principal winners in Adam Bede’s Sydney Gold Cup and Hawkesbury Handicap sweeps. The principal prize comes to New Zealand. Any correspondent wishing to know the names can be informed on communicating with this offic?.

The Bruce Herald understands the directors of the Otago Meat Freezing Company intend to spend about £2OOO immediately in an endeavor to obtain water by boring at Burnside. The plant used at the Gisborne oil works has, it says, been secured for the purpose.

There is now on view at the Argyll Hotel a gigantic mushroom. This mammoth growth measures within a fraction twelve inches in diameter and is consequently about threa feet in circumference. It was found in one of Mr Sam Stevenson’s paddocks, at Kaiti, and handed to Mr Dickson as a curiosity, which it undoubtedly is.

The Star Gymnasium Club (Wellington), by entertainments given by them for charitable purposes, have since its formation handed over net proceeds to the amount of £ll9 10s. while members have assisted in 28 other performances for similar purposes. A Napier paper says:—Mutual Improvement Societies pick out some queer subjects for discussion at times. A Gisborne M.I.S. the other day tackled the momentous question * Was the deluge universal ?’ and settled it in the affirmative. It’s a pity the members are not spiritulists, otherwise they might have got Noah to rap out his opinion on the matter. At the Police Court on Thursday, Edwin Hadfield, for being in a drunken condition in the Court on the previous day, was fined 10s, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. The native Ahipene was again brought before Mr Booth yesterday, charged with being of unsound mind. On the recommendation of Doctors Innes and Pollen the prisoner was discharged. Mr Justice Windeyer has been dealing out stern justice at the Armidale (N.S. W.) assizes. Two witnesses for the Crown in a conspiracy case managed to elude the vigilance of the police and get drunk. When placed in the witness box both were found so “ far gone ’’ that the case for the Crown broke down, and the Judge, getting indignant, gave the tippling witnesses six and twelve months respectively. This matter has been brought before the House, and the Minister has promised to inquire into it. The Mayor of Christchurch has received a letter signed by over 400 citizens, thanking him for refusing to preside at a meeting of the Parnell sympathisers in March. This is a new way of doing things; the Irish cause must be very strong in Christchurch when 400 citizens holding contrary views think it necessary to get up a petition apologising because the Mayor did not care to preside over the meeting. That is a stronger point gained than it he bad come forward.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday judgments were entered up for plaintiffs in the following cases :—A. Parnell, v. 8. Locke, claim £9 6s 43, and costs, Ils; A. W. Croft v. S.ftf. Wilson, claim £lOO, and costs, £5 8s ; John Bourke v. G. Williams, claim £6 4s 61 and costs, £1 Ils ; G. K. Turton v. E. Sargent, claim £5 2s Bd, and costs, £1 14s; D. M. Orr v. A. Reynolds, claim £2 2a 6d, and costs 7s: H. J. Finn v. J. Kennedy, claim £7 3s Bd, and costs, 10s; Teat and Friar v. P. Mooney, claim 13s and costs, 6s.

In reference to the unemployed agitation which has lately been made so much of in Sydney, our special correspondent in that place writes that he believes there are more professions about it than genuineness. He went to some of their meetings, and the opinion he formed was that some of the agitators would be better cooling their heels in prison for three months—a large number of the workmen have got so used to the Government providing work for them whenever they require it that they look upon it as only right that directly they get out of work the Government should come to their assistance. What will be the ultimate effect of this coddling policy it is bard to say.

Mr F. Steele (formerly of the Gisborne Standard staff), who went to Sydney with the object of acquiring wider experience, has obtained a position in the literary department nt the Sydney Telegraph, the most popular journal in New South Wales. It is mt easy to obtain such a position, but once having got the opportunity we are eure Mr Steele will make the bast of it. Mr J. B. Berry (ano 1 her young man lately connected with the Standard staff) has also been very successful in Sydney, while a gentleman who acted as our correspondent in Melbourne during the Exhibition has received a good appointment on a leading Melbourne paper. It is most pleasing to us to note the success which seems to attend those who have been connected with the Standard staff.

The skilled hands in the employment of the North Western Railway Company, England, have decided that they do not want to be provided for in their old age. It seems that the company, which has 5000 skilled hands in its employment, some years ago got its employees to consent to the establishment of a pension fund, by a small deduction from wages. Out of this fund every workman at the age of 65 was to receive a snbsis tence allowance. The men have now decided that they prefer present enjoyment to future safety, and allege that the benefit is too distant. The decision seems to be a singularly short sighted one, and it has greatly dashed the hopes of many who have taken a keen interest in the improvement of the working classes.

Farther mail news has been received inDublin concerning the condition of Irish emigrants in the Argentine Republic. Mr Patrick Cole, of Buenos Ayres, writes:—“lt was truly a sad, pitiable sight to sea Irish mothers, with, in some cases, their dying babes in their arms, stretched on the ground outside the hotel where they had passed the previous night without any covering, as they could not get to the luggage, and also to hear strong men, mid their tears, cuising the evil hour in which they broke up in many oases happy homes to come to what they were led to believe was an El Dorado.” Ha says of emigrants generally some of them died of starvation in the lazar-housss of Rosario, which are little wooden huts that were thrown up for the victims of the last cholera epidemic, while in many cases mothers sold their clothing from their backs to procure food for their starving children.

The following is the list of Masonic lodges of the several constitutions which have, up to date, voted in favor of the Grand Lodge movement English Constitution ; Aberoorn (Waipawa), No. 1813; St. Mark’s (Carter, ton), No. 2059 ; Ashley (Rangiora), No. 1877; Franklin (Pukekohe), No. 2133; Southern Cross (Kaiapoi). No. 760; Progress (South, bridge), No. 1651 ; Amberly, No. 2007 ; lonic (Leeston), No. 1917; Otago, No. 844 ; Eden (Newton), No. 1530 ; Southern Cross (Invercargill), No. 997 ; Star of the North (Whangarei, No. 1647 ; Hiram (Oaversham), No. 2008 ; Albion (Auckland), No. 20(13 ; New Zealand Pacific (Wellington), No. 517; Fortitude (Bluff), No. 2301 ; Masterton. No. 1480. Irish Constitution : Bedford (Waipukurau), No. 484 ; Leinster (Wellington), No. 469 ; Scinde (Napier), No. 419 ; Coromandel, No. 456 ; Ara (Auckland), No. 843. Scotch Constitution : Waterloo (Wellington), No. 463 ; St. Andrew's (Wellington), No. 639 ; Manswata Kilwinning, No, 690; St.John’s (Milton), No. 461 ; Robert Burns (Reetton), No. 692; Xfanukau, No. 586; Thistle (Masterton). No, 617 ; Te Arolia, No, 697; St. Andrew's Kilwinning (Wanganui), No. 481; Sir Walter Scott (Thames), No. 633 1 St, Andrew’s (Auckland), No. 418; Wairoa, No, W9 ; Pqnsonby (Auckland), No, 70s; Star of the Far South (Auckland), No. 717.