LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 309, 8 June 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Thia morning ths Gisbobnb Standabd enters on the third year of its existence. It is neither onr wish, nor would it be in place, for us to treat our readers with many words concerning this journal, but we may inform our many well wishers that w are well and hearty, and still progressing satisfactorily. We may take this opportu. nity of expressing onr thanks for the large support received, and hope that our labor® may always give the satisfaction they have done in the past. Our object has not been to take up the popular side on public questions It has been to uphold what we be’ieved to, be the right, whether that view may have' been the popular one or not, and we have good reason to be satisfied at results. We hope that so long as the Standard waves on high, it will continue to merit the good opinion which it has gained in the minds of the public. On our fourth page there ora full particulars of a recent suicide in Sydney; an interesting letter from Stanley, nnd more information concerning the Waifeljuna murder.

Some of the New Zealand papers have again been mads the victim of a cruel hoax They published a cablegram giving particulars of a dreadful hurricane at JTongkong, by which over 10,000 lives were said to have been lost. The yarn now turns out tg be " moonshine." The liars in thia world seem to have a long life, or else there must be many of them. There will be n Confirmation Service At Holy Trinity Church to morrow. The Rev, Rev. J. S. Hill, who ie well known in Gisborne, and was formerly incumbent of Holy Trinity Church, preaches in the evening. The Bishop of Waiapn and the Rev, Mr Hill are expected to arrive from Napier to day.

A petition has bean numeiously signed and now lies at Mr Parnell's shop, praying that ths Government wil! leave a permanent stock of arms and ammunition in this distrial, The petition has no doubt been got up with the best of intentions, but we are of opinion that in present circumstances it is ill advised, and calculated to create uneasiness when there is not the remotest cause for it, and if there wore it is only an indication of a weakness which in reality does not exist,

The petition against the lotting of the breakwater pier by contiaot was up to last night signed by 60 ratepayers, including such prominent country names as that of Mr G. L. Sunderland, 4 corespondent writes suggesting that a list should ho os it up the country, and thinks that a deputation should wall on Mr Clark, who [what about 6jr MatthewAon'fj is tno only member, says the Wfiter, that can ba rolled on to prevent a ituojtened bungle. Another correspondent thinks kufirt a second petition should be got pp, repreeonjlng the views of those who are in favor of the ooptraot system. Mr Laws, the Secretory pf the Napier Flro Brigade, writes a very sensible letter, denying that members of his Brigade had any connection with the authorship of a report which appeared in the Napier News. In temperate and gentlemanly language he cites one or two points on which he thinks the visitor# were placed at 4 disadvantage, but he acknowledge# that the judges and titnslteepera acted conscientiously throughout. He states that in Association eompettiona it is the rule for only five men to compile from each Brigade, but that restriction is made in extensive competitions ba-auea otherwise there would not be sufficient time, and in Gisborne ths same privilege Was allowed to all parlies. Mr Law# need hardly have taken notice of what appealed in tbe News; we have already exposed the writer of the report, and the mere mention of hi# Harms' is sufficient proof toe Gisborne people as to what relit nee can b> plaeed on anythin te afty writ .

Mr Dillon has announced his intention to visit New Zealand.

The Gisborne Ohoral 9r oisty's next concert takes place on Wednesday, the 12th June. Messrs Lightband, Allan and Co., of Wellington, have suspended payment.

A notification from Mrs Halloa, lady’s nurse, of Ormond, appears in our advertising columns. It is said that a company with a capital of £10,009 is projected to purchase the Wairarapa Star. Patrick Casey, a driver of truck horses, at Greymouth, got his left leg cut off by a truck, and the right was so injured that it had to be cut off. He died under the Operation, A Melbourne telegram states that the Marine Board find that the wreck of the Fijian was the fault of Captain Fielding and the mate, Mr Hurling, and they are to appear before the Board on Monday to show cause (it any) why their certificates should not be suspended.

A Kinking Club has been formed, end has the use of the City Rink on certain occasions, but the Rink is open to the public on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday afternoons, and Thursday and Saturday nights. The Rink will therefore be open this afternoon and in the evening. A sad death occurred at Buxton at a wedding, An elderly woman named Ann Fletcher, whilst hurrying to witness the parties going to Burbage Church, fell down in a fit and expired in a few minutes. The occurrence cast a gloom over the event, which was unique, it being a triple wedding, The brides were three sisters.

At the R.M. Court on Thursday (before Messrs A. Graham and C. D. Bennett, J.P.’s) judgments were given for plaintiffs in the following casesW. Adair v Paora Parau claim £7 5s 7d, and costs Ils; Harbor Board v J. S. Lincoln claim £2 is Bd, and costs Gs ; T. E. R. Bloomfield v Adam Knox claim £1 10s, and costs £1 4s 6d; Kaiti Road Board v D. Malone claim £lO 7s sd, and costs £2 Gs; In the case Samuel Locke v Hatton and Score claim £l9 Bs, the plaintiff was nonsuited with costs £1 la, on the ground that Captain Chrisp, wlio was acting as Mr Locke’s agent, had taken oqt the summons without express instructions to sue, According to a Sydney paper the so called •' Loyalist" meeting held in Sydney was merely a sectarian gathering promoted by members of the Orange organization. The paper ends the account of the meeting thus : Men't it a pity we can't put all the people who "travel" sm importing religion into politics into one big ship and moor it outside the Heads, and let the artillery blow it to the devil ! Amen I

Mr A. A. George expresses himself hWy flattered at having been recently taken notice ot by the Siaxeahd, and we do not dispute that in one sense he hag good cause to feel flittered—the mere fact of our taking notice of him ie perhaps more than he could reasonably expect, but than even unfortnnate people get taken notice of. In the News he repeats that the fireman who visited Qisborne were not treated with common fairness; no reply to that is necessary when the source from which it emanates ie made known. Our amiable critic asks: " Docs the ghost ot Snyder still haunt his old quarters, for it was a favorite fashion of his to assert that 1 every, thing was nice and nothing was nasty' whatever happened ?" That quotation io quite sufficient to prove the class of writer that represented the News, He is too well known in Gisborne for there to be any need to reply to him. When a writer has not sufficient manliness to abstain from attacking the memory of one (now deceased) who was his superior in lifetime, what will ha not stoop to ? The wonder is that the editor of the News allows his journal to fee made the medium of an attempt to oast ridicule on the memory of one who cannot reply, The fallowing petition to the Harbor Board awaite signatures at Mr W. Parnell’s shop i — “ We, the undersigned ratepayers in the Gisborne Harbor District, desire to represent to you as strongly as we can that the proposal to call tenders for the construction of the breakwater is contrary to the interests of the ratepayers and of the community, and ought not to be entertained by you. 1, Because the work is progressing to the satisfaction of the Community, and we have a strong objection to experimenting under a contract. S. Be. cause the work is almost certain to be worse done and to be more expensive than under the present method, the work at present being a credit to the district and to the colony, 3. Because it is a kind of work which if done under a contract it is very difficult, as well as expensive, to check properly, the operations of real importance being done under water. 4. Because there is a grave risk of questions and disputes arising under any contract of so complicated a nature as that proposed, and

■ the Board is pretty nearly certain to got into i the Law Courts, however carefully it may i attempt to guard against such a result. We therefore, and for many other reasons which ' could be stated, earnestly urge upon you the ’ necessity of refusing any sqoh proposal.” It is quite amusing tq note the vagaries of , our local contemporary. First it vigorously denounced the contract system being applied , to the breakwater pier—that was nt a time when much work might h-ve been advantageously let by contract. Then that “con--1 sietent ” journal turns round again and ad- . vocates the system should be applied, giving ; no new reason—in fact arguing against its own advice—and the only apparent one for the change of front being that some naw members on the Board held different views to their predecessors. Recently we find this gay shuffler turning round again and saying, in other words, that Messrs Bennett and Shelton are only acting a farce. Now, though we isijnnot agree with those gentlemen on the question at issue, we give them credit for having qt heart the interests of the ratepayers, and, even though tljeij action be a mistaken one, it is well meant, Qqr contemporary tries to cover its retreat from the position it took up. by advising an alternaive scheme for the reduction of workmen's wages. That is just what wo expected, but we should be losing dignity in attempting to argue the point with a journal that changes its opinions with the facility that a clown crasai; stale jokes. We shall not be surprised If otir ■'contemporary should next withdraw Us accusation against the meters of the Harbor Board, of being the perpetratws of the worst job in New Zes. land (the disposal qt the Tauwharepnrae Block), and that on the withdrawal of the accusation the truth should be told by way ql a .change.

There were nearly fifty ladies and gentlemen present at the Union Literary Sooiety’s meeting on Thursday evening, the subject being a debate, “ Would an European war, involving England, injuriously affect' New Zealand ?" Mr Mann took the affirmative and Mr Crawford the negative; the IJev, Mr Gardiner and Mrß, N. Jones spoke on the former's side and Mr Warren and Mr Kenny lor the negative. The debate was on interesting and instructive one, and the chances of England’s success in such ft war, and the effect upon pgr colony bl her victory or defeat, were fully discussed, Mr Crawford Contending that even if the worst came, the principles of modern warfare would make a foreign conqueror properly treat the vanquished, and he did not believe the invaders would exact a greater ransom than the £5 a head which New Zealanders had annually to pay on their indebtedness—in fact, that was'one of the links in which safety greatly depended, because the English money lenders would have more than a sentimental interest in the colony, iphia contention was of course combatted, and gave a rather humorous turn to the debate, Mr

Gardiner saying ha thought the colonials would much prefer paying their five pounds a year, than perhaps being under the rule of a Chinese dignitary, who would compel them to wear pigtails! One of Mr Kenny’s points was that if England wanted assistance in time of trouble, the great American Republic would at once come to her aid. The Chairman said if they all felt as he did, after the interesting arguments'that had been set forth, they would be undecided, so that he would hesitate to express an opinion, but he had often thought that if a war of any magnitude did break out, it would he the means of uniting Australasia and the English-Speaking races of the West info one great federated body, which with England would be the dominating power and arbiter to which the maintenance of the peace of the world would thenoefcrth ba entrusted, On a diyisifib only thirty ol those present voted, Mi Mana getting § iwovtlsirds tn»jurit*fi

A Chicago gentleman will forfeit 600,000 dollars left by his uncle in case he does not marry within five yean, He intend* to sub* mit all applicants for marriage to an examination similar to the Civil Service one, and adds: •• I will have rules of competition formulated with questions to ba answered, and judges to decide (or a set of Commissioners), as love is blind. No man in my position is competent to pass judgment upon so important a question, especially when I am so much interested. Thus it will relieve me of an immense amount of doubt and trouble and would surely gain me a good wife.”

Since the Whitechapel murders it has become a custom to cable to the Colonies, at spasmodic intervals, about the murders that take place in London. A late cablegram states that a mutilated body han been dis covered in the Thames, and murder is " suspected." We can hardly take up a Homo paper that comes to hand that does not contain reference to some terrible murders, and we do not know that colonials care for a surfeit of such intelligence, and much less do they care to hear of this sort of thing when there is only a suspicion that a crime has been committed.

Sir Charles Warren has left London to take up command in the Straits Settlements. An amusing incident occurred on bis arriving at the station in Liverpool street en route to the steamer in the Albert Docks. The cabman who drove him there, knowing who his fare was, and apparently well satisfied with his payment, proceeded to harangue Sir Charles as he stood on the pavement, where he kept him several seconds listening to eulogies upon his public services. Jehu wished the General every success in his new position, and wound up with, “ And I hope, Sir Charles, they will think more of you over there than they do here.” Sir Charles keenly relished the humor of the well-meant remark, and repeated the story with much enjoyment to his friends on the platform.

A young woman living in the Faubourg Montmartre suddenly went mad and imagined herself to bo the Maid of Saragossa. She began to bombard the house opposite to that in which she lived, as well as the people who were passing in the street. She carried on the extraordinary siege with every available article of furniture or otherwise which she found near her. The local Commissary of Police, who was casually passing by during the bombardment, just missed a missile in the shape of a sardine box. which was within an inch of cutting his head open. The woman eventually was taken to the police infirmary " under persuasion.”

Commenting on ths game laws the Lyttelton Times states s—Were there no reason but the protection of the luxury of sport, it would be impossible to justify th* game laws. It is better to have no game at all than to have artificial crims. As for the native game, its utility is nothing to any interest except the sporting interest. The country only supported in its natural condition a oertain number of these birds. After colonisation, they would in the ordinary course of things have been exterminated. But the law, backed by public opinion, stepped in, and they were preserved—not for their beauty, not out of sympathy for their various species threatened with extinction, but for the very unsentimental reason that they might afford Us at the proper times something to murder. However, the people like sport, and the people have approved the gam® laws. Thors the laws are, and there they are likely to remain.