LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 413, 6 February 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A dance takes place at the Karska on Friday evening, in aid of ths school fund.

Letters addt'BSsed to Mts L. Trow and Mrs T. Winder are lying at the Post Office, The Rev, Mr Douglas preanhed at tbe Salvation Army meeting house on Tuesday evening, taking “ Reconciliation ” as his text. The half yearly meeting cf shareholders in the Minerva Petroleum Company will be held on Monday evening next. Farmers should make a note of an advertisement which appears this morning, a supply of 250 bushels of oats being required. Lady Cavendish says that the great object of the Kaffir is to make money as quickly.as possible, that he mi:y go home and buy cows with which to purchase wives. Mr B. Watson, solicitor, gives notice of tbe intention of a number of those who have sought ths protection of the Bankruptcy Court to apply for their discharge, on ths next sitting of tbe Supreme Court,

The Whatanpoko Road Board met on Tuesday evening", but there was no business of importance. The final payment in connection with tbe Ballance street contract was withheld for the time being. The Maoris can often give their white brothers lessons in politeness. The other day, on the Makaraka ooaoh, two Maoris were smoking, when a lady took a seat in the conveyance. ’ You not rikee moke ?' said one of the individuals, and on a reply being given in the negative, out went both pipes instantly. By our list of the remits of the pupils* examination we find that an injustice was done to the Gisborne School. It was stated that one candidate in the first year had foiled, but as there was only one Gisborne candidate in that year, and she was successful, it appears that the unsuccessful candidate (Isabella Baker) was by mistake included in the Gisborne list.

When the Ringarooma left Dunedin on her last trip northwards, she had on her deck, we understand, several hundred cases of kerosene, some of which were leaking. Upon the peril of allowing such dangerous goods to be exposed where people were smoking being pointed out, to the captain, he had them covered up. We believe that representations have been made to the Union Company upon the matter.

A new way of earning money has been hit on by one of the ingenious fraternity who live on thair wits at Homs. This worthy is sending round a circular offering to give a receipt for getting fat. Most people desire to get thin, but be has succeeded in finding a number of persons who are foolish enough to send him two shillings’ worth of stamps to obtain the desired information. The reply they receive is a postcard on the back of which is written, 1 Get it at the butcher's.' The streets of Kimberly have no names, its houses have no stairs, its post takes two or three days to deliver letters in the town ; its general appearance is that of a haphazard oamp turned from canvas into corrugated iron ; its cabmen are the last people to know where any place is to be found, and its oldest inhabitants have vague ideas as to the shortest way anywhere ; the people have no regard for punctuality, and all approve of good works, but no one strives to keep them going. So says Lady Cavendish.

An ordinary meoting'of the Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening. Present: Crs. Townley (in the chair), Hepburn, Taylor, Whinray, Harding, and Lewis. Mr F. Holford, who owed about £2 6s in rates, applied for permission to work out the amount, and the matter was commended to the consideration of the Raad Overseer, when he had work in hand. The May or's motion in regard to a water supply was -allowed to stand over, Mr DeLautour being absent in Auckland.

The Borough Connell has lately had some exceedingly short meetings, but that on Taesdav night beat the record, being timed, by a stop watch, at 7J minutes. It was not a pleasant night mraide, and Oonnoillors seemed loth to depart from Mr Bmrkg’s charming sanctum. There was not even the pleasure of having any accounts tn pass for payment, and Cr Lewis delivered him-elf of the philosophical remark that the meeting was an extraordinary one, while some nne was heard to mutter a few words cf pity for the Press representatives, who by the way seemed to require no words ot condolence, for they appeared to be chuckling inwardly at the prospect of a little more leisure to study the elements.

The full returns of the amounts collected in subscriptions in aid nt the mission of the Irish delegates have been made up. The result of the mission is shown tn be as follows North Island : Auckland and suburbs (including Onehnnga) £BOO, Gisborne £53 4’. Thames £6O, Waikato £lOO, Napier £241 18s 63, New Plymouth £5O, Palmerston N, £l2O ss, Wellington £430 13s 83, Wanga. nui £l5O, Masterton £66 10s. Lower Hutt £3l; total : £l9OB 6s 2d, South Island : Blenheim £lOO, Waatport £BOO. Reefton £3OO, Ahaura £l5O, Greymouth £837 8s 83, Kmn-ira £241, Hokitika £2OO, Rose £lOO, Christchurch £360. Lyttelton £OO, Ashburton £l5O, Temuka £250, Waimate £llB 4s 23, Oamarn £lOO, Dunedin £4OO, Lawrence £lO7 Ila 63, Milton £BO. Gore £BO, Invsro&rgil £9OO, Wintbn £5O, Wrey’s Bush £lOO, Queenstown £75, Black's £5O, Bt. Bathan'a £4O) Nenthorn £7O, Timaru £250 ’, total! £4387 8s lid. Grand total for New Zealand: £0240 10s Id, The Bishop of Wuinpu consecrated a Maori church at a place 12 miles from Tanpo on Christmas Day. In the afternoon the congregation, which consisted of several hundred natives from different districts, gave a feast to the Bishop. A large dining hall was prepared for the purpose, wltl; sitting accommodation for over 100 persons, and the feist was served in European stylo. The guests dined in relays, and the table was loaded with Christmas oheer, notable among whioh wore turkeys, plum pudding, and native dishes. Among the guests present were four students from the Native College at Gisborae, one of whom. HU.ta by name, is the brother of Rawiri. the well-known loyal chief at Opcpo, on the ihoroa of Like Taupo. At Rotorua ths .natives gave the Bltl'.op a graat walotffiie.

Mr Parnell’s slanderer, the Times, has done well to compromise with Mr Parnell in hie libel action against that journal. The Times pays £5OOO damages. Messrs Nelson Bros, telegraphed last night regarding the London meat market:—The mutton market is steady; best quality, fourpence halfpenny ; beef—hinds, fourpence ; fores, threepence three farthings.

Sporting men generally will view with regret the necessity for winding up the Auckland Slud Company. On the turf the Company’s stock han had wonderful success, and the large export of blood stock to Australia eave promise of being a profitable business for the colony generally.

The London correspondents ot the leading Australian dailies did the dock strike regardless of expense. A careful estimate shows that they spent altogether £10,090 from beginning to end of the trouble. One day the Melbourne Evening Herald published a cable message of a column and a half from its London correspondent, full of informing facts about the strike.

A deadlock has resulted in the affairs of the Lyttelton Borough School. The position of head master becoming vacant, the Board of Education, who hae the right to appoint a master, submitted five names to the Committee for choice. The Committee, however, wish tor the appointment of Mr Hots, second master, to the position, and his name not being amongst the five submitted, closed the school until their wishes are carried out. At a public meeting a resolution approving of the Committee’s action was carried.

Vienna city has been visited by a snowstorm, which lasted 38 hours. The masses of snow were such that it was found well nigh impossible to cope with the element. The temperature being very low the enow divided into almost invisible particles, and the terrible east wind drove them in olouds like sand through the streets aud squares. Three thousand sweepers were employed io the centre of the city alone, and the rough work was done by 24 snow ploughs, each drawn by four strong horses. "Hippo" writes:—Our Hawke's Bay horses that ware a short time ago taken io Australia have already been ahowlng what they are made of. Old Soudan won the Oasleigh Park Handicap with f.i up, having nine others behind him. Pretender, also carrying 7.2, won the Trial Stakes at Menton, and at Elsternwiok, with 7 4 up, hs won another Trial Stakes, but there may be coma trouble over these races yet, as the other day I received a eahiegram from Melbourne asking the value ot the stakes won by Pretender. At the Napier Park winter meeting ha won the Winter Oats Handicap, for which hs received acheqse for £52 ss,

Mr Greenwood has received an intimation from the Chief Justice that, as it has been represented that some hardship might be caused by the short notice which was given of the new rules under which the law examinations are in future to bo conducted, and which come into force in June next, another examination under the old rules will be held in September next. The forthcoming examination, for whioh there are three Gisborne candidates, commences on the 17th ot March, and was to have been the last under the old system. The first examination under the new rules, which give the control to the University authorities, takes place in December next, so that there will ba three legal examinations during this year, in place of two as heretofore,. and of one in the future.

The most important topic of the week perhaps is the news from America that's reaping machine has been invented which binds with straw.' The State Grange of Illinois recently offered a premium of £2090 to secure a practical machine, or reaper attachment, for binding grain with straw instead of with twine. Forty inventors, representing nearly every State, also Canada and Scotland, comDeted. A working model of full size was finally accepted, but its owner declined to sell his interest for the sum named, “ having had much larger offers for his device and its patent.” A report issued by the awarding committee says : —We have seen this machine bind grain, and it does the work much finer and better than can ba done with straw bands by hand. It has an extra attachment for short straw or grain, thatoanbe set in motion bv the foot of ths driver. This binder

seems perfect in all its parts, more simple and easier to operate than the twine binder. The knotter is not as delicate in construction, yet does not take up more room, and ia not so heavy as the twine binder. We consider this

a matter of great importance to ail grain raising farmers, for they will not hereafter be subject to the trusts and combines of the twine men, having plenty of twine material right at hand on the farm. The patentee is arranging to bring out his machine in February, 1890, and will enter the grain fields of the Southern States, thence following the harvest north.”—Melbourne Leader.