LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 435, 29 March 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mrs Ledger commences her new business this morning. Jubilee Testaments were distributed at the Gisborne School on Thursday. The Turanganui Football Club this afternoon opens its season, with a scratch match in Captain Tucker’s paddock. The annual general meeting of the Gisborne Football Club takes place on Monday evening. Mr McLoughlin's tender has been accepted for the conveyance of telegraph material, at 49s a ton. A Brunnerton man who used a defaced 2d stamp to post a newspaper, was fined nearly £9 for his indiscretion. Much rsfcXit is expressed in Wanganui at the resignation of Captain Cummins, Superintendent o£ the Fire Brigade there.

At a meeting of the East Coast Hussars on Thursday evening Mr G. L Sunderland was elected Lieutenant, vice Mr Wethered, resigned. Among the deaths recorded in Melbourne during January were 6 from scarlet fever; whooping cough, 6 ; diphtheria, 25; typhoid, 70; cholera (simple), 17; diarrhoea, 48; dysentery, 9. The bj ■-lections for the Home of Commons are now keeping very even, tbe last election having resulted in the return of a Conservative.

A letter from our Sydney correspondent appears on the fourth page of this morning’s paper. The letter contains some interesting comments on the views of Mr Henry George. When at Waiapu, the Hon. Mr Richardson declared he had not previously seen anywhere in the colony such a large tract of rich land as there is on the East Coast.

Although Prince Bismarck’s resignation has given rise to many gloomy predictions, the present Emperor of Germany maintains that he will do his best to preserve the peace of Europe.

The terrible floods which have occurred in Australia ought to turn a great deal of attention towards New Zealand, where there is an almost oomp'ote immunity from the disasters by which Australia has been inflicted. The Wanganui Herald hints that ths reason the Government think it necessary to introduce new rules of procedure is so that they can force through such measures as tbe Charitable Aid Bill introduced last session.

Mr Jacob Pitman, elder brother of Mr Isaac Pitman, the inventor of phonography, died at Newtown on the 13th. Deceased was 80 years of age. He visited Auckland a few years ago, and delivered an address on phonography.

The number of carcases of frozen mutton exported from Gisborne has been 23,704, and 1689 carcases of lambs. This is a substantial hint for Wanganui people, who are much concerned about the wisdom or otherwise of starting freezing works in that district. By a fire at Hokitika on Thursday mornin? the following buildings were destroyed :—The threatre, Levy's store, Westland Hotel, Pollen’s tobacconist shop, Ogilvie’s stables and house, Schafl's upholsterer's place, Sargisson’s bakery, and three unoccupied houses. The Club Hotel and other buildings were damaged. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning, the following civil cases were disposed ofT. Corcoran v. P. Ryan, claim £1; judgment by default, costs Us. W. Morgan v. E. Thompson, claim £3 6s for goods supplied; judgment by default, costs 6s. Same v, Hopeta Kuare, claim £1 8s for goods supplied; judgment by default,costs6s. The privileges in connection with the Toroa Steeplechase meeting on Easter Monday are to be sold at 11 this morning. As there will be no counter-attraction for Easter Monday the Toroa meeting should have a much larger attendance than has been usual in previous years, and that has always been good. The prospect of a good attendance naturally makes the privileges worth much more, and there should be a spirited bidding this morning. Writing to a correspondent in Whitechurch Sir W. Harcourt says:—“Th»t the objects contemplated by the Salvation Army are good is not to be denied. The Blight inconveniences caused by their occasional meetings do not, I think, warrant a fussy and unnecessary interference with their proceedings. To strain the technical interpretation of the law for the purpose of hauling such people to prison is, in my judgment, to diminish respect for the administration of justice.”

At tbe Mutual Improvement Society on Monday evening Mr C. A. DeLautour will deliver a lecture on the subject, “ Colonial Life: A retrospect.” The subject is one which is certain to be dealt with in an able manner by the lecturer, who has always willingly rendered any assistance in his power towards the advancement of these literary societies. His early departure on a visit to the old country will give additional interest to his views on colonial life. The Society extends a general invitation to tho:e who wish to attend and hear the lecture. The London correspondent of the Dunediu Star writes :—Mr E. J. Mathers, whose misdeeds in connection with the ‘ Deep Sea Mission,’ etc. have been so fearlessly commentedupon in recent issues of Truth, without provoking replies, has, that journal learns, started for Australia, partly in search of health, and partly in order to raise £BO.OOU on behalf of some institution for the benefit of the Yarmouth fishermen. Truth, in its current number, warns friends at the antipodes to ‘ close their purses resolutely against this gentleman until they have bean satisfied as to why he was ‘ invited to retire ’ from the Deep Sea Mission, why he received a similar honor from the Notional Provident Fund, and why he has left E igland without attempting to answer the allegations made against him in Truth of January 2nd and January 23rd.' That clever writer “The Wellington Watchman ” gets off the following audacious political sketch in the Catho'io Times Mr Fisher is almost too well-known to need description. He is a large person with a hald head. I would not mention this latter fict were not Mr Fisher's baldness a portion of hie individuality. If he had more hair on the top of his head there would be lees Fisher beneath. He lost hie hair owing to having long and consistently enacted the part of jack iu-the box. The more the lid was shut down on him, the more he bobbed up, and this wore off his hair. He was always like this and ever will be so. He can't be kept down and those who try to keep him down get hurt in the attempt. If a mountain fell on him he would wriggle out with a statement of a few hundred pages of foolscap folio, proving conclusively that the mountain had acted in an unconstitutional manner. For the rent he is one of the beet abused men in New Zealand, and many of those who abuse him most are his most faithful voters. Ho is not in ‘sassiety,’ he doesn't seem to want to be. He is not ao personally lovely ae Mr Fergus. Ho is not ao ready at repartee as the Premier, nor does he wear beautiful clothes like Captain Russell, but the House generally listens to him and no party can afford to ignore him. He will go in for Wellington hands down. If he curbs an evil propensity for letter writing he will probably be Premier of New Zealand some day.