LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 472, 26 June 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Owing to all the telegraph wires being occupied last night with the transmission of the Financial Statement, only a short portion of our ordinary budget was through before morning. One or two interesting items are, however, that Major Wiseman. the German officer, considers that England has had far the best of the bargain with Germany in the recent settlement concerning East Africa. Prince Bismarck protests that he has a right to speak out his mind when he feels that by doing so he may preserve thepeico of Europe. The licensing proposals have caused much difference of opinion in the Conservative ranks, and Mr Goschen has threatened to resign if the whips do not sea that the clauses are bullied through with a iess humiliating show of weakness on the part of the Government. It has been mutually agreed to row over the race between O’Connor and Stainsbury ; the latter won after a foul. Mr J. Palmer, herbalist, his a new advertisement in this morning’s paper. The new list of piices of specialties a Messrs Graham, Pitt, and Bennett’s cash sale is published this morning. The bazaar in aid of the funds of the Holy Trinity Sunday School is now fixed for October 22 and 23. A notification from Mr T. Harris, of Whataupoko, appears iu our advertising columns. In the New South Wales Assembly recently one speaker referred to New Zealand as an outlying island. The Financial Statement was being delivered in the House of Representatives last night, by Sir Harry Atkinson, the Colonial Treasurer. The solicitors to the Napier Harbor Board on Saturday deposited in the Resident Magistrates Court a copy of a Bill to amend the Napier Harbor Loan and Empowering Act, to enable a harbor rate to be collected by the local bodies, within the rating district. A general invitation is extended to those who desire to attend the the Union Literary Society this evening, when there will be a debate on the subject Fashion v. War, a lady member arguing that war has done the greater amount of harm.

The football match next Saturday is being anticipated with much interest. The Maoris expect to place in the field a much stronger team than they had when playing against the Turanganui fifteen, and the Gisborne Club will a’so be represented by a very strong team.

The contractor for the erection of the Wesleyan Parsonage (Mr R. Robb) has now completed the carpentering work, of which a splendid job has been made, the work also being finished three weeks before the expiration of time, notwithstanding the state of the weather. The painting and paperhanging work will be done next week, and the building will probably be in occupation before the week is out.

The attention of footballers is directed to the following points in the latest new rules, a book of which has been shown us by Mr Staite, Secretary of the Gisborne Football Club Free kicks granted as penalties for handling the ball, falling down in the scrummage,. off-side play, illegally tackling and charging, delay in putting the ball down when collared, or getting up at once when thrown with the ball, may now count as goals ; whereas, previously, free-kicks did not count as such. Backs, when stopping a rush, must be very careful to immediately get up, put the ball on the ground, and, if possible, dribble into touch. In all cases when acting on the defensive it will be found advisable to kick into touch in preference to unning.

A special general meeting of the Gisborn Rowing Club was held last night, when there were about fifteen members present, Mr G. Bourn being in the chair. He explained that the meeting was mainly called for the purpose of disausaog the advisability of holding an entertainment of some description for the purpose of raising funds to buy a couple of sculling boat?. The balance sheet was read showing the Club to be in a very satisfactory financial condition, the'amount of assets over liabilities being £256 19s. Considerable discussion took place as to the advisability of holding a fancy dress ball, and it was finally decided that the following committee decide as to the best manner in which to raise funds:—G. Bourn, W. Greene, W. Miller, R. H. Young, A. O’Meara, E. J. Chrisp, and McLean. It was also decided that the Secretary write to Wellington and obtain i prices and full particulars regarding the purchase of two Mulling boats.

Captain Tucker advertises for a tenant for the house at present occupied by him, the rental being fixed at the moderate sum of £6O per annum.

The weather yesterday interfered a good deal with the sale of the fine selection of fruit trees, etc., from Messrs Bull and Son’s nursery, and consequently p ices were cheap. Owing to the substantial increase in the price of stock the butchers in Gisborne have agreed upon a list of prices, by which the joints arc classified, the choice portions being charged extra for. Special advantages are given to cash purchaser?. List week a member of the Waipawa School Commit, ..ee seriously urged that prizes should be Riven to 2fi children who had failed to pass. It was pointed out that there was gieat difficulty in getting a regular attendance, and .to do as proposed would eimply be offering a premium to negligence. The construction of a large seaport with three basins, near Brussels, has now been determined upon. The syndicate in London, presided over by Lord Brassey and Lord Sheffield, has resolved to entrust the works to the son of the engineer of the Forth Bridge and M. Vervez Wiliebroke. The canal from the Scheldt to Brussels is to be deepened to an extent which will permit vessels of 1000 tons reaching the Belgian capital.

A young remnant, named Girault, who ascended in a balloon from the Bu'.tes Chaumont, had rather an unpleasant adventure the other day. The balloon, in rising, caught the parapet of a house and overturned. Girault however held on to the cords and escaped for the time with a severe blow on the head. When the balloon came down at Bezons, the peasants who came to the spot failed to take hold of the ropes, and the balloon sailed off into space as soon as Girault got out of the car. It eventually fall near Crcil, and was taken to the residence of the Mayor. The Whangara case was before the Land Commission on Tuesday and yesterday mornings, and was further adjourned until to-day. The position now is that Messrs Rees pnd Finn and their clients have agreed to the terms of settlement proposed, and the delay is to give the natives full time to discuss the matter among themselves, though all the leading natives have already expressed full confidence in anything done by Mr Bee’, as nne chief testified in Court. Formal evidence from Mr Finn’s side was. taken yesterday, but it was understood that nothing antagonistic would be introduced, each party being desirous of facilitating a settlement. It is anticipated that everything will be in form to-day, so that the necessary steps can be taken to have a final settlement. A malicious report has been circulated to the effect that our local contemporary’s reporter had got wets within as well as a wetting without before attending the Borough Gounod meeting on Tuesday evening. The foundation for the rumor appears to be a highly imaginative report, stating that the Borough horse bad been fed on beans until he had grown so fat that the diet was discontinued, but the change had led to his catching cold, and having (notwithstanding his change of diet) grown too big for h’s old cover a new one was necessary. Now, the Standard reporter (whose spare time before and after the meeting had been spent in the highly moral discipline of listening to the Salvation Army) is prepared to affirm that nothing of the kind transpired at the Council, and he says he has no doubt that the imaginative scribe would have sworn there were five full moons on Tuesday night. Our reporter says that all that transpired regarding the horse was that the Overseer said a ready-made oovee of the required size could not be got in town, but one had been purchased which it was thought would do. That, however, had shrunk so much that it was too small, and he advised that it be sold again and have a larger one made to order. The Council agreed to this.

The hero of the latest Gisborne joke was and is a popular and competent officer in the Government service, and were anyone to say that he might mistake a horse for a goat that person would at once be placed in the ranks of impostors. Bat it is no libel to say that the official has lost his character as a judge cf horseflesh. He had a horse running in the p iddocks near his house, but on going out one morning it was discovered that the animal had disappeared, while a strange horse was left in the paddock. Of course the stranger was turned adrift, and as the lost horse could not be recovered by other me ms he was advertised for, with the result that a messenger brought word that the horse was in pound. The owner went to look, but was disgusted to find that the animal referred 1j was the trespasser he had turned out of his paddock. Days went by and yet the lost horse was still missing, but eventually one man, more daring than the rest, released the trespasser from ths pound, took it to the official’s residence, and swore that that was his horse, at the same time claiming the reward. Again a denial was made of this impudent assertion, but as its truth was persisted in with equal warmth, matters were gone into more carefully, with the result that the official acknowledged that it was his own horse that had teen turned out of the paddock, impounded, and disclaimed by him. The animal had got disguised in its winter coat I Besides poundage, advertising, reward and other fees the official has now to smile and look cheerful while his friends assail him with the most merciless satire and apology for wit.

Pish ho 1 horrarive-ho ! shouted an aboriginal fish vendor as he drove a buggy and pair through the suburbs on Tuesday afternoon. Up and down drove Fish-ho in anxious expectancy of customers for bis wares. But the more the aboiiginal bawled the less notice he seemed to attract, until one lady, taking pity on the poor man who took so much trouble for so little return, thought she would gladden his heart by purchasing a shilling’s worth of fish. Fish-ho, with an instinct that never fails the aboriginal, saw that business was meant, and as he got down from his seat allowed a smile of satisfaction to illuminate his dark face. The smile was only mnmen tary, however, for when ha looked into the buggy to get a bundle of fish, lo and behold there was no fish to be seen ’ Over went ths bacs and sacks backwards and forwards, but still no fish ! Then the aboriginal scratched his poll and looked at the lady in blank amazement, as gradually hi unfolded to her in broken English that he was under the impression that he had two bundles of fish left, and then he counted his money, and light dawned ippon him—he had sold all the fish! Had the aboriginal had ths education of some white brethren he would have made use of profane language when he found that he had sold himself as well as his fish. But not so our native friend ; he gave a grin of satisfaction and exultation and got on his buggy and drove homewards as if during the past hour he had done a roaring trade. When one humble subject of our beloved Sovereign, in the person of Mr H. J. Reed, avails himself of the Britisher’s privilege of growling he does it in a delightfully facetious manner. At the last meeting of tbe Borough Council the gravity of the Town Clerk was undisturbed when he started to read a letter beginning, “I crave your indulgence for a few moments ” —then the slightest pause during which benevolence beamed on the countenance of Councillors, until Mr Bourke proceeded, U I am thankful for small mercies a stage at which benevolence gave way to an expression of inquisitiveness, and one Councillor wai observed to fix his eagle eyes on Mr Bourke’s face, as though the mystery might thus the more readily be solved. “lam alluding to the piece of foothpath in Derby Street,” upon which a smile indicating enlightenment began to play upon the different countenances. “ The last time,” proceeded the letter, “ I made application for a load of gravel, but at present there ia nothing but a bit of sand on the footpath, which (the sand) will blow away as the weather gets dry. I wish to know whether it is the intention of the Council to put any gravel on ; if not, to allow me to do so, ths Council allowing me say £l,” Cr Taylor made an eloquent appeal on behalf of the applicant, who he said had paid rates for something under 25 years without getting any return, but the Mayor pointed out that the Borough had not been in existence near that time, when Cr Taylor amended his assertion to cover that period during which the Borough had levied rates. As the rain was then showering down Councillors did notlthink there waa much likelihood of the sand being blown away, At any rate the additional email mercy asked for waa granted.

A nurse girl in Paris being left at home in charge nf two young children, went flirting, and in her absence one of the children up«nt a petroleum lamp, and was so horribly buri • ! that he afterwards died. The nurse was sentenced to six days’ imprisonment for her carelessness.

In the course of the evictions on the Ponsqnby estate some Nationalists present questioned one of the evicted tenants, and elderly man, named Patrick Fitzgerald, but the only material fact elicited from him was that his rent had never been raised. He made up for his disappointment, however, by proclaiming loudly that it was a hard thing to see a man turned out of a house which “his father had built and his grandfather was bcm in.’’

The grave is not a usual place for showing trade jealousies, but at Charlton recently a local undertaker, who has hitherto he'd a monopoly, had the bad taste to show his displeasure at a new man entering the field. It appears that the coffin ropes belonging to the former were placed over the grave by the grave digger, and the undertaker in question had the audacity to rush up and take them away before a crowd. The new undertaker, fortunately, had brought a pair with him, so that no iuconvenieuce was caused, but had he not there would brobably have been a scene.

During the Fran co-Prussian war Prince Bismarck one night found an infant lying upon his bed with a note pinned to his swaddling clothes, stating that the child's name was Vincent, and that his father had been killed at Sedan. The Prince referred the case to King William, whose reply was “Keep him, in war time you must take whatever you can get even if it is only a child.” Accordingly Vincent was sent to Beilin, and brought up at Prince Bismarck’s expense. He is now one of the Prince’s most devoted attendants and lately followed him into his retirement.

Some people take to suicide as philosophically as some Gisborne persons do to bankruptcy. A French suicide who shuffled off the mortal coil with the assistance of charcoal sent the following peculiar message to his brother. “ I feel happy,” he wrote, “ to be rid of life, and all the morning I was singing like a bird, as I made my preparations to be off for good. I don’t wish anybody but yourself fo come to my funeral. If you could got me cremated gratis do so ; if not, have me stuck in the ground. I should have much preferred to blow my brains out-, but can’t afford a revolver. Charcoal is much more prosaic, but never mind—Salulet fraternitc!”

In a’epeech recently delivered at the Rathbans in Bremen, Emperor William II siid, “ that he would do all that was in the po .ver of the Government to cause the trade and commerce of Bremen t.o flourish in peace and without troubles,” Subsequently at supper on board the Fulda the Emperor said, “ It goes without saying that I work for the maintenance of peace. I know that commerce cannot flouiish unless there is that security which is assure! by peace.” At the close cf the speech the Emperor spoke still more plainly, saying, “ You may have confidence in me ; I will always protect the cause of peace, and if any one desires to comment on my words, let him remember what an Emperor said. The words of an Emperor must neither be twisted nor criticised.” It is impossible to doubt after these reiterated assurances, unless the Emperor be a dissembler of tbe first water, that his influence is thrown on the side of peace, and that he will do all he can to-maintain it.