LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 517, 11 October 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr Williams, Commissioner of Crown lands, arrived in Gisborne on Thursday.

The Harbormaster reports thers is now six feet of water near the breakwater pier where formerly there was only two feet. Mr Thomson, formerly Harbor Engineer at Gisborne, returned on Thursday. It is understood that Mr Thomson will give up his residence in this district, removing South.

A correspondent asks “Is a man entitled to call his wife’s mother’s brother 1 uncle,’ he himself having no blood relationship with him," The brother of a wife's mother would be termed “ an uncle by marriage.” The Bruce Herald states that a farmer who owns and cultivates COO acres of land in Tokomairo reckons that his rates, property tax, sheep tax, and other impositions stand him in about £1 a week, and he has not got a decent road to his place. Mr Akroyd, of Messrs Drvi-, Akroyd, and Porter, reports bavins’ sold 693 acres, Poututri, belonging to Mr William Cooper, to Mr Bellerbv, and 329 acres. Wainmnko, belong, log to Mr Grayson, to Mr G. S. Druce. The prices are not public prone.rtv, but we understand the figures are satisfactory. Mr Sydney Taiwhanga, that darkcomnlexioned politician who still aspires to the Premiership, has again been on a visit to this district. There is always smoke where Sydney goes. He is one of the few men who ta'k a lot and yet maintain an’alr of mystery, By the by, we must remind Sydney that his s-ditious ad"ertisement did not have much effect. Mr Booth makes the natives pay the dog tax j ost as if they were common white men. and the roof of the Courthouse hasn’t fallen in yet.

At the last meeting of the Harbor Board a claim for £5 was made by Messrs Rees and Day, on behalf of Contain Weirs, who alleged that his vessel, the Reliance, had not been given proper facilities at the wharf. From the explanation of the Harbormaster, Captain Thompson, it appeared that nnt only had no favor been shown to anv other vessels, bnt that Captain Weirs had been allowed privileges. It was decided not to acknowledge any liability.

The following civil cases came before Mr Booth, R.M., on Thursday morning last: — W. A. Friar v, T. Ryan, claim £3 ss; no appearance, case struck nnt. J. Erskine v. S. R. Stewart, claim £7 12s 10i ; judgment, by default, costs £1 125.. T W. Porter v. Rapata Tsita, claim £4B Ils 6d; judgment bv consent, costs £2 4s. M. A. Cooper v. W Cumming, claim £3 10’; judgment for £1 15’. costs 12’. J. Callaghan v. A. McPhail, claim £21135; judgment by default, costs £3 12a.

In Dunedin a man got into trouble for obstruction and assaulting a non. Unionist, and was fined £lO or a term in limbo. He bad no money, so elected to ” take it out.” A friendly medical man and some other fcentiemen. knowing the man had a splendid record, collected the amount of the fine and took it to the wife, and. after snouting for a bit about vindicating the majesty of the law, handed her over the cash exacting her to rush off at once tn effect her husband's release. But she wasn't built that wav, Quoth she • 11 1 ken it was a’ Jock’s fault, and the jailin' will dee him nae harm, and the poor lad will got his tucker. So by your leave, Jock shall bide where be is, and I’ll keep the money for mysel' ” — and she did.

Messrs Townley (in the chair), Sievwright, Johnston, Chambers; and Captain Chrisp attended the meeting of th* Harbor Board on Thursday afternoon. There was a long discussion over the minute concerning the condition under which it was agreed that Mr Shelton should receive his deposit, nn account of the foreshore site. Mr Sievwright wish-4 it made plain that the Board gave Messrs Common, Shelton and Co. no title of any kind '0 the site upon which they might erect a wharf. Captain Chrisp urged that the minute should remain as entered, that the’jetty con'd be erected on the same conditions as the Poverty Bay Rowing Club were permitted to occupy under. Mr Johnston said it was distinctly understood 'hat no title of any kind should be given—they were told they might ” squat, ” subject to removal at any time. He would leave, and there would then be no quorum, >1 * fc was attemp’ed to record in the minutes what was not the understanding of the meeting. Captain Chrisp contended that the minute was Correct, and they had no right to altar it. Mr Sievwright emphasised that no specific permission to occupy should be given, or otherwise the Board might leave itself open to an action at some future time, A deadlock occurred. Captain Chrisp (who said he only wished the minutes to be correptand did notenter into tha merits of the thing i'self) threatening to take the course suggested by Mr Johnston, and leave no quorum. The Chairman said the minute did con'ain more than the Board intended, but he thought it was conclusive enough either wav, the Board reserving the right to compel the firm to abandon the site at any time, Mr Chambers had not been present at the meeting, but would vote for the alteration because it gegmed to make the matter otearer. In reply to Captain Chrisp the Chairman said the matter could be brought up again at any time with notice. The mnti&n wgs then parried, making It plain that the Board gave np title of any kind. Captain JCnrisp [voted jn the negative

Several of the local lumpers have severed their connection with the Union. A sale of produce takes place at the C > operative Association's premises at 2 this afternoon. Mr Reardon is not likely to get half a dozen votes from the Gisborne eid of the Hawke's Bay electoral district. J. B. Lane, who was recently arrested on a charge of suspected arson, was bailed out on Thursday morning by Mr Mark Davis. The first load of this season’s wool arrived in town on Tnursday last. It was from Mr Geo. Scon’s, the Willows, and was consigned to Messrs Graham, Pitt, and Bennett. At noon to-day Messrs Davies, Akroyd, and Porter (under instructions from the Sheriff) will hold a sale of land at tbeir mart. The particulars appear in another column. Mr W. L. Rees arrrives from Auckland to-day. Pressure of professional business has prevented his being in Gisborne. sooner and definitely announcing his intentions in regard to the East Coast seat. Mr Smaill leaves Gisborne today for Queenstown. The departure of men of Mr Smalll’s stamp is greatly to be regretted, but when better inducements offer elsewhere we must content ourselves with wishing him the large success he deserves. Tuesday evening, October 21. has been fixed upon as the date upon which to hold the complimentary soiree and concert to publicly welcome the Rev. R. M. Byburn, who is to arrive shorilv to fill the vacancy in the Presbyterian Church, caused by the death of the Bev. J. MoAra. The members are woraing heartily to make the soiree and concert a success. The other day we had a paragraph in about a lamp glass that had lasted eight years after having been boiled in salt water. Mr W. Burnand, of Gisborne, can put that in the shade. He has a lamp glass that baa had no special treatment, but has been in use seven years and is still doing service, while he has a sewing machine needle that has done service for thirteen years, without being once removed from the machine, a Wertheim. This beats the big gooseberry season, A young girl named Marie Hoffman (says a Berlin telegram) was standing at an open window in her bridal attire, waiting for her bridegroom to take her to church. A thunderstorm was prevailing at the time, and the lightning, attracted by the jewels on her neck, the gift of her lover, struck them and killed her. One of the bridesmaids standing near was stunned by the same flash. The unfortunate girl, who was 22 years of age, was a noted beauty, and moved in the best of society. Bstore the year is over Paris and London will probably be able to converse by telephone. An additional submarine cable is to be hid between Calais and Folkstone, at tha joint expense of England and France, and special overground wires are to establish communication between Calais and Paris. The advisableness of this telephonic line is demonstrated by the large increase in telegraphic communication since 1888. In that year the number of words transmitted through the Anglo-French cable was 17,717,424. whereas in 1889 no fever than 19.980.839 words were transmitted, being an increase in one year of 12 per cent. Mr C. D, Bennett has resigned his membership of the Harbor Board, of which he was Chairman. He was a representative of the town portion of the harbor district, and during his term of office, applied himself diligently to the arduous work, ths hardest portion of which was done on committees. The serious fioancial position 0! the Board, before the Harbor Bill was passed, required very careful attention on the part of the members, to whom the ratepayers ought to feel deeply grateful. In some instances we have strongly opposed the views advocated by Mr Bennett, but that only increases our readiness to acknowledge that he has been of great tervioe as a member of tfie Board, and he carried nut his duties as Chairman in a way that entitled him to the respect of his fellowmembers and of tfis community generally. The champion political bore is certainly a popular man in his own district, Th° O'sgo Times reports that Mr H. 8. Fi-h, M.H.K. for the late district of Dunedin South, was accorded an enthusiastic welcome by his supporters on his return from Parliament. The railway platform was crowded, as were the overbridge at the station and the approaches thereto. A four horse drag was in waiting, and immediately on tha arrival of the train Mr Fish, accompanied by several prominent members of the labor party, took his seat and was driven off. The drag drew up kt the Triangle, and Mr Fish addressed a few remarks to the assembled crowd. He returned thanks tor the splendid reception they had accorded him, and he took it as a mark, not qf recognition of anything he had done, but as an expression of sympathy with the cause of unionism. He was opnvinsod that there was among those in high places a deeply seated determination to assist capital and crush unionism. But he was convinced that unionism would not be crushed, hut would arise like a pheenix from 'he dust of its ashes, purer, better, and more powerful than before. On concluding Mr Fish was again cheered by the crowd, and the drag moved away.