LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 652, 27 August 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A column of humorous reading appears on our fourth page. The County Council meets at the usual hour to-morrow afternoon. An Australian edition ot that splendid publication the Review of Reviews is to be published shortly. “ Who would not talk of his fads it he had listeners and reporters present V asks one writer. The Manapouri. from Auckland, does not reach Gisborne till Sunday, two days late. The Tekapo is also a day late from South, string here on Monday morning. Earthquakes have become plentiful during the last few days. There was a severe shock at 24 minutes to 8 on Tuesday morning, another shook shortly otter 8 in the evening, and a further shook about 4 yesterday morning. Messrs Coleman, Harding, and McLernon are the Borough Councillors who retire by effluxion of time. Nominations for the vacancies are to be in by noon on Saturday next. Blue paper is now a prominent feature in the Harbor Board office. All who have not paid their rates are to bo summoned irrespective of who or what they may be. There is a determination that in future those who pay promptly will not be at a disadvantage over the long-winded individuals. Complaints are made that the crossings in Gladstone are dangerous to tbs springs of vehicles, and the Borough Council is likely to be approached on the subject. Another grievance is also likely to be ventilated at the next meeting of the Council, owners of licensed vehicles in town complaining that conveyances from the country are permitted to interfere with town traffic without paying a license fee like the others. The recant shocks of earthquake have passed over without anything s’rangs occurring, as is usually the ease. The shook some weeks back brought up the sea serpent, which fact or supposed fact reminds us of the fish story that attached to a previous earthquake. A living fish mysteriously dived down from the clouds or came up from below, or got there somehow just the same, and—. Well, our contemporary devoted a long paragraph to the mystery, dealing wonderingly with the uncanny affair, and it has not been solved to this day. But the locality (Messrs Brown and Smaill’s engineering establishment) was a prey tq practical jokers, A young man named Samuel Walker, who was bushfalling at the Motu, was killed on Monday afternoon. Another man was falling a tree a short distance from Walker, thinking that the tree would fall in a different direction to that which it did take. When he saw the dirpotion it was taking he gave the alarm to Walker, but too late. The unfortunate man in trying to get clear, was caught in the “lawyer” brambles, and the falling tree mangled him frightfully. Death was Instantaneous, Walker, syho was a steady young fellow, had not long siboo ai'rjygd from Napier, where ho has a brother,

The Borough Council call tenders for concreting about 24 chains ot water channels in Gladstone Road.

By Kentish papers of June, wether matton in wool was quoted at ninepence a lb, and fat beasts at 65s per 1001 b. These prices cause people to wonder at the low prices ruling for frozen meat.

The date of the annual horse parade has been altered to Saturday week. Those having charge of stallions will act wisely in taking advantage of the occasion. A general meeting ot the Agricultural Society, and all interested in the holding of a show, is to be held on Saturday, September sth, to finally decide as to. the holding of a show.

Mr Ambridge, the manager of the Gisborne branch of the New Zealand Clothing Factory, has returned to Gisborne with the selection of spring goods which are now opened up. A draughtsman who went bankrupt at Taranaki said, “ I can only account for my bankruptcy by my personal extravagance.” Not many people who seek the protection of the Bankruptcy Court would be so candid. The informant in the libel ease against Shortland did not appear in Court and the local papers maintain a considerate silence as to her name, but she is a young lady employed as a compositor in the office of one of the local papers. At the Addington Saleyards lately a pen of Hampshiredown wethers, bred by Mr Max Friedlander of Ashburton, made the sensational price of 25s a head. The sheep were estimated to turn the scale at from 901 b to 951 b.

An interesting debate has been arranged for the concluding night of the Union Lite rary Society’s present session, that is, this evening. Mr DeLautour and the Rev. H. Williams are the leaders on either side of the debate. Members of the Society are requested to attend, and an invitation is given to all others who wish to be present. Mr Steele, the plaintiff in the sheepworrying case which occupied the Supreme Court for more than half a week, was admitted to the Bar in England, but has found sheepfarming more to his taste than law, The last week of itself ought to make law pall on the taste of those engaged on either side.

The Social at the City Rink on Tuesday night proved very enjoyable, though the attendance was not so good ae on previous occasions, Messrs Spurdie, Hall, and Ormond provided the music, and Mr Wallace hid the management of the refreshment department,

A writer in the N.Z. Times complains strongly of trees supplied by M. E. Porter and Co., and says they were infected with the mussel scale. He adds: " For my own part, bad I any of the infected trees, I would make a fire and destroy tho lot rather than run the risk of introducing this, perhaps the worst of pests, into a valuable orchard.”

A football match will be played on Saturday next, Gisborne v, Waimata. A charge will be made at the gate in aii of the funds of the Rugby Union. It is the intention of the Union to level tbs present ground for next season, and to do this they require soma £2O, which it is hoped will be raised by tbs footballers themselves instead of asking the public to donate it, AU footballers who are willing to take part in a fancy dress football match are reques'ed to notify tbs Secretary of the Union. We believe that about 3900 acres of bush will be felled, burnt, and the land sown, at Nuhaka North this season. There are about 80 men employed in the locality in bushfelling and road making, and some of them are desirous of taking up land there. The land is not very rich, however, and the Hawke’s Bay Hoard will not throw open any for selection until a report is received from one of the staff surveyors anent the hot springs there. They are said to be hot saline springs—a valu able minora! water, as it resembles that of Wiesbaden, also that of Harrogate and Cheltenham, but is much more highly charged with salts than those mentioned.— Napier Telegraph. Referring to the opposition shown to the female suffrage clause sought to be introduced by Sir John Hall, the Wanganui Chronicle says :—The opposition of Messrs Dawson and Swan is easily accounted for. They are both big brewers—and if there is anything the liquor iuterest fears it is the admission ot women to a voice and a vote in matter, political. It would put a full stop to the career of some men, and give a shook to certain businesses that they would never fully recover from. The opposition is perfectly understandable, but we trust the House will not allow itself to be coerced, and the women of the colony denied their rightss simply because it does not suit the prospects of Mr Fish, Mr Sydenham Taylor, and the brewers of Napier and Dunedin to agree to it. It remains with the Premier, Mr Ballance, who espouses female suffrage, to say whether or not the women of the colony shall be allowed to vote.