LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 664, 26 September 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A case in which harbor rates will be contested by Mr Maude was adjourned yesterday until Mr Booth’s return from Wairoa. Good preparations are being made at Christchurch for the annual Fire Brigade competition. Mr Wallis, at the inquest at W.nipiro, considered it would have been unwise for the steamer Australia to have lowered, a boat during the recent boating accident; ' _ Mr Booth leaves on Monday morning fi>r the Wairoa to hold ths usual sitting of the Resident Magistrate’s Court there. The balance sheet of the Gisborne High School shows a credit balance at 31st December, 1890, of £984, exactly £201) above the previous yea-. The entertainment being organised in aid of the Garrison Rand is to take place on Fi iday, October 23rd, the evening after the Agricultural Show. The Sydney promoter of a sweep on the Melbourne Cnp recently got three months for usins a post office box for his purposes, in contravention of the law. The Canterbury Frozen Meat Company has declared a dividend at the rate of 8 per cent per annum for the half year ending the 31st of August. The Sydenham licensing committee have decided to postpone their appeal against Mr Justice Denniston’s decision respecting the powers of the committee till the May sitting of the Appeal Court. Fourteen Chinamen were fined 5s and costs for cabinetmakiog on a Sunday at Sydney They treated the thing as a huge joke, and smiled during the whole proceedings. The increase in the number of oattie other than dairy cattle in Victoria in the last census period of 10 years is 430,818. The increase in the number of sheep for the same period is 2,375,858. A wholesale robbery of books from a public library was committed by a man named Charles Johnston, at Graham (Victoria). He stole two hundred books, taking two or three at a lime, and started a private library of his own. He got twelve months.

John Winning made a big haul at Botany, Sydney. At four in the morning he entered the yard of Robert Middletnas, and stole one hundred ducks, which he transferred to a cart in waiting, He was caught, however, and is now incarcerated, pondering over the freaks of nature.

The advantage of having friends at Court is illustrated by an item in the supplementary estimates, in which £3OOO is set down for dredging the New Plymouth harbor. Nothing was mentioned about this in the Public Works Statement. Ths grant is in striking contrast to the way Gisborne has been treated. Ono of the passengers on board the illfated steamer Gambier was taking the solo part of the song “ The Ship That Never Returned,” and the company joined in the chorus. Little did they anticipate the awful calamity that happened a little later, by which several of those who sang the melody never again saw the light of day. There has already been a large booking of seats for the opera season next week, and many season tickets have been taken. The indications are that notwithstanding the heavy expenses attached to the bringing of such a large company to Gisborne, the venture will be fuly justified bj returns. The fact that Mr Lohr's name is identified with the Company is regarded in Gisborne as an excellent guarant-e of their oapabi Ities, Mr Lehr leaves to-morrow for Sydney, where he makes preparations for a season to ba given there by the company. Another aspirant to stud honors, in the shape of Lord Clyde, arrived in Gisborne by ths 8 8. Ohau on Thursday, and attracted considerable attention, as well as most favorable com-nent from his interviewers. The horse is young and vigorous, temarkably symmetrical, and possessing an excellent temper. He is descended from noted prizetakers, and should command an excellent season. To day he will be led through the town for inspection by all interested. An institution that is so much deserving of support as our Public Library should not ba allowed to languish in a community like Gisborne. The local institution, we are glad to learn, has lately had an addition to its membership which, though small, opens up a good prospect for the future. It the Committee can get sufficient public support new consignments of books will always be obtained at such intervals as to give an air of freshness to the Library. In the selection of books recently obtained there are some by such authors as Mrs Riddell, Joseph Hatton, Lcfaun, Robinson, and others.

On Thursday we mentioned the sympathy that was felt tor Mr and Mrs Hardy and family, on the death of Miss Nellie Hardy, at the ege of 20. But the domestic afflictions have not yet ceased with that great blow. A younger daughter, aged eight, now lies in a very critical condition, from the eSects of typhoid fever. It was while helping to nurse this girl in her illness that Miss Nellie contracted the fever from which she died. Another daughter is also in a very delicate state of health, from the effects of fever last year. The yomg ladies are beloved by many friends, and the sympathy which must in any case be felt for the family, is deepened by the multiplicity of sad afflictions.

The following business was disposed of at the R.M. Court on Thursday :—Piri Kiwara and another v. J. Mclntosh, claim £l3 17s 2d, due for cutting briars; Mr Day for plaintiff and Mr Jones for defendant • judgment for £9 I2s fid, and costs. W. Fraser v, W. Penfold, claim £1 10s ; judgment by default, costs 6s. Harbor Board v. F, Keating, claim 12s 8d ) judgment by consent, costs 6s. Same v. H. te Kani Pere, claim 15s 7d ; judgment by default, ousts J 7s Judgment summons—Kennedy and Evans v. A. Ward, claim £1 3s. An order for immediate payment was made, or In default two days' imprisonment, execution to be stayed for one wsels. One of the features of Wednesday's proceedings in the House was a Horos attack on the Government by Mr Buckland, who accused them of all kinds of political crimes. He predicted that the "Premier would not remain in office after the next general election, and that the Liberal party would go down into the " abyss of oblivion.” Mr Ballance remarked that tha member for the Manukau evidently thought that men of his own type would be returned at the next election, whereupon Mr Smith hoped the country would be saved from them. " They are respectable men anyhow,” interposed Mr Buckland.

Ths vote on the Public Works estimates of £7500 for public school buildings was opposed by Mr Mitchelson, because tha Government propose to take the money, out of the loan fund instead of from ordinary revenue. The Minister for Public Works said that as settlement progressed the consolidated revenue was found to be insufficient to meet the cost of school buildings, Mr Fisher asked why in that case the Government had thrown away £40,000 by reducing the rate of the interprovlncial postage to one penny? Mr Seddqa warned *h’ CommitUe that ir thsy struck out the vote tfiey would not get the school buildiuga. Ths Item was retained, 4 oaae of peculiar interest to local bodies occupied Mr Booth's attention cn Thursday and Friday. Robert Knox, a contractor, sued the Patntahi Road Board for £3O, moneys retained by the latter from a contract which tho Board alleged had not been properly performed. The Engineer (Mr George Grant) had given tha contractor a certificate as to the work being completed, but it'was alleged and evidenoe was brought forward to show that the contract had not been properly done, and that £3O was ths estimated shortcoming. A great deal of evidence was taken and numerous authorities quoted, and on the application for a nonsuit Me Booth reserved his decision on the point which he said the Oise resolved itself into,’namely, whether, notwithstanding the work had not been done, the Board was boiiud by Mr Grant's certifloats to pay for it. Mr DaLautour appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Finn for the Board,

A cart loaded wi h about a ton o! salt was yesterday accidentally backed over tha bank into the mud alongside Messrs Common, Shelton and Cj.'b Taruheru wharf. The horse was of course carried down with the cart. Block and tackle had to be used to get the cart up again.

An inquest was held on Thursday afternoon, before Mr Booth, Coroner, into the cause of tho death of a male Maori infant that had been buried at Waerenga-a-hika without information having been conveyed to the proper authorities. The jury were— Messrs McLernon (foreman), Harding, Boylan, D. Crawford, McGuire, and Finlay. Dr Innas, who had made a post mortem examination of the body, gave evidence that the child appeared to have been stillborn, though imperfect respiration had taken place. There was an abrasion of the skin, but nothing to lead him to believe that violence had been used in any way. Sergeant Oarlyon, in his evidence, said with the exception of the non tying of the vi al cord he had no reason to suspect foul play -the natives would give him no information concerning the affair. Tae Sergeant said he did not propo-e to ask for an adjournment to procure further evidenoe—if it was necessary further enquiries should bo made the police would of course mike them. The jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of death from natural causes.