The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE,'FEBRUARY 12, 1901. HARBOR ELECTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 36, 12 February 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE,'FEBRUARY 12, 1901. HARBOR ELECTION.

The election yesterday proved a very close contest, especially in the Borough. Though the County returns are not yet all to hand, it has been practically decided that the old members should again hold office. The Borough returns were most remarkable from the fact that the three leading candidates were almost even in voting. By one vote Mr Pettie had the honor of being placed at the top of the poll. Mr Whmray, who was elected on the casting vote, is a well-tried public servant. The supporters of Mr Joyce will naturally regret that an effort had not been made to bring a few more voters to the poll.

No report came to hand by telegraph last night as to whether the Talune had left Auckland.

His Honor Judge Bathani will hold a sitting of the Native Land Court during the present week.

The basket social'to be held at Mnkauri has been postponed until the 21st inst., on account of so many of the young men -of that district being in Napier during the present week. It is a little strange (remarks a wellknown writer) that England appears to be about the only country in the world where the importation of horses is absolutely unrestricted by any regulations as to their being free from disease. ’ A suggestion is made that Poverty Bay should be renamed Victoria Bay. If that is carried into effect we may expect to hear of the title of the racing club there being similarly altered. —N.Z. Herald. The Department of Agriculture in Victoria is taking up rigorously the question of raising the standard of horses bred in that colony, and it is pretty certain that registration of stallions in that colony will be insisted upon. At a sitting of'the Waiapu Licensing Bench yesterday, conditional licenses were granted to William Alexander Brown Oman and John Hodgson Aislabie for the Puhatikotiko and Matawhero stock sales respectively.

. At the Theatre Royal this evening the Beckford and Taylor Novelty Company make their first appearance before a Gisborne audience. Professor Beckford has the name of being a versatile entertainer, and in addition to a first-class Punch and Judy show lie introduces a number of smart conjuring tricks. The prices of admission are fixed at Is and 6d, and the entertainment should attract a large audience.

A meeting of the Rechabite District Council Reception Committee was held in the New Zealand Natives’ Association’s rooms last evening, Bro. M. Nasmith, C.R., presiding. It was reported that everything in connection with the visit of the delegates was proceeding satisfactorily, and all arrangements for their reception have now been completed. At a Wanganui soapworks the other day a young man named J. Vernon put together 56 boxes in 59Jmin. during which time he drove no less than 1120 two-inch nails (20 to each box), picked up and placed together 280 pieces of timber, turned each box three times during the course of nailing, and walked 360 yards, in order to stack the boxes as they were completed. The timber was dry and hard, aud all nails bent in the process of driving were pulled out and replaced. The following items are from the Opotiki Herald:—The frosts on Saturday and Sunday nights last have, k we regret to leam, left their marks behind, several settlers)-.. maize paddocks presenting a most woe-be-gone. appearance. Down Tirohanga way the people seem to have suffered heavily, one settler having lost about 20 acres of maize. Mr Broderick, of Omarumutu, informs us that he is of opinion the reported moa near Hawai is an old bullock. Mr Broderick says the natives are awful prevaricators, but then the natives will affirm that all Europeans are not George Washingtons. The question, then, is who are we to believe ? The movement to get the Imperial troops to visit Gisborne having fallen through, there is a strong desire on the part of the townspeople that at least the troopship should make a call in the Bay. The Borough Council members as a whole were formed into a committee to deal with the matter of seeking to get the troops to • visit Gisborne, and they should not allow them to pass by without at least endeavoring to get them to give a call at the port. If an effqrt were at once made towards having the Britannic call at the port for a couple of hours it would probably be successful. The public naturally look to the committee to make an effort in that direction.

Mr McGregor, of the Kia-Ora Butter Factory, has had two bores put down for water. One at the factory was put down 160 ft, and is yielding at the rate of six gallons a minute, a considerable amount of gas also escaping as the water reaches the surface. The other bore was sunk on Mr Acland Hood’s property, which lias been purchased by Mr McGregor. That bore was sunk to a distance of 172 ft, and from the 2in pipe there was a full flow of water, which rose to a height of 18ft, the one at the factory having risen to a height of 16ft from the level of the ground. Mr McGregor is sending a sample of the water obtained at the factory for analysis by the Government analyst, to ascertain whether the water is adapted for dairying purposes.