The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MARCH 25, 1901. AFFAIRS IN CHINA.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 69, 25 March 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MARCH 25, 1901. AFFAIRS IN CHINA.

Our cablegrams tliis morning have a more reassuring tone than they had last Monday morning, when our readers were startled to note that the British were confronting the Russians at the Tientsin railway siding with fixed bayonets. To-day the messages from that quarter are of a pleasing nature. There have been mutual explanations and friendly relations appear to have been restored. The admissions made on the British side seem to indicate that the fault has not all been with the Russians—that there has been an unfortunate misunderstanding somewhero. A better feeling seems to havo been established with the French soldiers. Some of the soldiers had given way to larrikinism, and were offering insults to the Sepoys. The fact that the Sepoy guards were in the dead of night replaced by marines shows that the trouble was assuming an aggravated form. Possibly this was to some extent due to the assumption that the Sepoys wero an inferior people, but whatever the cause the outcome was becoming altogether too serious. -A most important item of information is that sont by Dr. Morrison, the correspondent of the London Times. He gives a summary of the amended convention, which includes provision for making reparation to Russia for the infringement of rights under a secret treaty—a treaty, the existence of which was denied by Russia, and which even now refuses to show the troaty, and regards any such request as a fit subject for anger. The phase recently used by a British Minister seems aptly to fit the position —the British are showing “excessive conciliation.”

Messrs ,J. Peckover and Co., land agents, have a change of advertisement in this issue. A meeting of Haiti footballers is to bo held at the Masonic Hotel on Wednesday evening next. Messrs Common, Shelton, and Co. hold their next stock sale at the Wacrcnga-a-yards on Thursday, April 11th, The Gisborne Mutual Improvement Society meet this evening to make arrangements for the approaching season. An cx-M.H.R. writos objecting to the Hon. J. G. Ward’s proposal for a Government cable to Australia on the ground that the terminal point, La Perouse, is in New Caledonia 1

The Natives of Murowai intend holding a festive gathering from the 29th March to April 7th to provide funds for their church. Hakas and poi dances will be given, and Europeans are invited to attend. They will be supplied with dinner free, but are expected to take something for the collection.

“Take him away,” said the Christchurch Magistrate to a woman whose husband appeared in Court upon a charge of desorting her. “ Take him home and give a good lecture.” The man, gratified at being released from custody, went off with his wife after wishing the Magistrate a very good morning, An opening in South Africa for frozen pork is likely to occur very shortly, for Messrs Yecht and Stoekvis, who are establishing a bacon factory in South Africa, under contract with the De Beers Company, expect to purchase part of the raw product in the colonies. It is proposed at first to take 200 pigs per week. Says the Westport News: —Now that the Premier has stated his intention of starting a State coal mine, the residents of Seddonville are confidently looking forward to the Cardiff getting a start. The Government own the mine, and all the necessary machinery is there, so that a couple of months would see the Cave Area opened up, and coal going away. The Salvation Army harvest festival was held yesterday, the several services being largely attended. Col. Eestill, officer commanding the colony, and Major Evans took a leading part in the meetings. The music was of a special character, and the services were most attractive. A big programme has been prepared for this evening, and to-morrow there will be a monster banquet.

“ The happy married life of the Duke and Duchess,” says a London contemporary, speaking of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York," and then- modesty, simplicity, and kindliness, is a perfect example of. what the life of the head of any society should be. We feel with regard to them that their example is one which must do good, and impress those around them with the high sense of duty which the responsibilities of their position have developed.”

“ The painting of the school buildmgs of one character," says the Hawke’s Bay Inspector of Schools, in his annual report. is a great improvement and certainly it may be said that for-gchcral neatness and appearance, the public school sets an example to both town and district. I should like, however, to see some attention paid by teachers and committees to tree planting, particularly to the'planting and naming of native trees and shrubs. It would be a good plan to have both native and imported trees for the instruction of the children, and Arbor Pay might well be set aside for the furtherance of this suggestion in places where nothing has yet bees dose."

■ The steamer St. Mary, under charter to the German Government, has arrived at the Bluff to load 23,000 sacks of grain for China.

A Christchurch woman, whoso husband was said to be possessed of property worth £IIBS, applied for an old age pension. The claim was refused.

Mr C. C. Graham, the Dunediu Magistrate, expressed the opinion the other day that it is very little matter whether witnesses are sworn or not nowadays.

Last week, a baker at Collingwood, Victoria, was fined 5s for working a girl 94 hours, her wages being 7s. The magistrate evidently had a leaning towards sweaters.

The latest addition to the collection of the Masterton Museum is some burnt papa, which is now being successfully utilised in place of road metal in the Taranaki district.

The Union has decided to charge passengers from Sydney with the cost of their maintenance on hoard vessels during the period of their detention in quarantine at Auckland and Wellington.

After its recent severe baptism of fire, Feilding is turning its attention to the best means to procure a water supply for the towD. A committee of fifteen persons has been elected to assist the Council to formulate a water and drainage scheme.

The Minister of Lands now admits, after a tour through a portion of the North Island, that the oliief requirement is good roads. The Hon. W. B. Bhodes made a similiar statement at a public meeting in Wellington nearly forty years ago. —Wairarapa Times. The Hon. J. G. Ward, PostmasterGeneral, has informed Mr Hogg, M.H.B. for Wairarapa, that on the sum of £SOO being paid over as a contribution, the town clock, with peal of bells, will bo proceeded with. It is intended to have the

clock manufactured in the colony. Leprosy exists in Fiji, judging by the following paragraph from the Fiji Times of the 9th inst: —“The colonial steamer Clyde proceeded on Thursday to the peninsula at the Island of Beqa,’ recently selected as the permanent site for a leper settlement, with building material and a couple of carpenters to commence the erection of the necessary buildings.” A splendid eruption of the new geyser near Echo Lake took place about 7.30 on Monday morning. The vibrations were felt at Waiotapu, and from a hill at the back of the hotel the cloud-piercing column of steam was plainly visible. A less violent eruption during the afternoon was also seen from the same vantage spot. The Waimate Witness says : —“ There seems very little probability of the snow clearing from Mount Egmont this season sufficiently to allow tourists to reach the summit. If this should prove to be the case a resident informs us that it will be the first time in seven years that such has occurred. This may give some idea as to the amount of summer we have had in comparison to other years. A correspondent in a position to speak authoritatively on such matters tells the Bay of Plenty Times that a great change has come over the Maoris during the last few years in connection with the drinking of intoxicating liquors. The old custom of rum drinking has almost disappeared, and now draught beer is the principal 'tipple of the commoner, the chiefs taking kindly to the more aristocratic bottled ale. This is the way the Manawatu Standard hits out : “Mr M. Gilfedder, M.H.8., is to bo a member of the Royal Commission on Teachers’ Salaries, as teachers’ representative. As Mr Gilfedder was in charge of Wrey’s Bush School, Southland, where the average attendance was about 50, he must know all about it.” Some of the most able Judges in the colony have earned money in delivering papers, and are proud of it. On the first page of to-day’s Times the telegraphed report of the Rifle Association meeting is given, it being shown that some fine shooting has been done. There is also a letter from “ Motor,” who shows that whereas people run madly after gold,

the fine asset of timber in the Motu is being allowed to go to ruin. On the fourth page there is a report of the important business done by the Women’s Political Association on Saturday evening. An extraordinary story is wired to the Auckland Star by a country correspondent. It is stated that a tourist who has been putting up at a leading hotel, and living in good style, was identified as an individual wanted on a charge of horse stealing. When a constable appeared on the scone the man went upstairs to his room, and on the policeman following, tho tourist opened the window and slipped down the fire escape, without his hat, nearly dropping on a maid servant. He then walked deliberately across the yard, and disappeared in the darkness. Sir Walter Pyne, K. 8., C. 5.1., mentioned in our telegrams this morning, is recruiting his health in the Australasian colonies, and is a person of very considerable importance. It was Sir Walter Pyne, or, as he is frequently termed, “The Ameer’s English Friend,” who practically conducted the negotiations which made the happy turning-point in the relations of England with Afghanistan, and it is also owing to his exertions and fearlessness that Afghanistan is now supplied with many of the benefits of civilisation, as represented by manufactories, etc. In fact, his twelve years’ work in Afghanistan ranks among the strongest cases ever known of romance being distanced by fact on its own ground. The Hawke’s Bay Herald states :—The most remarkable experience probably ever recorded in connection with a piano is reported from Mahia. In December last Mr J. W. Richardson forwarded a Brinsmead upright grand to a Mabia settler. The piano was landed in the small bay at Waikokopo, but by some misadventure the shipping agents omitted to notify the consignee, who resides some distance inland, of the landing of the instrument. Last week the shipper received word that it had never been received, and he immediately proceeded to the Mahia, where he found tho piano intact in its case, and though exposed to the weather for three months, when tried it was found to have sustained not the slightest injury, and the tone was as clear as when it left the factory.

The sheep which were recently dipped at Mr F. 11. Flatman’s yards with Keuiptliorne, Prosser and Co’s “ Improved Sheep Dip,” says the Timaru Herald, were brought into the Geraldine saleyarrls on Wednesday last with a view to determining the efficacy or otherwise of this dip. The sheep wore thoroughly examined by tine majority of those attending the sale, amongst whom were the following well known flock owners: Messrs W. S. Maslin, B, E. Macdonald, Barrett, Studholme, Hutchinson, Gardiner, A. McLean, W. S. Pearce and J. Smith, the two last named of Timaru. The examination

proved beyond doubt the efficacy of the dip. The exceptional brightness of the wool and clear pink skin werg highly commented on by those present. One or two sheep which had been exceptionally bad with ticks were thoroughly looked over, and the eggs or larvae were in every ease found to be completely destroyed. The healthy appeargn.ee of the sheep and the stainless condition of tlie wool were very noticeable. One important point was that the peculiar odour of the dip could be still smelt on the sheep, plainly showing that the principal ingredients of the dip were still active. Mr Flatman mentioned that he was thoroughly satisfied with the results, and that the dip had come successfully through a very severe test, and he had no doubt that when it became

thoroughly known it would be very largely used throughout the colony.