The Gisbourne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, SEPTEMBER 27, 1901.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 223, 27 September 1901, Page 2

The Gisbourne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, SEPTEMBER 27, 1901.

TERRORISM IN CAPETOWN. Ora cablegrams this morning report that a reign of terrorism exists in Capetown. Murders and burglaries have been reported, and as this is not a new state of things for the past year it must bo assumed that crimes are on tho increase. A correspondent writing from Capetown at the end of July stated: —“Capetown at the present time is the scene of a carnival of crime without precedent in its history. It has by slow degrees, and by their banishment from other centres of South Africa, become the happy hunting ground of bands of desperadoes who stick at nothing to gain their ends. The unwelcome visitors have established a veritable reign of terror, and the public and tho authorities are at their wits’ end to discover moans of j circumventing the machinations of I the robbery and murdering gangs.” j The carnival, it is added, commoueed some months previously by the murder of a bank manager in the suburbs in broad daylight. The murderers wore never detected. Then jewel robberies occurred in the principal e thoroughfares of the city, and in no i single case were the thieves dis- * covered. Jewellery to the value of thousands of pounds has been stolon on several separate occasions, and there tho matter ended. Bobberies of large sums of money took place, while pay clerks and others were-leaving tho city banks with the weekly wages for the employees. Then (states the correspondent) a perfect epidemic of burglary sot in, and houses were ransacked by the scoreNext, more murders took place, and latterly robberies and brutal outrages j have been committed at the local j Mansion House Corner, the centre of i tho tramway system, a portion of tho { city well lighted, and much fre- ! quented at all hours of tho day and night. Tho police aro powerless. The force has been thinned down by the war and other causes until the authorities have to confess that not more than 1U men can bo spared for night duty throughout the city. The people are crying out for more protection. There is talk of lynch iaw being established under the dit action of the i better class of young men who have ! served in the Town Guard, and who are prepared, if the Government be so minded, to form a corps of 500 to patrol the town inrelays lor the purpose of dealing in summary manner with these disturbers of the general peace. One of the blackest features or the epidemic is the wholesale robbery of men who, having come down from the front, get paid otf in Capetown. Hundreds of these men have been waylaid in the streets, beerhouses, and so-

called restaurants of the city and dragged, robbed, and battered about. Tlie Government have decided to import f:om England a considerable number of police officers anddetectives, and the rate of wages will be high. The carnival is one of the legacies of the war. The foregoing sentence having been written in July it is clear that the protective measures taken have net so far been effective, The talk of establishing lynch law shows how bad things have become.

HARBOR BOARD DEBENTURES. At tiio meeting' or the Gisborne Harbor Board yesterday the Secretary made a gratifying statement, showing in what high repute the Board’s securities are held. A circular recently received shows the debentures to be at the high price of 106 on the London money market. It is amusing now to ' bring to mind the time when theso debentures fell as low .as 5t2, but the drop was not on their merits or for any permanent reason. There had been an accidental default in the payment of the interest. The amount was in course of transmission, but was delayed beyond the time through a break - down in the mail steamey. There was an opportunity for a fortune to he made by the purchase of the i debentures, but the opportunity was ! not taken advantage of.

The Patutahi Hoad Board invite tenders J for road works. Cook County Council hold their monthly meeting this morning at 11 o'clock. The annual meeting of the Gisborne Women’s Association will be held to-night. The meeting of the Cycling Club called for last evening lapsed for want of ft quorum. Captain Edwin telegraphed yesterday : " Moderate to strong westerly winds ; glass rise ; tides poor.” Mr C. Hawkins, the " Now Cash Draper,” invites a visit and comparison of the bargains offered. Messrs Mackrell and Colley request that all accounts owing by them shall j be sent in to them by tlic 30th inst.

< >ur cablegram this morning state that a shortage of supplies in Loudon is causing excitement in the tea trade. The date of the departure of the Gothic for London has been altered from the 7th to the 2nd November, on which date she will leave Wellington for Loudon. The City Band give an open-air concert in Peel street this evening. With a line moonlight night and the music of the hand, a pleasant hour should be spent. dir Maxwell, proprietor of " The Little Dustpan,” requests that accounts against him ho rendered not later that Wednesday next, and that those owing money to him will make an early settlement. At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, the only civil case dealt with was Adair Bros. v. Benjamin Boyle. Judgment was given for amount of claim owing, Cs i!d, and costs as. Messrs Towuley aud J. W. Bright, Justices, presided.

A mootin',' of the Star of Now Zealand Tent, No. 0,1.0.1 v., S.N., was held in the Tent-room last evening, Sister Georgeson, (J.R., presiding. Jh-o. A. \V. Kirk was reelected as auditor. One new member was initiated, and a lot of other business was transacted, including the passing of accounts.

The steamer Waihi left Awanui for tlie East Cape lighthouse at one o’clock yesterday with Dr Davis, of Waipiro, on hoard. It was arranged that if it was necessary for the doctor to remain all night at the lighthouse that the steamer should wait, so as to bring him back to Waipiro this morning. So far, nothing is known at Awanui as to the cause of tho signal for medical assistance. As showing the necessity of an isolation ward for the purpose of dealing with infectious diseases, we may mention a case which occurred in Gisborne on Monday last. A ease of scarlet fever was brought in from the suburbs to the residence of His Worship the Mayor, apparently with the idea' that he was the right j person to apply to to find accommodation for the patient. The Mayor very properly ordered the patient to be taken back to tho place where it came from, and also advised that steps ho taken to have the | case isolated. This was done, and the patient is making satisfactory progress towards recovery. Particulars of the railway accident in Melbourne reported by cable on the 14th i nst., were received by mail on Wednesday, j The incoming and outgoing passenger j trains to Doxlhll came into collision, [ engine to engine, at .Tolimont Bridge. I Both trains were slowing down at the time, thus reducing tho impact almost to I a minimum, and although between 20 and | 30 passengers were injured by tho shock, | only one of them needed hospital treatment. On both trains the drivers perceived the danger early and applied their brakes, but the engines met with a bump of a most serious character, and though no carriages wore smashed tho buffers of both engines were knocked in and the windows of tho carriages were shivered to fragments. The passengers were tossed across tho compartments with considerable force, and a large number received cuts and bruises of a more or less serious character, but generally speaking the injuries wore painful rather than dangerous. The majority of the passengers, who happened to bo looking out of tho windows to ascertain the cause of tho brakes I being applied so suddenly, suffered from j the showers of broken glass, which were | scattered upon them by tho shock. The question of naming the dredge came lip at the Harbor Board meeting yesterday. The Secretary said that the question of naming the dredge had been mentioned in one of the letters from Christchurch. The Chairman said that it ought to bo done, and he was about to make a proposition, when Mr Matthewson forestalled him with the proposition that the dredge he named as suggested in the Times, the “John Townley,” a suggestion which he thought could not beimprovedon, The Chairman modestly demurred to the suggestion and proposed that the dredge bo named after the builder, the “John Anderson.” Mr Sievwright said that he would second Mr Matthewson’s motion.

| The Chairman went on to speak in favor | of his proposition and said that it would j be a compliment to Mr Anderson, who j had taken the greatest trouble in regard jto the dredge. Captain Tucker said that no doubt it would bo a compliment to Mr ! Anderson, but he was being'paid for what jhe had done. “ That is more than you ! get,” said Mr Hepburn, and it was also mentioned that there might yet be a legal question with Messrs Anderson and Co. on account of the delay. Mr Sievwright said that the Chairman’s motion would not bo listened to, a statement with which members agreed. Mr Hepburn said that Anderson and Co. were building these dredges every day. The Chairman said that it was the first of the size that had been built in the colony. Captain Tucker: Tut the motion. Mr Matthcwson sp.id that he would put it as the mover. The motion was then carried, and the new" dredge is therefore to harp the name of the John Townie v.

I’ofci'iiiig to tho death of .Ml' W. A. Shortland, a prominent football player, who accompanied the .New South Wales team to New Zealand, the Sydney Daily Telegraph of September 18th states : “ When Mr Shortland returned on Saturday he appeared to bo in his usual health, his only complaint being that he felt very tired after the trying tour in Now Zealand, and he referred particularly to the constant travelling the team had to do. Except a slight injury to one of his hands, however, he was not affected by the tour. On Monday he complained of feeling ill, and on I )r. Mills being called in he found that the patient was in a very low state. Early yesterday morning he became much worse, and at about four he died in his mother’s arms, The cause of death was iniluemsa and a kidney trouble. Mr Shortland was a well-known back player. Ho first played for Newington College and then for the University, and last season lie represented the Western Suburbs. Mr Shortland was also an intercolonial player, and during the recent tour of the New South Wales team in New Zealand he captained the team after the first match, in which Costello was injured, and he took part in every game of the tour. Mr Shortland also represented the University in the cricket held. Mr Shorthand, who was a Bachelor of Engineering of the Sidney i University, and took all his degrees with U high honors, was a son of Mr "William 1 ' Henry Shortland. He was highly esteemed j both by his comrades on the field and his numerous private acquaintances, to whom his sudden death was a very painful shock.” I

WELLINGTON NEWS. OFFICI YL INFORMATION. [By Telegraph—Press Association.] Wellington, last night. Tho Sierra, with colonial mails of September 6th, arrived at San Francisco on September 24th at 8 p.in., a day and a half late. Departmental returns show tiiat 2185 persons (including TOO front South Africa) arrived in the colony in July, as against 897 in July, 1900, and 1271 went away, as against 985. The party of returned New Zealand troopers whose names were telegraphed some days ago arrived from Sydney by the Waihora to-day. The return of the running of trains on the principal lines of the colony for the four weeks ending September 14th shows there was only an average loss of oneeighth of a minute per train per journey, and the average would have been lower but for one delay of 65 minutes through the breaking of an axle. A FIGURE-HEAD WANTED. (Special to Times.) Wellington, last night. ' Tito position in regard to the dismissal of School-Inspector Lee, under circumstances which have raised public indignatiou against the four members of the Education Board immediately concerned, has assumed a rather comical aspect. Yesterday, the Board, after a recriminatory scene between one of flic members and the Inspector, took the extraordinary course of asking tho Mayor of Wellington to preside over an enquiry. He was to be made the iigure-licad without privilege jof adjudication; and, under the circumstances, lie has declined to act, owing, as he gracefully puts it, to tho pressure of business engagements and public duties. This action is generally applauded. Now tho Board, in its dilemma, is proposing to ask tho Hon. 0. 0. Bowen, author of tho Education Act, to ornament tho chair. Tho next act of the farco is awaited with considerable curiosity.

IMPROVEMENTS TO GOVERN MEET BUILDINGS.

Tho General Post-office buildings arc to he largely extended, tho Government having intimated its intention of taking under tho Public Works Act tho balance of the block behind tho present Post-office buildings. The cramped condition of the present accommodation has boon long the subject of complaint, and only lately the Money Order and Old Age Pensions Departments had to bo removed to building formerly in the occupation of tho Bank of New Zealand. As a mutter of fact, the accommodation in other directions of the Government Department arc now scattered all over tho city. A STRANGE VALUATION.

A somewhat unusual question came before tiie Land Board to-day. It appears that tho owner of a small grazing run on the East Coast of Wairarapa district, whose property, prior to 1892, was valued for rating purpose at £478 had his values suddenly increased to £2176, and at subsequent triennial periods to £2290 and .£2052. It has now been reduced again to £478, and his complaint is that between 1892 and the present time he has been paying to the Wairarapa North County Council four or live rates that should not have been collected. Tho Council refuses to disgorge, contending that it is not responsible for valuation, and that it only collected rates for which the settler was legally liable. The Commissioner was advised to reply that tho Board considered the matter was beyond its jurisdiction. A COLONIST’S RETURN. Sir James Prendergast, who represented New Zealand at the Conference held in London to consider the formation of a Final Court of Appeal for the Empire, returned to-day by the Waihora. THE LEE ENQUIRY.

Tho Mayor states that ho will he unable to preside over tho enquiry concerning Mr Lee’s retirement by the Education Board. COOKS AND STEWARDS. The points in dispute between tho Cooks and Stewards’ Union and the Union Company have all been settled by private conference with the exception of one having reference to the hours of work at sea, It is expected that this will bo arranged satisfactorily. Meanwhile tho case lias been further adjourned by the Conciliation Board.