The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, SEPTEMBER 30, 1901. A COUNTRY OF CONTRASTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 225, 30 September 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, SEPTEMBER 30, 1901. A COUNTRY OF CONTRASTS.

A wuiteu who travelled with the e Duke and Duchess of Cornwall on their tour of Now Zealand has been 3 giving his impressions to a London 3 paper, and as it is always interesting to hear what others have to say about i us, the comments are worthy of notice, i Of our climate the writer states : “In an area several times smaller than that - of any of the Australian States, you 1 have every change of climate and * every kind of scenery. The Islands run north and south over a thousand miles, so that you may breathe the 1 keen invigorating air of (Scotland or * bask in the warmth of Italy. A chain of mountains divides the east from the west, and the winds breaking against them, descend in abundant rains that clothe the western slope with tropical luxuriance, and leave the east comparatively bare and dry. Its mountains and rivers are famous for rugged grandeur and romantic beauty. It has glaciers, like the Tasman, eighteen miles long and two miles wide, volcanoes, like Ruapehu, that tower nearly eight thousand feet, and lakes live times the size of Loch Lomond. « Deserts of pumice alternate with lands as fertile as Surrey or Kent. Vast forests stretch to the boundaries of weird regions like Wairakei and Rotorua, whose mineral springe and strange phenomena draw people from all parts of the world.” The writer has a remarkable way of dealing with the cities of New Zealand, which he says have no specially characteristic attractions. English readers are informed that Wellington, the capital, looks as though it had been thrown against a hillside and had managed to stick, despite the roaring winds, that make one think sometimes it would be well to put out to sea for safety. Its citizens are beginning to renew their faith in the stability of the earth, and are putting up more substantial buildings than the wooden houses that wore a defence against earthquakes, Auckland was formerly the capital, and is the prettiest town, whether you look upon it from the island-studded harbor or from Mount Eden, over hill and dale, or from its quiet streets. Christchurch is an English county town, and rejoices in the comparison ; while Dunedin is a piece of Aberdeen granite set among scenes imported from the Highlands. These towns have inherited character and traditions. Christchurch was originally an Anglican settlement, and its streets were named after Anglican Bishoprics, by pioneers who gave a dance on the night they left England. Dunedin was founded by Scotch Presbyterians who bade farewell to their native land I with the words, ! 0 God of Bethel, by Whose hand Thy people still are led.”’ The writer is jubilant about the resources of the colony : “ The land is fertile, and its resources are many. There is gold in Otago and Coromandel —the colony holds

the- place in Australasia, with ' an output oi ility-iive uiillious sterling' • in fortv years. Coal is abundant, and “ of good quality. One of the arches at ; Ll Wellington was made of coni, and bore tlio legend, ■ Tiro coal that saved 1 the Calliope,’ when she put out to sea to escape the catastrophe that befell e half a dozen foreign ships of war. 1 Millions of acres of primeval forest give work to four thousand men and ~ three hundred sawmills, while from { among the roots seven thousand near . Auckland alone dig the brignt yellow , gum known as kauri, which is used 1 1 for the making of varnish, and sells at ; fifty pounds the tou. New Zealand mutton is a household word. Twentyone factories are busy freezing it for ovens at Home, vet there are always twenty million sheep, whose fleeces mean wealth and work.” A serious blunder is made in stating that the soil will not grow fruit. Mere is one expression of opinion : With all , these advantages, with a soil that will grow anything except fruit (1), and a climate that gives New Zealanders a longer term of life than the people of anv other country, one is not astonished to find the colony ambitious ■ and perhaps a trifle extravagant—-on borrowed money. The wealth of the colonists per head oi population is the X highest in the world, and I believe their debts may almost claim the same distinction. But there are debts that are remunerative, and of these, I am told, are the New Zealand debts. The money has been spent in developing and settling’ the land, and will return again a thousandfold.” * lf the people of New Zealand the writer states : “The population of New Zealand is X. mainly agricultural. Whereas in Australia the people crowd into the towns and create problems for the politician and the philanthropist; here they find their pleasure and profit in the country. Two-thirds of them live in the country, or in towns of fewer than five thousand inhabitants, yet not one is more than a day’s journey from the sea. . . . In Now Zealand wo had

opportunities of seeing- the people under ordinary conditions, for, unlike Melbourne, they let business occasionally walk hand in hand with loyal demonstrations. That they are a healthy, energetic, and enterprising people none can gainsay. They preserve the physical beauty, and, above all, the complexion of the AngloSaxon race. They are intensely British iu appearance, habits, and manner, and their love of the Old Home, as they fondly call it —even the children whose eyes have n ;t seen the land of their fathers —is a precious possession that wo who live in the Old Home ought to treasure above all that we have. New Zealand lias shown lior affection in a very practical manner, for, of the Australasian colonies, she lias put in the field the highest percentage of soldiers. Here, as in New South Wales and Victoria, I was struck with the martial spirit of the people. Not to wear the King’s uniform is to forfeit the smiles of the fair.” The writer concludes with a very hearty endorsement of some of the planks of the Government policy, such as old age pensions.

Mr AV. A. Barton, S.M., returned from his visit to the Coast on Saturday morning.

Persons indebted to the estate of AV. 0. Sheet are reminded that they will save Court expenses by paying their accounts forthwith.

The City Band open-air concert will take place' this evening, weather permitting, instead of to-morrow evening, as announced in our last issue. The sixteen sections of Pomoliaka Downs estate, which was thrown open for selection at the Crown Lands Ollicc, Dunedin, produced no application.

A record number of entries has been received for the Hawke’s Bay A. and P. Show, totalling 14156, or 1154 more than last year. The principal increases are in sheep and cattle. A Now Plymouth telegram received on Saturday states An old settler named James Sciton, of Okowra, was thrown from a horse this morning and killed. The horse shied at a cyclist and unseated him.

A sale of salvage drapery and clothing commences at Mark AVay House tomorrow morning. It is pointed out that most of the lines arc all new, and only opened about ton days, being imported direct from the manufacturers.

With respect to tlio cabled item that .Air Tunbridge is likely to be appointed to the Police Commissionorship of Victoria, the Commissioner states that lie know nothing of Mr Chuimondcley’s resignation till he read the item in the paper.

A post mortem examination of a valuable horse, which died suddenly at AVanganui a few days ago, revealed two buckctsful of sand in the stomach, which had been swallowed while the horse was grazing in a pacldock of sandy formation.

The New Zealand Shipping Company arc advised from London that the fire on the Papanui was extinguished, _ and the vessel detained five days at Vigo. The damages have not been ascertained. The Eimutaka sails for the colony on October 10th in her stead.

Tlio regular monthly mounted parade of the East Coast Mounted Rifles will be hold on Thursday next, October 3rd, 1901, in the Polo paddock, Makauri. Gisborne members parade at the Drillshed at 2 p.m. sharp; Makauri and other members at the polo paddock at the same time. The milk supply at the Lowgrath (Taranaki) dairy factory was in excess of any previous season by nearly a million pounds, and the cost of manufacture showed a reduction of nearly 10 per cent. Suppliers received 9d ppr lb tor butter-fat, and it is estimated that there is 13-16 d more to come.

From information received regarding the disappearance from Murewai of some clothing, etc., amounting to the value of about £l3, Dotoctivo Nixon yesterday went out, and after making investigations arrested a Maori on two charges of burglary. One of the burglaries occurred last month, and the other one last week. The Maori suspected will be charged at the Police Court this morning.

Mr die Donald, drowned at Dunedin, was a member of the crew of a local crack yacht, Thelma. While at Home he wrote to Sir Thomas Lipton, offering his services as one of the crew of Shamrock I. in the race against the Columbia. Sir Thomas Lipton replied that he had the full complement, but that he would have been pleased to have a New Zealander aboard had there been a vacancy,

There was an extraordinary amount of drunkenness in town on Saturday evening, and about half a dozen arrests were made by the police. One drunken man was badly knocked about, being kicked on the head by another man under the influence of liquor. The victim bled freely, and it was at first thought that he was very seriously injured. While arresting the assailant, a seafaring man, Constable Doyle was vigorously attacked by a third man, and had his oiochmg torn, but ho was successful in lodging his man in the cell.

A bowling match between Haiti and Whataupoko was played on Saturday afternoon on Captain Ferris’ green at Whataupoko. Kaiti was represented byMessrs Lewis, Dixon, Bright and Witty (skip), whilst Messrs Sidebottom, Ferris, Simson and Ferris (skip) upheld the honor of Whataupoko, The game was keenly contested, and resulted in a victory for Whataupoko by 17 points to 1-t. A second game was started, but was abandoned after the eighth head had been played, the weather being too wet to allow play being continued. Messrs Simson and Bright skipped in the second game, and the score at the eighth head was Kaiti 7, Whataupoko 5. The visitors were most hospitably entertained by Captain and Mrs Ferris.

A strike of cooks occurred in the Spanish It oval palace last month, and the It oval family had. says the Daily Mail, to cook their own dinner.

At a recent giant competition held in Rouen. France, a young man, not 22 years of age. who stood 9ft 2in, weighed

82 stone, and was 98 inches round the chest, was among the competitors.

What would you give me for it ' Mr Seddon inquired of the Opposition on Tuesday, when the salary of the AgentGenera: was under discussion. “ Oh. anytiiipg," roared the Opposition in chorus ; ".£IO.OOO if it would only get rid of you." “ What would you take to go asked Mr Massey.

The agents for the Tyser line have been advised that the three steamers Kobe Man;, Star of New Zealand and Mitniro. will leave New York between the months of October and December, taking cargo for Australian and New Zealand ports. The first steamer, the Kobe Maru, is to leave New York for Australia on or about the 10th of next month.

An extraordinary incident occurred at Aldershot recently. A lady rode down from London on a motor car. and whilst passing along the Grosvenor road an accident occurred to the machinery. Her companion, a gentleman, alighted, struck a match, and proceeded to examine the machinery, when in an instant the petroleum ignited, and the whole car was enveloped in flames, and was ultimately ruined.

This is the kind of talk that the Hon. Mr Scotland is allowed to indulge in in the Upper House :—Hon. Mr Scotland I am convinced it would be a good thing for the colony if tho working men were to pack up their traps and leave Now Zealand in a body. It would be a good thing for New Zealand, and possibly for them. Their place would be easily filled by Chinamen and Japanese, and the very men wc arc trying to exclude from tho colony by £IOO penalties wo should then be only too glad to welcome to our shores. The white settlors could carry on tho agricultural pursuits of tho colony, and there is plenty ot room in our towns as well, and let the workman - take bis labor and skill to some other country.

A meeting of the Sunday Mutual was hold yesterday afternoon, Mr E. 11. Buckingham (president) in the chair. A review of books read by tho members during the past fortnight was given, as follows: — “Gladstone,” Mr M. G. Nasmith, jun.; 11 Peter McKenzie,” Mr 0. Petersen;

“ George Muller,” Mr K. R. McDonald; “ Nelson,” Mr A. Goorgeson; “ Lord Roberts,” Mr ITussoy; ” Tne Story of Egypt,” Mr Grundy ; “ Lord Lawrence,” Gladstone,” “Peter Mackenzie,” Mr J. D. Kelly; “ Livingstone,” Mr F. Brown. It was decided to discontinue the meetings till April, when the class reassembles. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr Townley for the use of his hall, and to the Secretary and President for the manner in which they had carried out their duties. A young man who was arrested at EHerslie race-course, on a charge of stealing a ticket, valued at 4s, tho property of Paul Taylor, was brought before tho Auckland Police Court. The sub-inspector of police said that the accused had, since his arrest, made a satisfactory explanation concerning the ticket in question, and it now seemed that the young man had been arrested under a misunderstanding. It appeared, he said, that tho ticket had been snatched from accused by someone and handed over to a Maori, who was standing near. Accused then went to the Maori and took the ticket back. This led to the arrest. If the young man had tendered this explanation at tho time tho police officers would not have arrested him. Mr Cotter, who represented the accused, corroborated the explanation. On tho sub-inspector stating that bo had no evidence to offer the charge was dismissed. Lightning played some fantastic tricks in a storm that occurred yesterday week at Otara, near Fort-rose, Southland. Mr Parrait (says the Wyndham Herald) had a row of buildings about 110 ft in length, about half of which was scattered by tho lightning. A stable, containing four horses, was struck in eight different places from roof to ground. The manger was broken from end to end. One post was knocked clean out- of the end of tho stable and three holes were made in tho weatherboards (which wore Sin by lin). One of tho holes made was about 2ft square, and the boards were broken into splinters and thrown 35ft in the face of tho wind ; while a piece of blucguin in front of the door, 6 by 0, was shattered to pieces. Strange to say the horses were quite unharmed. One post of tho cow byre was split to pieces. About 10ft further along one brood sow was killed, while another pig lying beside hor was unhurt. There is a holo through tho roof of tho stable, and three-inch nails wore pulled out of heart of totara. Boards were blackened as if they had had a charge of powder on them.