The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DECEMBER 5, 1901.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 280, 5 December 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DECEMBER 5, 1901.

BRITISH TRADE. Our telegrams yesterday referred in desponding terms to the so-called decline of British trade. But though the figures tend to cause despondency, they are not so bad as appears on the face of things. In a paper received by the English mail a financier deals with the subject, and states “At this date British trade is not so active as it was a year since ; hut this fact affords no evidence that we are losing our position as an exporting or importing country. There are lean times and fat times in the history of every nation, and if occasionally we are the victims of a lessened industrial activity, we must accept as inevitable a state of things common to all States. We no more than any other country can be exempt from commercial ills. The trade tide is low. Is it at its lowest? No ! It will be lower immediately after the war is over. The Government is disbursing about a million and "a quarter in excess of the ordinary expenditure devoted to our Army and Navy ; but when hostilities in South Africa are at an end there will be a cessation of this immense outlay. War occasions a great distribution of funds which circulate amongst manufacturers and shipowners, and the working classes, the wealthier portion of the community chiefly contributing the sinews necessary for the desired end ; though it Is to he regretted that England only shares with AITE-Dca and other countries the trade caused hv this expenditure. When peace is declared probably there will, be more financial activity ; but many industrial hives will be in a relative state of idleness for some little time after that event. However, fresh avenues will then be opened for the exercise of British enterprise, .and we shall see a renewal of operations quite equal to any such as has characterised our past. Lord Avebury, in addressing the meeting of the Associated Chamber of Commerce, stated in defiance of ever increasing competition, that fast year the total of our foreign trade represented the largest volume of commerce ever done by any country in the history of the world. France might complain ol the decline in her foreign trade because it shows a drop of £7,000 in 1900, while Germany exhibited an increase of £39,000, the U.S. States £66,000, the United Kingdom showing an augmentation of £67,000. Certainly the United States is surpassing us in the race as respects exports but we are keeping ahead of all other countries, British exports making an increase last year of no less than £65,000,000.

■ Mr Campbeli, of the Kaiti, has a freak of nature in the form of a calf with two heads, six legs, and two tails. , Mr Gilruth leaves for Upper Waikato ■ to-day to investigate the mortality amongst cattle. The disease is believed to be purely local. ! At a meeting of the Ballance Tent, No. 12, 1.0. R., S.U., held last evening, Bro. J. Dods, C.R., presiding, two new members were proposed. At the Police Court yesterday Frank Driller, for riding a bicycle on the Stout street footpath, Whataupoko, was fined 10s, costs 7s. Captain Edwin wired at 12.35 yesterday : 11 Moderate south-east to south and south and south-west winds ; glass rise ; ordinary tides.” The splendid programme prepared for the concert to-night should in itself ensure a crowded house in aid of the good object for which the concert has been organised. Reserved seats may be booked at Messrs Chrisp and Son’s Music Depot. As there will be a half-hoiiday this afternoon, it will be necessary to book seats this morning. Saturday’s Napier Telegraph states Constable Harvey will to-morrow enter upon the enjovment of his small pension as a superannuated policeman. To-day he completes the term of the service. To-day likewise he lies in the Napier hospital, rescued by medical skill from imminent death, as a consequence of having been a faithful servant of the , public. |

iir T. G. Lawless has a change of advertisement in to day’s issue. •Sir Henry Berkeley, Chief Justice of Fiji, arrived from Sydney by the \Varriinoo at Wellington yesterday morning. Mr H. J. Buslmell, of the City Stationery Depot, has just landed 'IOO,OOO commercial envelopes; also four casks of the best ; writing inks. 1 Messrs Sheridan and Co. announce that they will be landing a large quantity of tile best Newcastle coal direct from the mine. The coal will be brought in by the steamer Waipori. At the Police Court yesterday James Saddler was lined X~. or seven days imprisonment, for drunkenness, and was sentenced to 14 days' hard labor for obscene language. The Postmaster-General thinks that Mr Spreckles will continue the ’Friscoservice, despite his published statement to the contrary. The Government have no power to vary the conditions sanctioned by Parliament. Colonels Somerville and Collins, who have managed the affairs of the late New Zealand Rifle Association since 1885, have I been requested by the Government to occupy their old positions as chief executive officers m the management of the meetings under Government auspices. A meeting of the Gisborne Tent, No. 54, . 1.0. R., S.U., was held in the Tent room last evening, Bro. M. G. Nasmith (junr.), C,K., presiding. A letter was received from the Star of New Zealand Tent, invit- ■ ing the attendance of the brethren at a social evening to be held by the sisters of that Tent on Thursday, December 19th. It was enthusiastically resolved to accept the invitation.

Iu the volunteer volley-firing for the year ended February 3rd, No. 2 Ohinornuri Rifles head the list with an average of 18’53 points per rifle. South Wairarapa Mounted Rifles are second with 10'60 points ; Wellington Cycle Corps third, 13-50 ; Wellington Guards fourth, 15‘27 ; Wellington Civil Service Rifles fifth, 15'07 ; Napier Rifles sixth, 14-87.

The Government weather report yesterday morning showed that light southerly winds were experienced northwards of New Plymouth and Spit. Wellington reported N.W. wind, blue sky ; Christchurch and Dunedin, N.E., blue sky ; Invercargill, S.W., overcast. A rough sea was reported at Cape Maria Van Dietnan, rough at Hokianga Heads and Pouto, and heavy at Manukau Heads. Southwards from Auckland a smooth to moderate sea was running. Moderate to high tides prevailed. Wairoa reported blue sky, light S.E. wind, good bar. A cablegram received yesterday from Melbourne states: An extraordinary meeting of the Chillago Railway and Mines Company has been held to consider the issue of £IOO,OOO by preference shares, in order to obtain more capital. The Chairman’s statemeut showed an outlay of close on £60,000 and liabilities of upwards of half a million. They required to spend another £71,000 before the position could be improved. If the shareholders did not accept the proposal, the only alternative was to reconstruct. Eventually the meeting was adjourned to allow the directors to consider a suggestion that they personally should advance £OO,OOO. At Horley, Wisconsin, ten persons lost their lives on November 6th in an early morning hotel fire. The building was a three-storey wooden structure, valued at 10,000 dollars. The fire is thought to have been caused by the explosion of an oil stove in the proprietor’s bedroom. When the alarm was sounded the flames had cut oil exit by the stairway. The only remaining oxits were through the front and side windows. Those who reached the side windows escaped upon the roofs of adjoining buildings, but those at the front windows jumped to the ground and were severely injured. Of those who perished some were warned in time, but returned to - their rooms in an attempt to save their 1 possessions.

An amusing scene was witnessed recently on one of the mailboats running from France to- England. The sea was rather rough. A young woman, pretty and nicely dressed, appeared to be' suddenly taken very ill with sea-sickness. She groaned and screamed in apparent agony for some little time. At length a person who appeared to be a stranger to her approached and asked whether she would like to take a lozenge, which he guaranteed would ease her of her pain. He had often tried it, ho said, on people, and always with the most marvellous results. The young lady demurred a little at first, but finally accepted the oiler. Never was cure so instantaneous. Hardly had she swallowed the lozenge when the fair patient was sitting up all smiles and ordering ham sandwiches of the steward. Some passengers were so struck with the incident that they inquired what was the remedy that had such a wonderful result, and the gentleman, who, as he said, was the agent for the sale of the lozenges, disposed of a considerable number of boxes of them at eight shillings a-pieee. What was the surprise of the purchasers when they saw the young lady andher preserver go off arm in arm on the vessel reaching England 1 The boxes contained common jujubes.