NEWS ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 695, 15 December 1902, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS.

lnnoeulatiou in tho Punjaub as a precaution against the bubonic plague has boon suspended. JSad senuu is the cause of ten deaths, and tho contamination is attributed to changes suggested by tho Plague Commission in tho method of preparation. Tho general result of the election has been a colonial endorsement of tho Government policy, and an undeniable mandate to the Seddou Administration to keep their hands to tho plough, and no looking hack. —Waikato Times. Scarcity of timber in this country has raised tho rents already. By the time Africa has all the Now Zealand timber it would like to have, wo shall bo living in corru£n.tccl-ircm houses (made in America), or paying rent at so much per weatherboard. .Don’t send timber to Africa, don’t send it up in smoko, don't bo dependent on other countries for your walls, and do leavo us a few trees to have a picnic under now and then.—Free Lance. Australia has adopted tho Arbitratio 1 ] Court, but it did not see tho necessity o* setting up Boards to help the Courts to keep busy. A Commission enmo to Now Zealand to watch tho working of the system, and found that the Conciliation Board was tho weak spot, and it is still likely that many golden guineas will be paid to foster its weakness. Some of our now and youthful legislators, anxious to distinguish themselves, should attack, tooth and nail, tho conciliation business that does not conciliate. Tho old hands have not said anything about it for quite a while.—Freo Lance,

In a letter from Sydney to Christchurch friend Mr Bland Holt writes:—“There is but little of cheering interest to chronicle from our side. The drought fms wrought such havoc generally in this continent that everything is on a deadly-dull basis, and naturally wo in (he theatrical line of business arc feeling the effects quite as much as those in ordinary trade. lam afraid it will bo a very long time indeed before Australia is thoroughly prosperous, and can lay solid claim to the title of ‘ The Land of the Golden Fleece.’ At present we are doing revivals here, but working hard on a Christmas production with local interest, which I am hoping to make a big go.” The strength of parties in the new Parliament is not at present a matter of very great importance to the public ; but Mr Seddon and MrDuthic have been engaged in a discussion in which neither gentleman has made the slightest impression on tile other’s opinions ; or, indeed, for that matter, on the opinion of anyone else who thinks it worth while to trouble about the question, Mr Duthic vehemently maintains that the Government could not bo sure of a majority of more than fifteen or sixteen on any crucial question, white Mr Seddon is confident that the Liberal Party has a margin of at least thirty. Most of the newspapers have published articles on the political situation, and their estimates of the respective numbers differ according to the political views they hold.—Timaru Post.

;j . Mr Seddon will find that he will have to jjj oneountor the criticism not only of an efficicnt Opposition, but also of several mornbers in the Ministerial ranks who view with undisguised alarm the extravagance in borrowing and prodigality of expenditure on the ordinary services of the State which are now associated with the Government policy.—This is, indeed, a complete change from the charge, so frequently made, that the members of the v Liberal party are mere “servile followers” and “dumb dogs' 1 ; and it is also an I admission of the fact that all the political I virtues do not belong to the Opposition. As far as the Independent Liberals are concerned they will not be of much assistance to the Opposition; but will rather 1 support that progressive legislation which they believe to be for the good of the community. The next session of Parliament promises to be an exceptionally interesting one, —Exchange, | Commencing in December a new steamship line will be in operation from Tacoma f to Melbourne and Sydney. It will be the I first direct service between l’uget Sound and Australian ports. The line will comprise four British steamers, placed on the route jointly by two British shipping com- 1 panies. The Nautilus Steamship Company will operate the steamships Poplar Branch and Line Branch, each having a capacity of S6OO tons. C. Howard and Sons, of London, will add to the line in the steamships Imogen and Titauia, each of 5000 tons dead weight capacity. The Imogen is c-n route to Australia from London, and will be ordered thence to Tacoma. The establishment of the line has been brought about by 11. A. Alley, President of the Australian Woollen Company, which has secured a she ... .itl'ueoom, « near Tacoma, for the erection of a mam- ' moth woollen mill to employ SCO to 1000 hands. Alley is backed by woolgrowers . of New Zealand and Australia, who will I skip their wco! to Tacoma to be manu- j factured for distribution over the Pacifiu > Coast. Lumber wfll chiefly comprise the j cargoes from here to Australia, I