SPORTING.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 810, 27 January 1903, Page 3

SPORTING.

GISBORNE RACING CLUB'S WEIGHTS. Per Press Associati jn. Napier, last night. The following handicaps have been declared by Mr A. T. Danvers for the Gisborne Racing Club's meeting : Flying Handicap, of 45sovs, 6 furlongs. Mongonui ... 9 2 Maoriland... 7 0 Paria ... 9 2 Soultina ... 7 4 Argylo ... 8 7 Lady Raven 7 2 Roseplot ... 7 11 Hiki ... 6 7 First Handicap Hurdles, of 45sovs., 1£ miles.

Cobra ... 11 7 Vatbek ... 910 Tauhei ... 11 0 Mangama-

Hippowai ... 913 haki ... 9 2 Master Model 910 Misslit ... 9 0 Summer Handicap, of SOsovs., 1} miles. Putty ... 9 6 Wilson ... 711 Tauhei ... 9 5 A.B.N. ... 7 9 Ballyneety... 9 0 Craftsman... 7 3 Oracle ... 8 7 Lady Raven 7 0 Paria ... 8 7 Piuepinetikura 6 10 Inspan ... 712 Park Stakes Handicap, of 40sovs., 7 furlongs. Mongonui ... 9 0 Soultina ... 7 3 Oracle ... 8 10 Lady Raven 7 2 Argyle ... 8 6 Hinetapuriki 7 0 Inspan ... 8 2 Paleface ... 8 7 Wilson ... 8 0 Hiki ... 8 7 Roseplot ... 7 10

The Wairarapa Times thus expresses

itself :—The mid-week holiday is a failure ; and, for all we can tell to the contrary, a .Saturday half-holiday may also prove a failure. When the Saturday vacation has had a fair trial, the Government will possibly be content to abandon its experiments in half-days, and give its attention to the more interesting question of an annual holiday. There are now six statutory holidays in the year, and lifty-two half-holidays,, and these are... the equivalent of thirtytwo whole days taken out of the working year. An annual fortnight’s holidaj would be of greater value to an employee than the fifty-two half-days We want a little common-sense infused into the holiday question. If employers and employees were allowed to pool statutory holidays, for their, mutual convenience, there would he a decided advantage to both.

The Johannesburg correspondent of

the .Sydney Telegraph, writing on the 13th December, states No doubt it would considerably case the situation if the black labor of the country c

Id. bo reserved entirely Tor the mines. As things are the mines have less than 50,000 boys, while over •30,000 fiddle about Johannesburg in v

.arious well-paid capacities, sued as messengers, corporation laborers, and carl-drivers, builders’ assistants, etc, and, best of all, as clumsy kitchen Mary Anns, at a munificent wage of £1 a week. In most of these occupations whites, male or female, might easily take the place of the blacks, and really do a little work for the high wages paid for it. It also remains to be seen whether the Government, in carrying out the great public undertakings necessary in the conquered territories, will employ white labor, or fall in with the pernicious habit of the country and use only black. And talking of the natives, one cannot help wondering whether the next great affliction to befall South Africa will be a war with them The authorities may wink their eyes to the fact as much as they please, according to the best British precedent ; but there is no overlooking flic circumstance that those who live in the country, and know it well, are possessed with this idea, and dread to think of it and its attendant, liors —there axe several organs printed in the Basuto tongue—it is boldly argued that as the British beat the Boers, by reason of their greater numbers, it will be easy lor the natives, who are so much more numerous than the British, to beat the latter in their turn, and to drive them back to tho Thames. Luckily the natives up north, who are always inclined to ructions, have been peaceably, disarmed, 30,000 rifles having been collected. But “ gunrunning ” is said to be quite a for-tune-making game down in Swaziland and should trouble ever come, no doubt the War Office would be just as much amazed to see the natives well armed as it was to find the Boers so much better off in that respect than the British, The qualifications for a contract immigrant should be these : He must be white ; he must be efficient; he must come here to create a new industry or to help to expand an old one in which the local supply of absolutely competent labor is too limited.; he must come here to work for not less than the current rate of wages ; and ho must not be a criminal. Within these limits, the Commonwealth wants a million contract emigrants—or more, if it can get them; without any question of nationality.—Sydney Bulletin.

A Grand Assortment, of Gent’s Ties in the Latest Styles, direct from the manufacturer. Best value iu Gisborne. —C. ROSIE AND CO.