The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JUNE 16, 1903. GISBORNE-KARAKA RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 917, 16 June 1903, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JUNE 16, 1903. GISBORNE-KARAKA RAILWAY.

After hearing the remarks made by the member of this district at his recent meeting in Gisborne upon the subject of the railway, one cannot help coming to the conclusion that the Government are not likely to be in a hurry to extend the line beyond Te Karaka unless strong pressure is brought to upon them. There was a sort of evasiveness in the replies given by Mr Carroll that was not at all encouraging, and if the Gisborne railway is to be pushed on at anything like reasonable speed it will only be done by constant agitation. Opotikiis agitating for railway construction, so Mr Carroll can look for all assistance from that quarter, and we believe that he will have the unanimous support of Auckland members. Referring to the subject of the East Coast railway the N.Z. Herald of Friday last has the following leading article : “ The late meeting at Opoliki at which resolutions were carried urging the eonstruclion of a lino connecting Gisborne with the railway terminus at Rotorua, merits the support of all the Auckland members. We observe that ‘a strong feeling seemed to exist that the Auckland people were not alive to the importance of this coaat.’ To some extent this may be true. For some years past our energies have been in such constant request to keep Ministers up to the mark in respect to the Main Trunk railway north and south of Auckland, that we have had little to spare for the East Coast. But for ourselves we have urged the opening up of that district ou every possible occasion. By the East Coast we mean the Bay of Plenty, the East Capo district, Poverty Bay, and the whole of the Urewera Country. Wo know no part of the colony which contains so large a proportion of first-class land, and which, moreover, contains so much land unoccupied and producing nothing. Some years ago Mr Stewart, C.E.. made a survey of two lines by which Gisborne could bo connected by Rotorua —ono through the Urewera Country and ouc by which railway communicatiou could be given to Opotiki, Whakatane, and the Bay of Plenty. We do not enter at present into the comparative merits of these lines, but we presume that the Opotiki meeting would be in favor of the lattei*. There are indeed several ways in which the country adjacent to Opotiki might be opened out, A town might be established at Ohiwa, and that might be made a harbor for a very large district, which could be reached by short lines. Or the Rotorua line might be continued with terminal points at Ohiwa and

Opotiki. But what are the prospects of railway construction '? Although the colony is prosperous, and our exports are going to a good market, we eaunot- spend freely on public works. Our position as to expenditure in that department may be briefly and clearly stated. If Ministers had during last year spent all the sums for public works which the House authorised totin to spend, there would, at the close of ft a y, been nothing in the Treasury to the credit of the Public Works lund. lo make a surplus in that department we have the amount which was voted, but not expended, and wo have the moneys coming from the last loan. It must be r membered we have still to complete tee Main Trunk railway, the Waiiii line, and other imperative works. As regards the larger lines in the South, it seems certain that they must be stopped for some years, and certainly according to the statements of some of those who have examined the Otago Central and Midland they ought not to have been gone on with. But we quite anticipate that some expenditure will still be continued iu the South. And we must always keep in mind, also, that the London market is not now to be reckoned on as it once was. But we certainly think that an effort 1 should be made to open up the whole district from Opotiki to the south of Poverty Bay. If the East Coast were settled and furnished with roads and a railway, it would become ono of the most populous districts of tho colony.” The advice given by the member for Bav of Plenty to his constituents to “ buck up ” in regard to the Opotiki-Gisborne railway is very sound, and wo are pleased to see that a Railway League has been formed in Opotiki as a resuk of the meeting held there. Referring to the League

tho Opotiki Herald says : —" Wo trust the Railway League now formed will go to work with a will. We remember, however, with dread the fate of the first League formed. Meetings were held — well-attended meetings too ; petitions were drafted, taken round for signature—and then —ye gods and little fishes 1 — thrown in the fire 1 We don’t want to see history repeat itself in this instance. We believe we can get our railway within tho next five years if we proceed systematically and with energy. There is now a serious obligation on the members of the League just formed— we trust they will be equal to tbe occasion.” What now is required is for Gisborne to get to work, and that right sood. We presume that, like Opotiki, the first Railway League is dead, but that should not prevent a second ono being formed to carry on the work and achieve even greater things than did the former one. Time appears specially opportune, for with the asssistance of Auckland and Opotiki the demands of the League are likely to receive favorable consideration, and who can tell but that the prophecy of our Opotiki contemporary, that the railway will be put through in five years, may yet be fulfilled ? Gisborne will gain nothing by sitting still, and in its own interest it should follow the advice of Mr Herries, and “ buck up ” in regard to the East Coast railway.

The Poverty Bay Hunt Club meet a Wairakaia on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Mutual Improvement Socioty met in l’ownley’s Hall last night, when tho President gave an interesting address. The Empire Skating Rink will not be open again until next Monday, evening.

Tho second course for Mr Hood’s trophy will be fired on Thursday at 2 p.m. by the East Coast Mounted Rifles. The next dance in connection with the lolunthe Quadrille Assembly will be held to morrow evening. Captaiu Edwin wired at noon yesterday : —Expect glass rise slowly, with easterly winds, good tides, sea heavy swell, weather not so cold.

A meeting of subscribers to the Lee benefit fund is called for 8 o’clock this evening at the Masonic Hotel, when it is hoped there will be a full attendance.

A requisition is in course of signature requesting Mr A. E. Matthews to stand for the vacant seat on the Borough Couucil.

Tho members of Court William Gladstone, A.0.E., are requested to attend the quarterly meetiug, to be held this evening at the Masonic Hall, at 8 o’clock. An inspection parado of tho Gisborne Rifles by Major Kettle takes place this evening at 7.30. A fine of £1 will be enforced for non-attendance. Tenders are wanted by Mr 0. J. Morell for the eating of 80 acres of oats at tho Willows estate. Tenders are to be sent to the Times office by to-morrow. A Native named Tapene was yesterday brought before Mr J. Sheridan, J.P., on a charge of indecent assault. He was remanded until this day weekj This morning, Messrs Dalgcty and Co. will dispose of the balance of the timber from their last sale, on the section adjoining Porter’s Hall. The sale commences at 11 o’clock. The many friends of Mr A. F. Kennedy will be pleased to hear that he has consented to come forward as a candidate at the forthcoming Borough election. In another column Mr Kennedy has an address to the electors. Tho next appropriation in connection with the Co-operative Building Society is fixed for Juno 30th, when £3OO will be allotted by ballot and .£3OO by sale by tender. A like amount will also be dealt with on July 21st. A general meetiug of the shareholders of the proposed Gisborne District Co-oper-ative Society will be held in the Church of England schoolroom this evening at 7.30. The business will comprise the considering of draft rules and authorising the registration of the society. A good deal of interest is being manifested in the society. At Matawhero on Saturday Mr W. Wright, while chopping a tree, met with a serious accident, by which he sustained a concussion of the brain. He had lain on the ground for some time before his plight was discovered We are pleased to state that yesterday there was a marked improvement in his condition.

At the Empire Skating Rink last evening, the chief item of attraction was the half-mile championship race, between G. Gordon (last year’s champion) and J. Cramp, the winner of the championship a few evenings ago.- The lads got well away, but after a lap or two, Cramp was in the lead, which he maintained throughout, winning amidst applause. Gordon made several dashing attempts to overhaul his opponent.

The box plan for the Haygarth Comedy Company opens this morning at the London Piano and Music House, and from the booking which has already taken place, there is a promise of a most successful season. “ Charley’s Aunt,” “ The Private Secretary” have both been produced in Gisborne before, when they created quite a furore. The theatre-going public here will have that rare opportunity of witnessing the most popular London successes of the 19th century. Mr Haygarth, in the leading roles, is an actor well known throughout the Australasian colonies, and, ussisted by his talented company, we are safe in predicting a treat for the public of Gisborne.

The services at the Salvation Army on Sunday last were of a social aud rescue character all day. Adjutant Cook spoke in the morning from the two first questions of the Bible : “ Where art thou, and

Where is thy Brother ? ” The Adjutant endeavored to show that next to being right himself everyone was responsible for his brother by whatever his name or whatever nation he may belong to. During the afternoon the Adjutant gave figures concerning the children’s work, there being no less than 10 homes and industrial colonies for boys and girls in Aus- : tralia aud New Zealand, At night “ The Good Samaritan ” formed the basis of the address which was listened to with great interest and attention. Illustrations from the Prison Gate Brigade Work were given, and proved interesting and effective. The finances for the day were good, and the Rescue Works benefits by the sum of over .£6 through Sunday’s services. The annual meeting on Thursday next pro-

mises to be a good one, and an influential platform is announced to be present to aid prestige to the event, We wish the good work every success,

A gold nugget weighing lOOoz has been picked up on the Marong field in the Bendigo district, New South Wales. The ox-tongue thistle is said to bo taking possession of certain portions of the railway lines of the Manawatu district.

Two idiots and a third person likely to become a charge on the Commonwealth, have recently beeu excluded from Sydney as undesirable immigrants. Tue British and Foreign Bible Society are offering several prizes for essays, the conditions of which appear in another column.

Of five officers of the Queensland Volunteer force who were selected for service in South Africa, four we:e members of the Teachers’ Corps.

A water-pipe burst during the night in Messrs Fitzgerald's drapery establishment, in North Melbourne, causing about .£2OOO worth of damage. There has oeen a large decrease in the number of public-houses iu the Sydney metropolitan area in proportion to population since the present Licensing Act came into force.

In the Forbes district (New South

Wales! crops are growing so luxuriantly that farmers have been compelled to cut them or turn in the stock to avoid total destruction.

A fishing party at Tauranga last Sunday had a great haul of hapuka, securing no less than 10 of these highlyesteemed fish, one of which turned the scale at 1201 b.

Mr Thomas, market gardener, has a special notice to the public in this issue. Everything in the way of vegetables can be obtained from him, and ordors are made up at the garden on the shortest notico. Mr Harry llickard’s Company concluded a phenomenally successful season in Wei liugtnn on Saturday night, and left for Auckland, via Wanganui and New Plymouth yesterday morning. The Company will open in Gisborne on Monday, July 13. In dealing with the dairying industry at the Motu the Opotiki Herald sayß we would take the opportunity of specially calling the attention of Coast settlers to the enterprise being shown by the settlors at the Motu, and to recommend that efforts be made to enable the Coast settlers to obtain the advantages ofiered by the duirying industry.

The lecture to be delivered at tho Theatre Royal this evening, by the Rev. Grey Dixon, on the subject of ‘‘Japan and the Japanese,” should attract a crowded audience. The lecturer is well qualified to deal with the subject, having for many years resided in Japan, during which time he held the position Profossor of English Literature in the University at Tokio. The Rev. Grey Dixoa has had the honor of being presented to the Emperor of Japan, and has associated with all classes of the community. The lecture has been delivered to very largo audiences in the colonies, and has everywhere been favorably received, It was given to an audience of over three thousand in Melbourne and to crowded assemblies in Auckland, Dunedin, and elsewhere. His Worship the Mayor will preside. A Wellington correspondent states : There is a decided opinion hero that the scheme formulated by Mr R. E.Moliae, of Taranaki, for the establishment of a Now Zealand settlement in the Ermelo district, Transvaal, wili not come up to the expectations of its originator. The alluring prospect held out by Mr Mcßae in the hopo of attracting settlers possessed of comfortable holdings in New Zealand to give up their all and start afresh in a new country is not likely to be snapped up except by a few who have not the sense to see that they can do far better for themselves and their families by remaining where they are. Several peoplo that I have spoken to on the subject, and who are thoroughly conversant with laud matters in this colony and South Africa, unhesitatingly advise New Zealanders to stick to their own country.

Tliafc there is such a demand lor New Zealand crossbreds on the Continent shows that our breeders satisfy their tastes and suit their pockets—a most encouraging circumstance. Tlic suggested making in New Zealand of the terminal port for the Australasian run of a great foreign steamship company is an exceedingly natural proposition. The older and richer and more populous this colony becomes, the more it will attract the steamship companies trading to the Pacific Ocean. The advent of one great line is all that is necessary io compel others to follow it, for the New Zealand passenger trade cannot be ignored, and is much too important to be lost altogether by any one of the great companies.—N.Z. Herald. At the ballot for the several seotions in the Waitabaia block, Waipiro, the following were the successful applicants :—Mrs E. H. Cotterill, 1000 acres, 18 applications; R. G. Murphy, 1000 acres, 18 applications ; J. N. Baker, 2000 acres, 12 applications ; R. W. Kemp, 2000 acres, only applicant; Charlotte Kemp, 2000 acres, only applicant. Six thousand acres were taken up under the O.R.P. system, Mrs C. Kemp taking hers for cash. This leaves 8350 acres of the Waitahaia block still in the market, there being no applications for the balance. All the front sections were taken up, the balance left being the hack portions of the block. This land is situated 27 miles from Waipiro, in the Hikurangi survey district, and adjoins Messrs A. J. Cotteriil’s and Moate’a properties. The ballot was conducted by Mr Stevenson Smith, District Surveyor, and Messrs W. Adair and J. W. Bright acted as scrutineers. Mr G. Matthewson, of the Hawke’s Bay Land Board, also attended.