The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 14, 1903. A MUNICIPAL MATTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 968, 14 August 1903, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 14, 1903. A MUNICIPAL MATTER.

At the last meeting of the Borough Council referenoe was made to Victoria township, and it was made to appear that, .while the Council had taken no precautions as to the reading when the property, was disposed oi, it intends yet to come upon the more recent purchasers to have the roads constructed. It is as well, perhaps, that even at this late hour the Council should show a keen interest in the matter ; bub it would be more satisfactory, to all parties 'if, instead of- the Council keeping this threat over the heads,, of purchasers of sections, it would put up with the consequences of its own deliberate resolution releasing, the seller of the sections instead of talking of putting the bjhr,den on to those who purchased in good • faith, not knowing what ' the Council ' had or has in mind in the matter. .The Mayor stated that there were two solicitors on the Council when the resolution was carried allowing the cutting up of the township without the provision for roading being complied with, but it should have been explained further that one of the solicitors fought the subject at each meeting, opposing the granting of the application, and informed the Council that in doing so they would bp divesting. Themselves of the right to havq the property roaded before being disposed of. The Council is differently constituted now hut must be bound by, the actions of the old Council. The seller having been released from any obligation in the matter, the Council should not now talk of coming on those who were in no way, contributory to that decision.

Spring is coming. Many of the peach trees in and around Gisborne ,are already bursting into bloom* A football match played on Victoria Domain yesterday afternoon, between the Gisborne school and the Cadet Corps, resulted in a win for the former by nine points to sis.

The annual ball in connection with the East Coast Mounted Kifle Corps will be held in Williams’ and Kettle’s wool-shed

this evening, A large number of tickets have been disposed of, and the gathering promises to be a great success. There is enough l electric power to be generated from the Motu,falls to drive a train from Gisborne' to Opotiki.”—-Mr Whinray at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last night. \ 1 The Maritana Assembly dance, held last evening in the Academy of Music, was a great success. Upwards of 50 couples were present. Mr G. Goldsmith ably officiated as M.C. Mrs Fernandez rendered excellent music.

" if we had a few more Mr Whjnrays, the wants and requirements of the district would be more forcibly put to the Government,” remarked Mr Harding, in moving a vote of thanks to the retiring officers at the Chamber of Commerce meeting last evening.

The last pile of the first row of the Kaitaratahi bridge was drivon last evening, and the staging is now in course of erection for driving the second row into the river bed. Now that the days are beginning to draw out it is intended to extend the hours of working to 10 hours a day. Mr Orlando Wells and his men are to be congratulated upon the excellent progress already made, and given fine weather the construction of the bridge should be well advanced before the New Year.

At the meeting of tho Chamber of Commerce Jast evening, the Secretary read a letter from Mr G. W. Sampson, Chief Postmaster, intimating that in response to the request of the Chamber, it had been decided to extend the closing of the Southern mail from half-past seven on Saturday evenings until ten o’clock, on tho condition of letters bearing the lato foe. It was decided on tho motion of Mr Pettic, to acknowledge tho letter and thank the Department for their consideration.

The Empire Skating Rink will be open to-morrow evening. Mails which left Melbourne via Naples on July Bth, arrived in London on August 11th.

A special meeting of the Ratepayers’ Association will be held at the Borough Council Chambers this evening.

The carters are how obtaining small quantities of shingle from the Waikanae beach, the first practically that has been obtainable for seven months past.

The iron seats on the Waikanae beach are being shamefully handled. Two seats have recently been twisted up and rendered useless. Mr Thorensen returns tbaDks to friends for their sympathy and kindness in regard to the death of his brother, Mr Charles Thorensen.

The proposal of the Hospital Trustees to hold an entertainment in Messrs Williams and Kettle’s woolshed next week should receive the hearty support of the public.

Mr Neil McLean, of the firm of Messrs J. McLean and Sons, contractors for the Kaitoratahi bridge, arrived from the South on Wednesday evening, and will remain in Gisborne for a few days. “ People will not eat or drink less, or wear out less clothing if you bave the half holiday on a Saturday instead of Thursday,” remarked Mr W. Common at the Chamber of Commorce meeting last evening. The twenty-ninth annual general meeting of the Gisborne Permanent Land, Building, and Mutual Investment (Society will be held at the Office of the Society, Gisborne, on Monday evening, the 17th August, 1903, at 8 o’clock. The necessity of at once carrying the railway to the Motu in order to render available the timber forests of that place, was discussed at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last evening, and a strong resolution bearing on the subject was carried.

Eure and Ambridge’s monster halfyearly sale is now in full swing, and will continue for the next ten days. Immense reductions are notified in their new advertisement of boys’ and men’s mercery and clothing, which the public are specially invited to inspect. Attention is directed to Mr W. Davidson’s advertisement in regard to the Lowe Street Shoeing Forge. Mr Davidson, who is an expert tradesman, has secured a large connection in Gisborne, and the excellence of his work is admitted by all who have had horses shod by him. At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning Messrs J. Somervell and A. F. Bridges were the presiding Justices. Judgment went by default in the following undefonded cases: Kauri Timber Com-

pany (Mr V. Barker) v. J. A. Perry, claim £5 2s 3d, costs £2 9s 6d ; William Arthur (Mr J. Blair) v. Donald McKenzie, claim £3 ss, costs £1 Bs. Complaints are made regarding the

increasing number of persons in the country who drive without lights, and unless the police take steps to stop the dangerous practice a serious accident is bound to result. One evening this week.a gentleman driving from Ormond met over a dozen drays, waggons, and buggies which were without lights. A most surprising find was made a few days ago on the beach at Tauranga. A gentleman named Marsack found a part of an animal’s head and sent it to Mr Cheeseman, at the Auckland Museum, for identification. It was discovered by careful examination to be the upper jaw of a crocodile. How it got to Tauranga is now puzzling all those who have seen it. Yesterday afternoon the boys in the upper standards of the Gisborne School, under the direction of Mr Darton, who was assisted by Mr Reynolds, planted a row of Native trees in the school playground. The object of the School Committee in forming the plantation, is to have growing in the playground where the boys cannot help seeing them, specimens of all the more important timber trees of, New Zealand. This ought to bo a valuable adjunct to the technical school soon to be built.

In company with Mr W. Morgan, Mr M. Fraer, of Dunedin, yesterday paid a visit to the Gisborne District High School. Mr Fraer has taken a foremost part in the colony in matters of education and was one of the earliest members of a Board of Education, and for a great many years was a member of the Otago Board, of which he was also chairman. Mr C. A. DeLautour was at one time a colleague of Mr Fraer’s in educational matters in the South. Both gentlemen still take a very koen internet in educational work. A jury created some astonishment at the Supremo Court at Christchurch last week. The Crown had presented an unusually strong case against a man, and the accused’s solicitor made no defence, admitted the charge and confined his attention to asking for leniency. At the conclusion of the case the Registrar stood up to go through what was expected to be the more formality of aslring the jury whether it was agreed upon its verdiot, but the twelve 11 good men and truo ” announced their intention of retiring to consider the matter. Court William Gladstone, No. 6030, Ancient Order of Foresters, held their usual fortnightly meeting on Tuesday last at the Court room, Masonic Hall, Bro. H. Armstrong, Chief Rauger, presiding. Three now members were elected and initiated according to anpipnt custom, Visiting brethren from Queensland and Dunedin W6re welcomed, and along with the initiates accorded the honors of the Order. This Court continues to gain steadily, both numerically and financially, and the brethren intend to havo a social evening at no distant date, when a large attendance

is anticipated. Mr M. Fraer, representing the St. George Company, Ltd,, of Dunedin, is at prosent visiting Gisborne, on behalf of that well-known firm. A special line in addition to the other manufactures is the St. George brand of condensed milk, prepared in New Zealand, which is claimed to be much superior to the imported l article. The condensed milk is having a large sale in Gisborne, and is acknowledged by all to fully justify its high reputation. As an evidence of its favor in, other parts of the colony, it may be mentioned that Mr Fraer has disposed of over 700 cases on his present trip. The demand for houses in Christ-

church and the suburbs is very keen

just now, and house-hunters are very much on the alert. The Times says that a gentleman on whose account a.- auction sale of furniture was advertised a few days ago was besieg-

ed by some 30 or 40 house-hunters as soon as the advertisement appeared. Each had come with the idea that lie must be wanting to sell or let his house, and each was

ccing bis or her best to be first in the field. It is almost literally true that before one tenant is out of a house another is- sitting on the doorstep.

A good deal has been said lately about tho necessity of retaining more ewe lambs and so building up the breeding flocks in the colony, but the tempting prices that are offered appear to be too much for breeders to resist. An instance (says the Press) occurred at Addington saleyards which forms a good illustration. A lino of 575 English Leicester cross hoggets appeared in the fat lamb pens, realised 21s Id to 21s 3d, being bought for export. These hoggets would have probably been worth a 3 pinch to keep for breeding purposes, but at the same time the values now ruling are so high that a breeder cannot well help selling, rather than accept the risk of holding.

The Mayor of Lyttelton has brought under the notice of the members of the Harbor Board the value of the harbor mud, which Is a kind of blue clay. He said that as a painter he had used it for distempering purposes, and it was really excellent, the color being good for decorative work.. He also suggested that it might be made into ■tiicks under the new process, as it was clean mud, free from sand and grit. He had been endeavoring to get a s'ample treated at one of the local kilns. The matter was refcricd to the Chairman and the Mayor of Lyttelton to make experiments, with a view of ascertaining the value p£ .the mud.

The hockey match, West End v. City, played yesterday afternoon on the Victoria Domain, resulted in a win for the former by 6 goals to 3. A full report is crowded out.

Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., paid a visit to Taranaki last week, and while there secured some of the mueh-beard-of Taranaki iron-sand for the Masterton Museum. The Wanganui Town Clock went “ cronk ” recently. The chimes kept going continuously for about a quarter of an hour; but the hour was not tolled fur several consecutive hours. A' Northern schoolmaster remarks that the work of lady teachers is “ rather marred by their motherly,

fondness ” for the children. Surely, an awful defect !

A recently. “ retired ” clairvoyant •declared he could tell the nature ol a person’s disease by his nails. II this is so, Wellington builders suffer from German measles.

Local aspirants to fame in the walking world will be interested to learn that a stunent named Laplaze recently coneluded a walk from Paris to Trouville, a distance of 136 miles, in 47 hours 50 minutes. He had wagered that he could do it in 48 hours and thus won by 10 minutes. Subscribers to the telephone are advised of the following transfers and additions to the Exchange :—Transfers : No. 28, R. N. Jones, solicitor, Gladstone road, to Mr J. Blair ; 125, O’Reilly Bros., Albion stables, to Francis, BrowD, and Co. New subscribers : 239, L. A. Eilerbeck, photographer, Gladstone road; 241, Brown, Nelson, and Co., Empire stables, Peel street; 242, Wade and Gray, plumbors, Gladstone road. Carolino Bay, Tirnaru, on Friday had a marine visitor in the shape of a good-

sized seal, which left the water and travelled to the top of the sands,' where il

made a comfortable bed for itself. After basking in the sun for an hour or two, it returned to the water and was seen no more. Tho seal was about 6ft in length, of a greyish color, aud when travelling on his short, stumpy legs by a series of jerks it presented a most peculiar appearance.

The first meeting of the Ladios’ Reading Union was held at Te Rau College yesterday afternoon. There was a fair attendance. Rules wore adopted, and the following officers elected : President, Mrs Sampson : Vico- Presidents, Mesdames Graham and Walker; Secretary, Miss Sampson. The syllabus will consist of selections from travel, biography, art, science, poetry, etc. The subject for the first quarter will be Tennyson’s 11 Idols of the King.” The meetings will be hold fortnightly at the Te Rau College, and ladies wishing to join tho Union aro invited to do so.

A rather peculiar story was told by a man, aged 67, who applied last week for admission to the Dunedin

benevolent institution. He said that) he had a wife and a grown-up family of eight, and had been ejected

from his home as the result of a quarrel with his wife. As to the cause of the strife, it was stated that the wife, who had been in the habit of putting her feet on her bushand’s knee in order to have her ■hoots laced, had lately transferred that favor to a young man who had .set his affections on one of the daughters of the household, in consequence of which- the husband’s ire .Was raised. Judging from appearances the adoption of ten o’clock licenses and the carrying of prohibition in the Chalmers district in particular have

not (telegraphs the Auckland Herald correspondent'); had the effect of diminishing the.number of offenders appearing at the Police Court lor drunkenness, especially on Monday mornings ; in fact, within the last few weeks the hatch of Saturday ■chunks has been steadily on the increase. There seldom are less than eight in the dock on Monday mornings. Quite a number now make a

point of coming to town from Port Chalmers, and getting on the spree,, with the result that many of them fall into the hands of the city, police

Farmers around the Pleasant Point and Geraldine districts and also in the Mackenzie Country are suffering heavy losses as a result of the recent snowstorm (writes a correspondent). The snow still lies thickly over many farms in the districts named, and the severe frosts prevent a thaw. Sheep are in many instances suffering severely, and it is anticipated that when the spring feed comes there will be heavy losses, as the sheep in their weak condition will scour very much. On farms when lambing has commenced, it is being found that the long period of starvation and cold has brought on abortion, and in many cases lambs which are born alive are so weak that they do nod long survive. One large station-holder considers that had he not been fortunate enough to get a large percentage of his sheep down to feed near the coast, he would havo lost fully half of his flock. A Geraldine settler has lost 50 sheep as a result of the snow, each worth from 163 to £1; another settler at Rapuna has lost 250 hoggets, and there are very many other similar losses.