The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, OCT. 14, 1905. OUR BRITTLE LAWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1584, 14 October 1905, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, OCT. 14, 1905. OUR BRITTLE LAWS.

I We are so carefully hedged ia with laws I nowadays that even the fua at a highly I enjoyable basket social is interfered with Iby the guardians of the law. At the I Druids’delightful , social the other night | charming ladies brought beautiful baskets I and a sale took place. Postcards were I sola by eloquent auctioneers, but the pur* I obaser had the right to the corresponding basket, and in turn the lady bad the right to partake of the oontents with the capitalist who purchased the card. Constables Haucox an 4 Dell were present on the occasion, and no doubt admired both the baskets, and the ladies ; but they had a strict eye to business at the same time, I with the result that the kindly and per- ! suasive auctioneers, Messrs G. Miller and W. A. Heatiey, who had given their services in the good cause of Druidic charity, were brought before Mr Barton, S.M, and each fined one shilling, without costs, for selling after 6 p.m. Technically this is all very well, and may even be regarded in a jooular way, but is it any wonder that people complain of this being a law ridden land when licensed auctioneers, who kindly give their.servioes to the brethren of a Friandly'Sooiety increasing its benevolent fund, ' bays to appear before a magistrate as law-breakers ? Hia Worship took a reasonable view of the position and

mposed a nominal fine, bn£ there surely [ ought not to be any urgency in fastening on loohnical breaches of this kind. The Lodge will no doubt raise a protest against the kindly disposed auctioneers being penalised for doing them a favor in this way, even if it is only to the extent of a shilling. It would certainly have been'more reasonable to haye warned the j Committee as to how the pcjioe viewed the social, and thus to have prevented the j auctioneers being placed in a false position. The case has been described as an amusing one. Is it not ratber a grave humiliation? The whole question resolves into an interpretation of the Act as to whether there was a technical breaoh of the law, The magistrate decided that there was, and all will acoept his ruling without question, But was it necessary for two officers to be in the hall for the speoial purpose of detecting this breach ? And if it was considered a breach, should not there have been a timely interposition to prevent it taking place ? Had the object been for ordinary commercial purposes these remarks would apply, but as the funds were for the benevolent fund of a friendly society they apply. with still greater force. The organisers had taken the precaution to consult the Town Clerk prior to the social, and that officer had given the opinion that if the lines adopted were followed there would be no breaoh of the law, so that

there was nothing of .a defioat nature in tfaa prpwdipgs.

Mr L. Oloyton speaks at 'Ormond this ovoning. , ,

Mr H. H. Wall spooks, at Tolago Bay on Monday ovoning noxt. Tondors for the privileges of tboPovorty Bay Turf Club closo at noon to-day. Tbo kotoh Coronation returned to tho bay yosterdny owing to advorao winds. : The Sonoma loft San Francisco on tho 12tli at 3 p.m. Twenty snoks of now potatoos will bo offered for sale by Messrs Bain Bro 3 this morning. v Tho Unilod Crioket Club will play a match against all comers at tho Victoria Domain this afternoon. Tbo privileges of the Povorty Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Sooiety will bo offered by auction by Messrs Bain Bros, at noon to-day. MaiE despatched from Sydney via Vancouver on September sth arrived in London on October 11th. A petition is being largoiy signod in tho Murowai distriot asking for a punt across tbo Waipaoa river at Pakicikiri, near tho mouth.

Genoral entries for tbo Poverty Bay Turf Club’s Bpring mooting close with tho secretary, Mr J. W. Bain, at 9.Bo.this evening. V'\, , A first offender for drunkenness was, discharged with a'oaution at the Police, Court yesterday morning. William Smith, for drunkenness, was fined 10s and obsts. Tho Rev. D. Parry preaches in the Theatre Royal to-morrow (Sunday) morning and evening. The evening subject will be of special interest, the title of which is •* Gone Before.” At their Auction Mart to-day Messrs Bain Broß. will dispose of a large quantity of produce, and will also sell unclaimed luggage, furniture and the A. and P. Sooiety privileges. A very successful open air concert wbb given by. the City Band Inst evening in aid of Bandmaster A. Bannister. Thcro wos a largo attendance, and a popular selection of musio was contributed, '. ( At St. Andrew’s Church to-morrow (Sunday) morning Mr. Paterson will give sermonette to the children, subject of sermon, “ Howto bring men to Christ,” and in the evening the subject of lecture will be A thrilling experience—six hours on the brink of an abyss.” . .. Messrs Redstone and Sons’'Tolago Bay coach leoves Gisborne at 8 o’olock on Monday morning. The firm’s ooaoh for Wairoa via Tiniroto leaves Gisborne at 7 o’olook on Monday morning,' and the coaob for Wairoa via Morere at 7 o’olock on Tuesday morning. Wairoa finds that tbo appa-ent overlooking of that town in the matter of Lake Waikaremoana and eleotrioity was caused by Mr J. H. Brown destroyiug a telegram sent to him because he “ was annoyed at Government fellows looking at his run with a viow to purchase.” A general wish has been expressed by business people and oonntry settlors that the mail arriving from tho South this evening will be sorted on arrival so as to allow correspondence to be replied to by to-morrow’s steamer. We trust the postal authorities will see their way to grant this request.

Our Wellington special correspondent telegraphs that notioe has been sent to Mr A. Reeves, of Tologo Bay, nqtiiying the intention of the Government to acquire his property for tho purposes of closer settlement. This step has been several times urged by the Times, and its consummation should prove highly beneficial to the district.

It is seldom, happily, that the pubdc are treared to the edifying sight of two such high judicial authorities as the Lord Chancellor of England and the Chief Justice of New Zealand heaving ha|J bricks at each other. It isitrue that the half bricks are only verbal ones, but nevertheless, they are intended to perform the same office as the ordinary article of the backyard. Greymouth Argus.

The following are tbo latest new subscribers with tho Gisborne Telephone Exchange 24, Miller and Oraig, auctioneers, Gladstone road; 244, J. D. Tustin, private residenoe, corner of Ormond road and Whitmore street, Whataupoko ; 330, Licensed, Victuallers’ Association (E. H. Pavitt, secretary), Lowe street. The following is deleted 24, W. T. Raymond, auctioneer, Gladstone road.

Arrangements in connection with the oelebration of the Nelson oentenary at Gisborne are well forward. The committee have drawn. up an interesting programme, which will commence with a procession from the bell tower to the now rotunda, in which the volunteers, veterans, bands, and sobool cbildren will take part. The rotunda will then be ; opened and speeches made, after which there will be a boatiDg display. In tbc Supreme Court (in Chambers) at Wellington his Honor Mr Justice Edwards made an order in the case of Mary E. Smith v. Abbotsford Smith, granting leave to Mrs Smith to file a petition for permanent alimony, as it was not intended to prooeed with the motion for alimony pending suit. His Honor also made an ordor for the roturn of the deeds deposited by Mr Smith with the Registrar as security in connection with the motion for alimony pending suit. The motion for the maintenance of the children was brought up, but his Honor deferred dealing with that. Dr Findlay appeared for Mrs Smith, and Mr Finn for Mr Smith. The prize money allotted to the annual show of the Manawatu und West Coast A. and P. Association for November let, 2nd, and 3rd is distributed over the following divisions: £l7B for competitions in the show ring, £875 for horses, £355 for cattle, £855 for sheep, £BB for pigs, £ll2 for poultry and pigeons, £99 for farm, horticulture, home industries, industrial and art works, publio and technical schools, photography, hemp, and vehicles, £166 for Manawatu Kennel Club’s division, £lB for live stock guessing, and the champion medals distributed over the live 6tock £64, making a total of £lBlO in round figures. This amount (a several hundred pounds in advance of the money offered by the association in provious years, and it is safe to predict , that the association will receive increased competition in maDy divisions. Copy of the prize list may be obtained free of charge from the secretary, P.O. box 86, Palmerston North. Mr W. Lissant Clayton writes : 11 Sir,— In answer to Mr D. Whyte and my promise to him at Thursday night’s meeting’ I beg to give you the following for publication: “The Hon. Mr Carroll: He (Mr Massey) said in effect that our valuers had received instructions from tho Government to raise tbc values of property. Now I taka this opportunity of giving this statement a most emphatic denial.—Mr Massey: I have seen those instructions.—Right Hon. Mr Seddon.—Not from the Government. —MrMessey: From the head of the department.—Hon. Mr Carroll: “From the bead of the department.” That is a different thing. I_may tall the hon

gentleman and the House that the Government in no way instructs or advises the head of the department.—Mr Bollard : The Premier in this House abused the valuers for making low valuations.—Mr Massey: Ido not blame the valuers; they have reoeived instructions, but I do blame tbe Government who gave the instructions

arid are responsible,—Extracts from Hansard No. 1, June 28th to 30tb, 1904, page 21, 28 and 29.—1 have only given a few extracts which bear oa the subject.’' A very successful social was held in Towpley’s Hall last evening in oonriection with the Baptist Church. There was a

crowded attendance, and the function proved a most enjoyable one. The Rev. P. Parry opened the proceedings with an

appropriate address, and afterwards called upon Mr H. East to take the chair. A

programme of songs, recitations, and readings was gone through, the first item being a recitation by little Miss Daisy Cple, which was very prettily rendered. Miss

Parker sang “ Ora Pro Nobis ” in a pleasing manner, and Mr Parry recited “ Henry of Navarre,” which was given in good style. Mr Collier was well reoeived in his

song “Queen of the Earth,” as also was Mr H. East in his reading *• How Botßy and I fell out,” A song and a humorous

recitation by the Kev. Parry oloEed a vpry successful, programme. At an interval

daring the evening refreshments were banded; ronod, by tbe tadiee,'