The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DEC. 17, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1960, 17 December 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DEC. 17, 1906.

From what has already appeared in these columns our readors will readily conclude that this journal does not favor any belief in the notion that the tops of the Himalaya mountains are inhabited by a race of peripatetic, shapeless, intangible things called Mahatmas, who are said to occupy their time,in soaring round whispering stale news in favored persons’ oars and generally evading the rigorous climate of their alleged habitat. There is no use for such things iu an up-to dato newspaper ollico, and the Mahatma who cannot occasionally supply an item in regard to what is about to happen as well as things that have happened couldn’t earn his salt as a modern journalist. But thero are j exceptions to every rule, and we have been fortunate enough to secure the services of one of those whisperers whose density is greater than that of ether and his specific gravity is such that he can remain in windy Wellington without risk of being wafted over the tops of the mountains unless he can be found out by the private detectives of Cabinet Ministers, and then his future location would be uncertain, for he would not be safe within the precincts of the Cabinet room or in the secret drawers of Ministers’ office desks. He is a useful Mahatma, and notwithstanding the hint we have given as to his personal attributes, he is neither grave nor dense except ju3t go much as to enable himself to keep from laughing when he surveys the wonderment and consternation upon Ministerial countenances when they find that their secrets have leaked out, But we must not betray him further, and our readers must be content to hear what he reveals to us from time to time, which will be found sufficiently interesting, Without the aid of wires he informs U 3 that in addition to the enormous Seddon votes of last sassion, amounting to £23,834, which do not include the late Premier’s salary, the .colony is still paying £2OO a year on behalf of the geddon family, and when it is going to ejjd oy.r

Mahatma cannot prodict. It in not legal, of course, to pay thorn anything boyond tho £OOOO voted ; but tho law ia appeased in this way, viz , that the Hcddon family still occupy the Minis' toriftl rcsidonco, and an, allowance of £2OO a year ia made to a Minister who cannot get a Ministerial residence to occupy, so that tho colony is losing that amount for tho benefit of the family without tho sanction of I’arliamont. But that is not all. It appears

at Mrs i oddon has sentimental

objections to residing anywhere else, and wo arc told that; tho piece of laud adjoining this residence, purchased under tho Public Works A.ct soiuo time boforo Mr Hodden's death at a cost of £2OOO plus oxponses for tho purpose of providing a tonnia court and billiard saloon as an appondago to tho residence, is low to bo re-sold to Mrs Soddon for residential purposes for tho sum of £IBOO, and presumably Mrs Seddon will continue to occupy tho residence until tho new mansion is erected a year or two henco. It is not gouorally known that these Ministerial residences are furuishod at tho expense of the State, and tho custom has boon for Ministers or their wives to order what they pleased in Ihe way of furniture, plate, erorkory, drapings, bed and tablo linen, etc , and the bills to be pent in to tho Public Works Department, where they wore promptly paid, and our Mahatma says that none of these articles are afterwards chocked by an inventory and may be disposod of at will by putting thorn in the hack yard or other depository and replacing thorn with new stuff at the public expense. No public ollicor sees

whether it is necessary to replace any articlo, and tho Audit Office merely sees that tho amount spent doos not exceed tho total allowed for “unauthorised expenditure ” and that it has Ministerial sanction. Mrs Seddon is now onjoying tho fruits of part of this expenditure, and a very considerable part it is, and when she thinks fit to remove next door tho new Minister will most probably not find the drap ings to his taste or care to wrap hitnsolf in the rugs and blaukets pormoated with such an odor of historic sentiment, and another big bill will find its way to the Public Works Department. .At any rate it is not a depressing sign that tho new Minister who is to occupy tho residence when he can get it will not rrquiro a tennis court, so wo may concludo that he may some day find sufficient money in tho public chest to justify him in voting lor the “ free breakfast table” in other places besides Ministerial residences. Mention of this tennis court brings to mind tho fact that the clause in the Public Works Act was intended only to apply to the seizure of private lauds that were wanted for purely public purposes, and that in this case the original owner was deprived of his plot' for a purely private purpose, and yet we are in the habit of boasting that we live in a free and enlightened country, whose Prime Minister loudly protests that the Government has no intention to deprive settlers of the freehold, nor would he countenance such a thing, he says, if it were proposed, yet he was one of a Cabinet who sanctioned thi3 operation, and who knows but some day ho, too, may require a tennis court or a deer park, if not for himself, for some distinguished body of tourists whom he evidently thinks should have all the luxuries they waut while the backblock settlor cannot get his pack of wool or can of milk to market for want of a track, and if a lame excuso is sufficient in the one case to deprive a man of his property where can ba the safety in any other, for tho piece of parchment called a Crown grant does not protect it.

A Christmas notice from Ben Tanner’s “ Ark ” is given in our advertising columns. The Hon. J. Carroll loft for Wellington Inst night to attend a Cabinet meeting. Ho hopes to rotarn heme far Christmas, The mooting of the Caledonian Society which was to have been hold on Saturday night was postponed so as to obtain a larger attendance, a number of members

being engaged elsewhere. The steamer Haupiri, which arrives this forenoon, proceeds to Napier, and thenco returns, leaving Gisborne on Wednesday morning for Coast ports and Auckland, This will enable the Coast pcoplo to have their Christmas stores in good time,

The ordinary meeting of the Harbor Board takes place to-day. Seme notices of motion wore to have been given regirding the river narrowing proposal, bus the time would noli permit of them being taken, and probably members will agree to allow matters to stood in aboyanoe until the nest ordinary moofiDg.

While out riding yesterday afternoon Miss Barrett, a barmaid employed at tho Masonic Hotel, was thrown from her horso on the Whataupoko side of the Peel street bridge. Tho horse' suddenly started off from near Mangapapa, eventually unseating tho rider,' Miss Barrett received several nasty outs and had her nose broken, besides being severely shaken, The sufferer was carried into tho rcsidcnco of Dr, Collins, and was attended by Mrs Collins, and subsequently conveyed to tho hotel.

At 6bo mooting o? Lodge Montrose on Friday night tha Graudmr.ster, Bro. Mo Cullongh, gave an interesting address to tha brethren, dealing with Masonio subjneis. Tha address WQ3 highly uppereiatod, and a vote of thanks acoordod. During tho evening a meeting of the Dittrict Grand Lodgo was held, tho various subordinate oflioes being filled by loonl motnbers of tho Grand Lodgo. Bro. McCullough left for tha south last evening. Many of the public do not seem to be aware that the U.S.S.Co.’s office is only opened on Sunday afternoon for tho convenience of country people. Yesterday, afternoon tho rush of people at the last moment was so great that the booking was only finished a short time before tho advertised hour of the launch leaving tho wharf. Those who can conveniently do so should always book on the Saturday. Rua, tha Maori prophet, hs3 hui.it his pa right across the Rotorua Block track, and is ruling his flock with cn iron hand. Ood of the soit'erj near ihcra slates that two of his boys who had ceeasion to pssj that way the other day wore ordered to trkotbe pipes out of their mouih3 r.ud hat-3 off when thoy apprcschod tho pe.This gentleman states that about 70 followers are with Rua, who is fed on the beet, and mskos bis community work hard. The peoghot makes all r'l3o for prayers at four o'clock every morning. Oa: informant thinks that tho numbers are increasing by tho amount of splitting going on.