TELEGRAMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1978, 14 January 1907, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

Press Association. AUCKLAND, Saturday. The police made a wholesale raid on tho hop beer shops at Makatoto, in the King Country, on the AVbangamoana Plains. Fifteen barrels wore seized, eleven in tho bush, and the balance, with malt and brewery apparatus, in a tent, A raid at liaurimu is also reported. NEW PLYMOUTH, Saturday. Following is the first reading of stations at the Primitive Methodist Conference : New Plymouth, lie vs, A. Harding, A. Armstrong, J. Nixon (one year’s rest); Wellington I„ J. Dawson, H. A. Moore (H.M.); Auokland 1., AV. S. Potter, E. Warburton; Auckland 11., G. Clement T. Coatsworth ; Auckland 111,, T. H. Lyon ; Invercargill 1., R, Eaine; Invercargill 11, T. Pybus; Thames, 8, Henderson; Greendale, L. Dudley; Christchurch. Jas. Guy, W. Harris (C.M.); Ashburton,' E. J. Eiddell; Foilding, P, J. Cossum, H. Daniel, P. W. Jones (Sup.); Dunedin, W. Laycock, S. Bailey, and C. A. Sim ; Waikonaiti, J.'Featherstono ; Pox ton, J. Southern; missions - Wellington I, C. E. Ward, B. Metson, J. Dumbcil (Sup,); Wellington 11., J, Cocker ; Timaru, J. Ilyshurt; Geraldine, G H. Mann; Teinuka, J. F, Doherty (H-); Halcombe, J. Clover, Stratford, D. Campbell; Elfcham, J, Waimate and Oainaru, J. Harris ; West Coast Missions, J. Sharp, D. B. Carlisle (candidate); Inglewood, HedleyWhite; Bluff, G. P Hunt; AVaihi, T. E. B. Woolohall; Wanganui, E. Drake ; East Egmont Mission, A, Davis (candidate), E. Deudale, F. A. Thomson (candidate); Waikato Mission, P. J. Hairs (H.M.) NAPIEE, Saturday. An exceptionally heavy downpour of rain occurred last night. It will do an immense amount of good. Visitors to the back country report that tho need for rain has been greatly felt, and in some districts house supplies have to be carted long distances. The Harbor Board’s annual returns ■will this year conslitute a record in the history of the province. Almost every head of revenuo shows a substantial increase.

Judgment in the case in which the widow of Thomas Henry Morton, stevedore, claimed £4OO from Mary Smith, for damages for the loss of her husband, as the result of an accident on a steamer at Gisborne, while engaged in his work, •lias just been received from the Arbitratration Court. Judgment is given for defendant, with costs and disbursements. MASTEETON, Saturday. A thunderstorm occurred yesterday afternoon, accompanied by rain and hail. It was the first fall for four weeks. It was raining heavily this morning, and there is every indication that the drought has finally' broken. WEILINGTON, Saturday. The Workers’.Dwellings Board, setup to do the initiatory work in connection with workers’ dwellings, ha 3 been dissolved, and future work in this direction will be carried out by the Labor Department. The Land Boards of the colony will continue to supervise dwellings, etc. From the loth to tho 24th of December the Union Company carried a daily average of 600 passengers from Wellington to Lyttelton, snd between the 25th and hist the average was 460.

A couple of men have been admitted to the hospital recently suffering from serious wounds, mysteriously inflicted. It is believed a gang of Sydney roughs have been at work. When the Tutanekai arrives from tho Islands with tho Govornor she will make a visit to the West Coast Sounds with tho Australian and Canadian Commissioners to the Exhibion,During the year ended December permits for the erection of buildings valued at 1628,964 were issued in Wellington. A pleasant break in the long spell of dry weather was experienced this morning, when heavy rain fell for about an hour. Tho weather, however again cleared, and ihe heat wave still continues. The public school cadet bat’o/ions propose going into camp at Christchurch for a week’s training on the following dates: —Third Wellington Battalion, February 6ih ; No- 1 Otago, Icbruarv 15th ; Wairarapa, Febiuaty 22nd ; No, 2 Hawke’s Bay, March 2nd; .Grey Battalion, March 9th or 16tli; Southland, March 23rd ; Boy of Plenty and Northern Wft’roa, March !0:h. CHEISTCHUECH, Saturday. Harvest and pastoral reports from North and mid-Oaotcrbury arc not bright. Tho crop 3 are likely to bo very light, and tho pastures far from satisfactory, but rain fell for two hours on Thursday night, and again early this morning. The sky was clear at 9 o’clock to-day, but is overcast again, The Secretary of the Lyttelton Harbor Board hus received a letter announcing tho early arrival of Mr M. F. JWilson, engineer, who is to inspect the proposed harbor extensions at Lyttelton, and report on the Sumner canal proposals. Mr Wilson is a member of. the great firm of Coodc, Son, and Matthews, and has had charge of many extensive engineering schemes, being an expert in harbor works. Ho is expected to arrive at Christchurch on January 20th, IN VE UCABGILL, Saturday.

A heavy thunderstorm passed overtire Lake district on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by torrential rain. Tho creeks, previously dry, between Kingston and Lumsdcn, were running bank high on Friday, The crops look well in most parts, but. raiu is badly needed in the lower country. DUNEDIN, Saturday. Tho shortage of water is getting serious. Sonro of the city foundries this morning blew the whistles and temporarily closed down, owing to there being no water for the boilers. The Dunedin Pipe Band will talco ' part in tho band contest at Christchurch on the 24th and 26tli insts., ill connection with tho Exhibition Athletic Union sports meeting. Captain Sunburg, master of the schooner Jessie Niecol, died very suddenly: this morning. Though he had been ailing ho went about his duties as usual, transacting business yeatorday, afternoon. At 1 o’clock this morning"' he took a serious turn, expiring before medical assistance could be summoned. Tho Port Chalmers branch of the United Temperance- Reform Council passed a resolution viewing with alarm the number of cases of young persons charged with drunkenness coming before the police-courts of tho colony, and entering emphatic protest against : the licensed liquor system, __ 7 '' /

A FIRE. ' GORE, last night. A fire broko out in East Gore this afternoon in a six-roomed house owned and occupied by F. F. Owerakor. Tho back portion of the houso was destroyed with the furniture therein, but tile firobrigado got tho flames under control before they reached tho front rooms. The houso and furniture were both covered by insurance. IRISH DELEGATES. ASHBURTON, last night. Thoro was a fair attendance at the mooting addressed here on Saturday night by Mr. J. Donovan, tho Irish Nationalist delegate, tho Mayor prosiding. At tho conclusion of the address, of nearly two hours’ duration, tho following resolution was passed unanimously:—“This meeting, having heard Mr. Donovan’s address, tenders him its heartiest thanks, and hopes that in tho near future Iroland will enjoy tho blessing of self-govern-ment, which Now Zealanders so highly prize.” The amount collected for the fund in the Ashburton district totals about £2OO. WELLINGTON, last night. Mr. J. Devlin, the Irish Nationalist party’s envoy, was ontortainod in tho concert room of the Town Hall last evening, about live hundred persons being present. Mr. Devlin is duo to speak at Mnsterton on tho 14th January, Hastings on the 15th, and Napier on tho 16th. His mission will bo concluded at Auckland on the 30th. Tlie treasurer of the Homo Rule Fund (Mr. Martin Kennedy) | has received £llO from Goro and ! £324 from Dunedin. The Wellington ; subscriptions now amount to £520, and are expected to reach between £550 to £6OO.

BANKRUPTCIES. AUCKLAND, last night. In tho immediate district of Auckland there were 55 bankruptcies during 1906, nearly all on debtors’ petitions. The assets realised a total of £13.932, and the dividends amounted to £7702, while the preference payments ran to £1743. Five estatos paid 20s in the pound, and on two occasions realisations provided a surplus after paying the amount in question. WELCOME RAIN. ASHBURTON, last night. After an exceptionally lengthy dry period, a very welcome rain set in at nine o’clock on Saturday evening, and continued steadily throughout tho night. The downpour should do a good deal of good to pastures. HASTINGS, Saturday. Rain has been falling steadily since midnight, and will do good The weather lias been very warm for nearly a month. A large quantity of peaches and small fruit is being railed away daily. NEW PLYMOUTH, last night. While other parts of tiie colony liavo been almost drought-stricken, Taranaki has been revelling in a copious rainfall. Tho young turnips, of which a considerable breadth has been sown, are thriving splendidly, and an abundance of winter feed is becoming assured. The most important feature is, however, that the grass is growing freely. Thus milk supplies are pretty well kept up, though tho excessive heat tended to reduce the output lately. While the grass continues to grow well, other things do not matter greatly in the district, - although one disastrous effect of warm rains is that potato blight suddenly appeared over a widespread area.

THE GOVERNOR’S TOUR. WESTPORT, last night. The Governor is paying his first visit to tho West Coast. He had an enjoyable trip from Nelson and down the Buller Gorge. His Excellency was met six miles out of town by local representative men in large numbers. They escorted him to the Public Park, where there was a largegathering of the public. The I Lattery of artillery formed a guard of honor. The City. Band played tho National Anthem. The Mayor (Mr. Gothard) welcomed the Governor to the town. The clerk read an address. His Excellency, in a genial speech, was enthusiastically cheered. The town and park were decorated with bunting. A partial holiday was observed. To-morrow afternoon the Governor inspects the harbor works; on Monday lie visits tho collieries, and lie will be entertained at a social in Westport in the evening. He proceeds to Recfton on Tuesday morning. There is glorious weather.

DEATH OF CAPTAIN EAST. WELLINGTON, last night. Captain East, travelling representative in New Zealand for tlie Tyser Lino, died at the Hospital to-day, as the result of an operation performed a few days ago . EXHIBITION ORCHESTRA. WELLINGTON, last night.' Tho Hon. Hall Jones has informed Mr. _ Scott, South Australian Commissioner to tlio Exhibition, that the Government is prepared to release the Exhibition orchestra for one week, in order to visit Wellington, and give a series of concerts. It is stipulated that the orchestra must come, if at all, at its own risk and expense, or that the Wellington public finance the trip. It is believed there will be no difficulty in obtaining tho required guarantee of about three hundred pounds. In lialf-an-liour, yesterday, Mr. A. E. J-I. Miles, of Murray, Roberts and Co., obtained promises of sums totalling about ono hundred pounds.

ELING AMITE TREASURE.' AUCKLAND, last night. Latter details of the recovery of the Elingamito’s treasure show that about £I7OO has so far been obtained and the diver (Harper) expects to recover the greater part, which amounts in all to over £17,000. He is of opinion that the treasure was never previously located, and says he intends taking down a heavy hammer to break up heaps of coin, spoons, forks, etc., bearing the Hud-dart-Parker brand. WAIHI MINE. AUCKLAND, last night. Tho total output of bullion from the Waihi mine for 1906 is estimated, pending final adjustment on sales, at £825,000, an increase of £96,471 on the yield for the previous year. The prospects for the present year point to a further increase in output, as additional crushing facilities are being provided.

i PRIMITIVE METHODISTS. j ADDRESS OF RETIRING PEES I- ! DENT. I Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, last night. At the Primitive Methodist Con- I forcuee to-day, the retiring President , Rev. O. E. Bellringer, delivered an 1 address. Ho remarked that the • year had in some respects been : fraught with matters of vital interost to tho whole Church of God, none more deeply touching her than the union of the various branches. The passing away of cverptliing that sa- j vors of the spirit of intolerance, the growing feeling of Brotherhood in Christ, tho wider and fuller recognition of their oneness, had broken down prejudices, overcome restraints, and brought them nearer each other. During tho year there had been a marvellous desire for unity moving throughout tho world. In tho old land the Methodist Now Connexion and Bible Christians bad been happily consummated. In America there had been union in the Churches of the Presbyterian Church, and Canada felt tho influence of this spirit. In our own colony the Presbyterian General Assembly bad reappointed a committee to confer with their sister evangelical Churches to discuss matters affecting tho welfare of the Churches, with the view of ultimate re-union. _ There/ were foes to combat, The spirit of insatiable materialism, which loved neither God lior man, was abroad on the earth. When one heard the depths which men descended to in America, in sacrificing tho little ones to the golden calf, every feeling of -fatherhood rose in hot rebellious protest, and demanded of the God who made them that never in their favored home should like things be. The great curse of the gambling evil even now casts a dark shadow upon us, threatening the highest and bestideals. The drink traffic still reared its hideous head, devouring victims day by day. Sins of impurity threatened to poison the very foundations of young national lifo. Earnest, unswerving, persistent effort must be made to dispel these evils t

THE EXHIBITION. (By Telegraph Special Sorvico.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. Despite short showers of rain niul throats of a downpour tho Exhibition attendance on Saturday amounted to close on fourteen thousand. It lmd boon decided not to play the Besses of the Barn Band again in the Concert Hall, as, although tho band plays with a much more subdued tone than an ordinary , band, tho Concert Hall is really not largo onougli to do justice to the strains. The weather on Saturday, however, left no other alternative than to hold tho afternoon performance) indoors, and tho Concert Hall was packed with an entliu- ! siastic audience. In tho evening a performance was given in the Sports Ground, and, though tho weather remained damp and threaten ing, immense crowds assembled and listened, well nigh breathless, to tho hand’s wonderful rendering of a highly varied programme. Tho band’s choice of pieces ranges from “Tho Earl and tho Girl’ - ’ to Bootliovon, • so that all sections of tho audience have something to delight thorn. Mr. Isles, director of the hand, speaking at an entertainment given them by tlio Lancashire Society, at which they wore presented with illuminated address, said ho thought ; lie ought to say without exaggeration I that tho band was recognised as tho 1 most famous in tho world, and in Mr. j Owen they had the greatest conductor now living. Tho perfection of ! Mr. Owen’s control over the band, l and tho ease and quietness of his conducting are indeed features of t tlio performances. Tho band will play on tlio Sports Ground oil Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and both Friday and Saturday nights. Tlio strong popularity of tho orchestra has now been achieved. It was shown in the most signal manner by tlio large attendances. The orchestra performance ill the Concert Hall was given contemporaneous with the performance by the Besses of tlio Barn Band on the Sports Grounds on Saturday. The Concert Hall was crowded, despite tho immenso counter attractions, and many items wore re-de-manded.

Although, tho educational side of tho Exhibition has received much more attention lately than at first, tlio numerous side shows continue to do an enormous business. They are in fact very special features of the Exhibition. Tlio proprietors of tlie Cyclorama, which depicts in a highly realistic fashion tlie decisive battle of Gettysburg in tlio American Civil War, claims to have had upwards of thirty thousand visitors up to the present, the maximum for a single day being throe thousand. The battle is painted on ah immense circular screen, and actual earthworks, guns, tents, etc., are introduced so cleverly that one fails to detect where the picture ends and the other objects begin. The entire representation of tlio famous conflict is terrible and thrilling in its fidelity. Some thirty thousand visitors have also witnessed tho buck jumping performances given nightly in a special arena, and over nine hundred local and other riders have essayed to ride fractious steeds.

The pike consists of a long promenade, with numerous side shows and ingenious slot machines on either side. Tlie promenade is made use of daily by thousands, of whom a large proport ion are enticed into novel side shows by American “sprinters,” “Barkers,” and Crueves, who proclaim with raucous eloquence their various attractions. Wests’ evergreen pictures, shooting gallery, “fun spot,” an air ship which sails above tho lake, a camera obscured, and fat children shows are prominent among tho host of other enjoyments. Wonderland is a separate concourse of most novel side shows, with grounds, band, and tearoom thrown in. Tho judge’s suggestion that the grand test piece in the approaching band contest should be produced by all tho bands together previous to the award being made will .be carried out. Mr. Bentley says that this was done with eight bands in Australia, and the result most impressive. The same tiling with thirv-fivo bands should be the spectacle of a life-time. For the Axemen’s Carnival on January 11 and 19 a large number of entries have been received from Australia, and also New Zealand champions. The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson, concluding a statement of impressions of tho Exhibition, said: “It is certainly an Exhbition such as few of us oveii of middle age can over hope to see again in this colony.”