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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2026, 11 March 1907, Page 1

AA’lien the AVuirnrapa cadets were embarked at Lyttelton for homo, somo who were still solvent invested in a bottle of raspberry syrup and drank success to the next camp. By-and-by tho same boys were very seasick, and tho deck presented such a gory appearance that somo of the officers feared the boys had burst a large blood vcsc.l. This fear was allayed when a raspberry syrup bottle, empty, was seen reposing in tho scuppers.—News. A matter that lias an important relation to the erection of new school buildings, came before tho Auckland Board of Education at its meetings on March 7. Under a Departmental authorisation, made in February, 1906, the Board lias been in tho habit, when the votes for new buildings have not been sufficient, of making up the required sum out of its maintenance fund. A communication received from the Department last week stated that this authorisation had been cancelled, owing to an objection raised by the Audit Department, which contended that the terms of the maintenance grant prevented any portion of it being used on school buildings. This objection, it was said, had ben upheld by the Grown law officers. The secretary of the Board (Mr V. E. Rioe) mentioned a present case adopted by this decision, viz., that of the vote for "the new school at Ivomata, which was £l4 less than tho lowest tender received. It was resolved to apply for an increase of the vote in this case.

By what can only be called a muddle in legislation, the hotels in ATictoria are now permitted to sell drink freely on Sundays. The intention of tile Legislature was, of course, to close hotels, but the legislation adopted lias accomplished tho very opposite. At least-, a Victorian Judge, sitting In appeal, has ruled this way, and until a higher court differs from him, which it may not, his decision goes. However (says the Sydney Evening News) we may take it that if a great mistake has been made by the law-makers, it will be rectified in the next Parliament. So that the good souls in Arictoria who desire to see no restriction on Sunday opening of hotels will have blit a brief time for enjoyment. Meanwhile, however, they can rejoice in being able to buy drink openly in hotels on the Sabbath without any interference from the law, and they can avail themselves of the moment for enjoyment without reflecting that a tinip will soon came when, in the words of somo rather blasphemous verses, written by a Scottish Judge, they will “all bo happy on Sundays.” Tho Minister for Public AVorks has, the AVairarapa Daily Times understands, issued instructions to the officers of tlio Ronds Department thax. they, must see that no 'money voted by tiie State for road works is expended on repairs or re-metalling. The Hon. AAh HallJi.nos lias been advised, says the paper that in some parts tho local authorities, instead of keeping the roads under their charge properly maintained out of general rates, arc trying to secure Government grants for this purpose. The Minister says he lias resolved, to put a stop to any practice of this kind, as he considers it amounts to a misapplication of public money; and if he finds local bodies trying to use Government grants for repairing badly-worn roads, the authority to expend will at once be cancelled.

General Picquart is a Minister of AA r ar wlio evidently believes in returning good for evil. He has just given practical expression to the self-imposed promise on becoming a member of the Cabinet that he would forget the past—the past in his case being tiie terrible injustice he suffered over his espousal of the cause of Dreyfus. Recently he promoted to General Brigadier-General Andry, who throughout the Dreyfus feud was one of his bitterest enemies. Andry was a member of the Picquart Inquiry Commission for the cashiering from the army of the then LieutColonel Picquart, who now, By a curious turn of fortune’s wheel, finds himself head of the army and able by a stroke of the pen to make or mar the careers of Andry and the other officers who wore instrumental in inflicting upon him seven years of humiliation.

A tint of the quaint old Huguenot city of La Rochelle, a little of the breeziness of Brittany, has been over Dunedin since Monday (says the Dunedin Star), the circumstance which has brought it being the French sailors of the wrecked barque Marguerite Mirabarscl, They have been walking through the streets, standing at corners, inspecting municipal works, or sitting on tho footpaths with much unconventionality—a contrast to our staid citizens, who are so careful of appearance?. That tiie Frenchmen have missed tho gaiety and frivols of sunny Tahiti, and been dumped down at short notice in a very sombre part of the world does not appear to trouble them much. They seem to find matters of interest everywhere as they walk along the streets speaking a strange argot and laughing all the time,