The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2047, 6 April 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1907.

When Jules Verne talked of navigating submerged ships tlioro were few people then living wlio could be persuaded that the idea was anything moro than a fantastic imagery, quite as extravagant as liis other notion of a big gnu sunk into the earth to shoot a prospector to the moon. The submerged ship is today an accomplished fact, but we haven’t yet reached the moon on a voyage of discovery. Jules Verne made one mistake, that of having lived just a hundred years or two too soon. In this respect wo have a Jules Vcrno in our midst in the person of Mr. W. L. Rees who lias propounded a big scheme for macadamising our roads, building railways into the back blocks, and mating a deep water harbor for less money than the engineers say we can construct the harbor alone. In placing this scheme before the public there is no reason to suspect Mr. Rees’ sincerity, and it may be taken for granted that ho thinks ho can accomplish all that he claims. If it is possible to do it, Mr. Rees deserves the title of public benefactor; but in giving the details there is so much taken for granted that one’s pessimism is naturally aroused, and the absence of important minutiae enlarges rather than obliterates a prejudice against the scheme. Shortly stated the proposals amount to this, that the combined local bodies fortified by an Act of Parliament can dj twice as much with a loan of a quarter of a million than the Harbor Beard can do with £300,000; that is to say, they can on the smaller capital construct the harbor, reclaim additional land, build three large sawmills and provide them with machinery, construct 60 miles of tram line and provide rolling stock. How is all this to be done ? Mr. Rees answers' the question by stating that an apportionment from the loan of £BO,OOO to the Harbor Board will be sufficient to complete tlie mole to a point 3500 feet from the base, and, as far as can be ascertained from liis elaborations, it is to be left there, and the extra 1000 feet required to complete Mr. Marchant’s plan is not provided for. Yet Air. Rees talks of a completed harbor as part of his scheme. A detail of a thousand feet of the most expensive part of the work being left out is only a detail in such a comjirehensive scheme as his. Then £130,000 is to be spent in the construction of railways which are to be handed over to a syndicate to develop Tahora bush lately acquired by another syndicate, and such other bush areas as may be "acquired by the railway syndicate. Where the profits come in that will enable tho harbor to be completed is not stated, except that as one of the local bodies guaranteeing the loan the Board will be entitled to a

shal-o of any surplus over seven per cent, from the syndicate’s profits; but this is only another detail. Then from the loan the Borough and County Councils got £30,000 to Cart stone for road metal over the syndicate’s railway alter live years, or for twenty-five years of the thirty years’ term of lease. Another detail is that the Harbor Board is to pay £2500 interest and sinking fund on its portion of the loan, but there is no mention of payment of interest by the other local bodies on their portion of £30,000, nor is it necessary because the syndicato is to pay on £200,000 and the Harbor Board on £50,000 of the quarter of a million to be borrowed. Tho syndicate need not mind the extra burden of paying for the Borough, and County Council seeing that railway freights are not fixed and there is the £30,000 to pay them. The timber rights to be acquired is apparently the goldmine from which all. the extra money is to ■come that will provide the Harbor Board with the difference between £BO,OOO obtained out of loan and the £300,000 estimated by Mr Marcliant; but these rights are to he acquired by the syndicate whose.liberality in handing over the balanco to the Harbor Board is not guaranteed unless it is proposed to form the syndicate from among the angels, and we have no information of the condition of the. Stock Exchange where they live. We have payer yet heard of a company being floatyi.) there anyway, it will be necessary to make a more defi|iitq bargain than the proposals provide, for t)iii contingency is not even hinted at; but that is only another detail. There can be no objection to the discussion of the scheme, for it may be possible to evolve from it a possible advantage to the district, and to the back blocks proprietors ; but to suggest any connection be-; tween it and the construction of the harbor, or any advantage in cheapening its .construction is to suggest what can only be a distinct, /Jisailvantage inasmuch as it will simply have tlie effect of distracting public attention from a practicable scheme to an impracticable one, and so delay flip much-needed completion of the outer harbor, Quite apart front the impracticability of flip proposals as at present outlined, there is not the slightest chance of seducing Parliament to grant such legislation as would enable the local bodies to carry it into effect, for tho very adequate reason that its provisions arc glaringly subversive of sound policy, and a wide departure from the most liberal and extended powers hitherto granted under any form of local governmont.-

A first offender, charged with being found drunk in Gladstone road, was dealt with in tho usual way at tho Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning.

Cartors nro warned that they must not remove any gravel from the river bod at Kaitaratahi, botwoen points nuu'kod oil the Council’s reserve for a ford, bolow the bridge site.

At tlio closo of business at tho Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, Mr Barton, S.M., held a sitting for tho revision of the jury roll. As no objectors appeared tlie previous list hold good.

Dr. Coker notifies that lie has removed to Palmerston Bond, opposite tho District School and the Church of England parsonage. The consulting hours remain as before, at Mr. Kano’s pharmacy.

The members of St. Andrew’s Church nro reminded of the quarterly Communion on Sunday morning next. Air. Grant hopes that every available member will attend. Ihe subject for the evening is: “All enemy; always on the trail. The projected chess match by telegraph between the Gisborne ami Wairoa Clubs is postponed owing to tho fact that arrangements could not be made for tho use ol : tho wire tonight. An endeavor will be made to arrange tho match lor this night fortnight, 20th instant.

In pointing an argument in favor of Maori girls going out to domestic service, Mr. Ivohore, while reading a paper at the Te Aute Old Boys’ Association Conference at Awnpuni yesterday, stated that ol the Maoris who died each year more than half were children of very tender years.

Tho Salvation Army are going in to spend a happy day at their meetings all day to-morrow, under the command of Adjutant Dickens. Bright, cheerful singing and helpful talks will be the order of tho day. Brother Stuckey, sen., will be welcomed home. A hearty welcome is extended to all, and those who wish to spend a. happy day are invited to attend to-morrow’s mootings.

Mr. C. F. Lewis denies the statement attributed to him by Air. W. L. Rees at tho meeting on Thursday that “Air. Cecil Lewis had told him that his instructions were to put the values on to any timber land held to." speculative purposes.” Air Lewis states that wliat be told Air. Rees was “that the Department liad instructed the valuers to value all timber and flax lands likely to come into occupation.”

It is understood that a change in tho system of class firing for the volunteers comes into force this year. In the past tho shooting has been from fixed distances, but it is proposed to set up temporary targets, bring up tlie squad and. allow them to judge the distances for themselves, thus carrying out an observation from the Boer war, when it was seen that better work was done by training tho soldier on individual lines.

The usual parade of the Gisborne Rifles was hold at the Drill Shed, last night, Capain Beere being in command. Tlie company proceeded along the road leading to tlie Sheepfarmer’s Freezing Works and practised extended order formation. Upon returning to tlie Drill Shed, two new members, Messrs Whitlock and Barnes, were unanimously elected. Before dismissing tlie company Captain Boerc spoke, encouraging the men to do good work and urging the recruits to get on with their recruit drill.

A very pretty wedding took place at tile bride’s residence, Bonsomb.v, on Tuesday, April 2nd, when iliiss Annie Alorrison, eldest daughter of David Morrison of Perthshire, Scotland, was married to RobertWilliam Cary, eldest son of R. W. Cary, late qf the Academy of Alusic, Wellington, in tlie seventies and of Alelboui'ne in the eighties. Air. AleAuley Caldwell officiated. The bride was attired in a very rich cream dress, whilst the bridesmaids, wlio wore Alisscs Jessie AfcCormick and Lavina Alorrison, were very prettily attired. Air. David Hyne, of Gisborne, was best man. The happy couple left for Gisborne the same evening for tlicir honeymoon.

The Inspector of Stock proceeded against Cyril AYliite and Sydney West (separately) at the Alagistratc’s Court yesterday morning, on charges of owning sheep affected with lice. Mr. Nolan appeared for the owners, ami explained that ill both cases the sheep had been thoroughly dipped, and that there were only one or two which might- have been missed in dipping, or might have come in -contact with lousy shce]> on tho way to the snleyards. The Inspector said that in future lie would press for a heavy penalty; slice]) must not come to the yards in that state. Under tho circumstances His Worship inflicted tho small penalty of 10s each, and costs 7s.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning Mr. Barton, S.M., gave his decision in the remanded case of Francis Hodgson, charged with stealing £4 12s 4d from liis employer, George’ • Smithies, manager of the Spiral Steel Company. His Worship said that it was accused’s first offence and be would allow the provisions of the Probation Act to meet the case. He had no doubt from the evidence that drink was the root of the whole trouble-, and recommended the accused to take warning to heart and never to touch liquor again, otherwise it would lead to further trouble. Ho said accused was a comparatively young man, and that if ho showed himself deserving lie would find plenty of people willing to help him. Accused would be admitted to probation for six calendar months, and that within three calendar months be must pay costs amounting to £2 4s 9d and refund tlie money to Mr. Smithies. Detective Maddeni suggested that 1 accused take out a prohibition' order against himself, and this was agreed ”tq.