The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2050, 10 April 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1907.

Thoro were twenty-two woddings in Wanganui last woek. The Rev. F. W. Isitt is to give a lecture in Gisborne on No-Lioonsc during next wcok. Mails despatched from Melbourne via Brindisi, on tho oth March, arrived in London on sth April.

Tho annual meeting of tho Poverty Bay Rugby Union will bo hold on tho 20tlx April.

At tho Gisborne Bowling Club s green on Saturday Simson, Hookey, McGowan, and Corson met and defeated Ponsford, Nicholas, Dodds, and Paltridge by 22 to 9. Mr. S. D. McPherson announces that ho has in stock all the latest materials for winter suitings, and js prepared to make up suits at prices that should prove satisfactory to patrons.

Tho annual mooting of tho NoLiconse League was held on Monday evening in St. Andrew’s schoolroom. Reports from the various officers of the League wore read and considered, and officers elected for tho ensuing year.

Dr. DeLisle, tho District Health Officer, called at the “Times” office yesterday, and stated that he thoroughly'approved of everything contained in the article regarding infectious diseases which appeared in the “Times” of yesterday. “While approving the article ho wished to point out that a wrong impresssion was created in' regard to the plans. The plans had only been in Wellington for a few weeks, and Dr. Mason had telegraphed his approval of them, with minor alterations. Professor Hamer, medical officer of health for London, lecturer on public health, St. Bart’s Hospital, London, in his Manual of Hygiene says: “Diphtheria is specially prevalent upon damp soils.” Adams, of Maidstone, has investigated the relation between diphtheria prevalence and fluctuations in the level of subsoil water. He concludes that as long as the soil is well washed in winter, when the subsoil level is high and well aerated in summer when.tho subsoil level is low all goes well, but that disturbance of this natural sequence of event's favors the spread of diphtheria.” Perhaps humidity and allied atmospheric conditions operate rather by promoting individual susceptibility than by directly increasing the virulence of the diphtheria germ. The long, dry summer, followed by the recent heavy rains, which raised the subsoil level considerably, probably was a factor in tlie recent outbreak.

At the Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr Barton, S.M, a bushman named Walter Sarsficld. pleaded guilty to a chargo of drunkenness, and said in mitigation that ho Was only down for a feudays, and would return at once. His Worship imposed a fine of 10s, 2s costs, or 48 hours’ hard labor. Two first offenders, one a native, were each fined 5s and 2s costs, t)r 24 hours’ imprisonment, the latter having to pay 2s cab hire.

The Wairarapa district, according to the Cartorton Nows, is faced with a serious problem in tho shingle trouble. The removal of tho hush is responsible for the washing down stream of large quantities of gravel, and tho metal is filling and blocking all of tho local watercourses. In the case of tho Waingawa river tho bed is in places higher than tho surrounding country, and in other streams the diversion is due to tho silting up of the old course. It is estimated that the riverbeds arc raised at the rate of an inch per year by the travelling shinglo.

After a decision for the respondent had been given in a case being heard at the Native Appellate Court yesterday a gentleman rose and asked to be allowed to say a few words. He was told that the case was closed, whereupon ho said lie merely wished to congratulate the Court on its decision. The Chief Judge told him he could not do so in the could do it outside. The native said that would hardly do—if he praised the Court’s decision outside the appellants might not hear him. He continued for some time to speak on the matter, but was finally silenced. After this gentleman sat down, the counsel for the appellant wished to speak also, but was sternly repressed by the Court—the Chief Judge said they could not have every judgment discussed in the Court.

The committee of tho newly-form-ed Australian Football Association met on Monday evening, when it was decided to hold a general meeting at the Masonic Hotel at .7.30 o’clock next Monday evening. The Association desires a large attendance at the meeting. Mr Cary, who attended a conference at Auckland of delegates from centres where Australian football was played, will submit the minutes of the conference, and the game will be thoroughly explained to any ignorant of the rules of the game. The date for opening operations will be fixed at the meeting. Footballs have arrived, and it is expected a start will be made with games in about a fortnight. It is expeted that a team will bo' sent from Auckland to play an exhibition game with a local team. Negotiations arc proceeding at present for the acquisition of a ground.

Just as every soldier may carry a marshal’s baton in his knapsack, so every telegraph operator is to be encouraged in the belief that he may carry a Minister’s portfolio in his bag, says the Melbourne Argus. The Acting Postmaster-General (Mr Manger) things it advisable that juniors in the service should be invited to make suggestions as to how the public might be better served. The other day a telegraph messenger approached the Ministerial presence with some awe with a proposal which was subsequently favorably reported upon by Mr Hesketh, chief electrical engineer. A system has been in operation for some time under which suggestions are officially recorded, and tho Public Service Commissioner (Mr McLaeldan) was so impressed with its value that he recommended a sum of money should be placed on the Estimates, from which meritorious officers in this respect should be rewarded.

At the mooting of tho Charitable Aid Board last night, iur. Sheridan asked Dr. DeLisle if, in view of the fact that tho now council would probably consider the laying down ot a sewage system, it was advisable for tlie prosont council to institute the soalod pan systorn of sanitation at a cost of about £IOOO.

Tlio balance-sheet of the Look Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to March 31st was presented at tho mooting of the Board last night. The receipts totalled £3852 14s 10tl, made up as follows:— Balance, April Ist, 1906, £47 8s Od; contributions— Cook County Council 1900, £2lO 10s; do 1907 £1240; Gisborne Borough | Council, 1907, £340 10s ; Government .subsidy, 1900, £631 Ids; Oovornment subsidy, 1907, £l2/0 10s, o c ago pensions, £lO6 Os 4<l; refunds, maintenance, £6. Tho expenditure was £2944 2s Od, made up as follows:—Gisborne Hospital Trustees, £1500; Old Men’s Home, £9/4 is od; outside institutions, £63 18s; maintenance of children, £34 6 3s 9d , adminisration, £7O 3s 3d. Tlio balance at tho Bank was £9OS 12s od. Writing from London on February 18th to tho Manager of the. Christchurch Press Company, a linotype operator on one of tlio installations in the great metropolis says of the state of tho trade:—“The misery that oxists in a placo like London is simply awful. Tho numbers that walk about out of work are simply appalling. In the London Society of Compositors wo aro paying out-of-work pay to about 700 men per week. This is awful, considering the membership.” Linotype operators in Loudon arc looking to the possibilities of Now Zealand for work, and it is likely that the ranks in Now Zealand will bo strongly recruited from tho Old Country at no distant date. There is a continual growing domaiul in all parts of New Zealand for linotype operators.