The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2124, 5 July 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1907.

A’nl A T ousden at His Majesty’s to-night.

A Melbourne file to hand contains 37 matrimonial advertisements from gentlemen and ladies (many with villas, etc.) desiring future happiness. A fortnightly assembly will be held at tlie Ormond Hall fortnightly, commencing on the 17th at 8 p.m. sharp, doors open half past 7.*

The Zealandia brought tlie thoroughbred stallion Marshal Soult from Auckland and landed him safely yesterday morning. He has been purchased by Messrs. Hepburn Bros, for stud purposes and should be a great acquisition to the district.

Members of tlie Hunt Club met yesterday and decided, if suitable arrangements can be made, to hold a raco meeting during the first weei, in August. It is proposed to include a couple of open races in the programme. Tlio Racing Club will be approached on tlie matter.

The Rev. AVm. Grant has received intimation that the Mr. John Blair, who met his death at AA’angunu through, accidentally severing his jugular vein with a pruning knife, if identical with Mrs. Grant’s father Mrs. Grant, wdio will have the sympathy of local friends in her bereave ment, has left for Wanganui.

One effect of the recent downpour was to render the Waimata Creek impassable at the sjiot known as the Waterfall Crossing. A drover who started wtih a mob of cattle was warned that it was a swimming matter, and had consequently to retrace his steps. Nature converted a- few inches of water into a raging torrent in 24 hours. Now that the weather is in gracious mood the rivers and creeks will quickly resume their normal level.

It is time the Racing Club had starting barriers on the local course, to bring it into line with others throughout the colony. The false starts and delays are detrimental to highly-strung horses, as well as being highly exasperating to the race-going public. The starter did very well yesterday considering the refractory material he had to deal with. Tho provision of the harrier would considerably lighten his labours, aud would be a forward .step in the Club’s progress.

Judgment by default was given by the Magistrate, Mr. W. A. Barton, yesterday morning in tho civil case between R. C. Miller (Mr. J. W. Nolan) and C. A. Eoote, claim £lOl 10s 9d, including interest, and £5 13s costs. Four cases were adjourned and seven were struck out; none were defended. An order for immediate payment of £5 Is, debt and costs was made in the judgment summons Thomas Dickson v. Harry Woolcott.

Residents of Opotoki, Motu and Gisborne districts are preparing a petition to the Postmaster-General asking for the establishment of a weekly direct mail service between Opotiki and Motu, connecting with the Gis-borne-Motu sen-ice. At present mails from Opotiki to Motu are sent by-, spyto Auckland, ther.ee by sea to Gisborne, and then by coach on to Motu. thus entailing considerable delay m mails to what is really a portion ol the Opotiki district.

The Julius Knight Dramatic Company which is to open a season of three nights in Gisborne on July- loth has a repertoire of four plays—y“ Raffles,” “Robin Hood,” “Brigadier Gerard” and “Monsieur Beaucaire.” During the Gisborne season all the plays will be given, with the exception of “Monsieur Beaucaire,” which was presented on a. previous visit. It is worthy of note that “Robin Hood” has not yet been played enywhere outside the centres in the Aus-, Itralasian colonies.

At the Police Court yesterday mioruing, before Mr. W. A. Barton, .3.31., a native named Tohi Parapara was fined 10s and 2s costs or 48 hours’ .imprisonment for drunkenness. A second native, a first offender, was dealt with iu the usual way. Another first offender was lined ss. 15s costs, or 48 hours' imprisonment for the same offence. Sergeant Williams stated that this individual also broke a window- by putting liis head through it, although i..i did not do it wilfully.

i The movement on foot to induce the i Poverty Bay Turf Club to re-instate two-year old races, after a lapse oi j twelve years, has much to commend '] it. There is no doubt that it will j afford an incentive to breeders which is at present lacking, and the im- ; portatiou of brood mares and sires j from other districts will be further stimulated. Owners naturally like to I test the quality of their two-year olds j locally, if possible, before sending ! them to outside centres, and it is j stated there will be no difficulty in I obtaining at least fifteen nominations j even at this stage. j; There was no telegraphic commu- | ideation outside of tile district all [ da.v yesterdav. a fault having oceur- ; red south of Wharerata, and linesj men from hotli ends are opt. The ] telegraph officers going on at 8 o'clock yesterday morning found that .no work could be transmitted, and tl.-e telegrams quickly accumulated, anti about 300 were on hand last nigt't. A large number wore posted to N.a pier by- the Victoria, and they shonlci bo despatched from there this morning. Some telephoning was done through the day- with Wairoa, but was confined to urgent telegrams. The gap between Wharerata and Jlorere was bridged over by a private win;, but this was a verv precarious method, and not a great deal of work was thus got away. The resulting inconvenience was felt very keenly as the races were on, and sporting ge utlemen are in the habit of demanding the utmost haste in the transmission of their telegrams.

There are now upwards of 30 shops in Ohakunc, null more are m course of erection.

y(r William Russoll has disposed of bis run of eight thousandi acres near Hastings, to Mr. Lothbridgo, biotlioi of the member for Oroua.

“Tlie greatest weakness of the'Australian Universities,” said Professor Starr Jordan, lecturing at Canterbury Colloge, “is tlio almost fatal omission of all study of modorn history, which is so especially necessary in countries where many political exporimonts arc boinn made. Aid* koy to al such experiments is to he found in the history of England from tlio time of Olivor Cromwell.

Good polo ponies fetch excellent pricos at Homo. A local gentleman, according to the Taranaki Hoi aid, bought a maro and foal from the Maoris at a vory small figure, and lator sold tho foal, which had furnished into a well-built tractable pony, to a Hawora gontloman for polo purposes. The pony was afterwards shippod to England, where it realised £4OO, and lator was purchased for £SOO and taken to I'ranee.

Information received in AA’ellington from h reliable source coiiceimng tlie trawling experiments which are being carried out bv the Nora Niven indicates that results so tar are not too encouraging. It is stated that when the trawler is working deep water comparatively few fish are secured, and that the quality of the fish obtained on tlio shallow beds is not lip to standard. At the same time it is pointed out that the season of tlie year is not altogether favorable for best results.

Another league lias been formed in AVellington for the ensuring of a white New Zealand. This fresh association is entitled tlio AVhite Race League, and has Dr. T. F. MacDonald as president. The broad object is “the preservation and development of tlie white race,” and this is to be accomplished by a thorough system of educating the public. It is proposed to form branches in other centres of Now' Zealand, and to ex-tend-.tlie organisation to other countries.

Tokens of the progress and prosperity of Taranaki are everywhere apparent- (says tlio Herald). The milk cheques or the butter exports are generally taken as an index; but the signs can easily be read in the building operations of New; Plymouth. Among public buildings, tli _i post office, the technical school, and tho railway station are entirely modern. Many of the private dwellings recently built add much to the architectural beauty of the town. Now a remarkable advance is seen in the business premises.

Fifty-two porsoiifi ill poor circumstances are Wellington are to gain immediate benefit from tho generosity of tlie employees of tlio Manaivatu Railway Company, who recently subscribed to provide coal for the poor. Ordors for supplies to the number stated, in 2cwt ami scwt lots, wore placed with the Stato Coal Depot, and delivery is to be made dailv until tho list is exhausted. The balance of tho railwa-men’s subscription is to bo applied in the relief of special cases, and care is being exercised to see that, the whole amount is expended in directions where it will do tlie greatest amount of good.

According to a correspondent at Opotiki tlio “propliet”Rua lias again made liis appearance, and this time he has chosen his native home for the sceno of his ojierations. Rua’s follow'ers are letting tlieir liair grow, and the prophet now calls himself “Moses.” Rua has prophesied a tidal wave at To Teko, and this has led the natives to clear away from the pa, leaving behind them their kumeras, potatoes, and other food products; in fact, they have turned their horses and pigs into their cultivated areas, and must for some time be minus food. Tlie result of such action will, when hunger sets in. be that an appeal will be made to the Government for supplies.

Bishop Julius, speaking at a church meeting in Christchurch, said that Anglicans were, as a rule, sadly lacking in regard to their reasons for being members of the Church of England. “If you meet a Baptist,” he said, “he is readv to prime you fid) of his reasons for being a Baptist; ask a Congregationalist, and he will tell you very quickly; enquire of a Seventh Duv Adventist why he is a Seventh Day Adventist, and ho is ready to trot out all the way from here to Springfield, while you go to tii* devil if you’re not a Seventh Day Adventist. Get a Churchman, and can he tell you why he is a Churchman ? No; he will not deal with the matter in a quick, intelligent manner —lie doesn’t stand up and back liis church, as he ought to do.”

A glam- case of villainously bad sportsmanship or wanton brutality enme before a recent meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society (says the Otago Daily Times), when a letter was read stating that in the country- between the Ahuriri river and Lake Oliau sheep had been found dead in bunches, and on being examined were found to have been shot with rifle bullets. It is difficult to understand the motive for such a deed, as a sheep would be almost as easy to hit as a ha'-stack, so that even the worst .sportsman in the world could find no pleasure in shooting at one. The affair seems something of a mystery-, but the Otago Society- will place the matter before the Oamaru Society- (in whose district it occurred), and doubtless steps will be taken to trace the offenders.

Tho new Pollard Lilliputian Opera Company, which has arisen Phoenixlike out of tlio ashes of the old combination, arrived iu Christchurch on Juno 28tli. So far all the members eitlior belong to Melbourne or Sydney. no local talent vet being included. Mr. Tom Pollard is the director, Mr. W. A. Lowe business manager, and Mr. E. Schwartz advance agent. The Lilliputians will almost immediately commence rehearsing the opera “Blue Bell in Fairy-land,” which is to be produced here for tho first time in Grand National week. By a strange coincidence, Sir Joseph Ward, who tendered a farewell function to the old Pollard Opera Company after it had made its final appearance in Australia, was aboard the boat bringing the newly-formed Lilliputian Company- from Sydney to New Zealand. The Theatre Roy-al presented an animated scene last evening, on the occasion of the Druids’ annual social. This function lias won recognition as one of the chief events of the season, and last night’s gathering was in every way worthy of its best traditions. There were between 140 and 150 couples, who enjoyed a lengthy dance programme to music dispensed by Miss Moore’s orchestra. Bros. H. Miller, M. W. Craig, S. J. Spiers, A. Sawyer, sen., T. G. Lawless, "and W. Lewis were the M.C.’s, and affairs went with a pleusipg vim throughout. A special feature was the sumptuous supper laid in tile large apartment behind the stage. The table decorations and the viands supplied reflected all credit on the caterer, Mi;. A. P, Hailey. There were a number of spectators viewing the scene from the dress circle, and for the benefit of non-dancers the stage was cosily fitted up in drawing-room stylo and furnished with card-tables. Mr. Jas. A. Eaton carried out the secretarial arrangements, and the

following committeemen did good service :—Bros, IV, Whinray, Jas. Sea--1.7, G. E. Darton, A, Wade, A. Sawyer. D. West, F. Creamer, and A. Pool.

Comparisons are not always odious, and apropos of a discussion at a recent meeting of the Otago Harbor Board concerning tile emoluments of pilots, the Otago Daily Times says; It is interesting to note the conditions prevailing in perhaps the most elaborate pilot service in the world — the Hooghli. A pilot is a man who twists an iron leviathan through tortuour passages as if it were a toy-; and on the Hooghli it is no uncom-

mon sight to see bjg liners from the Sunderbunds to Calcutta with their bows just grazing a quicksand and the ensign staff rattling against the bamboos on tho bank, as the pilot swings her into a fresh channel at a bend. In the Hooghli service a lad of 19 joins as a “leadsman” at the equivalent of £l5O a rear; then lie is mate, master, and finally branch pilot at a salary equivalent to £I2OO, and a pension of about £6OO after so many- years’ service. Of course there is the climate to he considered. Also the fact that Calcutta is about. 150 miles from the Heads, instead of 18. as is tlic.case with Dunedin. Pilots aro of opinion that without them there would be fewer sea ports, and those who know them and their work believe that, at any rate, they earn tlieir money.