The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 19.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2159, 15 August 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 19.

AUSTRALIA FOR THE AUSTRALIANS. If the Commonwealth Parliament passes tlio tariff which has been presented by Mr. Dcakin as Federal Treasurer, Australia will have taken the most- notable step in its history since tlio various States became federated. The country will have embarked for good or ill oil a high protective policy. The result will come as a great triumph to the Sydney j Bulletin, the journal which has in season and out of season fought for the cause of local manufacturers with remarkable enthusiasm and extraordinary ability. The creed of the “Bulletin” is that 1 every Australian importer of British or foreign goods is a menace to the well-being of tlie community; a commercial “loafer” who is robbing the Australians of money that- should be distributed as wages amongst their own workmen. Apparently a large section of tlio Commonwealth people has become permeated with this view and the Hon. Alfred Deakin, always a Protectionist at heart, has at last come out with a policy that, from its thoroughness, migTit well be termed “Australia for the Australians.” The new tariff spells protection all round, and has as little regard for the rights of the “free breakfast table 1 ' as for those 4>f tlio foreign producer or manufacturer who cannot urge this claim for special treatment. Currants, I which Sir Joseph Ward lias placed on I the free list by removing the former I duty of a penny in the pound, are to I pay an increased tax of exactly the same amount. Tea in packets is to pay an extra penny per pound, cocoa I and chocolate an extra lid, molasses ail extra shilling in t-lie hlindredI weight; and potted meat, frozen I meat, preserved milk, stareli, and I starch flours are all subjected to subI stantial increases. Cotton piece goods, which have just been freed in New Zealand from their previous liaI bility to ten and twenty per cent, ad I valorem, are to pay an additional I twenty per cent. in the Commonwealth; and many - other articles in I the class of clothing alid textile goods I arc similarly treated. The farmer is I to pay twenty per cent, on agriculI rural machinery, while all other niaI chinery is liable to thirty-five per I cent., but for -a special reason stripI per harvesters and strippers have to pay as much as £l6 and £8 respect ively. Oil the other hand, tlie farmer gets substantial compensation in the shape of duties of 10s per head on horned cattle, 2s oil sheep, and S.s on pigs. Altogether some 500 items have been dealt with, and appreciable increases imposed in most cases. A notable feature is tlie Treasurer’s statement that the nerv tariff will give “a preference to Great Britain of 11.5 to ■11.25 per cent, on 153 items, affecting importers to the extent of £1,250,000.” Protectionists claim that tlie United States and Germany liavo achieved the marvellous progress which lias been their lot as the result of tlieir policy of industrial exclusion and it would now appear that our neighbors of the Commonwealth intend to seek national greatness by the samo means. If the tariff as already put forward is passed there is little likelihood of freetrade methods being again roverted to. Once protectionist, always protectionist appears to be tlie experience of modern nations. Such a policy is not likely to seriously affect our commercial relations with the Commonwealth as the existing duties are quite heavy enough to prevent us trading to any extent with our neighbors across the Tasman Sea.

The box plan for Madame Carreno’s recital will he opened at Mr. .Miller’s this morning at 10 o’clock.

The Whaitatiiitu hounds meet on Saturday.

The Mayor reo,nests tradespeople to observe a holiday as from noon today.

A notice under the Land Transfer Act regarding a Gisborne section appears in this issue.

The Waimmita bridge loan of £3OOO lias been authorised by the Government.

The Post Office reports that mails despatched from Melbourne, v;ia Brindisi, on July lOith, arrived in London on August 11-th.

Subscriptions to the fund for the purchase of a testimonial to Webb, world’s champion sculler, will be received at the Times office.

The statutory meeting of the Harbor Board will be held tins afternoon. The finance committee met yesterday to consider the subject of salaries, and will report.

The committee of the Presbyterian Church met last night to consider the plans for the new church. After considerable discussion further consideration was deferred.

Tho following additional subscriptions to the Cook Memorial Rectihcn tion Fund are acknowledgod : J\ 1 1* Wm. T. Veach £1 W “Murhvai £3

Asked (o express his views on the railway question yesterday. His Worship tile Mayor says ho is a staunch advocate of contin-uiug the present line to open up the interior.

The Chief Postmaster advises: Cablegrams for Brazil, Chili, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay .should be sent via Commercial and Azores until further .potice. There will he no delay on this route, and tho rate is the same as via Galveston.

Headers are reminded of the meeting to bo held in tho Salvation Army Barracks this evening, to mark the twenty-fourth year of Adjutant Dickens’ connection with the Army. The Adjutant will recount a number of interesting anecdotes of his experience during his officership. When the Adjutant has previously spoken in this vein large audiences were the order of tho day, and a good attendance is expected to-niglit.

Do you want something nobby in neckties. We have the correct thing. Just opened up a choice little lot at Is- 3d and Is £5 each/’ —P? Rosie and 00.

During tlio month ended 1,399,352 passongors were earned on the Wellington electric 188,479 moro than during the coircs ponding period of 19Ut>. On Monday night tlio Gisborne Debating Society promise “ T ! 'm Sto^lD’CMinswili when Mir. Dart on ami . .1 debate on the question : Sho hi tlu Legislative Conned in its piesuit loim bo abolished and its place taken by an ole obi vo body ?

A meeting of members P% -’ere ciiscii^ Bund. . would he *gl iuI V to' hoar willing to assist.

■V meeting of tlie Gisborne Railway League will probably be convenod y noxt fveelc to consider the railway question. There appoars to bo somo difference of opinion "'ith rogaul tlio Gisborne-Napier soheme somo maintaining that the beat ntoi«,ts ol the district would bo advaiuxM ny centrin'* efforts upon an oxtensmn of tho pre-sont lmo. An intei esting dis cussion should eventuate.

The continued wet weather is unsatisfactory to all classes ot tllnn cvmunity, and to none mo thorn c lists who are compelled to lay tlioir machines aside, particularly mview of the strenuous methods of tlio police in putting down Tho committee of tlio local Cyolmts Association intends to meet next «tek to consider further may*, an means for improving tho cyclists condition..

Wo (Hawke’s Bay Herald) were shown yesterday an interesting specimen of limestone rock taken by Mi. H. Robinson from a cutting at 1 ohm. It contains six sharks tooth. of_Vi,m ous sizes, m a very fine state of petrifaction. The specimen was. taken from the centro of a largo stone, and, indicates that at some very distant date tlio .land must liavo been 'immersed. '

The proposed appointment of a director of technical instruction lor Hawke’s Bay was again Education Board at then i-'® l, ecting somo of the public bodies applied to for contributions having refused to comply. It was decided that, beforo further contributions were invited, tho Assistant Inspeetoi should be called upon to organise the work of technical instruction.

A new arrival from Napier gazed on the amber fluid mester until he U his hearings. The discvp-le of Bacchus meandered round to the Whatiiupoko. but whilst admiring the view liis equilibrium, affected by the copious draughts aforesaid, gave way, and his head struck the woodwork of the bridge. A friendly constable oaonc along, conveyed the stranger to the lock-up, washed off the blood-stains, and entered up the same old charge.

In tho course of an interview at Napier, Mr. It. D. D. McLean, who has been on an extensive tnp to the Old Country, remarked: —“The New Zealand press serve tho public so well tliat you are practically as well versed an* wharfc occurs in the Old Country ns if you were actually there, and possibly everything I can say will be stale news. I consider that tlie newspaper press of this colony compares most favorably with that of England. No towns of the same size as those here are nearly so well catered for in the matter of news.”

It is now generally recognised that the average Maori, is not- quite the guileless- and unsophisticated child of nature he was formerly deemed to be. and an incident occurred prior to tlie siting of tlie Native Lands Commission in Napier which clearly illustrates the fact. One of the Maori owners of an area in tlio Takapau district was asked privately if he -and his co-partners would be willing to lease the place, to_ which query lie astutely replied, “"Well, we don’t object to short leases to Europeans, so that they may clear the land and then leave it to us Maoris to work.”

A letter from tlio Napier School Committee was read at last meeting of the Education Board, suggesting that a system of correspondence between pupils of the Hawke’s Bay schools and those of other parts of the would should he established and encouraged. The secretary stated that tlie idea was not a new one. Such a system liad been in existence for some time, in fact-, a,t that moment he had in bis office a hatch of letters from abroad for distribution among school children in the district. It was true, lie added, that in some pi aces the corresjiondence had been allowed to drop, but in others it was still kept up constantly.

A pleasant day’s outing, should the weather be at all favorable, is assured at the Park racecourse to-day, when a good programme will be carried out by the P. B. Hunt Club. A number of very fair performers are engaged, and the cross-country events should bo well wontli witnessing. The first train leaves at 1.10, and as tlie business establishments close at noon, a large attendance may be expected. The jumps were got in readiness yesterday. The course is reported to bo in good order, though on the -heavy side. Mr. W. Slier.ratt will carry out tho secretarial arrangements, and with such an experienced official -as Mr. M. G. Nasmith, secretary of the Gisborne Park Racing Club, to assist in supervision, the arrangements will be in caoable hands. Mr. C. J. Bennett will act as judge, and Mr. A. R. Hine as starter.

The Education Board, sitting at Napier on Monday, accepted G. Kilburn's tender to erect Tolaga Bay outhouses for £35 15s. —The building committee’s report, which was adopted, included the following items: IVac.ron; r a-s-liiku : Applications for additions declined. Gisborne: Consideration of application with regard to grates deferred; applications for bell and clocks granted. Matawhero: Original specifications for shed to be carried put. Nub-aka : £7 8s granted for carriage of furniture; application to bo made for an addition of one acre to the site; application for 9s for freight refused; moveable outhouses to bs erected. Puli a : Application for school referred to To Karaka . Committee. Pa.tut-ahi: £ls granted for works enumerated. —On the motion of Mr. Morgan, it was deoided to "apply again to the department for an addition to the Mangapapa School. —.Mr. Danton moved that when the reports of the Inspectors on any schools are specially good, the teachers he written to and congratulated by the board. —Carried. —12 applications for new schools and additions to existing buildings were dealt with.