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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2226, 1 November 1907, Page 2

A meeting will bo held at All-. Geo. E. Darton’s office to-night to consider the advisability of forming a Carters Union.

The Harbor Board’s sand pump dredge was .success! idly brought down the Tnru'heru river yesterday, and she will he placed on the slip before being employed on excavations beneath the Turaiiganui river.

A new phrase to suit modern conditions was introduced in “Jho Non Clown” at the theatre last, night. In announcing the arrival ol an ■aristocratic personage in a. motor car too valet called out “Sir James Chesterfield has just ‘puffed up.’ ”,

All- 11. E. llill, Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages,, reports the following vital statistics for tnc month of October: Births 4b, deaths 19, marriages 9. During the past two months 100 births have been registered, the number ol deaths for the same period being 26. The'washing out of the town reticulation pipes of the waterworks was in progress yesterday. The supply has already been tapped by several builders for damping their bi'ieks. Air B. Couston will arrive from South on Saturday in connection with the completion of the contract, ami it is expected that Alt*. R. Hay .will -retui n from England before the wt>i;ks aie finally handed over.

That tlio season is now quite ripe for shearing was evidenced by the appearance of the sheep at- Matawlicro yesterday. Laden with a year’s growth of wool thousands ol ewes stood limiting in the yards, and evidently found the heat exceedingly trying. Shearing has actually started in a few sheds, and over 300 bales are already stored in the N.Z. Shipping Co.’s.shed. T3no of the counsel at the Compensation Court yesterday commented on the fact that it was a hard tiling to get big landholders to come into Court and swear about the value oi their holdings. On the one hand they were frightened that if they valued their properties too low the Government would step in and resume the estate, and on the other hand, it they valued their lands at a high price the Government would put up the Land Tax on them.

There was rather an amusing dialogue at the Compensation Court yesterday morning. A witness stated that at one time he had farmed a station. “Did you sell it P” asked counsel. “1 did not,” replied witness. “Then you have it still, pursued counsel. “No,” replied witness. “Well,” said counsel, ‘‘you parted with it.” “The Bank took it,” .witness replied. The witness explained that he lost his property at that time when the Bank of New Zealand was realising wherever it possibly could. It’s an ill-wind that blows nobody anv good, and according to reports the rush of applications for connection with the water service is providing a harvest for working plumbers. One of the leading plumbers of the town, when assailed yesterday by a customer who wanted to know when his service would be connected, replied: “I’m putting them in as last as possible* but I can’t get enough men to keep pace with the demand. Fm bringing men from Auckland and Napier, and paying them 14s a day, and still can’t get enough.” Tho firebell rang at 9.45 o’clock last night, the scene of the outbreak being Mr. W. Sandlant’s coach factory, Gladstone road. The fire was discovered by Alessrs E. Thomas, .Patutahi, and \V. Johnston, who quickly broke open the door, and with the aid of a few well-directed buckets of water managed to suppress the fire in a fe.w minutes. Tho outbreak wus in tho vicinity of the forge in the shop. Not much damage was done by the fire, though some doors were broken by over-zealous citizens bent on saving Ah- Sandhi ill’s stock. Mr Thomas was previously a member of the Brisbane Fire Brigade, and he helped greatly in getting the fire under control as quickly as it was.

During the hearing of Ah. Clark’s case at the Compensation Court yesterday, a great point was made by Ah. Skerrett (for Mr. Clark) that a difficulty would arise in getting a place to accommodate Ah. Clark’s stock. Later on Mr. Skerrett said it iiad been suggested-to him that the sheep should be taken to Fiji. Air. Findlay( appearing for the Crown) turned round and said, “I wish they were there,” in a very earnest tone ; and tho sentiment must have been echoed by many in Court, who, for the past four days have been listening to dreary discourses about rushes, swamps, bad fences, floods, different kinds of manuka, anil tho many and various other ills which land is heir to.

On Tuesday the Chief Justice made some remarks at tho Compensation Court regarding land values and child slavery. Some further light was thrown on the subject by a witness at tho Court yesterday. Counsel, addressing a witness, stated that as ho (witness) was a Government a aluer, his object would always be to value at a lower figure than anybody else. Witness replied that he did not especially seek to get low valuations ;Jiut ho always endeavored to make tho price of land cheap. It was a serious thing to put tho value of land very high when it was to he worked by poor men, and ho always sought to set such a price-'on land as would enable a man to make a living on it.

Frequenters at the Matiiwlioro saleyards are beginning to ' realise the force of the old saying that competition is the soul of business. From being virtually a monopoly, tho task of catering refreshments has conic to be divided, and the public is reaping the benefit. Messrs Common, Shelton and Co., in conjunction, with Messrs Dalgety and Co., have elected a good sized building within tlieir yards, wherein Mrs. Osmond dispenses. an excellent meal at a reasonable rate. As Mrs. Eiskine continues to cater in her usual capable style on the other sido of the road, there is now ample accommodation for all. The room reserved for . auctioneers and friends was somewhat cramped, and this has been enlarged with additional comfort to those concerned.

A sitting of the Native Appellate Court is fixed for the 28th of next month.. Tho matters to be adjudicated upon are those in respect of which jurisdiction was conferred upon the Court by Section 7 of “The Maori ! Land Claims Ad iiistment and Laws Amendment Act, 1906,”by which the orders under “The Native Equitable Owners Act, 1880.” or sub-section 10 of section 14' of “The Native Land Court Act, 1894,” in respect nf J.’outaka No. 1. Wharepu No. 1, 'ltuima-ta-o-Teo, Ohtiia No. 1, Herelieretau B and To Kiwi Blocks were cancelled. Power was given to the Court to rehear such applications on which the orders were founded. Judges Jones and ltawson, the latter of whom is at present holding a sitting of the Native Land Court at Nuhaka, will be the presiding judges. According to the well-known song, “the policeman’s lot is not a happy one.” ; but if there is one person who can claim an even harder lot than the poor guardian of the peace it must be the expert valuer in a case lor determining tho value of land. At the Compensation Court yesterday one expert valuer had a particularly bad time, chiefly as the result of misunderstandings. As an instance: Counsel asked him at how much lie would value the Jaml per sheep per acre; and the witness, catching a. wrong meaning, said he would run li sheep per acre on tho estate. Misunderstandings of this kind were frequent, ami the crowning trial was _ when counsel, by means of the witness’s computation at per sheep per acre, showed that the estate was worth £142,000, whereas lie (the witness) valued it bv other means at £102,000.

Summer Coolers. —Kops’ Tonics—Kops’ Ale, Kops’ Stout, _ absolutely the best non-alcoholic drink in the market. Good for you, and improves the appetite. Sold at Dustin’;;, Caterers.