LAWN TENNIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2080, 4 January 1908, Page 1

LAWN TENNIS.

WELLINGTON TOU RN AM ENT

Press Association. WELLINGTON, Jam 3. The Wellington 'Provincial Tennis Tournament was continued at Days Bay to-dav. The weather was again perfect.jiiul good progress was made with the various matches, hut the tournament is not yet over. lomorrow afternoon the finals will be plaved of the men’s and ladies championship singles, ladies’ championship doubles, and combined championship doubles. Ihe men s championship doubles was won by Aitken and Gore, who heat Hunter ami Howe. 5-2. 5-1. The follow urn won their games in the uncompleted championship events: —Ladies doubles (semi-final) —Mrs. Hickson and Miss- E. Williams; combined doubles —Miss M'a reliant ami H. M. Gore, Mrs. Hickson and R. Swanstoii. I lie men’s championship doubles was won |,v Keeling and Hawkins (roc. to), who beat 'Goss and Ollivier (scr) iU--51. In the final ol the men s handicap singles (lirst grade) H. . ■ Howe (rcc. 13) heat L. Y\ . Havkiiis (rec. 10). 50-51. Ihe lad N-s liaMdicap singles was won h.v Mass J* ■ Scott (rcc 15). who deleated Miss K. McIntosh (rec. 23) 50-45. Miss I W and Mrs. Hawkins (rcc HO hiat Miss .Marchant and Miss Hickson (sur) iu tho final of tin* ladies ha 11U1caji doubles, i)0-28.

PARCHED HAWKE’S BAY. EFFECT OF THE PROLONGED ,DHY SPELL. A gentleman who had an opportunity recently of travelling through tli" Hawke’s Bay district writes to a Gisborne friend as follows: The country all around Hastings ami Waipawa is all parched up and a green blade ol grass can scarcely lie seen anywhere. The majority of the rape crops are very poor, and i have seen few that arc above six or nine inches in height. Until Christmas Day there had been no rain since about the beginning of October, and you will understand wlml things are like wlien 1 say that they are looking almost as had as the Canterbury plains did during the recent drought there. Land and stock sales, naturally, are much quieter, partly owing to the dry season, and partly to tlx' decline in the price of wool. At it recent sale L saw E.M. ewes with fair lambs at foot started at 3s, and passed in at 4s (id. Good (‘veil hoggets are hard to quit at 12s (id. Till' oaf crops, and particularly the late sown ones, are light and are coming in two or three weeks ahead of lime. If this dry weather continues much longer there are not a few who are going to get hurt. The amount of land .speculation in Hawke’s Bay, until this last two months, has been tremendous and hundreds of farmers are carrying “blisters.” They have been buying property at prices which enable them, with much industry and economy, to make not much more than a hare living. Directly tho market values of our products (any or all) decline these properties cca.se to pay and then “blisters” begin to hiini. People arc .absolutely mad after land here and a good many are going to get burnt.. Everything is controlled by the law of average, and the present values of our products can hardly he called average. The six good years wo have had have apparently blinded people to the fact that soon we might have six lean ones, and when the pinch does come, by Jove, there will be some smashes. I’m not buying agricultural property for live years. Tt will he nearer it’s true value in 1913.