The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1908.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2087, 13 January 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1908.

Pollard's Opera Company will play a return visit to Gisborne, opening at His Majesty’s on February 5.

Bush fires are still in progress, and on Saturday night fires on tho AA’hataupoko hills were distinctly seen.

AA’itb the dry weather, sheep are. looking well in tho Pakarao district. Most of tho wool clip has now been despatched.

A Native Land Court is to open sittings at Tuparoa on February 13th for the purpose of investigating titles to all papatipu blocks in the AA’aiapu -district. The Court will sit also at other centres on the Coast-.

The immigrants who arrived recently appear to be doing well. Two wero carpenters and found • employment on the day after their arrival. Another is employed at one of the freezing works and the others seem to ho provided for. Speaking to a Times reporter, Mr. AV. D. Lysnar stated that he is confident that his proposal to borrow £200,000 for metalling the county* roads will pass the meeting to bo held on Thursday night, aiid pass the ratepayers too.

A’cry* sulty and oppressive weather has been experienced locally in the past few days. On Saturday the high temperature of 94 degrees was registered. Yesterday*, although many thought the day if anything was hotter than Saturday, 84 degx-ees was tho highest reading. To-day will an exceptionally busy day in shipping circles, locally. The Shaw Savill Co’s Delphic is expected to bo in the Bay loading for Home and in addition the Squall from Auckland, Awanui from Ngunguru, Kereru from Auckland, Toroa from Napier, and Fanny from Akitio will be discharging their various cargoes at the wharf.

The next meeting of the Tai-Rawhiti Land Board will be held on February 3rd, and all applicants who have failed to file declarations under section 26 of tho Act of 1900 should file them before the 25th of this month, as required by* the Maori Land Laws Adjustment Act Amendment Act, of last session, as otherwise it will bo too late.

Shortly alter 9 o’clock on Saturday evening a painful accident occurred to Master K. Rossbotham, a son of Mr. Rossbotham, tailor. He was cycling home and had just crossed tho AA’hataupoko bridge when he encountered a cab and was thrown heavily, sustaining a nasty cut on the head. Tho sufferer received medical attention and was conveyed to Dr. Scott's private hospital. As showing the benefit of the Sheepfarmers’ and Drovers’ Association to its members, it may be stated that on Saturday the secretary, Mr. Graham Johnston, was in receipt of numerous applications for drovers. At 3 o’clock a request was recivcd for a man to go out to Poututu and although a good number had been sent out, a drover was found and lie was despatched by tho afternoon train. Apropos to a statement appearing in the Times that there is a scarcity of laborers, a local gentleman states that the’other day lie notified that he required a cook and a laborer. Ho feared he would not receive an application. but as a matter of fact- no less than 17 camo on one clay and eight- oil the next. He is at a loss to give any reason, especially as the. wages wero nothing out of the ordinary.

Referring to a telegram from Christchurch 'in Saturday’s Times, in connection with tho Lyttelton-Christ-cjiurch canal, where it is stated that the report from Messrs _ Goode. Son, and Matthews should arrive in Christchurch about the end of February or early in March, Mr. Townley states that the report on the outer harbor for Gisborne should also arrive with the Christchurch ouo, or at the eamo time.

Mr. J. 11. Parker, of Christchurch, was in town at tho end of last week, and members of tho Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animael, took advantage of his presence to have a discussion on matters connected with the Society’s work. Mr. 11. Trent, chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Land Board who is at present in Gisborne attending a sitting of the Board will unfortunately be unable to wait the visit of tho lion. Mr. McNab as a special work in connection with the Board will make it necessary to return to Napier as soon as possible after the Board’s meeting. Mr. T. Hyde tho member of tho Board who was on the Land Purchase Board which inspected tho To Arai estate for tho Government may stay and go over it with tho Minster.

The AVaiapu Licensing Committee met on Saturday morning, when there were present: —Mr \V. A. Barton (chairman), the Hon. Captain Tucker and Mr D. Hepburn. Mr C. Noonan, Ormond, was gran tod permission to carry on. his business in temporary premises while- his hotel wins being rebuilt. Messrs J. H. Martin (Gisborne Hotel) and F. Harris (Albion Hotel) were granted five and threo weeks’ leave of absence respectively, the police reporting favorably on the persons left in charge of the hotels.

Tho Hon. Captain Tucker states that a deputation will wait upon the Minister of Lands in reference to tho Mangapapa School. Tho Minister will bo invited to visit the school and see the actual position for himself. Ho asked Captain Tucker to accompany him during bis trip through tlio district, but the Captain had to reply regretting his inability to bo away so long. Ho was of opinion that- as there would be a number of of deputations upon tho Minister, lie would sot apart tlio morning for that purpose and spend the afternoon at To Arai.

There is a possiblity of Mdmo. Clara Butt, the world-renowned contralto singer, boing heard in Gisborne next month. Mr. TAG Miller has arranged with Messrs J. and N. Tait, tho big Melbourne firm which is in charge of Mdmo Butt’s tour, to tost tho feeling of tho Gisborne public on the matter. If there aro a sufficient number of people willing to tako tickets on tlio basis of one guinea for first reserved seats and half a guinea for second reserved seats -a concert may bo arranged about tho end of February. Mr. Miller will return from tho South on Wedne~ilay- and will then arrango for a provisional box plan to test public feeling on the subject. Country residents aro invited to notify the Box Office at once as to the number of seats they would bo willing to take.

Mr. E. AV. B. Hornabrook, stock 3 sharebroker, of AA’ellington, arrived in Gisborne on Saturday morning relative to the formation of a syndicate with a very sound proposition of the acquirement of a valuable block of land, tho Gracefiold Estate, near the Mutt. The new bridge, which in to constructed over the Hutt river, will open immediately on t-liis land and all street and roads will diverge through it. . For want of communication tho land has been dormant from a residential point of view during tlio settlement of practically the whole of the surrounding district and tho price at which the land was acquired was very low, and, in the cutting up, assures the return of a very handsome profit. Mr. AA 7 . Lissant Clayton is acting as local ageqt, and all particulars and application:'. can be made through his office. The shares in the syndicate are very rapidly applied for ill this distret.