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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2206, 2 June 1908, Page 2

Dr. Morrison’s residence at ICaiti lias been purchased by Mr. W. Tombleson, and the latter’s property at Te I-lapara has been bought by Mr. Frank Barker. Botli sales were made .through Mr. W. Lissant Clayton.

In connection with the championship billiard tournament at the Victoria Saloon, Air. Segedin, who lias returned from Auckland, wishes all competitors to play their games off at an early date, so that‘the tournament may be brought .to a speedy close.

The Y.M.C.A. Debating Society met in the Baptist Tabernacle last evening. Owipg to Dr. Wi ltepa being unable tc give his lecture upon the “Idealisation of Sport,” Archdeacon Williams gave a lecture on “Time,” and explained how the present calendar was arranged and the different instruments lor meas'uring time in use at various times of the world’s history from the sundial to the wonderful modern watch. At the conclusion, the lecturer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. Jvext Moil(lav, the subject of debate will be is Socialism Practicable?”

Mr John Marshall, who has purchased Mr C. 11.. K. fine picture, “The Coining ot the -Maori, for presentation to the Auckland public gallerv, is one of the oldest members of the Auckland Society of Arts. Mr. Marshall’s munificent gift to the people of New Zealand was actuated by the desire that both it ami the other large national picture in this year’s exhibition, Air "• Wrights “Tho Burning of the Boyd, should find a permanent place in the national collection. Tho trustees ot the picture purchase fund had a ready purchased “The Burning oi the Bovd” for tho gallery, but it .is understood that the funds at their disposal would- not permit of their acquiring tlie other notable work. Air Alarsha.ll thought it a pity that two such striking pictures should be separated, lienee his generous'gilt.

A rather remarkable kind of shark was caught lately in the sea about fourteen miles south-east of Tinniru, by ATessrs Oddie and Al’Corinack, who were fishing for groper with, ail oil launch. The shark made a great light, and the two men had to spend a couple of hours over it before getting it. into the boat, and it was squirming for a long time after that. The capture appeared to be worth the,trouble, as it was quite a novelty to them', being as much like a porpoise as a shark. Its form and color generally resemble those of a porpoise, aiid more-remark ible still, its tail is fluked horizontally instead of vertically, and the flukes are nearly of equal length. The “Timaru Herald” says that any fisherman glancing at at* from a little distance would declare it to bo a porpoise. Large eyes., gill sljts, and shagreen skin, however, “give it away” as a shark on close cxaininatakm. The tail is perhaps the most remarkable thing about this fish, for it is twisted from tho perpendicular to the horizontal position. Tho flukes are nearly of the same length instead of 0110 being very much longer than the other, -and they measure about loin from tip to tip.'

“The prices of vegetables may seem high.” said a grower at the meeting of the Alarket Gardeners’ Association in Auckland t 0 a “Herald” representative on- Friday, “Imt the "rower doesn’t get the profit. Vegetables have to go through the hands of an auctioneer and then through the shops of middlemen, before they reach the consumer, and vegetables being perishable goods, the middleman lias to look out for a good margin of profit and provision against loss. There is a lot of talk in this city about keeping the Chinese away from New Zealand, hut while speakers at dinners and other functions are saving: “W T e must see to it- that the Chinese do not get a footing here,’ the speakers’ wives arc buying vegetables at tho back door from a Chinaman. Really, it i.s astonishing,' the class of house and the number of persons who calmly tell a European “Nothing to-day,” and five minutes later order all sorts of vegetables from a Chinese hawker. Tlie Chinese gardeners work from dawn on Sundays, and live on an onion and a potato a wpek, so that we have about the keenest competition experienced in any trade here. New Zealand manufacturers are protected by heavy tariffs, but there is no tariff on Chinese-grown vegetables, so that we have to eo-oporato to "et a living at all. We have to psy proper rates for labor hired, but tlie Chinaman gets a “poll taxer,” that is a Chinaman whose poll tax has been paid for him, and who has to sell himself into slavery for about 10 years tp pay it off.”

■iAt tlic Police; Court yesterday morning before Mr. AV. A. Barton, S.M., a native naiucd To Urnnga Potau was convicted of drunkenness and lined £l, the amount of his bail.

'The special com iniliee set up by •tile Borough Council to inspect the portrait of Mr. John Townley, will recommend that the picture be purchased by the Council at a price of £ls 15s.

At the meeting of the Harbor Board yesterday, Mr. AV bin ray would persist in addressing the. chairman (Mr. Townley) as “tour AVorship.” from sheer force of habit, as Mr. AVhinray said. The present Muyor (Mr. Lysnar) offered no protest.

Speaking at a meeting of drey Lynn electors on Wednediy, the Hon. George .Fowlds .(Minister for Education and Public Health) said that during the excitement that had taken place over the To Oranga Home enquiry, people had not confined themselves to criticising and sending their numerous and sometimes abusive letters to him; they occasionally sent them to Mrs Fowlds. (Cries of “Shame!” Mrs Fowlds was not in politics, but devoted her life to her •home and her family (applause); and lie thought it was a little bit contemptible that tlieso letters should bo sent to her.

During he hearing of a case in the Auckland S.AI. Court on Wednesday, Air Kettle, S.AI., took the occasion to express his opinion that it was time something was done to put an end. to the perjury which appeared to become so objectionable a feature in the Courts. “1 am tired.” lie said, “of this perjury going on from day to dav, and 1 must try if 1 can get something from the Supreme Court on the subject.” Referring to the particular case in hearing, the magistrate remarked that either one side or the other wa6 committing gross perjury.

Since the stranding of the Taviuni, a quantity of tile cargo, which consisted mainly of Canterbury produce,' such as wheat, pollard, and bran, has found its way among other places, to Greymoutli. A person who owned about forty head of poultry (reports the Grey Star) secured somo of the pollard at a low rate as it had been under water, and fed the fowls with it, only to find that every fowl but four bad died within an hour or two of the me l l being given them. AA’lie-' flier some poisonous matter had leaked into the pollard, or what had occurred is, of course, <a mystery.

The big gasometer which the Gas Company is having erected at Miramar will easily eclipse anything else of tho sort at resent in New Zealand. It will hold one and a half million cubic feet of gas, will stand 122. t high, and will cost somo £30,000. Its cubic measurement has been calculated to be one and a half times greater than that of tho General Rost Office. The ironwork will include 360 plates, the largest of which will measure 24ft by 41t., and will weigh 33 cwt. Tho gasometer is to be built on the telescopic principle and suspended on stanchions of steel latticework. The worlU'df erectiou will keei) fifty men employed.

It was j; roved by demonstration on Saturday that the practice of smoking in the Hongkong cars which has become universal in Wellington is attended with grave danger, especially on windy days. A member of the New Zealand “Times” staff, accompanied by a lady, was riding in one of the cars, and discovered when about to descend that her clothing was on fire, and that an umbrella which she was carrying was also in flames. The car was promptly brought to a standstill, and measures were taken to prevent the passenger from injure, but a portion of her clothing, as well as the umbrella, was destroyed. “No smoking allowed,” will probably be pi icarded •in the Hongkong cars in future.

The vigorous art of Rugby football threatens to cause domestic trouble in ha certain homo near Wellington. A distressed married woman, whose husband has -taken to playing the game on Sundays, wrote a half-tear-ful, half-threatening letter to the Wellington Rugby Union lately. The letter ran as follows:—“I am writing to you in reference to my husband playing, and warn you that I forbid it, which I have also told some of the members of his team. ... If you allow it, I will take his child and put it right in the middle of the game, which means that it will block ihe. play, and it also means the breaking up of my homo, for I will leave him. If you don’t stop him playing I will appeal to higher quarters.” The committee having no jurisdiction over Sunday matches, it was resolved that it could not assist the distressed lady.

•' The sad ease of a Crimean veteran came under the notice of the Wellington Charitable Aid Board recently when it was reported at the meeting of the board that a man had had a paralytic seizure after having been discharged from the Masterton Hospital. Jle was quite helpless, and his wife, over 80 years of age, could not attend to him. Dr P. Frengley, in reporting on the case, said" the old man’s old age pension had been cut off, but lie was receiving Os a week from the Charitable Aid Board. His wifo received an old age pension of 10s a week. At present the country provided at a cost of £1 the attendance of an unemployed enginedriver. But this could only be a temporary .arrangement; The old man was removed to Wellington, no 'person being available to look after him in the country town where lie had lived. Subsequently he was returned by the Charitable Aid 'Board to that town, where ho will remain until there is a vacancy for him at the Victoria Homo, Wellington Hospital. A Waikato newspaper records .an instance of the danger of the use of celluloid.. A girl employed in a large boardinghouse in Hamilton fancied she could smell something burning. Investigation was made, and it was found that a toothbrush made of celluloid had been ignited by the sun’s rays shining through a glass decanter full of water.

Whilst the school children and others in Dunedin were rejoicing over Union, says the “Star,” the Supreme Court was engaged on questions of disunion, and six divorces were granted. The .first petition taken was from a shepherd whose wife should have said “I won't” instead of “I will,” seeing that she stoutly refused to continue, the conjugal ‘relationship. Then a wife came forward and asked lor a quittance from an erring husband, who, Upon being adjured to “own up lik<j a mail,” acknowledged to his wife and her companion that lie had found another woman he liked better. Petitioner No. 3 narrated a pitiable tale of cruelty and desertion at the hands of a drunken husband. Next came a farmer, whose wife in his absence quietly bought a.-separate place and locked tlie door in his face when lie returned. Mrs Murray, next on tile list, told the Court that at the age of sixteen she married a jockey,, who drank continuously and abandoned her. Last of the procession was a case in which a wife went home to see her mother, did not return, and when written for answered that she had .no time to explain, as she was dressing for a ball. _ Mr Justice Williams found that in eicli case the petitioner’s prayer was such as the Court could grant, ami the six were free by lunch time.

On a cold and frosty morning, when even the long suffering dairymen find the water too cold to add to the milk, what an effort it is to rise from a snug warm bed at the cry of Milk, and find a jug for the milkman. "Why not leave a billy out overnight? This week it’s billies for sixpence at Parnell’s Popular Saturday Sales, Gth inst. only.

Mr. Albert Law met with' a very painful accident at the AVbatatutu Hotel on Saturday. He was engaged in oxiening a bottle of soda water, when it burst and cut bis hand rather badly. After receiving 'medical attention Mr. Law’s injuries are progressing favorably, but at will be somo considerable time before lie will bo able to use his hand.

Tho half-yearly meeting of tho Gisborne Pain tore’ Union was hold in Mr G. Dalton’s office last evening, when the following officers were elected;— President, Air. G. Vincent; vice-presi-dent, Mr. AV. Hay; secretary, Air. G. Uarton; treasurer, Air. 11. Gratton ; committee, Messrs J. 11. Hall, G. Scaly, A. Pollock, E. It. Atkinson, and AV. Morrison.

The members of tho Cosmopolitan Club regretted that the Hon. James Carroll was unablo to bo present at the opening of the club, but it is to be hoped that be will bo able to attend the ladies’ afternoon, which is to be held on Thursday next. Vita Bros.’ string band will lie in attendance, and an enjoyable afternoon should be spoilt. A meeting of tho Gisborne No-Li-cense League was held in St. Andrew’s Schoolroom last evening, tho Rev. F. AV. Chattorton in the chair. It was decided to vigorously push the work of tho League throughout tho electorate, and to make arrangements for Air. H. I). Bedford and other speakers to deliver addresses at an early date.

The usual fortnightly meeting of tho 1.0.0. F., ALU., was held in the Alasonic Hall last evening. Dr. Cole wrote, stating that ho had sold his practice, and that J)r. Reeve would act in his stead for tho present. A committee was elected to consider the question of re-filling Dr. Cole’s position. Four new members were proposed. After the usual business bad ben transacted, the members of that A.O.F. wore entertained at a card tournament, and a very pleasaiat evening was spent. The play resulted in a win for the AI.U.s at cribbage by 11 games to 7, and at euchre tho honors were even, both having 16 games to their credit. At the „conclusion, Bro. File, A.0.F., thanked the AI.U.s for their hospitality, and Bro. 1 Sharland, M.U., suitably responded.

An eccentric Oainaruvim died recently who had long had a hobby for accumulating books (says the Dunedin •‘Star”). He had acquired a heterogeneous collection of somo 2000 volumes, comprising history, theology., philosophy, New Zealand literature, and literary curiosities. It had been iiis intention to bequeath these to tho town in which lie spent his hermit life, but lie passed away without specifying this wish in a will. The library, therefore, came under the hammer of Air J. D. Familton, auctioneer, at Oamaru, on Saturday. An enterprising book dealer of Dunedin travelled t 0 the AVbite City, fondly ,'xpect.ing to secure half the collection at low prices. Ho soon found that lie had indulged delusive hopes. The Oamaruviaus are neither so poor nor so unliterary as he had fancied. Many of the xirices offered made his mouth water, and led him to.wish he had taken his stock with him, instead of his cheque book. Bidding throughout was brisk and brave. AVright’s Caricature History of the Georges’ (issued at 3s 6d) fetched 16s Gd, Kirk’s Forest Flora of New Zealand’ (obtained now at 12s Gd) fetched 22s Gd, Gully’s ‘New Zealand (Scenery’ realised 2£g6, Robley’s ‘Aloko or Maori Tattooing’ 2Jgs, Boiler’s ‘Birds of New Zealand’ (2nd edition,2 volumes) llifgs, Airs Heatley’s ‘Native Flowers of New Zealand’ 3gs, the facsimile of ‘The Treaty of AVaitangi’ (issued by the Government Printer at ss) fetched 12s; a 3s 6d Shakespeare ran uxj to 7s. The xirices were a fine index of the prosperity of the northern city. Some wit claimed that tho success of the sale was due to No-liconse. The people have ceased to buy beer, and are investing their spare cash in books! They have been cut off tho publican’s tap, and have betaken themselves to the. Pierian spring and the streams of. Helicon 1

“Aly executive is of opinion that the Government is not serious in its proposal to establish market gardens m connection with the gaols.” rail a letter from the secretary of the Auckland section of the Farmers’ Union to the Alarket Gardeners’ Association, read at the meeting of the latter body on Friday, But the gardeners, all tho same (says the Now Zealand “Herald”), are a little bit afraid that this plank put forward in Sir Joseph AVard’s policy speech may accidently get nailed into position in that mysterious thing called the “platform,” and, satisfied that tho bland and childlike Celestial who “hoes up” while Europeans contribute to China Inland Alission funds at church on Sunday mornings, is quite tough enough a eomxietitor at present, they have petitioned the Prime Alinister to review his platform and knock out the prison garden plank. They hare also asked him to have a talk with them about it when next he conies to Auckland. The Prime Minister is ready to .look at both sides of the question, and lias replied that lie will be pleased to receive a deputation on the subject, and will notify the vege-table-growers when he will be likely to arrive here again. '•

An amusing sequel to an application for a prohibition order occurred at the Port Chalmers Police Court on Saturday (says the “Otago Daily Times”), when Messrs. A. Thompson and J. Watson, J.P.’s, adjudicated upon a sister’s application against her brother. The case against the youth was most convincing._ but strenuous objection to a prohibition order was made by his father, whose volubility resulted in his being ejected by the Court orderly. For a few minutes it looked as though the garrulous witness would be committed for contempt of the court, but- a more cruel fate awaited him. There was a hurried consultation between Sergeant Mullany and the clerk of the court, the rapid scratching of a pen upon official blue paper-, followed by an unmistakably official footfall, and a hesitating shuffle, and in less;than five minutes the too-vigorous witness had to stand upon his own defence, whilst the sergeant and two constables revealed his inordinate love for liquor, extending back a long time. Despite his vigorous protests to the contrary, tho evidence against him was overwhelming, and almost before he had realised the irony of it, the father found his own name was placed upon the prohibition list, the Bench having rebuked him also for his lack of moral principle in coming before the Court to bolster up a bad cause. After realising that lie had been hoist with his own petard, the victim of cruel circumstance was heard to remark that he would “appeal.”

.RELICS OF CAPTAIN COOK. A correspondent of “Tile Times,” in a letter dited Honolulu, February 21, tells of some recently-discovered relics of Captain Cook. Ho says that Professor Vladimir Sviatlovsky, of the University of St. Petersburg, is now in Honolulu on a mission connected with tho recent discovery in' St. Petersburg of a collection of Hawaiian feather-work, which was given by one of the Hawaiian chiefs to Captain Cook. After the death of Captain Cook tho Resolution and Discovery proceeded to Petropavlovsk In Siberia, where a quantity of the feather work seems to have' been presented to tho Russian commander there in recognition of his kindness to the expedition. The collection remained there boxed up and forgotten for many years iind was afterwards sent to St Petersburg, where it was equally neglected until a year or so ago, when, by accident' it was discovered and presented to the University of St. Petersburg. Its ethnological' importance,seems to have stimulated a desire on the part of the university authorities for a larger and more comprehensive collection of Hawaiian work, .and Professor Sviatlovsky lias been sent out for that purpose. He has proposed- to the trustees of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Polynesian Antiquities to exchange some of the articles of which there are duplicates in this strangely preserved collection for articles in which it is wauting. will be done-