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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2211, 8 June 1908, Page 2

Tho Gisborne Fire Brigade will moot to-night for practice, at 8 o'clock. Tho usual monthly meeting of tlfo Freezers’ Union will be held to-night in Townley’s Hall at half-past seven. Mr G. Spencer Chaphnm. of Hastings, a Liberal, announces that he will contest the JlavvktfS'Uay scat at tho general election. ■ Our Wellington correspondent informs us that thirty specimens of beautiful humming bird 6 from Central America havo boon added to tho Colonial Museum. Tho Salvation Army hand visited the Hospital yesterday afternoon and gave a musical programme, which was highly appreciated by the inmates of tho institution. The secretary of tho Poverty Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr H. M.' Porter, announces that nominations for the committee will bo received up to Saturday-next at noon. Tho following revenue was received at the Custom house Gisborne last week: Customs duties £791 2s Id, light dues £8 19s sd, shipping fees 2s fid, Harbor Board revenue £lO5 9s Id; total, £9OB -13 s 7d. n A committee meeting of the local Trades and Labor Council was hold on Saturday night, for.the purpose of drawing up rules for the constitution of tiio Council. The rules will be submitted to a meeting of tho Council o-n June 27th.

The concert given- yesterday afternoou in Trafalgar rotunda was fairly well attended. Tho'band have.made considerable improvement, and under their new conductor (Mr. A. Lauruuce) played a number of enjoyable items. To-night, at the Victoria saloon, W. Nikola and M. Jones will meet in the championship tournament which is now being brought to a close. A reminder is given to all competitors that failure to keep an appointment will render them open to disqualification. It is understood that during tho French Revolution Napoleon insisted that the courtiers must exercise tho greatest neatness iu disposing of the attire not required at tho usual court functions. Such a proceeding is worthy of being followed in the ordinary course of life; ‘this week it’s hat and coat hooks, with porcelain knobs, for twopence, at Parnell’s Popular Saturday Gales, 13th i-nst. only. A special meeting iaa connection with tlie social work of the Salvation Army will ho held in the Citadel tonight. His Worship the Mayor will preside, and a number of other gentlemen havo promised to attend and speak. The programme will be interspersed with vocal and Instrumental selections, and an enjoyable evening is anticipated. There will also be a special limelight display bv Mr. Pointon, when a good time is promised to those who may attend.

A most attractive service was held at St. Mary’s Church.yesterday. when ho Rev. Father Dignan, in the absence of the Rev. Father Lane, preached a very eloquent sermon. The choir, _ assisted by a special orchestra, sang Farmer’s “Mass in B flat,’” in a most finished manner. The standard of efficiency obtained by St. Mary’s cboir of late, judged by yesterday’s work, is very gratifying to tho members of tho church, who certainly should bo pleased if the same standard if fully maintained. . Mr A. (Bell, secretary of tlie South Canterbury Education Board, who has recently returned to Timaru from a visit to Australia, states that in Victoria the expenditure on education is far less than iu New Zealand, but the authorities there' are beginning to '•realise the necessity for more generous aifd technical education. The same difficulty seems to be experienced'in Victoria, as in New Zealand, of securing teachers for the primary or State schools, as they are called, the .salaries, which are much the same as here, being the trouble. Tile schools are all controlled by the Central Department in Melbourne, and there is not the same local interest in education there as there is in New Zealand. The “State school” is regarded as the affair of the State, and not as a sort of object for the personal pride and interest of the people surrounding it. A prominent official, who is well acquainted with the New Zeioland system, told Mr Bell that New Zealand would make a great mistake if it abandoned the decentralised system of education.

AN INTERESTING CAREER. Mr AVilliam George Pring O’Callaghan, chief clerk of the Dunedin. Magistrate’s Court, who is retiring on superannuation, has been thirty-six years in the Justice Department. His career rends like a romance. He is the son of the late Admiral G. AY. D. O’Callaghan, C. 8., and was born in Mayence, Germany, in 1842. He was educated at the Royal Navy School, New Cross, London, and entered the Navy as a cadet in 1855. He became a midshipman in 1857, and while still a cadet served in the. Baltic campaign on board H.M'.S. Exmouth, the flagship of Admiral Sir William Seymour. He was present at the bombardments of Narva and Sveaborg, and wears the medal for the campaign. Under the same Admiral he served in the China war of 1856-9 in the flagship Calcutta and H.At.S.’s Encounter, Actaeon and Retribution. He was present at the operations on the capture of the Bogue and French, Eollv forts and the assault and capture of Canton. Ho was with the expedition up the Yang-tse-kiang River, and in the engagement with. Taiping rebels at Nanking. He has the Canton medal. Joining the Channel fleet in 1859. he remained for several years on H.M. S. Aboukir, subsequcntlymoing on the 'Australian station in H.M.G. Miranda. Air O’Callaghan left the Navy in 1863 and became a lieutenant in the Auckland militia. He went to Sydney to bring over the gunboat Pioneer for service on the AVuikato River, and saw service with the AVaikato Alilitary Settlers and the AVanganui Rangers. He was present' at the occupation of Opotiki, 'the blondv engagement at Kiore Kino, and the stiff brush at AYaioeka Gorge, as well as the fights as Ivete Alarae, Tin Tiri, A loan a and many others which happened before 1867. He has the New Zealand medal and the rank of captain. After spending a year in. the Armed Constabulary,. Mr O’Callaghan joined the Justice Department in 1872. He has been clerk of the court at Papakura. Onehunga, Invercargill, Blenheim, New Plymouth and Dunedin,