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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2215, 12 June 1908, Page 2

Tho Harbor Board launch proved herself an excellent craft for passenger traffic yesterday morning, when she accommodated no less than 35 persons in a cruise round tho harbor.

Tho following unclaimed letters arc at the post offico: —From New South Walee—D. Creamer, W. Liggins, G.. H. Swimburno, S. D. Worenop; from Queensland —J. Young (2).

Last evening the Christian Endeavor visited the Old Men’s Homo and entertained tho inmates for a couple of hours with vocal and instrumental music.

Mr. W. L. Rees will address public meetings as follows in the subject of the timber and tramway proposals:— liakaurou, schoolhouse, 3 p.m., Monday; Matawai, 7.30 p.m., Monday, in tho store; Motu, 7.30 p.m., Tuesday, in the schoolhouse.

At tho Police Court yesterday morning, before Messrs J. F. Sheridan and Vincent Pvke. J.P.s, Alex. Ferguson was convicted of a third offence of drunkenness within a period of three months, and was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment with hard labor.

The work of converting H.M.S. Penguin into ia. dopot ship, commenced about a month ago, will not bo completed for several weeks- The Penguin, which was formerly employed in surveying., 'had been long laid up, and it was not until the arrival or tho new Admiral tQiat a use for her was found. The question of erecting now barracks was under consideration, when the Admiralty authorities, acting on a suggestion from the Australian station, authorised the fitting up of the Penguin with cabins and berths for about 12 officers and 200 men. Tho Penguin will bo permanently moored-, alongs'ido G-arden Island, Sydnev. H.M.S. Torch, which it has beon frequently suggested should be handed over to the Naval Brigade as a drijl ship, is still in reserve.

“How old aro you?” was tho question put to nn eldorly man who applied for relief from tho Dunedin Benevolent Trustees last week., ‘'iS’ix-fc.V-fiy’h.sir-" “Do youjyjhVfirJ sa-idThe votcran with a laugh ;* “but I can’t get work in Dunedin. I’ll need to go into tho country and do a bit of work on the line.” “Can’t you get the old age pension?” asked the chairman. “I haven’t .got my birth certificate, but I have sent Homo for it.” “Are you married ?” was the next question. “>I 'am.” “How old is your wife?” “.She’ll be about sixty-five, sir.” “Isn’t she eligible for tho -pension?’ “Ah.” Baid tho old man, “dlie did a foolish thing when we got married. She was older than she said.” “Not the first lady who .has done the saino tiling,” said a trustee. The Trustees .decided to grant temporary relief.”

A resident in ono of the suburbs of Sydney iw.as describing the sensation A experienced by him on the occasion of his first trip in a motor-car. He was filled with the enthusiasm which novelty frequently arouses in minds moro or less impressionable, and, as ho rattled on lii6 companion listened with the sympathy of ono who had passed (through the pleasing ordeal himself. After giving .a graphic account of the fifty-mile spin and the gecnery ell route, ho spoke of -the exhilarating, though somewhat awesome effect of devouring tho ro-ad at a high rate of speed with no time-keepor in sight. 'He ran down eventually, and his friend, without comment, ashed, “And what sport?’ The motorman was somewhat nonplussed for a moment-, but -the meaning of the question suddenly dawned upon him, and ho replied, with something of a triumphant air, “Oil, two dogs and ,a cat I”

“This city oits 25,000 bullocks and 100,000 sheep a year,” siyd an Auckland gentleman with a hobby for statistics, to a “Herald” representative “and taking the whole province at a very moderate estimato, 52,000 cattle and 200,000 sheep are slaughtered every twelve months to .feed the people. .If the sheep eaten in one year alone were to be taken up Queen Street in on© mob, they would' extend from tho wharf to Karangahape Road.; No wonder our- output of -frozen mutton- is small compared with the flock statistics. If you had ad] theloaveg of bread eaten in Auckland ill twelve months you could build a mound as high as Rangitoto, while tho tea drunk in the same period, i.f poured into Queen Street, at Wellesley Street; would form such ,a flood that every shop between there and Shortiaml Street would he advertising a sale of damaged goods. If all the milk drawn from all tho cows ill Auckland in one year were added to the tea, there would ho a flood four feet or five feet deep from Wellesley Street to Wyndham Street.”

Small boys played a sad prank upon a Wellington butcher recently. Ho was a jovial butcher, with all the freshness of complexion and lightness of heart usually found in the gentlennn of sanguinary occupation. Therefore ho all the more strongly appealed to.the merciless small boy as a target- for the dart of a practical joke. The distributor of meat left his cart standing in the street while lie was delivering some goods at a customer’s back-door. A couple of urchins had a clear run t 0 a piece of mischief, and did not lose the chance. They tampered with the vehicle, and retired to -a safe placo to watch for the sequel. The unsuspecting butcher moved his equipage along the road till lie was hailed by a woman, armed with a large plate. The driver descended, opened the door at tho back of the cart to get the goods which the lady desired, and some meat, which was decidedly not dead, jumped out. It w.as a frisky foxterrier, -with a string of sausages in its mouth. The woman naturally got the greatest fright of her life. (She was aghast at the spectacle; hor -arms flew up, and the -plate clattered to the stony ground, -where it was shattered into many pieces. The small hovs wero well pleased with the incident, and so, 6ay6 the “Post,” ivae the dog,

Inquiries are being made in Wellington ns to tho whereabouts of n young man named Geo. Arthur Black, a tiilor who had been missing since May 21. The New Zealand farmer pays a highor rat© ol wages than any other employer on the luce of the globe, said Hr. J. C. Fowler, at a meeting of tho Carterton branches of tho Now Zealand Farmers’ Union on Saturday.

Tho Poverty Bay Rowing Club hold a dance in His Mnjcsty’s 'theatre hist evening. Messrs J* Webb and 1 4 . Porter acted as M.C.’s About 70 couples were present, and danced a programme of fifteen dancos to music supplied by Miss Ruth Moore’s orchestra.

In regard to footwarmors in trains, the .Railway Department is liko the lady in particularly decolotto evening dress —it commences too late and continues too long, says the “Feilding Star.” Last year tho footwarmers were in use long after tho cold weather had disappeared, and this year travelling by tho early trains would bo much more comfortable if the footwarmers wero in uso.

A vory exciting game in tho billiard tournament at tho Victoria Saloon was played last night, when Austin, who is leading lor the championship, was defeated by Lucas. The winner was in excellent form, and made breaks ol 22, 89, 22, and 37, running to game in the splendid time of 39 minutes. Austin only scored 131, and lie was therefore beaten by 11C points. His best breaks wore 24, 21, and 18.

Yesterday morning tlie Harbor Board launch .was utilised to talc© a number of citizens round tho harbor lor tlio purpose of inspecting the sites that have boon suggested lor tho proposed harbor works. Captain Martin was in charge of the expedition, and with .Mr Witty, secretary of the Board, gave useful information to those making tho trip, so that they received a full understanding of the proposals that are at preedit under consideration.

A very enjoyable evening was spent by those who wero present at the. Salvation Army Citadel last night. About 200 persons wero present, and Mr. C. F. Pointon delivered a most interesting lecture, describing a tour through different parts of New Zealand. A number of limelight views were thrown on the screen, depicting tho -milling industry in tho various branches throughout the Dominion. At tho conclusion of the lecture sonic further views of British battleships and cathedrals throughout England were shown, and were greatly appreciated. Several musical items and recitations were given during the evening, and the gathering concluded with the singing of “Abide with Me,” and tlio pronouncing of tho benediction by Adjutant Dickens.

Speaking at the Southbridgo Bowling Club’s annual dinner last week, Mr. R. H. Rhodes, M.P., said:— “Without touching on party politics, I may be excused for saying a-word on eoalitiou. The suggestion of coalition has not come from the Opposition, in spite of what lias been said to tho contrary. The Opposition, bomg numerically small, is not in a position to go to the Government and demand terms. The report that tho suggestion has come from the Opposition is not true, inspiteof wih.it the editor of the “Lyttelton Times” has told vou. . You have my word against his, and all I can say is that he has been misinformed. Mr. James Allen lias recently been taken to task for suggesting "coalition, but the report of his speech does not bear out any such suggestion. Mr. Allen stated that if, after the next general election a strong Oiqiosition was returned, and a third party held a balance of power, and the leader of .the Government approached Mr. Massey, the Opposition might be ready to assist.”

lii making a. very strong plea on Friday night for prison reform in New Zealand, Mr. G. Laurenson M.P., quoted the Elmira system of the United States, which, ho said, although very expensive, was also very it ff “?rfound f ttoT r^W, Tri^- r ‘ -industrious, clean fives after discharge from gaol, and only about 2 per cent, relapsed into crime. However, coming nearer home, they had the new system inaugurated in Now South Wales. Although he had no figures, ho knew that the results wero phenomenal. The reas6n of that was that everything in the gaols was done with the most- absolute discipline. Every warder, even, as the gaoler passed him, called out his number, the portion of the gaol he was in charge of, and the number of prisoners in his gang. Every incentive was given to the prisoner to be industrious and improve his grade among the prisoners. The New Zealand system believed in punishing a mail rather than reforming him, but what was the position? Last year, Now Zealand prisons had received 2G70 persons, of whom 2046 were old criminals. The system should be improved by giving the prisoners more light, more reading matter, tile benefits of a school, and a training in some industry.

“We cannot now think of compulsory service,” said Mr. G. Lnurenson, M.P., at Lyttelton on Friday night, “but wo should do more to encourage our Volunteer service in the way of giving bonuses and cheap ammunition, and also cheap arms and ammunition to members of ritie clubs.” After quoting Mr. Dcakin’s scheme of Australian defence, Mr. Lnurenson said that Australia was beginning to waken up to the necessity for defence. He believed that in the immediate future Australia would be menaced by China and Japan in a way that would make every man in the community anxious to defend his nation. To the north there was a nation that would raise up in the next generation to the fullness of life and stand erect and armed, the greatest power in the world. There were nearly half a billion of human beings, with 288 people to the square mile of territory, while in Australia there was only 1.33 people to the square mile. Australia was clamoring about a white Australia and labor organisations were asking that if' Britain -became embroiled in, say, the North Sea, Australia should remain neutral. It was the talk of children and fools. Australia realised the danger of Asiatic invasion, and Mr. Kidston, speaking some time ago, stated that ho did not care whore they came from r-:o long as they were European. China, ho said, is only seven days’ sail from Cook town. “Our business,” concluded Mr. Laureason, “is to prepare so that if any foreign nation lands it will hardly he worth the cost of landing.”

A machine -that will manufacture ridging, spouting, guttering, and metal heading, by merely being fed with the raw material has just been installed into the plumbing and tinsmithing factory of Messrs F. Hall and Sons, Gladstone road. Yesterday morning a “Times” representative was shown the appliance at work bv tho manager of the department, Mr. Janies Allen, who informed the reporter that- ho could now manufacture spouting and ridging upon a large i-:cale ; and with a considerable reduction in cost, as to be able to successfully compete against outside firms. Tlie machine, which was ordered about twelvo months ago from Messrs A. and T. Biirt',’ engineers, of Dunedin, has just come to hand, and the first batch of metal was put through yesterday. The sheet is placed between tho dies, which are the reverse and obverse of each other, and a weight of about half a ton comes down automatically and presses the metal into shape. The spouting and ridging can he turned out in Bft lengths with a total quantity of 20,000 feet a day. The machine is very simple in construction, and there are no complicated cogs or shaftings, while its work is very neat and exact, and the product is superior to that of skilled workmen. The firm is also about to instal other modern machinery, which will enable t-liem to supply further lines in the trade for which the district formerly had to depend upon outside enterprise. . ,

In the S.M. Court yosterdu-. bofore Messrs J. Sheridan and V. Pyko, J.’sP., judgment by default was granted in the c.iso of Alfred Harry Jiolnmn (Mr. Hoi) v. Jtopata teKoro. £2 14s 2d and costs £1 4s. A number of cases wero adjourned.

The Colonial Secretary of tlio Now Zealand Farmers’ Union has received, through Messrs. Dalgety and Co., a bag of “Paspalum Virgatum grass seed. This scud is said to possess all the advantages of Paspalum Dilatatum, and the grass is devoured greedily by stock. Samples of seed aro being offered freo to any farmer desiring of experimenting with it.

A sum •of £2O was subscribed by delegates at tlio Wellington Provincial Conference of tlio Farmers Union at Fielding as prizos for essays by school children on ugriculturul subjects. The first essay will bo on tlio subject of “The grass grub: its life and habits.”

Mr. J. C. Fowler, Farmers’ Union Organiser, put in a strong plea at Carterton for the right ol Government leasehold tenants to acquiro tlio freehold of thoir land. He mentioned a case in which, somo years, ago, three men acquired settlements, which they had improved greatly, and yet the land did not belong to them; while alongside of thorn were farmers who had been allowed to buy the freehold of thoir properties. Tlio whole block liad been opened up for selection at one time, hut the three settlers mentioned were tlio only original settleis who struck to their lands. The other selectors abandoned their sections, and tlio properties were afterwards ojiened up for selection under a different tenure.

Inquiries from manufacturers (says the “Lyttelton Times”) go to show that ‘(lndustries Week” has resulted in the creation of a real interest in tlio local productions of the country, and a pride in the manufactures of this country which might otherwise not have been evoked. It is widely recognised that the time has como when the fact that an article is manufactured in New Zealand is not a reproach hut a recommendation, ami the outcome should he a largely stimulated demand for goods made in New Zealand, by Now Zealanders, for New Zealanders.

A correspondent of the Dunedin “Star” asks that something should be done to stop the use, or abuse, of “t'hat American absurdity ‘Britisher’ ” in relation to the English footballers. lie says that Scotsmen, Welshmen and Irishmen might sink for tlio time being their titles to portions of the earth’s surface, and rest contented under the grand name of Englishmen. “My mother,” he says, “was born in England, my father in India, my grandparents an Ireland, and before that our forbears all came from Scotland. I was born in New Zealand, and am proud to write myself down ill Englishman first and a New Zealander second.”

While lecturing on Saturday at Timaru, Dr. Hilgendorf was asked what was the difference between cowgrass and red clover. He said that originally they wero two varieties of the same species. Cowgrass gave only ono cutting in the year, but was practically permanent, lasting for six years, lied clover yielded two cuttings in a season, but died out in two years. Cowgrass bad a solid stem. Red clover had a. hollow stem. The tivo varieties had been grown side by side and the bees had cross-fertilised tliem till the crop grown now-a-days was probably a, hybrid. No distinction was now made, and the terms ml clover and cowgrass were applied to the same crop. Merchants who got a plump sample of seed usually called it cowgrass, and charged a ponny a pound more for it.

At the special meeting of tlio Gisborne School Committee, to bo held on Friday evening, tlie Chairman (the Rev. Mr. Griffin) will move tlio following motion: “That this Committee is strongly of opinion that regulation No. 15 of the Education Board ‘that the toacliiug in the schools shall be for fivo hours daily in every week,’ is too rigid, and that those Committees who desire a reduction of the school time to four and a-half hours .1 :n.- l lw. ~-niiLv- a raxuil.i 1.1 P/1, to some consideration. It regrets that the Board at a recent meeting did not seo'its wav to accept either the motion of Pastor Ities or the amendment of Mr. Darton to alter the regulation in this direction, and it respectfully begs the Board to re-con-suler the question and to so amend the regulation that it may meet the wishes of the Commitees who desire this alteration.” It is probable that other Committees in the district will pass a similar resolution.

GERMAN SHIPPING. Now that the annual reports of the great German Steamship Navigation Companies have been published, it is possible to form an exact estimate of the enormous amount of tonnage owned by these in the aggregate. There are six owners with fleets measuring more than 100,000 tons gross. At the head of the list stands tho Hamburg American line, with 168 ocean and 215 river steamers and small craft, having a total measurement of 956,000 tons gross. The flag of the N.D.L. flies on 93 ocean, 52 coasting steamers, 287 river steamers, small craft, and. two training ships, aggregating 804,000 tons. The third position is held by the Hansa Company of Bremen, which oi\yns 51 ocean steamers, and 20 river crafts, totalling 250,000 tons. The Hamburg-South American Company holds fourth place with 42 steamers of 198,000 tons. Then follow the Ivosmos Company of Bremen with 31 steamers of 179,000 tons gross, and -tho Germari-Austra-lian Company with 32 steamers of 141,000 tons. There arc two other largo Hamburg owners whose fleets do not quite attain to 100,000 tons gross, namely, the Woer-mann line with 93,000 tons, and the GermanEast African line with 20 large, and eight small steamers of altogether | 87,000 tons gross. Tho steamers owned by these eight companies (reckoning all boats of more than 100 register tons gross) represent almost threefourths of the whole tonnage comprised in the German mercantile marine.

It is understood that during the French Revolution Napoleon insisted that tlie courtiers must exercise the greatest neatness in disposing of the attire not required at the usual court functions. Such a proceeding is worthy of being followed in the ordinary course of lifo; this week it’s hat and coat hooks, with porcelain knobs, for twopence, at Parnoll’6 Popular Saturday Sales, 13th inst. only.