Page 1 Advertisements Column 5

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2221, 19 June 1908, Page 1

THE WOOL*MARKET. THE PRESENT SITUATION. AWAITING THIS BALES. [From Gun Spkoiax. Cojuikdi-.ondknt.J BJIA.DFOIIU, May, 8. Tho past week has not boon prod notion oi very much by way f#l nnpi'ovomont, though tilings arc no worse. That .is not saying a groatydoal, lor conditions .arc more or, JessiHlpnioralised, and wanting altogether ,111 tono and chnractcr.f To. use a wool term there is no “shaft” ih tho market, and everything being lean and weak to n decree. Last week-end there was a litfle buying indulged in, mostly in 4t)’s to -IG’k tops, just by way of a slight covering movement, and whore this was dono the tops,bought were at the lowest point yet named. When a few cheap parcels had been picked up topmnkers then being a little, uhnorvcd decided to sell no moro until London sales, and things rest there. It now all depends upon Coleman Street coming down to Bradford’s ley,el, and if it does, we shall see still lower-‘.prices. There is a t.‘> present ..iiothum/in .this district. t<' inspire one with 1 mutflT liop‘6 that th 6 bottom is J touched, ■though things cop not fall very, much before we shall see a wave of speculative buying. There are plenty of Bradford shipping houses as well "as some spinners prepared to place contracts for some big weights if they can get 40’s at a penny less than what is the average quotation to-day, and they seem determined to hold off until they can do it. Tho accumulations of stock is gradually growing, consumption is unquestionably contracting, and both yarn and piece orders are very much wanting. It may be that the advent of the speculator would be both a “boon and a blessing,” for it only needs one big firm to jump to sec many moro follow in sheep-liko fashion. This centre is suffering more from collapse of confidence than anything else, and if business can bo made to flow freely, it will not bo long before wool presents a brighter face. All eyes are now turned in tho direction of London, and tho initial results are anxiously awaited. Men here are very divided in their opinion ns to what the (lecliuo will be,, perhaps the majority looking for medium and coarse .crossbreds to fall all round To per -cent., anti merinos ID per cent. There is no disguising the fact that the financial situation 1 is a very acute one, and very few there are with much loose cash ready for the sales. The present is one of tho most difficult times that tho wool t ratio ever experienced, and wliafc to do for the best is a problem which is going to take some solving. There is no branch of the industry elsewhere, either prepared, or in a position to buy liberally, and that is the weakness of the present situation.

DUMCREE PRISON CAMP. SOME REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES. STATEMENT BY AN EX-PRIS-ONER. [Prkss Association.] WEDLINGTON, Juno 17. Tlio'“Doniinion” publishes a rather remarkable description of proceedings alleged by an ex-prisoner to have tikoii placo nt Dumgreo prison camp. It says :—‘‘The general cpiestion of Government tree-planting camps, which loomed largo in tho public eye of late, has now brought to light some confessions from a prisoner who served a portion of his sentence at Dumgreo camp, noar (Seddon. which camp was recently worked out. The prison camp-was situated in_a natural hollow of tho rivehy bed on. tho old Dumgree sheep station, within a few miles of Seddon. Our informant admits that ho was one of tlio leading spirits in a campaign of persistent and systematic breaking of rules of tho camp, hut had a definite object in view. He had a number of grievances against the administration of prisons generally, and defied the rules in every conceivable manner in an endeavor to be brought before an open Court whore he could state his case. That he defied the rules is made abundantly clear in liis story, but his effort to get taken 'before .an open Court was not attended with success. In the words of our informant, ‘A section of men had an absolutely free run of the place, although everybody was expected to keep within certain boundaries. 1 During the day time prisoners were engaged at tree planting about tlie camp. When evening came on the men would be locked up 'in little cabins, each of which held four prisoners. The warders would retire to their own quarters, leaving the men sleep the sleep of tho righteous. its soon ias 'things were fairly quiet in the cabin'in which our informant was ciged, ho and his mates would proceed to screw the lock off the door. This done and the way clear the quartette would pass outside. No. 4 would romain at homo and refasten the lock oil tlie door,. oil the chance of a warder trying it at ■ any time during the. evening. The party would tour tlie countryside to their hearts’ content, and on returning any time before daylight would bo admitted to the cabin again by their stay-at-home mate. After a time tho warders found out wliat was going on, and,a padlock was subsequently -placed on the outside door. This secured the main outlet safe enough. There was a small window in each cabin, hardly big enough t« allow a mail getting through it. With a little manoeuvring it. was found that window frame and all could be lifted out bodily. Here was another means of egress of which the three men availed themselves, alw ivs leaving a fourth in the cabin to mind tlie camp and answer any call the warders might happen to make. The night parties from the camp ranged from six to eight men, 011 c from one crib, two from another, perhaps three from another, and so on. The little baud scoured the countryside and preyed on anything moveable they could lay their huuls on. ‘We had a great time at Seddon on one tour,” t-.aid aiv ex-inhabitant of Dumgree camp, ‘and broke into a local store, where wo got a good haul of tobacco. At another time we had go at a truck-load of goods left at Dumgreo flag station. We robbed all the rubbiters’ camps lor miles around, and made periodical raids on station camps for food, drink, money, or smokes. It was all tlio same to us; we took wliat we could get. AVhen we got the chance wo used to stick people up anil demand money or tobacco. Every night we were out thieving ‘These are pretty strong statements to make, aren’t they?’ questioned the cxp risen or, ‘but it’s a fact, every word of it. On two occasions tho gaoler cut down the rations, tho result being that wo killed two slieep on a neighboring run. buried the skins, and consumed the mutton at the camp. During the day time we used to plot wliat new place we would rob. Com-

ZEBRA STOVE POLISH. INSTANTANEOUS POLISH! pENNY pACKETS, OR A' A TD a. SSTE in '•’TNS 1