LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 40, 13 September 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr Allan McDonald addresses the electors at Makaraka to-night, The Harbour Board meet this evening a the usual hour. Weights for the coming Spring Meetings ot the H.B.J.C. and Napier Park Racing Club appear in our sporting column this morning. Graham, Pitt and Bennett have been instructed by Mr G. Stubbs to offer for sale a ( Mr Anderson’s paddock, Waerengi-a-hilia, to-morrow, 17 horses, consisting of hacks and trap horses, A petition te advertised this morning, being from the ratepayers in the Turanganui Road District, and praying that the Road Board be dissolved and the district merged into the County, The petition is to be presented to the Council, The Cadets mustered to the number of 47 for the church parale on Sunday. They turned out very creditably, and were marched by Captain Warren to the Presbyterian Church, where a suitable sermon was delivered by the Rev. J. McAra. A serious accident occurred on Sunday last to Mr Crail, junior, of Patutahi. As ha was coming into town he was thrown from his horse, breaking his leg. The sufferer was removed to the hospital where we understand he is progressing favourably. The greatest satisfaction was emised in town on Saturday when it became generally known that Mr James Carroll was elected member for the East Coast Maori district. Mr Carroll is, we understand, now on his way to Gisborne overland from Whakatane and may be expected here towards the end of the week.

A would-be wit, seeing the Cadets marching on Sunday, with their striking scarlet jackets on, wanted to know if Mr Warren had joined the Salvation Army and was taking charge of a special detachment. If the Army were to conduct themselves as quiet and orderly as the boys do they would be entitled to as much praise as they now get blame. A telegram was received in Gisborne from Invercargill last week, before the result of the Maori election could possibly be known, addressed “J. Carroll, Esq., M.H.R.” The wish, as with nearly every one who knows Mr Carroll, was no doubt father to the thought. Perhaps the person who sent the message will now be putting up for a prophet. Mr Scott, of the Masonic Hotel, had an interview last Friday on board the Waihora with Signor Majeroni, the head of the famous Majeroni Theatrical Company, now playing round the colony. Signor Majeroni expressed his regret at not being able to call in at Gisborne just now, but said the Company would play on their return trip north after doing the South Island round.

Speaking of Carroll’s election, the Hastings Star, says : —“ Ballance's occupation is gone so far as this portion of the Island is concerned, and we join with the natives in congratulation over the fact. The Maoris have all but reached that time when their privileges and responsibilities attaching to land should be exactly similar to those under which Europeans exist, and to hamper them with tortuous conditions at this late time is as preposterous as it is costly and inacceptable. On the same topic Puff has the following “ par ” : —Maori elections going dead against the Ministry 1 Yes, Ballance’s id otic Native Lands Bill set’ed that! They’ll lose tw > votes there! Yes, and that’ll make a difference of feu-in a division! I’ll puzz e them to pull that up in the pakeha rlertions I It will so 1 Tney won’t do it I They’ll lose ever so many pakeha seats too 1

Captain Cotton, the well-known Christchurch eporting man, has been presented with a purse of 50 sovs by his Dunedin admirers for the pluck he displayed in his recent match with Scott, A Curious fact has cropped up about the late fire at the Opera Comique in Paris. It appears that the piece with which, tlmt house was opened in 1840 was entitled " Sanetta," or " You must not play with fire," Talmage says: •• Our Ministers go in for seven years’ hard study and then come out with bronchitis, dyspepsia, and liver complaint. They orawl into the pulpit end the people say, " don't they look heavenly ?” when they should say, " don’t they look weakly ?” In Masterton, Warbrtek got 35 votes and Carroll 22, the others nothing. The local popularity of Warbrick arise, from the fact that the younger Maoris there worshipped him as a footballer. Warbrick was for a long time a well-hnown player for the Masterton Club.

The County Council notify that the Waimata Road District has been dissolved, and that three new Road Districts have been constituted, to be known as the Whataupoko, Kaiti, and Waimata Road Districts. An election of five members ior each district will take place, the several dates being set forth in the advertisement, Our County Councillors here in Gisborne growl about. thp cqst Of tastial labour and Have iediiced the day wages to 7s, but at Greymouth the other day, whilst a “ retrenchment run rabid" scare was on the proposal to reduce casual labour to 9s was defeated and the wage remains at the old figure, namely 10s, The cost of living is quite as high in oUr country districts as on the West Coast and yet our men get 3s a day less 1

Ths village settlements at Pahiatua Were frequently quoted in the House last session as being wonderful successes. We now read that a visitor to Masterton from the district informs the Wairarapa Daily that the condition of the settiers is simply pitiable. They have exhausted their Government grants. No work is available and, some, of then! try and keep body find soul together by going out pig hunting, _ Single men mav pull through, but married men must eventually succumb.

A Wellington landlord had a disagreeable experience the other day. His tenant failing to provide the required rent, was distrained upon. The tenant’s goods Were duly seized advertised Ofloe in a newspaper, and the local Burch howled himself hoarse in announcing their sale. The goods were submitted to auction whereof the total result was £3 6s 9d. The expenses were £1 7s 61, leaving a balance of £1 19s 3d for the landlord, whose claim, it may be mentioned, amounted to £9. The landlord row khys ha will be blowed if he lets a tenant run up more than a fortnight’s rent. It is very amusing to anyone who knows the inner circle of Wellington politics to see the way the Wellington Evening Press is attacking Mr Geo- ge Fishsr. For a long time Mr Fisher got much praise from Mr Wakefield’s organ, but owing to his .having the boldness to declare himself in favour of a land and income tax, the Press is now, to use a vulgar expression, giving Fisher “ slops.” The great George, instead of accepting his criticism in a good natured manner, has been falling foul of " Puff ” most vigorously, and the fat is in the fire all around. The fact is both Fisher and Wakefield are two cieVer “ rats," and the one does not like to see the other succeed.

The Rev. William Radcliff, late of Christchurch, is about to experience the truth of the saying that “ the way of the transgressor is hard." William insured his house well, and by some accident it was burned down. The burnt-out one then received the insurance in gold, and left suddenly for Adelaide, leaving his name to memory dear to many suffering tradesmen. He has been stopped at Adelaide whence he contemplated a saloon passage trip to the Old Country, and is to be brought bgck to Christchurch under the Fugitive Offenders Act.

In spite of all our churches and our chapels, the Salvation Army, and all the rest of them, New Zealand is by no nieans an oyer-moral community after al). Take the Wagschall case in Christchurch the other day. A married woman named O’Neill is charged with a breach of the peace in annoying a bootmaker named Wagschall, It appeared she went to plaintiff’s shop, and kicked up a perfect pandemonium of a bobbery. Wagschall calls in the police, the woman ia arrested, released on bail, and pleads not guilty. She tells a pathetic tale how Wagschall had seduced her daughter, aged 14, and how she (the mother) had gone to the culprit and found herself unable to contain herself, whereupon she thought it her boundeo dutv to " go for" Wagschall with a knife, the re suit of which is that W. will not be able to punch holes through leather until the wounds on his hands are healed. All this is sensational enough, hut mark the sequel. When under cross-examination the woman makes some Serious admissions, from which it appears that both she and her daughter, concerning whose ruin she had been so indignant, had together been in the habit of visiting Wagsohall for immoral. purposes, and that she knew tne man had given her daughter money from time to time. The BM. rightly characterised the whole story as “beastly,” and ordered the woman to find one surety of £2O to keep the peace for six months. " Beastly,” indeed I Just fancy a mother jealous of her daughter, and cognisant of her shame I—the idea is .tokening. And yet we are a moral nation, and turn up our noses with virtuous indignation at the social habits of the New Guinea natives and are horrified at Mormon polygamy I

St. Andrew’s Literary Society A lecture, fiatitlea *• A Chat about Books, old and new, grave and gay, merry and wise,” by Mr C. Wilson, will bo delivered in the Presbyterian Church, this (Tuesday) evening, at 7.30. All invited; collection at the close.—£. W. Evans, Secretary.— (Advt.)