Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 74, 23 February 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Licensing Committee.—The polling for the election of members for the above Committee takes place to-day at the Town Clerk's office, from 9 a,m. to 6 p.m. Bankbcttct.—A meeting of creditors in the estate of Gruner took place yesterday afternoon, There were four creditors present—Messrs. Diery, Cresswell, H, E. Johnstone, and J. Thompson, The trustee (Mr. H. McKay) said that no books had been furnished him, and therefore he was unable to lay any statement of accounts before the meeting. Mr. Cresswell said the bankrupt's books had been burnt, He proposed, and Mr. Diery (chairman) seconded, the recommendation of the bankrupt’s immediate discharge. Mr. H. E. Johnstone moved, and Mr. J. Thompson seconded, as an amend, ment, that the discharge be withheld. After some further discussion the original motion was carried by Messrs. Diery and Cresswell, who held proxies. Mr. Johnstone remarked that he thought something more would come out of it, as it was a most disgraceful state of affairs. Mr. J. Thompson said it was the most disgraceful bankruptcy that had ever occurred, and that the trustee’s statement was false. Maori Haka Troupe.—The European and Maori spectators of the haka held in Parnell and Boylan’s Hall last night could not fail to be amused at the entertainment, inasmuch as the performance consisted of a blending of the national dances of both. The performers numbered about twenty, whose well-timed and graceful movements, so long as they kept to their Native haka, were most pleasing; but, evidently wishing to display their profleienoy in the more civilised dances of the Pakehas, they wound up each scene with a most grotesque blending of Highland fling, Irish jig, and West Indian fandango, danced to the enlivening strains of two concertinas, two kettle-drums, and a pair of cymbals, to the tune of what we imagined to be something like “ Well may the keel row.” The performers are all clothed, and there is nothing whatever in their gyrations to offend the most fastidious moralist. Celebration of Mass.—lt is notified that Mass will be celebrated to-morrow as follows : —At 8 a.m., at Gisborne ; at 11 a.m. at Ormond.

Gisborne Gas-Plant. —We are glad to be in a position to state that a portion of the plant for the Gisborne Gas Company, -10 tons, is expected to arrive in Auckland on Tuesday next, by the Ruapehu, and will be transhipped to arrive here by first boat from the North, Refusal to Assist Fike Brigade.—A telegram from Auckland states that the local insurance companies of that place have again refused to contribute towards the cost of a fire brigade. Tarawera.— The s.s. Tarawera left Wellington yesterday evening at 4 o’clock, and will arrive in the Bay early to-morrow morning. She brings about 60 tons of cargo for this port, and will ship about 80 head of cattle for Mr. Ewen Cameron. The last boat will leave the wharf nt 10 o’clock, instead of 8 o’clock, as advertised. Gisborne Rowing Club.—-All members of this club are requested to be at the boat-shed not later than 1.30 this afternoon, for the purpose of taking part in the fete at Roseland, Roshlanw Fetk,—Our readers are reminded that the grand fate, <( fri Cremome, at the Roseland Gardens will take place to-day. The Gisborne Rowing Club will meet at halfpast one o'clock, and form a procession of boats which will take part in the proceedings. Should the weather prove propitious, there will, no doubt, be a large attendance to witness the sports, which will be of a most novel and entertaining character. Carlaw Smith & Co.—At Messrs. Carlaw Smith & Co.’s sale to-day will be sold a beautiful American organ, 13 stops and 2 knee swells, very handsomely carved. This is a rare opportunity for purchasers. Another Unlicensed Slaughter-house.— The attention of the public is directed to an inspection of the enterprising slaughterhouse next to the Bank of Australasia, where Messrs. Thorburn and Darby defy all comers. The Tobacco Industry.— "We (±V. £ Herald) are informed by the New Zealand Tobacco Growing and Manufacturing Co, that the samples of tobacco from the different farmers are turning out very satisfactory, and that the Company have more orders on hand for the leaf than they can fulfil. The Com pany have secured premises in Beach Road, where 150 men will shortly be employed in the manufacture of tobacco. Machinery of the latest pattern has been ordered, and active operations will commence forthwith.”

A Rising Township.—Danevirke (says the Woodville Examiner) is rapidly rising into importance, and has now more business places than Woodville. A tailor has just opened there, and there are several shoemakers, drapers, storekeepers, &c. Of course they are still on a very small scale, but if number is to make up for equality Danevirke is becoming well off in the matter of business places.” Smart Work. —The Ellesmere Guardian of a late date says:—“We heard of a little transaction yesterday, which shows that in Southbridge we have some pushing men of business. One of our local grain purchasers, at 6 p.m., concluded the purchase of 120 sacks of oats, grown within a few miles of the township. The oats were in stack at noon, carted and placed on trucks in the evening, will be forwarded by this morning’s train, and will probably be on board the exporting vessel by noon to-day, within 24 hours of their being in stack unthreshed.” New Occupation for a Constable.—The Lyttelton Times gives the following:—" A defendant at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Timaru, on Friday, who evidently had no leaven of reverence in his composition, in answering a charge of ‘ leaving his vehicle unattended,’ remarked that, had he known he was bound to leave somebody in charge his cart while making his ordinary business calls, he would have ‘ got the constable to hold his horse I’ The Bench smiled, the public grinned, and the members of the force gasped for breath at the profane suggestion, but the speaker looked quite satisfied with himself.” Two Morals.—" There are two morals in this. When preaching, Dean Stanley neither swayed his body like a sailor towards the end of his forty-eight hours’ leave, nor sawed the air like a junior counsel at his first breach of promise case, but kept as rigid as a lifeguardsman on sentry. One day he asked his wife if she had noticed the ‘ intensity with which the congregation had gazed upon him during the sermon,’ 'How could they help it, my dear,' she replied, ‘ when one of your gloves was on the top of your head the whole time ?’ The first moral is not to carry your gloves in your hat, and the second (take out this and paste it in your Bible) to make sure that it is admiration and not curiosity that fills people who listen to your sermons or read your books,”

A Tough Heart.—ln addressing the boys recently on the occasion of a speech-day at an Adelaide school, Dr. Reunion, the newlyappointed Bishop of Adelaide, told them that the original of Wackford Squeers—the central'figure in Dickens’famous strictures on " Yorkshire Schools and Schoolmasters ” — “ died recently, he was sorry to say, of a a broken heart, because, being really an excellent man, who cared very much for his boys, he was put into a book by Dickens by mistake. He was telling them a literal fact, which he heard from a gentleman who knew Mr. Squeers as a living reality.” For this singular statement the Bishop has been taken to task by several writers in the Adelaide Press, who pertinently remark that as “ Nicholas Nickleby ” was written in 1838 and 1839, if Mr. Squeers has been dying of a broken heart for forty-three years, he has, at any rate, enjoyed a fairly long life ; that his heart must have been tolerably tough to have lasted so long; and that they scarcely know which to admire most—Mr. Squeers’ heart or the Bishop’s credulity.”