The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21. Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 137, 21 May 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21. Local and General.

Lecture.—A lecture will be delivered to-night by Mr. Bowron, at McFarlane’s Hall, on the question of the formation of a cheese factory here.

Smith and Co.’s Sales.—The sale of Mr. Dinan’s furniture and other effects will take place to-morrow, at his house, Matewhero. The Queens’ Birthday.—Saturday next being the Queen’s Birthday, the Post-office will be entirely closed, and the Telegraph office open only from 9 to 10 a.m. The River.—The marine rake which was worked for deepening the the river, has not yet done much good, though it is expected it will work better when the teeth have been lengthened, which is being done. It is also being made heavier so it will grip the mud better. Tattersall’s Stables.—This is the new title which appears on the Albion Club Stables, which have been thoroughly renovated, and many useful additions and improvements made thereto. Shipping.—The schooner Orpheus is expected to leave for the north to-morrow. The Saucy Kate is discharging on the beach the other side of the stock-yard, and the timber is being carted away to Mr. J. Trimmer’s timber yard on the Whataupoko. The Hospital.—ln another column appears an advertisement for a Wardsman and Matron for the Poverty Bay Hospital. We trust that every care will be exercised by the Committee in selecting suitable persons, and that the past experience will not be lost sight of.

The Volunteers.—The parade and feu de joie in honor of the Queen’s Birthday will not be held on the 24th inst., as previously stated. It has been notified from head-quarters that the same be postponed until the 28th of June.

Consultation.—A novelty in the consultation line appears in another column, wherein “ Good Luck ” places “ a freehold house and land, situate in the most healthy part of Wellington ” at the disposal of his patrons—a great inducement for the investment of 10s. The Turanganui Bridge.—At the Borough Council meeting last night, the Clerk stated that in reply to a telegram sent enquiring about the plans of the Turanganui Bridge, the following telegram had been received, “ Re plans Turanganui Bridge, not yet approved of, still under consideration. John Blackett.”

R.M. Court.—Hemi Paraone was charged at the R.M. Court to-day with a breach of the Dog Registration Act. He admitted that his dogs were not registered, but that another Native (Hirini Taiwhanga) had told him not to register it this year, therefore he had not done so. Fined 10s., in default seven days imprisonment. Other cases of the same nature were enlarged until this day week. The Gas Company.—The Company seems determined to lose no time, and we are pleased to see such evidence of its activity in the application made to the Borough Council last night. The application consisted of a request for permission to at once break up the roads for the purpose of laying down the necessary mains and service-pipes. It was received in the usual characteristic manner, and the great wisdom and liberality which invariably guides the deliberations of that body was at once brought to bear upon the matter, with the result of their now refusing a permission which was accorded nearly twelve months ago. The importance of the matter has been made the occasion for calling a special meeting to consider the subject. This course of action can only be intended to have a cloying effect in delaying a most useful and necessary public work. A meeting of directors will at once be called, and no doubt the work will be at once gone on with on the strength of the previous permission which was accorded to the Company on the 25th of April, 1883. The works are all being pushed on with the greatest diligence, the retorts and gasometer being nearly completed, and it is anticipated that all will be in working order by the end of next month.

Sir Julius Vogel.—John Blunt, in the Saturday Advertiser, thus delivers himself:— “ I really begin to feel ashamed of my adopted country. One of our leading journals—what at least used to be considered such—says the colony is in such a bad way, and our rulers and legislators such a set of duffers, . that there is no earthly hope for us except in a special interposition of Providence. This, however, according to my contemporary, is about to take place. We are to be saved by Sir Julius Vogel in the character of deus ex macltinal The god has actually arrived—has just “ dropped down upon New Zealand.” He is indeed in rather a gouty condition, but as soon as he has unwound his flannel and thrown away his crutches his divinityship will no doubt put all to rights. I should have been better pleased if we could have managed the business ourselves, especially as the colony is said to be suffering from the effects of an overdose of Vogelism. But if Sir Julius has been defied, as my contemporary seems to intimate, since the time he ran away and left us in the lurch, he will be all the better able to rectify his own mistakes. I cannot however quite stomach the idea of a gouty divinity. Sir George Grey.—The Lyttelton Times criticises Sir George Grey’s speech there very adversely. It says: “He expressed great sympathy with Canterbury farmers, and acquired the ear of his audience by an expression of abhorrent anger at Major Atkinson’s cynical suggestion that our heavily-mortgaged farmers should ‘ clear out.’ Yet later on in the evening he forgot his part so far as to out-Herod his Atkinson-Herod. In one of his appeals to his excited listeners to think of nothing but putting crushing taxation on land, he recommended them not to trouble their heads about railway tariffs. ‘What were railway rates to them since they had no produce to carry ? said this sympathetic friend of the hard-used Canterburyfarmer, this indignant denouncer of the hard-hearted Major Atkinson. If this is not setting town against country, if this is not an appeal to the very narrowest forms of class selfishness, if this is not bidding our artizans look on in selfish indifference while our struggling farmers are plundered and ruined, then we do not understand the English language. Sir George was very earnest in imploring Christchurch not to let itself be divided from Auckland. But he would do a far worse thing. He would divide Christchurch against Canterbury. He would divide our house against itself.” Egyptian Affairs.—The parleying with respect to the proposed Egyptian Conference is still going on, and the only apparent obstacle which prevents the calling together of the different powers to discuss this important matter is the continued opposition of France, who in this matter no less than all others in which she is called upon to take a part seeks to rule the roost. In the mean time the public feeling as shown in the late exciting debate which took place last week in the House of Commons upon the subject of affording relief to General Gordon is bearing good fruit. We then gave it as our opinion that the strong expressions of adverse criticism then displayed would doubtless act with most salutary effect upon the future actions and policy of the English Government, which has at last yielded to the pressing entreaties of the Egyptian Government, backed up by the late close voting on the subject and have decided to send relief to the beleagured garrison as soon as the state of the Nile pennits the passage of steamers. That this resolution has not been come to one hour too soon. The rebels have evidently fully recovered from the late reverses they met with, and now, emboldened by success, are pushing matters in all directions. Khartoum is closely invested, Dongola is in great jeopardy, and by to-day’s cable’s we are informed that an attack has been made upon Souakim which necessitated the landing of British sailors who quickly dispersed the assailants. Matters have evidently come to such a pass as to necessitate some speedy action on the part of the English Government, and should they further neglect the urgent appeals for help which are being so frequently pressed upon their notice, they will deserve the storm consule which is sure to follow any further reverses which might have been averted by timely aid.

Curious Circumstance.—An Auckland contemporary says :—“ At the meeting of the Crown Lands Board held the other day, a curious circumstance was brought under notice by a letter from the Board’s officer at Gisborne. A selector died there recently, having made his widow his executrix, the question now was that as she wished to continue occupation of the selection, on which all the requisite improvements required by the Act have been effected, could she, as executrix for her husband, assign the property to herself. The Chairman did not think the Act made any provision for such a case, and the

> .latter was referred to the' law office of the Crown.”

Ladies’ Clubs.—A novel institution in the shape of a ladies club has been opened in Melbourne. The promoters of the club—several of which have been successfully established in English cities—offer their patrons a reading room, materials for correspondence, the use of umbrellas when required, a cloak and parcel room, and facilities, for the despatch of messages, together with many minor conveniences not obtainable at an ordinary restaurant. In a neatly-furnished dining-room refreshments will be served every day between the hours of twelve and two o’clock, a menu being furnished after the style of the cafes or coffee palaces. Another special inducement to ladies with household responsibilities is an arrangement with the leading registry offices by which domestic servants of proved capacity will be furnished when required. A house and land agency has been established in the same way. There are other benefits that will accrue to members and as the'entrance fee is only a nominal one of 5s per quarter, the ladies club will probably meet with general appreciation.