The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JULY 14. Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 182, 14 July 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JULY 14. Local and General.

Courts.—There was no business at the Trust Commissioner’s Court, or the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day. Divine Service.—We are requested to inform our readers in the Tologa Bay District that Archdeacon Williams will hold Divine Service (D.V.) at Tologa on Sunday next, the 20th inst., at 2.30 p.m.

Church Parade.—There was a fair muster of the members of the J Battery and Baud, for Church parade yesterday.

Tenders.—The successful tenderers for the carting of the coal for the Gas Company were Messrs. Kennedy & Bennett.

Holy Trinity Church.—The adjourned annual meeting of the parishioners of Holy Trinity Church will take place to-morrow night, in the School-room,

Gas Company.—The balance of the Gas Company’s plant has been shipped into the schooner, Prince Rupert, at Christchurch, which was expected to leave their for this place on the 7th July. She may, therefore, be expected about the beginning of next week.

Mr. Smaill. —Mr. Smaill, who had his leg amputated above the knee about nine weeks back, is, we are pleased to see, once more about town on crutches. He is getting his strength back, and will no doubt shortly be able to resume his former duties.

Native Lands.—The last issue of the Gazette contains a notice that all restrictions and prohibitions against the following blocks of Native land will be removed, on and after the Ist and 4th of August respectively;— Purapurakowhitia, area 40 acres; and Wairore, No. I. about 30 acres; situate in the Poverty Bay Native Land Court district.

Professor Anderson.—To-night, Professor Anderson will have the honor of presenting his world famous entertainment to the public of this town, at McFarlane’s Hall. The greatest sensational achievment of the age, that of beheading a lady, will be performed, and Mrs. Maude Anderson will display her marvellous powers in clairvoyance, in which she has achieved immense success. A large house may be expected. “ Cry Off.”—Perhaps the following hint might prove of interest to some of our readers: —We hear that certain supporters of Mr, Sheehan are busy making bets on the forthcoming election, and it is reported that a list of the names of those with whom bets have been made is carefully kept with a view to nullify the votes of those people. We fail to see in the Corrupt Practices Act any bar to wagering, but it is held by some lawyers that it would vitiate a vote, so we advise all those who have bets on the elections to “ cry off.”— Telegraph. Gas Works.—The N. Z. Herald says: — The Gisborne Gas Works are now almost complete, and in the course of a month it is expected that gas will be in use in that township. The plant is now fitted up, and Mr. S. M. Wilson, one of the directors of the company, has chartered the s.s. Thomas Russell to bring a cargo of coal from Greymouth. The works erected have cost upwards of L 6,000, and it is expected that the demand for gas will be large, considering the size of the township.

Utilitarianism.—“ This (says Mercutio) is the age of utilitarianism,” and “ familiarity breeds contempt,” are two statements which will command general assent. A little incident serves to illustrate it, though in a grave fashion: A shrewd and industrious tradesman, in whose hands are the issues of death, if not of life, had left on his hands a coffin much too large for the general run of his ‘ subjects.’ It was evident some one had blundered, but the tradesman, with an inguenuity which does him infinite credit, had it lined with zinc, and transformed it into a bath for his private residence. One-half the world, as Dickens says, does not know how the other half lives; but give me life in a garret before taking a matutinal dip in that gorgeous luxury—a second-hand coffin !

Bribery and Corruption.—The case of Bribery and Corruption against Mr. S. Locke is creating some amusement. Constables have been travelling the town during the whole of the day with bundles of subpoenas for witnesses, of which there are apparently not a few. It was currently reported on Saturday that Mr. Ratcliffe was about to leave for Auckland by Sunday’s boat, in order to escape the service of a subpoena. Accordingly a dimminutive limb of the “ Devil’s own,” together with a couple of police as body guards, proceeded to the wharf at the time the last boat was to leave, so as to put a stop to Mr. Ratcliffe’s departure, but as it happened they were sold, and their expected prey did not take the step they anticipated.

Abridged.—“ Mr. Sheehan (says the Napier Telegraph) twitted Mr. Ormond at the Spit meeting on not having got a bridge at Port Ahuriri when he was Superintendent of the province. Now it so happens that the Port Ahuriri Bridge Act, 1874, passed by the Provincial Council, provided that the sum of £3500 should be subscribed by the people in the form of debentures. The money was never raised, and the conditions of the Provincial Act not having been complied with the bridge could not be constructed. In the following year, in addressing the Council, Mr. Ormond regretted that the most important work had not been carried out, and he asked the Council to revote the sum set apart for that object. The amount was accordingly revoted, but before it could be expended, the provinces were abolished. As Minister for Public Works Mr. Ormond placed the sum of £lO,OOO on the estimates for this bridge, and on the defeat of Major Atkinson’s Ministry Mr. Ormond went out of power, leaving the record of his intention in the pigeon-hole of his office which was found by Mr. Sheehan, Did Mr. Sheehan then call for tenders for that bridge ? No. He permitted nearly two years to elapse before doing so, and it was only on the eve of a general election, apparently to secure the return of a Grey candidate, that the bridge was brought forward.”

Political Economy.—Political economy, says a writer in a contemporary, is not generally considered either an easy or an entertaining study. This will probably be altered when the science is seen in its true light. Take the following theory for instance than which what could possibly be more simple and amusing, and, withal, important and opportune ? It is the new method by which we are recommended, in the columns of what professes to be the newspaper of the working man, to pay for the public works of the colony in future. Instead of borrowing money beforehand and then having to pay interest on it for ever after, the material and labour necessary for the works are to be paid for by paper bonds or notes. When the works are finished and become remunerative, the bonds may be cancelled from the revenue of. the works. (That public works always bring in a large revenue is too well-known to need any proof). “ Not an ounce of gold need be employed in the transaction,” and, “ By this method the payment of interest can be entirely avoided.” The supposition that merchants will provide materials on these terms is likely enough, and is quite in keeping with the delightful simplicity of the general theory. The only difficulty is about the workmen. What are they to do for their wages in the meantime, until the works become remunerative ? However, as labour “ pays for all,” it may be supposed that under the new system it will also pay for itself.