Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 252, 4 October 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Wesleyan.—Service will be conducted by the Rev. Mr. Spence at Ormond to-morrow. Merrylegs.—The well known horse Merrylegs arrived this morning by the Russell. Tenders. — The County Council require tenders for some road works specified in advertisement. Clark and Rymer.—This talented company (we are informed by Mr. J. R. Scott) will arrive in Gisborne next week, and open for a short season. Bolt.—A storeman at Graham, Pitt Bennett’s prevented a bolt to-day by springing into a three-horse dray, the horses of which took fright and were just making a start. Curious Dowry.—-An Englishman recently bequeathed to his daughters their weight in £1 notes. One of the girls received £54,000 ; the other £59,000. Sugar.—The Russell brought down a consignment of the Auckland Sugar Co’s, first lot of refined sugar, which is said to equal the Sydney article. Four hundred tons per week are now being turned out from the company’s works. Employment of Women.—ln America women are employed in almost every situation hitherto filled only by men. Many are employed in the San Francisco mint, at a wage of two dollars, 5 cents per day. The hours are from eight in the morning to four in the afternco.i, leaving off at 2 o’clock on Saturdays. R. M. Court. — This morning George Bougen, for insulting language to Henry Morse, calculated to provoke a breach of the peace (two cases) was fined £1 and £2 respectively, in default seven days’ and fourteen days’ imprisonment. In cross actions between the same parties, defendant (Morse) was fined £2 or fourteen days’ imprisonment. Each party to pay his own costs.

Parliamentary Union.—The attempt made last night to form a Parliamentary Union in connection with the Gisborne Institute was hardly the success that might have been expected. One or two of the gentlemen present showed a decided intention to “ sit on ” the Institute, which, to say the leasi of it, was in anything but good taste, more especially as the gentlemen had never been present at meetings of the Institute, and therefore knew nothing about its working. Some people have got a notion into their head that the members of the Institute devote their evening’s to dry scientific details —an idea that could only have been conceived in total ignorance, as any one can say who has attended the very interesting lectures given under its auspices. Although the Institute has not quite realised the expectations of its promoters, it has done a great deal of good. It has gained a firm foolhold, and having now proposed the formation of a Parliamentary Union it certainly had the right to have a certain amount of consideration shown towards it. We are the efore glad to sec that the proposal to establish the Union in connection with the Institute was carried. It has been arranged that a subscription of one shilling per month in advance, will give anyone the privilege of becoming a member and repre- i >< nling a constituency, while members of the Institute will not be calle! upon to pay anything beyond the amount al readv contributed. I We trust that a large nu über will turn up on Friday evening next, or hand in their names 1 previously, to the secret sry, so as to give the : bantling a good send-o.f. Both instruction j and amusement are in store if the Union is I only fostered a little at the beginning.

01’otiki - Ormond Road Contract. — Mr. White has completed his contract on the Opotiki-Ormond road, and it is now open from end to end for traffic (says the Opotiki Herald). The track is cleared of timber a chain wide. The whole of this portion is cut out from the sidling, and consequently good travelling, except two alluvial flats which have to be crossed and which may be wet in winter. About eight miles on the last section is laid down in English grass, about half a chain on each side of the road. The Moromoko flat is also in grass and now six inches high, the other clearings on the Cook County side are also doing well, and now there is good feed at the different camping grounds for horses or cattle. About twenty-five men were employed finishing up the work, and the last of the’ party got down here on Monday, some having gone in the direction of Poverty Bay. The journey can now be done comfortably in three days, and when the summer advances we may expect to see some of our Gisborne neighbors taking advantage of this route.