WANGANUI'S PROGRESS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2929, 15 November 1916, Page 9

WANGANUI'S PROGRESS

A GOOD BAROMETER SOME POSTAL MONEY ORDER, AND TELEGRAPH FIGURES "Show me comparative Savings Bank figures, and I'll tell you how your town w prospering," said an English finan* cial authority who once visited New Zealand. He believed that the Government Savings Bank was so much a part of the life of the people that it was tho pulse which indicated whother a community was stagnant or prosperous. Apply the test to Wanganui, town and district, and see the result. For the purpose of comparison, the years 1905, 3015, and the nine months of 1916 (ended September 30), are taken, asking readers to bear in mind that at tho latter end of 1915 a number of suboffices in the Wanganui district were transferred to the Taranaki district, on which account Wanganui is duo some little .credit.

Taking the Pulse. Taking the money order business for the town of Wanganui alone, the figures are as follow:— Issued. Paid. ■ £ s. d. £ s. d. 1905 ..... 27,029 6 0 26,890 13 0 1915 104,294 16 3 84,989 2 2 1916 (nine months) 77,036 15 9 67,740 910 The figurges for the district (excluding the town) are:— Issued. Paid. £ s, d. £ s. d. 1905 78,831 7 3 28,289 11 4 1915 154,504 19 1 61,199 18 10 1916 (nine months) 97,695 8 8 36,711 17 3 Turning now to the even more important savings bank figures, which indicate the frugality and prosperity of the people as a whole, the following interesting figures are disclosed (for Wanganui town only):— |

Deposits. Withdrawals. "• £ s. d. ■ £ s. d. 1905 ..... 160,132 U. 1 184,258 11 7 1915 420,620 19 11 556,213 15 3 1916 (nine months) 365,301 10 10 371,875 11 1 The Savings Bank figures for the district (excluding the town) are as follow :— Deposits. Withdrawals. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1905 147,152 14 11 95,417 18 6 1915 303,945 8 7 203,87116 0 1916 (nine mouths) 198,364 810 123,502 17 2 "Send a Wire!" The growth of the telegraphic business is another of those little indications that show if/ a placo is pushing ahead or stagnating. In this regard Wanganui's growth is really remarkable. Here are some figures:— Forwarded. Amount. Received. 1905 109,948 £4251 125,926 1915 193,123 £7282 241,481 1916 (nine months) 134,957 £5879 171,711 For the district outside the town the figures are: Forwarded. Amount. Received. 1905 ... 244,958 £8,155 215,211 1915 ... 467,604 £13,795 469,053 1916 (nino mouths) 265,411 £8,608 231,174 Big Postal Figures. The postal figures for Wanganui Chief Post Office give the following totals:— 1916 (9 1905. 1915. months). Letters and postcards posted .... 1,660,816 2,208,356 1,570,171 Other articles posted 867,413 1,011,047 782,608 Parcels posted 7,353 50,141 38,571 Letters and postcards delivered .1,588,067 1,946,672 1,518,387 Other articles delivered 1,142,063 947,505 660,738 Parcels delivered 6,977 48,945 78,390 Postal rovenuo .. £10,384 £13,263 £9,906 For Wanganui district (excluding the Chief Post Office) the following figures are given:— 1916 (9 190 a. 1915. months). letters and postcards posted ... 2,444,923 3,299,979 1,978,410 Other articles posted 1,043,248 1,002.513 531.456 Parcels posted ... 7,547 62,829 40,248 Letters and postcards deliverer! 2,943,876 3,901,469 2,303,938 Other articles delivered 1,614,353 1,505,075 889,967 Parcels delivered 15,094 125,606 77.597 Postal revenue .. £15,127 £20,878 £12,330 Tho decrease in tho district figures for tho nine months of 1916 is accounted for by the fjiot of the New Plymouth postal district boundaries boing altered to include oertain Wanganui offices,

"Are You There?" The number of telephone connections in Wanganui in 1905 was 472. Ten years later (in 1915), that number had been trebled, and stood at 1293. At the'end of September last the town had 1341 connections. Outside the town there were 135 telephone connections in 1905,1297 in 1915, and 1439 in 1916. So that at present there is a total of 2780 telephonic con-, nections in the Wanganui district. In connection with this department , tho metallic circuit was instituted somo six or seven years ago, anrf hud quite recently to be extended. The people of

the place seem to have got the "Hello" habit very strong, for the number of subscribers is constantly on the increase. A sub-exchange had to bo established quite recently at Maxwelltown. It will be «ews to Wanganui folk to know that a new trunk telephone circuit from Wellington will be available for use at the end of the present month. In connection with the 'Wanganui exchange alone, there are 5650 miles of wire in use. If anyone desires to know the total wire mileage for tho district, just add to that distanco another 1774 miles.

. THE FIRST WHITE MEN ♦ TO EXPLOIT WANGANUI. The history of the white man in respect to Wanganui goes back further tlmn most people suppose. As far as is recorded the first boat to enter tho Wanganui River arrived during January, 1831—85 years ago, The occupants of the boat wero four wliito men and a negro, who had como up tho coast from Kapiti Island, then a -rather important

whaling station, with the object of trading with the Natives, who in thoso days peopled the hanks of the Lower Wanganui River in considerable numbers, and who liked the pakeha's geegaws, his beads, his fishhooks, and his euns, just as any of the other South Sea Islanders did. The little company were hospitably received at first, but subsequently trouble arose, and through three of the four whites metaphorically losing their heads, they lost them in grim reality, and that same evening "long pig" figured on tho menu of the chief restaurant in the Putiki Pa. The other two, it is believed, did not favour tho locality long afterwards, but re-

turned wlienco they had come, sadder and wiser. In 1840 tho New Zealand Land Company acquired a considerable area of land in and around Wanganui-, but its title was disputed by the Natives, who drove off the first white 6ettlor. For somo years thero was much hostile feeling between tho Natives and whites, with an occasional murder and robbery to promote hatred and distrust. This kind of feud was kept up until July 19, 1847, when a roalclash took place at St. John's Bush, in which thero were killed and wounded on both sides. That practically cleared the air, aud led to a

much bettor feeling between Maori and pakeha. As tlio years went on the local Natives became "friondlios" to the Imperial ttoops, and fought well and bravely against the fierce invading Hauhiius, notably .it Moutoa Island, up the river.