LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 24 April 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A number of townspeople have expressed considerable indignation at the act of vandalism in chopping down the trees in the old cemetery. We are informed that the ground is tapu and that control of same was vested in the old Town Board.

Another outbreak ot diphtheria has occurred at Dunedin, this time at Green Island. Two families are effected. One child has died.

A contract has been signed that provides for the completion of the first Federal destroyer on June 15, 19x0, the second on July 14, and the third to be ready on June 26. Since the suppression of betting in New York, it is estimated that the sum ol ,£IO,OOO has been cabled daily in bets upon English races.

The services at the Presbyterian Church to-morrow will be conducted in the morning by the Rev. G. K. Aitken, and in the evening by Mr H. Billens, of Palmerston North. Mr Billens will take for his subject the “ Power of Prayer.”

On Monday next the annual meeting of householders is to be held iu the various school districts controlled by the Wanganui Education Board for the purpose of electing School Committees to carry on the business during the next 12 months; A Maori woman named Watene fell off a train and suffered injury at the Thames. When the train, returned to the station some hours later the husband of the woman said she was alright. He endeavoured to carry her, but she tell off his back and again injured her head. She died at home some hours later. The police are making inquiries.

In regard to rapi 1 cabling, the Premier has received a letter from Mr J. Henniker Heaton stating that there were four great inven tors who proved in his presence that they could send 500 words in place of 30 a minute over the cables. The Premier says that the news is most reassuring, for a great obstacle in the way of cheapening cable communication was the capacity of the cables.

The Minister for Railways ha s instructed the Addington Com' mission to visit the various Government work shops and private foundries, and he has no doubt that good results will follow from the comparisons the Commission will be able to make. ‘ ‘ The work at Addington is, of course very good,” adds the Minister. “The question is whether it is turned out as promptly as it should be. The plant is quite adequate, and we have spent considerable sums in recent years on new machinery, and, although in some cases machines were not of the newest type, that should not make any appreciable difference to the output.” On Thursday Cabinet authorised a number of grants for public works, including the following: — Welliugton-Hutt Road and railway improvement, £15,000 ; Dunedin - Mosgiel railway duplication, ,£12,000; Marton railway station extension, £1250; Rivers-dale-Switzers railway, £1050; Gatlins - Waimahaka railway. £SOOO ; Ngahere - Blackball railway, £3300; Midland railway, £I2BO. Votes were also approved as under: Purchase ot railway permanent way material, ,£47,500; station buildings on Grahamstown Kawakawa railway, ,£1000; and post and telegraph material, £"3800.

The banking returns for the first quarter of the year exhibit some special and unusual features. The free deposits or current account balances show the very substantial decrease of ,£1,433,941 compared with the corresponding quarter of 1908, while the fixed deposits have increased by £430, 248; the net loss of deposits was thus ,£1,003,693. This shrinkage in loanable credit has resulted in curtailment of advances, the total under this head being less by £355,401 than at the corresponding date last year. The discounts exhibit an increase of £36,767. The banks have advanced to the public £234,591 more than they hold in fixed and free deposits. There is a shrinkage in the note circulation of £53.732, and a reduction of £265,723 hi the amount of the coin and bullion.

A despatch from Evansville, Indian*, to N;.v Y or'c, stiter that the funeral of a prominent minister of that city who died a few days ago was marked by a novel and striking feature. In accordance with the minister’s dying request, the funeral oration delivered at the grave was one which he himself composed and had spoken into the gramaphoue. The large crowd which gathered round the grave listened with deep attention to the gramaphoue oration delivered in the well known voice of their dead pastor. Another impressive feature of the graveside service was a gramaphoue recital of a special prayer also composed by the deceased minister.

It appears that the Tasmanian timber trade with New Zealand will shortly be placed on a much more satisfactory basis than hitherto (says a Hobart telegram to the Melbourne Argus). Tasmanian exporters and New Zealand importers have both felt the need of a regular service, so that orders can be promptly executed, and it has transpired that negotiations for forming a syndicate of merchants in the Dominion and Tasmania exporters for the purpose of running a steamer of their own in the trade have been brought to a successful termination. The steamer, which will be able to carry about 1500 tons dead weight, is being procured from England, and the vessel is to be delivered at Albany about June next. It is stated to be the intention of the syndicate also to employ a steamer in the coal-carrying between Australia and New Zealand. Do not forget you can buy the newest in Ladies’ Winter Jackets at sale prices for 7 days only. G. 11. Stiles.*

31 The secretary of the Albion Football Club desires to acknowledge receipt of a donation from Mr K. Healey. About 9000 calves have been inoculated against “ blackleg ” in the Hawera district this season by Mr lilliott, Inspector of Stock. Asked by a Christchurch Pressman concerning a rumoured proposal to abolish small Kducation Boards, the Hon. D. Buddo stated that he knew of no such proposal. He declined to discuss probable changes in the educational administration.

At the forthcoming Borough election, any candidate may, by writing under his hand, appoint a scrutineer, who must make a declaration before the Returning Officer, prior to the day of the election, otherwise he will be unable to act. The services in the Methodist Church to-morrow will be conducted by the Rev. P. J. Mairs, whose evening subject will be “The secret of failure.” All seats are free, and Sankey hymn books will be used. There will be a prayer meeting in the schoolroom at 6.15 p.m. A witness in a country police court gave a fair explanation of the betwixt and present stage. “ ’li wasn’t drunk, your Worship, but ’ e wasn’t himself, and when I last saw ’ im ’ ed been washing ’ is face in a puddle, an’ was tryiu’ to wipe it on a rubber doormat, cursin’ the ’ oles in the towel.”

The average speed of the. new express service between Invercargill and Christchurch, including stoppages, is 31 miles 10 chains per hour, or about 50 per cent, faster than the mail between Wellington and New Plymouth. If is probable that a large boarding-house will be erected at Wellington by the Natives of New Zealand, It is suggested that the required funds—^6oo0 — should be raised in £1 shares. The boarding-house, if erected, will be for the sole use of Natives on their business visits to Wellington.

A recent issue of the Hobart Daily Post condemns the Tasmanian Government for-allowing New Zealand to monopolise the tourist traffic, and advises that Tasmania should follow the example of New . South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand in bringing its mutual advantages extensively under,public notice, A correspondent signing himself “ Patience” writes to the Auckland Herald: ‘‘l think you are rather hard on the management of our New Zealand railways—it is improving. A truck load of goods was despatched from near Auckland on Wednesday, the 14th inst, and on the fourth day was expected to arrive at Rotorua. Of course, you might argue that it is not profitable to keep a truck idling for four days on a one day’s journey, but some people are never pleased. P.S. —Five days ! —the truck has not yet arrived,”

It is stated that the Crown Rands Department, having under its control the Forestry Department, intends giving substantial help to farmers who are willing to do their share in regaining for New Zealand some of its lost timber resources. It will provide a lot of 250 young totara trees to every applicant who will undertake to plant them and pay freight from the Ruatangata nursery, near Kamo, where they have been raised. There are 710,000 trees ready for distribution.

The Coriuthic, which left Wellington for Rondonon Thursday, took 6037 boxes of butter and 13,080 crates of cheese from New Zealand, The shipment was comprised as follows : Auckland 1135 boxes of butter, 659 crates of cheese; New Plymouth, 2112 boxes butter, 1610 crates of cheese; Patea, 1710 boxes of butter, 4296 crates of cheese; Wellington, 1980 boxes of butter, 2579 crates of cheese; Rytteltou, 311 crates of cheese; Otago, 915 crates of cheese; Bluff, 2710 crates of cheese.

The Greymouth Harbour Board finds itself in a difficulty regarding its proposed ,£50,000 loan (remarks a contemporary). The Union Bank has advised the board that the present is an inopportune time to approach the Uondou market with the flotation of the loan, and the local authorities were accordingly recommended to withhold the loan in the meantime. The board- has asked the bank to cable to its Uoudou representative requesting advice as to the probable length of the delay which will eventuate before the loan can be placed. It is feared that it will be some time before the flotation is now effected. Should this surmise prove correct, it is probable that all works, including the dredge, will have to be indefinitely suspended.