TOWN EDITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12752, 2 May 1912, Page 6

TOWN EDITION

Wanganui already has one municipal theatre situated m a back street. When it was recently announced that a syndicate intended to erect a theatre on the "AA r enue" (the main street) certain of the councillors agitated for a new municipal theatre m a more central position. A poll was taken, and, as telegraphed, the proposal was not carried. The A'oting was .- Againsjt 885. for 597. A peculiar accident occurred at the Tuatapere ferry, Waiau, .recently, states the Southland • Times. Two or three conveyances were crossing the river on I the punt m addition to some saddlehorses belonging to the territorials returning from the Wyndham camp. There Avas also a horse and spring-cart at the rear of the punt. The gate of the punt ! Avas fastened Avith rope, and it is said that a horse attached to one of the conveyances became restive when about m mid-stream and backed on to the springcart horse, whioh m turn backed on tc the gate, the fastening of Avhich broke, and the horse and cart Avere precipitated into the river. The horse was drowned and several swags, belonging to the territorials were lost. A similar accident occurred m December last. Easter is supposed to be a favorite time for matrimonial ventures, and the Hon. G. Laurenson found this out, if he had not discovered it before, Avhen he passed through the Wanganui district recently on his visit to Taranaki. The train stopped at Aramoho, the junction fpr Wanganui, and here the Minister found himself surrounded 1 by blushing brides and embarrassed bridegrooms, besides Avhich it snoAved confetti upon newly-married and unmarried alike. There Avere sixteen couples, so the Minister says, and he gives Wanganur the palm for being the most enterprising place Avith the finest prospects of any toAA'n m the Dominion, not even excepting Lyttelton, which is so enlightened m its judgment as to return him to Parliament. The chairman of the Otago Harbor Board has reported upon his recent trip North and upon his impressions at the ports of Wellington and Auckland. At a recent meeting of, the Otago Board he said that Auckland ahd Wellington had found it necessary to acquire recently up-to-date dredging plant. It was miles ahead of the Otago Board's plant, and •he Avould shortly urge the Board to reorganise the whole method of their dredging. The areas reclaimed by the Auckland Harbor Board brought prices .that seemed fabulous. Auckland, he admitted, was now very active and progressiveY Mr Belcher described the methods of Avork he had seen m Auckland, particularly m regard to Avharf construction, m which Avood Avas being entirely superseded by f erro-concrete. Discussing the New Zealand political situation, the London Times of. March 23 says: — "It is possible that Mr Mackenzie's succession may produce a rapprochement between the moderate section of his party and the Opposition. . Such a movement Avould probably be endorsed by a majority of the electorates m the event of another, appeal to the polls. We hope it may be tried, not because we lean to one or other of the parties, but because no other solution seems likely ih the long run to save the country from the three-party deadlock, which perplexed the Federal politics of Australia for nearly 10 years. . Whether it is practicable at present or not, it suggests a, line of cleavage to which events have been pointing for some time -past, and they may force it some day if it does not come now." From Heilbron, m the Orange Free State,, comes the story of an amazing freak of nature. In the native location twins have been born Avhich. recall, the celebrated Siamese couple, but m this strange manner, that the babes are joined face to face. The father and mother are cross-bred Bushmen, small of stature, sturdily and symmetrically built for their size. v Those who have seen them say that the. twins are joined together by a thick, fleshy ligament. The' two. faces all but touch each other, their heads move at times m contrary ways, and the four hands and arms also move quite independently of each other, as also, the four little legs and feet, which are full of vigor. The two bodies appear to be strong and healthy, but whether they will continue so remains to be seen. When they come to walk — if cA r er they do — the curious spectacle will be seen of one moving forAvard and her twin sister backwards. And they will always be looking into each othfer's ', eyes.' ''",.''*'■'■ '•'.'■ "We have to please the eye as (well as the palate," said a cordial -maker giving evidence before the Food Standards Commission m Sydney last Ayeek (says ' the Daily Telegraph.) -This Avas m allusion to the use of coloring matter, which he defended. "One field of raspberries, for instance, might give a fine, bright color ; | while another, even m the same district, I might be very much paler. But if cordials were made from the pale fruit, buyers accustomed to a deeper tint would at once reject it, believing it to be inferior, though the flavor might be quite as good as that of the, first Sample. Hence it Avas necessary to bestbAV color upon it. ( "Now, peppermint is white, but. if jvou gave them cloves white, you Avouldn t get a sale. I have seen cloves pink m the Old Country; here they are brown." Another Avitness gave the Commission- an object-lesson on this subject. He produced a number of samples of confectionery m solution, to show the quantity of coloring matter used m these preparatioris. Ohe of the bottles was filled with an orange-tinted fluid, which the witness stated had been obtained from soaking a penny bun m water. In another bottle about half a pint of red fluid Avas exhibited, which had resulted from tAVo ounces of a certain'^sAveetmeat, Avhich might have been purchased by any child on the way to school. There was sufficient m this, he said, to color a quart or more of cori , Naturally, he thought it unfair that, whilst this Avas permitted m other trades, cordial-makers should be subjected to the restrictions' proposed