LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 9136, 12 June 1880, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

+ Supplement. — Our usual supplement is not published to-day. Wanganot Steeplechase. — Acceptances close to-night, at 9 o'clock. Football. — The retura matchColonials v. World — will bo played to-day on tbc Recreation Ground. Play will commence at 3 o'clock. Property Tax. — We arc requested to state that Mr Crombie, the Deputy Property Tax Commissioner, will be at the Rutland Hotel during to-day, for the purpose of giving information and assistance to persons in filling up the forms required by the Act. A Correction. — Our local content porary last night, in commenting on the improved state of the channel, said " the Rangatira came up to the wharf to-day." It is a mistake ; the Kangatira is on the slip in Wellington, and will probably not be here till Wednesday next. Two Questions. — A correspondent asks us whether "an unregistered civil society can sue and be sued, and, if so, what ia the idea of getting registered." The above belong to a class of questions which we cannot undertake to answer. A solicitor is the proper person to get' the information from. ' Parliamentary Papers — We have received from the Government Printer the first two numbers of Hansard for the present session, and a batch of Parliamentary papers under the following headings: — German Maritime Trading Company ; Despatches from the Secretary of State ; Annual Report of Otago University ; Emigration to New Zealand ; Special Settlement on the Te Puke Block ; and the Financial Statement, with tables attached. Billiards. — Now that Mr O'Brien has completed his arrangements, Ms billiard saloon in Eidgway-street is about as snug and comfortable aa can well be desired. It contains two of Alcock's best tables, with ample fittings of every description. The rooms are under Mr O'Brien's personal supcrvi« sion, and aro excellently conducted. A handicap billiard tournament is shortly to be played on these tables. The entries close to-night. London Butchery. — Messrs. Thos. Higgie and Geo. Treweek, who quiic recently commenced business in Ridg-way-strcet, in the premises lately in the occupation of Mr Cunningham, had a magnificient display of all kinds of meat in their shop yesterday afternnoon and evening, and tlie windows wore capitally dressed. We have no doubt they will do very well, as the stand is a very good one, and they are well and favourably known in the trade. Accident. — We regret to learn that Foreman Sharp, of the Keith-street Company, had one of his eyes injured whilst in the performance of his duties at the fire onThursday. When thebranch was being passed from the ground to the loft where he was standing, by accident the jet was turned full into his face, and being at the distance of only a few feet, had the effect of turning the eye almost around. We learn that the Brigade hon. surgeon, Dr Earle, is in attendance, Sydney Exhibition. — The number of awards obtained by New Zealand exhibitors at tlie Sydney Exhibition is most satisfactory. The awards, are stated by Dr Hector to consist of 99 first merits, 85 second, 81 third, and 59 fourth, being a grand total of 324. ' The result is that more than half of the exhibitors obtained awards of some kind. A full report of thf matter will Boon be laid before Parliament and made public. Tt is also announced that on the arrival of the- Wakatipu from Sydney, the Royal Commission will be in a position to wind up all affairs connected with the Sydney Exhibition. Local Industries. — The Royal Commission on Local Industries have sent in an interim recommendation. They report that they have ascertained that wines of good quality are produced in various parts of the colony, but as there are no provisions made by law for retailing colonial wines, except by public-house license, the trade is practically suppressed. The Commission are of opinion the sale ought to be encouraged, on the ground of affording remunerative occupation in a new branch of agriculture and for the purpose of supplying a cheap and wholesome beverage. They therefore recommend that special facilities be provided in the Licensing Bill now before Parliament for the sale of Now Zealand wines by retail for consumption on the premises. Atlantosaurus. —In the American Journal of Science and Art, Professor Marsh describes the largest land animal yet known to have existed on the globe. Its name is Atlantosaums immanix. The thigh bone of this creature is over eight feet Jong, with a thickness at the larger end of twenty-five inches, though the bone has no true head. A comparison of this bone with the femur of a crocodile would indicate that the fossil saurian, if of similar proportions, had a total length of 115 feet. That the reptile was 100 feet long when alive is at least probable. The other bones of this animal (.hat have becufouud aro proportionately gigantic ; cnudal vertebra has a transverse diameter of; more than sixteen inches. All the boucs of this reptile yet discovered are in tlie Yale College Museum. They aro from the Upper Jurassic of Colorado. Taiianaki Harbour, —We extract the following from a report in the Taranaki Herald of the proceedings of the Taranaki Harbour Board, held on Tuesday last: — The chairman said the Board had received two other letters from Sir J. Coode in reference to the visit of Mr Rees to England. (Letters read.) — Mr Bewley said it appeared to him, from the correspondence, that Sir J. Coode had misunderstood his position in connection with the Board. It was evident that Sir John Coode atill considered himsolf a Consulting Engineer to the Board, notwithstanding thu letter which had been sent to him, stating that the Board could not afford to retain him at a permanent salary as Consulting Engineer, but would consult him as occasion required, — Mr Thompson said Sir J. Ooode had no doubt :icveil iv the manner he had done toi7anl» Mr Kees, as ho was afraid he would lose his commission on the purchase of the plant through Mr Rees visiting England,

Requisition. — Mr Ballance has received a requisition asking him to allow himself to be nominated for the seat on the Wanganui Harbour Board vacated by Mr Duthie. Smuggling. — A leading Melbourne firm, which has a house in Sydney, recently sold to a leading Sydney tirm a considerable line in sago. The Sydney firm required the aago for shipment, but on applying at the Customs for their drawback were astonished to find that the sellers had imported no sago, notwithstanding that they had been selling it aa importers for some time. It came out that tho Melbourne man had been importing sago as tapioca — the latter being free, the former dutiable, and both articles being very similar in appearance. The offender ia a man high up in politics and commerce, and has been making a handsome thing by smuggling sago in large quantities. John Wilson.— The Evening Post says : -We are very glad to sec that Mr McCaughan, the member for Eiverton, is pushing liia demand for a full and searching investigation into the circumstances attending the death of John Wilson, in the Invercargill Gaol, and the irregular inquest held thereon. We commented very strongly on this case at the time, and it is certainly one calling for the fullest enquiry. It will be remembered that the unfortunate man Wilson was suffering from angina pectoris, to which he ultimately succumbed, but was accused of malingering, compelled to work, his complaints discredited and disregarded, and medical comforts refused him* It was only when he actually died from tho disease that his story was believed to be true — its truth becoming thus fatally proved — while tho subsequent inquest was conduct ed iv a most illegal, improper, and perfunctory manner, half the jurors being prisoners or gaol officers. The whole affair is disgraceful to us as a community, and should be most rigidly sifted. Inoculation as a Cube toe Pleueo. — At a recent meeting of the South Auckland Cattle Board, Mr Naden, V.S., said that it had never been proved to him that inoculation was a specific for the disease of pleuro-pneumonia. He, however, was quite open to correction, and was willing to make the experiment on, say, 10 or 12 head of cattle. He would isolate them first and then inoculate them ; afterwards repeating the operation on some of them, with a view of seeing whether the virus would take effect a second time ; afterwards he would turn a few diseased cattle among them and mark the result. Such information, remarked Mr Naden, would be vory valuable. We were impressed at the time (says the Waikato Times) with the value of the suggestion, and are therefore pleased to hear that an effort is beingmade to carry it out. The cost would not be great, as Mr Naden has undertaken the experiment on the payment of hiß actual expenses, and there only remains to be obtained a few head of cattle, and a suitable place to carry on the operations. Perhaps the Swamp company would agree to set apart apiece of land for the purpose. People of opposite opinions have been so dogmatic upon this subject that the discovery of something tangible, one way or the other, would be of incalculable value, and would go more towards convincing those in error, on whichever side, than all the theorising in tho world.