LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11920, 23 January 1894, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

« The annual congregational meeting of St. Paul's Church will be held to-morrow (Wednesday) evfbing, at 7,30 o'clock. The annual congregational moetitig of St. Paul's Church will be held to-morrow (Wednesday) evening, at 7.30 o'clock. In another column an announcement in connection with the Mai ist Schools will be found. The Very Rev. Father Kirk left for Wellington yesterday, in order to lake pnrt in the aunual clerical retreat. He will be absent a week. Tho Sunday Schools had a splendid day for their annual outing yesterday. Thoy all chose different localities for their pipnicß, but each and all wore delighted with the places of their choice. We have been requested to intimato that the rehearsal of " Rip Van Pinkie " by the Musical and Dramatic Society will take place to-night, a!; 8 15 o'alock, m the Oddfellows' Hall. The gas flickered very badly at ,tho Oddfellows' Hall last night. As we understand the meter had beenattendod to find, tborougly cleaned 4>y a Gas Company's workman, tho caufce of the trouble must lie in the service pipes. We boar thatthe congregation of St. faiil's intend giving a grand conceit in aid of their p'pe organ fund on the Bth of February. Tho funds, wo aro iuformod, are suiliciontly advanced to warrant tteps boing taken shortly to procuro a firtlclaes instrument. , Tho following " strokes " lwvo been selected for tho captain's trophios of tho Union Beating Club.— U. Kendall, W. Williams, J. McKay, R. 11. Kirk, ,) Kia--gor, Pat. Knegan, T. Taylor, Peter Keogan, A, Ander, and KH. Riukardson 'lhey are req-iosted to meet at tho shed at 7 o'clock this evening to pick thoir crews. We are glad to tee that a meeting has been called for Thursday night, at the instance of che CVptain of the U.B.G. and the deputy-captam of the W>tt.C., to consider the regatta question. It is not yet too late to repair past apparent negligence, if only the matter is.taken up energetically now. What is regarded as a great victory of the cause of I abour in England has been achieved. For a longtime past tbeLabour leaders have been urging tho Government to adopt tho eight houis system in tho Government dopattments, and now a definite promise has been obtaiued that the syttam will be introduced among the Government employ is.

The Palmersfcon Standard s»ys :— Thj larrikin class have been too much in evidence in Palmerston of late. In front of the Fire Brigade station thore nightly assembles n number of hoodlums, who, besides indulging in Ilia most filthy language, amuse themselves by playing such tricks on Hie Chinese storekee^wrs there as stealing their shutters, iron bars, cases, &c, and appropriating " small goods" from Mr A. Morgan's butcher's shop. In our obituary notice yesterday, we announced tho death of Mr Arthur Bowsoil Baiter, the head of the old established business firm of W. M. Bannatyne .and Co., of Wellington. Mr B'llier took up his abode hero three and a half years ago, and resided on St, John's Hill up to the time of his death. Ho had virtually retired froni the business at the early age of 45, lo'iving Mr Harold Beauchamp, his partner, sole control. Mr Bakor wa3 v gentleman of retiring disposition, but all those who were acquainted with him will always remember his kind and genial disposition. He was a second son of Major Bakor, one of tho first settlers, and Wellington's first Resident Mpgistrate. Ho has no relations living in tho colony; his mother, Mrs W. M. Bannatyne, died in London on the 23rd November last. Mr Baker has been an invalid for many months, and his doath did not come unexpectedly to his friends. The funeral will leave tho bottom of St. John's Hill at 2.45 p.m , sharp, to-day (Tuesday). The mißoreat who went about some months Jago thiowing vitriol on ladies' dresses in the fashionable thoroughfares of Paris (says the Daily News) appears to have been at his cruel and senseless work again. Tho latest victim of this strange form of outrape is a young English lady, Miss Violet Waldron, who resides in the Eve de la Paix, on her way to the Bouffes Parisians Iheatra with some members of her family, she suddenly cried out that she felt a pain in the leg. Immediately it was discovered that her clothing was saturated with a coriosive fluid, penetrating even to her boots and stockings. An umbrella she held in her hat\d was also twiouslv damaged. For.tunately the personal injury was not grf ut. The assault took place in tho Rue .Jlonsigny, in which the Bouffes Theatre is situated, and it is believed that the vitriol was thrown by some one standing at the co-ncr of a narrow, ill-lighted little btreet, the Rue Saint Augustin. A romantic suicide has taken place at Montpellier, in the south of France. Fransois Kouland, a fancy draper of that town, had the misfortune to lose his sweetheart, who died as long ago as 188G, and ever since then he had suffered from melancholia, and had frequently been heard to say that he wished he was lying beside her in the St. Lazare Cemetery. Tho other night a grave digger was passing through the cemetery, when he saw a great semi-circular opening in front of one of the private graves. On examination he found that a stono had been taken out of the structure, and that a body wa3 lying on top of tho coffin within. The police authorities were communicated with, and a number of ofiiuials were soon on the spot. Upon a ccflin was the body of a man, clad in black, In one of his hands, which were covered with black kid gloves, was a heavy revolver. It waß evident that the deceased, who was none othor than the draper, had proceeded with great deliberation. Having stuck a pair of scissors in one of the walls, he hung his hat and watch upon them, and then lay down and shot himself in the head. Under the head Avere a number of bank notes, together with a letter stating that they were for the expenses of the funoral A London correspondent, writing on December Ist, says -.—•' Tho Christmas shopping season is, for some reason or another, much later than usual this year. Instead of the now cards, new toys, and new odds and ends being' exposed for sale from the middle of November, the tradesmen are not going to '• dress" tlioir windows till cattle show week. Tho oxplanation of this alteration is that tho , Bhoys find they do not really do much business in Christmas presents till then, and the goods pet soiled. It comes however, a bit bard on Anglo-colonials and others with friends abroad Whon one went to look around for new gift books and what not to send off by the mail of Nov. 17, there was little cr nothing to choose from. Nevertheless I can sympathise with the tradesman's point of view. Watch a woman purchasing Christmas cards ! She invariably begins by examining the tcay of shilling cards, probably remarking cheerfully thai, she would consider it a sin to spend si much on such trumpery, after tossing these well over she proceeds slowly via the ninepenny, sixpenny, fourpenny. threepenny and twopenny trays to the penny one. Finally the stood lady selects three penny and one " tup'ny " card and leaves the shop with the air of a duchess. In the course of his very interesting lecture on the Chicago Exhibition delivered in Wellington last week, Archbishop Rodwood said : — The average American daily newspapers were far below what one had a right to expect, and as collectors of news pure and simple they were unreliable and lacked truthfulness in every department. They were shaky as regarded principle?, and though there were exceptions, their style was slipshod and abounded in slang and illiterate Eng. lish. As compared with our colonial papers he confidently asserted that our dailies were purer, more truthful and honest, superior in s.tyle, better in fosto, and, considering the smallness and remoteness of the colony, had a better knowledge of the doings of the world at large. Tbo defects in American corcerns which ho hail alluded to were sufficient to warrant the conclusion that our insti tutions, laws, morals, finance, and legislation, stood superior, as a whole, to those of America- Admitting that we were a small community in a smaller country, we should resolve to preserve with jealous care our institutions and morals free from the dofocts und .blots so offensive and glaring in lands boasting themselves as the home cf freedom, the leaders of civilisation, and tho advanco guard of procress in the world's march. The Arch, bishop resumed his seat amidst the heartiest applause. Tho Journal of the Labour Department for January, just issued, reports as to the labour market in Wellington as follows : — Building Trade— Still dull, a large number of tradesmen baing out o f employment. Engineering and Iron Trade generally — very quiet, and no sign of immediate improvement. Soft goods (wholesale)— Leading warehousemen report trade as being fairly good. Retailors' report — Good trade for month, if any. thing better than same period last yoar. Boot trade— Fairly pood. Unskilled labour— Work in tho country districts during the latt month has been plentiful, and at the time of writing country agents report no idle men about. Harvest will soon be on, also grass seeding, whioh will have tho effect of keeping the market clear for .some time. A fow men have been placod ori>,Qo^ernment works, but tho majority of appliciiuts have only beon advised ns to the best diutricl in which to obtain ' work, and we hoar that, with very fow exceptions, they have succeeded in obtaining employment. Owing to the low riassago rates between Australia and Now Zealand we have had a lsrge influx of workingmen from th 6 sister lolonies. For the most part thoso men proceed at on 'o uj) country, and aroomployor'jby contractoiß, farmers and others. Tho DrosJon Piano Company do'iiro (o dtxw tho attention of tho public <.f Wanganui ami distiict to tho fact that tlu>y have pianos by all the leading English Gormau, and French makers, and tho^e requiting an instrument would find it to tlioir advunlngn to ini-pect tho vannd .etoctc .md to comparo for (/homselvos tho Drusden Pianos. Organs ranging from £17 10j to £19. Pianos from =635 to .£l2O, which cun bo t purchased from ZOs monthly. A firfct-class guaranteo is given wijth every instrument. Sheet and Book Music and Musical sundries at Wellington prices. Tuning and repairing in town or country at greatly reduced prices. Inspection invited. — The Yellow Shop. Victoria Avenue. R. U. Martin, Manager for Wanpanui. Moults One Shilling TnUo for Christmas presents is well filled with useful articles. Call at) d inspect .—A dvt. Caledonian Spoi.ts— On tho ground Mr F. N. Adams, of Adams, Cutties, and Co., Christchurclyvilloxhibit i,wc simplos of •' Star Cycles." Come and see tho Hecord Machines. Fasy paymente. X8 de. posit. 303 per month. Tapesfciy Tables Covers, extra long, made bi.ecially for larjja tables, [at E. Moults, direct impoiter.