LOCAL AND. GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12122, 2 August 1895, Page 2

LOCAL AND. GENERAL.

*— The Wanganui County Council meets this morning. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Wanganui Harbour Board takes place this afternoon. t • There were two bankruptcies recorded in 'the Wanganui district during the month of July, as against three for the corresponding pariod last year. A number of the business men of Palmerston North are agitating for the erection of a watch tower in the, centre of the Square. ' The annual ball of the Wanganui CollegiateJSchool " Old Boys' " Association takes place in the Drill Hall tbis evening. Those who have been fortunate enough to secure tickets are reminded that dancing commences at 8 30 o'clock. Constable Bherm_n returned to towa from Karioi last evening 'with 'the -old man Whitmore. Mr Lowell and hi? two little sons also came in. Whitmore, who gives his full name as Henry Egcrton Whitmore, will be brought up this morning and charged with having committed certain unnatural, offences, A remand will be applied for. The Tivoli -Company /appear in the Castlecliff PubluvHall -his.eveuinfj. The Company will "submit a varied and interesting programme, at the conclusion of which a publio, danco is to be held. Special trains are ts be run from town, returning after the dance. The statement of assets and. liabilities filed by John David Collard, fruiterer, a bankrupt, show assets as nil and unsecured liabilities to the amount of £76 5a lid. „The only creditors above £4 are Messrs Bigg and Whit taker, wholesale agents (Wellington), £1 9 j the' Wellington Biscuit and Confectionery Company, iSI4 8s -, W. Hogg, confectioner (Wanganui), £4 103 ; Bandall and Jones, £5; A. McNeil, milkman (Aramoho), '£4 10s';' and W. Caiman, £4 19s Bt_. .-' j . On Wednesday last Mr C. Eylands, of St. John's Hill, received a message by carrier pigeon' from' tae echooner Glencairn. The letter waa written by Captain 'Palleson at 7.30 a.m,, when the schooner was 20 miles off the Wanganui bar. A strong northerly wind was blowing at the time, and tho Glencairn was just waiting for the tide. The Glencairn left Timarua on Sunday last, and, was towed in on last night's tide. She brings a cargo of flour for Messrs Cock and Co. . . ■fhe following figures, compiled by MrHylton, Librarian, show the circulation of books and periodicals at the WaDganui Public Library for the month of luly, as compared with the corresponding period last years— lß9s— Fiction, 1623; history, 33; poetry, 8; general literature, 97; travels, 66; biography, 36; science and essays, 44; divinity, 26; childreus' books, 19 ; reference, 1 ; total, 1843 j magazine , in parts, - 551. 1894— Fiction, , 1491 ; his tory, 35,- poetry, 4; general literature, 106; travels, 91; biography, 47 j science and essays, 44 ; divinity, 11 ; childrens' books, 60; reference, 0; total, 18/9; magazines in part. , 382.' At a meeting of the Bankers' Institute at Melbourne yesterday Mr Nash, a prominent banking authority, read a paper in favour of combination among bsnks and tbe establishing of a mutual reserve. Under the present system of each depend ing on itself, they had to ke.p unnecessarily large reserves and a disproportionable amount of coin, which made business inelastic and unprofitable, He advocated working together to establish a general reserve upon which all could draw in case of need. They could then issue a uniform note with an official recognised basis, lhe reserve would not reduce the bank's apparent holding of cash, but would enable a substantial portion now bringing in nothing to yield a profit. We have to acknowledge from the colonial publishing office of the Review of Beviews, Melbourne, a copy of No. 1 of the Penny Posts entitled "The Lays of , Ancient Borne " 6nd other poems by Lord Macau!ay. The venture— which has for •its object the supplying of the masses with the works of the great poets at a merely nominal cost — is certainly a unique one and will no doubt meet with , a due measure of reward. Tbo number before us includes thirteen capital portraits of prominent personages, such as the Eight Hon, W. E. Gladstone, the Marquiß of Salisbury, Mr John Burn?, Lady Henry (Somerset, &c, while the poetry 'comprises Macau}ay ? s '"Lays of Ancient Borne," Sir Walter Scott's-'- Marmon "; " Childe Harold's Pilgrimage," by Lord. By ron, and a number of selected poems by James Russell Lowell. A meeting of the Committee for the grand winter temperance tea and concert to be given in the Oddfellows' Hall next Thursday e.ening was held last night in the vestry of the Baptist Church. It was reported that tables had been promised " by ladios representing the various i churches in the town, tli9 Salvation Army, tho 1.0. G.T., the Sons and Daughters of Temperance, and the bachelors'. A capital programme for the ■ concert was submitted, including a number of well-known popular vocalist?, as well as some singers of note from a distance. A letter was read from Mr : W. Earnshaw, M.H.B. for Dunedin, expressing his fullest sympathy with the object of the gathering, and regretting that his Parliamentary duties wjll prevent bim from being present. Invitati jhs, ' however, have been forwarded to other i prominent speakers at a distance. It was < decided to, dispense with the intended j procession, as it was thought that the toa i and the Concert would make demands ; enpugl) upon the friends, of the cause for t one evening." ... j 7

i " ' : ! ; i A slab from the Labour report : " With J the new financial year the tide had again oommencsdto flow, and that probably' the depression was over. * There were signs of a stsady, though gentle, upward tendency in piices, snd employment was not so difficult to obtain as some months ago." A slab by the Hon Richard about a week ago : "lhe unemployed trouble was more acute just now than for very many years past; The Government had 600 to 700 men unemployed mt,ri at work." The above two slabs fit beautifully.— Ex 'change. The Oddfellows' Hall was packed from floor to ceiling last nighc, when Mr Mackenzie's sixth popular concert took place. Assisted by the members of the cUver TivoluCompsny, a long and varied programme was -submitted; Mr Mackenzie took an opportunity of announcing that, to suit those who are unable to at- - lend the Thursday concerts, and as a farewell to the Tivoli Company, the .seventh concert would be held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Saturday (to-morrow) evening. A complete change of programme is to be given, in which the full strength -of the combined.Ulent, local and visiting, will take part. As the price of admission is aB ÜBual 6d, with the dress .circle at lp, there will, no doubt, be - another crowded house. A working model of the quick firing gun invented by Mr William Bryant, of Palmerston North, has been on exhibition in the office of Mr H. Hughes, Patent Agent, Lambton Quay, Wellington, for some dayß past and. has been officially examined by the Premier, Colonel Fox (Military Adviser to the Government), Sir Arthur Douglas (Under-Secretary for Defence), Lieut.-Colonel Newall (adjutant of the Wellington r Volunteer Diatriot). H and otheis. The gun is of simple construction) and Mr Bryant estimates that it could be manufactured and sold at a profit for 'about £100.' _he model poesesses one barrel only, and is capable of firing over 200 ordinary rifle cartridges per minute, but Mr Bryant believes that hy adding a few more barrels fully 1000 -hots could be fired in that space of time, or several hundred more than the Maxim gun. We understand tbat tho. various experts who have examined the invention are very much impressed with its utility, and have complimented Mr Bryant on his ingenuity. The model was made by Mr Bergensen, of Palmerston.- Post. We mentioned recently says the Manawatu Times, that a very powerful combination of farmers was likely to be effected. To-day we are able to inform our readers that tho directors of the Manawatu Farmers' Co-operative Association and the United Farmer's Alliance have decided to submit resolutions to their respective shareholders advising amalgamation. . By this plan forceß pre. vionsly in opposition will be utilised for mutual advantage, and the ecope of operations will be very greatly extended, and will include the whole of the district from Wellington to Patea. The shareholders of each should derive very great benefit ' from the amalgamation, the advnntages of which should be obvious. We may mention that thin matter has been under negotiation for some time pssfc, and a final decision was arrived at by the delegates in Wellington yesterday. We may further mention that the successful working of other matters in whioh farmara are al the present time very deeply int-reßted was in a great measure contingent on the result of theßO negotiations, which have now been -completed up to the stage when the shareholders are so be asked to give their assent, and tbere is little doubt this will be forthcoming, as the advantages both direct and indirect mu.t be very manifest. ■ ■ . . 'A woman has been sued for divorce in the American Courts because she has bleached her hair, and bas taken to the habit of painting her face. Tbe plaintiff lay 8 it down that, " Bleached or artifi.i. ally-coloured hair is warded by the majority of right-thinking person, as an indication of a loose, dissolute and wanton di. position, and is regarded as, and com monly held to be, a practice never affected by modest, pure, and respectable women." After expressing this general view of the practice of women who bloach their hair,' he takes up its particular application to his own case. In his document, he avers :— " Mrs R. is a brunnette naturally. Her hair is a chestnut-brown colour, whi.h in its normal state, is modest and becoming, and harmonises with the natural colour of her skin and eyes. Since we married she hasV'against my wishes and protests, with intent to vex, annoy, exasperate, and .ha'me me,. dyed her hair and changed its shade to a. conspicuous and showy straw or canary' colour. As a consequence of this arti ficial colouring, bhe haß been obliged to paint her face to secure an artificial complexion in keeping with the artificial colour of her hair. The combination has given her a giddy, fast and sporty appearance." This, Mr Russell deposes, constitutes cruelty, inasmuch as the bleaching '^greatly mortified, shamed, and humiliated him, and caused him great and grevious mental Buffering," The concert held at Fordell Ust evening was well attended by sn enthusiastic audience, and quite a long programme of 18 item, was faithfully gone through. Th9re were numerous encore*>, and altogether tha affair may be considered a great success." Iv the unavoidable absence Of Mr* Hermon, who was laid up with a iad cold, Mr Sommerville presided and made a capital chairman. Amongst the many enjoyable pieces played and sung we must Bingle out for particular notice the excellent violin solos by Mr F. Willis, "Alico, Where Art Thou" and Weber's "Invitation to the VoIbo"; Mrs Wm. Davey's two song. * " The Old Fo!kB at Home" and "White Wings"; Misß Austin's two songs, " Granny's Story / and '• The Old Conntree." Mr Menzies. sa_g wiih fine effect "The Tar's Farewell"; Mi_3 McWilliam .ang a quaint village ditty, " Oranges and Lemons," very sweetly ; and Miss McLeod Bang " Mary of Areyle," Mr Jo.eph Bennett sang " Fiddle and I," with violin obligate by Mr Willis, in a very creditable manner. Miss Bennett's and Mies Baker's pionoforte solos were effejtively performed. Mr Charles Burnett's "Village Blacksmith" wound up the \ocal part of the peiformanc, which was closed by a trio ' played by the the Misses Higgie and Miss Newcombe. Wa must not omit to mention the cleverly played selection ' from " Martha " by the Misses Sutherland. Altogether an enjoyablo evening was passed and the church maintenance fund Ben. i 1 ly augmented. Ihe Committee of the local Lodge of , Oddfellows have finally decided to build j a new lodgeroom in accordance with the plans prepared by Mr H. T. Johns. The building, which is to be erected in Bidg-way-street, next Mr Graham's establish- , ment, will be 66 by 21 feet, with a height , from ground to ridge of 32 feet. The lower portion will consist of two wellfurnished suites of offices, with lavatory and conveniences, while upstairs there will b 3 the lodge room 46 by ?0 feet, a Committee room 20 by 12 feet, and , lavatoiy-. The lower front is to be finished off with two entrances with . raised panel doors, circular fan lights and circular-head windows j and the upper j , storey will be lighted by two circular. [ i head windows, one on each side of an j arch oyer a shield covering the name of < ] j the lodge, the whole to be relieved by a ■ cast iron frieze surmounted by an , appropriately carvoi padiment. . The lodge rooip is to be finished"off with dtagonaj boarding and oil cloth dato, and < will bo providpd with seating acoommoda- , tion in thu shape of moveable seats in ■ kauri and figured red pine. Tenders are , to be oalled in the coarse of a few days. -