LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 August 1901, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"New-. Zealand Farmers' Union" is the heading of an article which, in conjunction with other interesting reading matter, will be found on the first page of our issue bins morning. Owing to the Hospital Ball taking place on Wednesday night next, the usual Dorothy Assembly will be held on Tuesday, 20th instant. The statue of tlie late Queen Victoria at Malta has been damaged by corrosive iicid, thrown, over it. The act is attributed to feeling over the language dispute. We understand that Mr. Peter Hartshorn has sold his interest in the Railway Hotel to Mrs. Quin, late proprietress of 'the Pipiriki Tourists' hostelry.

According to a London cable Weddel Company's annual butter report anticipates thai Last season's high prices will be maintained and possibly augmented.

A message from New York states that tha steel workers on strike number 57,000. Other hands to the number of -»0,000 are working the trust mills. The Trust have re-opened several mills.

Tha Melbourne butchers have raised the price of meat a penny per nound. Roast beef is now selling at 6d to 7d, and chops and steak are as high as lOd. The contributing factor is the falling away of grazing "in favour of dairying.

In the French Chamber of Deputies, M. Pelletan, Radical Socialist member for Bouches, Durhone, declared that the armoured cruiser Jeanne D'Arc and the first-class cruiser Chateau Renault were a distastrous failure. The boiler tubes became red not, and the machinery melted, and both were disabled.

We -would remind readers of the liaptist Mission sale, which is to be held in the schoolroom next Thursday evening, August 22nd, at 7 o'clock. Quite a variety of useful and fancy articles' will h~ on sale that night, as the young people <! the Christian Endeavour Society here have baen busy at work for spirio months pa-st.

The usual meeting of the Sunbeam Temple was held in the Templar Hall- last evening, » good attendance of members being present. A syllabus was presented and adopted for the quarter. It was resolved to hold a social on Friday, August 23rd. During the evening a number of members contributed to the harmony, after which the meeting was brought to a close with the usual ceremonies.

A Bill authorising the construction of a pier at Berehaven for the purpose of accommodating steamers traversing the Atlantio in 4£ days has been read a'second tinie in the House of Lords after passing through the House of Commons. It has created a commotion in Liverpool. The 'step is regarded as foreshadowing turbine steamers run by foreigners, although it vras stated in tlfa Lords that vessels.were building in Britain.

Tho competitions by volunteers in prize Sting resulted as regards the North Island •-—Gold medal for best shot in North Ma,nd, Sergeant Leslie (Wellington Guards). 10$ points; second best shot^in North Island, P. O. Ross (Wellington) Navals, 103 points.; best shot in the Auckland district, Sergeant E. Shaw (Ohinemuti No. 1 Rifles). 102; best shot in ..el-lino-ton district. Private McMurray (Palmerston North Rifles), 99.

The .Ladies' Committee, who have the supper arrangements in their charge, beg to remind all those who so kindly promised supplies, that all uncooked food be sen* in not later than Monday to Mrs. Williamson, Avenue. The ladies will be in attendance a.t the Borough Council Chambers on Tuesday and Wednesday, where contributions to tho supper will be received. Anyone wishing to "help' in the •way of contributions of food and who has nob already been approached will oblige very much by helping.

At the Police Court yesterday. two lads named Talbot and Collard -were charged with stealing a quantity of 'bus tickets and 6d in coppers, together of the value of 12s 6d, the property of H. J. Baker, on the 9th of August. Collard pleaded guilty, and Talbot did hot appear. The forTier was Temanded till Monday. Several persons'were fined for committing brsachfp of Borough byelaws. A. Demp::ey. who left a horse- and trap unattended, without chaining the wheel of the vehicle, was fined Is and 7s costs; and J. Hugill and G. Hodson were each fined 5s and costs 7s for riding their bicycles on the footpath. A first offender for drunkenness n*as also, convioted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.

Mr. Labouehere's newspaper "Truth," has taken up the case of Mr. Lillywhite, vrho was alleged to be Arthur Blatch, tho man "wanted' for the Colchester murder, and this paper avers that it will be an "additional scandal" to what has been already perpetrated if the Home Secretary does not deal with him in a generous spirit. Another paper says :—' The case oi Mi". Lillywhite is clearly one ior compensation. It is stated that the strain of tho last eight months has broken down his health, and that he is now suffering keen-_ ly. Legally, wo believe, Mr. Lillywn.te is in the same position as any person who ii the victim of mistaken identity, hut it Is to be hoped that the Government v ill discover some way by which they can give him adequate compensation for the ■pronniary loss ho has sustained, and for the tiif?ering he has endured."

Mr. George Franklyn, who for the past t'3'4 years has been in the employ of Messrs. James Thain and Co., htis obtained a position in the firm of Messrs. John Burn wid Co., of Auckland, for which city he left yesterday ,afternoon. On Wednesday evening last he was made the recipient of n handsome gold chain, presented by his fellow sliopmates, and a substantial cheque from the firm. The presentation was made by Mr. Clapham, 'who took the opportunity of making a fitting reference to Mr. Franklyn's long and faithful service, and of wishing him, on behalf of the firm and employees, every possible success in his new sphere. Mr Framklyn, who is well and popularly known, leaves a large circle of friends in Wanganui, all of whom will b© pleased to hear of his future wcllrbeing.

It is said that one of the returned troopers recently entertained in Bellamy's "let the cat out of the bag" with regard to the sickness amonpst the Fifth Cbntincent in the famous Beira march. The malarial character of the country not only irsated many cases of enteric, but generated measles. When the contingent embarked on board the Britannic, she had iust brought roliefe for an Imperial regiment, and immediately afterwards there was a serious outbreak of measles. The blainkets which had been used by the Imperial troops, and had not been washed, were sesjjed out to the members of colonial contingents, mainly Austra^ans, with the result that out of a total of 750 men, 33 were prostrated with. measles, lnese facts having come under the notice of the Hon. H. Feldwick, he has given notice of ?i motion in the Legislative Council to the effect that it is desirable that steps should bo taken to prevent tine spread of malar"al fever and measles through the medium ■)f returned South African troopers and heir clothing, and that a select committee to b9 called the Public Health Committeo should bo appointed to consider the question.

A good deal of interest is being manifested by local riflemen in the public:trial oi tho patent trajectory range-finder, which ia to take place on the local range on Monday afternoon next. At our re quest, Mr. W. Symes, M.H.R., has supolied the following particulars concerning '■ihe invention :—lt is a fixed mechanism in tho rifle, by which the exact trajectory of tho rifle and the exact distance of the '■bject. being fired at can be accurately Sxed. The automatic trajectory and range regitter is neat in make, adds very Uttle, if any. to the weight of the rifle; easy of manipulation, its use can. bo learnt 1:n n few minutes by anyone of ordinary intelligence ; nothinsr that can be easily iamaged, and can be fixed on the rifle at very small cost. Two exhibitions were 'riven by Mr. Trotter, the inventor and patentee, at Island Bay. The first was >ritnesscd by Sir Arthur Douglas (Under Secretay for Defence), Lieutenant-Colonel Collins, Lieutenant-Commander G. F. Campbsll (Wellington Naval Artillery), who expressed themselves delighted with what they had seen of the invention. The second exhibition at Island Bay was witnessed' by Lieutenant-Colonels Sommerville and .Davis, Major Lovcday, and Mr. Walter Symes, when, so far as was possible to ascertain, the results were excellent; and if the trial on Monday will stand the tost, whiph the inventor says it will, there is no doubt it will prove the invention of tho age so far as a rifle is concerned.

To-morrow morning the- Rev. J. Cocker will commence* a series of sermons on ''Bunyans Pilgrims' Progress." The first subject will be The Pilgrim himself. In the evening a sermon will be preached to the young men of the congregation. Strangers are specially invited.

We understand that a treat is in store for those attending tho Aramoho Boating Club's concert next Friday evening. A capital programme has been arranged and patrons may look forward to an enjova.ble evening. Included in the items will be ventriloquism, whistling solos, fancy club .swinging, vocal solos and ducts, instrumental items, and dances.

We are pleased ot announce that Mr. E. Vine, jun., has now returned to Wanganui from the Wellington Hospital, in which institution be has be>en a patient since tho Ducal visit. Mr. Vine is still suffering from weakness and the after, effects of his illness, and' will be confined to his homo for a day or two yet. Mr.. Vine speaka in glowing terms of the treatment he received a.t tho Wellington Hospital.

Great interest is being evinced in 'the representative football match, Wairarapa V. Wanganui, which takes place on the Recreation Ground at .3 p.m. to-day. The visiting team is a heavy one, especially in the forward division, and has a great reputation. The home team, although perhaps not so strong all round as in former years, has improved considerably, and should give a good account of itself. The match .should be a 'good,'Mrd fought one, and as there is every promise of a fine afternoon, there should be a large .attendance. > ■

We have much pleasure in announcing Miss Ada Delroy'.s acceptance of a benefit conceit tendered to her by her company; to take place at. the Opera House on Thursday next, August 22nd (race night). Several of the leading amateurs of Wanganui have kindly consented to give their services. The whole of the Delroy Company will also appear, and a specially attractive programme has been arranged foF, particulars of-which will appear in Monday's issue. We ■ are glad to be able to state that.Miss Delroy is now out of all danger, and is on the rapid road to recovery.

An extraordinary situation as regards local government exists at Rptorua. "The Town Council has been applying for Government contributions overdue. At the last meeting, the clerk read a wire from the Paymaster-General as follows -. '•— "Council apparently have •no legal 'existence, hence inability to pay over money, due. Matter under administraition of Lands and Survey Department." Had a bbmb-shell exploded in the midst of the councillors,. says the Chronicle, more consternation could not have been caused than by the reading of that telegram. For a 'moment there was absolute silence, then Councillor McAuley pushed back his chair with the remark: "That settles it. I am no longer a councillor." Indignation was freely expressed over this unfortunate state of things. The Government nominees had been gazetted, the'other members had not, - hence the Council was not a corporate body. After a feeble attempt to reconstruct business, that sitting and all sittings were, suspended until the Government take proper steps in the.matter. The chairman was asked to try and find out the legal position that the ex-council stood in. All workmen engaged by the Council will be discharged. The meeting then broke up.

Here is the complaint of the London butcher against the "fraud" perpstivited by New Zealand meat shippers on the longsuffering and trustful London retailers. It is written to the editor of the "Daily Mail" —"In your issue of May 23, there is reported a case against- Messrs 'M. Bergl and Co., of Liverpool, in which that firm was prosecuted for selling as New Zealand lamb some that came from Australia-. The action is brought by Mr Cameron, the New Syealand Government's representative here, tinder the mistaken idea that the New Zealand farmer suffers ah injustice in having Australian meat sold as New Zealand. Before, however, the New Zealand Government start advertising the splendid quality of Australan meat in this way, I think they might first see to their own affairs at home. Thousands of sheeg are forwarded to Canterbury yearly from other parts of New Zealand (in order to be shipped from there to London) because the salesman ha this market will pay, the colonial a little more for Canterbury mutton than he would for mutton from. Otago or Southland, little dreaming that he is buying the one thing and getting the , other. The fraud on this side deceives no one ; on the other side it is intentional."-,.