LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 August 1901, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Some reading matter of interest will be found on our first page.

Vessels, arriving at Sydney report very rough weather. At Wellington yesterday a man named William Draper was committed for trial on a charge of breaking and entering. A cable from Paris states that one hundred and twenty-five thousand troops participated in the Reims review. Tho schooner Rotuma arrived at AdeI laide yesterday leaking badly. The leak wafi caused by tho sword of a swordfish penetrating her timbers. The Education Department has agreed to issuo free railway passes to teachers attending drill and technical instruction classes. The Kaiser has presented King Edward with a magnificent epergne, of the Kaiser's own design, which is the most elaborate produced since the 18th century. According to a cable from Tokio, there lis growing indignation in ojijxin, owing to the insulting discrimination of the Hawaiian medical inspectois against Japanese ;-ladies travelling in si eamships. A Wellington telegram states that at the inquest on the death of W. S. Simkin, the jury returned a verdict of suicide during temporary insanity, brought about by il!» I ness and over-work. I-fe has bsen ascertained by Mr. Gilruth that the disease which has been affecting v, number of cattle at Opotiki, in the Bv.iy jof Plenty, is anthrax. Measuies have been oaken for the isolation of affected herds and the stamping out of the disease. The Government 'has accepted the offer of the Canadian Government of 300,000 Pacific salmon ova. They will arrive here in January, and bo hatched at Hakateramea,. An order has been sent to England for 150,000 Atlantic salmon ova. A young man named Harold Knight, aged about 21 years, a fon of Thomas Knight, an old settler at Palmerston Nor.h, was found dead at his parents' residence yesterday morning. The deceased was shot in the head. Inquries made- by th 9 police show that the shooting was purely accidental.

We understand that as the result of an inspection of several sites for the* proposed astronomical observatory, the committee of the Borough Council have decided to recommend the site on Cook's Gardens, for which tllia representatives of the Society made application at the last meeting of the Borough Council.

Reutor's correspondent says that the conduct of the students at the Cppe o-wn graduation ceremony, in connection with tfli-o Cornwall^' vi&it, was decorous and in striking contrast to •tho uproarious b?havious of the undergraduates in Melbourne and Sydney.

We have been requested to call attention to the fact that the names of all those who did not vote at the Patea bye-elec.ion will be struck off tho roll, and they must a.pply to ba enrolled again. It costs nothing, and if electors wish to have their views represented in Parliament they should take the slight trouble to enroll, and then to go to the poll.

A well attended and representative meeting oi the young ladies of Fordell was held on Tuesday evening last for the purposa of forming a hockey club. The first practico took place on Thursday afternoon, and was attended by all the members'. The most conspicuous players were Misses A. Budge, L. Cowie, M. Can el, and J. Higgie. Misses R. and E. Higgie, S. Sharps, E. and H. Carel, and Miss Heart played a good game.

Tlie Ladies' Cbmmittee desire to publicly and heartily thank the nuury who g.ive supper supplies for the fancy dress bail, also Mr. McNeill for a handsome gift of milk, and cream, Mr. Lennard for the free u*:e of glassware and crockery, Mr. Graham for fixing gas and loan of boilers, Mr. Sinclair for the beautiful palms, etc., used for tablo decorations, Mr. Faber for hull plants, Mr. White for furniture, e[c. The ladies wish to particularly thank Mr. Jefferson for the free use of a horse and trap for several days.

Ab the annual meeting of the Palmerston Non,h Chamber of Commerce held on Thursday evening, the President, in his address, dealt with the Liberal and Labour Legislation of the present Government, stating .t)ha.t it had gone far enough. It had done good work, and corrected abuses, bub there was efi ipdicai.ion of the pendulum taking too far a swing. Moreover, the labour deroands made under the aegis of tihe Arbitration and Conciliation Act, revealed much as io the scops of labour expectations, and the Factories Act Amendment Bill held ou|j a., menace that might well frighten capital and enterprise from the country. Every Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand should watch the present trend of cjass legislation, and strenuously withstand it) \v,!fi:en it was partial, unjust, or prejudicial to yhp interests ffi the country.

Afc the Police CVurt yesterday, before Mr. H. Eyi^e-Kenny, S.M., three owners were fined for keeping unregistered dogs. D. Alcock, 10s, registration fee (two dogs) 12s 6d, and costs 7s; A, Woolley, ss, re-, gis'.iration 10s, costs 7s; and H. Pidwell, ss, registration 10s, costs 7s. J.. Corsnell was fined £5 and costs for disobeying an order of the Court directing him to pay 5i per week towards the maintenance of his; yon in St. Mary's Industrial School, Nelson. The sum in arrears was £ld 2s lOd. A young man'named Besti was fined 2s 6;1, with cos4h 7«, for driving a. c;ib up ■Jia Avenues "without lights on the 18th July last. On the occasion in question an accident occurred as the result of which the cab was damaged and Besti injured. He has just recently been discharged from the Hospital, a circumstance which Mr. Kenny said 'b.e .took into account in imposing a nominal 'penalty.'

At ii meeting of the Dunedin Hospital ttjrusriees tlie remarks made by Mr. T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., respecting the alleged ill-treatment of a patient by nui"ses in i!he Diuiedin Hospital, were referred to, and on the motion of the Chairman, it was resolved that the Government be askeci i:pspectfu'ly, but firmly, to set up a magisterial inquiry into the statements made iff- Mr. T. Maokenzie, and thai; gentienwi Jje a.s-ked t'p lie present or represented. Tho trustees expressed much indignation at the attack on a defenceless nurse, and there were many ha.rd things said of Mr. Mackenzie. Xhle Ghaiiman said thaifc if, as a'.ated, a patient was slapped on the face by a, nurse, the other patients must have seen iti He had received b, tiejlegr.iin fiom patients in the ward at t-hc ti*nc, iiJl expressing their readiness to give evitl«nc» to refute tho charges. When Mr. Mackenzie had flared up in the ward it -was suggested tha.t ho should see tho house surgeon, but he said he wii* too i>Uisy, The Chairman denied that tbo pa-. tienji .renewed to was too weak to : b3 removed, it \\:us ftva weeks before his dea'ih, and he could hay« been taken to any part of ths colony.

The Legislative Council last night struck out the clauses relating to warehousemen from the Shops and Offices Bill. Miss Allen's name should have been included in the list of ladies who, as a committee, put in such good work on behalf of the Hospital ball. . The members of St. John's Band of Hoi) 3 have prepared a sepcial entertainment!; to be given in St. Paul's Hall on Thursday evening next, the 29th. The proceeds are to. be devoted to the repairing and painting fund of St. John's Hall. .Our Maxwell correspondent infoims" us that tha m^ir.b.is of the Maxwell Minstrel Company aro assiduously m-uctining in view of their appearance at Brunswick on Wednesday, 28th instant, when, with favourable conditions, they will undoubtedly placa a mosi enjoyable programme' on the boards. Tho concert will bs followed by p. dance, Tho last social and dance of the active and Qionorary members of the Highland Rifle;; having proved s-uch a successs", it has been deckled to liold another n Thursday, Sep/ember sth, at the Fire Brigade Hall. Arrangements are well under way, land members and their friends may ba assured of «n enjoyable night's entertainment. The first part of the programme will consist of musical items, and then the hal will be cleared for a dance. The following members of the T.Y.M.I. Hockey Club are requested to attend the Racecourse to-day at 2.45 p.m. sharp for the purpose of playing a combined match Wangamii-T.Y.M.I, v. Aramoho : Barrow, Powle, Roxtrow, Loveday, Langridge, B. Willis, Swanger, Foley and Caddy. As the Aramoho team is the winner of the Saturday rounds for the Shield, a good and evenly-contested game should eventuate. The funeral of the late Miss Ethel Ada Smidti, whose death it was our painful duty to record yesterday morning, takes place to-morrow afternoon. The deceased, who was only 14^ years of age, was a bright and winning girl, and a favourite with all who knew her. Her untimely death has occasioned feelings of sincere sorrow among the friends of the bereaved family. An Auckland telegram states that the steamer Ehnville, a large timber carrier, chartered by the Kauri Timber C0.,~ struck with considerable force very near Tokatoka, while going at half-speed, but did not stop. A survey showed that three plates had been seriously damaged and bolts loosened in the watertight compartment. Permission was given to load for Melbourne, where repairs Avill be effected. The following players will represent the T.Y.M.I. Draughts Club in the match to be played with the Wanganui Volunteers, lin the T.Y.M.I. Gymnasium, on Wednesday evening next, at 7.30:— 1t. Andrew, Brown (2), G. Bowman. J. Butler, W. H. Bailey, R. Carey, C'larke, H. Christie, H. G. Caddy, E. De Rungs, D. Earle, Goldsbury (2), R. Harrison, A: Hicks, E. Liddle, A. Larking, Ma.ncer (2), F. McCulloch, W. Moult, E. Randrup. Richardson, J. Tyler, A. Tregear, A. White, C. Wixey, Young, and S. Jack.

The "Star's" Raratonga correspondent states that the audit of the Government accounts showed a deficiency of £1100. R. W. Gossetit, postmaster and collec.or of customs, was £637 short, and F. C. Goodwin, treasurer and secretary, £460 short. Goodwin was lately killed by the exnlosion of a rocket. Gossett pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two years' hard labouiv Colonel Gudgeon, uncle of the prisoner, refunded £500 of the money embezzled. Colonel Gudgeon is also in an unpleasant position, presiding in the C.burt which sentenced his own nephew.

No doubt it may often have been before (says the Chronicle), but in a new district it makes its little sensation. A public library in a London district has a custodian who is devoted to purple pat■ches in literature—but not to fine white linen. Dr Johnson, as we all know, said he could not himself profess any particular passion for it. "This library will be closed next week for cleaning. The Librarian." That notice was put up the other day. In a few hours the stop between "cleaning" and "the librarian" had been deftly expunged. Something of the kind was done in Wellington a few years ago, when the street notices, "Wait here for tram or 'bus'" were one night converted to "Wait here or tramp and butt."

By the death of Mr. Edmund Stent, which occurred a'j the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. Allan Lees, Durietown, yesterday morning, we lose another of o'ir eld and respected settlers. The deceased, who has been associated with tj}i»t district for the best part of half a century, was .widely known and esteemed. In the early days he w-is noted as an enjhusiastic breeder of pure-bred stock. The deceased had attained the ripe old age of 87 years ,and leaves a widow and a family of grown-up sons - and daughters to mourn their loss. The funeral takes place at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. ■

The chief attraction to football enthusiasts to-day will doubtless be the annual matdh between LavW and Banks, which will tako p?ace on the College GrounjH at 3 p.m. sharp. This year the "limbs of the law" have dispensed with the assistance of the insurance gentlemen, and go forth unaided to beat the "knights of the ledger." Both sides are very strong lieams —on paper—and it is reported some of the combatants, especially the Bankers, Lr\e been in hard training for the last U o days. The game promises to be a, vsry exciting and fast one, and great interest is being taken in ilhe reappearance on the field of several old-time champions. Given a fino afernoon, it is expected that there will be a large and fashionable attendance at tho match.

The city of Sydney has recently purchased two new steam fire engines, and the Country Fire Brigades Board (Melbourne) and the St. Albans Fire Brigade, near Christchurc'h, New Zealand, have just ordered similar engines. This is noteworthy because Hhe pattern selected in each caso is Merryweatbe's new "Greenwich Gem" type, having the new feature of vertical double cylinder machinery placed behind tlbio boiler, and also the stoking door at rear. The pumps are of improved design, giving greater efficiency, especially where suction has to be taken from a depth. The whole machine is, power for weight, far ahead of anything previously invented. St> great has been, the success of this engine in British towns ( b.iit me makers have had to put down special new machinery to meet the demand, tib.e result being that the cost has been r> dn joJ considerably. Messrs. Merryfl 'f.l t:.| )Oi% i>ie now also building a powerful siU-proj tiling steam fire float for the Harbour Board of Auckland, New Zealand.