LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, 26 August 1901, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An article re the campaign in the Transvaal will be found on our first page. Liedertafel practice to-night at 8 o'clock. The p.s. Aotea sails for Pipiriki. on Tuesday morning at 7 o'clock as usual. The Belle Cole .Concert Company concluded their Wanganui season on Saturday evening, when a, fairly large audience was afforded a genuine musical treat. Tom Long left Fordell for Wellington by mail train on Friday for" the purpose of carrying out the 'execution of Alexander McLean, the Eyreton murderer. The funeral of the late Miss Ethel Smidt took place yesterday afternoon, the remains being followed by a large number of people, including the pupils of Trinity Wesleyan Sunday School. The service at the graveside was conducted in an impressive manner by the Rev. H. 'R. Dewsbury. A telegraphic chess match between thn Hamilton (Auckland province) and Wanganui Chess Clubs (8 men* aside) took place on Saturday evening, and resulted in a win for the Hamilton Club after a good fight. There is much excitement on the Melbourne Stock Exchange over the bear squeeze of the Duke of York scrip. Within a few days contributory stock has risen from 12s to 70s, while paid-up stock, wiiich is not so much affected by the squeeze, is offering at 30s. The Star of Australia, which arrived at Adelaide on Saturday, brought 23 Esquimaux dogs for the Discovery Antarctic expedition. Six pups were born during the voyage. Pending the arrival of the Discovery, the dogs will be kept in the Melbourne Zoological Gardens. Camilla Pelletan, trench Marine Minister, in his Budget expresses doubt at^ the efficacy of the submarine. Gustavo Zcde and other types of submarine bouts. The opinions expressed are that the feats performed by the submarine boats under test conditions would be impossible in time of war. Mr H. Eyre-Kenny, S.M., gave judgment on Friday afternoon last in a case brought by Mr W. J. Blake> Factory Inspector, ag-ainsfc R. Baddeley and Co. The Magistrate explained that the information was laid under the Slipp and Shop Assistants Act, 1894. The facts were J>h"t the defendants were retail coal dealers, and kept Saturday as the half-holiday. A customer bought coal from the defendants, to be delivered at the ship's side, coal thus delivered costing lews. On Saturday, 28th July last, defendants' carter was seen at 28 minutes to 3 p.m. taking a load of coal from the ship's side to a customer's house. The customer bought the coal for his own use, and nob to sell again. The Magistrate said that he had little doubt about this case, but had reserved judgment in order that he might consult Judge Kettle, as it was important, that the Magistrates should act in unison upon a- question like this, which was sure to occur again. Judge Kettle agreed with him that the case was \ clearly within the statute. The coals wcro vetailed from the ship's side, and the ship's side thus became a "place" to be deemed a "shop" under the definition of the Act. As this was the firstj case of the kind, a nominal fine only would be inflicted —Is and costs 7s.

Japan is reorganising her army and navy. The- Ministerial heads of these Departments may, in future, be civilians.

During a thunderstorm, afc Brisbane, numbers of small fish fell, covering several acres. Some living specimens were secured.

Tlie vintage record of South Australia for the present year shows that tlie State has produced nearly three million gallons of wine.

A lad' named John Connell, who was before the Police Court on Friday afternoon, was committed for trial at the next sittings of tiie Supreme Court on a charge of forging a cheque for £2 xts, purporting to bo signed by Simon Harkness.

Mr Cecil Wray, the honorary locnl representative of the Royal Associated Board of Music, has received intimation that the practical examination will be held in Wanganui on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 23rd, 2flth,*and 25th September. Teachers and candidates will be notified in due course of the exact time and place of examination.

j.-.. Wellington on Saturday, the Compensation Court gave judgment on the Willis Street claims in respect to land taken for street widening by the City Corporation. Mrs Sarah Clark (nee Schultz) claimed £6250 for her one-fourth share in the Schultz estate, and was awarded £3860, with £77 14s costs. Mr Bendix Hallenstein claimed £6600 and was given £4996 with £77 14s costs. The claims of the other three members of the Schultz family (£18,750) went by default some time ago through an oversight in the Corporation office, but the case is going to the Privy Council.

In the. sixth working year of the North Sea and Baltic Canal—April, 1900. to March 31, 1901 —the number of vessels liable to pay the dues which used the waterway was 29.045, of 4,282,094 tons net, against 26,279 ships, and tons in the previous working year; 20,587 of the whole number being laden. The steamers numbered 12,269, and their measurement was 3,489,292 tons, and 5160 of them (1,123,808 tons) belonged to regular lines. The steamers having a net tonnage of over 1500 numbered 117; of over 1000 and up to 1500 ions, 307; and of more than 600 and up to 1000 tons, 1448; while of the sailing vessels and lighters only 61 were over 400 tons register; and 417 were cf 100 to 400 tons. There were 156 lighters and barges of over 400 tons register and 640 of 400 tons. Th German flag covered 24,883 vessels, the Belgian flag 44, British 593, Danish 1037, French 18, Dutch 829, Norwegian 406, Russian 205, Swedish 891, and 39 hoisted other flags.

Some time ago, writes the London correspondent of this journal, a mummy, consigned from Peru to Brussels, was detained at the London and North-Western Railway goods depot at Broad Street, and became the subject of an inquest. The jury, with unconscious humour, returned the verdict that the body was that of a "female person, aged about twenty-five years," and that she died in a manner unknown to them, and that the evidence did not "disclose any recent crime in this country." As the ( lady had apparently yielded up the ghost a. thousand years before Cortez stood upon the peak in Darien, the paucity of evidence can hardly be considered remarkable. The owners are now suing the railway company for damages to the high dried Peruvian belle. This story recalls a yarn told by the late Sir Julius yon Haast. During some of his excavations in New Zealand, the learned scientist announced that he had discovered the remains of a prehistoric man, and was considerably surprissd. when a day or two later he received a communication from the local coroner demanding particulars of his discovery, the whereabouts of the. remains, and intimating that he must be prepared to give evidence at the inquest.

Some tragic revelations have, says a Home exchange, been made about the tsrrible life of the button-makers in Moravia. We always thought that for sheer brutality and avarice the Hebrew sweaters in the East End of London, who did the "slopshop" work of the Metropolis were without any equals ; but it now looks asp if they will acquire a distinct halo of generosity by comparison with the button-manu-facturers of that part of Austria. For instance, it has been -declared that the average earnings of a whole family in this trade does not amount to* more than, a sum of from Is 8d to 2s 6d a week-^-that is, from £4 10s to £6 5s a- year. Indeed, the maximum wage which a full grown man can earn at this labour is only 2s per week, and this requires almost superhuman efforts and can seldom bo accomplished for more than one week at a time, for it necessitates the poor wretch often working right through the night as well as the day before and after. No wonder these people are too poor to drink beer, coffee, or, indeed, any tiling except water. The marvel is they can be got to eat or drink "at all, but that they, don't prefer to sit down and fold their ai-ms to welcome death from slow starvation in preference to this awful servitude of the Austrian sweater.