LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 August 1901, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

'The Sydney police made another betting raid tihe other night and made 21 arrests.

Another daring jewellery robbery has occurred in Sydney. Kbit's window was smashed and £100 worth stolen.

Another shipment of 500 cattle is b?ing sent from Queensland to South A.'.:.-.:>, a" so 100 heifers purchased by the Government for the Government of Nu':;il.

During the Cornwalls' visit to Capetown tho Boev prisoners presented him with curios mads from Kruger coins. The Duke shook hands with the'-prisoners, who wiero delighted.

The BeJgian Socialists; desire a universal labour strike a,s a, protest against the war in South Africa. The British Socialists sent a discouraging answer to the pioposa.l and the movement has collapsed.

We acknowledge receipt -of the August number of the Wanganui Collegian. The number is very interesting, and fully maintains the reputation of the Wanganui Colleffiate School's publication.

A Melbourne cable says that a man. unknown, burnt down a hut in the outskirts of Myr.leford, and chased the owner with a knife. A constable went to secure the man, who rushed him with the knife. The constable shot him dead.

The East Window for the Collegiate School Chapel in memory of the Old Boys who have fallen in the war has been ordered from Home. It is to take the form of a red cioss with tihe legend, "In hoc signo vinces,' There are, or have been, over sixty old boys in South Africa up to uhe present.

We understand the entertainment at St. Paul's Hall on Thursday next will be more than of ordinary interest. The whole evening will be taken up by the members of St. John's Band of hope, who are givin- the entertainment in aid of St. Johns Hall repairing fund.

A Berlin cable says that all members of the Court-martial have petitioned the Kaiser to commute the death sentence .passed on Marten for the murder of Krostgk. The people of Germany are very excited over the injustice of what is regarded as a secnd Dreyfus case.

Tho Wellington Woollen Company s balance sheet for tho ten months recommends the payment of a dividend of 8 per cent, leaving £1553 to cany forward, while £2500 is written off ftjrdepiecia-ictn of n anfc and premises ; £1500 added to the reservo, and £700 to the .employers liability reserve.

Bishop Gallagher, while conducting a confirmation service at Sydney on Sunday, said the fact of being a good and loyal Catholic might, under the conditions of intolerance and uabelief prevailing, he a bar to obtaining employment. No, matter h"ow gifted a-nd intelligent Catholics might be, there was a disposition to preVent them succeeding to promotion hi'high office.

A first offender for drunkenness was brought up at the Police Court yesterday morning, convicted, and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon: For refusing >\o leave the Provincial Hotel when requested to do so, the same accused was treated in a similar manner.

At tho Timaru Magistrate's Court yesterday two men were fined —one 20s and the other (his employee) 10s—for distributing indecent medical pamphlets. Uuey pleaded ignorance of the consents of the parcel, which was received from the Christcburo'h agent of the Sydney firm. The Garrison Band will, weather permitting, give the first open-air concert of the seasen on Sunday afternoon next, commencing at. 3 o'clock. The programme.will include "I Lombardi," specially arranged and presented to the Wanganui Band by Bandmaster Trussell, of the Nelson Garrison Band. . A Timaru wire says that the result of tira year's working of ihe Farmers' Co-op-erative Association shows a -profit, of £14----573. adding £2548 balance brought forward la&t year. The amount available for distribution is £15,128. The directors recommend a disposal as follows: Dividend of 84 per cent; bonus on purchases, 7 per cent; rebate on commissions, 30 per cent; bonus to staff. 7 per cent; to reserve fund, £2000; writ en off buildings, £500; the balance brought forward. We have been requested to state that the reason there is only one r >- !'"'"'<; b'.H *h in the Sedgebrook and East >i;n'H«-,<ial\ rating district is that the Veal Authorities Act,:lßß6 (sub-section % >n stction 37\ provides that in road disri.ts •nlrcn are not subdivided there shall be only one DOlling booth at some central part of the district. A great many ratep•• Wo iirirested are inconvenienced by there. Wit)g, one booth only, but. the R •-•t8 B- aiv, aibough it desires two, cannot, en :u-irvnl of the special provision, have two. The inconvenience, however, .will in a. measure •be mitigated as ihefe will be conveyances at tihia County office, Taylorville, at 2.30 p.m., for the purpose of taking ratepayers to the polling booth. According to an Invercargill wire the • demand for oats still continue brisk, and bho market has advanced during the past week in face of 'the large-shipments taking place from the Bluff. It seems certain South African ;orders come into the market, and as supplies are not too plentiful, is that prices will continue firm so lor- us is possible further advances in values may. take place. Deliveries have fallen off considerably, owing partly to bad roads and tho necessary work to be done this season. Although an. order has been placed in Victoria by the Imperial Government, there is every reason to believe that a considerable portion of oats will be bought in ■New Zealand, as stocks are reported to be very low in Victoria." Present quotations are Is 9d to. Is lfl^d, sacks extra, on trucks, up country stations, in large sacks. The annual tnatcli between the Maroro and Wanganui Golf Clubs was played at Balgownie on Saturday, in beautiful wither; the course and greens'were in capital order. The first eight .players of Wanganui Club were excluded, so that the crushing defeat of the Maroros by the "second eleven" is the more creditable. There were several close and interesting matches, no.ably Marshall v. Parkes and Francis v.- Pa'wson. Ho'.e, Brookfield, Bates, and Greenwood scored heavily, and W. D'Arcy was playing in excellent form,' and dejfeated Vhe Ma.r«ro champion, J. G. Bell, by 4 holes. D. Bell had the honour of winning their only match for M.v roro. The scores in detail are—Wan vanui: D'Arcy 4 holes, Marshall 2. Francis 1, Hole 7, "Bates 5, Heywood 0, Bitfield 8, R. Taylor 0, Greenwood 5; iota", 32. Maroro: J. G. Bell 0, Parkes «). Pnvrson 0, Gorden 0, McKay 0, D. Bell 2, Tucker 2, D. Hogg 0, Armstrong 0, towl. 2At the Police Court yesterday morning r, young man was brought up on a charge of assaulting n girl under the age of 16, at Christchurch, on August 20th, and Sergeant Dwyer asked for a remand to C/hristdhuroh. Mr. Treadwell appeared for accused, and asked that he be admitted to bail. He pointed out tjhat the probability was tha.t accused would be discharged immediately on .being tried at Christchurch, as the prosecutor herself had been arrested with .another girl for breaking and entering, and it was only after her arrest that ihe present information had been laid. The offence.was alleged to have been committed on tibe 20th, and as a, matter of fact accused left Lyttelton by the Rotorua on the afternoon of the-19th, and was in Wanganui on the 21st. A great hardship would bo inflicted on accused if he was taken to Christchurch, and it was found there was nothing in the charge. The Magistrate. Mr. 0. 0. Kettle, remarked thai!) the dates might not be correct, but under the circumstances agreed to admit him to bail in two sureties of £150 each. Bail was at once forthcoming. Wo are asked to acknowledge, on behalf of the Mayor, jthe following additional t on tributions' to the Queen Victoria Memorial Ward Fund : Wanjranui Women's Political League £5, G.Ji. Henry £1 Is, ror JUnKitikei County Council—J. W. Marshall £3. W. J. Birch £2, Alex. McGregor £1, and F. D. Luks 10s 6d. These are the individual subscriptions in the amount weviousl*- acknowledged from the Rangitikei Coutny Council. The following w»s received with the Wanganui Political League's contribution.: —"I am directed r-y ■the Wanganui Women's Political Leagurto forward you, on behalf of tihei:1 So:'.;>:y, the sum of £6 towards the Ho.sp.lal Memorial Ward, The League has watched with keen interest the progress of your schemes, itnd although their finances are not vriy big, membership being only -s !. d a year, ! tlfey' felt it : would be only iicfcinir D]> 10 their principles to lassist. the pick alid overworked of their sex. Doubtless many women in the future will bless you f<*v your: noble efforts on their; beha'.f. Wisii.'ng you -our well-merited success.—l remain, yours obediently, "Katie JSewcoiiijß, h'li. UEcretary W.W.P.L." •■ -■" :

Those who have- not yet settled for tickets for the fancy dress ball are requested to kindly do so us early as possible. Tho constitutional amd general rules of tha New Zealand Accountant*' and Auditors' Association may be procured on application at ihe "Chronicle" office. Our readers aie notified that a trial of Mr. T. Gordon's fire escape will take place on Wednesday afternoon at 3.15, from Dover's Hotel frontage, Ridgway street. Good general rains are falling in Queensland, especially heavy in the southern districts. The recent zuins ha.ye caused great improvement in crop prospects. Ev:n districts • that have suffered fiom drought for several years are improving. Tha San Francisco Mail Agent reports ; that tne long stay of the Sierra at tiono- I lulu was caused by having to discharge 1000 tons of cargo. On the day before I leaving San Francisco all'the firemen and I the coal passers on the Sierra went out on j strike, and the men engaged in their places were mostly- inexperienced, and could not keep up a full head of steam. Owing to the strike, great difficulty was j experienced in getting sufficient men to load and man vessels in port. A steerage passenger for Sydney, named Kennelly, was missing the" day after leaving San Francisco. - It is supposed that he jumped overboard in a fit of insanity. ; On some occasions in the course of the opera season (says "the Wellington Post), H'err Slapoffski has administered a silent and needed rebuke to late-comers by refusing to raise his baton till all were seated and quiet.' Friday night was an exception, for the exquisite prelude to "Lohengrin. was spoiled to half the audience by tha rustle of dresses, the clatter of unfolding seats, and the fluttering of newlyopened programmes, not to mention the buzz of chatter on the part of ._ those who regarded ■an opera overture as merely something to be endured until the curtain rose. But there are others who would wish to enjoy it as an integral of the work, and these have to suffer from the thoughtlessness of the unappreciative. We would suggest to the management that, if the nuisance of late arrival continues, it should adopt a plan which is largely followed on the Continent —close the doors the moment the overture begins, and keep them closed till it is ended. The seedless orange produced by scientific agriculturists is likely to be succeeded by the boneless fish. This piscatorial feat will shortly be attempted by the United States- Fisheries Commission, whose work is attracting widespread interest. A recent report - contains some remarkable facts concerning the experiments conducted at the Government fish hatcheries by a corps of scientific men. Efforts are being made to evolve some hybrid fish of an entirely new type by mixing the eggs at spawning time. Several species of salt and freshwater fish have already been successfully crossed to improve the size and flavour* Whitefish has been crossed with lake herring, lake trout with Chinook salmon. Cod and haddock have also been mated. An attempt will now be made to produce an edible fish without bones. Shad, the boniest American fish, has been selected for the experiment. Efforts will be made to cross it with the black bass, which .has comparatively few bones. Another marvel which will possibly be produced in the future (says the London Daily Mail) is the turtle with an edible shell, by crossing a/ soft-shell crab with a terrapin. Numerous other piscatorial freaks are also believed possible. Some days ago Mr. T. Mackenzie made a complaint as to the treatment an old friend of his, suffering from a painful complaint, had been subjected to in the Dunedin Hospital. Mr. Mackenzie again referred to tha matt*1 in the House on Friday, and combaitted the statements made by the Trustees and officials of that instiltution which had been made as a result of his bringing the matter before Parliamorjt. In further illustration of the mstho'ds in vogue at^tho Dunedin Hosoitnl, ho stated the case of a man who went into ilhut institution suffering from a sore finger —and when his friends called there a little while afterwards, and asked how he was getting on, they were told that he. was dead and buried. One doctor said he had died from blood poisoning, and another that ho died from tfiroat disease; but when an investigation look place,, it was found tha,t he died from neither of those causes. Then they wished, to know where the body was buried, and it was finally discovered that .it was not buried at all, but had been s«nt down to the anatomy room of the University. When the man, who was in the habit of taking bodies down to that room, was asked how many he had taken without tho usual certificate, ha said two or three dozen.

The Monthly Review provides some curious re&ding in • the instructions of the Ameer to his son on visiting England. For instance, regarding a commission to buy 2000 to 10,000 repeater rifles and cartridges : —"The rifles and all necessary goods "which you are to buy from England you must buy through your own servants, two or three days before you leave London, without informing- the British officials, and must not request them to pay their prices nor to make you the present of such goods. But if having heard about the purchase of such goods they desire to make a present thereof, you are 'to accept.,it." Further—-"'lf-the British Government gives any cash' or things as a present for me or for yourself, you may accept it, biit you must not make any such suggestion or hint yourself." There are some amusing points in the rules ofetiquette and social observance that are set forth by the thoughtful parent. "To 'the'ladies'serving in the household of her Majesty the Queen, and to other ladies, as relatives of some of the members of Parliament, or other London nobility who may become acquainted with you as your hosts or friends, it is necessary that some friendly remembrances in the shape of rings, brooches, necklaces, or bracelets should be given by you. You must not write any letters with such remembrances, but may send your yisiting cards with so much writing as 'With compliments from So and So to Soi'and So, as a token of friendly remembrance.'"

Mr Robert M'Gloin, of Lyttelton, has returned from Wellington, where he- has been interviewing the Ordnance Authorities with regard to his invention of a norirecoiling gun, and the Premier has sanctioned a report on the invention by a Government expert in gunnery. Mr M'Gloin has devoted several years to the study of gunnery, with the object of discovering a means by which recoil after discharge can be overcome. This question of recoil is ohe that has troubled scientists in gunnery from the first use of gunpowder, and up to date there has been no satisfactory solution of -the problem. Mr M'Gloin, however, claims that by the'principle lie has discovered, and which is simplicity itseu, the difficulty of recoil has been got over, and nob only that, but if desired a gun-can bo made to bound forward instead. The principle is simply the meeting of the force that causes the recoil with a counteracting force.behind it, and this force is provided by the same explosion. Mr M'Gloin has. made very many experiments with his discovery, and is perfectly sure he has got hold of the correct thing. While experimenting- for non-recoil, and after he had satisfied himself of his sue-

cess, he thought a slight alteration in his apparatus would have the effect of improving its working. This alteration is made, and its action gave to him another idea in gunnery—a quite fresh notion altogether in quick-firing guns. The idea, however, he is not pursuing, with great energy as at present there are plenty of quick-firing guns available in the world, but an idea for disposing of the recoil of present day ordnance is one that all gunners look upon as "a consummation devoutly to be wished."—Lyttelton Times. A massacre of 300 native Christians in Coren is reported by the San Francisco "Chronicle" of Juno 26, which publishes the following wire from Victoria, British Columbia: —News was brought by ii Japanese liner of the massacre of over 300 native . Christians at Quelpart, Cbi-ea. An official report published by Japanese pa,per» from the Governor of the'island says that the muL.iyes' were holding a meeting to urotest against the abuses which existed, one of tho chief being the heavy taxation by revenue officials, who used the Christians to bring pressure upon the natives, and while holding this meeting they were attacked by 300 Christians, led bytwo French missionaries, all armed with rifles and guns. The attacking party dispersed the natives, wounding one man and capturing six, including a leader. • Then they marched on Saishufu, outside which town the meeting was held. They seized many flags and much ammunition, and held) die town, firing from the walls upon all natives who came near. This act caused ;•. rising on the part of the natives, and die" gathered a large party, which outnumbered the Christians, drove the latter from tho town, and, after releasing those of their numbe<r that had been captured, theiv killed.- eight converts. The G'nristiaiiH then fled, the two missionaries taking refuge in tho house of the local Governor. During the flight of the Christians 50 were killed, and a^ day or two later a lar<"e party of natives went out and massacred over 250, who were found hiding in the various villages. One who escaped made ihis way to ji telegraph, station by boat, and wired to the French Minister at Seoul, through whose instructions French and Japanese warships were sent and marines landed, who pu^ down the rising,

Liederkranz practice takes place on Monday evening next at usual time and place. The many friends of Mr T. R. Cresswell will be pleased to hear that he'will be in Wanganui for a short holiday during the coming month. During his stay he intends giving a lecture on the claims of Francis f Bacon to the authorship of the plays com- 1 monly attributed to William Shakespeare, t The lecture will take place in the T.Y.M.I, f Gymnasium next week, and will doubtless ( be patronised by all who appreciate an in- t tellectual treat. c From private information received, we. ] learn that Mr Jas. Crichton was, at time j; of writing, in Manchester, waiting to hear ' ( the great band contest at Bell Vue, at ; ] which about 25 bands competed. During i ; his tour, through America, he says, the ,-, heat was terrible, and in consequence iiis , , health did not improve. He heard some j very fine bands there, including "Sousa." On the Sunday previous to writing from Manchester* he heard the "Besses o' the Barn Band," which is recognised as one of the best bands in England. Mr Crichton has selected another B Bass for our Garrison Band, which will arrive shortly and prove a great acquisition to the band, who have been using an inferior instruI ment for some time past-. Mr Crichton exSects to return about the beginning of ovember next. Tine Federal Minister for Defence has had an interesting return prepared, giving particulars of the contingents sent to South Africa by the whole of the Australasia sinoe 1899. By careful calculation, rfc has been shown in this return that the lands under the Southern Cross sent .324 or nearly one man in every 300 of population. On the proportionate population basis. West Australia heads the list of the seven States, as she sent 923 men from a community numbering 182,553 persons, viz.. .505, or one man in every 200; whiie Victoria has the lowest percentage, viz., .203. New Sour.h Wales comes first in numbers with 4765 men, New Zealand next with 3003 men, and Victoria third with 2445. Altogether Australasia has sent 14,776 men and 15,344 horses to South Africa. There are still 8763 men serving at the front, 5585 men have returned, and 425 were killed in various ways. The dates toi which the returns are made up are: New South Wales, June 17- Victoria, June 4: Queensland, June 8- South Australia, June 14; West Australia, May 20 ; Tasmania, June 6 ; New Zealand, June 26 of t)he present year. The returns also shows that three Victorians and one Tasmanian obtained commissions in the Imperial army; that 28 Westi Australians joined the South African Police, and that 51' Queenslanders were discharged in South Africa. Britona have long since dismissed the duel as a custopi only fit for uncivilised peoples, but it continues a. social institution in Germany, the land of. the practical and the commercial. Thereductio ad absurdum was reached in Saxony the other day. A young lieutenant, under the influence of drink, struck an officer belonging -to the same regiment. The following day the aggrieved officer sent a comradeyto ask why the blow had been struck. The young lieutenant, who remembered nothing of the incident, tendered his apologies, which were accepted. Nevertheless, the matter was referred to the decision of the officers of another regiment, composing a court of honour. They dismissed. from the army, i not the drunken lieutenant who insulted his ' friend, but -the officer who was struck and accepted the apologies offered, on the ground that he had sent a comrade to the offender with an intimation that a peaceful settlement would be welcome. The colonel of the regiment, in announcing the decision of the court to the officers, said: "I can only advise you, gentlemen, in all cases of challenge, at any rate, to a duel with swords." The Kaiser, the supreme head of the German Army, has condemned duelling, and yet, apparently, has sanctioned the "sacking" of one of his officers for facilitating the amicable settlement of a petty mess-room squabble. The Catholic Union has begun a crusade against duelling, and has induced over 400 members of the German nobility and gentry to sign a protest condemning the practice, of duelling. But the 400 reserve to themselves the right to fight duels when their honour is involved. As duels are only fought when the honour of one party or the other is supposed to be at stake, the protest is absurd.