LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11656, 14 May 1902, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members of the Wanganui Football Club are requested to roll up for practice to-night, at 8 o'clock at Johnston and Co. s wool store.

It is nob generally known that gaiters will keep the feet warm when every other means fail. Amongst the numerous pilo of goods at Mr. George Caiman's greii* cash .sale are some hundreds of gaiters in all sizes and colours, at very reasonable prices.

It is stated that during the year 1901 the Pope figured as legatee in over 700 wills throughout the Catholic world, the aggregate amount thus left to him being £120,000. The largest single legacy to his Holiness was £6000. bequeathed to him by a wealthy Italian manufacturer, and the second largest £4000.

In view of the local demonstration on Coronation Day, and with tho object of securing some lasting memento of the occasion for the young folks, his Worship the Mayor yesterday despatched the following telegram : —"To the Acting-Pre-mier. Wellington.—Does the Government propose to have Coronation medals struck of)' for presentation to school children? In anticipation of peace some time ago. the Government proposed to supply peace medals on .small charge to .school committees. Hope this will be clone in connection with the Coronation. Kindly oblige reply, stating if this is likely to be done, and probable cost, if any. to committees.'

Judge Murray, of Sydney, in giving judgment in connection with a Chinese gambling ca&ie at the quarter sessions a few days ago;, said that eveiy now and then an epidemic arose in the community against gambling. It was a pity, he said, that the epidemic was not continuous. The authorities, rinding it extremely difficult to catch certain people in the community who made a living out oidic gambling propensities of their fellows, fixed upon those most, easily caught, and captured large numbers of Chinamen. The Chinese were engaged in wrong-doing, no doubt, but they were not the worst people engaged in gambling practices. Undoubtedly, he added, the two greatest curses amongst the Europeans of this country were gambling and intemperance.

The Premier's surplus-making system. says Mr Meredith, M.H.R., may be compared to a farmer with a mortgage, behind in his payments, who. raised a second one of say, £3000, of which lie si>ent £1000 in naving liabilities, and placed £2000 in the bank. Then he drew up a statement showin »• his sons how he had come out at the end of the year with Jb<svJOU to his credit. This clever' soli would wobably point out that, tho statement was all very well on ps.per, but in order to have a credit in the. bank of £2000 he had taken up a mortu.i.ce of £3000, whii-h sooner or later would have to bo met. and that the father was in a worso position by £1000 than he .was a -iar ngo. Thus it was with the finances fif the colour.

A Ladies' Hockey Club in connection v.irii the Christ < lurch Club is being forme-.!. Any lady intending to become a member is requested to be present at a meeting to be held in Mr F. G. Neweombe's effice (Now Zealand Insurance Company's Building) at 5 p.m. tor-dxy.

An illuminated address was presented to Sergeant Twomey at the Feilding Council Chambers on Monday evening, complimenting him on the valuable services rndered to Feildmg, and congratulating him on Ms promotion to Wellington. A handsome sil\er tea service was presented to Mrs Twomey. The presentation was made by the Mayor, on behalf of the public.

Work on he immense new docks at Malta is proceeding apace. The grotmd has been cleared, the creek dammed out, and the- actual excavation of the docks comnienced. The contractors are experiencing a greater inflow of water than was exnected and three very powerful pumps are kept going. The rock is seamed in all directions —like the veins in a block of marble —and through thee the water con stantly finds its way. A very complete harbour has been made, as a preliminary to estimating the cost of the gigantic new breakwater.

Birmnghain is excited over a most remarkable sequence of tragedies in humble life. A cyclemaker, Albert Askew, had been for some —ears living with a woman named Waller, daughter of a blacksmith, but recently desserted her anu her two children. William Walley, the woman's father vowed to punish his daughter's betrayer, and meeting Askew n the street, dashed a quantity of vitroil in his face. The victim was taken to the hospital in a shocking state; his assailant went home and -M'omptly shot himself with aj revolver. *On hearing this terrible news, Waller's daughter took her little ones to the canal bank, clutched one in either hand, and jumped into the water. She was soon got out, still gripping the children. One of the latter died, but the motherr and the other child recovered under medical care.

Mile. Carmen d'Ossilva is the latest infant prodigy. . Though but ten years of age (says the "Traveller"), she has already written several successful plays, and is at present engaged* upon 'another (in four acts), wliich will probably be produced here before tho end of the season. Mile. d'Ossilva is already a member of the Societe dea Gens de Lettres and the Societe dcs Auteurs, Dramatiques. She was brought up in London, where, too, her first literary work was done. Queen Victoria, received her and gave her considerable encouragement. Ostensibly she is taking a wellearned rest on the Riviera, but seems to rebel considerably against any curtailment of her literary labours. It is hoiped, however, that before long she will be well enough to resume her ordinaiy amount of work. By the way, Mile. d'Ossilva's real name is De Ohampmonyat, as her mother is the Countesse de Champmoynat.

The combination, of millers and bakers that was formed some mouths ago to regulate the price of bread, and by whose means it had reached as high as 7d the 41b. loaf delivered, appears to have come to a sudden termination. A few days ago an Addinnton baker advertised his intention to purchase flour other than that of the New Zealand Flour Millers' Association, and to sell his bread at 7cl booked, 6d for cash or weekly payment, and 5d over the counter. This action appears to have had a result beyond what the advertiser probably anticipated. Dissatisfaction was caused among sellers of bread, and yesterday morning it sewms to have been an understood thing that so far as prices of bread in the shops were concerned, it was to be a policy of "go as you please." During the day, therefore, bread was to* be seen ticketed in the windows at hju per 41b. loaf. It is said that the bakers who deliver bread will endeavour to keep iip the price, but in the face of the cutting now going on in the shops this will probably be a matter of some difficulty without offending customers. — Exchange.

Speaking in Duhbar at Jullundur, in the Punjab, a month ago, Sir Charles Rivaz devoted his speech to the subject of plague. He said that so long as the Provincial Government was able to enforce repressive measures the plague was kept -within narrow limits, but the disease had now spread far beyond the capacity of Government to control it. In 1900-1901. the first year in which compulsion was withdrawn, there were 373 villages infected and 11,078 persons .suffered, while died. In the present year the tatals of a single week far exceeded the totals for any previous year, or the totals for the previous four years taken together. During the week ending March 15, there were in the province £>j,Oj.u cases and 14,936 deaths, and from October I,' 1901, to March' 31, 1902, more than 100,000 people had died. Fourteen districts and seven native States in tho Punjab were now infected, and the period of the year a I which the plague usually attained its climax had not yet been reached. The Government was still prepared to assist people in combating plague, but could not enforce measures of precaution. Some of the people were still suspicious of Government ; in this matter they must learn in the bitter school of experience that by hampering th^ authorities they were throwing away not only their own' lives but the lives of thousands of people less foolish than themselves.

A curious instance of faulty pronunciation nearly caused something like a riot at the lunch to the men of the returned Victorian Fifth Contingent at Melbourne a few days ago, says the "Age." General Downes had just finished a vei'y nice and sympathetic speech, concluding with the hope that those in the hall might live for many years "to be proud of having served with the Fifth Contingen: n South Africa." As the cheering subsided an over-excited gatherin"- heard one of its number say something that sounded suspiciously like "The Dirty Fifth,"' and of course there was an immediate and resentful uproar. Fortunately an officer of quick hearing and quicker perception sang out "He said "Ihe Doughty Fifth !' " which was no doubt what the man did try to say. It was hardly likely that lie would insult his own corps to its faco, but the incident ought to be a warning to him (and others) not t« mutilate "the King':: English."

Anecdotes of Oom Paul have became a little infrequent. The old gentleman has, in American phrase, "ceased to interest"

us. However, just to .show what a queer world he lived in, a writer in the Ca ~>c Argus gives a letter, which a correspondent has been good enough to unearth from a newspaper file. It was a reply to an invitation to the Queen's Birthday ball in 1891 :--"President House, Pretoria, South Africa.ii Republic. 14th. May, 1891.— To the Suci'etary of the Ball Committee. Johannesburg.—Sir.—ln reply to yourr favour of the 12lh instant, requesting me to ask his Honor the .State President to consent to the making use of his name as patron on the occasion wi a ball to be held at Johannesburg on Hie 26th inst.. T huve been instructed to inform you that whereas his IFoium' i.'insidriM a ball a^ F-n.d'.s service: lor whidi reasons the Lord ordered Moses to kill all offenders ; whereas such is. consequently, contrary to his Honor's principles, his Honor rannot consent to the, mis-use of his name in connection with such a ball. —I have the honour to be, etr.. Yours obediently. (Signed), A. ELOFF, Private Secretary." t

Mrs Leah Davis, wife of the late Mr Hyam Davis, died at Christclmrch, yesterday, at the. age of 65 years. She had been ailing some time.

In spite of the kid weather last evening, quite a large number of visitors inspected the display of carpets, rugs, and general goods which are to be sold at auction today by Mr Keesing Those who have not hitherto perused it will do well to read Mr Keeping's advertisement for to-day's sale.

John Wanamaker, the great American shopkeeper, was presented to Emperor William, according to "Klein's Journal," during one of the latter's expeditions to Norway on board the Hamburg-American liner Augusta Victoria. Disregarding ceremony, Mr Wanamaiker grasped Emperor William's hand, shook it firmly, and saich "I am glad to meet, such an enterprising young1 man ; that is just the sort of thing, we admire in America," and the conversation continued on in this familiar tone. Emperor William, who seemed highly entertained by this conversation remarked aftevwarda to a member of his suite • "In all my life nobody ever talked to me like that'

A man named Cameron has obtained £50 damages (he sued for £600) against a Victorian constable named W. A. Spark, for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution. Cameron was arrested by the constable, without a warrant or summons on a dbaa-ge of having no lawful means of support. When brought before the magistrate he was acquitted, hence the present action. The judge found the constable had no right to question Cameron as to his means of livelihood, as that was for the Justice to do, and he had no right to arrest him without a warrant or summons.

Mr Arthur Glass, organising secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, will shortly terminate his connection with tho Union, and has -definitely decided not to accept a permanent position. He has now been three years toiling assiduously—for it haa been nci light task —in the interests of the Union, a,nd he certainly deserves hearty congratulation, and the Avaa-mest thanks of the farming" community as a whole, for achieving what he has done. The Farmers' Union is now a. powerful organisation, with three hundred and eighty branches all over the colon - and something like twenty-three thousand members, and it is expected that with the .'inclusion of women, who are now being enrolled as members, the total strength will be from 50,000 to 60,000.— "Wia'rarapa Daily Times."

An incident has occurred in connection with the administration of the Carnegie Trust which has given Mr Carnegie so> much staisfaction that he has asked the secretary of the Trust to circulate a letter in which he writes to a student who, having won a fellowship at Glasgow University, returned £11 11s received from it with sincere thanks—"No payment made to a university student in Scotland need be considered as aught but an advance wliich he oan repay, and this tends, as I say in mv letter to the trustees, 'to foster and protect the spirit of manly independence so' dear to the Scot.' I hail you as the first examplar of this noble Scottish trait, but I shall not be satisfied until I can take you by the hand and say I am proud of you as a. fellow Scot.—With genuine regard, always your admirer, Andrew Carnegie."

Referring to th« abandonment of the charges against Dudley Eyre, who was arrested in Auckland and remanded to Wanganui, the New Plymouth "Herald" says— "This case is little less than a public scandal. This man Eyre, while in America, made restitution, as he believed, in every case, and. thinking himself siafe, returned to New Zealand and settled on a farm in

ic Waikato district, where he has resided for a number of years in the most open manner, his whereabouts being well known to the police and his old Wanganui friends. In the meantime several of his children had grown up and married, when, after a lapse of fifteen or twenty years, some unusually smart policeman got hold of the original warrant, and, without consulting the parties interested, arrested Eyre, now an old man over sixty years of age. Needless to say, the arrest has completely broken him down, caused his wife a serious illness, and generally been about as cruel a proceeding as is possible to imagine."

Tho floating dock in Havana, which tlia American Government bought from Spain for £37,000 after the close of tiic Avar is proving to be a costly elephant on their hands. It was at first planned to tow the dock to New Orleans. That idea has evidently been abandoned, for it i« now given out that the structure will be- towed this month to Manila. It is presumed that the .American .Navy JDf^artinenit will enter into a contract with some private firm to do the lowing, which, it is estimated, will cost at least £25,000. The tow will be over one-half the distance around the globe, if the Suez; Canal route is adopted. Possibly the canal cannot accommodate the structure, and the longer and more dangerous route around the tempestuous Cape of Good Hope will have to be risked. The towing of the dock successfully from England, Avhere it was built, .across the Atlantic to Havana, was regarded at the time as a notable achievement. The perils of tlie trans-Atlantic tow will be multiplied many times over in the longer trip to Manila, whichever route is followed.

At the meeting of the National Council of the Women of New Zealand, at Napier, on Monday, the following resolutions were ■carrkid:— "Thati the provisions affecting the District High Schools should be established for the benefit of children throughout the colonies;" "This Council notes with delight the expressed intention of the Government to proceed immediately, with the erection of a home for deficenb children;" ""That seeing that in every other respect the kv hold* gh-ls under tho acre of 21 to be minor, and unable to enter into the marriage contract -without the consent of their parents, this Council considers that the age of consent should be raised to 21 years" ; "That tho National Council feels that it is urgently necessary tln;iit the Public Heal till. Hospital, and Charitable Aid Acts be amended, so as to make provision for the establishment of p?cial wards for the admission of patients sulfering from general diseases, and voluntarily presenting themselves! for treatment;"" "That this Council gratefully recognises the steps that the Government had ah.ca.dy taken in establishing Avard.s for the accommodation of patients suffering from delirium; tremens, and urges that similar provision should be made for cases of lunacy, and extended to all large centres of population." It was further resolved "Tlia,t the Executive be instructed to appoint a. •deputation to wait upon the Acting-Premier and members of both Houses and c-nter a strong protest against the continue-] delay of the repeal of the CD. Acts"; "That whereas the liquor traffic is declared on undisputed authority to be the cause of much misery, much vice, and much crime, therefore this National Council. <jf Women pledged itself.on humanitarian grounds, to do all in its power to discountenance the manufacture, importar tion'and safe of alcoholic liquors"; and "That: this Council approach the Minister of Education willi a view to having scientific instruction in the nature of alcohol and the effects on the system given to the children in our State Schools,"

The last evangelistic service of the Rev. J. Lyall's mission is to be held to-nigat in St. Paul's Church at- 7.45. The civil case, Mewton v. Wanganui Freezing Company and Dr. McKay, was concluded at the S.M. Court jesterday. Judgment was reserved. A special meeting of the General Com. mittee of the Christ Church Club will be held to-morrow (Thursday) evening at 7 o'clock sharp. The Orchestral Club have been fortunate enough to secure the valuable aid of Madame Venosta Borzoni. one of the mosr eminent contralto soloists ever heard m the colony, for their fir,st concert of Ihe season, the date of which will shortly be announced. A full attendance of performing members is requested for to-night's rehearsal. It was stated by Mr Glass, in his oddress to the Masterton Farmers' Union on Saturday afternoon that there was a difference in the quality of North awl South Island sheep, but not; such asi to make "the existing difference in the price. This w-.is attributed to the companies, but it was not. the companies at all. It was the fault of the farmers. If the farmers did not supply the meat to the companies, the latter would have to come to the farmers for :c Tho prices would not increase unless tuc producers combined, so that it rested entirely with themselves. The Salvation Army meetings on Sunday last were of an interesting character. The subject of the morning meeting was "Consecration." Sister Mrs. Snow rear! from the First Book of Samuel, and commented on Hannah's entire consecration of Samuel. She urged all present to follow Hannah's example, and make a lull consecration. Sergeant-Major Snow dedicated "William Henry,' the infant son ot Adjutant and Mrs. Mathers, to God and the Army. The .service throughout was very impressive. At 3 p.m. a hearty welcome was extended to Bro. and bis. 1 at chett and family. After a formal introduction by Adjutant Mathers, the Patcliett family rendered a beautiful company song, entitled "Swing Those Gates Ajar, which was well received by the congregation. The new arrivals will be a great help to the Wanganui Corps and Band. The meeting at night was not so well attended as usual, owing to the rough weather, but those present enjoyed the address given by Mrs. Adjutant Mathers. Her text was from the 21st chapter ot Matthew, the 28th, 29th, and 30th verses. Mrs Mathers preached a powerful sermon from the words "I will not, but after-. wards he repented, and went" ; also, "I go, sir; and went not." Her address finished with an earnest appeal to repent and obey God. During the day it was announced that the officers had been promoted to the rank of Adjutant.