Local and General.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11720, 26 August 1902, Page 4

Local and General.

Members of the Liedeitafel are notified that the practice this week will be held on Thursday evening at the usual time and place.

Last night's "Manawatu Standard" says —We understand that negotiation!? are proceeding for the amalgamation of one of the local breweries with well-known similar establishments at Wangaaiui and Hawera..

The New Zealand Accountants and Auditors' Association (registered), of which Mr A. &'. Russell is president), announces in another column the date upon which the examinations (open to both sexes) for the year will be beLd, viz., on October 20 next. Applications from intending candidates must be lodged with the registrar by September 20. The examinations will be held in Auckland and other centres, as may be required.

A public meeting is called by advertisement for Wednesday evening, in St. Paul's Hall, to promote Bible teaching in State schools. The object of i?be meeting will be to form an association upon the basis suggested by the Bishop of Wellington to cooperate with other ceni-res in seeking this amendment of the Education Act.

The second public temperance meeting under the auspices of the Advance Wanganui Lodge of Good Templars will be held in the Church of Christ. Mathteson Street. on Thursday evening, commencing at 7.30. Mr W. T. Clapha.ni will occupy the chair, and the meeting w;ll be addressed by the Rev. J. Cocker. During the evening a short programme, consisting of vocal solos, dialogue, etc., etc., will be given, and a collection will be taken up to defray the necessary expenses. It is hoped, in view of the local option poll being so near at hand, that there will be a large attendance. Sankey's Hymns will be used. Members of local choirs are cordially invited to assist in the singing.

Should the weather be favourable, the Garrison Band will give un open-air concert at the Hospital on Sunday afternoon next commencing at 3 o'clock.

The committee of the Wanganui Caledonian Society meet on Wednesday evening next at Foster's; Hotel to make arrangements for the proposed concert. The meeting takes place at 8 o'clock.

The Salvation Army Biorama Company concluded their Wangnaui season last evening when the Opera House was filled. The programme "was a capital one, and every item was loudly applauded. It can be said without fear of contradiction that the "show" is an excellent one and when the next visit is paid to Wanganui the company can be assured of bumper houses.

At a special meeting of the Wanganui School Committee, held last evening, it was resolved: "That this Committee strongly protests against the action of the conference of members of Education Boards in the matter of the appointment of teachers, and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Education and to the member for the district."

At the S.M. Court yesterday morning, Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., gave judgment by default for plaintiffs in the following undefended cases : Fitzherbert and Marshall (Mr. Wood) v. Hiraka te Kongo, £3 10s 2d, costs 15s 6d j same v. Patumoana, £7 17s- 6d; costs £1 11s; same v. Pene Pirei*e, £2 3s 6d, costs 18s 6d; A. Hat-rick and Co. (Mr. Wood), v. H. Gills, £31 15s, costs £3 10s; Adams/ Star Cycle Company (Mr. Wood) v. F. Moore, £5, costs £1 0s 6d.

The Coronation number of "London Punch" ■ assumes the form of a skit descriptive of an "Overflow Fete" for the entertainment of his Majesty's guests. There is a Court of Overflow Claims presided over by Mr. Punch in person. Among the claims dealt with is a. characteristic one by Mr. Seddon "to act as Regent in the event of the King's absence from any ■part of the proceedings." Needless to say this modest proposition is summarily declined. Mr. Punch evidently believes that the world at large is not prepared to accept the New Zealand Premier at his own valuation.

The drought in New South Wales is giving a large amount of employment in the way of keeping stock alive; it is a moderate estimate tihat it takes one man to feed every 1000 sheep (one station near Forbes is employing 250 men). When the drought breaks one man can attend 30,000 sheep, so ti vast airmy will be added 'to the unemployed lists after the rain, comes. Of course Shearing wiF( take a good many, but the bad time will be when that is well through; besides, there will be only half the sheeip to shear this year.

The Huias, a team of young lady hockey players, left by yesterday's mail train for Wellington, where they take paa-t in the hockey tournament to' be held during the week.' The following coiimprise the team —M'sses G. Crespen, G. Armstrong, M. Nicholas, N.. Blybh, M. Brennani, L. Ball, E. Goldsbury, F. Caiman-,- G. Handley, T. Moult, M. Bassett (captain). Mrs. Dewsbury accompanied the team as chaperone. The tournament Arill begin in Wellington to-day, when the Nelson and Huia (Wanganui) Clubs will meet. On Thursday the Palmerston and Hutt Clubs will try conclusions, and on Friday a match will be played between the Wanganui and the Kiwi (Wellington) Clubs. The final Avill be decided during the following week. Next Saturday there will be a representative match, Wellington v. the Visitors. All the matches are to be played at Miramar. The visitors are to attend a ball, which is to be given in their honour in the Sydney Street Schoolroom on Tuesday night next.

A British Treasury paper Mas issued recently indicating the pensions on the Civil List which were granted in the year ending March last, in accordance with the Act of last year. The largest is one of £250 to Mr Austin Dobson "in recognition of his distinguished iterary attainments end of his eminence as a poet," while a sum of £150 has gone to Mr W. H. Hudson, the writer on natural history. Pensions, of £100 have been given to the Rev.^ Dr. Hunt, D.D., the theologian; to Mrs Mary Crawford Fraser, "in consideration of her literary merits" and her 'husband's services as British Minister in Japan; to the Rev. Dr. John Kerr, F.R.S., for '•his valuable discoveries in physical science"; and to the Rev. Dr Augustus Jessopp for "his services to aiWhaeolojry and literature." Annuities of £75 have been y.oted to Mis Sarah Catherine Jones, the widow of Principal John Viriam Jones, who) devoted himself to the cause l 4" higher education in Wales, and to Mrs Isabel M. Pinwell, the widow of the well-known artist; and a sum of £50 each has gone to Miss Emma Brierly. the daughter of the late Sir "Oswald Brierly, marine painter to Queen Victoria, to Mi% Mackenzie, the widow ctf the liis.toris.in of the Highland clans, and to the wife of the late Captain Mayna Reid. Mr Henry Ling Roth, on account of his services to anthropology, has received £70, and £30 has been given to Mrs Elizabeth Cole, widow of Police-Sergeant William Cole, for the plucky conduct of her husband on the occasion of the dynamite explosion at Westminster Hall in 1885.

Mr Bennett Burleigh tells in the Daily Telegraph the stoiy of the latest incident of the war, a remarkable encounter near Vereeniging. ' He says:—"Two New Zealand officers —namely. Lieutenants M'Keich and Raine, went out. hunting. Starting without leave, they rode eastward a< few irjjiles"', proceeding along the north bank of the Vaal River. Suddenly three armed Boers stopped them. Leveling their Mausers at the 'Fern Leaves.' the Boers called out. 'Hands up.' M'Keich *ancl Raine dismounted, and laid their (runs down. The first-named then advanced to explain to the Boers that peace had been signed. But either the burghers did not or wouM not understand English, didn't believe them, or 'didn't care a d for peace.' They ordered M'Keich and Raine to strip to the buff. M'Keich mad© a bolt for an adjacent donga, but was shot and killed, two bullets passing through his body. Lieut. Raine then proceeded to divest himself of his clothing, but meanwhile secreted his revolver, in which, there were four shots, as he was stripping. Two of tlie Boers turned to rifle Lieutenant M'Keich's body. Watching his opportunity. Raine pistolled the Boea1 nearest him, and then shot the other two. The three had fallen before his revolver, two killed outright, but the third, who shammed death, was only wounded. Then the Bcier. also waiting, got his chance, and seizing his rifle, shot and wounded Raine in the thigh, lieutenant Raine replied instantly, firing his last shot at the Boer. Missing his man. as he thought, the New Zealander dashed his revolver in the Boer's face, and bounded, partially, stripped as he was, into the donga or spruit. He rah for all he was worth, and in an exhausted condition got safety back into his camp at Vereeniging. Later cm the wounded Beer came crawling in. and was taken to the hospital, where he died the same night. Next morning a fJearah party went out and brought in the three dead bodies. Therie are four new graves at Vereeniging as a result of that escapade and young Raine. who is not seriously hurt, is under arrest for disobedience to orders."

WMIq most people look on Mi* Pier pout Morgan as a Yankee millionaire with a genius for big "deals," very few seem to be awaire that t'hie financial magnate is a mathematician of such distinction that the University of Gottingen, in Germany, some tiroa 'Sigo invited' him to accept a profess orshk> The honour "was the more distinguished as Germany rarely, opens her arms to foreign lecturers.

From time to time the subject of defective eyesight; in school children is made a reproach ngainsitt educational authorities that the books supplied in the lower classes are in such small print as to* impose a dangerous strain upon the visual organs. In New York the same note of al«a-m is sound-ed.-with regard to the children's eyes. As the result of investigations just made in tw6 of the. public schools, where the eyes of about 2000 were examined, it was found that at teas* 18 per cent, were afflicted with eye troubles.

Dealing with the kauri gum industry, tike Grown' Lands report states: —"Ever' since about 1860 has this gum continuously been dug. over an area about 250 miles long by 50 to 60 miles broad, out of which perhaps about 2,000,000 acres is gum-bearing, giving empUoyment at times to a nomandic population of 5000 to 7000 meny the annual (product of such labour being from 8000 to 10,000 tons, of a value of over £400.000 per annum. From tfeei commencement of export to date it is estimated that over ten million pounds worth of gum has been Avon from the ground."

"There was a Miss Askew at the Colliege," said the Girton Girl. "She agreed with; everyone. WMi Manx she was a Socialist, with Oarlyl'e a believer in benevolent despotism, With Spinoza a materialist, with Newman almost a fanatic. I had a I'ong talk with her before she left, and tried to understand her; she was an interesting girl." "I think,-" She said, "I could choose among them if only tliey would answer one another!. But they don't. They won't listen to one another. They only repeat their own case."—From Jerome K. Jerome's "Tea-Table Talk."

"GVI.A.P." Mates a story told by Lord Milner. There is, as everybody knows, a great firm of safe and strongroom makers bearing the High Oommiassioner's name in Finsbury Pavement, and this eminent firm has a very serious grievance against him and the Boers! Some months ago, it sieems. they noticed that- their trade in Holland and Belgium was steadily going down, and at length they sent out special agents to see what was the cause of it. These agents came back with the simplest yet quaintest of stories. The name of Milner said they, is Jbathed, feared and execrated throughout the Netherlands, and no banker or man of business will buy a safe bearing that name. Milner may be a "safe man" in Stouth Africa, but 'he won't do in Amsterdam or Brussels!

The Coronation has, among other things, sa"s the "Westminster Gazette," affected seriously the publishing trade. The output of books has for the moment been completely stopped, and it will take- spine little time before business resumes its normal course. Indeed, it is not likely that very much will be done before September, when many of the books which were held over from the spring publishing season will, it is expected, appear. What with war and peace, and the rest of the "sensations," the publishers have of late months had a somewhat trying time.

Mr. Paul S. Bolger, of Yonkers, New York, who has become known throughout the United States for having made the most persistent, thorough, and world-wide search for a missing son that has ever been known, and on whose behalf the local papers some time ago inserted a notice, has at last found the boy. As a las* resort, the father made personal examination of signatures of those who had enlisted in the navy about the time of the disappearance. There he found his son's handwriting, and recognised the assumed name as one suggested by a combination of names of Yonkers' resident's.

The Sydney Town and Country Journal says: '"The public debt of New South Wales is now £80,000,000; and the present political methods will .ensure heavy additions to that tremendous total. The public debt is increasing far more rapidly than the population—nearly six times as fast, in fact, and the pace is. accelerating. And while the burden of debt, per head of the population increases, the expense of living per head of the population also increases, owing to the changed fiscal arrangements, so that each individual not only carries a heavier weight, bait is less able to bear it. Yet our politicians not only endeavour to add to these disabilities, but actually succeed in strengthening their own positions thereby!"

There must have been awkward moments at the King's, dinner®, and one wonders, says St. James' Budget, whether all the waiters were quite as tactful as Lord Rose bery would have been. Lord Rosebery su-ft next to a fai'mer at his estate dinner, and the confiding farmer whimpered to the host, when the ice pudding was brought, that "the pudding had been frozen." The exPremier, tihariking the fanner and looking surprised, called to a waiter, said some thing, and turning to the farmer again; said: "They tell me the pudding has been frozen on purpose."

Says Christehureh Truth : —"A maltreated cat formed the subject of magisterial, enquiry at the local Court yesterday. Incidentally it filled us with, a conviction thau the Sydenham Working Men's Club i* far from being as well conducted as we imagined it was. The principal witness in the case was not at first called to give evidence, because, a« the. Crown Prosecutor pok-.ted out, lie was so s drunk that he did not know what had happened on the evening at the Club when the unfortunate beasfc was tortured. As a matter of fact, we believe that in nearly eveiy instance the Working Men's Clubs of the city and suburbs do not deserve the reproaches that have been levelled against them. Nor should we condemn the management of the Sydenham Club because a foolish member drank more than war; good for him. But the whole incident was so casual that it is to bet feared that tlie Sydenham Club needs a little of the curry-comb. No one seems to think that the helpless drunkenness of tlhe member in question called for comment) —even the member himself cheerfully referred to his intoxicated condition as a quite unremarkable incident. In future'lke Club ought to exercis© a little more care than it has hitherto done. It will otherwise not only damage itself but will also drag into unmerited disfavour other better conducted institutions of its nature."

Mr Alf. Mitchell yesterday took over the Metropolitan Hotel. Mr W. 11. Tuck, the out-going licensee, has leased the Provincial, and takes it over in November.

A billion of letters and post-cards ;md 400,000.000 newspapers are annually handled at the General Post Office London. A city firm has posted' 132,000 letters at one time, while as many as 167,000 post-cards have been received in a single batch.

Mr Felix Tanner, the inventor of an miproved air ship, has built a model of a. balloon which is controlled by the same methods, but costing only about one-sixth of the cost of his principal i;ir ship. He claims that a trial trip could be- made from Thames to Auckland The balloon could also (says the Auskland Star's Waihi correspondent) be brought lo serve the purpose of ail advertising medium, and tho money so gained by its sale would go towards constructing his ocean-travelling air ship to cost £2000. and estimated to do the trip to Australia in 24 hours.

An exhibition of Mr R. Stevens' patent aerator and cooler was given at Messrs Williams and Harper's sale yards on Saturday, and a trial of the machine was held at the PutiM Cremery yesterday morning. The result of the trial demonstrated the utility of the ooolleiy the temperature taken being atmosphere 55, -water 52. cream from separator 90, cream from cooler 56. The quantity of cream put through per hour was 30 gallons. At the conclusion of their practice last evening, the members of the Garrison Band took the opportunity of recognising the valuable services rendered by bergeantMajor Anderson as drum-major of the_band for the past five years. Conductor Cricnton, in making the presentation, referred to the .excellent training the- band had received under Sergeant-Major Anderson,.as they had competed in five marching contests and had not been defeated m drill once, which proved the value of the instructions they had received at the hands of their drum-major; Mr Crichtori then, on behalf of the- band, handed Sergeant-Major Anderson a gold-mounted military cane suitably engraved, an enlarged photo, of the band nicely framed, and a photo, of the band taken while winning the marching contest a.t New Plymouth, Sergeant-Major Anderson, in acknowledging the presentation, thanked the band for their kindness, statinc that he did not expect any recognition from the band in that form, as it was quite sufficient reward for him when the band secured premier positions at the various contents but he would always be able to look at" the gifts with feelings of pleasure, as they wild remind him of many pteneant time* he had spent with the band and he hoped the new cane they had presented him with would be found leading them into as good a position as they now held.