Local and General.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11734, 11 September 1902, Page 4

Local and General.

A sale of work in conection with St. Paul's Young Women's Guild will be held in St. Paul's Hall on October 2nd.

The annual social in connection with St. John's Presbyterian Church will be held in St. Paul's Hall this evening. A fine programme of music will be rendered by a.number of our best known amateurs, and refreshments will be handed round during the evening. A large number of tickets has been sold, and there is every prospect of a successful social.

On Mondlay last at Hawera the RightRev, the Bishoip of Wellington laid the foundation stone of a new Anglican Church. The church, is to be buut of brick, and is the only church of this kind in the diocese except St. Mary's ati New Plymouth. The sacred edifice, which will cost over £3000, will be pointed! Gothic an style, and will be built on the site of the old church. The ffbamdatioln. stone of margle, which is placed' immediately behind the altar, was laid by the Bishop to tihe glory of God and in loving memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in whose honour the new church will be dedicated.

There was a large attendance at Christ Church last evening, when the choir, assisted by a number of ladies and gentlemen, rendered the qratorio, "The Holy City." A veiy goodl interpretation of the work was given by the choir, which consisted of about 50 voices. The choruses were rendered in am excellent manner, and the conductor ia to be congratulated on the success of his efforts. The solos on the whole were good. Mr. H. Collier ably presided at the organ and Mrs. Johnston contributed the harp music, which was a feature of the performance, while Mr. C. W. Naylor, church organist, conducted in his usual capable manner.

At a meeting of the Federated Council of Builders and Contractors, at Auckland, Mr. Lunn moved that contractors' lien over land should hold] good until all hie legal claims under the contract be satisfied, and that the irovernment be urged to amend the Lien Act in that direction. Mr. Lunn also brought up the matter of the conditions of contract, moving in the direction that these should be uniform throughout the colony as nearly as possible. A standing committee to go into the matter in the recess and report at next conference was appointed. The secretary stated that the Minister for Public Works informed him if they had universal conditions tney could be embodied in an Act of Parliament. It was decided, on Mr. Benjnettis amendment, that the conference should, during the present session, draft out a rough set of conditions for submission to the various Association Standing Committees to get the matter in form for next conference. The following regula,tions were also carried: That this Council objects strongly to the proposed amendment to the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act, wherein, it is provided that two weeks must elapse after accident before employers are liable, and that tihe Government be respectfully approached on the matter; that the Council considers that in «jll cases a final certificate should be given by architects on completion of a contract; thati insurance companies' attention be drawn to the unsatisfactory position a contractor is iplaced' in by the refusal of insurance companies to insure a building in course of erection, where previously fires have taken place, as it is' on production of a receipt for premium, that progress payments are made; that it is desirable some arrangement be made whereby the whole of the members of the various builders' and contractors' associations affiliated with the Council should insure m one accident insurance office, and that the secretary call for tenders from the various accident insurance companies, asking for special rates in view of such arrangement; that in the1 event ot insurance companies refusing to; agree to any special terms in respect of buiMere and contractors affiliated to this Federation, the executive of the Federation be asked to make inquiries as ten the possibilities of a scheme for mutual insurance among contractors, and to report, to the next meeting; that this Council opposes any further legislation as regards the giving of extended preference to Unionists.

The annual social and farewell to the Rev. H. P. Cbwx will take place in t.'.e Fordell Hall on Friday, 12th instant. A musical programme by members of ihc Christ Church Choir has been arranged by Mr. Naylor. There will be refre^hmente. Proceedings begin at 7.30 p.m.

At the Waverley Police Court 'on Tuesday last, on the application of Mr. John Handley, prohibition orders were "ordered to be issued against Ropika Rangihaukori and Kahukaka, two Waverley na tives.

The Garrison Band will (weather permitting) give another of their enjoyable open-air concerts in the Rotunda on Sunday afternoon, commencing at 3 o'clock. The programme will include selections by some of the most eminent composers, ft is the Band's intention to take up a. collection towards their contest fund, as it is only a few months now before the Masterton contest. There is every indication that this contest will be attended by most of the leading Bands in New Zealand, including four from the South Island; and it is confidently expected that Mr. J. Hume, one of the best authorities on brass bands in England, will act as judge, as he has already consented to Jud&e two, contests in Australia, just grior to the Masterton contest, and the Council of the North Island Band Assoiciation are trying to secure his services. ' If successful, there is no doubt that the contest will be largely attended, and the muiscal awards received with satisfaction by the competing Bands.

There are no lengths to which confirmed practical jokers will not go. It is not often, however, that they manage to hoax an official journal and score off an Emperor in such a thorough and audacious' manner as one is reported, according to a Berliu telegram recently, to have done in Prague. The Emperor William recently denounced the Poles in East Prussia as trying to thwart the German Government authorities. The speech caused some heart-burn-ing, and while denying any attempt to impose on the authorities, one of the persons aimed at evidently thought he would show the Emperor how easily it could be done. In Prague, where the Austrians rule, German is not. thoroughly understood, even by the police. Accordingly when the latter received a postcard in German from Poseiii, bearing all the stamps and marks of outhority, with a request, to insert it at once in the Prague Official Police Journal, they never troubled to have it translated, but put it in as it .came. The horror of the higher authorities, who knew German, may be imagined when they read in their own particular journal the following:—"The Emperor WilKam having just escaped from Count Yon Buelow's lunatic aslum was last heard of at Marienburg. where he suffered from a flood of talkativeness against the Polish people. A warrant, for his. arrest should be promptly issued." The issue of the Police Journal' containing this remarkable notice was at once seized wherever it couM be found, and the Austrian Government intend, under pressure from Berlin, to clear out the whole of the Prague police staff, and are making every effort to find the sender of the postcard.