Local and General.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11736, 13 September 1902, Page 4

Local and General.

A post office is) now open at Matoroa, Wanganui district. In connection with the Bible in schools question public- meetings will be held at Aramoho Presbyterian Church on Monday evening, aoid at the Westmere State School and at the Primitive Methodist Church, Sedgebrook, on Tuesday evening. Speakers from Wanganui avH/1 address the various meetings. "Omega" dlraws our attention to a typographicail eiWoa 1 appearing in his: letter, where Dr. Coleiisio, at one time Bishop of Natal, is referred to as having done for the Old what the work of the editor of the "Encyclopaedia Biblica." is doing for the New Testament, is printed "Dr. Collins," thereby destroying the meaning. Following is the result of St. John's Presbyterian Sunday School Assembly examinatioiijs: —Junior — Ethel Harrison, catechism', 81, Agnes Walker 72, Jeanie Haase 93, Daisy McMu<rray 100, Lizzie Christie 93; Ethel Duff 98, BSble 100; Agnes Haaise, catechism 100, Bible 90; Willie Duff 97 and 62. Middle—Christina Austin, catechism 71, Bible 86; Bella Cannon, catechism 56; James Aitken, Bible 75; William Haase, catechism 82; George Haase, catechism 78. Senior-^ Minnie McMxir.ray 82, Essay—Flora Caiman 100, Louisa Burnet 7,5. The officers of the local Garrison Corps, including the Alexandra Cavalry, met last night at the Drill Hall for the purpose of making the necessiary arangements. for camping out. The welcome home social to be giveg, by the several corps to returned troopers of all contingents was discussed. Various sub-committees were fiM-med in connection with the function, which will take place on Friday, the 26th of September, in the Drill Hall. It is expected that about 400, including Volunteers, returned contingenters and guests, will attend. Lieutenamt Ho,gan (Wanganui Rifles) has been appointed lion, secretary. The members of the local infantry corps are reminded of the battalion parade called for next Tuesday at 7.30. The rifles and bayonets of these corps that have recently been called in far examination and inspection by the Government Armourer (Sergeaurt Hunter), will be issued to members at this parade. A full attendance is requested. We understand the Highland Rifles have accepted the challenge of the Irish Rifles for a route march, to be held within a few weeks. Arrangements for this event is to be left in the hands of the captains of both corps-

Copenhagen is an ideal city for hardworking journalists. A daily paper in the Danish capital has announced it. will sus-, pend pubi/ication during July, August and September1, in order that the staff may enjoy a long summer holiday. Its readers are told to look for its reappearance in October with fresh pleasure and expectation. ' According to the "Church Chronicle," the Bishop of Wellington expects to sail for England either at the end of November, or at the beginning of December. As he has been invited to preach the Ramsden Sermon (on "Church Extension over the Colonies and Dependencies of the Bzitish Empire") before the University of Cambridge on the 31s>t May, he will probably not leave England before the middle of June.

—n enthusiastic collector of mummies rcaslied the Belgian frontier the other -day with an ancient and respected Egyptian corpse. At the Customs* the officials, asked wrac it "was. "A mummy," was the an-. swer. "You can't take it in without paying duty." "But mummies pay no duty," replied the traveller. "We will consult the register," replied the official. An enormous volume was examined, but with no result; mummies were not classified. "Declare it salt fish,'" shouted the official to one of the clerks, and thus the mummy of a possible Pharaoh made its triumphal entry into Belgium. Some years ago the Camera Club held an exhibition of photographic work in St. Paul's Hall. This was an eminent success, i consequently the Club have in hand another exhibition, this time in Sheriff's Studio. Particulars appear in our advertising columns. We are informed that exhibita of a very attractive nature have arrived from many parts of New Zealand, and are a proof of the proficiency in the photographic ait-, to which the colonial amateur has attained. Exhibitions of lantern slides, and local and in trumental music each evening, will add to the attractions. The happy results which have attended the good offices of the Rev. ju. C. Frere (formerly in charge of the Waitotara Parochial District) at Beirut, in the disputes which have agitated the local ctmrcjiest, were thankfully acknowledged by the newly consecrated Greek Bishop. In order to give Mr Frere a status such as to facilitate the friendly intercourse thus established, Bishop Blyth, of Jerusalem, has conferred on him the dignity of Archdeacon of the Church of England in Syria; and the local dignitaries of the Greek Church have warmly congratulated him or. this promotion.—"Church Chronicle."

The quantity and value of dairy produce and frozen meat exported from the colony last month were as follows :—Butter, 7676 cwt, of the vaJSue of £42,471, as compared with 1748 cwt of the value of £8356 in August last year; cheese, 2128 cwt, of the value of £5340. as compared with 2236 cwt valued at £5343; beef, 10,190 cwt, valued at £12,810 as compared with 16631 cwt valued at £18,528: mutton, 77,692 cwfc. valued at £84,417, as compared with 82,800 cwt. valued at £89,829 ; leg.? and pieces of mutton, 6670 cwt. valued at£7224, as compared with 3217 cwt, valued at £3742; lamb, 21.252 cwt, valued ta £31,238, as compared with 45.236cwt, valued at £65,103. An amusing but true story is told of Lord Strathcoria and Mr James J. Hill, the American railway magnate, who are close ..personal friends. A well-known picture, "The First Communion," was put up to auction in New York, and both Lord Strathcona and Mr Hill, each ignorant of the other'a action, sent their agents to bid for it. Of course, the representatives of the two millionaires soon ousted their competitors, and, bidding against each other, raised the price to an extravagant figure. Finally. Lord Strathcona obtained possession, and the painting hangs to-dac in his *-otidon house. Both he and Mr Hill had a hearty laugh when they learned how it was that such a high pilce had been obtained. A telegram from Greymouth states: — Some months ago, all the Chinese dead on the West Coast were exhumed, and are now stored in an iron shed near the Greymoutb Cemetery. It was expected that they would have been removed some time ago. There is a general feeling of xmeasiness at the thought of the bodies remaining there during the coming summer months, as many of them had not been long interred. There are a numberof dwelling.1? in close proximity to the charnel house, wherein are now stored the remains of over one hundred and fifty Chinese bodies. At the time of the exhumation, the authorities here protested strongly, but were assured by the Colonial Secretary that every precaution Avould bei taken. A telegram from Wellington states that an interesting comparison of figures bearing upon the administration of the four central hospitals of the colony was furnished to the Wellington Hospital Trustees by the Secretary la^* week. The compilation showed that during the year the Wellington Hospital had the largest number of inpatients, the figures being : —Wellington 1999, Auckland 1982, Christchurch 6100 Dunedin 1310. Wellington's; death rate was much lower thanthato than that of any of the other hospitals. Wellington also treated the greatest number of outpatients. The daily cosj; of the patients in the 4 hospitals were:—Auckland 4s Id per head, Wellington 4s s£d, Punedim 4s lid, Ohristehurch 5s s£. Deducting the money recovered from- patients for treatment, the daily cost was:—At Auckland 3s o^d per head, Wellington 3s 6^d, Dunedin 4s 2£d, Christchureh 4s ll^d. Salaries and cost of repair.? were reckoned in the per head expense. During last year Wellington Hospital had to meet heavy expenditure on repairs, and the institution also paid the highest salaries of anyhospital in the colony.

The Wanganui County Council yesterday decided that in-future the chairmaa be paid £20 per annum. At the meeting of the Wamganui County Council yesterday the chairman and Crs. Robinson and' Wilson were appointed a ciommittee to -confer with a committee of the Borough Council on. the question of repairs to the Town Bridge. To date the calendar for the next sittinga of the Supreme Court here is as follows:— C. A. Wei,ghtnvin, wife desertion; M. Merritt (a female), theft of a diamond ring at Paimerstom; Joseph Wilson, ■assault on a Maori woman with intent to rob; and two charges against Andrew Mathison, for theft at Waituna West. It is hardly necessary to remind our readers of the open-air concert to be given by the Garrison Band to-morrow after--1 noon in the Rotunda, commencing at 3 j o'clock. As the expenses in connection with the Masterbcn contests will be very heavy, a collection will be taken up to form a contest fund.

The senrantrgirl difficulty obtruded itself into the Magistrate's Court at Dunedin on Monday (says the "Otago Daily Times!'), when a girl sued her mistress for payment of a week's wages in lieu of notice of alleged wrongful dismissal. In her evidence the plaintiff said she went out every night, there was nothing to keep her from doing so, and got her halt-holiday as well. She admitted being told to do the -ironing one evening, and going out to post a letter, with permission, and returning after eleven o'clock, some four hours later*. . Her mistress, in giving evidence, denied, that she was allowed off every night, and stated that one night she had not returned at all, and detailed the conversation that ensued when the young lady came; back after posting the letter. It ran thus: —"Maggie, you went out last night!" "I know I did." "Was it- your night out?" "No." "Didn't I ask you not to go out?" "Suppose you did," and terminated in mutterings apparently. Mr Carew found in favour of the defendant, whose previous offer of payment the girl would not accept.

The Opeiia. House was filled last evening on the occasion of tihe concert in aid of the prifze fund of the District Hi<gh, School. The Rev. T. B. Maclean (chairman of the School Committee), presided. The following programme was presented: Selection, T.Y.M.I. Band. Sotng, "Tell me, Maiden, I Pray" (Gounod), Miss Austin. Duet and chorus, "Some Folks," Standard 2 boys (encored). Selection (violin and ipiano) "Scene Die Ballet," Miss Fredia Marsden and Mr. L. T. B'rinkley. Recitation, "What Made the Noise?7' Fred LittStejokn (encored). Wanil drill, girls. Character sketch, "The Irish Schffolfmaster," Charles McCarthy. Tableau, "The Last Shot," Cadets. Selection, "Undei' the Moon," Miss Marsden's Juvenile Orchestra. Recitation, "A Careful Messenger," Noel Infield (encored). Song, "A Summer Shower," Miss Austin. Dialogue, "What Shall I Be?" Nine Boys (encored). Song, "The Gladiator," Mi*. A. Sheppard. Recitation, Mr. J. G. Swan (encored). Song, Mr. Blennerhassett. Drill, Lancers, Sailors, and Cadets. Tableau, "Red, White and! Blue," Lancers, Sailors, and Cadets. "God Save the King," Band and audience. Mr. L. T. Brinkley acted as accompanist.