Local and General

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11754, 3 October 1902, Page 4

Local and General

A first-offending "drunk" vras treated in the usual manner at the Police Court yesterday morning.

At Wadroa yesterday Joseph Burton was fined £5 and costs for ill-using four packhorses employed in earrving mails betwe«!n Napier and Wairoa.

A deputation, said to represent 2800 men. unemployed as a result of being dismissed fix>m the meat works, waited on the Queens>land Premier the other day and a.«ked for Avork.

The Wakatipu branch of the Farmers' Union have resolved to ask candidates for the Wakatipu seat if they are in favour of the members' honorariums being reduced from £300 to £240.

A letter addressed simply "Carterton," and posted recently in an inland town in Ireland, has safely reached its destination (says a Wairarapa paper) without any more delta.- than if it had been addressed in full to New Zealand.

The following contingenters returned from South Africa by the Rimutaka yesterday morning—Captains Hughes and Overton, Major Bartleibt, Lieuts. Speedy, Hickson. Whighton, Mason. Langford, Whiteley, Derett, Sergt. Thomas, Troopers Hodson, Gernhofer, Black, Acton, Bruick, Huddlestoro, Urquhart, Orr, Pilmer. Baiman, Claque, Fairbrother, Reay, Horton, Georgeftti, and Stewart.

The return of gold exported from the colony for the past nine months is tihe largest for the same period for some ears, viz., 372,8460z., of the value of £1,433,966. and is nearly as large as the 'return for the ■whole of the year 1900. The total gold exported last month was 57,7830z., valued at £222,466. The export of silver last month was 61,0370z., valued at £6220.

The following is an extract from a letter received by a member of the Wanganui Licensing Committee from a leading resident at Hunterville —"Permit me to convey to you the many expressions of admiration I have heard about the district of the action of the Bench in administering the Licensing Act for the good of the people as a whole. Would that the various Benches earned out their onerous duties with the firmness and determination shown by Wanganui. It will, I trust, be a matter of satisfaction to you all to know that public opinion at l/airge is •emtirely with you."

Something must be done about the Peerage, says the "Daily News." It may seem incredible, but it is true, that the follow-r ing announcement has just appeared in a Beckenham paper, in a glory of diversified type and subdivided lines which is not reproduced: "In Aid of the Cottage Hospital. By desire, Lady Raglan will wear her Coronation Robes and Coronet on Wednesday, the 20th inst., from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., when she wili be pleased to receive anyone wishing to see them, at Copers Cope House, 3, Southend Road, Beekenham., on (piresenjtatdon of card, for which the sum of 3d will be made, in aid of the above fund. The cards to be obtained from Miss Sharland, 9a., Hi<?h Street, Beckenhain." In the circumstances, it is as well that Lord Raglan is no longer a member of the Government. If "noblesse." does not "oblige" nowadays, it is to be hoped that Ministerial) rank still does so. "Let our readers bear in mind,",concludes the Daily News, ."that this is the day, if they are anxious to see a lady of title in a coronet and robes for what Mr Tigg called 'the ridiculously small amount' of 3d. It may be we sincerely hope it is.—their last opportunity."

The following story appears in a Hobart paper : —An amusing incident ocoun-ed at Hobart. aboard the French ship Ernest Reyer, the other day, as the vessel was being piloted down the Derwent by the Harbourmaster. Captain McArthur gave the order for the helm to be ported, and the helmsman starboarded instead. The French skipper reproved the man with, a clout, and sent him about his business. On being asked his opinion, Captain McArthur told the French skipper that it was a mistake to strike the man. Subsequently, while the harbourmaster was busily engaged in his duties, the boatswain, who acted as interpreter, came to him and sa,ui the captain desired to know what a British master would do in the circumstances. "Oh, give him a cognac." replied the harbourmaster, jokingly. To Captain Me Arthur's utter amazement, the French skipper too£ his reply seriously, piped all hands aft, and instantly had bottles uncorked. The officers, down to the boatswain, were served with champagne, and the remainder of the crew with cognac. The French skipper explained that this was the British method of treating,an offending helmsman. The man who had misdirected the helm, after drinking his cognac, took off his hat, and -bis master shook hands with him, as a, symbol of renewed friendship.