Local and General

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11756, 6 October 1902, Page 4

Local and General

The Management Committee of the Christ Church Club will not meet this week.

The usuall weekly practice of "The Messiah" will be held at the Masonic, Hall at 7.45 to-night, and the orchestra will be present to play the accompaniments.

The attention of the authorities, is drawn to a dead cow which is at present lying near the river steamer slip opposite' the boatshecls. The smell isi most offensive to passers-by.

Members of the Irish Rifles are requested to note that owing to the races last week the final match for Lieut' Mathison's trophy will be fired next Saturday afternoon, commencing at 2 o'clock.

Shortly before two o'clock yesterday morning itlhe big firebell sounded an ialann!. No. 2 Ward being indicated. The fire proved to be in an outhouse adjoining Mr Pierpont's residence in Campbell Street. The Brigade was> quickly on the spot, and soon extinguished the fire.

At Mjainaaa. Mrs Andrew Young died somewhat suddenly on Friday night. Being informed by the doctor that she would have to go to the hospital, she collapsed and died within half an hour. Heart disease and dropsy were the cause of death.

An Auckland wire sa sr-The Premier's Reception Committee resolved to recommend the presentation of an .address on the afternoon of Saturday, October 26th, at a public gathering in front of the Municipal Buildings, and a supper in the .hall (holding 600 to 800), tickets not to exceed 7s 6d. It was resolved to entertain the Coronation Contingent in the hall during the afternoon.

It is a common practice in Berlin for the wife to stay at home when- the husband and family go to the seaside. In this way the wife enjoys) her own holiday, for there is no housekeeping to be done; she foregathers with friends —''grass widows," like herself—and they take their meals at restaurants, spend their afternoons and evenings at popilar places of entertainment and thoroughly enjoy themselves.

I hope that all the other Now Zealand cities will not be. envious or jealous of Wellington (writes the London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) if I mention an enormous boon which is coming to the New Zealand capital. But the fact cannot fail to be of keen interest to the whole of the colony. People living in all parts of New Zealand may wish to rush to Wellington and participate in the benefits which are conning. The following commundieation from a London suburb has just reached me—l suppress names and addresses. —which is being largely distributed: "Mrs , having received a large order from Wellington, New Zealand, wants to buy all kind* of ladies', gentlemen's and children's cast-off clothing to any amount for cash!. Also, naval and military uniforms, artificial teeth, jewellery, bed and table linen, carpets, bicycles, tricycles, etc. M ra will call to-morrow for an answer, and will be prepared to buy anything you may have to dispose of." Now, did I exaggerate the blessing that is to be bestowed on lucky, happy Wellington? Just imagine! "All kinds: of cast-off clothing" are to be simply poured into that fortunate citr for the use* of her citizens! How the Wellington people will appreciate this rare chance and will rush to cloth themselves in the .castoff garments of London! But, in that case, how they must have changed since I knew them ! What a. debt of gratitude they owe to the kind person who sent Home that "large order" !

Sir Harry Johnston contributes a striking illustration of the spiteful behavior often shown by apes towards chiMren. "I .remember," writes Sir Harry, "travelling home from West Africa once with a celebrated chimpanzee of many accomplishments, which, until w& reached Maderia, travelled as and was treated like a firstclass passenger, behaving in its freedom with absolute decorum. When the vesselreached Madeira a number of passengers came on board, amongst others being v very young baby. This was sometimes placed by it? mother in a cradle on the upper deck. One day, while wg were all at lunch, the chimpanzee (who had becoino very jealous of the aitention shown to this infant) disappeared. I followed it from the luncheon table to sec what it was going to do, and arrived just in tame to prevent ifc from throwing the baby overhead. It had pulled the poor little child from its cradle (fortunately without serious hurt), and would .certainly have hurled it into the sea if my arrival had not caused the guilty ape to drop the child on the deck and scramble away. After this proceeding it spent the rest of its journey as a deck [passenger in a cage." jealousy is by no means uncommon in the animal kingdom, as all keepers of domestic pets well know. This is one of those cases which seem to show that rudiments of moral qualities are to be found in the lower creation, though possibly without the moral sense of right and wrong.

Owing to the prevalence of measles, the committea have been compelled to close the Stratford schools for another fortnight.

We were in error in stating on Saturday that the directors of the Freezing Company had gone on an excursion ti'ip to D'Urville Island. Wo are asked to state that the Tliistle has simply gone on a business trip,, and that the directors are not on board.

Messrs Cooper and McDermott gave another of their biograph entertainments on Saturday evening. The programme Mas a first-class one, and was much appreciated by the audience, amongst whom was a large number of College boys. Last evening a sacred entertainment was given an 1 was well attended.

The "Post" says—Regarding the letter weleceived from Mr F. T. Moore, announcing his intention of returning to the colony and standing for a seat in Parliament at the general election, Mr W. H. Field, M.H.K., has tabled to Mr Moore expressing his complete astonishment and strongest disapprobation, and the hope that the project is not meant seriously.

The Irish Rifles are receiving great support towards popularising their Morris* Tube classes. Private W. Kershaw ha* kindly given a valuable trophy to be competed for amongst its members. One of the conditions, to which the special attention of members is called, is that, in order to encourage the members in their marching competition against tli3 Scotch Rifles, three points will be allowed to every man lor every evening he rolls up and marches m their practice marches, the allowance starting from this (Monday) evening. > Those who go down to the sea in ships ' will be deeply interested in a unique de- j vice in the way of lifebelts submitted to the Marine Board, for its approval by the Melbourne Shipping Company. . The regulation governing the construction ot marine life-saving aipparafrus states that • an approved lifebelt should not require to be inflated before uae, and should be cap- , able of flouting for twenty-foui- hours . whilst sustaining 15 lbs. weight of iron, j The belt submitted was (says a Melbourne, i paper) composed of prepared kapock, en- j closed in cloth compartments in, the shape j of an ordinary body belt, with shoulder j and waist straps. When- dry the belt | weighed 2 lbs., and after submersion m^ fresh water far 24 hours weighed 5 lbs. j This test has been considered a satasfac- ; toiy one by the English Board of Trade. | Mr Syme, the representative of the Mel--bourne Shipping Company, said that the device was not a chear* one, as it cost more than the ordinary air belt. The Mar- , me Board decided to postpone its dcci- ; sion until a teat had been made as to the sustaining capacity of the belt when thoroughly saturated. j The Skmth African Exhibition, to which . reference was made in Parliament last week, is to be held at Capetown for a I period of four mouths from November, 1903, to February, 1904. Promoted by Mr. A. P. Baker, F.R.C.1., it is undepthe patronage of Lord Milner, Sir J. Or. Sprigg, the Mayor and Corporation ot Capetown, the Chamber of Commerce of Capetown, Sir Frederick Young, K.C.M.G., vice-president of the Koyal Colonial Institute, and others. It has been arranged that the Chamber of Commerce and the Town Council of Capetown shall appoint an Advisory Board in order to forward the arrangements and interests of manufacturers participating in the Exhibition, the object of which is to bring the machinery ] and industrial products generally of Great Britain and the Empire before the boutn African public. AH the necessary funds, ' it is stated, have been guaranteed, and a large number of applications! for space from British and colonial exhibitors ha,ve already been received, ' A New Zealandler writes to the London "Times.," from Karioi, thus: "Sir,—-Will you give me, a resident of New Zealand, a small space in your paper in which to . plead for help to establish a cottage hospital for the use of our Maori neighbours.' ; Hundredst of this fine an. loyal race die from the want of knowledge of the simp- . lest laws of health and sick nursing, .ihe Maoris of this district have come to recognice this1, and are most anxious for such a ; hospital, and the genuineness of their desire is shown by their having given some ( of their best land at Raetihi for its site. _ It is near the only medical maai within a radiue of fifty miles, over routrli roads and rivers, that have ttoi be forded. More ■ they cannot do, for they are very poor, j poorer than evei< since the visit of the . Prince and Princess of Wales, when numbers of them sold their horses, sheep and cowa to pay for the long, weary journey of over a hundred miles, so that they might give their lioval Highnesses one of ; the most royal and whole-hearted wel- . comes they received in their Imperial tour. I It is said that this interesting race is , dying ouF; but its peolple need not do j so if we give them a few cottage hospi- j tails where they can bring their sack, especially their infants? and young- children, | to be properly nursed and fed. In these country districts, wild pork and potatoes are their only food; .and when they cannot, through illness, take this, they must in too many instances die for want of ; other and more suitable nourishments, j Will any of your readers help us in estab- j lishing the first of such, hospitals here, j under the shadow of Mount Ruapehu, j where, as I have already mentioned, we : have received a gift of land from the | Maoris themselves, and so aid us at the same time to maintain the Imperial responsibilities of our King's great Empire towards the Maori race? The Earl of Glasgow, Fairlie Craig, Fairlie, Ayrshire, formerly Governor of New Zealand, has kindly consented to receive Subscriptions for this object." The London correspondent, of the "Lyttelton Times]' says that Mr. Reeves, while not wishing toi discourage benevolence, paints out in the ; "Times" that the Government not only j paid the fare* of these Maoris in their j journeys between their homes and the i places* at which the Royal vistors were welcomed, but also supplied the natives with food during the whole of their absence from home. If, therefore, the natives spent any appreciable s-awni of money, f ifc was not because it was absolutely ne- , cessary. _______________ j