Local and General.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11788, 13 November 1902, Page 4

Local and General.

Messrs Laird and Sons, the well-known Wanganui nurserymen, have a capital series of special exhibits at the MaaiawatU' Show. The secretary of the Prohibition League desires us to remind the temperance workel's of the important meeting to be held in St. Paul's Hall this (Thursday) evening at 7.30. The committee of the Wanganui Amateur Swimming Club are reminded of the meeting to be held at the baths to-night at 8 o'clock sharp. All commutteemen should make a point of attending. Our evening contemporary came out for the iirsb time last evening as an eight-page paper. We compliment the management upon the enterprise displayed, and we cordially welcome the "Herald" to the ranks of up-to-date metropolitan journals.

The many friends of Mr John Jones will regret to learn that he met. with a rather nasty accident yesterday afternoon. He was superintending his section of the work at the new building of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Taupo Quay, whew a piece of timber fell from the upper storey, badly crushing the toes of one foot. The injury, Ye understand, necessitated the amputation of a. portion of one toe.

Right in tlit-' middle of the public agitation against the invasion of London by pauper Jews from the Continent, and which is forming a subject of inquiry by a Royal Commission, comes a striking illustration of the mental virility of this remarkable race" of immigraaif.'). A competition for scholarships instituted by the London County Council has just beeir completed, and at the head of 333 candidates is the 14-year-old son of a Spitalfields Jew pedlar. He won £145 and five years' free tuition. He wast a pupil of the school in which the Zangwilla and the Barnatos were taught.

Of all the fads I ever heard of, writes a London correapiondent, the most extraordinary is that attributed in one of the London dailies to Mr Charles Rothschild, of Tring Park. It is the collection of fleas! He has a whole section of a museum occupied by cabinets containing fleas of all forms and sizes, from nearly every corner of the world. Altogether he has 10,000 specimeiits. He has a. tloa from the Kergulen Islands in Antarctica, and has just commissioned the captain of an Arctic trawler to bring back a collection) of fleas from the blue fox, the white bear, the Esquimaux dog, and other animals of the Polar1 regions.

Speaking at the Diocesan Festival demonstration at the Melbourne Town Hall the other night, the Rev. Archdeacon Hindley gave some interesting experiences of early church work in 'the back blocks'. Referring to. the well known "Kelly country," he told his hsarersj of the establishment of the first little church there, to which "the people used to bring their own pews"—which were shingles, with augur holes bored at the corners, inito> which sections of saplings were thrust. The reading desk was made of a sapling and a piece of quartering, the latter covered with freshly-stripped, bulk. "And," said the archdeacon, "when a lady from Melbourne came to church one day and brought a red-covered cushion with her these Puritans of the hills were very much disturbed, and wondered in their inner hearts whether they were not becoming altogther too High Church!"'

A novel cricket tour is mooted by the Waiwetu Cricket Club, namely, a holiday jaunt through England by an eleven •composed exclusively of the club's members. The idea is an excellent one for enabling visitor's to see the Old Country to best advantage, for the members of the team are sure to find and make friends in every town and village that they visit. In the event of the Waiwietu Club being unable to raise a team entirely from its own ranks, an invitation will be issued to a few members frora^ other clubs to become members of the learn to go on tour. There is to be an entire absence of the 'professional element from the venture, which is to be undertaken purely as a holiday jaunt, on which matches will be played against .country clubs for love of the game and without admission fee.

According to a London paper a silly "joke" has lately been perpetrated. It is related thus:—"A well-dressed man presented himself at the barracks of the Gloucester Regiment, stationed a>ti Horneld, Bristol, and obtained an interview with the officer in command, whom ho informed that a sergeant attached to the New Zealand Contingent in South Africa had died in Bristol Infirmary, and suggested that men from the regiment should attend his funeral. The officer readily assented, and several sergeants were told off as bearers. with instructions to join the funeral party oh College Green. The men paraded outside tho hotel at the appointed time, but the absence of any signs of a. funeral caused enquiries to be made, when the soldiers discovered themselves to be victims of a senseless practical joker."

The poll on the proposal to raise a loan of £70,000 for the Okehu Avater supply .scheme takes p1 ace -to-day.

Tlie A.\t Society would ba glad if intending exhibitors would bring their exhibit* to the Assembly "Rooms to-day.

A splendid programme of pureiy Scottish music is in course of preparation by the members and friends of St. Paul's Ukoiv and the result of their labours in this direction will be placed before the public en, Thuitfday evening next. Already the demand for tickets is considerable, and tue seating accommodation of St. Paul's Hall wii'l no doubt be severely taxed.

At the Supreme Court yesterday, in chambers, before Mr. 0. 0. Kettle. Registrar, probate of the will o*f Thomas Mumo, formerly of Bulls, and late of Mangaweka, storekeeper, wa«, on the motion of Mr. Esam, granted to Isabella Munw, the widow of the testator, and the sole surviving executor of his will.

The election of members for the Waitotarei County Council took place yesterday and resulted as follcrw.« :—Brunswick Rid-ing-_Wiliiam Ritchie 148, J. T. Walker 81, D. H. Williamsoni 64, C. L. Bridges 48. Westmere Riding—Harry Hole 94, H. S. G. Harper 87, J. W. Murphy 31. Messrs. Ritchie, Walker, Hole, and Harper were declared duly elected.

We give a final reminder of the concert and dance in aid of the Upokongaro school prize fund, to be held in the Hall, Upokongaro, on Frida-v, 14th instant', commencing at 8 o'clock. A brake will leave Jefferson's at 6.00. The concert should be a great itaccess, as the following well known singers will take part: Miss Clapham, Misses Hooiptr {2), Miss Signall, and Messrs. Hall, Brown, Suis-ted (from Wan;ganui), Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Powell. Mies Powell, and Mr. Blair will represent the local talent. The dance music will be supplied by Mrs. Lockett.

The terror of cattle, dogs and wild animals before the eruption of Mont Pelee adds to the evidence that the senses of the lower animals are unlike our own. The late Professor S. Sekiya. of Tokio, kept pheasants to study their behavioxu* before an earthquake, and Professor John Milne testifies that their screaming often gave notice of preliminary tremours of an earthquake that wera unfelt by human beings. This being the case, it seems not unlikely that the creatures on Mont Pelee heard sounds and felt vibrations not (perceptible to man.

Japanese have no ear lobes. This is a discovery which has apparently been mads for the first' time by Di* yon der Heydeir, director of the public hospital in Yokohama. Even if he is not; the first to discover it, he is certainly the first to draw public attention to it. The absence of ear lobes, he claims, is in some respects the most marked distinction between Japanese and Europeans, and be maintains that the probable reason why the latter have lobes is because their ancestors for many generations wore very heavy earrings. Undoubtedly the wedding ring is a beautiful example of barbaric tradition, 'living in this modern 20th century and filling no function Avhatsoever. The wedding ring represents the nose ring, anklet, or menacle by which in past ages the sold slave was led away from the mart by his niew master. But everyone knows that a woman of to-day when she is given a ring to symbolise the wedding sacrament, is by no means made a slave. What is the origin of that absurd garment, the dress coat, by the way. It is nothing less than the hunting coat -of our ancestors, who divided the tails of the long frock coats, cut away the front, sewed buttons in the back to bold uipi the tails, and used the coat for a hunting jacket. Why is the servant dressed in the conventional evening costume also? Just because he formerly had to wear out the old hunting coats of his mastera.

New Zealand fruit-growers will be interested in the results of a series of experiments on the cold storage of fruit which have been carried out at the Ontario Agricultural CoKege (writes the London correspondent of "The Press). Apiples and peai's are found to keep best when wrapped singly in paper, and packed in a shallow box not larger than a bushel. They ship besfc Avhen, in addition, they are packed in. layers with "excelsior" between. Apples keep better at a temperature of 31deg. Fahr. th;m at a higher temperature, but the) experiments did not show what is the best temperature for pears. Cold storage .cannot make bad fruit good, nor can it prevent bad fruit from becoming worse. Onl~ good specimens will keep for any length of time in cold istoi'age, or will ipay for storage. Where long, storage is desired it pays to select the best fruit and to pack it in the best manner known.

A striking illustration of the effect of the restrictions placed by the present labour laws on the employment of boy labour, was mentioned by Mr T. H. White at the meeting of the Natives' Association last evening. He said he knew a man in Auckland who desired to have his son taught either engineering or carpentry, but finding himself blocked by the existing limitations of boy labour, he had decided to send the boy to Sydney to learn a trade. Mr White said that the (principle of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act was an excellent one, but it was never intended that it should prevent boys obtaining employment. Ho considered thai the restrictions referred to were responsible for a great deal of the increase in juvenile crime, which was frequently commented upon by judges of the Supreme Court. This latter remark was endorsed by Mr M. Casey in a subsequent speech.—N.Z. Herald.

A tad ending to a wedding is reported fi:cm Walcha (New South Wales), where a young lady named Pearl Coughlin, vrho xvm acting as bridesmaid at- her sister's we&Cvvng. died suddvuly from excitement,

Ww are in a position to state that, judging by the number of entries, already received, the annual exhibition of the Society of Arts and Crafts, to be held next ireck, will be even more successful than that of last' year.

Mr. J. O. Priestly (manager of the Opera Hou.se) leaves to-day for Wellington io endeavour to arrange with Mr. J. C. WiTiamson for a vim- of "The Runaway Girl." This piece is having an exceptional run in the Empire City, and if Mr. Priestley's mission is successful big busiuesa will most assuredly be the lot of the combination.

A sensation wa« caused during a performance of "Othello" by the Wilson Barrett Company at Capetown. Just as Desdeinona was.being (smothered a gentleman in the stalls rose, up, and, cikmching his tivt at Othello, ejaculated, "Scoundrel!" several times, but at length quieted down ;t/nd resumed his seat.

At the Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr. C. C. Kettle, \S.M., Joseph. Tempedey was charged with the attempted murder of his wife and with attempting to commit filicide at Marton on the 3rd November. In answer to a. question by the Magistrate as to whether he had anything to say, accused mumbled. "I know nothing about it. I heard them, talking a lot of rot. I've been ill for some. time. I had an operation performed on my neck." Sergeant Norwood asked for a remand for eight days, stating that- Mi*. Temperiey wins still too ill to attend. The remand was granted. Accused, whose head and neck were bandaged, looks ill. While tho clerk of the Court was reading out the indictment, accused powited to him and asked a constable who he waf. Up till his appearance iv Ocurt, we understand that accused conversed rationally. Mrs. Temperley is progressing favourably, though the doctors have been unab'.e to locate the bullet in her head.

My military correspondent, who went down the ether cloy to Sydenham to study Mr. Kipling in his new Vole of rifle range opener, told me in private conversation (nays Mr. T. P. O'Connor, in "M.A.P.") of the curious glint of Mr. Kipling'e eves— almost, indeed, like the glittering'gaze of the Easterns whom he has brought to Western knowledge in his books. But he did not -set. this forth in his description, because, near as he was to Mr. Kipling, he found it hard to tell whether from the dark eyes; themselves or from the divided lens—"split specs" some people call them —which Mr. Kipling's eyesight compels him to wear. I see from the San Francisco '•Argonaut" what the superstitious fishermen 'if Gloucester, Massachusetts, believe that Kipling actually lias the "evil eye"—that he is, in their language, a "hoodoo." Every single one of the 20 fishing boats named by him in "Captain Courageous has gone down at sea. The last two of the ill-fated craft which originally formed the fleet fdundered the other day in the big .storm off the Massachusetts coast.

'"What has Labour clone for the Liberal Paity in New Zealand'"' asked Mr M'Laren during his midday address yesterday ut the head of the wharf. We have frequently heard about what the Liberals had dons for Labour, went on the candidate, but the other side of the question shoul 1 be answered. As a matter of fact, the Liberal Party came into power on the shoulders of ths working classes. (Applause.) The. working classes of the colony had practically vet the present 'Government upon its feet and made it what it was today. But the Liberal Party had forgotten its mission. The o'a.ss which stood prominently by the side of the Premier today was thai, representing the banking and financial institutions. The 'Government was tired of. Labour, and there were evidences abroad showing that the Labour Party was tired of the Government. Independent Labour candidates were before the people in various piai'ts of the colony, as an evidence that the working classes desired direct representatives of the masses in Parliament.—Post.

Says the Christ-church "Press": ISfat a single Ministerial candidate has so far ventured to dfefend the Public Revenues Act, 1900 ; the mosfc subservient Ministerial journal has not dared1 to say one word in its favour. An .attempt ha?" been made by some of the candidates, however, to treat it as if it were romethin,g that was past and done with, Mid as if certain Canterbury members having voted against the Bi'l their responsibility was thereby ended. We do not take that view at alf. The members who voted against, the- Bill no doubt deserved credit for having <•© voted. They will stultify themselves, however, if they go on supporting the Government which brought in such a measure, which, even >:o late as last -session refused to> repeal its mist iniquitous) clause, and which evidently intends to make flull use. of the powers which PaiMaanent, i& its everlasting degmdation, has txiereby committed into the Ministers' hands. The Government which has so acted has forfeited every claim to confidence, and wouki receive a short shrift :n any self-respecting; Britten community in which the love of liberty a.nd the spirit of Parliamentary independence were not absolutely dead. Every candidate should be asked if he is prepared! tp vote for the repeal of the mo ft obnoxious clauses, and tlie electors should vote for nous who will not answer in an unhesitating affirmative. And if the colony, as a. whofe, having parted w^Ji a.!l Parliamentary control over the finances, is content to send back the present Ministry, without at least v strong Opposition to keep it in cheek, we can only say that, it richly deserves wahtevcr fate may happen to befall it.

Science has for some time considered the possibility of abating the smoke nuisance, and, if the report, is not exaggerated, i means has at length been discovered which entirely does away with the-evil. According to the story, the Electric Lighting Company at Windermere found themselves entangled in intricate law proceedings for disgorging noisome smoke, and in order to free themselves they* bestirred their ingenuity to devise a. scheme for conquering the cause of their trouble. The method finally adopted consists very simply "m ths injection of a minute quantity of nitrate oi soda in solution into the furnace, combined with a sufficiency of air to ensure complete combustion of the gases." This, process, it. is averred, removed "the last vestige of soot'1 im the smoke, and. in con.; sequence, the Chancery suit was withdrawn. Tfc is said that j<ot only does the squirting of a small mixture of air and nitrate of soda solution get rid of the

smoke, but that, it actually increases the efficiency of combustion by something like 20 par cent. If this is true it is certainly the business of the. authorities i<> insist upon the use of this; ijirocess in all cases* vhprc fcotorii s svro fit present jn>iKonhiK the air. The cost, if is stated, is only 3d or 4il a. ton of burnt coal.