LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12716, 30 January 1906, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There wore 372 subscribers -to the Wanganui Public Library last year. Since 1851 New South Wales has exported £300,000,000 worth of wool and £36,000,000 worth of gold. During December the Christchurch City Council granted 38 building permits. The value of the buildings was £27,860, and the fees were £53 10s. "A scientific man' in New Zealand is bxjrjed alive" was the statement made by a well known doctor at yesterday's meeting of the New Zealand Institute. The largest number of books taken out of the Public Library last year by any suiglo subscriber was 465—317 novei* j»nd 46 nii3cellaneous. A well known doctor, at the meeting of the New Zealand Institute at Wellington, declared that a scientific man in New Zealand is buried alive. Thomas Henry Nicholas has been summoned to appear on a charge of arson in connection with the fire' ' at DargayiHe on December 24.- He" and McCoy will be tried to-day. . / On Saturday week last the Borough" of Geralrline had its population increased by three, a young married woman giving birth to triplets—three fine girls.

The amount paid by the Government for the Mudgway Estate, Lower Hutt, acquired under the Land for Settlements Act, was £30,240, together with £125 for incidental expenses. '.'_

Both in design and improrementsj as wel! as quality of workmanship, the McCormick Binder takes th« lead. Agents, Williams and Harper, Wanganui.

Captain Edwin-telegraphed at 1:10 " p.m. yesterday:—Moderate to strong westerly winds, glass -r^se, tides good, sea moderate. V ; ' ''. 1 "If I came to the West Coast and was asked for nothing, I should think the millenium had pome," and that Paradise was not far off."--The Premier at Blackball. -, < The timber export trade from tha Thames is very brisk. The barque Em- — preza left this morning for- Australian ports with half a million feefr'pf timber. A number of sawmillers and others- • who have been floating timber raft« down the Wanganui river without a - •license pleaded guilty at the Wellington S.M. Court yesterday, and as the prosecution did not press for a heavy peralty, escaped with fines of 20s. eadtt and costs. The return just issued by the Wellington Tramways, which is for the nine months ended December 31, and which therefore includes the traffic, but not the New Year traffic, shows a gross profit on the working or £13,393 10s. 2d. for tho nine months, or a net; profit (after allowing for interest and sinking fund) of £7262 7»..5d. During the school vacation an in- «, stance of combining , practical education with profit has bean witnessed on a " Hawera farm, where about fifty boys have been employed at half a crown a' day at haj'-making. This is the sort of technical instruction in agriculture which pays the pupil. John Frederick Oook, charged witK escaping from the Mount Cook Prison works when serving a three'years' sentence, was at Wellington yesterday sentenced to six months^ further term for escaping, and also three months concurrent with the present sentence for theft of clothes subsequent to his escape.

What the milking industry does foi? Taranaki. Last month (December) 5 nearly £16,000 was distributed amongsfc the factory suppliers near Manaia, viz., those? of Kaupokonui, Riverdale, and T. L. Jolls. The five companies doing business around Eltham, viz., Eltham, Ngairo, Mangatoki, Lowgarth, and Kaponga distributed over £21,000. — Exchange. ' •

T'e fo'lop." ng is the result of the «J; a.T tor i.he f nst round of heats in tha New Year Fours Race in Connection with the Union Boat Club:—Slyfield lows Corby on Tuesday evening, January 30, at 6 o'clock; D. Dustin vow* Drew the same^evening, at 6.30; ,"V£. Davis rows Green on Wednesday evening, January 31, at 6 o'clock; G» , Thompson a bye. ■~ , The official return of the takings'on the occasion of the meeting of Wales • and New Zealand shows that the sum of £2650 was taken. This beats all records for a" Rugby" international -in ~ Wales by £400. The total sum includes receipts from all sources. The New Zealanders' share is said to be £1235. They had a guarantee of £505 , from the Welsh Union-;' -

Amongst the'trial plots of. forage, plants at the State Farm, Ruakura,' Waikato, are two that look decidedly promising, viz.,. those devoted to Siberian millet and hairy vetch. Millet, is of strong habit: "with fresh succulent leaf growth, while the vetch should give a big weight of green* stuff per acre, if it grows in the paddock in anything like the way it grows-at tb&. farm. '\ :'.■■'■■-, \i~ A block in the sewer at the "top'*o£-y Fitzherbert street, Palmerston North*^ ' on Saturday morning; led to the discovery of a sack containing a dog and a litter of pups that had evidently-been dropped down the manhole. It will be remembered (the "Standard" says) the) last block of this nature cost the Borough £200, and, apart from the hidequtf cruelty of the operation, it is a pity the offenders cannot be caught and an example made of them.

Among the-.Government-exhibits at .the; New.-Zealand International Exhibition, will ,be. one representing the Cook iand, other islands. .It is proposed by the -Minister-? in • charge (Hon. C. H. Milji) .to-bring r over a number of thai Islanders, with supplies of material for -the.erection..of native houses for theii* accommodation,; and. also material to enable, them to engage in the industries of-.their-respective islands. It ie ex,pected that a good display of native weapons, implements,: etc., illustrative* of the life, and customs of-tine people, 'will-be t .;made. _•'.>•. ■'' Two ' Coveht' Gardens v porters were ' discussing the other -day the successful tour" of the--New- Zealand Rugby team f<says the "Globe"). One of them, anx-ious-to'-know-'where New- Zealand was, and not: being quite sure of it, turned to _his. friend- and said: "Bill, where is this "ere New Zealand where those blokes come fronr.?"- "Why," said his friend, "you ought to know where it is. It's the other- side of Australia* What dyer want to know for?" "Nothin' much," returned the man, "only" -.—. 1 was thinkin' Jow cold it must be down there. Why, that's the* place whore we gets all the frozen sheep from." *

In response lo frequent requests for payment of an outstanding account, and a final threat to sue for the amount due, says the Timaru "Post," a Timaru business firm received the follow-* ing .remarkable epistle from the brother of the debtor: "Sir, I now writ© to tell you that Charlie has been dead for three yeans. So he cannot Fay you your .bill. I have wrote to you. before, and I suppose you don't take Notice, but, you can sand your blue paper and white paper, too, but you can't get it. He is dead, so his debts is* Paid. So Please don't send any more of them bills. PiS.,-^-1 am sending this piece of paper back "to you baofc again." Th« .-tone of patient explanation ia quite ..artistic, and the theory that a man's; death constitutes in itself full payment of all his debts is something quite fresK.