LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12107, 12 June 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An Amateur Operatic Society lias: just, been formed in Masterton. Mr. J. T. Hogan, M.H.R., will address his constituent at the Opera House on Tuesday, 25th. instant. The Wangjanui sittings of the Arbitration Court opens at tihe Courthouse at 10 o'clock this morning. The Rose Assembly will hold a "long., night" danes at the Fire Brigade- HJaIL to-night. •The diver accompanying the- expedition on the steamer Huiia, obtained a. further £400 in ■go-Id 'from the wreck of the Elingamite. Operations are now suspended for the winter. Cattain Edwin wired at 1.25 p.m. yesterday:—Moderate to strong westerly winds, glass probably rise, tides moderate, s<:a moderate, indications for ram and weather colder. The Dunedin City Council, by a majority of one, decided to increase the salary of the Town Clerk from £800 to ■ £1000, . consequent on Ins havirg taken over the duties of City Engineer. al&o\ Mr Pryor, secretary (to fhe New Zealand Employers' Federation, addressed. a large and enthusiastic meeting of employers at Palmerston North last night. The local Employees' Association irasresuscitated and a large number of new : members' were enrolled. SSys '•■ a Sydney, cable:—The- case against the ~A.M.P. Society, which made no income tax return in 1902, on the ground that the law exempted mutual life insurance companies, wae argued before the Supreme Court. The Court: found that 'the Society had, in South Australia, an income of £28,562 whicn was taxable The entertainment, to be pa'ven at the Museum Hall at 8 o'clock on Friday evening by Mr. Palmer, the secretary of the Wellington, branch of the NavyLeague, with the object of forming a branch here, promisee to be very successful. The Garrison Band have kindly promised to play both' ouiteide and inside tho hall. Admission is free. For some days past a dead cow, in aiv advanced stage of decomposition, hsisbeen lying on the beach on the Taylorvillo side of tho river, almost opposite tho creamery The stench -has been a great annoyance to residents in theneighbourhood and to all avlio have occasion to use tho road. Will the authorities be go-od chough, to take the hint? Mr. and Mrs. L. F. Stephens, tileAmerican evangelists, who have conducted very successful missions in tho United States, and more recently in Wellington, are expected to arrive inWanganui this week, and'on Sunday next they commence a series of revival meetings in Mathieson street Church of Christ, which will probably oxte*d over several weeks. In reply to Day's conditions for a race, McLachlan states (cays a Napier wire) that he will only run 100, 150. and 250 yards conditionally that eacli runs the'full distance, 250 yards, in tapes, otherwise he will not- make a match. McLachlan will run the above distances anywhere, and will only accept the distances proposed by Day on the Napier track, within tapes.

At a meeting yesterday tho South Canterbury Board of Education passed a resolution protesting against the action of tho Department in deciding t>o mako no travelling allowance to these children who travel to school from a distance per horse or bicycle. The chairman said he hoped every Board in the colony would pass a similar resolution.

A Melbourne wire says that a special meeting of tho Federal Cabinet considered a cable from Mrr Deakin, regarding mail matters. Sir John Forrest gave no information, beyond stating that <faho Government, is now in a position to negotiate finally for an extension of the Vancouver service. He hoped to make a statement on the subject shortly. The monthly meeting of the W.C.T.U. •was held on Friday last in St. Paul's classroom. It was opened with devotioaia! exercises, after whlLch some routine business was transacted, and Miss Powell addressed the members for the last time. The Tbtalisaitor Bill was discussed, and a committee formed to make ■arrangements for canvassing the town. The meeting was concluded with the Benediction

Says Saturday's Gisborne '/Herald : The conveyance of the steel pipes manufactured »t Wanganud for the local water works is now near ing completion. This work, which, hue extended ovet many mont^g, has been performed by the Wellington-owned steamer Putikl (Captain Dewhurst). The boat, leaves for Wellington to-night, en route for Wanganui, on what is probably her last tli'ip but one on this particular contract.

A ctepiitatlion from the- Wanganui River Trust., consisting of Messrs. G. Caiman, T. B. Williams, J. T. Stewart, and J. T. Hogan, M.H.R., waited on Messrs . Strauchon and F. Simpson, Commissioners of Crown Lands for Wellington and Taranaki respectively, yesterday afternoon. The deputation conferred wifih the Commissioners as to the leasing" of tho mil© wide strip of land abutting on the 'river, which is vested in the Trust. It was agreed that the best course to folknv, if the Trust were unable to undertake tho expense of a comprehensive survey, was to make separate- a survey !ffor eacli section of land us it was applied for.' leaving the gen era! survqy to be dealit with later on.

The horse-drawn fire engine is rapidJy becoming out of date, and tihe motor is being adopted by the principal British brigades. The Glasgow Brigade, commanded by Firemaster Jclhn McColl. has now- had a petrol motor fire ■engine capable of delivering. 450 gallons per minute in use for the past year. This machine, built by Messrs. Merry■vveatiher and Sons, has done such good work that the City Council has recently ordered two more from the same makers. The petrol engines will be 50----ihorse power. The speed on the road will bo 20 to 30 miles per hour. By a simple device, the power will h-e transmitted1 either fco the road wheels or to the pumps, as required. Each machine will carry six to eight firemen, hose pipes, and alt working gear.

During a discussion iab the Pahiatua Counlby Council meeting on the question of Government valuations, C'r. Bolton said rtJhat land in this district was charging hands at such prices that it was impossible for any man lio make 1a living. This was brought about by speculators who bought on paper, and as low as ten per cent, of the purchase money was all that was paid, the result being fihat where a little cash was required the price of land was raised each time the land changed hands. These fictitious prices gave tlie valuer a. basis to go- upon, but alt the same time were inflicting hardships on the legitimate farmer wiio worked his land. It was resolved that the Council emphatically protested against tho mantier in, which the valuations of county lands are made, in sol far that valuations are made too frequently, and that a valuer be appointed who1 has a knowledge of >t3ie district.

lit another column appears a notice regarding the closing of" entries of tho Wellington Poultry, Pigeoii, and Canary Society's annual show, to ,be held <at the end of the present month. The North Island Poultry Association's championship for Pencilled Hamburgs will be competed for, in addition to those appearing on the echedule. The Wellington Show has the reputation of being one of the leading ones in New Zealand, and the executive- have this year lef b no ston© unturned to. uphold their reputation, their- schedule disclosing quite a host of valuable trophies and specials. Ifa addition, the New Zealand Wyandotte Club (North Island) will hold its second special prize competition in conjunction with), this fixture, and fanciers are reminded that entries positively oloso on Saturday next, J.uuie 15. The secretary, Mr. A. H. Guthrie. will bs pleased to., send sdhiedule aad all particulars on request.

Dr. Alice Mocwhcuso,. speaking at. the Clhristchurch.-School of Cookery last ■week, said that there, are people who keep their digestive organs at work "without intermission. "They take a cup of tea, and some bread and butter at 7.30. in the morning. Soon after they eat. a 'hearty breakfast, and at 10.30 drink- a cup of morning tea and -eat a slice of cake or some more bread and butter. Lunch at one follows, and it is no very light meal, and is usually accompanied by more tea. Afternoon tea follows aib 4 o'clock, and at 6 comes dinner, the 'chief inoal' of the day, with a enp of coffee half an hour afterwards. Before retiring a cup of cocoa, is drunk for supper, with, perhaps, some cake, and then," added the doctor with a smile, "if they awake hungry in the night they, nibble a few biscuits. Then tJiey wonder why they suffer from dyspepsia, and various forms of indigestion. It would be more wonderful i.3 they did not!"

To-morrow (Thursday) is a nctabls day in the history of the \nglican Ohurdh. At Home, in England, the ./ishops aro elected by the Dean and Chapter of the Diocese, appointed by the Crown, and oonseci'iatjjd under the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Church is in all, matters, other than these affecting her faith or purely spiritual concerns, ciontrolled by the Parliament of England. The Church of England was the fust Christian body to preach Christianity in ihis ooilony, in the person of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, in 1814. Later on bishops were appointed by itihe "authorities in England!, and the Church began to acquire property 'in the colony, and the colony itself was given power to control its own affairs. But £li»a Church had no constitution or organisation apart from the Church at Home, or power to appoint her own bishops, and it is contrary to the •practice of the primitive Church, to allotw tllie branch of the church in a solf-governing community to bo governed by the authorities of the Church in any other nation. So Bishop Sehvyn. determined to revive the old democratic constitu-fciom. of Synods, in which th© bishops, clergy, and laity met to control the affairs of the Cliurch. The constitution of Hhe Church of the Province oi New Zealand was drawn up and signed on June 13, 1857, being the first of such constitutions in the British Empire, and irt has become t,he model for similar constitutions in other parts of th© Empire. So to-morow is to be observed throughout Now Zealand by special services anil meetings.

For some time past the Borough Council ihas been in correspondence with the Railway Department relative to rates for water used at the houses of the Department's employees. Last evening tho Council decided to take a test case to the S.M. Court.

_ The secretary of the Wanganui Rugby Union has redeived advice that tho Hangitikei Sub-Union representatives will be unable to play here on Satur-. day next, 15th instant. The cup fixtures drawn for ttiat date will therefore take place, and groundls and re^ ferees will be notified later.

Mr. Oliver Burgess, a missionary in China, and formerly of Victoria, writing to a. friend in that State, says:— "I am in the famine centre, commanding relief works. I have 3500 men on road and canal work, and spend about £200 weekly, besides which each man gets 2 lbs. of flour daal<y. Thousands mWat die, as we cannot save more than a fraction of the number starving, The men drink weed-soup for their meals. The dead lie on the road and street:

hogs feed upon human bodies, and skeletons lie in groups along the city walks. Hundreds of starving men run after us, pleading for work or food."

A correspondent of a New Plymouth journal narrates the following; incti■uent which occurred some years ago at the opening of a hall in one of the Taranaki kaingas. There was quit© a large influx of Europeans. The Maoris seemed -to have- developed a craze for "change." "Visitors were approached by a. Maori in tihis wise: "You get te two single shillin' and te ikipenny for to half-crown?" And the change would bo given. Others wanted two sixpences for a shilling, two shillings for a florin, two threepenny pieces for a sixpence, and so on. By and by came dinner time. The pakehas trooped in and enjoyed ttibeir feed. A collection was taken up. Gee whiz! Not a soul of them had anything smaller than a twoshilling piece. That's how the "child of Nature" got home on the civilised product.

"On tho whole," remarked Professor Anderson Stuart, in a lecture to the Ladies' Hygienic Association at Sydney last week, 'the greater muscular development of the calf of the leg marks themost intelligent nations. There is a distinct connection between the shape of the foot, ankle, and leg on the one hand, and on the other the size and shape of the -hand, and thus ilvo degree of intelligence." Professor Stuart was delivering a lecture on "Feet land Foot Gea-," and was referring to the fact that ■& hiigh-heeled boot weakened the calf muscles. Though tlho exact distinction of cause.and effect may be questioned by some persons (remarks the "Sydney Morning Herald"), little doubt was left in the minds of those who heard the lecture- I>hat the use of high heels is an .uhdbubtle-d proof of either ignorance or lack' of brains.

A passenger by the Wanganui train on Thursday night narrowly escaped iujuijy ab the Palmerston station. After tho train had started he was jolted off the carriage platform on which he was standing and would Jiavo fallen under the wheels had he not gra_sped itilie iron rail at the end of the. carriage. He clung to this and with the assistance of Mr. R. O. Jarrett, the well known physical culturist, endeavoured to get! on to the plait-form. He failed to do so at the first attempt, and Mr. Jarrett, noticing ithati the _train, was approaching the water tanks, and that there was but little space between "tihem and tlio rails, shouted to the man to jump. He did this, and Mr. Jarrett was able to pull him on to the platform, little the worse for his mishap, though suffering from shock. He owed his escape largely to Mr. Jarrett's presence of mind and strength.—"Standard."

Wednesday's "Wairarapa News" says ! —A picture" thafe 'has -caused many a ! smile and added yet another to the list of quips against law and lawyers is tiiat of two farmers quarrelling about a cow while ia lawyer is cheerfully drawing the milk. A case in the S.M. Court at Carter-bom yesterday might have beer, the inspiration of tine picture. Two farmers were having a dispute about a cow. the total amount of diiference between them originally being ten shillings. They had a lawyer each, who veny learnedly, and with remarkable forensic ability, talked cow, and grazing, and other i'arm subjects, until each litigant felt his spirits rise and fall like the mercuYy in a barometer, and occasionally each thought ho was bound to win-, and then again each evidently was sure he was bound to lose. The lawyers enjoyed themselves Finally the defendant found liiimiself ori dered to pay 335., instead of lOs., and ■also the cost; ol going to* law. The winner gained his judgment, but had to pay his witnesses out of it. The net result to tiio lfbigants was i-hat they had had their 'wrangle over the cow, and the lawyers had cellared all the milk.. The moral of this story is as prominent as 'Cartortion's street lamps.

Mr. W. S. Lidldle, th& Scotsman who is touring the world on a bicycle, gave a lecture on 'liis travels in th!o rooms of the Christchim/h Cycle and Motor Club. Mr. W. E. Thompson (President) occupied tho chair, and there was a considerable attendance. Mr. Liddle,

who is a fluent speaker, hold the atetntion of his hearers for a- couple _of l:o!irs, witfli an interesting description of the scenery, people, and social customs during his .travels in South Africa and Australia. He also related some of the ■experienuces he had met with on his tour. He mentioned that ho had had only one accident since he started. It, resulted in his walking 420 miles with his bicycle on lids bacjr. His system of trusting to luck ; to his wits, or to the generosity of (those he meet's, for the moans of living, was the cause of many amusing incidents, and nobody appeared to ciisagreo with his statement that "this game requires plenty of cheek." He gratefully acknowledged many kind T nesses received in Ohristchnrcih. A col-

lection was sul)sequently taken up to aid Mr. Liddle on his way. Ho leaves shortly for tlie West Coast, and intends to visit in succession Nelson, Wellington, Wanganui, Bipiriki, Napier, Rotorua, and Auckland.—"Press." One of the most remarkable attempts at suicido on record was witnessed recently at Collingwood, Victoria. A corpulent old man was floating down the stream, ducking his head and disappearing at intervale, but making no attempts ftto keop afloat or to swim ashore. ) His progress was stopped by two men who happened iio bo passing. They went in after him and hauled him. unresisting, ashore. They received no thanks for their ac.-jn. Instead of gratitude the predominant feeling in the old man's breast was one of astonishment that He ihad not lx>en able to sink. "I took off my ooat so that it would not cait'cli the air and hold me up,'1 ho said, "and I jumped in near Gipps street. I don't know 3iow it is that I floated, except that I have not had .anything to eat for a day or two and liovo been drinking a lot. I must have been full of gas." Constable McCullough took charge of Illie man, who several times expressed his disappointment at ibiis want of success. "I did all I could," ho saiii, "I ducked now and then, but, I could not sink." He stated that his name was Robert Cox, ■and that he had been an inmate of the Salvation Army "Anchorage," in Collingwaod. Ho jumped into the river near tho refuge, f.o that in his remarkable journey he covered about half a mile.

The Borough Council last evening elected Or. Harris as its representative on the Technical' School Committee.

The Borough Council will confer with Dr. Frengley, Health Officer, at 5 o'clock this evening with reference to public health matters generally.

Tho latest additions to the Telephone Exchange are No. 523, Mr. W. Hudson Davis' residence, Durietown, and "No. 530, <Mr. William B. Lawrie's residence, Durietown. ■ The petition to the Minister of Railways, got up by the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce re through mail trains coming into Wanganui station, will be taken round for signature, beginning tomorrow*. "The numbering of the ho'-^es in the borough has been done_in a very halfhearted manner.;" remarked Cr. Purser at the meeting of the Borough Council last evening. After a general discussion it was decided to have tho numbering completed.

A special general meeting of the Christ Church Club will be held in the club room this evening at 8 o'clock. The chief business is as follows:—(1) Election of librarian, new members, Press reporter, tourney and billiard committees, members in charge, two members ro executive committee, caretaker; (2) discussion, of the proposed bazaar and fancy fair; (3) arranging committees, etc., for annual social and dance; (4) to decide whether the cllub's gymnasium be revived or not; (5) general discussion on the position of the club.

Cr. Pcynter,, speaking at the Bor©ugh Council last evening, suggested that gas lamps should be erected at tho intersection of the Avcaiiue and Ridgway street. The Mayor explained that when the tramways were installed an arc light would be suspended in tho centre of the. road. It was further stated that the lamps in the- centre of tho Avenue would have to be removed. Another subject which was suggested by the above statement was the fate of tho cab stand, anvJ the Works Committee was asked to report on the matter.

At a meetig of the ladies of the Trinity Wesley an Church it was decided to hold a sale of work at the end of October for the purpose of raising funds towards liquidating the debt on alterations made in connection with the installation of the pipe organ. Mesdames Spurdle, Sharp, Jones, and Hooper were appointed a committee of management, and Mrs. Bond, secretary and treasurer. The Guild meetings are to be held every Tuesday afternoon and evening, commencing at 2.30. Tea will be provided each evening.

At the meeting of the 80-rough Council last evening Or. Purser gave notice to move that, ihe Council consider tho question of leasing 1500 acres of tho Okehu watershed. ..When inaugurating the Okehu water supply scheme tho i-orough Council secured 1900 acres o-f land, and this it was intended should be kept absolutely as a reserve. Last night Cr. Purser said he thought the Council should retain 400 acres around tho dam and lease the remainder, which, he thought, would not interfere in tho slightest degree with tho purity of the water. He further pointed out that considerable revenue would bo derived from leasing tine land.

Ib is wiitli sincere regret that we have to ivnnour.ee tlialt the accident which befell Mr. Samuel "Wilson, of Mars Hill, on Monday afternoon last terminated fatally yesterday morning. The deceased gentleman had bsen a resident of tllxis 'district for about two years, and during that time had earned the respect and esteem of all wiho knew him. Ho was a man of wide travel and experience, and possessed all the qualities -of a sterling settler and a good citizen. On the day he met writih. the untoward aoeident which resulted in his death lie was apparently in the best of health. To the widow and family so suddenly bereaved of a good husband and father we tender our Iheartfelti sympathy.

A very pretty Wedding was celebrated at St. John's, "Matarawa, on Saturday, the Bth instant, the contracting parties being Mr. Walter Henry Booth, youngest son of the late Mr. Booth, for many years R.M. of the Wangamid Native district, and Miss Flossie Gertrude Meiiaies, eldest, daughter of Mr. Edward Menzies. of Matarawa. The bride, who was given away by her father, looked very pretty in a cream silk vo.le. She also wore a handsome wreath of real orange blossoms, and bridal veil, and carried a choice bouquet of white flowers. Slia was attended by hi&r two sisters, Dausiy and Lena, as bridesmaids, who were attired in pink silk muslin, with white hats, trimmed with chiffon and ostrich feathers, and wore gold brooches, the gift of the bridegroom. Mr. Southey Menzies, brother of the bride, acted as best man. The ceremony was solemnised by the Vicar, the Rev. H. J. Deane. The churcli was nicely decorated by the choir, of which the bride Avas for many years a member. After the ceremony the guests adjourned to the Matarawa school, where they were entertained by the bride's parents. The bride and bridegroom left by the 5.20 train for Feildmg, where they will spend the honeymoon. The bride's going-away dress wias a blue tailor-made coat and skirt, with hat to match.