LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12246, 21 June 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day is the. shortest day.- - _--The; t Barnardo boys at, the>Opera ■HousQvth^.eve^injg.:../..'.'..'.;.-; ; ;-.._, ; ;.,..,.-; •; •. Hawke's-Bay, to supply the town with electric light. -^ :v<-\v:';U

X"ho patent rights for' Germany for the Wright brothers' aeroplane tare been purchased by the German Motor Airship Company for £25,000.-

Mr T. W. Kirk, 'Government biologist states that the introduction'of ladybirds baa averted a loss of £I^ooo,ooo at least by destroying the blue ~ - gum blight.' '•'.,■' v

.An epidemic of. jaundice amongst the children of several households in Warkworth and Dome Valley-Auckland, has caused some perturbation: One thebrf has been advaiiced that it' is a form of influenza. ... ..x'

Tho motor car which *was used'by Lieutenant Sliackleton jn his late Antarctic expedition was shipped to England from Lyttelton on Thursday, It' was cabled the other day that it would be presented to the British Museum.

The report of the N".S.\y. Prisons Department, shows .th^t prisons in New South Wales cost less now than' they did twelve years ago. In 1891 prisonera numbered 1 to 445 of tlib population, now they number Ito 1070. Only 48 per cent, of the prisoners are native horn. .■, ...... . , . . . > ;.

The suggestions made .in the: Dunedin Press Association telegram (published on Saturday) that iJieOainarii mills , outside the Milling ' ■ Association, -"were selling'. atoprices rss below tlib'ss "eet by tho Association would teem to lack foundation. «iya an Oa-maru .wire, v

We have been requested to. state, in connection with.. to-iriorrow's ' race" for sculling championship, that passengers going up in the steamers leaving town from 9.30 to 11 a.m. will Have the privilege of landing on either side of the river. The steamers will stop, firs]t at Earle's landing, and will''then "swing across to the landing on -the TJpokongaro side. , ;.,.-.. , : ,>.. >~

\Vo give our readen* a .filial reminder of tho lecture '.on "Theßlblf in English Literature" to be delivered By tho Uev A. R. Chappell, MA., in the Wesleyan Schoolroom this: evening. A largo attendance, is expected and those who attend may expect a great, treat. Thespoaker is a well known and practised elocutionist, having beon a very promising debater for several years. : The lantern slides-: which illustrate the lecturo aro said to be. exceptionally fine. There is to be no charge for: admiVidn, but a collection will bo made'in aid of the funds of tho Methodist Bible Class Movemept. -..,...' . •

The Rev A. B. Chappell's meeting to discuss ■ General Baden-Powell's BoyScout movement has coin» on at a Very opportune time, following as. it does, the visit of Mr McNab, and the wave of enthusiasm which his meeting eet in motion. This will be'the first, time this particular military organisation has como Up for discussion in Wanganui, and there is sure to be a large attendance of men and boys in the T.Y.MI. gymnasium on Tuesday night next. Mr Ghappeilis a forceful speaker and with the assistance of local defence orgaiiisa-' t:ons which has been promised, a" splendid meeting should eventuate. ■•. .

In the .various speculations as to the ■> Acting Premiership very few reckoned with Mr Carroll. Mr Millar has been the popular choice, and some have suggested Dr Findlay. When Mr Ballance'' had to leave the House through ill- j health ho put the. Hon. W, P. Reeves j in. his place arid Dr Findlay fe the nearest analogy to Mr Reeves in the present Cabinet. But there were some i bean sabreurs in the way of caustic Op-. position debaters in that House—the ; ]ate Scrpbie McKenzi© and Geo.- Hutchison beyond the rest, and between these and the then Minister for Labour sparka were always flying. In. the Reeves-McKenzie.' battles it wa« Marquis%of Queenabery. &? compared with ''"Prize> ring rules'? in the other, nnd n more than usually bitter Hutch-ison-Reeves encounter brought Mr j Ballance back. When he had to go j again the choice fell on the thenstrenn- ( oiut battler from Kumara—and what j that led to we aH know ( \

: We can heartily recommend! to ;bi*r readers the entertainment to $6v given, in the Opera House this evening by.the Barnardo boys; . >'' -; ''■'' ""''" •

: Our attention'has7been;dra"vyn :to'.'-the-''' fact that material used for; sfr'6n|rt}ien~ ; ing the Towii : Bridge is being left unllighted on, tlie .footway.!: pf; the* "struc- , ture,, and thereby proving a source of j danger to .pedestrians,; '•!-!"■ • j At the Magistrate's .Court onSaturj day morning; before Mr,W. Keri^.S.M., I a man - who had been; convicted .and; discharged on Thursday was again charged j.with drunkenness. . His Worship.inflict{ed a ;fine of £2 and.qosts,. lntdefaiilt 72 lioiirs'' imprisonm,ent. , ! - - Advice has, beeij. received, by the Tour--;ist Department in^elliiigtonflrom -its Sydney agent, intimating that some" retired military officers tromv-India aroon their; way to New Zealand,!'.having called at. the Sydney office. Tliey have taken advanta;ge pf the : option.given, by the Imperial Government, /by arrangement with, the :New- Zealand .Government, of granting them : a free passage to New Zealand instead of a free passage back to. Great Britain;, .;;.. A •number of retired officers have already settled in Nelson, Bay of Plenty, and Auckland districts. .: -... ..-. ■. . ... .■. •■•-. i :' ..'.,-■. ...

Regret has: often * beefi. expYe^sed that.^he races for ; the"sculling championship ; were not rowed, from," say, above Aramoho bridge to" town. " The reason; why; that has not' beeii done has been the fear that spectators would refuse to contribute towards the ''gate." To-morrow an effort Will-be'made to ascertain the mind of thojjiublic. on. the subject, for Messrs W.'tirYoun^ and Peter Lewis intend to" stafTon, tliemselyes on the -road at th^ fentiiince:to Eftrle's property' and receive 'voluntary coiitribujbions front those -desiring tV witness .the Arnst-Webb race:,' Should" the contributioiis prove sufficiently • satisfactory to warrant'the belief that the public would respond .liberally were races held oil the lower course/ we uiiderstaiid an effort will_ be rm'ade (provided Webb should win) to hold any further races at the town.1-All; money collected by Messrs Young and llewisI'will be divided between the scullers;■;;:V. ■ i;".

VSays the' "ti&fepjbaiiy^'ssos' :—A .■'• - conspicuous figti^ip.^bput rihs .'sheets. of „...• , thia city yesWdaywa^ that,6l Captain - Henry S6atttt;-:;P..9:p,;:XAfs?iitC.Tup4li-campaign), iyho has arriyed' Jbefe. .in the . .course of a' Walking tour round the world. 'He standswell ■over;,6ft:,,higlv' \ " and is built,in,proportion, and is.wear- . ing well under Vhaty he'h#; already per- ■ formed of the .stupendous, taskr-'he '•, bias set himself. .He.states; that he haa; . undertaken td.: travel 45jO(X) njiles'on* aJI.';V". ground tour mapped, put by, the'Xondoja '~\"• l ~ • "Daily Mail,^jthoireward for'^iich isfa- ; "■■:". considerable' sum of, money, ■■^e^^has- v ' already, covered' 9600 wiles, of life jgur-C, :.: ?.. ney, and has walkfekJ *a;icross; Americai through Hawaii, pastern. and£ Southern , Australia, and is ncf'w covering New^ Zealand in his hxio&'- strides^;" Heltfill.'latetr • visit Japan, Chiria,-'|ndmj and #om top . • to: bottom of-Africa. JKis: long .]. \ journey hto gives" lectures oii hw ""travela ,'; ■... and on physicai 'culture' at I^;towns = y he halts at. He willbe "in- Dtinedin fo^; ..!! a day or two.',V" V^ >v ■':"\- ■"':---'':,.:":- ■,': .■'<■"

,a meeting .at ?jyttelton> ",'■ . Lieuteriarit-Colonel Copper sai4 there 4>: was a grejat lack of. interest, shown dnf 5; volunteering; by; the wonienVof New: ZJea-T,:- •"• land. ; "-You''often .,'.. .;laugh^/; liiVlsaid,.',-. " when you. i^eeKUS with our swell>ciothes.,, on> marching dbwh,;behind % band, but 1,, you never see".us .we : liaiye $$z ',',? working clothes oit, and are -doing* liard >,& graft. The s|a^ o<jfiaers; smoking. tigar^t^'idireVi^tMlßttif-;'^' nTha '«a'^-^'-': :cjiesjfc,are(biticjijp^t^tnanthoise 'C> who who1 I^tand, at \'d , and: •;■; laugh at; "who; are attempting to do a little for the. defence. jo£',the Dominion; I woMld^ratljer:.^hayoi-pne of;. those so-called. v vwi6eds«"i]h.? lil-iuiiiforjn than tyventy of -tfeft-i^n,;;i»iid-kia.nd in . ; the'«treet." Jr. '': ■>: ■• ■'r 7rT■ . .-,

His Honour 'Mr Justice - Pq6|>er gave.,. a lecture on "Words" at' ;Blejstie'im " ' few days'/agb:;" Amongst other1' words *' he traced; tlie origiii of." barikrupt- .'■' He : said that it ' ;iti'ehi\t"; a br-okek•" 'T., bench.■ Tt was', from ■anVlt4lian woM: ,> \ ; which had the'^saiie /ineanmg. V °In j^e^ diaeyal timesr; 'T^^-c^sinfi^tp^ .qjtrrifedv.' / 'on * thfeir; biism'e^sj ;>specrally.';stt;'}lj'ona- :': bardy,; in";;tlije,<'"o'iJen: i- ;r/ benches;:' Henc^ |h^ •'%;pi?d■'■'■.^bknK;'*:;■"' iWhen, ; a^ L so'me riime^';'',^a ; pp,eiiedi; ''th£'--..^.'. ;moriey-clian^er,":r fiiiled'::' rli.is'-'-'be'h'ch.'.-.iwa's'.''''-- . broken; ;hß"%as:;fbanlcWit)ii:''> .Nowadays bankruptcy: wa^^ riqfc %)iißiiecf to 1 moneychangers or 'bankwsV--\;BTat:t>eop!e still said, wlien a bftriLr:¥tlsgehfl^'!t|.iiyraent, that such-an : sucli a bank was broken. The word "haunter", da|ecl back; ; to;fhe,' crusades. Many idle"^.eiwiis;'tO(iK Wui» vantage of the cruf^de^ to; ile^ife their •responsibilities :jr^lwnid'''a : i^'fg<i.i:l;'to. tlxe-. Holy \ La^d—",'|aunt' " v tjerre Mi-raiid "to . saunter" c^me' t6^o!4'npteadlingV wandei i-r^, y ing about; without any' fixed^or -nieritori- "; ous purnosiey Later on men'who wishedf" ■■'''■ to avoid; jpaym^ni6.^f);tlieir^dle'Bi&-.pr.-thei : > ' consequeiites.'o'f; ; theiir; wrbn'g-dqing very.. often left' for foreig^';.parts',;visually." thY '• '=' Levant. ■ Froni '';- that v; arose . the: terms "levahteif" ■ Jixid "leYiintingj";. still. in common use!/ ..'\'-~''.'■",'":'.,.i~'y '■•;"'■ j.*!',' . ~.-.. ■•■■'■ Cinqueyalli employs ; a jci?inec|iaii to assist.him. in ;hisjjuggling "turn. > On»-;- ■'■'-• evening-: at the Tivoli-Theatre in Sydney .".- last week he Had two. . One. jsat i in. th c front ,stalls, and he was. not on tha . staff. ; Early iii ; thef:iperfo^raanoe *!h>. : showed Ms pleasure. .-\by. '? interiectina "$M[ -rother terms-'o^.appr^batipipLoa^V'eacH^feat' waa. perfoitnj'ed. ~ .^en ;^lien; the juggler i swung a pyramid triangle, round witn h I billiard cue j withpujt- spilling; the liquid in a glassy placed oH the'base of ;th& 1; triangle, the occupant bif : rthe , froiitV■•'-'----stalls ;became '"■ anxious^-, "What havev ' you got- in: that -JieV asked con--f----cernedly, .- i <^:Wi^^: >: "..^r^plfe4^^■t)inque■- ,-; valli.: "No goodjj'i was?.theJrepl^-jwxtJr;^ conviction,,." I've-got sa. 4rpp ,^^f..utßefr-'i: right:stuff ;here.^u The juggl^W^J^^prompt. "Give me-sonie,"^ejjsaidV" A ''"'^ flask was immediately }producid, , and the glass w-as; filled tbithefbrim. Cm- •, quevalli concluded his JbS||kii but, instead of. pouring-, the> i j[iq[ui'd - back ■■'; intn " a jup, as is his usual custom,'he drank . it off. with the ..fibseryationf" Your good health." Hisguest was equal to the ocension. To. tke acoqmpaiiimerit of ": roars of laughter from the audience, he rcse, and, saying solomilyj-''And youi's, tod, drained, the flask.i - ",■:..'.*.■■■■ r. ■:'' .

Some time ago It was .reported that the.steamer Aeon;: which' was wrecked |at Christmas Island' on. -July" 18th last, . had been looted by piratesJapd dynamited. Captain- A. Downie; who" was master of the Aeon at the _time, of the,wreck, and who is now in command'of the s.s. Century, iwhjch": varriy,ed,. ; ; at Auckland on Saturday from San Fran- : cisco, informed a/.."New:. Zealand Herald" representative -that he felt sure 'that the Aeon had hot been, dynamited, but had broken up owing to' the action of the sea. "When we were picked up at Christmas Island in September, last, }> said Captain Downie, "the fore, part - of the Eeoii ..was. still resting ;on the • ,rocks. and the stern partly under'-water.' The. sea broke over the after part of the steamer daily, : arid she was constantly bumped about by the action of the.waves ,and even then showed signs of breaking in two at Jfo. 2 hold, whicli. was full of water. The Aeoiv has eyi-. dently broken in two at No. 2 hold/ and the after portion has.rolled off.the reef into 160 fathoms of water.'.' Captain Downie;alao expressed the opinHm that. . the expedition to Christmas Island x to salvage tlie Aeon had left it till too late ; to meet with any success. ; On her present voyage the Century sighted .Christmas Island, but saw no. sighs of thewfeoked steamer or the scow Zingara, which has the salvage party en board.

In conneotfeft .:with "the :-A±nst^Webb--race the" umpire's/steamer and all fol-Jow-the-racS bdats' will-leaye Hatrick's wharf at 12.30 p.m. sharpy :■; ■•; ■;■ "■ An enjoyable social and dance, in aid' toi the widow, and family of the late Mr Alexander Md^b'kayj" was jiield; in "S^.V Mary's Hall 6n;\Wedhesday evening last. under the avispictes'oi1 the local railway men. The music Was provided by Mrs JMarter, and the duties of M.C. were carried out by Mr J. Hoskih, to whom credit is duie for the success of the func--tion.. As a resiilt of the -social and .dance £5 will be; handed to MfsMackay.

"In less thatiten1 years': an- aeroplane will cost no jniore. tußtii £100 t "; is the prediction made -by Prank Hedges Butler, the English balloonist, who.has just .returned from'^Le Mans; where he made an ' ascent in ■■ Wilbur "-Wright's" aero:plane. Mr Butler gives a glimpse into-, the future. '" Lighthouses on Land will : .be erected by the Trinity Board to mark the way at night./ Lamps m aeroplanes or1 flyers will be used. With the smaller ..planes the spefed will be terrific —200 miles an '- hour-—and the -twenty-one-mile 'trip across the Channel will take only ■<& few minutes '■. Winds igt sea blow jridre steadily than on land, -and aeroplanes jtJaii be made to float on jthe water and raise themselves. If such "machines now can carry.what is equal j tp three passengers, there is no reason j -why an aeroplane-';should ; not.; carry j more witliiarger planes-and-.engines. 'The North Pole, the.tropical,.forests of/ ■■Central Africa, .Australia, and the Sah-; ara Desert will,-be new fields for the •explorer to glide over.":-. ...* . ;