LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 28 October 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A large number of Maoris arrived in Hawera on Saturday morning from various parts of the district. They are proceeding to Oeo to take part in a tangi.

As a further evidence of the fine work done in the applied art department of the Wanganui Technical College, it is interesting to note that at the recent Canterbury Arts and Crafts Society's exhibition, two Technical College istudents gained lirst prize for leawier embossing.

At a conference of representatives of the Farmers' Union and the Timaru A. and P. Association it was resolved to .set up a committee from these bodies to procure offers of land for an expen mental farm (100 to 250 acres), and take- whatever steps were possible to obtain such a farm for South Canterbury. »

For the first time in Wanganui, Labour Day is to be observed practically as a universal holiday. Thero are several attractions for the public. The1 Waverley races are sure to be well patronised. On' Cook's Gardens this afternoon a monster sports programme is to be carried out. The grounds will without doubt be crowded. Castlecliff will also claim its devotees, should tho weather bo fine, and special services by train and tram are being run.

The Taranaki Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wrote to the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Board asking permission for members of the society to address school children throughout the district. They believed such addresses would havo a valuable educative effect. The society was granted permission to arrange for the addresses at times suitable to tho head teachers and subject to the approval of the school committees (says the " Herald"), and provided the addresses were given outside school hours.

Writing of the Wanganui Education Board's agricultural instructor, the " Woodville Examiner" says: As to tho boys, well, if they had'votos they would send Mr Short to the Legislative Council by the week end, w<?ro it elective. We would dosir-3 to acknowledge tho cordiality and coi'.vtt'sj shown by Mr Grant to our ropit^ntative, an entire stranger to h.m, duri-g his visit to the farm. Wv- iYeJ, ti.o, that the generosity and ou)'ic sp --it of Mr Wilson and Mr Sho:t deserve high, praise from the r-.eojil.y'ol" the Wanganui, Rangitkei and Oroua districts.

Tho London correspondent of the "Australasian" writes as follows concerning the new Governor of New Zealand and his wife:—"Lady Liverpool will undoubtedly be very popular. She is Irish, and has an open, genial manner, and a passionate liking for outdoor life and sport. She and Lord Liverpool aro particularly fond of golf, fishing and hunting, and, in addition, Lady Liverpool is an excellent gardener, is' fond of all domestic work; and is a good musician. It is probable that Lord, and Lady Liverpool will take out with them several horses and dogs, and it is already arranged that Lady Liverpool's favourite cp.t Thomas shall go to New Zealand." This is certainly interesting information !

Tho Timaru Harbour Board on Saturday decided to extend the eastern mole by • 500 feet by day labour. The meeting discussed the question of whether to carry the work out at a lower level by staging or to tho full height without a staging. Tho former was adopted on the advice of the engineer, who said the cost would not bo very much . different. A discussion took place on a rumour that the Taviuni came too close in on approaching port in a fog some days ago, and touched a reef, the fog signals not being in use. Inquiry .showed that a fog camo on suddenly, and a man was sent at once to start the signal. It takes half an hour to get this done. The board decided that nothing better could bo done.

While tho Imperial Trade Commission is in Australia, a conference ■of representatives from the Oversea Dominions will be held. Mr. Fisher, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, has already signified his approval of the conference, which has been proposed by the N.Z. Government, but no reply has "ret been received from tho Union of South Africa at tho N.Z. Government's request. Tho Hon. Mr. Fisher has, however, received a letter from the Hon. Mr. Foster, Canadian Minister of Trade and Commerce, in which he says:—"l have received your letter of 21st August calling attention to a paragraph in the N.Z. Budget in reference to a meeting of tho Ministers of Trade of the four Dominions. The Government of which I am a meml>er will very cordially join in tho proposition that you have outlined. Kindly keep me informed as to tho progress of tho negotiations. I shall bo very glad to hear of their being brought to a, successful conclusion." Tho conferenca is to bo hold in Melbourne, probably nlnnit tho end of March next, or early in April.

Tho unrest in labour circles was roferred to by«Mr. E. Ford, chairman of tho N.Z. Shipowners' Federation at tho annual meeting at Auckland on Friday. Mr. Ford said tho secession of many unions from the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, -and their enrolment under tho Federation of Labour, had been the means of frequent interruptions to business. The chairman advocated strong cohesion on the part of tho shipowners' federation. Tho fc-elino; all over tho country was against tho Labour Federation and concerted action would eventually defeat it. The following resolution was -also carried :— That tho Shipowners' Federation mako strong representation to the Minister for Marino urerin<z the necessity for an amendment of some of tho shipping; retaliations which aro found not only arbitrary and finnrovsive but are seriously innirin<T tbo pn^cvssF"! worVinjr of v<\«wpl«: of various c?a«s9s running on tho coastal and intercolonial +rr>d-"s : also to arrnrxro n svst^m of r>lriwifi<->nt;on of coastal vfscr»ls. I>v vMen +];<"> existing TPKiili+-ion*< found to bo oppressive may bo r.'i.hpr fii7V">'l pr] or struck out and oxirtins* anoma'iw romovorl.

It seems wondrous strange that whereas tho average youngster who attends school with a fair amount of regularity is not deficient in geographical knowledgo concerning places thousands of miles away, ho is apt to have only very limited knowledge of the outstanding topographical features of the country immediately adjacent to his own location. An illustration comos from Wa.irarana. A stronger who was on a visit to a Wairarapa town, noticing tho snow on tho mountains to tho westward of the town, asked some boys who were straggling homo from school the namo of the mountain range. They could not tell him. "Well," said he, "can you tell mo where the Black Sea is?" Tho boys; wore nm.u^cl (- course they could, and draw it for him if ho liked. T'-~» '-o •-,

know where tho Niagara Falls were, mid if they knew anything about Lake Xyanza ? * Yes, they kn«nv all about those places, but they did not know tho names of their own mountain ranges Til" +~" "-"" -->•■•<■'! —< -'F '-• asking variations of the same questions from tho schoolboys he met as ho strolled down the street. They could all tell him something about places and mountains they had never seen, but not one of them could tell him the name of their own Tararua ranges.

It has been definitely decided that the foundation stone of the new St. Paul's Church shall be laid on November 526 th.

The Public Works Department is calling for tenders for the manufacture of ironwork^for bridges on the Stratford Main Trunk Railway.

When the Bible was translated into Japanese an equivalent to the word " baptise" could not be found, and the word "soak" had to be used instead, so that Japanese Biblical students are acquainted with a person named "John the Soaker," and with a doctrine of "soaking for the remission of sins." In that case the mistranslation is due to inadequacy of language.

. While attempting to ci ter the I'aie.i River on Saturday, the ss. Hnwcr-a ran ashore. She was cam '.! pas* the end of the eastern breakwater, and at latest news was lying at right angles to the wharf. A very heavy eea was running, the waves breaking over the steamer, but it was thought that when the sea moderated there would be little* difficulty in getting the steamer off. The Hawera is a. new wooden vessel of 188 tons, belonging to the South Taranaki Shipping Co.