LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 1 November 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The barquentin© Alexa was on Wednesday sold in Sydney.

Tho Auckland Reform Club's premise* were thrown open io its four hundred members on Wednesday. Tho official opening has been deferred till tho Prime Minister's next visit to the city.

The Customs returns for Wanganui for last month show an increase of £3,----040 compared with tho same month hist iyear. Tho figures were: £4521 Ss 2d (1911) to £75(31 7s (1912). Tho fimall total last j-ear was duo to tho strikes.

Dustin's, Ltd., have earned a big reputation for the excellencel and completeness of their catering arrangements, and (writes our special reporter at the Palmerston Show), the firm has been congratulated all round for the splendid provision made. Tho judges at tho show- and the officers have beon most complimentary in their remarks.

A meeting of Duri e Hill ladies is called for at tho Borough Council Cliam:l>ers tins afternoon at four o^cloek. Tho annual Garden Fete is to be hold on New Year's Day, and the business of tho meeting is connected therewith. Mr Cohen, the president of this branch, and Mrs Suisted (of the general committee) will attend. It is earnestly hoped that tho ladies of the "Hill" will show their appreciation of tho society's efforts by attending in full forco.

Either Marton Junction post offico officials are modest in their demands, or Wianganui post office requires a little waking up. For several weeks (writes our travelling reporter) it lias been impossible to obtain stamped envelopes, and as Wanganui apparently supplies tho requisite stationary, tho act would be appreciated by the travelling public were the convenience of pros curing stamped envelopes once more provided by tho Postal Department,

Births in Auckland during October numbered 321, which as a record. Two additional gangs of co-operativ© workers employed on the Gisborne southwards line were paid off yesterday, and they affirm the statement that further gangs will be finishing up shortly. A pubHo meeting at Wellington oil Wednesday night appointed a committeo to go into the question of establishing a municipal golf links on the Town Bslt. Arrivals in New Zealand from oversea last month numbered 4123, and the departures 2506. In September, 1911, there were 3485 arrivals and 2915 departures. ■ Something of a record in payment of rates was put up at Gisborne on Thursday, the sum of £5670 being paid in between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. by 260 ratepayers. Tho rates now unpaid will bo sued for. There will be a general meeting of the Garden Fete Committee at the Council Chambers on Monday night, when .it is honed everyone anxious to assist will attend. j Taihnpe friends of 'Miss M. Francis i will regret to loam of the death of ; her father, which occurred at New : Brighton yesterday. Deceased, who was universally respected, was 63 year® of age. ' j Last month Gisborne established a j record of having the largest number of ' births of the various boroughs of the } Dominion, the leading figures being: j Gisborne 48, Invercargill 46, Palmer- \ ston North 36, Timaru 34, Napier and ; Wanganui 32, and Greymouth 21. A public meeting held in Nelson last night unanimously resolved to urge the i I Government to place an additional sum j on the supplementary estimates for the j purpose of pushing on the construction I j of the Nelson-Murchison section of the j Midland Railway, and also to author- | •iso extension from the end of the present authorisation to Murchison. Tho long-promised Gisborne-Napicr ferry service is to be inaugurated at ; last. The Takapuna will be the initiai tory steamer, and will leave Gisborne on the evenings of Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and leave Napier on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights. The service commences in December. At last night's meeting of the Wanganui East school committee ia good deal of discussion took place regarding the technical classes. Mr Helm, who has been conducting the woodwork and machinery clpjsses, has resigned, .and the committee appointed -Mr James Bruce in his stead. The secretary was instructed to make arrangements for holding tho class on a night suitable to Mr Bruce and the students. Tho annual report of the National I Insurance Co. states that the directors ; havo added £15,000 to the reserve fund. i A dividend of Is. per share and a bonI us of 6d. per share is recommended, i making a total distribution of 2s. 6d. 1 per share for the year. The directors 1 also recommended tho contribution of £5000 to the 'officers' superannuation and provident fund, and that £29,699 17s. lid. be carried forward. The usual meeting of the Wianganui East school committee was held last evening, when a quantity of routine business was transacted. Accounts .amounting to £3 5s 6d wera passed j for payment. Chief Inspector "Braik wrote asking tho Committee to appoint ladies to examine the Standard 6 girls for home arts certificates in cookery nincl nleedlework. The secnetary was instructed to communicate with sevexl--•al ladies. We are advised by Messrs Fairburn and Silk, agents for (Messrs Thos. Cook • and Son, that berths are now rapidly j being taken up in February to April steamers for many lines sailing to England, and intending passengers are urged to give this world-wide booking agency an early call. Intending travel- ' lore cannot do better itham send for " Cook's 1913 Sailing and Fare List," (posted free), and arrange for a berth to be pencilled in at once for the steamer desired, so as to avoid after regrets. As a result of the recent meeting of j veterans held here, Mr \V. A. Vietch, ! M.P., wrote to the Hon. F. M. B.« Fish' or in regard to the Veterans' Pensions i Bill, and suggesting that there should be pensions for veterans' widows. The Hon. Flisher has replied to Mr Veitch as follows: "1 have to acknowledge re- % ceipt of your letter of the 23rd instant | asking that provision be made in the I Military Pensions Bill for the granting I of pensions to widows of military pensioners. The matter will receive due consideration when the Bill, is before the House." : The Royal Choral Society, Wellington, waited on the finance committee of the Wellington City Council yesterday in reference to the position of City Organi ist, which ig being vacated by Mr. j Maughan Barnett, who is going to Auckj land. Mr. Barnett is also conductor of • tho Royal Choral Society, and the i Society now proposes that 'applications bo invited in England from musicians. £400 is to be given as salary by the Council ami £100 by the Society, a oommitteo in England to reduce applications to three, tho Society having the right to veto one of those three if desired, and tho Council then to make a final selection. Tho press accommodation at Palmerston Show grounds is quite inadequate for the large number of pressmen engaged in reporting the show. Thirty-five reporters were on duty yesterday, and the room was very much cramped all day. Provision for obtaining tho results of the awards has also been very poorj and, generally speaking, tho pressmen have been working under very great difficulties. All kinds of writing materials and conveniences, such as gum, etc., have to be provided by the reporters, and, as a result, the whole matter was placed beforo the president, Mr Hodder, yesterday afternoon. The pressmen received a very sympathetic hearing. When he came into the pressroom by invitation and saw tho conditions under which reports were compiled, he at once promised to do all in his power to alter matters. The question of providing more room is the most serious, and will require the 'earnest consideration of the committee.

Onco more we welcome the Christmas number of "The Weekly Press," which is this year brighter, daintier, and bettor than. ever. It is thoroughly representative of our beautiful Dominion, and would servo .as a magnificent advertisement for New Zealand if a .special edition were got out by the Tourist Department for distribution in other countries. One of the .features of the 'annual is Maori, and wo have all phases of Maori life, from tho laughing light-hearted Avahino on tho cover, who seems to wish us a Christmas that shall be as merry as slia is herself, to the magnificent picture of Nurture's Children on tho last page. Accompanying the annual are a couple of splendidly executed plntets in colour that will rank with anything that lias been turned out south of the Line Tn "Kanai To Kouri," by W. A. Bowring, wo »co tho laughing, happy Maori Ind enjoying his toothsome'feed of crayfish. The other supplement is "A Brnutiful "Rmoh on the "Wan pan vi River," by C. H. Howorfch. E<\oh of th<?fio snpnl<nr>ents is a replica of tho original picture, aa regards colouring and general got up, and will doubtless find a place on many walla in Now Zealand.

Particulars of a scholarship in architecture at the British School at Rome are given in our advertising columns. . There was a very good meeting of ! Wanganui East residents last 'night to consider what that suburb should do towards the Garden Fete on New Year's Day. The Mayor presided. A si-rong committee was formed to canvass the suburb in assisting the kiosks and other departments of the Fete. Everyone present spoke highly of the Beautifying Society's work in general, and especially of the Esplanade, which had provided such an attraction to Wanganui East. " ; The ..O.fcago Yacht and Motor Boat Club yesterday afternoon, says !a Dunedim wire, passed a resolution resenting the unfair and disparaging remarks made by some1 members of the Presbytery with reference to a section of the club in entertaining the Canadian cadets on Sunday. It asserts that no notice would have been taken of the Presbytery's 'action had the club not been misrepresented. It was decided to send .a statement of the facts to the authorities in Canada. At a meeting of the Waimarino Acclimatisation Society held at Raetihi on Tuesday night (writes our travelling reporter), it >vras resolved that huhu and creepers be prohibited as bait far trout fishing in that portion of the Wanganui River under the control of the cvaimarino Association. This resolution was the result of la petition . signed by 34 Taumarunui anglers, the object being to stop natives milking 1 a practice of catching trout with "huhu" or mafcai £rub. A public meeting was held in Manga weka on Wednesday evening to proi test against the proposal of _ the Railj way Department to discontinue stop- | ping the Wellington-Auckland express train at Mangaweka. Dr Turnbull was in the chair. It wias unanimously resolved that the following wire be sent to the- Minister of Railways through the member for Rangitikei: " That this meeting, representing the business men of the town, and settlers within a radius of 20 miles, strongly protest against Miangaweka receiving special and severe treatment, regarding the Well-* ington-Auckland express trains." Mr Tompkins was elected president, Mr. Gascoigne vice-president, and Mr R. J. Moore secretary and treasurer. The executive is: Messrs Gascoigne, Tompkins, R. Johnson, E. McGonnell, R. J. Moore, F. Stewart, and tho Rev. J. Chisholm.