LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12889, 22 July 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Owing to the heavy weather, the Rarawa did not sail last evening. She will therefore not leave New Plymouth till next Friday evening. Messrs. Freeman E. Jackson and Co. have been elected members of the Wellington Wool-brokers' Association, and will in future conduct sales of wool in Wellington.Heavy rain has fallen throughout the jniddle of the North Island during the 'past two or three days. The Itangiti--kei and Manawatu rivers were very full yesterday, the overflow from the latter near Sandon submerging a large area of flat surrounding country. Voting papers for the Education Board election were sent out to the chairmen of .ill School Committees for 1 distribution to members last Friday week. They should be posted to the Returning Officer. Wanganui Education Board. Wangamii, not later than Monday, 28th July.

5 j$ fire dfectirl-ed at Brig^htwater Terr-1 race, Palmerstoir, early on Saturday ni^ht, and a five-roomed house occupied by Mr. Humphrey Robinson, drover and dealer (formerly of the Occidental Stables) was completely destroyed. The blaze lit up the whole district, and attracted a, large number of people to tho scene. The fire engines were taken out, but the water was not laid as far out of the borough. Mrs. Robinson is out of Palmerston at present, and at the time of the fire Mr. Robinson was in the town. He had closed up the house about an hour previously. The cause, therefore, is not known. At the annual meeting of the Wanganui Museum Trustees and subscribers,' Mr. G. Smith said that it was .clear that the Museum was lacking in finances. The great risk was that if some; thing of value came along, the Museum, through want of funds, would not be able to make the purchase, and would lose it. This was a great drawback. Maori curios were getting rarer and rarer every year. The president stated that the Minister had definitely refused the Museum a grant, but if it required funds to procure an exhibit, the Government would assist. In connection wrOTthe necessity of extending the Museum, the president said that they had £250 earmarked for the purpose. There .was no subsidy to be expected. There was £110 to come from the Sarjeant bequest. He had no proposal to make. An amusing incident occurred on the down Main JDrtink express .one day last week. It will pretty generally be conceded that the vendors of books and newspapers are nothing if not aiT times impertinent, and one of this kind received a. bit of a shock on the day in question. Coming through a carriage he deposited a. newspaper on the knees of a passenger, but the news-vendor was considerably surprised to receive the paper back in a manner that he was probably little used to, i.e., the journal was delivered with no uncertain aim at his head, followed with a series of " choice" phrases that made the newsvendor slink away in very shame. Then the irate one proceeded to deliver a .tirade against the present head-less Opposition party which the paper represented. The journal in question is published not a hundred miles from Wellington. ,

Supporters of Sir JosepWWard succeeded in inducing: the Mayor of Hastings to call a public meeting fqr the purpose of considering what steps should bo taken locally in the direction of welcoming the ex-Prime Minister on his return to the Dominion. About 25 persons attended, and came- to the conclusion that they should send an individual .telegram of welcome to Sir Joseph Ward or should jointly sign a telegram ..that had been prepared and brought to the meeting. There was one discordant note in the otherwise harmonious proceedings. Mr. Eustace Lane attended and .protested against a gathering of such a nature being treated as a public affair. He claimed that Sir Joseph Ward had gone to England as a private citizen, and .was returning as such, and if any section of the commundtv desired to welcome him they should do so as his supporters from a political. point of view., He claimed that Hawke's Bay had nothirier for which to thank Sir Joseph Ward. The usual monthly meeting.' of the Durie Hill School Committee was held last evening. A good deal of routine business was transacted. The secretary (Mr. Hayhow) made a progress report relative to the special effort that is being made to raise funds for effecting necessary improvements in the school grounds. The report made special referer cc to tho visit paid to. ihe .school by the Chairman of the Education. Board (Mr. Pirani), and to the consid^rate manner in. which that gentleman had met the Committee iii reference to the requirements of the school. Appreciation was also expressed of tho liberal response which the Board had made to the Committee's-reauest. for a errant. It was announced that, it was intended to celebrate Arbor Day at the school on Thursday next, and the hope was expressed, that as many parents and residents as could conveniently do so would make a point of being .present. The ceremony preceding tho planting is to commence at" 2-30 o'clock. Members of the police'force areshortlv to be supplied with new badges and insignia of rank. Sergeants and constables will wear a bronze badge on their helmets; this badge is surmounted by a crown, and shows a monogram of the words, "N.Z.P." (New Zealand Police) in the centre, while fern-leaves, artistically worked, are shown at-the. sides. Exactly the same design, on a smaller scale, is used for officers' badges, which will be worn by inspectors, sub-inspectors, etc. Officers in those ranks will- have a new form of cap. similar to that worn on the shouldereers. with a small badge, of the same design as that described, worn in iVo"t. The rank of- officers will be denoted by a crown and star wor rion the shoulderstraps. The present shoulder-straps are to disappear. There will bo no "silver worn on the caps, but a black braid, with fern-leaf pattern, on the legs and caps. Superintendents will show a crown on each shoulder —rank equivalent to that of major; inspectors will wear three stars at each shoulder, equivalent to the rank of captain; the sub-inspectors will wear two stars, equivalent to the rank of lieutenant. Sergeants will also show a crown on the right arm, instead of lace, as hitherto. No policemen's shakos have beon made during the ( last twelve months, as these are being replaced by helmets, and the numbers of constables will bo worn on the neck of the coats, at each side; there will be a full supply of the figures this week. The supply of farm labour in our district is not satisfactory (writes Mr. 0. Gray, of Waihi, near Waitara, to a Wellington contemporary). First of all, it is hard to get and just as hard to keep. There is plenty of the native aristocracy loafing about, but as a workman, except in exceptional cases, he is a rar-avis. To ask them to work is an insult—to milk cows an indignity, and it is only as a special favour, especially when he is hard up. and at an exorbitant rate of pay, that they will do anything at all. There are, however, many half-castes who are a fine, diligent, hard-working people, and capable farmers., The conditions surrounding country life, especially in a dairying country, are not conducive to the attraction of young men from the pleasure of the city. Tho working hours are abnormally large, by reason of the requirements of early and late milking, and not being a piece of mechanism, or having a direct interest in the farm, a season or two soon sickens him of the toil. The accommodation is usually good ; in fact, the employee is generally treated as ono of the family. The wages, nlthcmsh not consistent with the number of hours worked, us compared to town pay. are usually as much, if ■not more, than the employer can afford, and I doubt if the employee at tho end of the year is not the best of?, and without the .attending respivisibilitv. In my opinion there "is little to make country life (attractive to the ordinary si"gjo town labourer.. In tho heip-T-it •of the milking season theTe is absolutely no time for social pleasures —eat. work, and sleep, the daily routine. Two hours' rr>st in the middle of the day would not b« a bad nrh^mo. +o to tho case of nn employee who is. exnoeted to make, himself penornllv nsoful during the sixteen hours of daylight.

' 'The Christchurch City 'Council last, evening rejected a proposal to pay its workmen a minimum wag© of &v IDS. for a 44-hour week. The latest addition to the Telephone Exchange is No. 926, N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., Taupo Quay (if engaged ring 26). - An information was laid at Timaru yesterday against Walter ,Shnjw, a bankrupt solicitor, for alleged misuse of trust funds of C. Hall. -The amount involved is about £900. and the case will probably be heard next Monday. The sculling race for the World's Championship, between Barry (England), the holder, and Pearce (Australia), the challenger, was to have been decided yesterday (Monday),^ and the result should reach hero early'this forenoon. H.M.S. Pyramias arrived in Auckland yesterday from Noumea, anchored In the stream. She was visited and passed by the Health Officer, but no communication was permitted with the shoro owing to the prevalence of the epidemic and pending instructions from the Admiralty. ] The name of Liffiton has for many years been closely and honourably identified with the commercial life and interests of Wanganui. Mr. E. N. Liffiton has not only been actively associated with commercial affairs, but he has served the community as a Borough Councillor and in other responsible public positions. It is pleasing, therefore, to be able to announce that, the son of our old and esteemed*' fellow townsman has decided to follow in bis father's footsteps and identify himself with the business life of ihe coast. Mr. E. F. Liffiton, having acquired a thorough knowledge of farming and a. practical understanding of land values, and having also been well grounded in the science of accountancy, should be eminently qualified for the business to which ho has decided to henceforth address himself, i.e., that of a land, stock, and insurance agent. Mr. E. F. Liffiton ' has established himself in offices in the Rutland Chambers, and .the important and varied list of properties which ap^ pears in his opening announcement this ' morning indicates that clients in all • parts of the Island have been quick to seek the advantage of his services as j a salesman.