LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20347, 6 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The latest addition to the Telephone Exchange is No. 1118, Mr. William Reid's residence,. 42, Campbell Street.

A steamer which has arrived at Brisbane from the IslandvS repoiits 'that she found the Japanese in occupation of Ponape and Kusaie Islands.

The Avenue School jumble sale for the relief of distress in Belgium this afternoon at 2 o'clock. After the sale the drills and dances in the Opera House next door.

Members of the Wanganui branch of the Women's Political Reform \ League are notified by advertisement that subjects suitable for debate at the next meeting will be received by the lion, secretary, Mrs Suisted, up to Wednesday, ilie 12th inst.

Proof copies of the new map of Australia, which was under compilation for four years, has drawn adverse criticism. The Geographical Societies' Joiirnal says that it has no great merit as a geographical production, but Avill be useful for reference.

There* have been good rains on the coastal and north-western districts of N.S.W.j but drought conditions still prevail over much of the Riverina and large portions of Victoria, where the losses in stock and crops have been very severe. The outlook for the coining season is gloomy.

Mr. T. B. Williams, Chairman of the Patriotic Funds Committee, yesterday received a communication regarding the subsidy on £2000 to be forwarded to Belgium. It appears that unless the amount is sent in monthly instalments of £100 it will not carry the Government subsidy. The committee will meet to consider the position.

The postal authorities advise that the Auckland-Vancouver dispatch of March 26, which arrived at Vancouver on April 10 (two days, late), reached London on May 1, nine days late. The mails which left Wellington on March 19, per s.s. Mokoia, and connected with the Brindisi dispatch, per R.M.S'. Mongolia, arrived in London on May 2 (Wo days late). -

There was a falling off in building operations at Gonville during the past year, 74 building permits valued at £23,572 being issued, compared with 82 permits at a value of £29,199 for the previous twelve nionths At the meeting of the Gonville Town; Board las| night the chairman (Mr.' Al G. Big-. neTl) said that despite the -financial stringency during the yeai* building operations had been very active in the district compared with some other places.

At the Mayoral installation yesterday the retiring Mayor (Mr.; T. B. Williams) said' that if he liad been returned next December would have marked a term of 30 years in municipal life. He was sorry that there was not a Mayoral chain to hand over to his .successor, as the occasion would have marked another link in it. Mr. Williams then handed over to j the incoming Mayor the one civic possession—the key of the Mayor's room.

Writing from Zetoun Camp, Egypt, under date March 24, a non-commission-ed officer with the N.Z. Expeditionary Force, says : —" I see by some papers that the New Zealanders have been getting our names up in\ unsatisfactory ways. This is absolutely incorrect, and 1 only wish 1 was there to contradict it. The New Zealanders on the whole have conducted themselves well, and it is the new Sultan's wish to keep us here as the army of occupation. This is, no doubt, an honour to the New Zealanders, but it is not the wish of the men to remain here and to see no active service.' The New Zealanders are the finest stamp of men who have yet been in Ejrypt, and quite uphold the good old name of the land so far away."

Some pithy remarks were made by the leader of a deputation which waited upon the Gonville Town Board last night, with a request that the formation of a footpath on one of the Board's streets .should be proceeded with. He described the present contour of the locality like "a pig with one ear." The deputationist with refreshing candour added that the interested residents were afraid "that the. loan was going to blow past, and as they* might miss it, it was time to 'push in.' " The Board members were considerate, and intimated that the street undej- discussion would receive attention without delay. Acting on the principle of making hay while the sun was shining, the deputationist immediately asked, "Now,'Avhat about a lamp for our street as well?" On this point the official reply was not so favourable.

Says the "Otago Daily Times" :—All is not gold that glitters. The closing of the King's Pictures, and the reduction of prices at the picture theatre in the Octagon suggested an inquiry. Interrogated by a representative of this paper, a gentleman in a position to place a finger on the pulse of the moving picture business likened kinema sjieculation to a mining boom. "Everybody save the shareholder will tell yo\i that the picture business is the royal road to fortune." People go to the picture theatre on a busy night, and oblivious to such mere circumstances as the thin houses on other nights, the heavy weekly expenses, with the possibility of a high duty to come on films, discover a veritable gold mine. The pioneers of the enterprise made big money. The inevitable followed, until Dunedin had six picture palaces,, with a vaudeville house, a theatre for the passing show, and rumours of several additional kinema theatres to contend for a share of business in what is recognised as an indifferent show > town. The pinch, accentuated by diminished patronage, on accoun ( t of war .conditions, was already being felt pretty generally in the picture business.. And the end of it? Our informant summed it up in five words—the survival of the -fittest.

; Tho Dannevirke County Council yesterday approved of the principle of taxing motor-cars, and also decided to make amontMy donation of £20 to the war relief funds. —Press Association.

Owing to reported serious losses of sheep in the Anaroa-Pukehou district (says the "Hawke's Bay Herald") the matter has been put in the hands of the police for investigation.

The "Greymouth Star" states that the North Brunner mine, which has been idle for some time past, is likely to resume operations at a very early date.

At a meeting of the Wanganui Rugby Union last night a committee consisting of Messrs. Spriggens, Nixon and Pownall was appointed to arrange for the visit of a Mari*sn team to Wanganui on June 15.

The Borough Council have accepted a tender from Messrs. Hughes, Allomes and Tarrant for the painting of the Opera House, and a tender from Mr. T. Sparks for the painting of the Wanganui East Town Hall.

A mysterious clock is on view at Messrs. H. I. Jones and Son's just now. To all appearances it consists of a dial painted on the •window and two hands swung on a pivot. No matter how the hands may be moved, they swing back and show the correct time, which they keep till interfered with. A prize is offered to anyone discovering the secret.

An instance of the disadvantage of not, having even a smattering of scientific education in agriculture was observed by a visitor to the Waikato the other day. A farmer was preparing 100 acres for potatoes —a crop he had been taking out of the same land before —and was so liberal with fertilisers that he was using 8 ewt. to the acre. But he was not putting in any potash, although experts know that one of the crops which exhaust tiie potash in the soil most rapidly is the potato. Had he us.3d 4cwt. of a fertiliser containing a large proportion of potash, he would have benefited the soil and gained materially in the cost of working.

The residents of Kaitoke are to be congratulated on the fine response they made on the occasion of their big social and dance held in the. Public Hall in aid chiefly of the Belgian relief fund. An excellent programme had been arranged by the joint secretaries, Mrs. B. Garner and Miss Taylor, who worked indefatiga'bly and are to be complimented on the result of their labours. Mr. G. W. McCaul presided.- Mesdames Ivo Symes, and Misses Young, Williams and McLean, and Messrs. C. Suisted, Pumphrey, Crawford, Saxon Jones, Trmvnson, and Fowler delighted the large audience with their - respective items, and encores were the order. A small' orchestra played some excellent music, and the concert was followed bysupper and a dance. Some £23,. were taken at the door. Of this amount the Belgian relief fund will benefit by some £13 7s. 6d.