LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16892, 7 February 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We have received from Mr Janies Graham a donation of £2 2s for the Belgian Relief Fund.

' A Sydney cable states that the value o* the prizes at the forthcoming Royal Show is £8000.

The Borough Covm.il issued building permits to the value oi £1222 in December, and £5676 in January.

Tho Mayor stated last night that the !:orough solicitor had expressed the opinion that the Council could take up the Stewart bequest.

To-day being People's Day in connection with the I'eildihg Show, excursion trains "w.ill run from Wanganui and intermediate 'stations. The show will n.) doubt attract a large gathering.

During-January the War Pensions Department dealt .with 913 eases-—463 new claims, 268 renewals, and 183 reviews'of annual pensions. The Total of new pensions granted was 387 of an annual value of £23,069. an average of £59. The annual liability is now £296,164, which is estimated to be reducible by 900 cancellations for various reasons to £251,000.

A young man from Wanganui went to tlie front with one of the earliest reinforcements,, and7 although his relatives wrote regularly, it appears that he did not .get any of their letters. Recently, however, they received a communication from him, stating that he bad received no less than 79 letters in one ba.tch.

It may not be generally known that . Whan^arei, one of the most thriving municipalities of "The Far North," is tne centre of an industry of Domin on importance. It is at Whangarci that Mr RadcJiffe carries on the manufacture/ of art photograpoic postcards, illuetra-' tive of the beauty spots of all parts ol: Mew Zealand. ~ Our representative had the privilege of inspecting Mr Radc!iffe'9 plant and work, and was surprised at the magnitude oi: the opera- j tir.ns. The establishment supplies the trade throughout the Dominion, and the output runs to several thousands daily. • ■-;■".■ I

At/ the meeting of the Borough Council last night the M^yo'r commente i on the fact tliat objections had been made to placing the new art gallery i.i Queen's Park, on the grounds that ir, would be taking up an area used as a public lung. Personally he considered an ornate building would add to the attractions of the park. It was proposed that' the gallery should for some fcime house the museum exhibits, which would release th c present building, and if the latter was removed, add to the open space. Further, he believed the Art Gallery would prove an incentive to people to visit the park.

r Russell, one of _tl:3 most historic slots of tlie Historic north, and oae of the most oeautii'ul, strikes the southern visitor as having grown decidedly careless of its charms. The old church and the ancient headstones which mark the resting places of some oi the earliest pioneers—historic assets of priceless value —are being permitted to go to rack and ruin. The natural beauties ef the place are similarly disregarded, ab any rate from a business point of view, and no apparent effort is made by the residents to attract tourists and" holi-day-maker's to what is undoubtedly one of the most delightful seaside resorts in the Dominion. The visit of the Parliamentary touring party had little or no interest for the Russelites, and consequently it fell to the lot of Mr and Mrs -K. J. Darby, of "The Gables,'" to voluntarily shoulder almost t 1 c entire burden of hospitality. They were, however, fully equal to t>e ta^k," and i? the result of their kindly efforts the over-night-stay of the "isitors was made thoroughly enjoyable.