LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17579, 24 May 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Melbourne wire says that thb Federal Government announces that, in future, nothing v/ill be issued to the Press unless a guarantee is given that it will be published as issued.

Mr. Morgan, Government mining expert, is confident that payable oil will be found some day in New Zealand. He recommends the Government to subsidise approved bores. The geologicsal reports on the Ure Valley, in Marlborough, were very favourable.

"The Methodist Church and Apostolical Succession," will be the sub-» ject at the service conducted by the* Rev. H. L. Blamires at Trinity Church to-morrow evening. The Rev. .T . Macdonald AsplanjJ will speak on "Retributive Justice" at the men's meeting at 3 p.m., and Mr. Hoar will render a solo.

At a meeting of the Wanganui ,and Waitotara Patriotic Association, the following resolution was unanimously passed: "That the committee lof the Wanganui Returned Soldiers' Association is strongly of opinion that applications for the vacant position of secretary of the Patriotic Association should be invited by 'jmblic advertisement, and that preference should be given to returned isoldier applicants "

On May iilst the report of the North Island and Nelson Churches of Christ Easter Conference in Auckland was given in the local church, Mathieson Street A good attendance of members heartily received the news of a year's .splendid biiecess. Opportunity .was taken to testimonial express the church's congratulations and gratitude to Mr John E. Wilson, of Okoia, Mr Edward Vine, of Smithfield, and Mr. Geo. Purnell, of Wangamn, who are 75, 81, and 73 years ot age respectively, and who have each given over fifty years of service to the church. The same was extended to Mrs Connelly, ,i() Harrison St., on her remarkable ago or 90 years, and her 36 years of devoted membership. Their messages in reply were greatiy applauded. All enjoyed the ?ei>ort, and pianoforte solo by Mr. L. Beaumont, the. sweet .song ci; Miss L. Purnell, and the apt recitation of Mr. Fred Marshall. After a brief social function Pastor Noble (chairman) closed an inspiring meeting with prayer.

Yesterday was the fourth anniver-

sary of Italy's declaration

of war

against Austria

Considerable relief will be occasioned, so far as our local gas service is concerned, by the news that the Inga is due to arrive here about Wednesday next with a cargo of over ICOO tons of coal for the Wanganui Gasworks. The Inga left Newcastle on Wednesday last.

In at least one respect Saturday's welcome to General Sir Andrew Russell was unique in the history of Wellington. For the first time in the history of the city there were four Generals on the platform of the Town Hall at the same time, three of whom gained the high distinction during the present war. The four were:—Major-General Sir Alfred Robin, C.8., C.M.G., Major-General Sir Andrew Kussell (who commanded the New "Zealand Division in France), Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson (who commanded the New Zealand Forces in England), and Brigadier-General Hart, of Masterton.

The subject of Church Union was the basis of an interesting address by Rev. James Milne, M.A., preaching at the Presbyterian Church, Thames, recently. Details were given of the movement for union and the closer association of churches in America, England, Scotland, Canada, Australia,' South Africa, and New Zealand, and the speaker was of opinion that the movement so universal in Christendom and so characteristic, especially of English-speak-ing countries, came not a moment too soon. A League of Nations was being formulated, the better to preserve international peace; also the trend of events socially showed that the State in every civilised community should shortly have to bear heavier responsibility in conti'olling industry and other matters relative to the well-being of the people. What could create an atmosphere strong enough ethically to make a League of Nations potent for good? What could strengthen the State morally, to bear its growing burden of administrative responsibility? That answer to such questions was found in a more united Church to speak with stronger voice for righteousness.

As explaining why the Panama route is not more generally used for the transmission of mails, the Wellington Chief Postmaster (Mr. A. P. Dryden) points out in the "Times" that the Vancouver and San Francisco routes are still quicker than the Panama route, providing there is a reasonably good connection at' New York. A more cogent reason, however, is the one of cost. Both the San Francisco and Vancouver services (maintained by the Union Steam Ship Company) are heavily subsidised by the Government for the conveyance of our mails. Why, in that case, asks i^r. Dryden, should the Postal Department send the mails via Panama and pay poundage rates (even if the vessel were timed to arrive in England two or three days ahead of the Vancouver or San Fran-cisco-routed mails) when they have I their own steamers running regularly? Moreover, he adds, such subsidies ensure, as far as possible;*^ regular service, and have a bearing (in ithe public interest) on passenger and freight rates. The English postal authorities have also been blamed for not utilising more generally the transports as mail steamers. The chances are that they are paying subsidies to Atlantic lines for the. carriage of the mails, and there is no reason why they should, in addition, incur poundage, rates as well. It i 3 the duty of the authorities to curtail expense as much as possible without loss of efficiency.

The city of Chicago, United States

jof America, claims- in its Record of [Progress, just published, a reduction |in typhoid fever to the lowest point j reached by any large city in the | world. "Not only," declares the Record, "is typhoid fever the index of the sanitary condition of the city. No city could have a typhoid fever record like that attained by Chicago unless the water and milk were carefully guardeu day by day. Not only must the water and milk be carefully guarded, but in the inspection of places where food is prepared a constant campaign against bad plumbing must be maintained." A chart relating to the /progress of typhoid fever in Chicago shows that

whereas in the year 1891 (a bad year) there were 170 deaths per 10,000 of the'population, in the year

1917 the proportion had dropped to

1 per 10,000 of the population. The chart shows, amongst other contributing factors, a close relationship in late years between the decline in the rdeath rate and the pasteurisation of I milk. Thus in 1010, when the death rate from typhoid was 16 per 10,000 of the population, 51 per cent, of the | city's milk was pasteurised. Five years later when 95 per cent, of the i milk was pasteurised, the death rate had dropped to 6 per 10,000 of the population, whilst in 3 917, when !)8 per cent, of the milk was pasteurised the death rate had declined to that mentioned above, viz., 1 per 10.000 of the population. Improvement in sewerage works and the chlorination of the water supply also materially assisted the decline in the death rate from disease.

The great demand for coal at the present time, and the dimculty experienced in securing a sufficient quantity to meet the requirements of the Dominion, have caused expert attention to be drawn to very large untapped supplies in the King Country. Mr. Lockie Gannon, civil engineer, of Auckland, Mr. W. Duncan, also of Auckland^ and Mr. Robert Young were in Te Kuiti recently on behalf of a syndicate which proposes to exploit the new field, which is located on the Tahaia property of Mr. Young formerly a settler of Otorohanga, but now a resident of Waharoa (states the Te Kuiti correspondent of the

'"New Zealand Herald"). Mr. Young stated that he made the discovery five or six years ago, but did not then [attach vary great importance to it. | Mr. Gannon said that the coal outcropped in a number of places, and [the uiscovery was an exceedingly | promising one. The syndicate has had men on the site for the past three weeks engaged 'in sinking bores in various parts of the field, and the depths reached varied from !,40ft. to 60ft. In every instance trie bores revealed the presence of coal. Part of the coalfield is on a sloping | hill, but the greater portion is on the flat, and in all respects the site lends itself to convenient and economic working. Surveys and levels in connexion with a proposed tramway have already been made. The precise locality of the find is at Mansramutu, near Tahaia, approximately halfway between Otorohanga and Hangatiki, and the tramway is ro run along eight miles of perfectly level country to Hangatiki station.

We acknowledge the following further contributions towards the Stevens' family fund: —Francis Brotfn, £1; "A," 10s; "Castlecliff." £1.

The dead body of a man was found on the roadside at Kauangaroa yesterday. The deceased hA been seen about the district, but mk identity has not yet been established. He was apparently between 4 0 and 50 years of age.

What may prove to be an important discovery has been made in Auckland district—namely, a largo hill of black granite (states the "Auckland Star"). A sample which had one side polished, proved of very fine texture, with an excellent face. This granite is situated on a safe harbour front, and presents no engineering difficulties to handle, as it can readily be quarried and landed on scows.

Acording to a Christchurch telegTam, the Conciliation Council failed to agree about wages, overtime, and holidays in the dispute between the shop assistants and the soft goods employers. The proposal by the assistants to close shops at 5.30 p.m. on ordinary days was refused by the employers, who also opposed being compelled to pay assistants who are sick, The dispute has been adjourned to allow employers to confer amongst themselves.

"I am perfectly convinced that the decision to introduce rating on unimproved value was the biggest blunder ever perpetrated in Wellington," stated Councillor Martin Luckie at the annual meeting of the Greater Wellington Town-Planning Association last week. "The idea originated in America in order to induce absentee owners to build on vacant seei tions. It has had that effect in Wellington. That is why have no gardens here. Rating on unimproved j value is unsound in economics and jbad in results. It secures the building of a city, but it places in jeopardy the health of the community." '< From Barjard,-a small dairying township near Mansfield, Victoria, comes a story of determination to "do his bit" on the part of a young Australian. Ray Lancaster, aged 11 earned £6 by milking 10 of his fathers cows every morning and evening and by catching rabbits in -his sparo moments between school hours and milking time. Advice to put the money in the savings bank or into war bonds was deregarded, and the whole sum was paid by the boy into his school fund for soldiers' tobacco, for which.,he originally set out to save. The soldiers wanted tobacco, he said, and war bonds would not buy it for them.

The present regulations for the election of managers of technical schools do not prescribe any limit to the number of managers to be appointed on a Technical School Board* and there has been a tendency in some cases towards the establishment of boards with an unreasonably large number of members. An amendment gazetted .last week provides that the number of managers shall not be less than five, nor more than nineteen. This will take effect; at the election of boards in July, August, or September next. A further amendment provides for the representation annually of a public association or a local authority giving a monetary contribution'towards thu cost of a site or a building for technical school purposes.

The Council of tbe Auckland^Mlways League proposes that the'lftkirman of the League, Mr. P. C. Cheal, who by the way, was one of the surveyors of Taranaki, and after whom the Cheal Itoad was named) shall visit Taranaki at an early date to endeavour to promote united action for vigorous railway construction. In a circular addressed to the local bodies, it is pointed out that there are nearly a thousand miles of branch railways in the South Island and very few in the North. The idea of the League is to get concerted action and influence at work to obtain a greater amount of the -proposed loans to, enable important railway, works to be carried out. The princil pay lines in view are the Napier to Wairoa and Gisborne, the StratfordMain Trunk, and the North Auckland Main Trunk line.

Among the causes which contributed to the ultimate success of the Allies in the late terrific war, as far as Britain is concerned, the Hon. G. M. Thomson places first the righteousness of the cause, and second the superior quality of our men. Tho third cause, as he explained to the Otago .nstitute c-. Tu^day night, was the magnificent scientific output of our people. The Germans were' first in the field with flying machines, long-range guns, poison gasnes, smoke screens, and all the appliances which made war so hideous toj day, but in the end they were beaten ! every time, by our scientific workers, beaten with their own weapons and. hoist with < their own petards. Yet, would they believe it that at the beginning of the war scientific men were classed as labourers, and it took the military mind a long time to realise that they had another value than that of mere fighting machines? "If this war has taught us anything in the matter of education," said Mr. Thomson, "it is that we must c -Itivate more the scientific side of it."