LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18556, 11 August 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The touring Auckland Rugby football team were in Wanganui yesterday, en route from Hamilton to New Plymouth. They were entertained at lunch at McCarthy’s Hotel by the Wanganui Rugby Union. The secretary of the P. and T. Department advises:—ln addition to week-end messages, all other cable ; messages for Europe sent via Paci- , fie, are subject to delay owipg to I heavy congestion of Pacific outlet i across Atlantic. It is reported that a movement is on foot for the establishment of a federation of miners on the West Coast. A former president of the New Zealand Miners’ Federation is .stated to be the chief figure behind the project, and (says a Wellington paper ) there is a possibility that the new body, if formed, will have a separate identity from the New Zealand federation. Yesterday, at noon, a man was threading a zigzag course across the I own Bridge. “What time does the Palea train go?” he inquired from a passerby. This information was suppled, along with an intimation That the route tlie inquirer was taking was more in the direction of Putiki. He reversed his | course with some difficulty, but with ■ evident thankfulness, and finally re-I marked in a solemn voice ; “ 'This is the, fruits of getting drunk.” ,

! The Board of Managers of the Feildjing Agricultural High School have decided against the establishment* of a Junior High School in Fcilding. The Wellington Typographical I nion has celebrated its jubilee by the i>sue of a well printed liistoncal souvenir. The booklet, printed by “ The Alaoriland Worker Coy.,” gives a concise and interesting story of ' he Union’s life from its inception in 1862 until the present day. Portraits of past presidents and oi the pre. -ent executive officers add interest to the work, which is highly creditable to all concerned in its production. There was a remarkable scene at St. Kilda (Melbourne) when Lieutenant Bennett’s funeral cortege passed along St. Kilda road (says the Australasian). Gambetta had just previously made a brilliant mark, and secured an easy goal, with five minutes more to go to end the third term, when a bugler entered the arena and played the “ Last Post.” As it by magic every man in that vast concourse of about 23.000 people rose and bared his head while thv solemn strains pierced the aid and flouted across to the mourner..! on their way to the cemetery, and four aeroplanes soared gracefully over the ground. The players, who were j running to their places when the ( all came, stood stiff and motionless as dummies, the reverence and respect of every 1 unit in that vast audience being a grand 'tribute to the gallant Australian airI man who was being transferred to bis last resting place. Slowly the Dead March molted away in the distance, and play was resumed. "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” and these little acts of courtesy, which mean so much to the relatives of the dead hero, and to the sentiment of the nation, makes one optimistic of the future of the race. Extensive improvements to the school grounds at Queen’s Park are under contemplation, the headmaster (Mr C. H. Warden )being the leading spirit. The works proposed include the terracing of the slojes on the Bell Street frontage. Yesterday the representatives of the Beautifying Society, the Borough Council and the. Education Board m t Mr Warden and discussed the scheme, which will be in keeping with the general layout of the improvements to the park. When the school portion of the park has been completed, it is proposed. I by Mr Warden to continue giving the (children practical lessons in environment by allocating them small duties to perform in the improvement scheme of the park generally to teach them to take an interest in public property and to regard it as their own and to treat it accordingly. When the plaits of those in forested in the development of the park mature it will be (lie of the beauty >p*.ts of the town. It only requires a c-;*t: il inspection to notice the improvement made by the removal of the corrugated iron fences and the removal of the present dilapidated and ugly fence along the Bell Street frontage is a .'a-tiier improvement much needed. In commenting on the pleasing fact that no fewer than 71 designs have been entered for Auckland's War Memorial (a Museum and Hall of Memorials, to cost £200,000) the Mayor said on Wednesday ; " Up to the present point the Citizens’ Committee is greatly indebted to their professional adviser, Air C. R. Ford, oi Wanganui, who has already given gratuitously an enormous amount of time to the work of controlling the competition and answering inquiries from competitors. This work is all embodied in three memoranda which i during the last nine months, have been i sent out to the competitors. The over-1 seas designs cannot bo here for another! fortnight, and none of the designs will bo opened or touched until the whole of i them are in hand. The question of a 1 suitable building for the display of the' designs and facilities for the jury of awards to carry out their work will receive the attention of the Citizens’ Committee, for which purpose it will be called together at the end of this month. I’he jury of awards, which will judge the designs, consists of Messrs C. R. Ford I (Wanganui) and C. W. Wood (Christchurch). both architects, and Dr. T. W. ' Leys and Messrs (). Nicholson and T. F. Cheeseman, of Auckland. A number of questions in connection with the competition of a detail nature, and as to policy, after the winning design is known, will be referred to the Citizens’ Committee for consideration. A local resident informs us that he I had occasion the ether day to ’phone. a! certain firm for a quotation. The infer- j mation he desired was courteously sup- I plied, and—he ‘rang off.” Nothing extraordinary about that, one would think. But the, inquirer thought otherwise. An inquiry such as he made suggests a prospective buyer, and he naturally expected that an alert- salesman at the other end would inquire “who’s speaking,” with a view to effecting a sale at the price quoted. The fact that no such inquiry was made caused him to wonder whether local shopkeepers were teaching their sales people the first principles of business, and he decided to test the thing for himself. He listed) half-a-dozen different lines and ’phoned ■ inquiries for quotations to half-a-dozen I different shops selected indiscriminately | from the telephone directory. In only one instance was he asked “who’s speaking?” “I wonder,” he said, “how many firms are losing good business be-1 cause of this foolish neglect to ask a I simple question the answer to which j would immediately put them m touch) with prospective customers. Why, for I all the persons who answtred my inquir-

ies knew to the contrary. 1 might have been a business rival seeking information for the purpose of using it to the disadvantage of their employers.” The hint contained in the story of this man s experience should be worth pounds to those concerned.