LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18784, 18 May 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Belfast has reduced the harbour dues by a further 7} per cent. A Gazette Extraordinary, dated Tuesday, May 15, further prorogues Parliament until June 5 next. The Dunedin Hospital Board resolved yesterday morning to fix the lew for the year at £35,000, or £lO,OOO lei than last year;

At Taumaranui yesterday Harry Magill was convicted and fined £25, with costs £B, for keeping liquor for sale.

The first picture selected for purchase by a visitor to the Arts and Crafts exhibition whs a beautiful water-colour painted by Mrs M. Izett, the secretary of the society. In order to encourage the appreciation of art in Wanganui, the Arts and Crafts Society is charging a purely nominal price of admission to the exhibition. To-day refreshments may be obtained, and in the evening there will be rendered a programme of musical items.

A Press message states that a young Nelsonian, Mr D. H. Black, has been appointed by Sir Ernest Rutherford, himself a Nelson boy, as research student at Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University. The number was limited and competition very keen. Mr Black has been awarded a free passage to England by the University Senate. In our advertising columns will be found a notice convening a meeting of ladies interested in the Welfare of patients and prisoners. There ought to be many in that category, and Mrs Williams’ meeting in the Borough Council Chambers next Friday, 25th inst., at 3 p.m., ought to be largely attended. The Levin Borough Council’s loan polls on proposals to borrow £24.000 tor the erection of public buildings and £25,000 for streets improvements were carried on Wednesday, the former by 371 to 191, the latter by 445 to 116. The buildings will include a theatre, shops and offices for the borough. Power Board and County Council. The streets loan will be expended on bitumenising the borough streets. Another indication that the port of Wanganui is gradually but surely coming into its own is shown by the. fact that a well-known local manufacturing firm has just been advised by the Sydney house from which essential supplies are obtained that in future the goods will be shipped direct to Wanganui, arrangements having been made for the reservation of the necesary space on vessels trading timber, etc., to this port. Some concern has been expressed by those interested in the beautification of Wanganui, at the Intention of the authorities to lop the beautiful avenue of oak trees in Halswell Street. We are informed that such action is necesary in order to give clearance to telephone wires, but that the work will be carried out with great discrimination, and under the personal supervision of the Borough engineer, Mr. N. C. Staveley. At Wednesday’s sitting of the Chamber of Commerce it was unanimously resolved on the motion of Mr J. T. Martin, seconded by Mr H. D. Bennett: “That this representative meeting of Wellington business men urges upon the Government the necessity of making arrangements for the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, to represent New Zealand at the forthcoming Imperial Economic Conference in London.”

Mr Alfred Pickford, overseas commissioner of the Boy'Scout movement, will arrive at Auckland by the Makura from Sydney on June 4. A citizens’ meeting of welcome will be held in the Town Hall on the following Wednesday, when tho Gover-nor-General, who is Dominion Chief Scout, will preside. Officers from the Dominion headquarters at Christchurch, and Brigadier-General Andrew, will be among the speakers.

The Argyle Hotel at Huntcrville had a narrow escape from lire yesterday afternoon. The fire was discovered in an upstairs sitting-room, but the local brigade quickly answered the call and extinguished the blaze while it was still in its incipient stage. A mantlcpiece and some skirting boards were charred, but except from the effects of water, this was practically the only damage. At the time of the outbreak the licensee, Mr A. T. Gatrell, was away Ut the Wanganui races.

Many Wanganui people are now convinced that there must be something in the talk about the curse of Tutankhamen, because of an incident that happened at the Arts ami Crafts Exhibition yesterday afternoon. Of a sudden, the gallery was disturbed by an alarming crash and clatter that resounded throughout the building. Screams were heard. With blanched faces people rushed to the scene, expecting to find that some awful disaster had taken place. There on the floor lay the cause of the uproar—exhibit No. 341, Brass Ted. Tray, Egyptian design. Speaking at the Wellington Town Hall on Wednesday, Mr F. Milner, M.A., said that medical statistics showed that there were in New Zealand 2000 fresh cases of venereal disease which were dealt with every year. How could the physique or the mentality of the rising generation bo what they ought to be, so long as that "red scourge” was not stamped out? But any advocacy of the prevention of the propagation of the unfit was frowned upon. In our insane tolerance we were allowing epileptics, persons practically insane, persons inflicted with all kinds of congenital diseases, to bring—"no, not to bring, but to damn children into the world.” (Applause). Yet any talk of X-ray sterilisation, or other scientific methods that might be adopted, was absolutely taboo to-day. (Applause).