LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18790, 26 May 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Washington cable states that the Oceanic mail contract has been renewed ior another year, beginning July Ist. Particulars of train arrangements and issue of holiday excursion tickets in connection Avith King’s Birthday holidays are advertised in this issue. The Now Zealand Brass Band Association has granted permission to hold the 1924 contest in Palmerston Norih. The required financial guarantees have been forthcoming, £.1160 having been guaranteed in sums of £5O to £250. Burglars broke into a house in Parnell (Auckland) on Thursday night and stole £2OO worth of jewellery. The residence visited was that of John Reece, and the occupants were out at the time. A daring feature of the burglary was the fact that the house is only a stone’s throw from the police station.—Press Association. A cable message from Warsaw A bomb campaign against; newspapers, started by Polish Fas-t cists, continues. Three offices of! Warsaw papers -were wrecked ;bx bombs on Wednesday night. The? whole Polish police have been mobilised to track the plotters, but so far without success. In tlie Canadian House of Commons, by 114 votes to 106, the Government’s Budget proposals were adopted. The I 'rogre>ssives ’ a nti-pi otcctionist amendment was defeated. Changes in the ■sales tax will lake effect on January i, 1024. Tho sales tax on beverages and confections will take effect on Juno 1. Mr Fielding, in tine closing speech of the debate, rciteiated his faith in reciprocity with the United States. Charles Shands, a well-known wool and skin buyer of Balciutha, while driving a two horse trap, was run into by the southe xpress near Kakapuaka station. The trap was carried 48 yards over the cattle stop. Tho horses escaped. Shand was ap parcntly thrown with his face against a post. He was found unconscious and badly injured. He died in hospital.

A London cable says that Lycett played amazing tennis at Surbiton. He won three hard open singles marches, though pushed in the last. He then won tworo unds of the men’s doubles, and late in the evening, though very tired, was required to play mixed doubles. There is much comment that he should be so overworked within a week of the Davis Cup tie against Belgium. The New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League has written informing the Wellington Automobile Club that the new Awakino Valley Road from the end of the metal at Mahocnui to the tunnel, a distance of about miles, is a veritable sea of mud, and quite unsuitable for motor tarffic at present. As a conseequence the through motor service from To Kuiti to New Plymouth ha& been suspended for the winter.

The Wanganui sheep dog trials will be held next Tuesday. Wednesday, and Thursday, on Mr R. Martin’s property at Wanganui East. There will be four events —long head, short head and yarding, huntaway and a. class for novices. Splendid entries have been received, and some of the best dogs in the North Island will compete. The judge will bo Mr R. M-c Donald. of Da nnevirke. Ihe Makirikiri ladies will provide lunch on each day, and the funds will be devoted to tho Makirikiri Hall. A youth named Arthur Preentice, i aged 17, was severely injured as the result of a collision at the intersection of Devon and Brougliam, Streets, New Plymouth, yesterday afternoon. Prentice was proceeding down Devon Street towards the Post Office and was struck by a motorcar driven by P. J. Flanagan, who was crossing the street. The boy, who was severely injured about the head and was suffering from concussion, was removed to the hospital. The motor, it is stated, was not travelling at an excessive rate. A report from Melbourne as to the ravages of electrolysis lias aroused considerable interest in Wellington, especially amongst owners of steel-fram-ed buildings. Government officials, such as Mr Shrimpton (Chief Telegraph Engineer), and Mr Birks (Chief Electrical Engineer), state that electrolysis is well known and guarded against. They are inclined to think the Melbourne engineer exaggerated the position. Special precautions are taken unuer the Tramways Act to minimise the escape of electric current. A man named William John Lee was charged at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with failing to comply with an order for tho maintenance of his fix children, the amount of arrears being £2lO. The order had been made against the defendant for £3 a week, but nothing had been paid for 18 months. The defendant admitted that at one time ho earned £lB to £2O a month. The magistrate said that it was a bad case of a defaulting husband, ami imposed a sentence of six months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

The following resolution was passed by the Wellington section of tho N.Z. Public Service Association: —We publicly protest against the delay in filling the vacancy in the position of Public Service Commissioner. The prime function of this officer is to protect the service from political influence, particularly in regard 1 to appointments and promotions, yet these important duties lor three months have been carried on by an officer in a temporary capacity, himself removable at will by politicians. 'I he section considers tho existing position amounts to a scandal and hopes its -protest will Jje supported by the press, which tfands for non-political control of the service, and aliso by every member of Parliament who is desirous of protecting the integrity of the Public Services of this Dominion.

A London cable states that tho Board of the Empire Exhibition agreed to the final draft of an agreement with the Dominions which provides that after the cost of gas, electricity and water is paid half a million of tho profits will be divided between Britain and the Dominions equally. If further profits are available the Dominions will take another £400,000. This will be their final share, Britain taking the remainder of the profits, if any. Britain also will retain the buildings and other assets. Mr James Stevenson, at the Colonial institute dinner, paid a glowing tribute to Sir James Allen for the remarkable manner in which he had looked after the interests of the Dominions and brought about the agreement. The- High Commissioners will meet to-morrow when no doubt they will sign the agreement.

After successfully entertaining an audience of 200 overnight with mesmeric and sleight of band stunts, under tho name of Professor C. Hertz, “tho world’s greatest entertainer,” he was arrested yesterday morning under tho name of Frank Smith and charged with tho theft of five totalisator tickets, valued at £3 10s, from an acquaintance at Ashburton racecourse. Hertz cou.cs before the Ashburton Court to-day. A fire occuned in Victoria Theatre (Devonport) last night, when rubbish in a storeroom under the operating box became ignited. Tho theatre Idled with smoke, and tho audience became alarmed, but the manager re-as-sured them and the oichestra continued playing. Considerable damage was done in tho storeroom, although the brigade easily extinguished the flames. —Press Association.