LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19051, 2 July 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The next session of the W’anganui Supreme Court be held during August.

During last month fifty building permits were issued by 'the City Council. The total value was £28,075.

An accident of a serious nature was narrowly averted in Ridgway Street on Saturday last. A yOung woman was watching the entrance of a garage, when a motor car driven by a woman, shot out from behind some stationary trailers. It knocked the young woman down, but was stopped before any further damage was done.

Writing from London to’a friend in Wanganui under date of April 19, 1924-, an ex-member of the British House of Commons says: “I envy your weather: wc have had one of the coldest and longest winters I ever remember, and though we are well into April there is hardly a sign of anything coming out.”

A flag fluttered gaily in the breeze from the flagpole on the City Council Chambers yesterday, in order to mark Wanganui’s accession to the status of a city, which dates from yesterday. The numerous signs on the council’s buildings, which in the past have been prefaced with the word “borough,” now proudly commence with “city.”

“A great many motorists have ne'er seen a copy of the borough by-laws,” said a member of the Wanganui Automobile Association executive yesterday. The secretary reported that he had received several copies of the by-law:-, which he intended to post to every financial member, together with a circular advising the various streets in which ears could not be parked for longer than fifteen minutes.

Complaint was made at yesterday’s meeting of the local Automobile Association executive to the effect that the City Council have not yet lighted the various car parking stands so as to allow cars to be parked at nights without lights. The secretary stated that the council had agreed to carry out this work immediately the general street lighting scheme was put into operation. It was decided to write asking the council to expedite matters. The secretary of the local Returned Soldiers’ Association stated yesterday that arrangements were being made for the disposal of the Poppy Day funds, which the City Council have agreed to subscribe £ for £. So far work has not been commenced on Lorenzzdale Park, Gonville, which will be improved by the labour that will be provided by the funds. At present there were about a dozen returned men seeking employment.

The Roseneath Progerssive Association (Wellington) has carried out its threat to take action for an injunction to prevent the city council constructing an inclined tramway from Oriental Bay to the heights above. On Monday the corporation was served with a writ requiring a stay of the work which has already begun on the lift until the ease is heard in the Supreme Court. The grounds are that the lift will not provide access to Roseneath, and that the money was diverted to other purposes.

“The law should be amended to compel pedestrians, where footpaths nra provided, to keep off the main roadway,” said a member of the executive of the Wanganui Automobile Association at yesterday’s meeting. “If they only knew the risk they ran by not keeping to the footpaths, they would certainly take more care,” he added. It was decided to endeavour to-devise a scheme whereby pedestrians could be made alive to the dangerous practice of leaving the specially prepared side walks, for the more dangerous open roads, especially at nights.

The Jewish youth, Paul Henry Duval.. who cut a pathetic figure at the Auckland Police Court on Friday last when charged with disobeying the commands of his superior officer on the Port Augusta, and with having attempted to commit suicide, and whom Mr. Poynton. S.M., declined to allow to stay in the Dominion, appeared again before the Magistrate yesterday. Duval appeared in a new suit, anil was smiling. Mr. Goldstone, solicitor, said the shipping authorities were now quite prepared to allow Duval his discharge from the Port Augusta, and the captain said he was quite willing. Mr. Poynton said he at first thought the accused \was an undesirable, but he had since found that he was not of this type?He would be discharged on both charges.

A London cable states that three Fijian chiefs personally presented the King with a necklace of whale’s teeth.

The following registrations were made at the City Council office for the month of June: Forty new motor cars, 21 re-registered cars, three new motor cycles, and 1,2 re-registered motor cycles.

Wellington is enjoying a remarkably fine winter. So far the rainfall has been much below the average, and the weather for the past fortnight has been mild and like spring with a notable absence of cold winds.

At about 8 o’clock yesterday morning there was a scare in the new Parliament buildings just by the members’ entrance opposite the Library wing. By some means a couple of baskets of waste paper caught' fire, but the blaze was put out with the aid of a fire extinguisher.

Sixteen cases of infectious diseases were reported to th® city health inspector during last month. There were nine cases of diptheria, two each of scarlet fever, tuberculosis, and septicaemia and one case of pneumonia. There were three deaths—one ca.ah from tuberculosis, septicaemia and pneumonia.

The rainfall recorded in Auckland iu June was 6.41 inches, making the total for the quarter 28.33—a record for any period of three months since official figures have been taken. The fall of the half-year ended on Monday was 40.29 inches, or 9.44 inches more than in the corresponding period of 1923.

The theft of a number of hats and coats, bags and purses from the vestibule of St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Palmerston North, on Friday evening during the progress of choir practice has been reported to the police by the victims of the sneak thief or thieves. The robbery was reported at the close of the practice, when it was stated that a suspicious-looking character had been seen during the evening walking along Broad street. A search was made for the individual, but without success. The police are investigating. —Standard.

Customs returns for June, 1924, show a decrease as compared with those for the corresponding month last year. The amount collected for June was £8645 Os 4d the figures for Jufle, 1923, . being £9950 18s 9d. The beer duties last month totalled £373 Os 9d, a decrease on those for June 1923, when £515 19s lOd was collected. The returns for the quarter ending June were £32,040 14s Id for Customs and £1499 6s 8d for beer duties. For the corresponding quarter last year £29,143 Ss was collected for Customs and £l5-12 15s 7d for beer duties.

Passengers by the evening train from Hawera to Wanganui last evening had an unenviable experience. The bursting of a superheated pipe caused an inflow of water into the firebox of the engine, and on arrival at Okehu station an S.O.S. mesage had to be sent to Wanganui for another engine. The fires were drawn from the disabled engine, and the marooned passengers gathered a little warmth from the pile of embers heaped up at the side of the track. After a weary wait of one and a half hours a relief engine arrived from Wanganui, and the Journey was resumed.

The vital statistics for Wanganui | for the month of June disclose the fact that there were 55 births and 19 deaths. Twenty marriage licensese were issued by the registrar. Three marriages were performed at the registrar’s office. For the coresponding period of last year, the figures were: 50, 24, 22, and 6 respectively. For the six months period ending June 30, 1924, there were 350 births, 115 deaths and 124 marriage licenses issued. Twenty-eight marriages were held at the registrar’s offied. For the corresponding half year in 1923, there were 331 births, 125 deaths and 116 marriage licenses issued. Twenty-six marriages took place at the office.

At t"he Police Court yesterday a> Chinese named Ming Lee entered a plea of not guilty when he was charged with drunkenness. The evidence for the police was to the effect that the accused was discovered in the vicinity of a certain restaurant in the Avenue. When two constables spoke to him they came to the conclusion that he was under the influence of liquor, and consequently presented him at the station. The accused, for whom Mr. Slipper appeared, in denying the charge, said that the only drink he let pass between his lips was four pints, which he consumed at intervals during the day. He did not know what the police had arrested him for. His Worship, after hearing evidence, convicted, and fined the accused 10s.

Another “best theatre in the southern hemisphere’’ is now under way in Sydney, and the contract was signed by the Fuller management about a fortnight ago. It will, in fact, be two theatres in one, on the site.of the old. ’Kiris’ High School, running from Elizaibeth to Castlcreagh street. The main theatre is to seat 1800 people, all of whom will be unsually close to the stage, for there are no back stalls and high back galleries; and the stage will have a proscenium opening of 34ft. and a stage width of 82ft. and depth of 43ft. Above—it is a 12-storcy building—will be a roof garden theatre for musical comedy, which will seat 1400 people. There are also to be suites of offices. The building, cost of the theatres is to be £220,000, and the total expenditure on it is expected to run into about £30?,000.

A pig is a daily, benefactor (says the Times). He exists inexpensively, he has no dietary fads, he does little harm while alive, and his good lives after him when dead. If he is fat, it is because men like him fat; if he is dirty, it is because men keep him dirty; if he eats greedily unpleasant things which daintier creatures would reject, it is because he is an accommodating beast. Chronicle and legend have done him injustice. Only when he is very small docs ho share, with other youngsters, the transient human affection which prefers a kitten to a cat. If he is small enough we make lucky charms of his imago, or find the shape of his tail humorous, or even pay him the honour qf a nursery story about his going to market. But the pig that went to market was a little pig, and, though it is possible for a kitten to grow into a cat, the old age of pigs is without hope. They are weighed down with prejudice, and, until they are roasted, arc treated with contempt that they have done nothing to deserve.

A prominent legal man in Sydney arranged for £5OO worth of tickets for the Melba Grand Opera season. There were several other bookings of £2OO each, while bookings totalling £lOO were quite common.

Mr. Snowden, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, recently received the following letter from a conscience-strick-en taxpayer:—“Dear Sir, —I once de frauded you of £5. Remorse gnaws at my conscience. I am sending you ss. When the remorse gnaws again 1 will send you some more.”

Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K.C.. asked a witness in the Supreme Court at Napier recently whether a small batten interposed between a falling cylinder of acetylene gas and the concrete wharf would appreciably lessen the shock. “Of course,” answered the witness, “every schoolboy knows that a single sheet of newspaper inside the seat of his trousers appreciably lessens the shock.”

Auckland has caught a severe dose of the “cheergerm,” brought about, it is understood, owing to the prevalence of community singing. Last week’s “sing” in Auckland produced a bumper attendance and among the participants was Miss Nellie Bramley, the popular actress, who stated at the conclusion that she had enjoyed it all, much more than had any of those present.

The, election of United States President takes place, according to law, “on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every leap ycai,” and the country is now in the throes It is a well paid job. The President receives an annual salary of £15,000, and a travelling allowance of £5OOO. He selects his Cabinet, but his choice requires to be confirmed by the Senate, which is the Upper House.

Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki) intends to ask the Minister 4of Agyicultiire whether he will, without further delay, and before it is too late to save much valuable land in the Dominion being taken possession df by noxious weeds, propound a new and effective policy, and, if necessary, improved legislation to deal effectively with the serfius and vital noxious-weed problem in this young country; and whether he will take steps to see that our legislation in this connection is satisfactorily administered?

The Financial. News (London) says that the high proportion of Dominion and foreign borrowings to the total capital issues this year raises the question as to whether or not it is possible to over-lend. Secondly, the question is raised as to the economic consequences of large overseas loans. “It has been freely asserted,” says the writer, “that over-ending abroad has occurred, and that, for the time being, we have outrun our available surplus. Overseas loans may easily exercise similar influences on exchanges and prices as docs inflation.” ..

Two people in Palmerston North profess to know all about the railway deviation, says the Manawatu Times. They are Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., and Mr. J. Hodgens, who wishes to be M.P. Mr. Nash is mysterious and silent on the matter. Mr. Hodgens is quite voluble. Mr. Nash says he knows what is going to happen, but he cannot, or will not say. Mr. Hodgens says he has it on unimpeachable authority that there is not going to be any deviation. He docs not give the source of his information. He may be wrong, but his letter in to-day’s issue will certainly cause a great deal of uneasiness, and should, in justice to Palmerston North, be answered with as little delay as possible.

“That is the usual practice,” commented Mr. Hanlon in the Dunedin Police Court to a defendant who complained that he had asked for a doctor at the Police Station and no notice was taken of him. “I do not think that is a proper suggestion at all.” said the Magistrate Mr. Bundle (states the Otago Daily Times). The suggestion from you that the police do not give an accused person a reasonable opportunity of seeing a medical man.” Mr. Hanlon: “Not if they think he is drunk. I lived in a police station for years, and I know what happens.” Senior-sergeant Mathieson asserted that accused men got a doctor if they wanted one and were prepared to pay. Mr. Hanlon: It’s all nonsense. If a man is supposed to be riotously drunk they would take no notice of him asking for a doctor.”

The following appears in the May issue of Cold Storage of May, 1924, published in England:—“The Admiral Codrington in the Argentine: The Poverty Bay Meat Company’s steamer Admiral Codrington, which was some time ago excluded from the New Zealand meat trade has found a charter to carry meat from the Argentine to England. The directors of the owning company complained of the loss of revenue involved, and asked that the right of their boat to trade in New Zealand waters be restored, but a long correspondence failed to alter the position. The New Zealand Meat Board says that it has made no provision for the inclusion of the vessel in the current contract with the shipping companies, as no request was made by the Poverty Bay Meat Company for that to be done.”

Sir Walter Buller writes in references to the bellbird:—“No one who has not actually listened to the melody can form any idea of the effect produced by these high notes coming from a hundred throats independently, and blending together in the richest harmony of song.” Later the bird was reported as extinct in the North Island. The unexpected, has, however, happened, and from some remote remnant, the species has increased wonderfully of late years, and with efficient protection and preservation per medium of more native bird sanctuaries, and the destruction of enemies, this wondrous song of the Makomako may once more be heard. Are New Zeaanders proud enough of their native land to insist on such work being efficiently carried out! asks the Native Bird ‘ Protection ‘Society. The preservation of the bcllbird alone is worth the effort. —Exchange.

The Westport News states that the Dobson coalfield is expected to emp’oy 300 men within 12 months, putting aj extra £5OOO or £6OOO of money in circulation, from which Greymouth hopes to get a much-needed uplift.

An exchange states that Henry Ford, in an interview in *Good House-keep-ing,” endorses the teaching of Bible in schools. He says childhood iilhe tine to learn to love and imbibeWts teaching. It ought to be put back into the schools.

While motoring through the Mans, watu Gorge, several members of the “Aladdin” Pantomime Company had a narrow escape when a small slip cams down and just missed the car. In order that no other motorists might be endangered, the party went back and removed the debris.

There arc now about \BOO subscrib :rs to the Napier telephone exchange, but there is apparently little hope of the installation of the automatic system until something definite is known aa to th® erection of the new post office. Huntings has just over 1600 Danneyirkc has between five and sig hundred, while Waipukurau owns tc about 250.