Wanganui Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MAT 7, 1879.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XII, Issue 9413, 7 May 1879, Page 2

Wanganui Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MAT 7, 1879.

'The Mayor reported that the Council (deputation liad been well received at the Harbour Board, and that a notice of motion respecting the increased width of Taupo Quay had been tabled. Thus stands the question at the present. It seems to be admitted that the chain and , a quarter is a very suitable width tor a street that must of necessity have to accommodate much traffic, but still we shear of objections raised on what appear to us as frivolous grounds. The bugbear of the Bank is raised again for duty, and we are told that as the overdraft was allowed on the strength of the reclamation showing so much acreage, any tampering with the extent is breaking faith with the Bank, and financial difficulties must ensue. It is high time the position of -the Board financially should be understood. That distrust of the power of the Board has delayed the important opejjations on the bar, until it is a moot point whether the requisite soundings outside can now be taken. Should Mr Ban 4 not be able to carry on his work, we may simply thank the half-heartedness of the .Board in treating with their bankers, for wasting a valuable year. It is like killing the slain to point out that the improvement of the port is of vital importance to the town and. district, and therefore the members ' of the Harbour Board have the serious responsibility upon them of either ' retarding or expediting the progress of the community they represent. Bank pressure, it was stated by the late chairman, prevented j the employment of Mr Barr at a season when the work he has to do could have been done without difficulty, and such an ! admission was a humiliating- one for him to make. That, however, is in the past, and no matter how much we regret the fact the time cannot be recalled. It should be a lesson though to "weigh" well the effect of any representation from the Bank, and not simply accept its dictum as binding. It is quite true the Board obtained an advance partly on the strength of its reclamation, and in its prospectus for the loan an estimated revenue of two pounds per foofc was set down from that source. No objection, has been made to that figure by the Bank, and therefore if the estimate is realized even with the even with the extra sixteen feel given to the roadway, no breach of f^ith is caused. That two pounds per" foot i rental will be obtained there is little doubt; . But supposing the estimate was not realized, is it to be tolerated thab a Bank should have the to dictate to the Board on a matter of policy ? We cannot assume that the present bankers to the Board are careless ot the value of so important an account, and therefore it is idle to suppose that any objection will emanate from them on the subject of the width of the Quay. If, however, the strict letter of the bond was urged, and the credit of the Boerd held so low that the alienation of a portion of the security given for an advance was seriously objected to, then the Board would be consulting the interests of the settlers in seeking other channels of support. It surely must be a forlorn hope when the opponents of the widening look.to the Bank influence as a lever.

, The correspondent of our contemporary who wrote complaining that his meter shewed a consumption of 1800 feet of gas for two pight's lighting evidently did not understand how to read the dials on the meter, •To the uninitiated the telling off of the figures is rather perplexing, but the " practical gasfitter" who made the astounding discovery that 1800 ft had been consumed, instead of 800 mutt have been exceedingly dense. The same individual got lost among the oughts also at another hotel where he made the consumption 50001 b instead of 500. He evidently requires a liberal consumption of "gas' to give him ".more light."

The seventh monthly firing for the Cadet Belt took plaoe at the, Rifle Range this morning at 6 o'clock. The following are the scores :— Oadet 38. Wilkinson, 47 ; Cadet H. Talbot, 43 ; Sergfc. X'Forbes, 43 ; Col.Sergfc. A. Thompson. 89; Cadet Miller, 37; SubLieut. H. Nutsford, 36. During the firing the competitors were seriously inconvenienced by cows getting on the range. It wsuld be as well for the owners of these animals to see after them or one day a marksman wh ile trying for a bull's eye may hit the cow's.

Four thousand shares have been taken up for the Sandon Bailway out of 6000 required. Wellington people, feave applied. |qc 310,

The ordinary weekly meeting of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Society was held last night in the City Hall at the usual time, the President being in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, Mr F. J. Jones moved, and Mr W. J. Rainbow seconded— That rule XI (that all meetings open with prayer and'olose with the Benediction) be struck out. Mr Bassett proposed as an' amendment, and Mr Patten seconded — That" the devotional exercises of the Society be confined to the Lord's prayer and the Benediction . The amendment being put 13 voted for and 13 against it. The Chairman therefore gave hia casting vote for the amendment, whicb was declared carried. Mr Rainbow gave notice that at the next meetiug he would propose that rule XXII be altered to read as follows — That no reading or recitation be allowed to occupy a longer space of time than* ten minutes, dialogues excepted. Mr A. Hurley then read a remarkably well written essay on •• Character," which was favorably received. Two new members were ballottedfor and elected, and two nominated, This concluding the business of the evening the meeting adjourned. , Next Tuesday evening a debate, " Monarchy versus Republicanism " will be brought on, Mr Harvey taking the side of Monarchy, and Mr Cross Republicanism.

The Foreman of Works having reported to the Borough Council that the water pipes would have to be cleared of blue gum roots, the water will be turned off at 6 o'clock this evening for 24 hours, to enable him to have the necessary work done.

The Hon Mr Pox having kindly promised to open the new school at Foxton with a lecture desired the Committee to give full notification of the date. The Chairman of the Committee thought it would be desirable to write and ask Mr Fox what subject he intended to lecture on; he would like to hear one of hia lectures on his travels. If there was no understanding as to what subject Mr Fox would lecture on, he might give one of his temperance lectures, and the people hated them. He had heerd his lectures on America, which were interesting, as, all hia lectures were. Eventually it was resolved to ask Mr Fox to name he subjeot of his intended lecture, that sufficient notice might be given of it. , The following extract of a letter sent to the master of the Foxton School is published by the Manawatu Herald :— " I -am informed the custom is to make the teachers presents on their birthdays, and' other Special occasions, by the parents, for the purpose of getting their children especially forward, and as I find my children are almost quite neglected, I suppose I must conform to the rale, although I believe it to be a thorough bad one." The letter is to be referred to the School Committee. We anticipate some grand revelations will be made if an investigation takes place . The writer of the epistle has not yet forwarded a present (except the letter) to the master,- but we should think after the receipt of so rare a " curio," Mr Hulke will show his gratitude for the present by developing as fast as possible whatever latent talent those children may possess.

"Justice" thus writes: — My curiosity as to the weight of the bread supplied by Wanganui bakers being excited by a paragraph in this morning's paper, I weighed the twopound loaf supplied by two leading bakers of this tovrn, and found them 2£oz. and 3£oz. short of weight respectively. Surely, coasiderinp the price of flour iust now, the bakers, if they will not lower the price of the bread, might at. least give just weight.-

The damage done to Messrs- Duncan and York's factory by the late boiler fcccident is being rapidly repaired. It will be remembered that that the whole of one side was completely blown in, but so sharply has the work been done that it only requires a few more boards to be placed in position to complete the repairs so far as this building is concerned.

The addition of a little clay and gravel on each side of Ridgway street near the railway station, is making air arked improvement to the street. Strangers arriving in town by train invariably had' a bad first impression of Wanganui from the state of this street. The improvement now being made will remedy that especially as the Borough Council last night decided to have the footpaths properly formed on each side of Ridgway street.