LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11290, 25 June 1904, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The widow of the late Phil May, earn-" caturist, hag . been granted a . civil list pension of .£75. ' . - , ; The Canterbury Frozen Meat Company haa. declared a dividend of 4 per cent, for the half-year. • -> We are asked to acknowledge, with thanks, a donation of two guineas from Mr Ritchings Grant (lion l secretary of the Winter School Concert Committee) to tho Wanganui Garrison Band's funds. For failing to fulfil their promise to admit 'members to their first meeting, as ordered by the Arbitration Court on Monday, tho Sydney Wharf Labourers' Union was ordered to pay the costs of an ap-. plication to Court on' the matter.

We. regret to have to announce the death, at liis residence, Hatrick Street, t .of Mr John Currie, at the age- of 55. ~ Deceased was a well-known employee of the Railway Department, and had a large circle of friends through the district, who .will join with us in extending our sincere condolences to the sorrowing relatives;.

" There was a fall in groceries in'Eidgway Street this morning, when a box containing a quantity of' small goods' fell off 'an express cart, and 1 deposited its J gqbas r in the mud. They were all restored to the box again with tin* exception .of : a 3)ag\ of. currants (?) which were rather the wotbc for the fall. '>, ,

Some twenty bands have"' written statiug that they intend to compete in the contest to_ be held in Auckland in February. Among these are three championship winners., viz., Wellington, Garrison, Waoganui Garrison, and Kaikoraii The whole affair is in the hands of a very strong committee of bandsmen and. citizens.

The Premier is in receipt, of the following- communication from London;— " The New Zealand colonists, assembled at the annual banquet, ' cordially .congratulate you on 1 your • restoration to health, and send best wishes for Lord Phmlcet's career as Governor, in which the Duke of Marlborough hearfily unites."

Two young girls of Berlin • found their eyesight failing, and their parents sent them to a doctor, where they had to undergo a' cure lasting for some weeks. Quee T tioned ad to what they had been, doing to bring their, eyes to such a condition, tha girls confessed that they had washed their fapes in water mixed with frogs' eggs in order to secure a delicate complexion.

' Sonic months ago the North Sydney (NewSouth Wales) Council decided to try the effect of oiling the surface of the streets in .order to, mitigate the dust nuisance, and. a. beginning was made with Walker Street, one of th^-busiest thoroughfares of the bor- V ough, which was treated 'with crude kerosene oil. Therresult has proved satisfactory, and the experiment is to be continued further. It has been found that a coating -every three months is sufficient. * -

Mr J.- W. Brindley; manager of the 1 State Fire Insurance Deparment, leaves Wellington ; for the^outh on Sunday to arrange for a branch at Dunedin and agencies in the other southern centres. Mr John Bdwden, the accountant, 'leave's J:6morrojv. £or-' the- ''^purposeVof Agencies throughout • the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay district.. The Department expects to commence taking' risks by September 3 si. '

The sheep-yards at Taylorville are in a very unsafe condition, and owners would do well before removing their stock to see that none of them have slipped. under the fence and down ,the bank. There is at present a sheep on the bank under the - yards, and we are informed the poor animal has been tkere since Wednesday without food. We hope those interested, will rescue it from its present uncomfortable position at once.

A Christchurcli telegram states that "Degree day"' in Canterbury College yesterday afternoon w,as a brilliant function. The ■.Chancellor, Sir Robert Stout, presided.. The Chancellor congratulated the College on the results of the examinations stating' that twelve students had obtained B.A. degree, three B.S.c, tliree Bachelor of Laws, and six the M.A. degree. Tluee senior scholarships, awarded by the University and the John Tinline scholarship, had gone to the College.

It has struck us (says the Hawke's Bay Herald) that the best thing that could be done for the Maori would be to locate a couple of sensible women folk in the large settlements or pas, with a view of instructing them in the more healthy ways of feeding, clothing, and housekeeping. The Mormons are a despised people, but they have a curious gift for getting hold of the Maoris, which, might .with advantage be studied by other bodies. We find, for example, that the Mormon miesionaries have settled with their wives in some of the native settlements. These good women take it in turns, day by day, to visit one or other of the wliares in their neighbourhood. They see that the children are properly clad, they treat their simpls ailments, and they teach the mothers how to give them simple nutritious food,. We shall be very much surprised if in these settlements the infant mortality is not very materially reduced. ■

Captain Marshall, who is in charge of the party searching for the machinery lost off the p\mt belonging to the Wanganui River Trust during the recent Hood, has bo far been unssuecessful in his efforts to, locate its whereabouts. It will be remembered tbat Mr Felix Tanner announced that he was confidentlie had discovered the engine, etc., but on careful search being mad© at the spot indicated jt was found that the machinery was not there. Since then Captain Marshall has been engaged making a thorough search of the river, in the route the punt is known to have travelled be? j tween the Railway and Town Bridges, and ] the party is now working opposite the Taylorvillc saleyards. It is thought that there ' is. every probability of finding the valuable property , between Durie's Creole .and the Bridge, as it is believed the machinery must have fallen off the punt somewhere there.

It was intended to send the steamer Glenelg to Wellington to go on the slip there for the purpose of having her rudder — which met with an injury the other day — repaired. However, as ifc was found out tbat the slip would not" be available until Wednesday, Captain Haultain > decided to have the work done here. • Consequently he had the rudder unshipped and taken to the foundry, where the necessary repairs were being: effected to-day, and it was hoped would be finished in time to allow of the ruduer being' refitted to-night, and thus enable the steamer to sail for Onehunga to-morrow. It is thought that the rudder must have been damaged when the steamer took ground oh .some previous occasion, and was further injured when she stuck on the flats on Thursday morning, rendering it necessary to have the repairs done at once, otherwise serious result's might liavo ensued.