LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11644, 23 August 1905, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Presbyterian services will be conducted on Sunday next by the Rev. B. Hutson, as follows:-:- Mangamahu, 11 a.m.; at Mr Poison's, 3 p.m. ; at Fo'rdell, 7 p.m. We ' beg to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the' August number of the T.Y.M.I. Gazette. This month's publication contains a variety of -interesting reading matter, and is well up to the standard maintained by the Gazette. ' , Hhe latest additions to the Telephone Exchange are- No. 398, Mr F. Barnard Brownte- residence,* Wicksteed Street, 320, Mrs M. Brown, -Land and Labour Agent, Guyton Street, and 455, Mr T. B. Strong's residence, Liverpool Street Extension. Doubtless Bay advises that the statement , in. yesterday's papers that. the Atlantic and Pacific cables are overwhelmed with messages bearing on the peace conference refers to the commercial Pacific cable and not to the State owned cable, which is not interfered with. Mr 'W. * G-. Bassett is definitely announced as a candidate for the Wanganui seat at the next general election, making the sixth gentlemanwho seeks 1 to woo. the suffrages of the electors. Those now announced are Messrs A. By, Willis (the sitting member), T. B. Williams, B. M. Gatenby and J. T. Hogan (Liberals), and P. H. Haselden, and W. G. Bassett (Conservatives). At a meeting of the Dunedin land agents, solicitors, find others interested, to consider the position, of the sub-divisions of land as regards the width, of streets, a resolution was passed — That the position of the law regarding the sub-division and dealings with land is intolerable, resulting in the paralysis of settlement and the sale and purchase of lands." A strong committee was appointed to 'go into this matter and- Mr Millar's Pifblic Works Amendment A,ct,- and report. •-.-.■ Jacob Marks, rabbi at the Grand Street Synagogue, was. held for trial last evening at the ' Essex Market Police. Court (says a New Ydrk exchange of June 29), for bookmaking in the synagogue. The police said they had noticed the services at- the synagogue were excessively frequent, and that they were attended by large congregations,': which included members of various religions. ■ A detective entered the 'building, and found the congregation making bets with the rabbi at the altar, which was. fitted with racing charts, etc: The' police -broke down the doors, arrested the attendants, and confiscated - the money found. ' ' . . . , - • j

, At a' meeting in Dunedin of the newly-fornied-Prison Reform Society the follow. ing resolutions were passed: — "That this Socieiy strongly approves the indeterminate sentence/ provided, at the same time, that special' reformatory treatment is provided for all who in' the' opinion' of the judge, should be made ..the .subject .of it." Also-^'That the Society approves "of the proposal to allow *a prisoner, or those .dependent- on them, a reasonable proportion of .his or her earnings while in gaol"; "That tnis Society . strongly, approves of the. .proposal embodied .in the Juvenile Offenders' Bill for the trial. of juvenile's privately-" ■ . ■ . , ■ ■ •

There was a clean sheet at the "Police Court this morning.

Captain Edwin wired at noon to-day: — Strong winds to gale from between west and south and south-east; glass rise; tides high; sea heavy; rain probable, and weather very cold.

As a proof of the sobriety of the people of Wanganui we may mention that not a solitary person has been charged with drunkenness at the local Police Court during the last fortnight.

At the Borough Council table last evening, Cr. Williams remarked on the fact that a number of the small rails on the bridge were bent, and projecting into the roadway. -They were, he said, dangerous,, and he had seen a lady capsized from her bicycle a few days ago through coming, into contact with one of them. It was decided to draw the Foreman's attention to the matter.

The- identity of the^ mysterious man who was found wandering in the streets of Kettering . with a blank memory still remains unsolved. He is' at present in the workhouse. In answer to questions, he stated that he- did not think that he was married, and he could not say whether he 'was a University man or not. He thought that he had seen the Australians play twice this year, but could -not remember where. His mind is so blank that he cannot remember what he ate last. "I am very, very tired," he concluded, "and cani not remember anything."

The Christchurch Drainage Board has agreed to the engineer's proposal to increase the power at the pumping station and make certain additions to the existing scheme at an estimated co§fc of ,£17,000. The necessity for increased power is due to the fact .that about three-fourths of the water being pumped is subsoil water, for which no allowance was made in the original scheme. When the additional power is provided the engineer is of opinion that ( the plant will be capable of coping with the requirements of the whole of the district that can be drained! The Board has also decided to complete the sewerage of the portion of Linwood Ward that can be dealt with by gravitation 4it an estimated cost of .£IIB,OOO. The Board intends introducing a Bill this session, to enable it to raise the money necessary for these works.

Cr Johns stated at the Council, table last evening that there had been some heavy floods in the Napier district lately, and he noticed by the papers there that three days afterwards a Government engineer was up to inspect the damage done to the bridges and that he was about to recommend the Government to pay a subsidy towards the cost of repairs. If that could be done for Napier, why not for Wanganui? Cr Johns asked. He thought we had been very lax over the Town Bridge, and it was time some more energy was shown. The Mayor said he had been thrashing at the matter for a long time and could get no satisfaction. He had the* other day sent another letter to the Minister for Public Works, and if he got no reply it was his intention to call a conference of local bodies to see what to do. He confessed himself as very disappointed over the Government's treatment of the matter, and if nothing tangible was done shortly, they must take other steps.

At the meeting of creditors of James Henry Armstrong, builder, of Wellington, the debtor, according to the N.Z. Times of August 12, stated that since dissolving partnership with Andrew Thompson, of Wanganui, he had paid partnership accounts, leaving Thompson debtor to bankrupt for iJI6O 153 7d, none of which he had been able to recover. Mr C. E. Mac-, key, Mr Thompson's solicitor, forwarded the following letter to the N.Z. Times, which was published in that journal's issue of August 18:— "I am instructed by Mr A. Thompson to write you in reference to the report of J. H. Armstrong's bankruptcy recently appearing in your columns. Mr Armstrong's statements are altogether inaccurate, and are calculated to damage my client. In March, 1904, a complete settlement was arrived at between the late parners, Mr Thompson paying Mr Armstrong .£6O in full satisfaction of his claims, and also satisfying certain outstanding partnership debts. Mr Armstrong then gave my client a formal written release, which I now hold. Since then Mr Armstrong has neither had any valid claim, nor attempted to make any, against my client. I shall be obliged if^ you will do my client the justice of publishing the true" version of the matter."