LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11724, 27 November 1905, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The latest addition to the Telephone Exchange is No. 380, the Spiral Steel Pipe Company -(Mephan Ferguson's), of New Zealand, Limited, Heads Road.

Mr Joseph Wesney, the local manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, has kindly forwarded two handy wall calenders to this office.

The employees of the Sydney City Council entertained Mr Richards prior to his departure for Dunedin, where he is^ to take up the position of town clerk. They prevsented him with a purss of sovereigns as a tribute of their appreciation.

We understand that arrangements have been made with the N.Z. Loan and Mercantilo Agency Coy., Ltd. — the owners of the Aramoho Freezing Company, by which the Wanganui Meat Freezing Company have obtained the control of the Aramoho Works for the coming season.

We understand that the Floral Fete to lie held on Boxing Day is already attracting a large amount of attention, and indications are for an unqualified success. It may be stated in this connection that entries for the different events on the programme may be left with the secretary of ihe Horticultural Society (Mr Holloway} at the Flower Show orikThursday and Friday next.

At the last meeting of the Port Chalmers Borough Council it was decided (says a Dunedin telegram) to demand rent in advance of the quarry leased by Luttrell and Scott for" the new dock contract. This was resented, and Luttrell and Scott discharged all .the Port Chalmers workers employed by them. On Saturday a deputation of workers waited on Mr Luttrell and the Mayor, and protested against the action of the Council in publicly demanding rent in advance, and expressed sympathy with Luttrell and Scott in the position in which they had been placed. Mr Luttrell - said as the action of the Council was evidently not approved by the ratepayers or the workers, as ne thought was the case, the men discharged would resume work on Monday, and would receive half wages for the time lost. In the evening a.pxiblic meetings was held, -at which a resolution was passed calling on the .Council to expunge from the minutes the motion calling on Mr Luttrell to pay the rent of the quarry in advance within 12 hours. The meeting was at times somewhat lively, two of the candidates for Chalmers taking part.

The wire-rope at the Upokongaro Ferry was nearly the cause of a drowning accident last evening, when, owing to it having been left — so it is alleged — aboiit a foot ,above the water, instead of being submerged, " it capsized a boat in which Mr Alfc Gray was rowing to town. Mr Gray was thrown out on one side of the wire and the boat on the other, and, as the accident happened in mid-stream, it was indeed fortunate that Mr Gray is the strong swimmer he is, otherwise he would most certainly have been drowned, ' as he had on a pair of^ Wellington boots and was fully attired, while a strong flood was running. ,He swam to the upturned boat, on which Tie drifted down stream about a mile, before being picked up by a, ' Maori named Simon, who had witnessed, the accident, and put off in a canoe to the rescue. Mr Gray had a new rifle, some ammunition, etc., in the boat, and these were lost, together with a fine collection of pawa shells, which he was fetching to town with the intention of presenting same to the Museum;, We understand that the ferry punt w,as on the Wanganui side of the river, and that though Mr Gray looked he failed to see anyone on it or about the vicinity. He therefore concluded that the wire would hi submerged in the centre of the river. We have previously drawn attention to the danger of boats from this wire, and it is to be hoped that strict precautions will be\taken to prevent the possibility of another mishap. -Had it been an oil-launch with ! a crowd of excursionists on board which 'had been capsized yesterday the loss of life might have been great.