LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 12002, 20 October 1906, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The latest addition to the Telephone Exchange is Mr W. Browne's residence, Putiki, No. 206.

It is stated that certain of the underisables who have been attracted to Christchurch by the Exihibition, are occupying a portion of their time by visiting the outskirts of Christchurch and the town of Lyttelton ostensibly aa hawkers or canvassers for the sale' of goods. Some of them, it is said, have miscel* laneous collections of small articles, which they offer for sale at low prices.

Mr Jeyes, a blind newsagent, was one of eighty of Northampton's blind people who had their annual outing recently. Mr Jeyes has supplied his customers with papers for twenty years, and scarcely ever delivers the wrong paper, although he carries a variety of journals. Sir Joseph Ward lias introduced a Post Office Act Amendment Bill to the House. The Colonial Treasurer is to be empowered to pay to each depositor in the Post Office Savings Bank interest as follows — 5 per cent, on so much of his deposit as does not exceed .£3OO, and 4 per cent, on bo much as exceeds ,£3OO but does not exceed The limit of .£6OO shall not apply in the case of friendly, charitable, or provident societies. According to the report of the Undersecretary tor Native Affairs, the Maori census snows an increase of 4588 over the number for 1901. There are now 47,731 natives in New Zealand, as compared with 43,143 in 1901, 39,854 in 1896, and 43,595 in 1878. The Maori population of the North Island is 44,962, an increase of 4255 ; of the South Island 2256, an increase of 340, of Stewart Island 100, a decrease of 12; and of the Chatham Islands 202, a decrease of 10. There are only thirty Morioris left. . Up to March 31st last the Government had acquired 7,976,165 acres of native land in the North Island, the uncompleted purchases at that date amounting to 99,743 acres. The total expenditure to March 31st was £2,024,422, including .£219,762 out of the North Island Main Trunk Railway loan. The lands finally acquired from th« end of the financial year up to June 30th totalled 3697 acres, including 670 acres 1 in Waimarama and 783 acres in Taiipo. The lands under negotiation at th« time of the return was made up were 9,745 acres. A company is being floated in Wellington to work the antimony leads at Bfl^ deavour Inlet, Queen Charlttoe Sound. Many years ago Wellington capitalists ■pent thousands of pounds in developing antimony leads in that locality, but after a while the market price fell so low that the operations could not be carried on at a profit, and the company went into liquidation. Antimony is again fetching a satisfactory figure, and attention is once more being paid to the deposits of ore at Endeavour Inlet. The shareholders of a Perth (W.A.) Tramway Company having expressed a wish at the last annual meeting that -they should be given the results of the working every six months, the directors have just issued a short interim report that shows that the company is making satisfactory headway, the gross receipts for the half-year to June 30th having amounted to £38,273, an increase of £2659 over- tlie corresponding. peroid o£ 1905, while the expenditure was nearly £500 less. The net profits for the six months are thus £3100 greater than for the corresponding period of last year. As will be seen from the estimates pub. lished in another column, £3000 has been put down for the Parapara Road, £301)0 for roading the Ohotu Block, £1000 for the protective work at the Wanganui Bridge, £400 for the River Trust, £500 for the Wanganui River road opposite T* Rimu (brought before the Chamber of Commerce by Mr P. L. Cameron), £350 for the Upokongaro -Parikino road over what is known as "'Gentle Annie," £250 for Upokonui road and £200 for Te Hue (branch roads off Field's Track), £400 for Purarato road (to open up land recently acquired near PipirikiV £250 for Raupiri (a branch road from Field's Track near Lewis's to O'Connor's), £100 Otaranui (back of Jerusalem), £200 Ohotu to Karioi, £200 Oruakuguru to Karioi, £100 Matahiwi to Ohotu (all the three latter connected with opening Ohotu Block), and £100 Kauarapaoa (inland from Raonkia). Included in the legislation of the present session of Bjirliament is the passing of the Registration of Births Extension Act, 1906, by which persons or parents of persons who were born in New Zealand before the 24th March, 1906, but whose births have not previously been registered, are afforded the opportunity of affecting a special registration by application to the Registrar-General, Wellington. The fee in every case is five shillings, to be paid on application. The evidence required will be a stamped affidavit of facts. The form of affidavit will be communicated from the RegistrarGeneral's Office on application. The Act is operative for one year only from September 24th, 1906. In respect to the Harrison Street destitution case, we are informed that though the woman has considerably improved in health since the case was taken in hand by Messrs Palmer and McCarthy, it has been found necessary to remove her to the Hospital for two or three weeks, in order to give her a better chance to recover from a condition of things which was fast killing her. The house has been made more comfortable by the addition of furniture, etc., and the gentlemen above mentioned have arranged to take charge of the children during the mother's absence. The children have also been provided witli additional clothes. In connection with the widow's statement that the children called on Friday last at tho shop for bread and were informed that there was none and they would have to come again, the contractor for the supply of charitable aid rations asks us to state that no such application was made at the shop, and that they were not short of bread on that day. •. Interest in the platinum discovery in the Fitzherbert hills, says a Palmerston correspondent, is still very keen. Several claims of 50 to 100 acres have been pegged out, but the only man who has so far prospected seriously is Mr Menesdorffer, the original discoverer. He is now out among the hills. He has been out there for a week. He is endeavouring to procure specimens to submit to the Government Geologist for the purposes of an assay. I) the result is satisfactory, he will declare it to the public. Mr Menesdorffer's return is therefore being awaited with much interest. Three assays of specimens were obtained by Mr Menesdorffer in Melbourne. They were all very satisfactory. The specimens were, however, from the top of the ridge, and unless the reef extends to the gullies it is unlikely mining operations can be conducted wSth profit. Mr Menesdorffer is endeavouring to trace the reef in the latter direction. In all past discoveries of platinum the metal has been found in soft decayed deposits, from which it requires to be "washed." In the present discovery it is a thin, sheen-like layer between strata of hard rock.