LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 12580, 29 September 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The seismograph at the Sydney Observatory has' recorded slight "earth tremors every day during the last week. The spring weather has had a marked effect on the attendance at the Museum. During ...ie week ending September 26th, 559 people visited the institution. New Plymouth expects to make great progress when its harbour becomes a. port for ocean liners. That event the townspeople are convinced is not far away, saysja correspondent of the. New Zealand Times. There will be little opposition to,tbe : raiiging of the loan of .£150,000 for new work*, and the advising engineer (Mr F. W. Matchant) has stated that a first-class port may be constructed for a sum well within this amount. - ■ . • * " ' ' ' s * In the civil cases before the Cpud this morning a larger percentage of natives tli.m usual figured as defendants. A common trait among the natives — even 'witu many of, them w>ho understand well and speak fluently the English tongue—^s •to request the services of an interpreter. One defendant this morning, in his anxiety to retain the general prittcijttfe laid down by hie predecessors, unsophistnraHy blurted out as soon as hie case was called, and in very passable English— "No interpreter here, I can't ejjeak English: A blacksmith of Port Chalmers probably holds the Dominion record of the story book idea of uninterrupted— not even » holiday— service 'in one firm, says the Dunedin Star. Forty-three years ago he, as a lad, entered the service of the .now Maori Ironworks as an apprentice. During the intervening years the firm has, developed from a modest blacksmith and horseshoeing shop to its present position Among engineering works. The now senior- blacksmith has iust gone away for hia first, and well-eairned holiday^ • . There are 3444 trained and armed boys in New Zealand — the nnest nucleUß any defence system could have. It is gratifying to note that of theise Defence Cadets Wellington and district has' the largest number — 1033 ; Otago being second', with 1024. Auckland has 657, Canterbury. 4^4, Nelson 256. A point of importance is that these Defence Cadets are generally quite as well officered as the best of the Vo.lunteer corps, and there are 175 officers tflio, by virtue of their avocation as schoolmasters, are usually better disciplinarians* and frequently more practical than* volunteer officers, who, of course, have not the" advantage of being constantly * witn t!hß troops of their commands. It is a particularly hopeful sign to see the Defence Cadet corps increasing in strength.' '.' ' ftf t The bequest 'which Sir John Hail made to the Christchurch library has resulted in some hundreds of. books being a<Jde<l to the collection. They deal principally with the_ early history . of New , Zealand, and there are collections of pamphlets, journals, and ephmeral publications generally, which will prove a valuable addition, tp the present collection of .works dealing with New Zealand, and should also prove very useful to the future historiaps, oft the Dominion. There are some fine folio.editions of Cook's voyages^ in excellent'condition, and a large variety of lesser workadealing with the early days of the'Jhominion; travels and exploration, and the lives of the foremost men of early- times; Fiction by New Zealand authors dealing* with life in New Zealand has been 1 assiduously collected. ' '*' ' Considerable dissatisfaction exists among the railway employees at the anbmalies-jof the D 3 classification list udder the -Act of last year, says the Palmerston Standard. Men who • have over. 30 years, of' service to their credit and are, in the firat[ grade are' receiving 6d per day A jess^Kajn.' their juniors. Men classified as shu^tejs. are working as porters *and porters, ate worlcing^ as shunters and receiving only porters' pay. At a well-attended meeting of the Amalgamated Society of SaiivrayServants on Saturday the matter was,discussed at considerable length, and milch, indignation expressed at the existing stfttej of affairs. It was decided: — "That all mem* bers who have appeals against their Jtpsition on the D 3 list forward same to- the; Minister of Eailwaya at once." Mr, W. T. Wood, M.P., was present at the.meeting, and undertook to go into the matter. A story of how country workers help ; a - comrade is told by the Auckland Herildpa., Waihi correspondent. Some miners fxoni the Tairua district arrived at the Waihi hospital last evening, bringing with them a mate named John McLaughlan, who was suffering from pneumonia, with con)plications. The circumstances under winch/ the patient was brought in were somewhat, remarkable. At Tairua the manager ..of | the Golden Hills mine acquainted the. men. with the condition of the unfortunate roan and intimated that volunteers were, required to convey him to Puriri, a distance of some 18 miles, over mountainous coYm- - try, with nothing beyond a rough it*idle track on which to travel. There was- a ready response to the call, and just on - 50 volunteers started off with the patient for Puriri, where he was /irst seen: by jyt-^-a-praik and then brought on to Waihi ' Oy train. The men worked in short relays of four, and carrying McLaughlan on an improvised litter, covered the 18 mile* in less than four hours and three-quarters, i*

The questior of advertising the Dominion and various parts thereof is one that is engaging the attention of not only the Government, but also local bodies. One of the favourite methods that lias been adopted has been the issueof illustrated booklets, showing the resources, etc., of the different districts concerned. The local Chamber of Commerce has > "ust completed arrangements for the issuing of a booklet containing: a splendid sec- , ice of Wanganui views, together w^lth particulars of its commercial, educational and municipal advancement. It has been decided that one or two members of the Chamber will canvass the business , and residential portions of the town in order ' that all may have an opportunity, of securing one or more copies for sending to their friends either at Home or in other parts of the Dominion. As the chairman mentioned at the meeting yesterday, these would make splendid presents to send away for Christmas gieetings. They are to be sold at the nomir. nal price of one shilling. The books can. also be obtained from the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr J.-L. Stev* enson), or from the office of this paper. '

, Captain Edwin wire das follows at 12.32 •pan. , to-day :—^Easterly moderate to strong winda, glass little movement, tides mode-'i-Hb&e, sea moderate.

- The trout fishing seasdn opens on IPKtesday next, Ist October, throughout .the Dominion. Fishing licenses may • now be taken out for fishing in any part of New Zealand, and locally may be obtaineu. from the secretary of the Wangariui, Acclimatisation Society or at the Poet Office. •^ A. young man named Hodgson was remanded at the Cou'rt->to-day, on a charge «f • stealing .£l4, the "property of Jas. E. White. This was the only business in -the Police Court. In the Magistrate's Court a large budget of civil claims were .dealt with, including a number of judgment order eummonsea, and several uninteresting defended claims for small amounts.

The Museum has been enriched by a . Jrexy fine model -of a Maori war cauoe, which, is the gift of the late Mr A. D. (Willis, who was always an ardent collector for the institution. His interest in the Museum is shown by the fact that, .though suffering from- ill health, he was able, while in Auckland, to procure this trophy for the town. "The canoe is about three feet long, and has the usual carved, figures at each end. It has been hung %p. in the concert hall, just to the left *©f . the platform.