LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12734, 1 April 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Levcuc, .of Towueley Castle, Ramsgate, has invented a solution or wash to make flannelette non-inflammable. Gonville possesses 5J miles of water mail's and 42 fire plugs.— Statement made by Mr A.. G. Bignell last evening at Gonville Fire Brigade meeting. The fund for the endowment of a bod at the Napier Hospital jn memory of the Uo stewardesses vho lost their lives in the Penguin disaster was closed yesterday, the amount necessary (£5O) having been subscribed. The American Navy Department are trying a new brake designed to bring vessels travelling at high speed to a quick halt. The device consists of two great wings, 13 feet high and 6 feet wide, working on hinges fastened to each side of the sJiip below water. Mr H. J. Turner, who for many years has been a strong advocate of currency reform has had published, in pamphlet form, the ssriee of articles on. the currency ' question which recently appeared in the "Herald" under the norn de plume of "Satis Superque." The question is daily coming into greater prominencCr-and the pamphlets consequently should be largely read. The revenue in all branches of the Wansranui Court for, the quarter ending 31st March, totalled no less a sum than .£574 4s, the whole amount being fees, with the exception of £49 10s, received for fines. From this it will be seen that the bsuiness transacted at the Wanganui Court has how reached considerable proportions, and from the quarterly returns published elsewhere the growth of business' is, just as apparent. Two "buskers," dressed as pierrots, started an open-air performance in one of the side streets last eVeninsr, but were promptly moved on by the police. Three successive attempts to make a start in "different spots met with the same jesult, to the- surprise of the crowd, as the men were causing no inconvenience to traffic. Finally, they came to rest near the Drill Hall, where they gave a bright and clean little entertainment, and were rewarded with a liberal collection of small coin by their audience. Considerable interest was taken, in the first election of Commissioners for the Castleclitf Town District which was held yesterday. There were eleven candidates, divided into three parties, and the surprise was the non-election of Mr 'S. T; Ashton, who was the chief mover in< bavin?? the district constituted a Town District. Mr C. M. Creswell headed the poll with 89 votes, and the others returned were Messrs T. L. Collins (81), G. F. Marsden (76), P. A. Swarm (73), E. G. MoDougal! (69), T. H. Glenn (67), and W. Scott (66). During the quarter ended yesterday 214 persons were taken into custody, EUinmoned, or apprehended on criminal charges in Wanganui, as against 225 for the first three months of 1903 and 175 in the first quarter of 1907. Of the^former total 196 were males and 18 females, 19 males and 3 females were discharged for want of, prosecution, the charges against 11 males and 1 female were dismissed on their merits, and 6 males were committed- for trial; 160 m*ales and 14 females were summarily convicted 27 males and 3 females paid their fines, 77 males and 4 females were sent to imprisonment in lieu of fines or sureties, and 17 males and 3 females received peremptory imprisonment. The orders made — principally prohibition and maintenance orders — totalled 17 against males and 2 against females; 22 males and 2 females were convicted and discharged. Of the total offences 168 (159) were offences against good order, principally drunkenness, \agrancy, larceny, and other breaches of the peace. There were 25 (20 males and 3 female) offenders against the rights of property (theft principally, and breaking and entering, etc.); seven of the cases were against persons and reputation, mainly common assault. The return of business transacted in the Supreme Court at Wanganui during the quarter ended yesterday shows that the Court sat on two days for criminal and 19 days for civil business, as against four and cine respectively in the corresponding quarter of 1908, while 11 sittings were held in chambers, two in banco, and one on divorce and matrimonial business. In criminal business 3 (7 in 1908) indictments were heard, 2 (5) being convictions, and 1 (2) acquittals. Besides these 3 (2) prisoner?! came up for sentence. In civil biisiness 21 ordinary writs were heard, and 5 writs (bills of exchange). Four civil cases wejre tried by common jury, and 10 by the Judge, 4 judgments being entered. In chambers 17 motions, 3 summonses, and 1 petition were heard, 12 orders being made., In banco, 2 motions were heard. In divorce 2 (nil in 1908) ' petitions were filed, and 6 motions in chambers heard, 3' ordors being made, and 1 decree nisi made. The probates before the Court totalled 6 (17), administrations 3 (1), exemplifications 1. No bankruptcy business came before the Court, and the amount of fees collerted on other than bankruptcy business totalled £170 11s. The bills of sale registered totalled 33 (30), mortgages of stack 13 (31), bailments of stock and chattels 26 (12), wool securities registered 2 (1), agricultural liens 5 (2), powers of attorney nil (nil), other matters 12 (11), satisfaction 18 (28):

Though Wanganui is one of the mest up-to-date and progressive towns in the Dominion, it is evidently behind the times in the matter of fire plugs. Speaking at the meeting at Gonville last evening, Mr T. D. Cummins, Wanganui's veteran fire fighter, expressed surprise that .the Gonville Town Board had put down the same kind of fire plugs as were in use in Wanganui, which he declared to be a quarter of a century behind the times and absolutely out of date. They were not to be compared to the ball hydrants which were much more suitable for fire prevention purposes. He had no hesitation in saying that thousands. of pounds' worth of property tad been lost in Wanganui owing to the delay in getting the water oxT, due to the difficulty of clearing tbe plugs and making the connections. Mr Cnmmins's remarks were endorsed by Captain Holland, of the Eastown Fire Brigade, who said that with the ball hydrant the water could be playing on a burning building while firemen were opening the ordinary fire plugs, which were frequently stopped with sand, stones, and broken bottlesT Mr T. H. Battle, another ex-captain of the Wanganui Brigade while agreeing as to the superiority of the ball hydrant, pointed out that there was one advantage in Gonville having the fire plugs, and that was the uniformity of the system in town and in the Gonville district, which would enable each Brigade to help the other in case of necessity.

There was a clean sheet at the Police Court this morning. A monument to Queen Victoria is to be erected in the Boulevard des Cimies at Nice. The annual cost of a "wireless" operator snd the apparatus on board ship is estimated at about £250. School inspectors, according to Judge Parry, ought to be pensioned and' turned on to the golf links. Captain Edwin wired as follows at 1.30 p.m. to-day:— Westerly strong winds to gale, glass rise slowly, tides high, sea heavy off shore, rain probable, river high. Collier's Weekly, an. American illustrated * journal, has a curiously significant illustration in its September number. This i.3 a reproduction of a money-box in the form of a ship, which, it is stated, is in uso in German schools, bearing the legend, "Give us your pennies that we may thrash tho English." A Dunedin gentleman interested in the mercantile life of New Zealand, who is closely in touch with trade and shipping, suggests a method of raising money which, if adopted, would add greatly to the present" jiaval subsidy. His proposal is il.at the levy should be based on incomes, and ehonld be in the proportion of £1 for every £100 of income, with no exemptions, say down to incomes of £100 a year. The rainfall at Wanganui for March was 3.26 inches. Rain fell on 10 days. The< greatest fall in 24 hours was 1.32 inches "on the 29th The drought, accompanied with low rivers, which had lasted throughout February, broke up on the night of the 12th of March, with a rainfall of three-quarters of an inch, and showery -weather continued to the 19th, then again fine weather till the 28th, then a fall in temperature and rain from the south-cast on the 28th and 29th. For the first three months of this year 11 bankruptcies have been entered in the books of the Wanganui Official Assignee, only three of which, however, were in the town of Wanganui, the reaminder being divided between the following portions ol" the district: — Marton 3, Manga weka 2, Taihape 1, Ohakune 1, Westmere 1, and 1 at Palmerston North, the same being verified in Wanganui. The total for the first quarter of last year was 6, all outside the town. The net Customs duties collected in Wanganui during March were £6344 12s Id, as against £/069 15s 7d for the same period in the previous year. The beer excise duty, additional to the above, totalled £513 0s '9d, as against £411 2s for March last year. For the first quarter this year the duties totalled £16,39/ 11s 6d, and the gross Customs receipts £18,170 14s 7d, as against £18,568 19s 7d, and £20,474 12s lOd respectively for the corresponding three months of last year. The vital statistics for the quarter ended yesterday, kindly supplied by the Registrar, show that the births totalled 139, a decrease of 3 as compared with the first three months of 1908. The deaths numbered 44, as against 51 'last year, and the marriages 30, a decrease of 12. For the month of March the births totalled 43, as against 49 the previous March, 37 being in the town and suburbs, and 6 in the country and 5 in the hospital. The deaths in March 1908, were 19. The marriages, totalling 10, as against 17 the previous March, were solemnised as follows: — Church of England rites 4, Presbyterian 2, Baptist 1, Wesleyan 1, Registrar 2. The following is the state of H.M. • Prison, Wanganui, for the month of March, 1909:— In custody Ist iust:— Trial 3 males, sentenced tojaard labour 15 males, 2 females; sentcuced to imprisonment 1 male; total, 19 males, 2 females. Received during the month: — Hard labour 30 males, 5 females; removed 2 males; trial at Supreme Court 1 male; total, 33 males, 5 females. Discharged — Hard labour, 17 males, 1 female; discharged to asylum, 1 male; discharged police, 2 males; total 20 males, 1 female. In custody on last day of month — Hard labour 30 males, 6 females; trial, 2 males; total, * 33 males, 6 females. The relative position of the imports and exports has been a variable one in Wanganui, in fact in the whole Dominion, during the past two years. At the present time the imports are being kept very low, the retrenchments by importers being very apparent by a glance at the gross vaiueof the imports passing the customs lately. The exports, on the other hand, are again improving in value, and judging by exports from Wanganui during the quarter ended yesterday, the Dominion should, the same conditions prevailing elsewhere, soon recover its wonted money Woyancy. The export* from Wanganui during the quarter just ended were valued at close on a quarter of a million pounds, namely, £208,917, equal to more than four times the value of the imports for the quarter, which totalled £49,613. The exports for the March quarter last year were valued at £191,3i9, and the imports - at £65,606. The return of business transacted in the Magistrate's Court at Wanganui during the quarter ended yesterday, shows that 74 sittings were held during the three months, a*> againat 100 for the corresponding period last year, and 73 in 1907. Of last sittings 58 we're presided over by a Stipendiary Magistrate, and 16 by Justices of the Peace. All the civil cases — 301 (-38) — the figures in parenthesis being for the 1908 March quarter — were heard by a Magistrate. The total amount sued for was £5130 10s 3d (£4585). £2442 6s 4d (£2155 2s 7d) was recovered. The number of plaints entered wa3 532 (38-3), distress warrants issued 111 (76), judgment Bummon.'cs issued 80 (73), orders matfe on judgment summonses 47 (21); warrants of committal issued 16 (6); writs of arrest issued, nil ; number of procease*, etc., served by bailiff within 2 miles of Post Office, 356 (267), over 2 miles 103 (85); warrants executed by bailiff within 2 miles 46 (21). over two miles 11 (6); warrants of committal executed by the bailiff 7 (4). £263 Is 9d (£254 19a) civil fees were paid in stamrs, while £2 10s (£2) were received in licensing fees. THE MEN BEHIND THE COUNTER. Mr^/Vm. Bruce, storekeeper, Wanganui, says:— "l have stocked IMPEY'S°M\Y APPLE FOR SOME TIME, and find the denatid for it increasing. From the personal testimony of those who use it, and from my own personal experience, I have every confidence in recommending it as one of the best preparations I have come across." Mr H. Pritchard, grocer, Wellington, says:— "IMPEY'S MAY APPLE is an ideal family medicine. I find in Actual experience that it is much stronger and less is required to be taken than most medicines of a similar class. My customers speak highly of it, and it finds ready sale in my store." Mr T. Beggs, grocer, Wellington, says: — "It affords me pleasure to inform you that IMPEY'S MAY APPLE commands a very ready sale, and is highly spoken of by my customers who have used it and found it a reliable remedy for Indigestion and Liver Troubles. I have every confidence in recommending it." Mr R. T. Batley, storekeeeper, Moawhango, says:— "I have rea««>n to believe that IMPEY'S MAY APPLE is a real good medicine in cases of sluggish liver and indigestion." Obtainable at all stores, price 2s 6d.