LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12746, 17 April 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is rumoured, says the Feilding Star, that the Government have purchased 92 acres adjoining the Otaki Railway Station for the purpose of erecting railway workshops in the near future.

During a brief discussion on the borough by-laws, at zbe Council meeting on Thursday ttening, the need of some new ones was urged. The Mayor remarked that the making of a by-law was an expensive job. "There is no doubt," he added, "the whole of the by-laws want revising and bringing up to date. It will have to be done soon, and it will be better to make one job of it."

In a paper read at the Chambers of Commerce Conference, held in Wellington on Tuesday last, Mr A. B. Robertson, one of the Auckland delegates, said: — ''Every effort should be put forth to prevent hordes of undischarged bankrupts being distributed all through the Dominion. He bad heard it said that at the present time theer were hundreds, if not thousands, of auch."

The Mayor stated at the Council tablo on Thursday, that one of the town bridge cylinders had at last reached firm ground, having had to be sunk much further than was anticipated. In answer to a suggestion that monthly reports of the work, with data, should be supplied to the Council, one councillor remarked, "It will be an ugly bill when we get it. Better take jUst one look at the lot of it when it is finished, and be done with it."

The North Island Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association has decided that, in addition to the Black Orpington championship, the North Island championships f/)r Buff Orpington fowls and Working Homer pigeons will be competed for at the Wanganui Poultry Association's show on 7th and Bth July next. These special attractions, together with the annual exhihibition of the New Zealand , Wyandotte Club, which wil lalso be held in conjunction with the local Association's show, will make the Wanganui fixture a veritable poultryman's carnival.

On Thursday evening the Borough solicitors forwarded to the Council a form of ballot-paper" in connection with the taking of the half-holiday poll on the 28th inst. The Mayor explained that the Act prescribed no regulations for the taking of the poll, 6O the solicitors had to work out a method, which the Council adopted. The form of ballot paner contains every working day in the week — Monday to Saturday — and the voter must mark a cross against the day he prefers.

In connection with the forthcoming municipal elections, burgesses should note that three polls will be taken, vi „ for Mayor/ for nine councillors, and for the weekly half-holiday. St. John's burgesses, instead of polling at the Keith Street Firo Brigade Station (which has been found to be too small), will poll at Mr J. D. Brechin's old store (corner of Dublin and Niblett Streets); also in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Schoolroom, which has been decided on in place of Calver's store building.

During the discussion on Cr. Carson's motion, at the Council table on Thursday night, that the trams discontinue Sunday running between 7 and 8.15 p.m., for a month, Cr. Harkness (probably remembering the request of the Ministers' Assoviation that this should be done) said that he thought the request was due to the "religious coin" finding its way into the tramway revenue. Cr. Spriggens jokingly remarked that the Ministers' Association should be asked to make up the revenue lost by the stoppage. Cr. Carson's motion was carried.

The pungent odour of tar in Fitzherbert Street (says the Manawatu Standard) is producing smiles on the faces of the cyclists who have occasion to use the track laid down for -their benefit in that populous street. This morning the borough workmen commenced operations on the track, which will soon have a solid asphalt surface from the Square right down to the Manawatu Eiver. It might be well just here to remind the butcher and the baker and the cabman and sundry other persons who persist in barricading this much-used thoroughfare with their vehicles that they are just as much offenders against the law in so doing as when they draw their carts across the footpath, and it is to be hoped that when the asphalt is completed the authorities will stop this all too common practice, which is so galling to the cyclist and so destructive to the track

"Do you think New Zealand has reached the height of achievement in social legislation?" a Christchurch reporter asked the Rev. Dr. G. A. Gates, principal of the Pomona College, Claremont, California. "Not by any manner of means," replied Dr. Gates emphatically. "It is ov&y. the beginning of what will go on hexe and all over the world. The moot prominent thing that strikes anyone with his eyes -open must be the advanced position of your labour legislation and administration. You have taken hold of that big problem lyith a firm hand. I find all manner of 'Opitfions about the men wjio say. the, labour laws are ruining -live- country; -and that it cannot stand much longer because capital ig being driven out. I naturally asked people who told me this if they would give me an in stance cf capital being driven out. Not once- have they given a definite and specific reply. Capital is ultra-conser-vative, I know, but I do not believe that it is leaving the country. I cannot see very much in your labour laws that is extreme, and whatever extremities have been reached, I find a disposition on all sides to go slow and carefully reconsider."

Goods of all descriptions are more or leas liable to misrepresentation, and this is particularly the case with furs, though in many cases such misrepresentation is caused solely through ignorance. Our furs are sold on their merits, black is called black, and white white. In no case will fictitious or manufactured names be U6ed for the sake of effecting a sale. Another important feature is that our popular priqed furs and muffs defy competition for like kinds and qualities. We would especially dmw attention to our splendid range of Marmot muffs and necklets. Marmots will stand more hard wear and still retain their freshness than, most furs and they can be had! at prices /to suit every purse. Good serviceable necklets can be had for l?s 6d, 15s 6d, 17s 6d, 21ff, up to 70s.— MVGruer and Co,

There waa not a sitting of the Magistrate's Court again this morning, there being nothing to go before the S.M. The Weather Bureau reports as follow: —Westerly strong winds to gale, glass fcOl slowly, tides high, sea heavy, rain probable, rivers rising. The equipment for the fifth tram car arrived by the steamer to-day. The body, it will be remembered, came to hand some six weeks ago, but no use could be made of it until the under gear arrived from Home. x At the time of the American Presidential election surprise was expressed in Dominion circles that no mention should be made of the Socialist candidate, Eugene V. Debs. Papers from the States report ->that Mr Debs received. 423,969 votes.

'The Court of Appeal resumes its sitting '■' ttgain at Wellington on Monday, after the Easter vacation. Several Wanganui matS *W«jawr» to be heard, including the law poin£a~m the charge against Chas. Baker, who, the jury, at the trial in Wanganui recently, found guilty of counselling Wm. Scott to crime. Also the case of Nika Waiata v. G. McGregor and another.. A well-attended meeting of those interested in the candidature of Mr Walter Grey as a Borough Councillor was held in Hodson's Carlton Rooms last evening, Mr G. Love presiding. A committee of over 20 was formed, and members considered

that Mr Grey's chances for a seat were favourable. It was decided that he should address a public meeting at Liverpool ■Street schoolroom on Friday next. A meeting of retailers interested in the retention of Thursday as the half-holiday ■was held in the Council Chambers last evening. Letters from Nelson were read to the meeting, claiming that Saturday had not been a success there. It was decided to set up a committee to prepare a circular to the ©lectors, pointing out the advantages of Thursday, and the disadvantages of Saturday.

% Long journeys, as a rule, are very monotonous when one has to travel alone. Such was the experience of Master Richard Robinson, who arrived in "Wanganui last Thursday. The toy, who is only seven years of age, left the Nambucca River, on the north coast of New South Wales, bound for New Zealand, having a day's journey in a coach to the nearest port. He succeeded in "embarking on a coastal steamer bound for Sydney, and finally, catching: the Warrimoo, he sailed direct for Wellington, which port was reached last Wednesday. A day's journey in the train and he reached his destination after having travelled 1560. miles by himself. The littlp fellow referred to is a brother of Mrs R. S. Lett. Our attention has been drawn to the wilful damage that has recently been done in the various reserves about the town to some of the memorials that have been placed there. In Queen's Park the Old Soldiers' Memorial has been defaced considerably, stones have been thrown at the lion, and chips knocked off. The pins have been abstracted from the Boer gun in Cook's Gardens, and some of the screws holding the instription plate loosened. In the same place the Watt Memorial Fountain has been knocked about; the cups broken, and the taps pulled out. The reserves committee of the Borough Council might look into the matter of having these interesting mementoes of Wanganui's early days renovated and kept in good repair, and .the various inscriptions repainted, as they are at present almost un- ' aecit>herable.