LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12748, 20 April 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Rev. J. A. Jacob announced at last "nisrbt's meeting of the parishioners of Christ Churcii that Mr J. Weller had bc-pn appointed to work as Lay Missioner in the parish, and that his work would be confined chiefly to Wansranui East and Castlecliff. .The Vicar stated that there was more work in the parish than the staff of clei*gv was able to get through, and he hoped it would be possible before long to increase the staff. Befor-j the advent of the white settlers to Warginui, {unongst Ihe many Maori pahs situated along the banks of the rhv.r, »vas one at Gonville, on the rising ground between GonviHo svnd King's Avenues. "Resides in the locality at different times havj unearthed relics of the old days, and c?i-ring the past few days the men engaged on the draina^o and road improvement works in Queen's Avenue have unearthed the remains of an old ramping ground, en which there are large deposits of pipe .shells, which abound on thi? ridges there. The bare mention of "The Elixir of Life" by the Rev. J. Morton Barnes in the course of a lecture at Napier caused a somewhat weary audience to prick K up its ears. .Mr Barnes believes that the ingredients for the much-sought-after elixir are to be found on this material planet, and alcohol will be one of the component parts of the marvellous compound. "I believe," he declared, "that if the scientists and. the medical faculty would but devote themselves to the research they will ultjmatelv discover a compound which with tho aid of alcohol and radium will cure not only drunkenness, but consumption, cancer, and all the ills that flesh is heir to, a compound that will give a man everlasting buoyancy." ~ The lecturer • failed to throw any more lights on. what promised to be an ' interesting diversion, and ths "elixir of life" still remains to be discovered^

The latent addition to the Telephone Exchange is No. 49f), Mr Charles Hiornb, accountant and auditor, St. Hill Street. Tho Weather Bureau reports — Northerly strong winds to gale, glass fall, tides high, sea heavy ; rain probably heavy. The annual meeting of the Wellington Dpera House Company adopted the report, recommending a dividend of b\ per cent., making a total of 12J per cent, for tho year. There are now between 600 an 9 700 men m the Stratford-Ongarue railway. Each week sees about 40 new hands put on, and about 20 a week find the work has no further attractions for them. The bras 3 tablet to be placed in Christ Church in memory of the late Vicar, the Rev. T. B. Maclean, has arrived from England, and will be unveiled and dedicated in. , about thTee weeks' • time. --^ a*""- ■ -WV The post office business*"^ Aramoho will fco-dav be moved from" Luxford's store, where it r has 'f been dontlnetedf f*r Oftfie years to the now^BefHWt«tfental building. Miss Bowen, late postmistress at Levin, . has been, placed in charge- of the office. Mr. J. Jones is not to be allowed a "walk over" for the Mayoralty of Wanganul East. Mr R. Neilson has had a largely-signed. Tequisition presented to him asking him to contest the position with Sir Jones, and has consented to do so. The, highest North Island temperature at 9 a.m. to-day was 69deg. at Auckland, Christchurch, with 62deg. reporting the highest in the South Island. Other readings were — Cape Maria 66, Tauranga 55, Gisborne 60, New Plymouth 62, Wellington and Wangauui 60, Nelson 50, Greymouth 52, Dunedin 56, and Invercargill 54. The Chinese gardeners in South Dunedin, hearing of tne retirement of Sergeant Conn' from the police force, presented him with a valuable pair of vases in appreciation of his attention to his duty in the district. In making the presentation, the spokesman said that while Sergeant Conn had had charge in South Dunedin the Chinese had been able to sleep without fear of their gardens being plundered by mischievous youths. Sometimes a newly-coined word wins world- wide approval, and this is likely to be the case with the new word "Skibosh," recently produced in the New York Sun. It is an adaptation, of course, of the name of Mr Andrew Carnegie's Scottish home, Skibo Castle, and concluded an article in regard to Mr Carnegie's views on tariff reform, as follows: "Mr Carnegie's further views on the tariff seem to be more of that peculiar kind of bosh, which, is known, as Skibosh." A rate war is in progress in the aerated water trade in Auckland. The original wholesale price of soda water, lemonade, and other "soft" diinke was Is 4d per dozen (exclusive of bottles). Two firms then brought their prices down to Is per dozen, and the majority of the others followed suit. Then a firm more venturesome than "fcll^ red: ottt pxices to- 7«L yer dozen, to the shops and 6d per dozen to the hotels.- In the meantime the public seem to be getting only a partial benefit from the rate war, most of the shops still charging 3d per bottle for soft drinks. Once more, after an interval of six years, the English railroads have aohieved the remarkable record of carrying on their operations for a whole twelve-month without the loss of a single life. The last period in which thi swas achieved was the year 1901. In 1902, 6 lives were lost ; in 1903, 25; in 1904, 6; in 1905, 39; in 1906, 58; and in 1907, 18. As a matter of fact, there has been no loss of life for 15 months past. The relatively large number of fatalities in 1906 was mainly the result of three disasters, which were found, upon investigation, to be due entirely to the failure of the human element, all tho mechanical arrangements on train and track being found perfect. Mr. Hiorns, a recent arrival here, chatting with one of our 6taff, stated that he had decided to settle in Wanganui only after the most searching enquiry.' "I was," he said, "free to go anywhere, but the sound financial condition of Wanganui, the enormous barfc • country — really new country — behind it, the chances of the f entrance to the river being made to admit vessels of deepdraught, andf-last, but by no means least, the steadily increasing volume of business, as indicated by bank returns and postal and, telegraph returns, caused me to resolve to come here. These faots are, I take it, convincing proof that Wanganui is destined to be a much larger city than it is, and take its position, not as the fifth largest, but as one of the five large centres of the Dominion of New Zealand." It will be remembered! that a little time ago there was a great trouble at the Home of Compassion at Island Bay, Wellington, t because the spring which supplied the reservior suddenly failed, and at a time j when there was a great deal of sickness at the home water had to be carted there, Mother Mary, who had heard of the Rev. H. Mason's wonderful skill as a waterfinder, was very anxious that he should try to locate the springs, which she felt sure were somewhere near the home, and a message was sent to Mr Mason at his Auckland home, urging, him to come down Several days ago he visited the home, and was entirely successful, being able to locate springs in no fewer than five places. A drill is to be put down near one of these, and it is expected that enough water will be obtained to keep the reservoir filled. At the Police Court yesterday a native named Tauri, alias Hori Wirihana, of from 25 to 30 years of age, was charged with breaking and entering the house of Messrs Turner Bros, (of Brunswick) at Tokomaru West on the 27th February, and stealing therefrom a Winchester rifle, valued at <£4, -and 50 rounds of cartridges, valued at ss> the property of Louis Turner. The evidence. called by Sergt. Bourke for the prosecution showed that informant left his house at Tokomaru, in which he, with his brothers, resided periodically, on the 18th February, leaving the rifle in the bed- ' room. On the 27th February accused, passing along the Tokomaru Road, asked a settler (who gave evidence) the way to Jardine's (Murray and Hunter's), on the Rangitatau East Pioad. He was then car* rying a swag only on nis saddle, while &c fc «, was riding a bay, cobbish horse. He was directed along the "road, and told to proceed till he passed three houses, „tJ}e fUatt two unoccupied, the first of the two being "' Turners'. This was at 11 a.m. At about 7.30 the same eevning accused was seen by a workman at "a camp alongside the - Kai Iwi ford, having passed Jardine's. He asked for some tea, and was then carrying a rifle, which he wished to sell. He said he obtained the rifle and ,horse in exchange for another animal, and that he v/as going to Eaiwhaiki. Informant jand Ms brother identified the rifle produced in Court as theirs, and stated that they missed it on returning to the house on the 7th March. Accused, who was represented by Mr Mackav, pleaded not guilty, and was committed for trial at the-next.-sit-tinsr of the Supreme Court, in Wa&gaVnu. He was then charged that, on or* -about the Ist February, he stole from Kaiwhaiki pah a bay mare, valued at ' £s; ''the prnnerty of one Te J?a««i. On this charge he was also committed for trial,