LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13056, 26 April 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Weather Bureau reports as .follows: —Easterly veering northerly moderate to strong winds after sixteen hours; expect unsettled and cloudy weather hazy; glass little movement, but fall after twenty hours; tides.moderate; sea rough; sea decreasing. Tho fact was mentioned in tho Wanganui School Coinuiitce’s report last evening that for 28 years the Wanganui Caledonian Society has annually presented medals 'to the District High and Queen’s Park Schools for the duces at those institutions.

‘‘The gain would be of great national importance if proficiency in swimming were made compulsory for every boy and girl in the Dominion, The number of sad drowning accidents would thus bo largely reduced.'—ltem in Wanganui School Committee’s report.

The Malay crew of the steamer Kalibia, which refused duty on tho voyage from New York to Melbourne, repeated ■■ the offence on the trip from Melbourne to Sydney, and wore arrested at tho latter port, and sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment.

In connection with the poll on the Gonvillc Town Board’s loan proposals on Thursday, Mr Windleburn has very generously offered to supply a brake for the conveyance of voters from town to the polling booth at the Gonville Hall. The brake will leave the Post Office at 3 p.m., and' 5.15 p.m. A correspondent writes complaining of tho dangerous practice still persisted in of driving horses, not under control, along tho Putiki Hoad after dark. As a byelaw exists prohibiting inis, those taking horses to their paddocks at night would do well to take the hint and lead their horses in future.

Reference was made last evening in tho annual report of tho District High School to two rescues which were made during tho past season' in the school baths. A boy who was in difficulties was palled out by a mate, while a girl was succoured bv tho caretaker, Mr J. Harrison, who effected the rescue when fully dressed. A reminder'is given of the public meeting to bo held in the Council Chambers to-morrow (Wednesday) evening, when tho objects of the Beautifying Society will be placed before the residents. Among tho subjects to be discussed is that of deforestation, a matter which has been fraught with serious consequences wherever it has been allowed to go on. In view of tho important work of the Society, one in which every citizen is interested, wo hope to see a good attendance. Golden dreams were caused at a farmhouse in South Canterbury on Sunday afternoon, A duck had boon killed for Sunday s dinner, and inside it was discovered a piece of gold. The, metal did not have the appearance of being a portion of an article of jewellery, but looked like a nugget which had been worn smooth by friction with stones in a river-bed. There is a creek running through the property, and a little prospecting on a quiet scale is mooted.

1; rom May Ist next the present Aramo-ho-Waitotara Parochial District is to be divided into two portions. The lower part, which will retain the old name, will iuelnde Aramoho, Drnnswick, Westmere, Itai Iwi, Rapanni and JRaorikia, the Northern Boundary is the Okohu Stream and the Ahu Aha will be the eastern , The new district, to be called the WaverleyWaitotara Parochial District runs south - ward from the Whennaknra Stream, and includes W avcrley and Waitotara, and comes down to the Okelui on the south. Special reference was made in the Wanganui iSehon' Committee's report last eveninn’ to "fchc; splendid results of the swimming classes, held in connection with the Queen’s Park and District High Schools. The .number of children at Queen’s Park '■choo! who learned to swim during tho year was 98, as against 93 last year, the average age at which proficiency was attained being tho same in both years—ll. years 2 months. At the District High School 125 children learnt to swim during tho year, making in all 142 boys and 72 girls at present in the school who can swim now.

A Sydney cable states that another plague Yat has been discovered in Kent Street.

The preliminary work in connection with the Gisborne sewerage scheme is reported to be well in hand.

Mr A. W. Hogg, M.P., was presented at Masterton willi a purse or sovereigns from supporters and friends iu Wanarapa.

A New York cable slates that frosts have killed the early fruits in ten of the United States northern and centra! States ol the middle west.

A Russo-Japanese Society has been formed at Harbin to promote rapprochement and study each other’s social and economic life.

The Rev. Gerald Sharp has been consecrated Bishop of New Guinea at the ProCathedral, Brisbane. Archbishop Donaldson performed the ceremony.

An Auckland wire states that the Mitchelson Timber Company has decided on voluntary liquidation, llie past year’s transactions resulted in a loss of AT333.

According to the Minister of Public Works, out of 2,380.000 acres in Tauranga. Opotiki, and Whakatane Counties, only 152,000 acres are under cultivation. The Taumaranui correspondent of the New Zealand Herald reports Ngaunihoe appears to be active, great clouds of dark smoke being emitted at intervals from its crater.

Mr Crawford, a candidate for the Wellington mayoralty, says that every man, woman and child in Wellington spends .£1 16s a year on tram fares—nr, rather, that the total expenditure is at that rate per. head.

The Napier Borough Council decided last night that it was desirable to reject the offer of the Slate Guaranteed Advances Board to advance part of the borough loan, and that the whole of the £134.250 should be borrowed through the Bank of New Zealand. Four members of the Council, including the Mayor, favoured the acceptance of the Board’s offer, but six were in favour of accepting the bank’s terms. A correspondent of the Wairarapa Age writes;—A peculiar circumstance in connection with a “head” brought in by a Wharau sportsman may bo worth relating. On the jaws of the animal being examined, the teeth were found to be covered by a layer of yellow substance, which good judges have declared to be gold. The teeth have been forwarded to the Government Analyst, and some interesting developments may result from his analysis. “If hospitals in their expenditure would all come down to the average of what'the more economically administered hospitals spend, there would be a vast saving,” remarked Dr. Valintine at a conference at Gisborne. He pointed out that the hospitals in the Dominion cost £216,000 last year. There would be a great saving if hospitals only saw to it that they got the value and quality of the provisions thev paid for, which in many instances was not done. “As anxious as I am to sec the expenditure of hospitals reduced. I am very much against false economy, and in my opinion to make any addition to your present buildings yon would only be wasting money.”

An interesting fact in connection with the South African War was mentioned by Sir Joseph Ward on Friday last to a Poverty Bay Herald reporter. It will be remembered that a great deal was hoard during the campaign of ‘‘The Elusive De Wet,” and the popular mind pictured him as a dashing general who galloped about the country in all directions, evading his British pursuers and harassing them considerably. Sir Joseph Ward stated he had it from Lord Kitchener that it was subsequently ascertained that Dc Wet was unable to ride. He was a burly personage—a butcher by trade—and got about the country in a Cape cart, frequently leaving camp on foot and going to a quiet farmhouse near by whilst his pursuers were supposed (o l>e hot on the trail of a galloping horseman. A general of the British Army who coaid not ride, and chose to go about the country in a cart, would be considered somewhat of a rarity.