LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13330, 20 March 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A London cable states that the Christchurch tramways loan lias been fully subscribed. The Weather Bureau reports as follows; —A storm area appears to be approaclijug from the westward, northerly wnflt/* molerali) to strong freshening. Export warm and humid conditions, and expect unsettled and cloudy weather increasing, and rain probably following; glass fall; tides moderate, sea moderate. The Auckland branch of Hie New Zealand Labour Parly has decided to ran several candidates for election to the Auckland City Council, add is now circularising the different labour unions inviting them to submit the names of energetic Labourites who can confidently be put forward as Labour representatives. Several Unions have already submitted names, and a selection will be made at an early date. Five men were charged with playing “two up” at the Pareroa Freezing Works on .Sunday last. They were caught in the rush by Detective Fahey ami Constable McClatchy. There was difficulty in identifying them, as the party of a score or so bolted into the rooms when Hie police cycled tip. Three were dismissed, but two wore convicted and fined M each or 14- days’ imprisonment. At the Catholic Convent School concert at Palmerston North on Saturday night, Father Zarina referred to the need there was of the Government providing Slate aid to Catholic schools. He said that so Long as their just claim and right demand for Slate aid 4or their schools was denied to them, so long must they have recourse to such charitable means as charitable entertainments in order to provide some addition to the paltry salary Of Mo each, which was all flic Sisters of Mercy received. The Hon. D. Bnddo informed a deputation from the Christchurch Fire Board that lie would take the opinions of electrical experts on the question of' the necessity for electrical installation bejng\ periodically inspected, and if their opin-I ions upheld the necessity, lie- therefore' would see what could lie done by introducing legislation giving Fire Boards the power to make periodically an inspection and charge fees for same. He personally was of opinion that the Boards should have the power mentioned. Whilst motoring home in Sydenham shortly after midnight on Saturday morning, Dr. Terras Bell ran into a sanitary cart. The impact was so severe that the front portion of the car was severely damaged. Dr. 8011, who was alone in the ear, was pinned against the seat by. the steering gear. The cart and car were carrying the regulation lights, but the rain - was falling at the time, and probable obscured the motorist’s vision. Dr. Bell had three ribs broken, and was badly cut about the hands and arms, and is suffering from severe shock. On the arrival of the train at Wellington from Dannevirke on Saturday evening it, was found that among the passengers was a bov eight years old, who gave liis name as O’Leary. There was no one to meet him at the station, and the only account he could give of himself was that he had come to Wellington to meet his Uncle Jim. The police took charge of the bov who, however, disappeared from the Police Station on Sunday morning, and has not been discovered since. As he had Is 3d in his pocket, it is thought ho may have gone riding on the tranicars. Ine boy bad no hat nor boots. In Mr J. Mackenzie, Commissioner of Crown Lauds and Chief Surveyor of the Wellington District, the. Department_ possesses an officer who is evidently desirous of knowing something of the country be is supposed to administer. Apparently he is not content, like some of his predecessors in office, to rely on maps and the re-' ports of departmental officers, hut desires to > inspect the district himself. He has boon on an extended tour inland of Wanganui and adjacent districts, and to-day returned to Wellington. Last Monday, accompanied bv the Crown Lands Ranger (Mr Lundins) Mr Mackenzie left Wanganui, via the 1 arnpara Road, for Haetihi and Pipinki, (hence down the river to the Ahu Ann. from there across country to the Raugiiatau and down to Kai Iwi. and then up (o the new settlement in the Waitotara, where the hush was felled and the laud grassed by the State before putting the sections on the market. We understand that Mr Mackenzie was more than pleased with the results of his visit of inspection. Ho zi"-nagged across country, visiting manv of the homesteads on either side of the ‘'Wanganui River, and everywhere found signs of progress, and the settlers generally well contented with their holdinns, though in some cases not satisfied with the reading facilities provided. He was particularly impressed _ with th Onotu country, which exceeded his expectations. He also found some very fine grass land in the Aim Ahu and Te Tula country. Everywhere there appeared to be an abundance of feed, and stock was looking well, the drought not having affected the inland settlers to the same extent as those along the sea coast. Some of the pioneers who had had new burns were anxious for rain, as the seed was on the ground waiting for the germinating influences of the weather. The grass in the W T aitotara district has taken well, and on one farm there were over four sheep to the acre. Throughout his tour Mr Mackenzie found the settlers an industrious, hard-ivorking lot. and he was most favourably impressed with them, as also with the progress they have made, and with the nature of the !•—’ visited.

■ Heard at the Supreme Court—“ Plaintiff has had to keep stoking up defendant at the point of the bayonet!” Thomas Blatchford, chief warder at the Terrace Gaol, formerly principal warder at Lyttelton, died this morning from pneumonia, at Wellington. We omitted to mention in our Saturday’s issue that the tender accepted by the Old Boys for the chapel they are presenting to the Collegiate School was that of Mr N. Meuli, and the amount is now stated to be £5171. The present drought is being severely felt in the Taranaki district. Farmers in the “cow province” declare that the land has not been in such a parched condition for years past. Strange to say, the district did not come in for even a small portion of the liberal downpour which was experienced in Wanganui last week. A young man named W. J. Brown had a narrow escape from drowning at Castlccliff on Saturday. He fell off the breakwater when fishiug, and being unable to swim more than a stroke or two, was carried out by the current. Several others who were fishing threw out their lines towards tho man in difficulties, and eventually he grasped one and was slowly pulled towards the breakwater, being subsequently hauled to terra firraa after half-an-hour's immersion in the water.

Hie Mayor desires us to acknowledge the following”additional subscriptions to the. Neville Thornton fund:—C. Stubbs. Auckland, 10s; “Piugo,” New Plymouth, 2s 6d; T.E.A.8., 10s: J. Mayne, J. M. Hamilton, and “Friend,” 2s 6d each; “Friend,” 2s; “Eureka,” Jno. Ross, G. Anderson. “Friend,” Walter Grey, B. A. Bidwoll, “A Brother,” J.D., and H.M.H., Is each; “Friend,” 5.8., A. Sharpe, and Mrs Webb, 6d each. Total, £2 3s. Previously acknowledged, £l6 9s. Total to date, £lB 12s.

A very successful working bee was held at Wanganui East on Saturday afternoon. The greater part of the afternoon was devoted to planting, in nursery rows, the trees from Japan. Great satisfaction was expressed at the way the plants had been packed, and at the splendid specimens sent out. Next Saturday another working bee will be held, and it is hoped that those who were unable to attend on Saturday will- “roll up,” and not .permit the ladies to work for hours in the hot sun planting bulbs, as was seen at the last bee, owing to ohly eight men turning up. Mr Herbert Babbage, who is returning to England in about two weeks, is holding his last exhibition for some years at Messrs A. J. Fountain and Co.’s in the Avenue. The sketches and paintings are nearly all new to the Wanganui people, having been exhibited only in Auckland and Christchurch. The subjects are taken in . England, France, Italy, and Switzerland, and there are, besides, some New Zealand ones. The exhibition opens tomorrow (Tuesday), and as Mr Babbage’s time is limited, it will remain open for three da vs only.

A letter received in Wellington last week contains the following reference to' Sydney:—“ Sydney is booming with a bang—l never have seen such a difference. Labour is unobtainable, and everywhere it is congested—the town is like a huge mining camp. Flare-up lamps, open-air auctions, shooting galleries, continuous picture show’s by the dozen. There is apparently money to burn. The country is great— you can’t open the gate for the grass; in fact, the goose hangs high, and everybody is looking avoirdupoisy in the pocket.”

A sign of the times is disclosed in the following experience of an officer in charge of a public department in the South Island, who wanted some work done, and applied to a Labour Bureau. A man was gent up to him, who made a number of inquiries as to the nature and character of the work. He was answered, and also told that he could, if he liked, inspect the work. A threepenny ’bus was running close by; he, however, with a lordly disdain of the threepenny conveyance, chartered a cab there, and returned in it. After paying the cabman, he mentioned that the work would not suit him, as it would not last long enough. The Wellington branch of the Union Company notify an alteration in the saildug dates of both the R.M.S, Maitai and Aorangi from Wellington to San Francisco next trip. Instead of the Maitai leaving Wellington for the American port on May 3, the Aorangi (scheduled to leave San Francisco on Monday for Wellington) will be despatched. On May 31 the Maitai will leave Wellington for the American port in place of the Aorangi. These arrangements have been ordered in consequence of the ’ accident to the Aorangi whilst on route to San Francisco from Wellington this trip. Daring the time that she remains in New Zealand waters, the Maitai will be docked and overhauled at Port Chalmers.

It is proposed to set up a strong committee to arrange for the trip to Hipango Park on Thursday afternoon, April 6, returning by moonlight, under the auspices of the Beautifying- Society. It would be unfair to ask any of the recent Garden Fete committee to take this up, considering the weeks of toil already put in by each member, so it is hoped to have a committee of new workers, having the same enthusiasm as was shown by the former committee. Mr Hatrick has kindly lent the steamer, and one of the functions of the new committee will bo the arranging for afternoon tea on board, and also for music. As the proceeds will go towards the making of the park attractive for visitors, this trip should be made one of the moat popular of the season. ■Aucklanders appear to be waking up to the fact that au association for the beautifying of their city is necessary. In a recent issue of the Auckland AVeekly News a paragraph appeared, stating that the idea was an admirable one, but that the trouble with Aucklanders is that while everyone is agreed on the necessity of doing certain things, nobody seems to have enthusiasm or energy to do anything, adding that “\Vc all talk, but no one acts. Now, it' is not words that are wanted, but actions.” Mr D. Hay, one of Auckland’s leading nurserymen, when on a visit to Wanganui last week, was greatly pleased at the energy shown by the Wanganui people in beautifying their town, and he has promised a donation of suitable shrubs to the Wanganui Beautifying Society.