LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 13923, 6 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Furniture Trade's annual picnic is being bold up the river to-day, and, favoured -by fine weather, was. very well attended.

During a <1 iscusfiion oh the maintenance of roads at the Gonvi.lc Town Hoard lavt night Mr 0. 11. Boyd remarked that if drivers of vehicles would keep off the tramline there would be a reduction in their’ repair kills. A large majority of the repairs which came into his shop, was caused by the wheels grating against Hie tram, lino, causing bent msles and strained wheels.. It will bo observed from our advertising columns that tho annual meeting of householders for tile election of a technical committee takes place to-night at 8 o’clock, at tho Technical College. As there are several matters of outstanding importance to discuss, it is to bo hoped that there will be a large attendance. The technical season is just about to open, and it is very desirable that all interested should be present at to-night’s meeting. Up to a month or two ago absolute freer trade prevailed in the Now Hebrides. The French settlers were able to buy their absinthe and tho British their whisky and gin for two or three shillings a bottle, while the price of cut tobacco ranged from 2s to 2s 6d per lb, and of common twist, suck"as is smoked by tho natives, Is 2d to Is 3d per lb. The introduction of a Clistoms tariff to raise revenue has not, Mr Manning, a visitor to Auckland from the New Hebrides, states, given satisfaction to the settlers in'the group. He says that the collection of duties will be exceedingly difficult, for tho reason that the Islands arc so scattered and have so many ports, with practically no control outside Vila, the capital of the islands. There was bound to be a great deal of smuggling. . Some, time before the end of the year—exactly when is not. slated—the Federal Treasurer hopes to have the first supply of the new uickcl pennies ready for circulation iu Australia, lu connection with the proposed change, an interesting am Very pertinent, question has-arisen: VVliat is to become of all tho penny-in-tho-slot machines, telephones, gas meters, weighing machines, and others of the genus in, Australia when tho copper penny has been discarded!' There arc in Melbourne alone something like 23,000 gas meters which contain the penny-in-tho-slot contrivance. There are an unstated number of penny automatic telephones in Australia. The secretary of tTic Melbourne Metropolitan ’Gas'Company, when spoken to on the question', said ho was uot aware that the Government had actually decided on the change. If it had, the expense to his company Would be considerable, but the precise action to be taken had not yet beem considered, !

The Gonvillc-CastlociilT Tramway Beard mad" a. profit of about'4l7o on last month V takings.

Meskrs Harland and Wolff arc extendin'' I icir engineering works at Belfast. Tit re? thousand additional hands will bo wanted. a London cable states that throe million Japanese Treasury hills have been placed yielding at per rent., for one and. two years currency.

There is quite an epidemic of typhoid fever at T.iuraanumi, due, it is thou-ht o defective drainage. There are no fewe> 'an nine ea-rs now under treatment, and the nm-sing staff has had to be inrrca.sed. One. laiich of irony about the the t of !.!? , r? 1 from . Mr-.Corson Clark, of Ibe bot Rich Quick Wallingford” Comp ny at the Grand Hotel, Auckland, was the tact that just the day before he had paid income tax of 2$ per cent, on the mosey. The Hawke's Hay Agricultural and Pastonil Society's twelfth autumn Show eon-i-4 i , asl n '"kt- The record entries constituted a magnificent display. The fruit judge declared that the fruit exhibits were the finest seen in the North Island. Owing to the dry season experienced, vegetables and roots were not quite up to the standard. F. A. Powell won the Royal Horticultural Society's silver medal for most points in vegetables.

Rather unexpectedly, the Government training ship Ajr.okura arrived at Auckland yesterday . morning from the Kermadoc Islands, where the vessel had boon making a round of inspection of the depots throughout the group, while at the same time keeping a sharp look out for any castaways, everything seemed to bo as usual in the islands, and apparently the depots wore intact. It was found Imrossiblo to make a landing at some points, owing to the heavy easterly swell off the coast. Commander Hooper reports “All well,” and the appearance of the Imys themselves shows that they found the life agreeable.

The latest military story concerns a lieutenant from the Napier district, who was recently transferred to Airkland. Though hardly out of his teens, the young man m, on account of the shortage of capable officers to take control, offered the charge of a company of Territorials. The appointment meant considerable promotion - , but tlio men in the company were chielly composed of youths concerned in horse-racing. The lieutenant intimated that “he did not care to u.iv with that class” and as a result lie had his commission taken from him and was placed back in the ranks.

1 lie engineer to the Gonville Town Board reported upon a serious accident which was sustained by an employee ot the .Hoard, Air Jas. Cannons, last month. Ho was working on-the Awaroro drain, ami while chipping cement from the collars of removed pipes a, chip flew,into his left eye and injured it," though not to the extent of causing him to leave work at onu. Inflammation setting in, he interviewed a doctor, who advised him to enter the Hospital, where an operation was performed, and lie is still in’ that institution. ■ Mr Lawn was given to understand that Die injured man has permanently lost the sight of his eye. Of all the collectors for tho Scott fund in Sydney on Saturday week, there was probably none more indefatigable (says Die Sydney Morning Herald) than Mr Al. Forrest's English bulldog Barry, who was wrapped in a Union Jack, and seemed to fairly revel in the task at which ho was set. Ho was responsible for the gathering of £l2 15s 2d in the : vestibule of Her Majesty’s Theatre, and got £lO 12s 2d in the vestibule of the Town Hall Dio same night. Only nine pennies were included. Altogether Harry has collected'.£l62 2« for charity, the rest having been obtained in New Zealand. In Juno last, the Sydney paper states, he secured aio less than £3O 6s Id on one day for the Auckland Hospital.

Summing up in the ease against Walter Edmund Harvey, charged with committing pel'jury at Waihi during the strike troubles. His Honor said the_dofonco admitted that statements had been made and that they were untrtuc. Therefore the case resolved' itself into an inquiry into the state of the man’s mind when he made the statements. The question before the jury was not one of lay but of fact. The jury, after a brief retirement, found the accused not guilty. sTlio foreman explained that his fel ows considered that the accused had made false statements when suffering from severe mental stnfin without appreciating the importance of what ho said, and that the Crown had failed to establish intent to mislead justice. The prisoner was thereupon discharged. The Queensland Commission which is studying the prickly pear problem is approaching the question from two aspects, is it possible to turn the pear to some useful purpose? Is it possible to destroy it at a cost which is within reason? On the first point the Commission admits that it has so far nothing of a substantial nature to report, hut on the second comes an interesting statement from Ceylon, to the effect that the wild cochineal insect destroys at least some of the prickly pear. The Commission was able to establish the identity of the pear in Ceylon with that of the pear in parts of Queensland, including Goondiwmdi, one of the worst centres of infestation in that State. There arc varieties of prickly pear by the score, though in many instances it is difficult to distinguish them. Then the Commission discovered the apparent disappearance of the pear, alleged to ho due to the insect, but there was also the subsequent disappearance of the insect. Eventually the inquiries actually did discover the insect in the process of killing the pear, and arrangements have been made to propagate the parasite in Ceylon with a view to bringing it to Queensland and trying its effect on the enormous growths in the south-west of that State.

An inquiry is to bo bold by tbo officer commanding the Auckland coast defence troops into an incident that marked (be la-fit night in camp of that portion of the troops who were 'stationed at Narrow Neck, in addition to No. 7 Company Garrison Artillery, there was an infantry detachment, the two camps adjoining each other, but being under quite separate administration. The facts of tha incident aro known at present only to the actual participators, and in view of tbo official inquiry that is pending, there is a aisunct unreadiness to repoit the occurrence at all. In a general way, however, it may be explained that something in the nature of a raid on the infantrv camp was made by some of the gunners from the artillery camp, and there was a- melee in consequence. During the melee an infantryman, who was sounding an alarm, was struck with a mallet, but was not seriously burl. It is alleged that tbo object ot the raiding party was to secure and deliver “bagged ’, within tbo artillery lines, a certain infantry officer, and, though this seems to have been the ease, it is certain that the incident has since been almost concealed in an exaggerated mass of trimmings and extras. A serious allegat.on is current to tbo effect.that the artillerymen were urged to carry out their purpose by a wagon made by one of their own officers, and, from the military_ point of view, an equally serums allegation w that the wager was a bottle of wh sky.

flic main water-motor reading at Gonvillc yesterday was 8,172,500 gallons, making a consumption of 474,300 gallons for the month.

For the month of February four building permits were issued from the engineer's office, Gonvillc, and were for two residences and two additions, the aggregate value being .£BBO.

We understand the owners of the Inga. Ultimata, and other steamers have secured the contract for the nipple'of coal to the Wanganui Gasworks. This company also have a considerable quantity of timber to go away from this district.

“Two years .ago,-when I took office, we bad a debit balance of 41559. Now we save a credit of 412 3s and 41300 of ‘good’ money on the books.” Mr Fred Moo.e, presiuent of the Wanganui Agricultural Association at the meeting of the committee yesterday. Polling took place yesterday in connection with the Napier Harbour Board's proposal to borrow 4310,000 for the purpose of the reclamation of about 2090 acres of Harbour Board reserve. 'Flic proposal was carried by a majority of 312 votes over the necessary three-fifths of valid votes recorded. The figures were: For, 1388; against. 405; informal. 27. Out of a total of 7233 ratepayers on the roll, 1820 voted. Shooting at Trenlham on Tuesday Wanganui riflemen fared as follows Canterbury Match, leu shots at GOO yards. Bugler Soler (Wanganui Rifles), 40 points, 411. Standard TVs). Match—Sgt. Brinsley (Wanganui Rifles), 7th, 96 points, £1; Bin. N. Willoughby (Wanganui Rifle Club) 92, .£1; Bin. J. 11. Purnell, 92, £1; Urn. A. F. Anderson (Wanganui Rifle Club), 91, .£1; lira. ,1. Dcnnau (Wanganui Rifle Club) 39, .£1; Rm. A. 11. Griffiths (Wangle..ui Rifle Club) Bf., His. Nelson Match (first stage), Rm. J. 11. Purnell sowed 46.

Tim ,11aworn Chamber of Commerce is interesting itself in tho important (picul ion of improving the Port of Patna, and at a mooting of tho executive on Monday Afternoon the opinion was frequently expressed that Patou is tho natural port for that district. Thu Chamber is desirous of assisting the .Harbour Hoard to bring about a scheme for improving the harbour and giving better shipping facilities generally, and it v. as unanimously decided to convene a special meeting for Monday night next to consider the matter, and to invite the Chairman of the Pa tea Harbour Hoard, Messrs Pearce and Wilkinson, M’s.P., and other persons directly interested in shipping Through the port to ,be present.

An amendment to the Justice of tho Peace Act which came into operation this year enables flic Court to make provision whore, on the hearing of .an • indictable offence. Hie Court is satisfied that an *»•- eused lias insufficient means to pay for his defence, it is desirable in the interests of just ire that lie should have aid. An application under this section was made by (be young man John Janies Boss, alias James Palm, who was on trial at the Supremo Court recently for theft. Pile mailer was gone into, and the Court decided that Dio case was not ono in which the Act could he applied, there lioing no special circumstances in the nature of the defence.

As a. result of Die recent wage concessions, n boom in naval recruiting is reported. says an English exchange, and Dm recruiting officers state that the class of boys being attracted to, tho Navy is most satisfactorv. At Portsmouth recruiting office ono dnv recently there were I.V) applications, and reports from other centres, particularly London and Die 1 West, are equally significant, of a -uosire to lake advantage of the increase in wages, despite Die fact that the increase on the old rates does not. come to the bluejacket until he has reached Die age of 24. There i* little doubt, Dint every lad who ran pass the tests will be accepted, as it is understood that the next Estimates will provide for an addition of'6ooo men to the navy. The Canadian and Malay ships--four in all— have to be manned, and it i* expected in Portsmouth that fire capital ships, instead of four, will be laid down. The provision of a free kit on entering, thereby avoiding deductions from pay for several months, is a considerable attraction to recruits. -

An extraordinary warning against White Slave traffickers has been officially issued to the telephone girls at all the London exchanges (says the Daily Citizen). Two instances arc given of the methods by which these persons entrap their unwary victims. The first teils ot a girl operator who received a telegram, purporting to ho from a friend, asking her to meet her. Fortunately, she happened to meet her friend before the time of the appointment, and it was discovered that the telegram came from a man who is known to bo connected with the White Slave traffic. The second ease concerned an operator who, as slie came of! duty, was met by a woman in the garb of a hospital nurse. This woman .said that the girl’s lather had met with a fatal accident, and asked her to accompany her to the hospital. A* the girl’s father bad died some considerable time before, she told the nurse that a mistake had been made. The nurse wa# an agent of people directing the traffic. The notice also culls attention to cases of girls having been offered drugged chocolales in trains.

Tho organisation of the profession was the theme of a lecture delivered at a recent gathering of members of the New South Wales branch of the British .Medical Association. A matter the lecturer considered of great importance wa* Urn moans of keeping tho association strong iu its numbers of loyal members. Tim real enemies of the association were those medical men who. by accident or otherwise, would not or could not join tho jj.M.A. ranks, and who pursued such cui-throat courses as to render it hard or impossible to make and enforce icaHonable demands. Their medical schools wore turning out doctors “like a Chicago meat factory turns out sausage*," and considering the possibility of a number of doctors being practitcaljy forced out of Great Britain ly the National Insurance scheme, and emigrating to this part of the world, the matter of keeping up their numerical strength was of vital importance. He was hopeful of seeing very shortly the whole medical profession throughout Australia ro thoroughly organised that, should occasion arise, they might lie able to present a solid federal front, and absolutely nip in tho hud any national insurance or other scheme that might include unfair and iniquitious cliiuHCH, or anything that would t-ctid t> lower the standard of professional work.