WEATHER REPORT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 13978, 10 May 1913, Page 4

WEATHER REPORT.

The Weather Bureau reports as follows ; —Westerly strong winds to gale, veering by west to south. Ihe weather will probably prove wild and stormv • heavy showers, with hail and slaofc at times; snow on high country. Barometer unsteady, -but-rising fast shortly. The weather should improve in mo middle ot the week. Tides high, sea very heavy

The sale; of the Browning relics in London aggregated 4128,000. The good folk of Alexander South evidently continue to take an interest in former residents of tnar town, as instance she following telegram which has been received by Dr. Greig, who, though a comparative stranger to Wanganui was returned as a councillor at the recent municipal elections;—“ Dr. Greig.—Mayor, councillors, and residents of Alexandra -icartily congratulate their ex-Mayor on his success at the recent municipal elections.—l‘leraing, Town Clerk.’’ The Wanganui delegates to the New Zealand llugoy Union, Messrs Nixon and JL’owuall, returned to Wanganui by yesterday’s express. While in Wellington the aelegates endeavoured to arrange ton, th« Auckland touring team to call at i\ anganui, and there? is a possibility 01 the match eventuating on September 6. flic VVcst Coast Unions, ate very anxious -or a visit from' Wanganui’ players, and a substantial guarantee will probably be offered the local Union to team to the Coast this season. The tenders for the new. Catholic presbytery to be erected in Campbell Street were opened last night. The following tenders were received Husband and Son (accepted), £4494; Dick and Plyger, £42(45; Ashwell and McAucny, .£1271; Walpole and Darlington, .£4441; Howell Bros., .£4500; J. H. Meyer, £4525; H. M. Davis, £4553; Jepson and Gould, £4570. the plans for the building, which is to be a handsome structure of brick and concrete, were prepared by Mr J. S. Swan, of v\ cUington. A reporter had a chat with a debt collector who has’hud much experience about Christchurch during the past few years. The collector said that at present the great' trouble was with what might be called small household accounts. And amongst the worst of these were those of dentists. Some of the dentists did some work, usually ending in the sale of a set of false teeth, on the instalment system. A deposit was collected, and there too often the matter ended. Inquiry showed that no care had been taken in the granting of credit, and that any attempt to force the matter further would be mere foolishness. In this, as in other such affairs, the blame lay as much, or more, with the creditor than the debtor.

Tho Defence Department has decided to make Hawera tho headquarters for Taranaki, and the various officials will be removed thither from Stratford very shortly. The now staff when tho change has been effected will be:—Captain Stevens, officer in charge of area group 8 (Taranaki and adjutant for Senior Cadets in group No. 8; Lieut. McDonnell, Adjutant 11th Regiment, Taranaki Rifles; Regimental Scrgt.-Major MqGlade; Q.M.S. Collins, nth Regiment, Taranaki Rifles; .iout. Dovey, Adjutant 2nd (Queen Alexandra’s) Mounted Rifles; Regimental Sergt.-Major Dunham; Q;M.S. Macrae, 2nd (Queen Alexandra’s) Mounted Rifles; Q.M.S. Ballinger, Senior Cadets in Taranaki; Area Scrgt.-Major Maloney, in charge 81 area. In a speech delivered in tho Birmingham Town Hall, Mr C. H. Poole, formerly member for Auckland West, made some very eulogistic remarks about New Zealand. Sir Victor Horsley was amongst the speakers, the subject being the proper equipment, mentally and physically, of the human race. Speakers were limited to 80 minutes, but when Mr Poole wished to resume his seat tho audience recalled him, and he had to go on for nearly an hour. Mr Poole referred to the progress of the Maori race as an illustration, and, after stating they were the finest aborigines in the world, mentioned that three of the four native members of the Legislature were graduates of the University. Mr Poole also spoke regarding the opportunities for free education in New Zealand, stating that statistics proved that 99 j per cent, of tho boys and girls of school ago in the Dominion were able to road and write.

“.Orchardists, on guard!” is the exhortation of a Wellington citizen who knows the character of ttye British bullfinch, described as the “tiger of the garden.” Live specimens, several male birds, have been seen in Wellington, but only as prisoners. They are much prized* as ■pets, because they are handsome and melodious. They have a range of five notes, and can be taught to whistle remarkably. Therefore, people are tempted to import such songsters, as well as hen birds to brood in captivity. If this is done, and a few pairs gain liberty, the fruit-grower will nave another devastating enemy The bullfinch is said to be not only a voracious plunderer but a vandal that finds a fierce zest in destructi m. It attacks fruit in the bud, and makes sad havoc with its short, strong beak. It is an energetic bird, fond of physical culture, to the consternation of the orchardist. In England feathered marauders have become so greedy that apple trees have to be screened in some districts. A prominent mountaineer, who has climbed in the Eockies and the Swiss Alps and other mountains, stated, in an interview at Christchurch, that Mt. Cook compared more than favourably with any of them. He said that that was the opinion of all foreign tourists in Now Zealand with whom he had spoken on the subject. They all had a groat deal to say in favour of Mt. Cook, and if it was belter known abroad it would bo patronised much more than it was at present. As far as health and holidays were concerned, Mt. Cook probably stood absolutely alone. This season there had been only two’ big climbs —those of Miss Du Faur, of Australia, and Lieutenant Grant, of the Terra Nova —but there had been a largo number of smaller climbs, made by young people from seven years of age to twenty. Amongst the other climbers of the season was Miss Slack, a member of the Austrian Alpine Club, who had climbed peaks in the Austrian Tyrol. Accounts published in New York a few weeks ago describing the aerial ascent of Hodman Law', ‘‘the human sky-rocket,” undertaken for the benefit of a moving picture firm, failed to note that the cylinder enclosing him burst, and Law, far from descending gracefully to earth in a parachute, as at first reported, really came down like a burnt stick. The gunpowder injured the sides of the cylinder, and as the explosion was apparently premature and only partial, Law, according to the complete information available next day, was not shot many yards into the air, and, although his arms were injured and his hair burnt, ho was able to ride home, law will use a stronger cylinder next time, and predicts certain success. Those who know the “human sky-rocket” do not doubt his courage. Here arc a few, extracts from his record:—Jumped from Brooklyn bridge without a parachute. Exploded a balloon filled with highly inflammable gas while 500 ft above the Hudson Eivcr, and came down safely in a parachute. Made a wmrld’s record for parachute jumping at Staton Island by dropping 5500 ft from an aeroplane; he landed five miles from the spot where ho made his ascent. Jumped from an aeroplane while at an altitude of 3500 ft, and lauded safely; it took him 32 minutes to go up, and two minutes to come down. Climbed the freut of the Hotel Ansonia to the 30th sfi>rey. Raced at 50 miles an hour on a motor cycle witli a girl behind off an open drawbridge into the river, .Turnred ’"rom the 41st «torey. Banker.-;’ Trust b'uildr iug, in New York.

A ihiddlo-agcd tvomah named Mary Harding-was .xemaaded till Wednesday, aa the Police Court this morning, on a charge of breaking into'the residence of Mr B." ,). Brcttargh, in Wickstecd Street, and .va-a.mg sLver plate to the value of £o. One of the most destructive fires ever recorded in the Whcnuakura district took place, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, says the Patea Press, when an eightroomed house, owned an occupied by Mr P. Milne, was razed to the ground. The family of ,six persons had gone to bed on Monday night, wehn nothing appeared to be wrong in any part of the house. At 2,30 a.m. Miss Milne was awakened by a crackling sound and the smell of fire, and immediately aroused the household. It was not a moment too. soon, as five minutes afterwards the whole house was in a blaze. The flames were fanned by a light breeze, and soon made rapid headway, lighting up the surrounding country. By 3.50 a.m. all that was left of a fine residence was a heap of smouldering beams and ashes.. -Mr Milne is a heavy loser. There was .no insurance on the house, and the furniture and effects wore but slightly covered. Great sympathy is felt with the family in the district. The house with curtainless windows, and branded with the ‘To . Let” sign is proving almost a gold mine to a, certain class of people iust now in Christchurch. There is something American in the celerity with which they carry out their nefarious work, and, go far at least little has been ascertained of their identity in provate life. The plan is a simple one. The empty house is entered at a time the neighbourhood is “silent as the pathless,' desert,” and the criminals proceed to remove whatever may prove of the least possible value. Kveri if the house is listed as “unfurnished,” they succeed in securing a good deal of booty. In one case, for instance, the range was taken to pieces and made away with, as well as the handles and locks of the doors, fastenings of the windows, a few odd pots and pans, and several other trifles that could be disposed of without much difficulty. The thieves had also a 'certain seitse of humour, for when the owner re-entered the bouse she found written in, white chalk on the mantelpiece’the' words, "You can have what’s left.”

Bitter complaints of tragic, union tyranny, coercion, intimidation; and persecution were made to) the Victorian Minister for Labour (Sir Alexander Peacock) by a deputation that waited., upon, him last week. The deputation was headed by Mr Parker, secretary of the Independent Workers’ Association. Mr Parker said that their proposal was that the State Parliament should bring in industrial legislation dealing with strikes and look-outs, and imposing penalties for boycotting and picketing. Sir Alexander Peacock, in reply, said that it had struck him that they were asking him to bring forward legislation for 'a State Arbitration Court when Victoria was free from those troubles which hdd so bitcrly affected New South Wnlejs, which had such-a >Court-< In Now South Wales the workers had cried out for an Arbitration Act,, and' had got it, but in Victoria they had far more peace with their simple Wages Boards. In regard to this suggestion, he could not express an opinion, but could only promise to bring it before the Cabinet at the earliest opportunity. : >. ’ . * As the sequel to an extraordinary street scene at Hammersmith, Samuel Lucas (40), director of a public company, living at Ranclagli Gardens, Stamford Brook, and Claud Robinson Lucas; (iMR medical practitioner, of Hammersmith Road, were charged at West London, with insulting behaviour in the Broadway. Dr Lucas did not appear, and the Magistrate ordered process to be. issued against him.—P.C. Poole said ho saw defendants go up to two Indian gentlemen, catch one of them by the arm and heck,and march him down the Broadway. Witness followed them, and asked them to explain their conduct, and Dr Lucas said: ''Constable, observe the colour of this man;’’ Witness said ho told; them they must go to the station, and Samuel Lucas said; “What! Over a nigger?” Samuel Lucas said ho did not speak to or handle tho gentleman. Mr Fordham: “I think you behaved in a very disgraceful way, and the only excuse — and it is a bad excuse—is that you had been drinking. These Indian gentlemen are members of the same State as ourselves, and are entitled to he treated with extreme civility by ns. In my view, a black gentleman is preferable to a white cad, and yon certainly behaved as a cad. You will ho fined 40a w one’month."