LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14339, 8 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The latest additions to the Telephone Exchange is No. 1073, Mr C_ A. YVhite, general storekeeper, 63 River" Bank. The result from the operation of ‘'Wonderland” during the period of the Auckland Exhibition was a net loss of .£3820, and among the business of the general meeting of shareholders will he the consideration of a proposal that the company should go into liquidation. In the report of the Chamber of Commerce discussion on the river nervine, which appeared in last night’s issue, Mr \. Harris was stated to have declared that “he strongly favoured the Stale taking over the service.” Mr Harris ask: us to correct this, as he stated that it was not him who made the, remark quoted. There will he no contest for the three vacancies on the Wanganui Education Board this year, as Mr F. M. SpurdW (North YVard), Mr T. Harris (Central Ward), and Mr Fred Firani (Southern Ward), were the only candidates nominated up to the time of closing on Monday afternoon. This term will conclude Mr Pirani’s 21 years’ service on the Board.

Regarding the greatest height of waves reported by different observers, Lieut. Raffi, of the Jules Henry, recently noticed waves cf 66ft in the Atlantic. But this does not appear to be the highest on record. In 1863 Admiral Fitz-Roy affirmed in his Weather Book, to have seen waves of 60ft. Captain Kiddle, of the Celtic, observer 70ft height, and the snipe figure is also reported by the commanding officer of the Narrung in the region of the English Channel during the tempest of last winter, which prevailed on the Channel and the North Sea. It is not stated how the observers estimated the height of the wjives, so that some latitude must be given on this account.

In the assaifyt case at the Magistrate’s Court this morning, it was put forth ir. extenuation of the offence, that the accrued was under the influence of liquoi when the offence was committed. Tintbrought so me strong remarks from Mi Kerr, S.M., on the matter. “It is absolutely no excuse,” said the S.M., “fo: people to take shelter in the plea of drunkenness. If this were allowed pcopl could escape punishment from almost any crime (>y pleading drunkenness. Drunkenness is a state voluntarily induced if a man is personally responsible for any ac tiones committed under the influence of drink.” He went on to say that he could not take up the plea in palliation of the assault, which he described a; “murderous."

What is probably the largest sudden increase in the size of locomotives has taken place in a new freight locomotive built to serve as a pusher over heavy grades on the Erie Railway. The engine iof the Mallet articulated type; but its weight and power have been greatly increased by adding a third pair of cylinders and a set of six-coupled driving wheels, which are carried by the frame of the rinder. The boiler has 6886 square feel of heating surface, and the steam I utilised in one pair of high pressure cylinders and two pairs of low pressure cylinders, all of which arc cf 36ir diameter by 32in stroke. The working pressure is 210 pounds to the square inch and the drawbar pull is 80 tons. T!k total weight is 4771- tons, of which 376 are upon the drivers.

The popularity of Gonville as a residen tial suburb is forcibly demonstrated Ip a comparison of the annual buildiur permits for the last three years for tin years ending on (March 31st. For 1911 the permits totalled ,£34,004 10s, in 19H they were £26,239 10s, anti last year th< permi’a amounted to £30,078. The ag gregate total is £90,322, to which shouh bo added the value of the permits fo' April, Mav, and June, which brings thi. amount near to the £IOO,OOO mark Then* figures arc all the more remarkabl when it is remembered that for th< greater part, the permits were for houses the average for each being between £so' or £6OO. In Castlecliff, progress is alsevident, but not to such an extent as ii Gonville. In the former district, tin building by-laws did not come into oncra tion until September and for a six months period ending in February of this’ vear the permits totalled, in value, These were principally for week-end anc seaside cottages.

The average landsman believes dyna mite to be the worst cargo a ship can carry, but the sailor knows better. Jack would tell you that carbide of calciun is a deal more dangerous than dynamite This is the chemical from which acety lene gas is made and the gas is constantly given off if the carbide is exposed to air. Some little time ago the Hamburg barqur H ;bo was towed into Plymouth Sound in a disabled condition. Aboard her wen 2() tons of carbide. All the war vessel; in the Sound were ordered to take re fuge, and the Hebe forbidden to come ir for repairs until’the whole of her .perilou; cargo had been removed by a War De parlment barge. The cargo carried by the burnt Yolturno was of the sort cal dilated to make a fine bonfire. It in eluded rags, peat, moss, barrels of spirits tar and oils, together with drums of various chemicals. Small wonder tlia' water had little effect in subduing tin flames. Chemicals form a very dangerous cargo, especially* acids such as nitric oi sulphuric, which are both carried in ten; of thousands of tons in'the course of r year.

The Waitotara County Engineer (Mi G. 11. Dickson) has the following reference to traffic in bis annual report to bis Council :—That which does the most damage to the comity roads is the motor car traffic. If the speed of these vehicles were limited to twenty, or oven to twentyfive miles an hour, he continued, a er* saving would be made in the cost of the upkeep of the f roads used by the cars, and the condition of the roads would be much improved. The motor car traffic it increasing every day, and with this increase so does the cost of the maintenance of the roads increase. At present the cheapest method of checking the ever rising cost of maintenance would be to limit the speed of motor cars. A good road for motor car traffic with a tarred surface could be made at a very* reasonable cost. Heavy vehicular and .traction engine traffic would break a surface of Ibis kind, and the motor car would complete the destruction. Unless the Council was prepared to build substantial foundations te the roads, tarred nr other top-dressiim would never give satisfaction. On roads used for all kinds of traffic. “To put the matter in a few words gentlemen, with a sufficiency of money you can build ideal roads, while a very limited revenue we cannot expect to achieve this standard. I think the methods; on which we are working at present arc preferable and less costly in the end than by running the County heavily into debt, for the sake of having ideal highways for motor car re-coi-d speed breakers, as no doubt the bettor the road the higher the speed with most of the car drivers.”