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

The usual monthly meeting or the Gou- I ville-Castlecliff Tramway Board was not held last night, owing to the absence of the chairman, Mr. A. G. Bignell.

The Canadian Government is requesting Britain to appoint a Eoyal Commission; including Australasian and South African representatives, to inquire into the Indian emigration to overseas dominions. The longest tunnel in the world is now assuming shape in the heart of the Alps. If the present rate of progress is maintained, one-half of the total length of 12 miles 588 yds should be completed by the end of the present year. The work was commenced at the end of December, 1912. This tunnel, which is known as the Second Simplon Tunnel, is being constructed by the engineers of the Swiss Federal railways to cope with the remarkable growth of tourist and goods traffic on the Simplon route. It runs parallel to tlje existing tunnel, and is being made by an enlargement of the parallel working gallery made by the engineers of the former tunnel. The cost is estimated at ,£'1,348,000. Mistakes in the Bass Strait charts have been discovered by the Federal trawler, which has returned from taking 525 soundings over a lineal distance of 105!) miles. The data collected aro valuable in regard to depths, distribution of bottom, deposits, and currents. One discovery is a central basin with a maximum depth of 53 fathoms extending like a trough from the Tasmanian coast towards Victoria, and then into the Southern Ocean, between Cape Otway and King Island. The soundings on the chart were proved incorrect. Where irregularities were indicated uniformity was found to ■exist, and while the greatest depth marked was 48 fathoms, over a large area, depths of 53 fathoms were found to exist.

Martou Chamber of Commerce last protested against Palmerston Norths proposed “Shopping Week." The idea being that the Palmerston people should combine to boom their town by advertising over a wide area, fixing tempting prices and instituting a motor lorry service to outlying districts during that week. It was also further suggested that the Railway Department should run special trains for that week. The Marten executive felt that was a matter requiring concerted action on the part of neighbouring chambers, affecting as it does the commercial interests of onr respective towns, and suggested that further action should be taken to prevent any such concession being granted by the Railway Department. It was also decided to seek the co-operation of the Dannevirke, Woodville, Pahiatna, Pending, Shannon, Levin, and Wanganui Chambers of Commerce. The Wanganui Chamber dealt with the matter at their last meeting. i'est.rday's Dominion has the following:—“ The increasing cost of living is causing much concern in Wanganui. As in other places, the prices of noth milk and mo.it have been again raised, and a couple of weeks ago all the restaurants incicased the price of afternoon tea from dd to 9d. The women of Wanganui indulge very largely in afternoon tea. The increased price ol milk for ‘baby’ and the price of moat for ‘father’ were accepted witu resignation, but the acTtudc ol the tea vendors was too much to endure. 'The women of Wanganui, therefore, struck, and all the efforts of the big men to show that they were going straight to bankruptcy, by the continuance oi the sixpenny real had no avail. The tea-houses wire empty for days, and the, big stall's had nothing to do but cat the meals prepared for others. The firms could not stand this organised effort of the ladies, and, despite the prospects of bankruptcy, they ara now announcing the ] rice of afternoon tea at sixpence again.” •

Statistics in the official Year Book of Australia show that the price of food and groceries in Sydney rose 31.1 per cent, between 1911 and 1913. These provisions were slightly dearer in Sydney than in •delbourne or Brisbane, nearly the same price as in Adelaide and Hobart, and cheap.r than in Berth. The comparative ligures, reduced in a simple way, showed that the housekeeper would have to spend 9s od in Sydney, 8s bid in Melbourne, 8s ■id in Brisbane,' 9s 4d in Adelaide, 10s CJ-d in Perth, and 9s Bid in Hobart. In house rent, the expense of living iu Sydney is more noticeable. What could be rented for 17s 6d in Hobart would cost 18s Gd in Perth, 17a 3d in Brisbane, 22s lid in Adelaide, 21s 9d iu Melbourne, and 25s in Sydney. The “weighted averages’’ for all-round cost of living, excluding clothes, fuel, and amusements, show Sydney to be the most expensive of all cities. It takes 9s 10d to go as far in Sydney as 8s 9d will go in Melbourne, 8s Id in Brisbane. 9s 4d in Adelaide, 9s 5d in Perth, and 8s I'd in Hobart.

A story of endurance and pluck and bush comradeship came to hand yesterday afternoon from the King Country. A man named Herbert Worsley, 33 years of age, was engaged tree-felling in a bush twenty miies from Rauriinu on Monday, when .a tree fell on him, breaking and mutilating a thigh. Eight comrades started off at five o’clock on Monday afternoon to carry him on a long and toilsome journey over the steep mountainous country ot Raurimu. When they had proceeded five miles, they secured a trap, but this broke owing to the rough and broken nature of the country, and they had to abandon it. They continued (heir march, sometimes through dense bush, and at times over rougn clearings of piled up logs, and frequently up to their knees in mud. The night was bitterly cold, and the darkness in the bush was a great, handicap. The whole party was frequently stumbling over logs, missing their footing, and being precipitated down slopes. M oru out and fatigued, they reached Banrimu at eight yesterday morning, where Worsley was placed on a train and conveyed to the Hamilton Hospital.

At the meeting' of the Marion Chamber of Commerce on Monday a letter was received from the Wanganui Chamber 'of Commerce in reference to afforestation of waste lands, in which it was suggested that in adition to the planting which has already been doncj 6000 acres should be planted every year, and that the State should supply local bodies and private individuals with trees at cost, and the planting should be done tinder Government advice and to their satisfaction, also that private planting should be encouraged hv remission of taxes. The Marlon Chamber resolved (D That this Chamber cordially endorses the suggestion that Government should double the area-being planted each year as at present upon waste Crown lands; 12) That the snggesth'u of exemption of private plantations Gavn taxation by the Government is one that requires very careful consideration so that no local body shall suffer in iis finances, but if OovetAment can make the concession itself it will be a benefit to the private planter: (:i) That local bodies might be given trees free of cost, but this should not be extended to private persons.

Insurance doctors at Niedbarnim, near Berlin, have struck for an increase of .Mi per cent, in pay. A correspondent, "A Brothcr-in-Aims of -i. Michael,” has forgotten to attach nis name to his letter, which will he published on receipt <ff same.