LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15131, 27 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. Tire Board of Trade returns to Wellii gton in a day or two to meet a deputation representing the buttet trade,with a view to reconsidering the Dominion retail price of butter. A Wellington telegram states that the Arbitration Court election resulted in the return of the following: Employers’ representative, W. Scott; ‘ Deputy, W. Pryor; Workers’ representative, J. A. McCullough; deputy, M. J. Reardon. A sitting of. the Military Appeal Board (rill commence in Wanganui orN Friday, " February 2. It is understood that the sitting wil] extend over three days. An old woman named Catherine Haughey, alias Howe, was convicted of being an incorrigible rogue by Messrs A. A. Gower and A. P. London, J.’sP., this morning. She was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. A plague of small shrimps has occurred at Paekakiriki within the last few days. Millions of them (have been washed up on the beach, and it is reported that in some placed they are two feet deep. The effect of the heat has been to decompose the bodies, causing an almost unbearable stench.

It has been reported to the Acclimatisation Society that certain persons were seen in pursuit of deer last Sunday, in the vicinity of Parikino, and wounded a hind. We understand the matter has been placed in the ranger’s hands, and it is more than probable these so-called sports will have to face the local Magistrate. Hasings fruit-growers are complaining of the havoc caused by that peculiar diaease“ripe • rot.” It attacks stone fruit, particularly peaches and plums. Last week one consignment of 48 bushels of peaches was sent into Napier. Only three dozen peaches were ultimately marketed. The rest had to he thrown away. x

The country on both sides of the Man- , awatft Gorge presents at present a striking contrast. From Aslihurst to Wellington the land is burnt up by the sun, and in some parts of Manawatu sixty days without rain have been experienced. The stock is in poor condition. From Woodville to Napier the grassy is green and long and the whole countryside looks remarkably well. When at. Belfast in November, the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited the shipyards of Harland and Wolff, and of Workman, Clark and Company. In a speech delivered the same day, be stated that at the yards he saw six ships being built for the New Zealand trade—■ two for the direct trade, and four for trade to Australia, with a final port of call in New Zealand. This, he thought, was a guarantee that there will be ample ships to carry the Dominion’s produce to the United Kingdom. At a meeting of the Feilding Borough Council on Thursday evening, Cr. Harford proposed that the Council make a recommendation to the Wanganui Education Board that bubble fountains be installed in the schools to take the place of drinking cups. The matter, arose out of a letter received from the Health Department asking that the cups be replaced by these fountains in the public drinking places. These cups were liable to spread diseases. The Council Eftiopted Cr. Harford’s recommendation. It was reported that the Borough Engineer nad removed the cups from the fountain in Feilding Square. - Shipbuilding is more active now than ever before in the country’s history, as shown by the fact that the tonnage of steel ships launched_j>r to be launched in the present fiscal year is nearly 1.000. tons, remarks Bradstreet’s. Steel merchant vessels building or under contract to be built in private American shipyards on November 1, 1916, according to builders’ returns to the Bureau of ’ Navigation, Department of Commerce, numbered 417, of 1,479,946 gross tons, an increase of 25,676 tons over the returns for October 1. During October American yards finished 17 steel merchants of 52,491 gross tons, and made new contracts for 17 steel merchant vessels of 77,877 gross tons. The total number of ships expected to he launched during the present fiscal year, that ending June 30., 1917, is given as 314,'; of 900,899 tons, while for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, the nnmber arranged/for V-that is those now on .the hooks—is 103, of 519,047 tons. In the fiscal year ended June 30, 1916, the total tonnage of all vessels built was 347,847 tons, while in the preceding year only 215,711 tons were turned out.

On Thursday no*V February 1, the schools in the Wanganui Education Dis-’ triefc will reopen. A meeting of the committee of the Patriotic Association will be held oil Monday at 2.30 p.m. It has been decided to resume the work of the Military Hospital Guild on Wednesday, February *l. According to the Mail, the bird nuisance te becoming acute in arid around Afraroa, This reason the birds are attacking all the stone fruits, and so great is the pest that Boon all apneot and peach roes will need to be covered. The birds have never ben so destructive as they are this year. Evidently the last few Warn 1 , summers and mild - winters have resulted in a large increase in the feathered world of Banks Peninsula. At a meeting of the members of 'the Patea Circuit of the Methodist Church it was resolved to adhere to the principle adopted by the Methodist Church since the commencement of the war, and not to seek exemption for any members of it sministry who may be called up for active service, says An exchange. It is understood that in the Taranaki district there are only three ministers who are at present ineligible tot Classes 1 or 2 of the National Reserve. The Wanganui Licensed Victuallers in 1914 presented a cup to the Seventh Regiment for a route marching competition, but, owing to the war, the competition has not yet been held. It has been decided, however, to hold the l competition on Tuesday evening. Match 6. It will be open to all Territorial units, and the teams will consist of 16 under a commander. The route will be from the Post Office, via Avenue, Dublin Street, across bridge, and River Bank to town bridge anO to Post Office. Through an explosion of a detonator that he was handling, Carl Halliday, one of the telegraph messengers at Whangarei post office, we* severely injured on Wednesday, his left hand being practically blown off It appears that young Halliday was delivering a telegram, and had to cross the railway bridge. On his way he pikcCd up a detonator, which he carried back to his father’s (Mr Geo Halliday’s) shop Shortly afterwards an explosion was heard in the workroom. Tire boy’s sister found her brother with one hand pattered, the thumb, the first finger, and second and part of the third finger were blown entirely away. After surgical treatment the boy was removed to Whangarei hospital. It has been suggested that! the detonator might have exploded through the warmth of. the boy’s hand. Practically all dairy factories in Southalnd have advanfced their suppliers fid per lb on the butter-fat delivered in December, and with the shipments that have been got away this month it was anticipated (says the News) that it would he possible that full payments could be made for the January butterfat. The acting-secretary of the meeting of dairy factory chairmen of directors and secretaries held last month has now been advised that factories will probably have to submit their January pay-sheets to their bankers first before paying out, as instructions to local branches of the banks provide that permission to make further payments will have to be sanctioned by the head offices first. The position is a serious one for dairymen in Southland, particularly to those whose sole source of income is from their herds, and the Government is being blamed for the slowness with which the present negotiations are being completed.