LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15194, 14 April 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thirty men are now employed at the Harbour Board's quarry, and during the past month 2395 tons of rubble have been despatched to various harbour works.

"You'll be a pretty expensive recruit," remarked Captain Walker, when the question of financial assistance required by a man who bad recently married a widow with six children was under discussion at the Appeal Board at Feilding. Under the new regulations an allowance is made for every child. At the Police Court this morning, a youth, aged 19, was convicted and ordered to come ii]) for sentence when called upon on a charge of having stolen ,a saddle of the value of £3, the property of Charles Wilson, at Kauangaroa, on the 13th inst. The presiding Justices were Messrs J. H. Keesing and E. H. Smale. As an outcome of heavy royalty charges, the WangaJiui Countv Council has instructed its Engineer (Mr E. E. Dawson) to report on all suitable metal pits in the county. One of the members expressed the opinion that every suitable metal pit should be owned by the Council, and accuirod, if necessary, under the Public Works Act.

Reporting to the Harbour Board last evening, Captain Mclntyre, harbour master, stated that soundings at the river entrance showed 19ft Gin at high water spring tide, and 16ft Bin at high water neap tide. This wa« an increase of six inches since the previous month. The minimum depth in the river was 14ft at high water spring tide and lift at high water neap tide. Lionel Terry, the famous anti-Chinese murderer, who has been confined in Sunuyside Asylum for some years, has dropped his violent methods, 1 and is now quite peaceful and quiet in demeanour. His hair, once short-cropped, now falls in curls to his shoulders; his jaw, once clean shaven ,is now adorned b ya beard and goatee. Physically Terry is fit and well, and every morning takes his constitutional run of from two to three miles. Warders have to accompany him, and take relays of a mile each during the constitutional. His recreation is reading—chiefly war news, of which he is a close student.

Roard construction, and the heavy cost of maintenance of same, was a subject discussed at yesterday's meeting of the Wanganui County Council. Cr. W. j. Poison was of the opinion that tarsealed roads were beautiful roads as long as thej were maintained properly, but the cost of maintenance was exceedingly high. He would not say that tar-sealing was not an excellent method, but he had been led to believe by experts' opinion that there was a better method —the concrete road—w&ich would do away with recurring cost. If the cost of tar-sealing was going to be a heavy recurring one, they would have to seek a better method, -t was just possible that an increased capital cost might prove more economical. , For x over two hours last night the members of the Wanganui Harbour ;oard discussed the question as to whether the Harbour Improvements Works should be closed down or not. Much of the same old ground was covered, and incidentally there were signs of approaching storms on the horizon at times. The discussion (which is reported elsewhere in this issue) lasted till a very late &our, and in consequence very little other business was dealt with. Much time was wasted, and earlier in the evening Mr W. A. eitch, M.P., endeavoured to close the discussion without result, and the board is practically "as you were" on the matter. On account of the lateness of the >hour, it was decided to adjourn the meeting till 7.30 p.m. on April 20.

Much time is wasted by members of the Harbour Board in discussing minor details in connection with resolutions submitted by committees. Last night, for instance, the board wasted nearly 20 minutes on a matter which should only have taken about a couple of ihinutes to dispose of. A prohibited man somewhere in the Wairarapa handed £l to p, soldier, and asked • him to procure liquor to that value. The soldier did as he was..told. But he procured forty drinks for himself at sixpence apiece. The prohibited man is not confiding in soldiers in the future. The Telegraph Office advises that no free telegram of inquiry (wounded soldiers' messages) will be accepted within seven days of the date stamped on the official notification of the casualty,- and a further -.fourteen days respectively must elapse before second or third messages may be accepted. The Mayor (Mr C. E. Mackay) states that he was gratified at seeing* the letter in last evening's "Herald" dealing with the send-offs to our boys. On Wednesday evening be had been privileged to take part in the farewell of troops in Christchxrch, and he thought that we managed quite aa well here as in the South.