LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15834, 3 June 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day is the 54th birthday of Hi* Majesty, King George V. A Sydney cablegram sjattee that the Tennis Association has decided to adopt tho attitude of the Hritish, French, and Belgian Associations in regard to enemy players. The Eastern Extension Ca|k Co* notify that deferred tedegranU, with African tralis-Coniinenlal stations have been discontinued from 31sb -May. Vital statistics for Wanganui ton May were:—Births G3. marriages 16, deaths 23. For May. 1918. the figures wore; Births 62, marriages *l3, deaths 16. The severity of the heavy frosts of the past few days is shown by tha fact that Castlocliif experienced a full measure of it right down to Ilia water’s edge for the first time in tha recollection of those who live at tha seaside suburb. 'Fite patriotic societies of New Zealand at present hold FI ,730,443, made up as follows: Auckland, FM51.000; Hawke’s Bay, 123,000; 'Taranaki, F-Vb--0U0; Marlborough, F4-3,000; Wellington, F524,000; Nelson, F38.000; Westland, Canlerburv, F25ft,000; Otago, FI38,000: Southland, F78.000. B‘unai arc also held by the Red Cross Society* totalling F200.000. Advice has been received from Foxton that the resumption of all the local sawmills is expected about the, beginning of next month. Preparations are also being made by other mills in the district, and it is confidently expected that the majority of the Manawatu flaxmills will lie in full swing by the end of June. It seems quite possible that Uie flaxmilling industry will he in very active condition again before long. Tho payment of members of borough councils engaged in council business, at the rate of not less than FI Is per day, has been suggested by the Waihi municipal body. At the last Auckland meeting of the City Council its co-operation was asked by the originators of the proposal in securing the necessary legislative authority. The letter was formally received, the Mayor, Mr Gunson. remarking that there was already provision for travelling allowances. In tho course of a discussion ob electrical matters at the quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Comimgrc last evening, Mr A. Harris advocated that an Electrical Power Board representative of the Counties, Borough and Town Boards should be formed locally to control distribution of electrical power received, from the Mangahao scheme, also to commence the work of reticulation of tho district in a comprehensive and economical manner.

'Jhe signing of the armistice checked the development of a new industry in Christchurch. A syndicate, taking advantage of the cheap and abundant electricity available from Ihe Lake Coleridge power station, planned to manufacture carbide of the kind used for lighting purposes. The war had sent the price of carbide, soaring, and experiments had shown that the article could be produced successfully in this country. But when the war ended llio price of carbide in America Icll quickly. Importations at reduced prices became possible, and the syndicate decided not to proceed.

Among Ihe military contingent which returned by the transport Tofua was Sister Lewis, of the New Zealand Medical Corps, an Otaki lady, who has received live decorations, British and foreign, and also wears the distinction, rare among such non-combatant*, of a gold wound stripe. In the Servian campaign she experienced the horrors of retreat over the Albanian mountain.,* and was for a time a prisoner. Subsequently she volunteered for the New Zealand Medical Corps, and joined it on the eve of the great German thrust of last year, again seeing arduous service. Sister Lewis is suffering from a. wound in the back of the neck, received in Servia, and she is threatened with total blindness, which may supervene in iLo course of a. few months. She is, nevertheless, of the cheeriest disposition, and contemplates the future with complete equanimity.

It is particularly unfortunate just at the present juncture, when history is in the making all the world over and events are following on one another's heels with breathless haste, that the news cabieservice of Australia and Now Zealand should be subjected to interruptions and delays unprecedented in earlier and less eventful days. It will lie noticed that some of the cablegrams which wo publish from day to day are dated a fortnight ago, a circumstance which calls for some explanation. The trouble, it. may Ire said, is not confined to Australasia, but is being experienced all the world over, and the chief cause is undoubtedly the very heavy volume of intcr-governmental messages occasioned by the proceedings of the Peace Conference, the delegates to which are keeping in close touch with their respective Cabinets. Added to this the ravages of war have not yet been made good at many jvoiuts of the world's cable network, and the result is that Press messages, save those, of extreme current importance, have to make wav for weightier communications. AVith the signing of peace and the homeward flight of the peace delegates matters mnv be expected to improve to a very great estept.

Whether people can really "divine the presence of water underground ha# boon the subject: of some controversy. The. agitation on the subject lias now reached Gisborne, and the Gisborne Times prints a letter from George Smith, a water diviner, containing a challenge to the Hon. G. M. Thomson, M.L.C., wlio holds that water divining is all moonshine. The challenge is for .£SO a side, and Mr Smith proposes the following conditions for a test: —"I will select a suitable piece of land, which can be ploughed, if need be, and three pipes buried, of not less than one inch in diameter, reticulated in three separate directions from a supply tank in the centre of the land. The pipes must have no blockage to stop the water running from the termini—a hole in the ground will be sufficient to receive the water, or a buried vessel of some sort. Mr Thomson can turn on the water from one of three taps concealed in a box near the tank, while I am standing at any part of the locality he desires me to remain. He can turn on any number of taps. I will undertake, at a signal from Mr Thomson, to walk around the land at any distance from the tank, but over the concealed pipes, and indicate which contain running water. One pipe at least must contain running water, or the mythical heresy won’t work.”

One of the minor labour troubles of Ike day is the shortage Of telegraph messengers, and it Is a sign of the •fcjnaoa that the wages have been increased from £4O to £52 per annum. A conference of local bodies at Palmerston North set up a committee yesterday to report on the feasibility of arranging fot shipping to Foxton port, or, in the alternative, purchasing a steamer. jgjOic steamer Devon arrived in . the at Lyttelton at 6 a.m. yesterday from Newcastle. She has nineteen soldiers on board for the Dominion, including Major J. B. Hine, M.P. She has been declared a clean ship, but will undergo twenty-four hours’ quarantine. That Wanganui has a bright future before it is conceded by everyone, hut a very optimistic forecast was made by one member of the quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last night. He predicted that Wangahui would become the third city of New Zealand, ranking after Auckland and Christchurch. An adjourned inquest was hold at Napier yesterday on Hiko Anarau, a Maori returned soldier, found injured in the Caledonian Hotel on Saturday week, and who died in the hospital later. A verdcib that death was due to fracture of the base of the skull caused by a fall while deceased was intoxicated, was returned. With the return of the troops the postal authorities have been, gradually reducing their temporary staff of girls. At the Invercargill post office only four of these temporary clerks arc now employed, and two have received noti«e that tiioir engagements will terminate on May 31st, while the remaining two leave the service on June l?th. Owing to unseasonable weather, the vintage in all vine-growing parts of the Dominion was fully a month, late this season. The make of wine is estimated at 48,000 gallons, or about one-fifth less Hi an tint of the previous vintage. The production of tablo grapes has also been loss this season owing to the same causes. The yield from 850 glasshouses is estimated at a total cf 457,4051b. While the lifting of the embargo on the exportation of potatoes has been followed in the South Island by an increase in price of from 7s 6d to 10s per too, a letter received by an exporter from Sydney clients the other day stated that •there is not likely to be any shortage of potatoes in either Victoria or Tasmania for the next two or three months. Prices in New Zealand for this market will have to be low." The Hon. G. W. Russell received news yesterday that during the week ending May 24. 12-3 persons died from influenza in Victoria and 42 in New South Wales. The returns from Queensland aud South Australia are not available. The epidemic in the metropolitan area of Brisbane, judging by the number of cases notified there .is very heavy, but the number of deaths has not been recorded. Two married women—one with five children and one elderly with no children—residents of Woodville—were at Palmerston North yesterday sentenced to one month each on four charges of shop-lifting. The accused had worked' on a systematic plan, visiting several shops. They pleaded guilty, anticipating probation. There was a tragic scene when they were sentenced, the women making a piteous appeal for mercy. One fainted, and the other had to be helped from court. The problem of securing an adequate supply of butter-boxes was eussed by the North Auckland Dairy Conference yesterday, it was resolved to express to the Government keen disappointment that, notwithstanding the endorsement by the Efficiency Board of the conference’s conenntention for the taking of strong the elapse of 12 months had Vjiot improved the position of dairy companies, which was worse. It was also decided to authorise the formation of a company to provide packages suitable for produce, should such a scheme prove practicable. No arrests in connection with the thefts of clothing from the Niagara on Saturday have lieen made by the Auckland police. The thefts were committed just as the passengers had risen from dinner. In all. six cabins were entered, and the value of clothing and other goods 4 stolen is now estimated at £3OO. As previously stated, a very valuable fur coat, which was among the stolen articles, was found floating in the harbour, near the Niagara, and the police incline to the belief that, fearing detection. the thieves dumped the whole of the booty overboard when leaving. Detectives were aboard late hist night. A boy reported having found the lady’s fur floating in the harbour. Owing to the pressure of business caused by the land hunger of returned soldiers, the Canterbury Land Board has resolved to call the attention of the Minister to the serious position that has arisen owing to the enormous increase in the work connected with discharged soldiers, incurring fortnightly meetings of the Board extending over two days each, and the shortage of staff. An undue strain was being put on officers, who were at present endeavouring to carry on the work, and the Board strongly urged that additional officers I should ”be appointed without delay. ' "With a view to assisting to appease the land Imnger. the Board has decided to forfeit the leases of a number of sections for non-eompliance with conditions, and to offer them for selection by soldiers.