LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15836, 5 June 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Egraont A. and P. Association lias decided that the annual Show be held in the autumn in future, instead of in the spring. The Mayor of »hakatane, at thereturned soldiers’ reunion, foreshadowed Whakatane borough loan proposals for £6U,(XIO to £7O,(XX) for water supply, electricity, drainage, roads, and footpaths. With the proposed County loan of £60,000, it is now proposed to borrow a total of about £loo,Uoo for public works iii this district.

A conference of representatives of municipal tramways in various centres of New Zealand met in Wellington yesterday to consider the regulations the Minister of Public Works proposes to put into operation. It was the general-ly-expressed opinion that the regulations should not be gazetted for some time, as it was considered that under present conditions some of them would operate prejudicially to the controlling authorities and the public. Members of the conference ajre to wait on the Minister. Tho contractor (Mr John Jones) for the construction of the handsome flight of concrete steps, which are to form the main opproach to the Sarjeant Gallery, made a commencement with the work this morning. The levelling operations on the brow of the hill enable an excellent view of the building to be obtained from the Avenue, and when the steps and the improvements to the grounds arc complete, and the Sarjeant Gallery opened, it should prove one of the greatest attractions in Wanganui. At a meeting at Napier of tho Waikaremoana Hydro-Electric League, it was decided that the bodies connected with the League should send their delegates as a deputation to wait on Hie Government and press the district’s claims. Air J. Y. Brown, M.P., said that if the deputation failed, he would be prepared to move a vote of no-confidence in the Government. Air Brown also said that Council to get away from the League made him wonder whether the Meat Trust was behind that body, as it had been reported was the case with regard to the Invercargill scheme. An interesting return in regard to the cost of road metal from the Belmont quarry, near Wellington, was made by the Engineer (Mr G. A. McDonald) to the Gonville Town Board last evening. The figures were as follows: Cost of metal loaded at Belmont, 6s 6ld a yard; freight to Wanganui, 6s a yard; freight over short section of Castlecliff railway, Is a yard ; unloading 6Jd a yard; delivered at Board’s depot, 15s 3d a yard; spread on Gonville roads, 18s 3d a yard. The Engineer supplemented his report by stating that not only was the metal of fine quality, but that it proved cheaper than gravel, for the reason that it went further, besides wearing longer. Nearly two years ago Hie loss of many tank steamers brought about a serious position in regard to the supply of fuel for naval oil-burning vessels, which, had no immediate measures been taken to ensure a supply of oil, would have been obliged to revert to the use of coal (says Lloyd’s). Tho White Star Line pio.mptly made an offer to carry oil in the deep tanks of four of its large liners, and the offer was gladly accepted by the Admiralty. A week later the Baltic left New York with her deep tanks loaded with oil, this being the first consignment so carried in a passenger vessel The experiment was a complete success. ••

Mr Hore made an offer of the Times’ History of the War to tho Patea Public Library. It is needless to eay, the offer was gratefully accepted. , An unusual visitor to Wellington bn Saturday was a 50 foot whale of the fin’back variety, which made its leisurely way among the craft moored in.the harbour, and broke water near the training slup Amokura. On Sunday it was seen off luuwarra, and a number of jicopie watched it rolling quictlv along in the calm sea.

'three building jormits, of an aggregate value of iit-biO, were issued in the Gonville town district last month. At last r ighi’s meeting of the Town Board it was predicted that there would be a 7 big building boom in Gonville before long, the chairman remarking that it was surprising how many plans were rerdy to be go on with immediately matters became more normal.

In reference to our report- of the Albion Hotel case at Hie Licensing Committee meeting yesterday, when the hope was expressed that there would be an improvement in (he conduct of the hotel, we are requested to state that tli 1 s was said in comparison with renditions urder former management, the present proprietor having been in possession tor only a couple of months.

Startled by a motor car rushing along the road, a married woman missed her footing on a footpath in Blenheim'and fell into a ditch. In a letter read at the meeting of the Borough Council (says the .Marllwirough Express), her husband stated that her coat and dres* were ruined by the water and mud, and made a claim for iff). The finance Committee advised that the Council should not acknowledge any lia-hiiitv. 'Lie matter was referred back f, tfie committee.

The .Mayor of Prahran (Victoria! reported at, a council merlin" recently teat lour of the 16 homes for widows of soldiers who had enlisted from Frail* ran, and whic.ii were king (reeled in “Victory Square.“ Armadale, had heeu occupied. The rental to be paid was ! s per week. Four more of the homes would 1k» ready stoon. 'Hiore was sufficient money iu hand to erect three or four more homes, and he intended to make an appeal to the public for i2ood to erect, the remainder of the proposed 16 homes.

In respect to the recent mishap to the Kupuni wlven leaving Patea, (bo pilot explained the incident, to the Pa tea Harbour Board as follows: “On the 30th ult., at ]((.].; p.m., when the Kapuni was leaving she kept too much over towards the guide pier and dragged through the sand, and then took a dicer over towards tho eastern wall, which she struck stem on. The vessel then went astern and went: out. All along abreast of the guide pier there is between If and 1.; feet of water in (he channel at h.w.s. tides,”

In referring to the controlling or arranging of prices, in a speech at the South Island Dairy Association dinner, the Hon. W. D. S*. Mac Donald said he had received information from England which led hhn to believe that New Zealand was going to he asked to help liritain to right the Moat Trust. They would have to come to a standing agreement to sell the produce of the Dominion at certain prices in London, and if the Trust brought prices down they would have to beat it on its own ground. A. suggestion on these linos had come from England. He was not prepared to disclose the exact terms, but lie was calling the leading producers together to discuss matters bearing on the. wclfJla of the people of this country. The automatic, telephone system came into operation iu Master ton on Saturday night, and worked smoothly. Masierton has the distinction of being the first town in New Zealand to have the complete automatic system. It is not expected that it will be iu operation in Waiganui befttre the end of the year, though the new building in St. Hill Street, adjoining the “Herald” premises, is ready for its reception. Meantime the Chief Postmaster (Mr W. Beswick) is keeping his eye on Masterton’s discarded material, and hopes soon to be in a position to use some of it temporarily iri satisfy the demands of the sixty local applicants for telephones who arc anxiously awaiting to be joined up with the Exchange.

An Order-in-Councfl has been promulgated amending the regulations recently issued for the protection of soldiers ami discharged soldiers. - The definition of ‘•recently discharged soldier” is amended to include a soldier within twelve months immediately succeeding his return, instead of six months as in the original regulations. It is further provided that nothing in the regulations shall apply to proceedings taken in respect of the bidance for the time being of an account current of any soldier or discharged soldier with any bank or oppiovcd trading company or approved merchant, or with respect to any inert gage, bill of sale, or other security securing such account current, and all such proceedings may bo taken accordingly without the consent of the A'■-tormy-Gencral. For the purposes c.i this clause, an approved merchant or approved trading company means any f'lmnany, firm or person approved in that behalf by the Attorney-General.

A deputation representing the School of Alines waited on (.he Hon. \V. D. S. Mac Donald at Dunedin yesterday, and urged that the Department of Alines offer, say, ton bursaries of £SO. with foes, for students living away from home. It was pointed out that at (he end of the course it meant, that tho country would have a claim on the services of three students. The deputation also suggested that better use could be made of the staff investigating mining problems. If assistants were provided, Professors, Parks, Waters, and Brierson would be able to do something regarding research into the raining prob. Jems of the country. The Atinister expressed agreement with the deputation. Last year only one man won a bursary. If he had not the power to do what was asked, he was prepared to a<-k his colleagues to vote what was necessary. Tho country could well afford to have a thorough expert examination of its mineral sources.

Eeccnt occurrences have indicated that the robberies committed in the streets of the city of Melbourne and suburbs at the point of a revolver were not the work of well known criminals whom the police had under suspicion, but of a band of callow youths—many of whom are not more than sixteen years of age. In such circumstances the culprits are dealt with in the Children’s Courts, and unless they arc guilty of offences which warrant the Magistrate committing them for trial, they arc usually lightly J dealt with. With the best of intentions, "*7 the presiding Magistrate gives the youths some sound advice on the lines of “honesty is the best policy,” but in most case* the embryo criminals listen feuith ill-concealed impatience, and beforewav. mg the court have been heard to comment on the “senile imbecility’’ of tAe speaker. It is evident that there is a daftgerous crop of youthful criminals growing up. A veteran member of the». Criminal Department stated that fully 60 per cent, of the house and shop-break-ing crimes in the metropolis were tbs work of, youths of about sixteen yearn.

W ( Th« sentence of a court martial held Recently at Palmerston North has been promulgated. No 94020 Francis Briseoe. N.Z. Expeditionary Forces,' charged with deserting His Majesty’s Forces, was tried by District Court Martial, and sentenced to one year's imprisonmnent with hard labour. ■ The Minister of Defence stated yesterday that a preliminary inquiry had been hold by the military authorities into the circumstances surrounding the explosives accident during the Scents encampment at Trentham. As a result of this preliminary inquiry, a full inquiry has now been ordered. General orders for May contain references to the following local officers: — Major L. Craig and Lieut. A. A. Barton, 7th Regiment, transferred to reserve of officers. Second Lieutenant N. C. Staveley has resigned his appointment, and Second Lieutenant H. J. Thornton has resigned his commission. So far very few General Service ribbons for the War have been seen in New Zealand. A soldier was noticed in Wanganui to-day wearing a ribbon which was described as the General Service ribbon. It was a long ribbon, about half as long again as the 1914 ribbon, and its colours are made up from the national colours of the principal Allies. Police investigations into the damage to a plate glass window at Charles Shalfoon’s shop at Opotiki resulted in the discovery of a revolver bullet, a man’s cap, and a. glass bottle inside the broken window. The owner of the cap has been identified. Evidently the revolver was fired at the window at short range and a bottle used to enlarge the hole. In his excitement the culprit apparently fell through the window into the shop and forgot to recover his cap and bottle when making his escape. A Dunedin telegram states that a deputation waited on the Hon. G. D. S. a Mac Donald, urging the desirability of ■ providing outdoor work for soldiers, * especially those partly disabled, by adopting a scheme for raising seed in Central Otago, which it was claimed was especially suitable for the purpose. The Minuter said he would get a report as to the suitability of Central Otago for the purpose. The statement was made by the chairman of the Titnaru Harbour Board last week that the trade of the port had revised in a very gratifying degree since the return to peace conditions, and he cuoted the wharfage returns as proof of fiiis, the/figures showing that whereas the board was receiving hundreds during the war oeriod, it. was now receiving thousands. He also stated that during the month a record shipment of frozen meat had ber-i sent away from the port, 'the board raised the wages of seven of its employees and established a sick benefit fund for the whole staff. ‘Die Defence Department has decided to double the allowance paid to soldiers who are undergoing treatment in hospital, but who arc not provided with board and lodgings. The allowance was two .-hillings per day, but as it is recognised that this is inadequate under the existing conditions, the rate in future wtil be four shillings per day. In order to protect soldier patients from abuses which would interfere with their suc-ce-fcful medical treatment and recovery, power is given to the military authorities to make stoppages of pay for neglect to wear the proper badges indicating .that they are undergoing treatment, and for offences' which are prejudicial to the success of treatment and recovery. deputation from the Rangitikei County Council, introduced by Mr R. M . tMnith, M.P., for Waimarino, met the Minister ter Public. Works, Sir William Fraser, on Friday afternoon. The members of the deputation were; Messrs B. P. Lethbridge and H. O'Callaghan. They asked the Minister for assistance 1 in a general reading scheme for the • Rangitikei County. The Minister promised to give consideration to such of the works as the Council intended to carry out to Ihc extent that his means would allow, but the amount would be limited to the proportionate part of tho funds he would have at his disposal for the current year's estimates. A further step towards bringing to concrete shape the proposal to hold a carnival week in Wanganui in February next was taken last night, when a deputation from the Agricultural Association waited upon a committee meeting of the Jockey Club with a request that the dub should alter its meeting in February to fit in with the proposal. The deputation received a sympathetic hearing, and finally a sub-committee was set up, with power to act in the direction suggested by the deputation. In connection with the proposal it has been suggested that the annual tennis tournament should be held during carnival week. In many respects February would be a most suitable month for a tennis tournament.