LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160734, 21 August 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr Oman announces that the Victorian wheat harvest is expected to total fifty million bushels. Ten cases of pneumonic influenza have been notified! m Die Auckland healt.T district since Monday. Mild influenza is very prevalent at present. Tiie (emmi ties of the Ganterhury A. and P Association lias unanimously deckled to inoiease the prices of admission to the annual show to 2s for adults and .Is for children. A Winnipeg cable states that open trading in wheat ’'futures” linn been resumed for the first time since the war. Export houses made fair purchases of October deliveries. The sea.nien’s and firemen’s union at Sydney refuse to takq the Fiona to sea, stating that Die stokehold is undermanned. The Fiona, belongs to the Colonial Sugar Company on Die FijiAue bland-,Sydney run. The Prince, in a message of thanks to the Australian Navy, added: ".May 1 ask, also, if the main brace may he spliced as an appreciation of their- services to me." The Governor-Genera Iks reply stated that directions had been given to meet the Prince’s splicing wish. The Presbyterians of Wanganui East have decided to purchase a building site at the corner of Hein.ore and Boydheld Streets and to erect thereon a commodious manse. It is hoped iii the new year to be able to proceed to call a settled minister for that locality. The whereabouts of a member of the Epsom (Auckland) tramway workshops stall', named Lawrence Callaghan, is causing concern. Callaghan, who had been suffering from asthma, left his homo on Tuesday morning to go for a walk, aud nothing has since been heard of him. Mr T. Wilford £avo notice, in the House ycstoiday. to ask the Government if it -would , give Parliament an opr.ortuuity of passing a resolution expressing appreciation of the magnificent gift of vool profits by New Zealand fanners towards the relief of distressed British seamen. What is believed to be an Australasian record of average prices tor Jersey two-year heifers was realised at the animal sale of Messrs A. and J. O’Donnell's pedigree Jerseys, when 21 i\ a Used the average price of £92 12/-. \ k:lf-r by Rainbow’s King Caress , - ;hi 100 guineas.—Press AssociaScnior Detective Kemp, of Dunedin, yesterday arrested at dphir William Charles Pitches (hotelkeeper), Hugh .McAllister (slock inspector), and William White, the last-named on a. charge of having, in June lasi,' uttered a will pur-® porting to be that of the late George lienpc/ of Ophir, who died at. Cromwell Hospital in June last. The will, it was alleged, was forged in favour of William White, one of Die accused. The men wore brought before the Court at Ophir and liberated on bail. In the House yesterday, replying to Mr Luke, Mr Massey said lie had heard that an embargo had been placed on Die export of coal from Newcastle. This, lie believed, was only temporary, and ho was sure Now Zealand was not affected by it. Ten days ago lie received a telegram from the Premier of the Commonwealth that New Zealand’s supply would not be stopped, hut some new developments may have taken place, and lie 1 1 ad cabled to Australia again. The position, would be serious if our Australian supplies of coal wore cut off. Through the unexpected departure of the collier Poherua from the bay, much inconvenience is likely to be caused in Gisborne. The vessel had 1050 tons_ of Westport coal for railways, froaring companies, householders, and gas works, and the consignment was being anxiously awaited. The vessel arrived on Thursday, ami 175 tons were unloaded. Owing to the heavy sea yesterday, no work could bo done, and the vessel, which wan short of water, left for Napier, cn route for Wellington. The coal is to be unloaded at the latter port. The r-m has been placed before the Coal Centre I or, and it is hoped special arrangement, will be made to relieve the situation. Householders have been without coal for some time.

The influenza claims report at Sydney discloses that some claimants took a wide view of tho meaning of compensation. In some instances claims aro refern.d to as attempts to improperly secure Government money. One man sought a' refund of wages where businesses weic not closed. Another claimed for the repairing of dilapidated premises. A. third claimed rent for seif-owned premises. In the case of publicans, it was found that a number did better business during the epidemic with their front doors closed than when open. A. claim on behalf of Homan Oatholio schools for fees and salaries was reduced from .£2lßl to .£lll on the ground that, teachers in such, schools received no salaries. Iso allowance was made for fees.

An important question affecting the power of the Minister of Public, W’orks was compulsorily decided by the Chid Justice at Wellington yesterday afternoon in the ease of Johnston and Co. v. the Minister of Public Works. Certain land belonging to plaintiffs, a firm of Wellington, merchants, was compulsorily acquired by the defendant under clauseof iJic Act for the purpose of a site for the erection of an office for the Public Trustee. Plaintiffs sought an injunction against defendant’s procedure on the ground that the purpose was not one which came under the definition of public, works m the Act. The Public Trust was a corporation solely, and there was no authority to spend money out of the Consolidated Fund ior building 1 übLc trust offices, and no statute allowing land to be’compulsorily taken for the Public! Trust Office. Pis Honor, in giving judgment for the plaintiff, held that if the Public Trustee could, by the aid of the Minister of Public AVorks, purchase compulsorily laud which must be vested iu the Crown, the security of the niiMt anco and reserve fund of the Trustmight vanish and beneficiaries of an estate have their rights invaded. 'There was no power, therefore, to acquire land compulsorily, and plaintiffs must succeed.

A Press Association message states that Wrangel is driving the Bolsheviks across the lower Dnieper. An amusing story is told of a Gisborne man who the day before the increased postal rates came into force purchased £lO worth of ltd stamps, and could not understand why his friend smiled when he told him what he had done.

It is proposed (states the annual report of the Defence Department) to maintain the Dental Corps as part of the New Zealand Territorial Force, utilising it in all future camps of training of that force. A definite establishment will ho laid down, which will provide for peace requirements and for the expansion of this corps for war purposes if necessary. It is observed that in the United States a system of cleaning greasy wool by the use of plaster of Paris cr gypsum, is under test. It is claimed that the process is less costly than the usual wool-scouring methods, that it is more effective, that the fleece may he so treated that it remains unbroken, and that the wool after undergoing the treatment is in the best condition for the purpose of manufacture. In a letter to a Wanganui resident a Christchurch dairyman states that the retail price of milk will remain at 7d per pniart until the end of September and then a reduction will be made of Id during the flush of the season. It will be interesting to note whether Wanganui milk vendors, who recently Raised the price, will adopt the same course.

A New' York cable stares that unless the Tennessee Lower House to-day rescinds the adoption, by a majority of two, of a Bill legalising women’s suffrage, the State will become the needed thirtysixth to carry a constitutional amendment, which means chat seventeen million women in non-suffrage States will vote at the Presidential elections in November. Steady progress has been made by Messrs Cable and Coy. with the cylinders of No. 3 tramway engine. The first cylinder and piston will be forwarded to Wanganui nest week to be set up. The others will be sent on as they are completed. The erection of the Napier engine has been completed, but the work of connecting pipes and coupling up has yet to be carried out, and this will yet take a few days to finish. When James McKinnercy stood up at the Court this morning to answer a charge of being drunk yesterday while in charge of a horse and cart. Constable D. WiUon asked that a prohibition order be 'taken oat against defendant. The constable the i went on to state that wherever McKinniriy came to Wanganui he had got drunk, and four weeks p.co ho had an argument with a telegraph pole, and the hard wood ot tue Rlter left it? imprint on defendant. McKinnon* said be was not that bad, and hesitated about consenting to the order 1 ring made. The Magistrate [.tinted out the cheapness of an order com pa red with the fine he would have to impose as an alternative, so defendant agreed to the order and was let off with a conviction for the other offence. No definite arrangement has yet been > rived at regarding the offer of the Wanganui Agricultural Association to the Department of Agriculture regarding the use of a portion of the dhow 'Rounds for a farm demonstration area. I L- ground is it present sown in oats, ?-nd :r any case no experimental work ecu!'.: be undertxken before next spring. In i-'-garu to those experimental areas,

Hi interesting confer nice took place rc,.:iv Lot wo-., n the- Department of Agri- ( .re and the Education Department i egardiug control. It is understood U.it the Eiucation Department would . v.-iiii’ig to shoulder the maintenance t<>-c of experimental work for the benefit of pupil- up- till such times as they leave- -cho-jl, 'leaving the Agricultural Depan ment to cater for the fam- ; r.s. Speaking at the conference of local i todies last night, Mr A. G. Bigr.oll had Kcasion to again refer to personal mailer.-. lie said that some people had been lesions regarding •cune buildings ho was itecting in Linton street, at the back of ;he >p;ral i'ipe Company's laud, near :ue pnipe-.-d route from the- station to ;hr- wharf. He explained that this property aoald not be at ail affected by the proposal. To satisfy the curiosity of remain person.-, he would sav that ho r.ui no interest in any property in Gonnile, with the exception of two or three small sections. He would not at all bencit financially, and was only interested in -he proposal to secure a solution to the harbour Board’s difficulty. He hoped ihat those- who were opposing the proposal were juat as disinterested. Personally, he did not know, and was going :o leave them to look after their own easinesses, as he looked after his own. Apparently all the wool kings in Canrerbury were not willing to hind over heir surplus profits to the British Sealien Fund, and no doubt those included »me well-known identities whose names mry rarely appeared on patriotic lists airing tee war, except under extreme measure, and then oalv for small sums, speaking at a conference the other dav, dr A, higher, Cnlverden, said he thonghtt unfair that any man should be allowed to withdraw from' the fund. It apjeared that many of the big farmers had lot agreed to hand over their surplus jrofits. Big farmers in his own district lad not signed. Apparently some men had discovered that the profits were arge-r than tier expected, and so they vpen ted of their generosity to the lilors. He thought that ail the signsr 'ies should bo In Id to thUr promises, dr Fisher suggested that the names of fuhscribors and the amount? they had rubscrihod should be published in order ;hat- people might sec who had been jpnerous and who had not. TF- lion. \V. No-worthy, Minister of Vgrieiilture. has promised that as soon' is hi- Parliamentary duties permit, ho will pav‘a week-end visit to Monmahaki jratv Farm in order to gain first-hand nformation of the working of that area. [Tie Minister will probably be accomjanied bv Dr Reakes. In regard to antual grants for this and other State •arms, it may not be generally understood that in running a State farm the nanagement is not at the same advantige as an ordinary fanner. If a grant if. say, £SOOO is made for Monmahaki (or the year, the manager must not ex»ed that stud, and if the profits for the fear happened to be more than £SOOO. ihat money is not placed to the credit *f the farm to go on developing, but has to be paid back to the Government, and mother grant made for the next year. The Monmahaki State Farm has paid ts way handsomely as a fattening farm, md sf-tJers in the district contend that I the- Government takes the surplus proIts it should proportionately increase the p-ants so that the experimental work I tonld be developed.