DAILY NOTES FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 581, 9 August 1909, Page 2

DAILY NOTES FROM WANGANUI.

A. STEADILY IMPROVING PORT. : ; (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.)' "'.-'•.. Wanganul, August 8. The secretary of the local branch of the National Defence League has received advice that tho Minister has approved -the conditions governing the annual competition for the school cadet champion belt;- and the toanis' challenge shield, and that the same will shortly bo communicated to schools whdro cadet corps exist. • . ' . The heavy rain of tho past, few, days has evidently extended all over, the inland districts, and its influence on the tributary streams of the river iashown!..in the large volume'of water now running,in the main 6tream.. The flood, however, is. only a mild ono, comparatively speaking, and as bright sunshine is now prevailing there is no rcasoiiito expect any further rise. .No serious damage is,reported ae yet from,.the country, the only mishap of importance - being a heavy slip on the .town side' of tiie Kai Iwi tunnel. A ballast' train was promptly dispatched; to the scene to clear it away, and, though-tho morning train from Hawcra hae an hour late, tho mail train from New Plymouth got through to. time. ; '• Complaints are being beard that, since the 'Main' Trunk line Tiecamc the through •route to the north, the passengers on : the Wanganui-New:Plymouth section, .do, not have their comfort studied as much as was the case formerly, and, that the lavatories in the carriages are frequently in a dirty state.;, -~ . ■. ; : ... , .:,-.. -~ -...-S.'- • ■ The land taken, up in the Ohotu district, which is served by the Parapara Road, il beginning to show some return for ,tho efforts of those who pioneered it, and,) during the season just closed, no fewer.- than ? a thousand bajes of wool have been sent down to; Wangamn to bo shipped Home. The laud in,question has only been take-up for three years, and every succeeding year will, beyond doubt, dec a- substantial ■• development ■<of tho district, and au increase in tlis clips. This • fact shows tho urgency ot' tho eaily completion of'the long-fcught-for, Parapara Road,, . , ; ■■'~. -... . ~_. The funeral of.tho late Mr.'.J. H. Nixor, which..took place ou Saturday, was* vo y argeiy attended both by residents of ■1 "o ■own, and others from tho country. A rf-y arge number of floral tributes were-bent >y private.friends, sporting clubs, and other bodies of which deceased was a member'. The Feilding' golfers sent a' team horo 'on Saturday, to play.Maroroj but wero unsuoeossful, the local players winning every game. • ' • ' ■ The Harbour Board's engineor has prepared a plan showing sonnding3 over that portion of tho upper harbour known as.' the ''Flats!" Tho plan clearly evidences that good results lavo followed the dredging operation's since they were first started three years' ago. i'ho average depth in the sailing channels is now 6 feet, with a minimum depth of 14 feet 10 inches at a spot where vessels drawing eight and nine feet wore continuously sticking only a couple of years ago. Tho dredge is now making another cut up this portion of the river, which will probably be deepened to an average depth of about 17 feet, afwr which (the engineer says) there will be no further need for dredging this part of the river, at any rate for a long time. As soon therefore as'the cut has been;finished, the ■dredge will be shifted up to the town wharf o deepen tho berthage and widen it to 150 eet. When that has been done, , it will be urthor employed in dredging out a borthage for the new wharf extension, the building Bf-which Messrs. M'Lean and Sons already iave m hand.' Activity continues on , other larbour works, and satisfactory progress i» borng made .on .the south mole at the Hcaas .A public mooting called'for the'purpose of discussing the question of "the racecourse re- ' sorvo. and tho disputed right-of-way which has been very much in evidence during the ' )ast fow weeks, passed a resolution (moved by the Mayor) as , follows:—"That, in tho opinion of this meeting, t-Ke time has como hen tJie Trustees of the Wanganui Racecourse Bhould bo elected by tho people, for whom the reserve was set aside,-that Wsjlation should bo introduced for that uuji pose, and that copies of tho resolution bo forwarded to tho-Minister for Internal Affairs* the member for tho district, arid tho various local bodies interested." A motion was also carried which practically rejeo'ed tho compromise recently arrived at rev u ing the right-of-way, tho majority of T so present apparently considering that tho right-of-way which, it was contended, exists, , , should bo maintained rather than that a-nj compromise should be accepted.