DAILY NOTES FROM WANQANUI.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 636, 13 October 1909, Page 8

DAILY NOTES FROM WANQANUI.

SAND-DRIFT AND MARRAM- GRASS. SCULLING PRIZE MONEY./ , (By Telegraph.—Special OorresDtmdent.l x , '. Wanganui, October. 12. ■ Though Dr. Cookayne (in his report to Parliament as to the best means of stopping the sand-drift.evilj which has almost ruined a large amount of good laud up and. down this coast) asserts that planting with marram grass is only a "makeshift," his opinidn is.not borne out by results in rthis district. : In many places near ;Wanganui, also .north, and south of it, this grass has been planted with excellent results, binding the sand together surprisingly well. The, trouble is that it has riot been generally used, .some land-owners contenting themselves with - doing nothing, at all, Corise-, quently, where marram has-been planted inland :of a sand area..on which • nothing- is planted, it is not Surprising that-the'pre-vailing in-shore, wind, blows the sand from the nnplanted parts, and thus gives. the planted areas.no chancc./It may safely be said that everyone in this-district'who. has tried, mar--ram grass is .well satisfied. with it, and' would consider it a pity if the Government (acting in,the belief that it is only,a makeshift) failed to seo it made uso of. As to Dr. Cockayne's proposod remedy of afforestation, the difficulty on this'coast-would be to, get trees to grow, as the • spray quickly lulls ..all ..but. the. hardiest trees, an'd, 'on'the more exposed points," oven these have, a ,! severe ' struggle' for existence.Generally got used to the present: l , state: of .affairs, in re-gard-to sand drift,"' ; and-so' have-lost sight' of its. dangers, but the'' amount of good land buried by the drift'makes an astonishing total, and, as the sand creeps steadily inward year by year, and no effort.is made, to stop it, the seriousness of the' .position is, or ought to bei apparent. i ' . < The AVangauui Battalion of the Publio School; Cadets has received a letter from Lord "Roberts thanking them for, their congratulations, on his'golden wedding. -,' ■ ':The prize moneyfor tho professional sculling handicap on the Wanganui River, to be held during the first week in "the: new year; has been divided as follows;— First prize, ,£100) second, .£SO; third, J825. Another £25 is to go either in fourth and fifth prizes/ or to purchase a cup.- The prize, money has' been guaranteed by local hotelkeepers. \ The Labour Day anomaly by which a'holiday for factory workers is insisted'on while shop hands remain at work has .caused. dissatisfaction here for several years. The "Herald" to-night points out.that the weather in October is usually too unsettled for outdoor functions, and suggests that if we must have a'Labour Day it would.be better to fix it for • January 2, when there is general holi-day-making, and when the weather is,dependable. Tho "Herald"; points out that January 2 has been the holiday in Auckland for many years, and, if; that date. were fixed for. Labour Day, it would cause much less inconvenience and disturbance of business than the present arrangement. '",'