JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 787, 9 April 1910, Page 13

JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

MR. MILLAR'S RAILWAY POLICY,

(By. Tele2raph.-Special' Correspondent.) Wanganui, April 8. At a meeting Chamber of Ummerce this morning a letter 1 was read from the South Canterbury Chamber inviting cooperation in an agitation for. an: alteration in collecting the gram statistics for the Dominion, which are characterised as'utterly unreliable. It was' resolved to co-operate as asked, and to draw the attention of the Minister, for Agriculture to the heed of adopting more reliable methods.

JThe chamber also decided to thank the Minister for Railways for the new tune-table, and to request him to try to arrange, a better connection at Marton for the" Main Trunk passengers to .Wanganui, and so avoid the present long and irritating wait. . While thankful for.small mercies, members of the chamber, however,: .took'-, the Minister severely to task for his recent statement in connection with differential freight rates,, when he', said he didn't care if Wanganui' was "side-tracked." It was stated bv one-member that though Mr., Millar; as Minister., for Railways, was not concerned about Wanganui, he should bo,: as a member of the Government, concerned about,the welfare,of every part of the country.

The chamber received assurances of support from Timaru in . the matter of freight charges, the. letter, stating that the charge for railing frozen meat from Oamaru to Port Chalmers was los., while on the ■■ shorter and more level ran between Oamaru and Timaru the charge was 18s. 2d.

The depth of water in the bar channel continues to improve, soundings recently taken giving the least depth 15ft: at : high -water.'springs.;'"

A, movement is oh foot to fbrm a beautifying society for Wanganui, and a meeting to establish the same will b«S held next week. One of the objects in view is the construction of a promenade along the eastern hank of the river between the' town and the railway bridge, a distanco of *.*•"> miles.

-, ~-A meeting of ratepayers was held at Gonville last night to consider the Town Board's proposals regarding a loan of £10,000 for additional drainage, water, roads, town hall, and public swimming bath. Mr. Bignell, ohairman of the board, presided, and explained the proposals, saying, that the' loan was necessitated by the remarkably rapid growth of the district, which made it, impossible to supply all .requirements out of ordinary revenue. The figures quoted showed that the population, number of dwellings, and revenue of the suburb had doubled in the last-two years. A motion was carried unanimously approving of tho loan proposals and pledging the meeting to use its best'endeavours to have the loan carried.