WANGANUI ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 808, 4 May 1910, Page 2

WANGANUI ITEMS.

*—— PROPOSED BRIDGE. NEW COURTHOUSE WANTEB. (Br Telegraph.—Bpecial Corresnondent.l Wanganui, May 3. A largely-attended and onthusiastia gathering of Welshmen was' held at Aramoho last night. After a service in the Welsh language, conducted in St. Laurence's Church by the Rev. J. Humphreys, which was marked by characteristic national fervour, a social was held, Mr. J. Jones (Mayor of Wanganui East) presiding. Occasion was taken to bid farewell to Mr. Humphreys, who leaves shortly on a trip to the Old Country.

A short circuit was responsible this morning for the partial cessation of the tramway traffic. The service was, howover. maintained over the greater part of both routes, and after an hour's delay the fault was remedied; and full run l ning resumed. , Two hundred and forty-two factories and 246 shops havo registered in Wanganui this year. Out _of seventeen applicants the Wanganui Museum Trustees have selected Mr. Harold W. Hesse to succeed the lata Mr. G. R. Marriner as curator of Wanganui Museum. Mr. Hesse arrived in New Zealand from the Old . Country some twelve months ago, since when he has resided in ■ this district. He had a successful scholastic career' at Cambridge, and after leaving college was for'some time the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London. He possesses very high credentials, and is'spoken of as being in every way qualified to mako a successful curator. Yesterday afternoon representatives of the Boroughs of Wanganui'and Wanganui East. met' the engineer : in"TCh;ef of the Public Works Department (Mr. R. W. Holmes) in conference over'me proposed bridgo between tho two boroughs. Prior to thq conference Mr. Holmes was driven to the sites at Dublin',.arid " Plymouth Streets, and the various : details were explained to him. He expressed, the opinion that the site at Dublin Street w.as very suitable, and presented no difficulties. At tho conference matters in conncction with the bridge \were fully discussed, and Mr. Holmes expects to have the plans and estimates of cost of the .new structure ready in about a month's time. It is,understood that it will-be a cylinder bridge, so far as the deep water is concerned, and ferro-concrete buttresses' or, piles .will bo sunk in the shallow ground on the AVanganui East side.' The width of the. bridge will probably be 20ft.; to admit of tha parage of ;trams and, ordinary traffic. It will be woodhlocked throughout, with an outside footway of sft.. or 6ft. in width. '• The Wanganui Law Society has written to the Minister for Justice pointing." out, tha urgent necessity of a .now Court-; house for.Wanganui. The letter sets forth that the present Courthouse was built when the population of Wanganui was about one-eighth of what it is now, and' when there was only about a tenth of the present Court work. In the old days it was possible on a pinch to' carry on both the Supreme and Magistrate's Courts at the same time. Now : this is fast becoming impossible. There is absolutely no provision for the Supreme.: Court, conseauontly when the latter .is sitting the Magistrate's Court has to be.bundled into the bailiff's room, a mere box,'in which ther9 is quite insufficient accommodation, lawyers having to stand, and the parties to cases having to wait outside till called. •• The Law Society suggests the building of a new Courthouse on n site available in Queen's Park, where the Native Land Court, Maori Land Board, Agricultural, Labour, and other Departments could also be.accoramodated. instead of, as at present, heirs scattered over , the town in rented buildings. "