JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 849, 22 June 1910, Page 10

JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

j. . A BASTARDLY ACT. TRIALS OF THE BACKBLOCKS SETTLER. (By Toleeraph.—Special Correspondent.! Wanganui, June 21. The Gas Department of the Borough Council reports "improved results" for April and May, as follow:—April, £237_145.;-May, £213 125.; or a total of £501 increase in profits as compared with the corresponding ■ months of last year. A dastardly outrage was perpetrated on a young married woman late yesterday afternoon. A man called at .her house in W'ilson Street and asked if her husband was at home. Being answered in tho negative, ho asked for food, and on her going into the house to get it he followed. She was found some time after, just recovering consciousness, having apparently been stunned by a blow on the head from a poker lying near. The house was ransacked, and the man had disappeared. The police aro now investigating the matter. Continued complaints are being made of tho difficulty of getting information from tho local branch of the Lands Office. The Crown Lauds Ranger is a busy man, and his duties frequently call him away, obliging him to shut the office till his return. It is felt strongly here that the Government ought at least to afford the cost of a clerk to relievo the ranger, and answer inquiries when the latter is away. Two membors of the Knyvett Defence Committee arrived hero from Auckland to-day, and after making arrangements for a public meeting, they will go south to arrange similar meet ings at various centres in both islands. They are acting as advance agents for Messrs. G. Peacocko and A. J. Black, of Auckland, who will be the principal speakers at the various meetings. Their meeting here next Monday night will be the first of the tour. Messrs. J. T. Hogan and R. W. Smith M.IVs, who have been travel-1 ling through tho backblocks between Wanganui and Waitotara Rivers (following on their trip through the country between heic and Turakina lli/er) arrived back in town last night after a rather rough time. On some roads, they state, "tho mud is simply indescribable," two miles an hour being good going. One sentence from their narrative give 3 some idea of the difficulties settlers have to contend with: "Up and down steep papa places tho party pushed its way, and every yard .traversed added to the admiration for thoso who had tho courage to take their stock through such a track.'Here and thero a carcass told of tho toll taken by tho bush, and the wonder of all was not that they were so many but that there were not more. .One settler sent in a thousand lambs, and lost ten per'cent, of them, and reckoned lie had done well. And so did the ' travellers after crossing that track " - ' .