JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1058, 22 February 1911, Page 9

JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

! (By .Telcer'aDli-BDeclar Correspondent.! -.".'• Wanganul, Fcbmaiy 21.. ; Reporting .on the state of the river, Mr. T. D. Cummins, chairman of tue Wangauui Trust, snye that pdssibly in the memory of the oldest JJativo the stream has , never been so \low. as now. Tho previous'lowest was 39 inches below(he zero mark at Pipiriki, but now it is 42 inohes below. 'It is,' says'Jlr." Cum-" mins, .marvellous how tho steamer service has bfen maintained without interruption, with only an occasional refusal of cargo on account Of want of water. Further work is being undertaken by the trust abovo Pipiriki to cnablo the steamers to maintain the traffic during low river. .' After an inspection of the harbour works.at Castlecliff yesterday, Mr. R. Thew, member of tho Timarn Harbour Board, told,a-local pressman that he was surprised and more than pleased with what had becu done, and tho possibilities of this port of tho coastal drift seemed to have been very effectively dealt with. With the improved entrance and fine estuary just inside there was overy possibility of making a harbour at Castlecliff, which would.take the biggest vessels trading to the Dominion. He was the' more'impressed because he had been told Wanganui was ono of the places where it was impossible to make a harbour. The. steady growth of Wunganui's oversea trade may bo judged from the fact that since December 11 last nino Home steamers have loaded in Castlecliff roadstead. Light rain, fell yesterday aftorricoii, and heavy showers during the night. It is very welcome, but more is. badly heeded, the pastures being very burnt up everywhere. Elans for a new traffic bridge to Wanganui East have conio to hand from the- Public Works Department, and the polls in connection with tho loans for tho same will bo held hero nnd at Waiifjanui East as soon as arrangements | can be made. • The decision to build n new convent in the town ha* boen rescinded by the lecal Roman Catholics,• nnd it-will now bo built on a site on St. John's Hill, owned by the Marist order, provided the ground ran be bought'from tho latter, of which littlo doubt is entertained. Applications for enrolment on tho borough electors' list under tho now franchise are coming in very slowly. So far only about n hundred have been received, though- something like 2(ldO ncn' names nro entitled to go on.