KINDLY WANGANUI

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 829, 18 February 1903, Page 1

KINDLY WANGANUI

By Telegraph—Press Association. / Wanganui, last night. In view of the pitiable and dire condition of thousands of families in New South Wales and Victoria, and that many months must elapse before there can possibly be an improvement, the Herald supports the suggestion of a correspondent that New Zealanders should not be deterred by the rebuffs already given to Madame Melba and Mr Seddon, aud possibly other offers of outside assistance, but should start a subscription for relief. The correspondent offers five sacks of wheat, and thinks in view of the bountiful harvest in this colony the matter would be heartily taken up from one end of the country to the other. The Premier is to be communicated with, and asked to forward the suggestion.

The lightermen, whose business it is to tranship cargo from one mail steamer to another in the port of Bridgetown, Barbadoes, have lately been between the devil and the sea. In consequence of the smallpox visitation, Sir Frederic Hodgson arranged that a disinfected vessel—the Ida —should be anchored in Carlisle Bay, having on board a supply of lightermen's clothes. When the work of transhipping was to be taken in hand, the men were to be conveyed from the shore to a distance of not less than twenty-five yards from Ida, there to shed their clothes, and swim to the disinfected vessel for a new rig out. Their work on the mail steamers over, they were to go back to the Ida, strip again, and swim ashore for their own clothes, seeing that “ Jack Shark ” bolds a mortgage oh the waters thereabout, it is not surprising that the lightermen’s wives in Bridgetown gave expression to some anxiety. Happily the peculiar order was rescinded before the Barbadians had an opportunity of seeing some anxious trials for the record for a twenty-five •" swimming event; _ * J ardi