LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 15 April 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting Cr Stiles said that the exhaustive report furnished by the Town Clerk was exceptionally good. As had been the case lor some years past, there was not a penny of the borough rates outstanding. The balance-sheet showed that the borough was in a good financial position, and had he known that the general account was in such a healthy state he would certainly have been in favor of ashphaltiug the footpaths

Mr Copeland Rhinelander, of New York, except for a codicil leaving him per annum, was disinherited by his father for marrying a servant. He vainly contested the bequest of ten millions sterling to two younger brothers.

There were 28 meetings of the Borough Council held during the year. The Mayor attended every meeting, and the attendances of the councillors were as follow :—■ Crs Jenks 26, Coley 24, Stiles 21, Hennessy 20, Frankland 19, Baker 17, Gray 13, White 10, Wilson 7, and Shadbolt 6.

The N.Z. Times, in an evidently inspired statement, says in au article concerning the rank and file of the Civil Service : "It is not so much *hat they are incompetent as that they have been allowed to drift into la/.y and careless, unpunctual, dilitory habits. In numbers of departments there is absolutely no discipline.” The Lawrence Military Asylum, India, won the Prince of Wales’ Cup for the Schools of the Umpire shooting competition with a score of 516. Dover (Kngland) came second, with 509; Melbourne third, Wanganui fourth, and Britain eighteenth. There was a marked all-round improvement in the shooting this year compared with the previous contest. At Tuesday night’s Council meeting the poundkeeper reported that four head of cattle and 18 horses had been impounded during the month by the ranger. The Mayor said that this was not at all satisfactory. There was far too much stock on the roads, and he could have impounded more than that number in one day if he was attending to that particular work-

The Wanganui Herald’s sculling writer, "Victor,” expresses the opinion that there is a strong probability ot Arnst accepting Webb’s challenge almost immediately, and of the race being decided within a a couple of months, perhaps at Wanganui or at Akaroa. Arust has not yet intimated his acceptance of the challenge. It is understood that Webb’s arm has thoroughly recovered from the effects of strain which handicapped him at the last championship race. A prisoner named John Jones undergoing a sentence ot six months escaped from the Wanganui gaol last Thursday afternoon. He was in the exercise yard and seized a favourable opportunity to climb over the fence. The police immediately commenced a search and information was telegraphed up and down the coast, with the result that Jones was arrested by the Marton police on Friday. Jones received his present sentence for escaping from the Palmerston North gaol and had only another month to serve. When the pay-sheet was being discussed at Tuesday night’s Council meeting, Cr Coley questioned the amount of the account for horse feed. The account was read out, and Cr Stiles referred to the charges for chaff " as deadly!” He considered that the Council should purchase their chaff by the ton, and not by the bag. This would effect a considerable saving in a year. Cr Coley suggested that in future tenders be called for the supply of horse feed. The Mayor said he had suggested the same thing last year, but nothing was done. Other councillors present agreed that it would be the cheapest way, but no action was taken.

The domestic fly seems to possess far more mischievous qualities than the general public suspect. According to figures quoted by Dr Purdy, Auckland’s district health officer, to a Herald representative, out of the total number of cases of enteric fever that occurred in tbe Auckland Province during the year ended March 31st, 1908, 60.6 per cent were in the first three months of the calendar year, and the records of typhoid cases admitted to the Auckland Hospital during the last fifty years indicated a steady rise from November to April, attaining the maximum in tbe latter month. Kxperience in Auckland seemed to show that whenever flies became prevalent the death-rate from intestinal diseases rose above the normal. ‘‘When one knows that one fly can carry 100,000 organisms, it is easy to realise,” added the doctor, “the dangers of getting typhoid and other diseases.” He urges that all food and meat should be screened from the pest, both in tbe home and the shop.

Sir Charles Prestvvoocl Lucas, the Imperial official who is to make a prolonged tour of Australia and New Zealand, in order to carry out the idea of the Secretary of State for the Colonies of bringing high officials of his department into closer acquaintance with the dominions’ overseas with which they have to deal, is accompanied by Mr A. A. Pearson, C.M.G., formerly of the Colonial Office, In conversation with a press representative at Perth, Sir Charles Lucas declined to discuss the newly-constituted secretariat, and confined himself to stating : “The object of our visit is to acquire by formal and friendly personal intercourse a more intimate knowledge and a better understanding of Australian questions and of Australian wishes. We hope to be, roughly, about three months in Australia before going to New Zealand,” Sir Charles explained that he and Mr Pearson would probably devote a week or ten days to South Australia, and spend a month between Melbourne and Sydney. They will then visit Queensland and Tasmania before proceeding to New Zealand, returning to Fnglaud, via Fiji and Canada.

Subscribers are reminded that the Hkkai.d quarterly are issued, and we should esteem ” as a favour prompt settlement of same.*

The ordinary meeting of the local School Committee will be held this evening. He was (states an Opotiki paper) a stranger and he took "us” in! Once more there is weeping and lamentation amongst local business people over the hurried departure of a gentleman who has been resident here for a few months. Verdict: Serve us jolly well right!

The mission conducted by Mrs Wertheim in the local Methodist Church is being well attended, and the results, from a spiritual point of view, are considered most gratifying and should tend to materially strengthen the spiritual life of the church. A special invitation is tendered to all who have not yet heard Mrs Wertheim as the mission will close this week.

A brass memorial plate has been erected in All Saints’ Church, the work is handsomely finished and executed by Mr W. K. Bock of Wellington. The wording reads as follows : —" To the Glory of God, and in memory of Miry Ann Whyte, who died Oct. 29111 1908, aged 63 years, Elected by her fellow workers of All Saints’Ladies’ Guild.” On the top of plate is engraved a Latin cross and in the centre a Maltese cross. The memorial brass was placed over the family pew on Easter Day, and a beautiful wreath under it, the gift of the relations:

In conversation regarding Webb’s latest challenge, Arust said that he had talked the matter of the race over with Webb, but nothing definite had been arrived at, though it was probable that the race would be rowed at the end of May. As to where it would be rowed, be stated that he had received a very good offer to row at Akaroa, and failing anything better, would do so. If not there, the event would take place somewhere in the North Island. Webb, who trained Whelch for his contest with Fogwell, is said to be sculling splendidly, and several who witnessed the memorable event in December last are firmly of opinion that he is a much improved man, and that a greater struggle will be witnessed when he and Arnst next meet.

At Auckland on Monday, Percy E. Tapp and John P. Bathgate, formerly a Presbyterian home missioner at Heleusville, charged with having used ing behaviour in Remuera Road on Saturday night. It appeared from the evidence that Bathgate had caused the downfall of Tapp’s sister, and Tapp, meeting him in the street, had seized hold of him. and trouble had followed. Bathgate said he would, admit that Tapp had had great provocation. The Bench convicted both accused and ordered them to be bound over to keep the peace for six mouths in one surety of £lO. Bathgate was then brought before Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., and charged with having failed to make provision for the maintenance of his illegitimate child. Mr Kettle : What have you got to say to that ? —The defendant: I admit I am the father of the child. Defendant agreed to an order being made against him for the support of the child. He was a married man with a wife and three children.

A young man named George Aloysius Williams, who is crippled in both legs and has his arm deformed, was charged at the Magistrate’s Court Reefton, before Messrs Scantlebury and Shepherd, Justices, with soliciting alms (says the Westport News), and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. Williams carried a card on which was printed a verse of poetry, entitled “ A Cripple Boy’s Appeal,” with a footnote stating that he was collecting sufficient money to buy an artificial pair of feet. When arrested he had in his possession cash amounting to £24 ns 4d, a New South Wales Post Office Bank book showing ,£IBB to his credit, and an American savings bank book with xbcdols. (£32) to his credit making a grand total of 11s 4d. He had also a number of the abovementioned begging cards printed in four different languages, a passport signed by the United States Ambassador in Paris for use in Turkey, and a letter from the manager of the Canadian-Austra-liau Tine authorising the agents to grant the accused a passage at a reduced tare on the steamer Marama, owing to his straitened circumstances.