LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 3203, 27 October 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Satisfactory. — On the authority of the ' Herald ' we are pleased to learn that " there is no truth in tho paragraph going •the rounds of the Press that Sir Julius Yogel after his resignation was refused the entree to Bellamy's." Of course our contemporary ought to know. It is very probable that the yarn about the exPremier being ordered out of the Assembly Library is also a fabrication. We hear similar damaging reports daily. Only yesterday we were told for a fact that, notwithstanding the increased honorarium, certain* of the members had been living so extravagantly, tliat they had left Wellington with an incubus of unpaid board and lodging bills hanging over their heads. It is very cruel to spread such reports, which we would -fain hope could have no possible foundation in fact. People will talk you know. The Range. — The return match, Married v Siugle, will come off at the butts on Saturday, at 5.15 a.m. The ranges and conditions are to be the same as in the previous contest. Buils.; — The new Wesleyan Church at Bulls is to be opened on Sunday next, when special services will take place. The Rev Mr Bavin will officiate ou the occasion. A Novel Style. — The • Patea Mail,' in alluding to a funeral which lately took place in that locality says : — '* The greatest credit is due to those who took part in the proceedings." _ Theat^icac... — Wo..h_§ar that the Bates' "company purpose appeai-rn"g-in _ VVlm~gTnTuT" on the 6thq?rox., for which date the Hall is* engaged. We anticipate a successful season for|these popular and accomplished favourites. Return-. — After a variety of incidents by way of variations to the monotony of the journey, comprising perils by flood and field, Mr T. R. Procter has again reached Wanganui, having travelled overland via New Plymouth. The advertisement elsewhere specifies the locale of his art union seances. Wanganui A. & P. Association. — It should be borne in mind that to-day is the last opportunity on which entries can be received for intending exhibits. The Secretary, at the Rutland Chambers, is appointed to register such .applications, all of which must be accompanied by the entrance fee, as specified in the catalogue. Cricket. — An effort is to be made tomorrow to manage a muster of the Union team for practice, the members of which displayed such inertia last Saturday. Surely similar indifference will not be allowed again to manifest itself. If the club intend to take up a creditable position during the season, it should lose no time in inaugurating and maintaining those meetings for practice, which, according to the proverb, alone make perfect in all undertakings or accomplishments. In the Fight Direction. — Many will be pleased to hoar that the representatives of the people are to be afforded facilities for performing their very necessary ablutions. We may expect therefore in future the mens pura in corpora puro. An apt rejoinder was once given by a local wit in a lodge room, when personalities ran high: "Brother, -you ought to have washed yourself before you came to the meeting this evening ; not that it would have made any difference in your personal appearance, but you would have smelt sweeter." It is to be hoped the same result will be observed in tlie other instance. Supreme Court. — Yesterday terminated the civil sittings. The Court was occupied the entire day adjudicating upon the suit Belk v Gillett, a Feilding case, the casus belli being an alleged unfulfilled contract in inference to tlie signing of certain documents affecting a transfer of a piece cf land. The details were very involved, and a great mauy witnesses were examined on both sides. As our space is unusually limited, and the suit has no local interest, we have not considered it necessary to reproduce a summary of the proceedings, which would necessitate an exclusion of other matter. At the conclusion of a very long trial, the jury brought in a verdict for the defendant. Fire Brigade. — At the practice last evening, two other sections of hose burst. Would it not be advisable to discontinue these practices until the new plant comes from Melbourne. The Brigade may possibly find themselves in a serious fix should they require to use the present hose in its damaged and patclied-up state. Ifc is sincerely to be hoped that no conflagration will take place until the Brigade are in a better position to cope successfully with the destructive element. The distance between the fire plugs, would, we fear, be greater than the hose at present afc command could cover iv case of an emergency. Such aro the crippled resources of which the Brigade have now to complain.

Audi Alteram Partem.— The extract from the report of the Foreman of Works, which we have reproduced elsewhere, demands from us some little explanation. Mr Gilmour, in compiling this report, appears either to have been at variance with himself, or else to have been used as an instrument by others who lacked the moral courage themselves to advance to the attack. We have on many occasions referred in a tone of commendation to this officer's indefatigable exertions as a servant of the Corporation; but we fail to discover, on looking back over our files, that we have ever accused him of tampering with the paraphernalia belonging to the water works. However, as the annoying interruption to the action of the siphon has doubtless been sufficiently aggravating to account for any apparent irritation of temperament, we dismiss the matter on those considerations. Our last reference to the obstruction ran as follows :— *■ We are assured, on what we must consider adequate authority, that none of the stop-valvea .appertaining to the siphon have been interfered with, so that tlie hypothesis that the water, either intentionally orjnadvertently, wasshutoff, must be dismissed." Surely this is sufficiently clear. At the same time, we feel constrained to remark that the Foreman xj£ Wouk_3._\vhen oijr representative expressed his intention- of visiting the scene of operations, waa favourably disposed thereto ; that he discussed the probabilities of the position with him, and that when separating he requested him not unnecessarily to magnify matters, which request was considerately conformed to. We still adhere to our opinion as expressed previously, that " His Worship the Mayor will admit that his personal visit to the Lake, and acquaintance with the mndejgof procedure adopted, was preeminently unsatisfactory, and suggested the necessity for many fundamental alterations." Was this <vhy Cr Laird thought the Mayor was to blame in taking our representative with him to tlie Lake ? Surely the Mayor had an equal right to take a reporter with him on that occasion, as to invite a member of the Press to join the party which prospected the sources of the Westmere Lake. However, the prolongation of the controversy can be productive of no earthly good, as the cause of tho failure of the siphon to perform its customary action, still remains enveloped in mystery, and will, in all probability, continue to be so until the opinion of a competent authority is taken in the matter. We can overlook the irritation, displayed by the Foreman of Works, knowing tbe difficult and responsible nature of his duties, which are doubtless as perplexing as the "strange engineering questions at times put to him by the Council."