LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11704, 4 August 1902, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dr. Gordon McDonald has announced his candidature for the Dunedin City.

Mr A. Floyd, of Taihape, has decided to contest the Wangaehu seat at the coming election.

The Dunedin “Star’s.” subscription to help the Otago University finances is £750. This earns the Government subsidy of £1500.

We acknowledge receipt of the June number of “Our Alma Mater,” the interesting magazine published in connection with Riverview College, Sydney.

The public meeting called to protest against the action of the Hospital Board in not providing a Nurses’ Home will be held at the Borough Chambers at 8 o’clock this evening.

A correspondent, “Onlooker.” writes complaining that the team, which visited Wanganui as the Rangitikei Sub-union reps. was not representative. He contends that the northern portion of the district was not represented.

The Coronation service will take place at Christ Church on Saturday next at 11 a.m. The Church Decorators’ Guild are requested to meet at 2 p.m. on Friday at the church. Special thanksgiving services will be held at Christ Church on Sunday next.

All returned members of Contingents are requested to parade with the Veterans on Coronation Day at the time appointed. The original programme will be carried out, except that members will parade dismounted, both morning and afternoon parades.

At the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute, on Friday night, resolutions were carried urging the need for a superannuation scheme for teachers, and hoping legislation to that effect will be introduced this session, and pledging the branch to do everything in its power to forward the scheme.

The open-air concerts given by the Garrison Band seem to increase in popularity, if we may judge from the attendance of the public. The concert given yesterday afternoon was listened to by a very large audience, who seemed to enjoy the excellent music provided. The Band intend giving another concert at an early date (probably at the Hospital), when the fantasia “Concordia” (composed by Bandmaster C. Trussell, of Nelson, and dedicated to Conductor James Crichton) will be played for the first time. This fantasia promises to equal any work yet presented by the same composer, which is a sufficient guarantee of its excellence.

Says the Westport “News” :— Owing to the unsteady operations of West Coast dredges the share market for some time past has been very dead, very few buying and selling transactions having been recorded. Some of the dredges, notably the Nelson Creek and Pactolus on the Grey, and the Premier on the Buller, have been very steady in their returns, but for various reasons the majority of the vessels have been unable to gather in gold in sufficient quantities to enable the directors to pay dividends ; indeed it almost seems that unless, in many instances the management and repairing expenses are reduced, the shareholders will have very little hope of ever seeing a return on their investments. The industry in itself, if properly managed, is a sound one. Modern dredges can, both on the Buller and on the Grey River, and in certain parts of the Hokitika River, scoop in sufficient of the yellow metal to pay handsomely on operations. The unfortunate part is that numbers of the dredges now at work are defective. They are difficult to handle, have not sufficient power, or lack the necessary gold-saving appliances. Unless these defects are remedied and more economic management is secured the industry, as an industry, will be hampered in its growth.