THE TE AWAMUTU-ALEXANDRA ROAD.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1956, 20 January 1885, Page 3

THE TE AWAMUTU-ALEXANDRA ROAD.

TO THK EDITOR. Sir,— Plen^o alli)\v me a small space in your columns, to draw the attention of the Waipa County Council to tho disgraceful state of the main road between Alexandra and Te Awamutu, more especially the sand hills between Mr Nabbs' and Mr (4ood fellow^'. In one plncu theie is a diop of fully two feet, and I had tho misfoitunc to be caught in this tiap this morning, bieaking the springs of my buggy, and had thore been any pa-isengen in, no doubt I should now have to report a «eiious accident. Hoping something will be donoat once to make this road fit for wheeled traffic, — I nw, &c, Jt>sF SvitK, Mail Contractor. Alexandra, January 10th, ISB.>.

Drowning men catch at straws, and so do thirsty men. Ami.iucax Mdsm-.s.— The latest manual of the mosses of North Ameiica credits it with no less than 883 sorts, 21 _ of which are confined to tropical America, while 300 of the species are also to be found in the Old World. Dkijm. Lcmim-r —The process of drying lumber by sui rounding it with common salt is just now attracting attention. The peculiar pow er of salt for extracting moisture is well-know n. The Frischmi'TU Process.— ln a quiet way, there has been considerable excitement over the manufacture of aluminium by the Fnschmuth process, to which we have already alluded, and which consists in reducing alumina by generating sodium vapor in suitable reducing agent, in place of employing, as hitherto, previously prepared metallic sodium for the purpose. The Philadelphia parties who are engaged in the manufacture on a moderate scile thus far have, in the aggregate, turned out a considerable quantity of the metal, which, we may add, has been used to a much laiger extent than is generally believed by our jewelleis. Among the achievements of Mr Fnschmuth is the manufacture of th" rap for the Washington monument, to which we alluded last week, and which is now on exhibition at Tiffany's in this city.— Engineering and Mining Journal. A vhiy determined eflfoit is being made to found the British Commercial Geographical Society on a firm basis, and another meeting was held on October 27 to formally inaugurate it. It cannot be denied that there is a great opening for ft society which shall sene as a link between the Royal Geographical Society on one hand and the London Chamber of Commerce on the other — which should, in other words, apply the scientific knowledge which it is the sole duty of the Royal Geographical Society to collect to the nreda of the trading community which it is the object of the Chamber of Commerce to represent. M. Diosy, the Commissioner in England for AustiiaHungaiy, gave a striking illustration of the advantages which have been conferred on the trade of Hungary by the establishment seventeen years ago of a society very similar to that which it is now proposed to establish in London. A mnsenin vas formed in which the products of other countries with which it was desired to extend trade relations were exhibited, with particular of prices, etc. ; while, on the other hand, information was furnished as to the particular products of Hungary, which the districts were most in need of, with details as to peculiar local wants of each distiict.