MASTERTON NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 873, 20 July 1910, Page 2

MASTERTON NOTES.

A WELCOME MAIL CHANCE. (From Our Special Correspondent.) Masterton July 19. Miss Hall, thn lady traveller who claims to liaro been the only white woman in the world to have done the journey between the Cape and Cairo will give an illustrated lecture, describing her South African experiences here shortly. Miss Hall has been staying for a few days with Mrs. H. H. Beetham' at Brancepeth." Mr. E. Halo presided at a meeting of tho Lnnsdowne School. Committee last evening, when the headmaster reported an average attendance for ..the June quarter (if 145, out of a roll number of 154. Regret was expressed at'the approaching, departure of Miss lorns. The half-yearly grant of £18 was received from the Trust Lands Trust, also' a special grant of £10 from the same body towards the piano, fund. The thanks of tho committee were passed to the trust, and also to Mr. H. Claughtoii for assistance towards procuring the piano. It was decided that a sum of £1 2s. Gd. be expended in the purchase of trees for the school grounds. Amateur Opera. The Masterton Amateur Theatrical Society will produce the opera, "Pirates of Penzance" in the Town Hall tomorrow evening; The members of the society have been actively rehearsing of late; and the bookings for the open- [ lug- performance are very numerous. ■ Mr. P. Garvey, drover for* Messrs. Dalgety and Co.,> of Masterton,. was tliiwvn. from his horse at Dannevirke yesterday, and sustained a fracture- of three ribs.' He was brought to his home by the afternoon train, and is progress ing as favourably as can be expected. Dwindling Forest Timber. Arbor Day will not be generally observed here , to-morrow, though the children at the' schools may do a little tree-planting.-. It is rather, regrettable that, in a district where the- forests have entirely disappeared, and where many vacant spots might be beautiful, no. systematic effort is made in the direction of reafforestation. It is only a question of time, when firewood, as well as timber, will be exceedingly scarce in these parts. As it is, all the totara timber employed in Jncal builds ing is brought long distances by rail. Building Trade. The building trade shows signs of improvement, several contracts at present being out for new buildings. Tenders have been invited for new brick offices to be erected in Queen Street for Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Ltd. Two further' charges of breaches of the Licensing Act. are to be- investigated s in the Magistrate's Court at Masterton. on Friday. .' : ■ Mail Change. Complaint made some weeks back that no provision was made for "answering letters from'the South Island on the day of their receipt has resulted in the .authorities arranging for making up a mail-bag for southern, ports in. Masterton at 3.5 p.m. every day, so that they will connect with the ferry boat at Wellington. This arrangement will be appreciated, especially by business men. A Point About Rating. An .important point has been raised by Councillor Rigg at the ..MastertouBoijough Council. He pointed outthat the Masterton borough had adopted the system of rating on unimproved values, and now proposed rating on that system'to'm'ee't the loan for'sewage extension. He had read the Municipal Hand' Book, published last.year by the an. thority of the Minister for Internal Affairs, which states: "The system of rating on unimproved value does not apply to water rates, , gas rates, electriclight rates, sewage rates, or-Hospital and Charitable Aid rates, which may be levied on the annual or capital value, only."