MASTERTON NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 126, 14 February 1918, Page 8

MASTERTON NOTES

Mr. F. Exell has been appointed acting oversew* lo the. Masterton County CouncV. Councillors W. J ; "Welch and H. Toogood have been appointed to represent tllie Masterton County Council at a conference of local bodies to consider, the question of the maintenance of the Rimutaka. road. Thirty-three- applications were received for the position of assistantclerk to the .Masterton County Council, at a salary of £3 per week. The appointment fell to Miss U. Berry, of Auckland, who was for five years assistant clerk to the Tarauaki County Council. The price of bread is to he increased in Masterton as from Monday next, coincident with the. granting of a war bonus to the bakery employees. Two contractors for metal repairs for the Masterttm County Council were unable to find labour with which to carry out the work, and the contracts have therefore been determined. Tho council is endeavouring to carry out the work by day labour. ■ Chinese market gardeners of Masterton are .it present charging double thp normal rates for vegetables. A shortage of sugar is being experienced in Masterton at the present time, and some of the tradesmen are restricting their supplies to customers to 121b. parcels. The Masterton County Council has supported the Kairanga County Council in. its appeal to the Minister of Railways for a reduction in freight on cement, tar, etc., for road-making purposes. Hates amounting to £3000 were received by the Masterton County Council last month. A successful varietv entertainment was aivijn in the Masterton Municipal, Hall on . Wednesday evening by a company irom the Featherston Camo. in aid of the fund for furnishing the local soldiers' club. The benefit ot> spraying tomatoes for blight, which latter has proved a source of loss to many growers, was emphasised by an Otaki grower in conversation with a Press representative the other day. The grower stated that there were occasions in which he sprayed four times a week, and on the slightest appearance of blight precautions were taken to prevent it spreading. Spraying was an expensive item, but it was essential to success. He had soino thousands of plants, and used 160 gallons at each spraying. He had an excellent crop. Tho biggest price he had received for the season was 18s. per case (about 241b.), and last week they were selling at from ss. to Bs.