LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8449, 27 May 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The health of the Hon. William Hall-Jones continues to improve.

Mr E. A. Harmston, who has been stationed at Napier for some time, has been appointed assistant stationmaster atjNgahauranga. The attendance of members at the committee meeting of the Manawatu A. and P. Association last week, constituted a record. Out of 42 members 34 were present.

The Holidays Committee have passed the following resolution:— "That instead of following of Wellington City in the matter of a holiday for the Prince of Wales' Birthday, the Committee recommend that the Prince of Wales' Birthday, June 3rd, be declared a whole holiday, and they, request that his Worship, the Mayor of Masterton will give' effect to their recommendation." A Press Association telegram from Christchurch states that an inquest vtas held on Saturday touching the death of Rose Christina Mildred Owens, a young married woman, who died in the hospital after sucking the heads of 60 phosphorus matches. The girl previous to marriage had been in the Teoarangi Home, and was of a peculiar disposition. A verdict of suicide while of unsound mind was returned. The Government valuation roll of the Borough of Invercargill, corrected up to March 31st, shows the capital value of rateable property to be £1,327,429, unimproved value £552,070, and annual rateable value i £79,646, making an increase for the year in the respective values of £45,171, £l7l. and £2,479. Fiftyseven new buildings and 29~additions were erected during the year, at a cost of £42,500.

Rua, the alleged Maori prophet, is at present in the Whakatane district. It transpired during a Court case at Whakatane last week relative to the failure of Maori children to attend school, that Rua had forbidden any of his people to appear in Court to summonses served them. Why, says the local paner, this fanatic should be allowed to remain at large is beyond our comprehension; besides sowing discord, he is pauperising every native who has anything to do with him. They have sold all their stock, horses, implements, crops, in fact everything they possessed that had any intrinsic value at all. Cases where draught horses were sold for £lO are very common, the natives believing that they would eventually regain possession of the animals, such is the belief tnat has been instilled into them by Rua.

After the jury in the Paget, case had returned its verdict there was a scene in the vestibule of the Supreme Court. The jurors were waiting at the public office of the Court when counsel for the condemned man, Mr Wilford, who had disrobed, crossed the vestibule, in company with some of the male relatives of the accused, to where the jurors were standing, and in a very excited manner and using strong terms expressed his surprise at the jury's decision in the face of the evidence. The sheriff came on the scene and interposed, saying "Mr Wilford, I don't think you know what you are talking about. You had better leave the Court." Mr Wilford repeated his opinion of the verdict, and the sheriff again asked him to leave. He did so. A relative of the prisoner also made some remarks to the jury, but on the sheriff remarking that if he did not leave he would be removed, he followed Mr Wilford out of the Court precincts. It is understood that more will be heard of the matter, possibly at instance of the Crown.—Post. A CONSISTENT SEPAKATOH. Writing in reference to the Baltic 880 gailon Separator, Mr Cooper, the wellknown Manager of tbe Mangatoki Dairy Co., Rays:—"l am pleased to say this machine is giving every satisfaction. It is easily equiil ta 880 gallons per hour, aud the skimming is quite equal it not better than unyother machine we have; in fact, it is more consistent, ikimming as well at the end of a three hours' ruu as it doe-* at the start. It tikes about one-fourth loss power to do the same work as two machines each of 440 gallons capacity." Full particulars of both hand and power machines from J. B, McEwan and Co., Ltd., Solo Agents, U.S.S. Co.'s Buildings, Wellington.

The Royal New Zealand Association of His Majesty's Veterans has a membership of sixty. Owing to the slips it is considered improbable that Pori Road will be open to vehicular traffic this winter. Mr W. H. Ralph has been appointed to take charge of the Eketahuna circuit of the Presbyterian Church. The Carlton Cricket Club intend to hold their annual social and dance on June 13th. The membership of the Hawke's Bay branch of the Farmers' Union shows a reduction for last year from 367 to 228. Most of the slips that came down in the Alfredton district during the heavy rain at the commencement of the month, have been cleared away.

The Sydney Town Hall organ (144 stops) is the largest in the world. The organ in the Wellington Town Hall (72 stops) is thirteenth in point of size.

Ostrich farming is about to be started on a small scale in the western division of Queensland, birds having recently been imported from South Africa. Mr H. F. Gibbons, for the past eight years manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Palmerston North, has been appointed resident inspector of the bank at Wellington. At the Eketahuna stock sale, on Friday, two lines of sheep were found affected with lice by the officers of the Agricultural Department. It is understood that the owners will be prosecuted. The gold yield of Victoria shows a decrease of 11,3300z, compared with the return for the corresponding period of last year, and a decrease of 31.7130z during the last four months.

A fireman on the steamer Waiwera named Buchanan committed suicide, on April 12th, during the run of the vessel from London. The deceased, who was a native of Scotland, jumped overboard and was drowned.

It is reported at Palmerston North that Mr E. J. Riddiford has purchased Mr Godfrey Pharazyn's Taonui property, of 1,100 acres, at £45 per acre. Mr Pharazyn paid £2O per acre for it about four years ago.

It is understood that a petition is being circulated regarding the sentence passed on Claude Paget in connection with,the death of Pearl Axup, says the Post. Mr Wilford, who defended the prisoner, states that he has received communications from different parts of the colony in which the writers express their willingness to sign the petition. The janitor of the Timaru High School has resigned, to retire on a superannuation allowance of £1 per week, under the Teachers' Superannuation Act, after five years' service. A member of the High School Board expressed surprise that a janitor, after such short service, came under the scheme at all, and especially that he should receive an allowance almost equal to that paid to the late secretary to the Board of Education after a service of half a lifetime.

The strict secrecy which was ob' served in the construction of the cruiser Indomitable, launched on March 16th from Fairfield, Glasgow, will henceforth be enforced in the case of all ships built for the British navy. The staff will be sworn in before being entrusted with the carrying out of minute details, and no one in the yard will be able to learn anything like complete details of warship designs. The decision of the Admiralty is due to the close manner in which foreign Governments are copying British designs.

Every day sees a broken record. The latest record is in money-gather-ing, and it comes from Canada. The secretary of the Wellington Y.M.C.A. has received advice that the building fund of 200,000 dollars (£40,000) required by the Y.M.C.A. has been raised with nearly five thousand dollars additional. All the money was collected in about two weeks, and 70,000 dollars were contributed on the last day, a performance never before equalled in the history of this movement*

At Eketahuna, on Thursday last, a Board of Enquiry, consisting of Captains Turner and Page, held a sitting to-enquire into the cause of the death of a horse belonging to Trooper T. Perry, which died during the last training camp held by the Eketahuna Mounted Rifles. Trooper Perry had asked, through the Commanding Officer, that he be paid compensation for the loss. The evidence tended to show that the horse died from colic and that every care was taken of it and everything done to save it. It is understood that the Department in such cases as this will reimburse the trocper for the loss.

Some interesting remarks on the subject of hospital expenditure were made by Dr. Valintine, InspectorGeneral of Hospitals, at Otaki recently. At present, he said, there was a tendency on the part of some people who were well-to-do to take advantage of the public hospitals, and by so doing they often occupied beds to the exclusion of poorer patients. There was a section in the Hospitals Act which provided that each patient should pay according to his means. He hoped that Hospital Boards throughout the colony would put that section into operation, and would see that the public institutions of the colony were not abused by persons who were well able to pay for treatment in a private hospital or at their own homes. The CnLEßiurr of Sander and Sons Purs Volatile Eucalypti Extract is universally acknowledged. Royalty honours it, and the entire medical profession has adopted its use. Imitations sprung up without number. The latest of them—as styled •' Extracts "—was oil foisted upon the trusting and unwary under the grossest misuse of Sander ahd Sons' reputation. Sander and Sons insu'ukd an action at the Supreme Court of Vic'orin, before Hl3 Honour Chief Justice Sir J. Madden, K.C.M.G., etc., and at the trial a sworn witness testified that he had to stop the use of counterfeits on account of the irritation produced. Thiß Ehows what care is required to obtain an article that is scientifically tssted and approved of. As such is surely endorsed and recommended the GENUINE SANDER AND SONS' PUEE VOLATILE EUCALYPTI EXTRACT. Way spend money at Eotoruaand other thermal springs whenKheumo will quickly cure you of rheumatism, gout, sciatica or lumbago. Chemists and stores, 2s 6d and ±s6d.

At the Masterton Magistrate's Court, before Mr W. P. James,. S.M., on Saturday, a man named John McGirr was sentenced to forty eight hours' imprisonment for indecency.

Men for bushfelling work in Rangiwahia hinterland are difficult to obtain, says the Tahape Post. There has been a scarcity of this class of labourer for some time past, despite an advance made in the rate paid per acre.

The funeral of the late Mr J.. O'Neill took place, yesterday afternoon, and was one of the biggest seen in Masterton for some time. The services at St. Patrick's Church and at the graveside were conducted by the Very Rev. Dean McKenna.

A meeting of the Masterton branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was held on Saturday afternoon when the agenda paper was discussed, and the delegate (Mr J. C. McKillop) to the Farmers' Union Conference, to be held at Levin, on Tuesday next, was instructed how to vote on the various questions.

"The shops and houses have been numbered, and the streets named, the names being visible by day and by night on the lamp-posts at the street corners, for the city has seen the error of its ways; but in this matter the other local bodies remain steeped in their sins." remarks the Auckland *- Herald.

The New Zealand Council of Defence is now complete, and comprises the following:—The Minister of Defence, Hon. Sir J. G. Ward; First Military Member, General A.. W. Robin, C.8.; Second Military Member, Major Anson; Finance Member, Mr Robert J. Collins; Secretarv, Colonel W. H. Webb, N.Z.M.; In-spector-General, Colonel R. H. Davies, C.B.

A meeting of the Masterton Cooperative Dairy Company was held, on Saturday afternoon, to meet a deputation from the Mangamaire Creamery for the purpose of discussing the question of converting the Mangamaire creamery into a cheese factory. The project was discussed, but no decision was. arrived at.

A meeting of the Masterton CollieClub Committee and the Committee appointed by the A. and P. Association- to arrange the dog trials was held on Saturday afternoon. It was. decided to hold the trials as usual this year, and the date was fixed for about the end of June. A programme was drawn up, and the prizes allotted for the trials.

Mr H. Osborne Foster died at his residence at Palmer;-;ton North on May 24th. The deceased 'who was among the early settlers of Canterbury, had attained the age of 80 years, and died afer a short illness. He leaves a widow, one son, (Mr Wm. Foster of the Mount Cook Boys' School, Wellington), and one daughter (Mrs A. A. Lissaman, of Palmerston North).

At the Masterton Magistrate's Court, on Saturday, before Mr W. P. James, S.M., Otto Richard Petersen and Harold Pitt Johnson were charged with stealing two boxes of tobacco, valued at £lO 10s, the property of the New Zealand Government, from, the Masterton railway goods store. The accused were remanded till May 31st, bail being allowed, in accused's own security of £IOO and one surety of £SO.

Last year 500,000 trees were planted at Hanmer on an area of 177 acres. This brings the total to date to 500 acres, planted with 1,271,000. • trees. It is intended to plant during the winter and spring about 600 acres with 750,000 trees. The total, area now in view for planting is some-. 1,500 acres. The nursery produced. * last year from seed 875,000 plants, and it at present contains 2,150,000.. The tree-planting is mostly done by prison labour, but the nursery work is done by free labour. The average for prison labour is twenty men, and for free labour nine men. Victoria is suffering severely from drought. At Deniliquin, on the 15th inst., a special stock sale was held, 5,000 sheep and 300 head of cattle , being yarded.- None of the sheep were sold, but a hundred cattle changed hands. The situation is becoming very serious for graziers. Most of the runs are considerably overstocked for the short supply'' of grass. At Murrumburrah a farmer has stored about 3,000 tons of fodder. He is now receiving sheep for agistment, and expects to make considerably more than he has ever done in the' best of seasons. A Junee grazier is spending over £3OO a week upon lucerne for stock.

. A deliberate attempt was made to wreck the Sydney Express near Kilmore East on the evening of the 23rd ult. After passing Kilmore East station the train, while travelling at "a good' speed ran into an obstacle. The driver pulled up, and found that several sleepers had been laid across the rails on the main track. The obstructons were removed, but considerable delay in the traffic occurred. The spot at which the sleepers were placed was dangerous. A man was seen during the afternoon shifting some droppers. Black trackers were set to work, and followed certain footprints, the result of which was that one James Ryan was arrested, brought before the Bradford Court, and remanded to Melbourne. Ryan, who appeared to be suffering from dementia, freely admitted that it was his intention to wreck the express. A master retailer, giving evidence in the Arbitration Court at Sydney last] week, said that the supply of girls looking for engagements as shop assistants, exceeded the demand. The bulk of them came from the middle classes. Parents in comfortable circumstances sent some of the girls to work. They did not wish to send them to domestic service, and they like to have them home in the evenings, so they sent them to the shops. Girls, too, liked to relieve their parents of the burden of keeping them, and so went to the shops for employment. He did not know of any business where the pay was so good, and where the opportunities for advancement were better. In certain departments the girls were able to make more wages than men. In the millinery, mantles, and costumes, and underclothing departments, he paid the girls up to £2O per month. That was not an excessive figure. He had to pay it to get the women he wanted. And then again he repeatedly lost his girls because of marriage.

Mr Felix Tanner, of "ark" fame, has juat successfully come through a twenty-one days' fast at Christchurch.

Owing to the heavy showers at Dunedin, on Saturday, states a Press Association telegram, the running match between McLachlan and Day has been postponed till June 3rd. Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor, New Zealand Forces, is attached to the First Division, Alder-

shot Army Corps, under Staff College Modulations, writes our London corresThe Taihape Post says it is reported that many of the labourers employed on the co-operative works around Ohakune are leaving on account of the , cold weather experienced. The Masterton Rifle Volunteers held a Church parade yesterday morning. There was a fair muster, and Lieutenant Brighting was in command. The company, headed by the" Masterton Band, marched to St.

Matthew's Church, where an appropriate sermon was preached by the

Ri'w. A. M. Johnson. '''Wy large number of settlers in the Mdland Counties, according to letters received by a Wellington resident, have instructed one of their number of proceed to New Zealand and visit the Waikato, with a view of taking up land there for settlement purposes. The settlers are all fairly well to do, and their aggregate capital is stated to be between £50,000 and £60,000.

Writes our London correspondent, under date April 12th:- The Sussex, 6,474 tons gross register, the first direct'steamer of the re-organised service from New Zealand to the West Coast ports, has arrived with a large quantity of food produce, the portion consigned to Bristol being 24,930 car- . cases of lamb, 1,270 carcasas of mutton, 19,039 boxes of butter, and 4,658 crates of cheese. There .are also cargoes for Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow. Many people are under the impression that the whole of the money resulting from the sale of stock from a public pound becomes the property of the poundkeeper at the expiry of twelve months from the date of sale. According to legal opinion read at the Board meeting at Bulls, last week, the poundkeeper must ► hand over all moneys after deducting pound charges to the Board fourteen days after the sale. The Board hold all such moneys in trust for the owners of impounded stock for twelve months and if it is not claimed within that time it is paid into the district account. The poundkeeper has no claim whatever on any money, except poundage charges. "If the Government would only let people alone," was the burden of a short speech made by Mr Robert Charters, the well known farmer and prize stock breeder in the Taieri, in moving the usual Farmers' Union motion re the Land Bill at Mr Donald hfc Reid's meeting. He instanced the ■ stock inspectors who came round W enquiring how many sheep, how many pigs, how many geese, and how many chickens a man kept. Mr Charters also commented on the condition of the Pomahaka settlers. They wanted the estate cut up; the Government did it. Then they wanted roads and bridges, and were disappointed because the Government did not construct these for them then,. They wanted their rent/reduced, and finally a lot had to leave. The report has just been issued of the proceedings of the seventy-third annual general meeting, held on Thursday, March 28th, of the Bank of Australasia, writess our London correspondent. The Chairman stated that the Bank had had six months of uninterrupted prosperity. The profit being £321,000, against £293,000 last year, has enabled them to transfer £30,000 to reserve fund, to make a reduction of £12,000 \n the cost of bank premises, to give a bonus to their staff of £17,000, and to give, in addition to the dividend at the rate of 12 per cent, which they have paid for some time, a bonus of 8s per share.

An advertiser requires a good canvasser.

A purse lost between Arcadia Tea Rooms and Wrigl«y Street is advertised for.

Mr D. Caselberg inserts an address to the voters in support of his candidature forsa seat on the Masterton Trust Lands Trust. The old-established business of Bacon and Company, aerated water and cordial manufacturers, of Wellington, is advertised for sale as a going concern. Full particulars can be obtained from Mr G. 0. Sutton, Wellington, the' liquidator. On Wednesday night Dr. R. N.Morris, M # .A., LL.D., will lecture in th\i Town Hall on Darwin's Theory of Evolution. This lecture, although scientific in character, will be presented in popular form. Any necessary technicalities will be so explained as to be easily comprehended by all. The lecture will be illustrated by limelight views. It ia notified by advertisement elsewhere in our columns, to-day, that the prospectus of the Dannevirke Gas Company, Ltd., has been issued, and that copies may be obtained on application to the local branch of the Bank of New Zealand. The company is being formed to acquire the Dannevirke Gas Works, and investors will no doubt welcome the opportunity of being able to obtain an interest in an already established gas business at par. Gout is really a special form of rheumatism causfid by excess uric noid in he blood. Whether your gout ia acute oi chronic, Eheumo will cure you. Al! stores}