LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8997, 6 December 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The dry weather is beginning to tell on the crops and stock in various parts'of the Wairarapa district. If rain does not soon fall it will be a serious matter for farmers. Mails for the Commonwealth of Australia, Ceylon, India, China, Japan, Straits Settlements, also South Africa, Continent of Europe, and United Kingdom, per Warrimoo, will close at Masterton to-day at 6.15 a.m. It is reported that prices for cattle and sheep have decreased considerably in this district during the present spell of fine weather. A Press Association telegram on Wednesday stated that the gas-light sports .meetings at Auckland were likely to be discontinued owing to the large falling off' in the attendance, which it was indicated was due to the suppression of betting, which was largely carried on at the sports. A further telegram, yesterday morning, stated that the promoters had decided to abandon the meeting, the clause of the Gaming Act forbidding betting, on sports grounds having killed the venture. The latest dredging returns for the week are as follow: —Masterton, 420z 7dwt; Mystery Flat, 620z 14 dwt. At a civil sitting of the Magistrate's Court, yesterday morning, Mr W. P. James, S.M., gave judgment for plaintiff by default in each of the following debt cases: — Boyd and. Cook v. Frank Richards, claim £1 3s Bd, costs 12s; J. C. Ewingtan v. A. C. Stewart, claim £l2, costs £L 10s 6d; F. McKay v. Sophie Allen, claim £1 4s, costs 10?. Abraham and Williams claimed from J. McKenzie the sum of £37, balance.of account due. Defendant counter-claimed £25 in connection with the sale of 2,054 lambs to the plaintiff company, as he alleged that the company had exceeded its right of rejection by 5 per eont. Mr C. A. for the defendant, admitted the claim, and Dr. Trimble, for the plaintiff, applied for a non-suit on the counter-claim. The case, however, was adjourned until January 16th, in order that evidence as to the delivery of the lambs might be'ob' tained. In the case of Charles McCullough v. James Hourigan, a claim of £7 6s, damages for wrongful impounding, judgment was entered for plaintiff for £2 6s without costs. John Yates claimed from T. J. Dean the sum of £lO, being money obtained for the redemption of a mare. A counter-claim was dismissed, and judgment was entered for plaintiff for the amount claimed with £5 costs.

The last meeting of the present season of the Y.M.C.A. Debating Society was held, last evening, and was largely attended. Mr P. L. Rollings presided. Mr C. E.Daniell delivered a very intcrsting address on his impressions of the British working men, and at the close was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. During the evening recitations were given by Messrs Kemp, Joy, Cole and Hebenton, and Mr V. Williams contributed a song.

A telephone service will probably be established very shortly between Dyerville and Marcinborough.

The wind blew with terrific force in Featherston on Monday last. The noise made by it as it whistled through the courthouse building considerably interfered with the business of the court. One counsel remarked that if the wind blew much stronger it would be a case of the wind ceasing or the court adjourning. h is expected that the official opening oi the recently erected Huangaroa Bridge, at Maryborough, will take place in about a fortnight. The Premier is to be asked to perform the opening ceemony.

A large party of Carterton resi • dents intend to visit Mount Holdsworth during Christmas week, and spend some days on the mountain. Mr J. Wilkerson has sold his farm at.Kokotau to Mr A. Hawke. Mr Wilkerson intends to make an extended trip to England shortly. There need be no scarcity of hay in the Carterton district next winter, judging oy the heavy crops that have been cut during the last few days, writes our Carterton correspondent. There was a large attendance of howlers on the Carterton bowling green, yesterday afternoon, and some interesting games were played. The vital statistics for Featherston for the month of November are as follow — Births, one; deaths, nil; marriages, nil.

MILKING M ACHINE lIV lIH-'XCE. jHck-ts W. Bailey and Son. of Waiiiku, write as follows re the "Lawreuce-Keu-nedy-Gillies" Milking Machine :—"Wo are using three machines for the third reason, and we find v them satisfactory. We milk SB cows in I', 1o .!.:}• -hours. One man can look after the machines and carry the milk away, and one hoy attends to the. hailing up, etc., while one or two hoys do the stripping, of which, us a ride, there is very little to do. The butter fat test and quantity of milk are fully maintained, and we find no illeffeets on the cows. There is no (rouble with keeping quality of the milk." MaeEwans', Ltd., U.S'.S. Co.'s ISuildhigs, Wellington.

Frank Frater, alias Lambert, was charged, on remand, before Mr W. P. James, S.M., -at the Magistrate's Court, yesterday morning, with having assaulted David Jackson, custodian of the park, and with having used grossly obscene language in Queen Street. A plea of guilty was entered on both charges. Jackson deposed that accused was in the park with a woman, and was intoxicated, and on being asked by witness to leave, he turned round and struck witness a severe blow. The magistrate, after perusing a long list of previous convictions against the accused, sentenced him to two months' imprisonment for assault and three months for using obscene language.

A meeting of the Carterton Fire r i Brigade was held on" Wednesday evening, Lieutenant E. McKenzie presiding. It was reported that Captain A. L. Webster had consented to act as one of the judges at the Friendly Societies' sports on BoxingDay. The offer of Messrs E. Edwards and W. Erickson to act as timekeepers at the sports was accepted, | Fifteen hundred fat lambs, bred by settlers in Morison's Bush and Moroa, were railed to Fetone from Featherston last week, says the Grey town Standard, at considerable inconvenience to the breeders, instead of from Greytown, owing to the utterly inadequate yarding accommodation at the latter station. Two fishermen in the Woodville district, says the "Examiner," have adopted a novel method of landing the "speckled beauties," and they never wet their feet during the operation. They fish from off the of their horses, and when a fish is hooked, the horse quietly- takes the fisherman to the shore and the fish is landed. The idea is a good one, and no doubt will become popular. Tl'e other day we heard cf a settler who resides not very far from Woodville, who has a dog that is very expert in catching trout especially when the river is a bit low. We do not know if the settler in question has taKen out a license for the dog; if not, he should keep a sharp look out for th'o ranger when he goes a-fishing. i A resident of Edendale. Southland, has netted about £12,0C0 in a deal in land, writes a correspondent ot the Dunedin Star. , About eight years'V'.' ago he secured a tract of 3,000 acies / of agricultural and pastoral land at £1 an acre, and later on bought an adjoining farm of less than 700 acres at £6 10s an acre. The other day he got £5 10s an acre for the block,, and as the buyer does not take possession till Fehruary. the settler expects to make £1,600 out of his wool clip. A young man requires board. Tenders are invited by the Akitio County Council for various contracts. A young lady requires a position in a shop or showroom. Mr W.H. Cruickshank, land agent. Masterton, advertises particulars of a number of properties which have been placed in his hands for sale. Mr J. L. Murray has ■ on 'View at the Exchange Buildings special lines in drapery, mercery and clothing, . and invites the public to call and see the new goods. The sale of privileges for.the Masterton Trotting Clubs' meeting will be held at Messrs Abraham and Williams, Ltd., rooms, on Wednesday next, and not on Saturday as stated in yesterday's issue. Mr J. R. Nicol will sell at the Masterton auction mart, Bannister Street, on Saturday next, the privileges in connection with the Wairarapa Caledonian Society's sporta, and also a large and varied range in general li..es of furniture. At their auction mart, on Saturday next, Messrs R. E. Howell and Co., a Ltd., will offer for sale, on account ". of Mr E. W. Christmas, a consignment of oil and water colour paintings As Mr Christmas is leaving the dominion shortly, this will be the last chance to secure any of his splendid works.

In view of' the coming Christmas season, Mr A. F. Beale, bookseller and stationer, has made preparations on a scale that is high/y creditable. It' is about nine, months since Mr Beale commenced business operations in Master to i:, and he has, by energy and cnternrise, succeeded in building* up a wide connection in both town and country. The stock for the 1907 Christmas season is as varied as'it is extensive. The interior of the shop is set out in a most tempting style with all kinds of articles suitable for presents, while the window presents a most attractive appearance. A specialty of the stock is the range of children's presents, which embraces novelties of every description. Pictorial books, toys, leather goods, and general literature are. all'well arranged, and decidedly worth inspection.