LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9034, 22 January 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The shareholders in Masterton of the tytysterv Flat Dredging Company received a pleasant surprise last evening in the shape of cheques for a dividend at the rate of 2s per share. The shareholders were not aware that this dividend was due to them. Ihe price of butter is still unchanged i;i Masterton, but it is anticipated that there will be a sharp rise shortLy, on account of the good prices ruling at Home, and the small .output! from the New Zealand factories consequent upon the dry sea'son. A special meeting of the Masterton Borough Council was held last 'evening, to consider the question of what working cay phall be the statutory half-holiday within the administrative area of the borough for the next year. Messrs M. Caselberg, G. ; Heron and W. M. Easthope, reprei senting the Employers' Association, were present to support a resolution of the Association recommending the Council to declare Thursday the day : for holding the weekly half holiday for shops and offices, and- presented a petition. purporting to be signed by 265 ratepayers, asking the Council to i take a poll of the electors under Clause 15 of the Factories Act Amendment Act, 1907, on the question of having the weekly half-holi-day for factories fixed for the same day as for shops and offices. The deputation urged that the present system of two half-holidays was unsatisfactory from every point of view, and no do.ibt Thursday was the best day for the shopkeepers' weekly half-holiday. The Council decided to fix Thursday as the statutory closing day, but consideration of the petition was held over until the next meeting, so that the signatures might be verified.

Prior to the commencement of business at the ordinary meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, last evening, sympathetic reference was made to the recent death of the wife of Cr Temple, and on the motion of Cr Morris, seconded by the Mayor, it was resolved to forward a letter of condolence to Cr Temple and family. The motion was carried in silence, ail the members rising. An adjournment was then made for fifteen minutes. A GRT3.VT LAW SU IT DECIDKD. Tim Supreme Court, tlio People, have decided that Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery wins against Coughs, Colds, and Consumption. Price, Is (5d and 3s. Obtainable tit 11. E. Eton's, (Jhemist. When a man has smoked them once—cigarette buying is no longer a question of choice, for he naturally asks for Taddy's Myrtle Grove Cigarettes.*

• Pursuant to a notice of motion the" Mayor moved at a special meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, last evening, that the words, "The Councilwill in the case of the ordinary supply, lay on the water supply from the main to the street boundary" in by-law 7 of the waterworks by-law in force within the borough,, be rescinded. The mover explained that a resolution in this form had been agreed to by the Council some time ago, and the present motion was only intended to put the by-law in order. Cr Ewington opposed tlo motion, which he considered would be a wrong action to take. The Council had made the connections from the water mains in the past and should continue to do so in the future. There was a water rate which was large enough to meet all expenses in connecting the water mains with the street boundary. Cr Morris considered that the Council should tap all mains independent of who paid the cost. The motion was carried, Cr Ewington being the only dissentient.

A large number of swimmers arrived from Wellington last evening to take part in the Aquatic Carnival to-day, and more are expected by the mid-day train. They will be met at the railway station by the officials of the YVairarapa Amateur Swimming Club. The proceedings this evening will be preceded by a torchlight procession which will start from the Fire Police Station in Chapel street and march to the park by way of Chapel, Renali, Queen and Park streets. When the classes at the Masterton District High School re-assemble after the Christmas vacation, lessons in swimming and life-saving will be added to the curriculum, and in order that these may be a success, the head master and the School Committee are anxious that the school children, when t under proper supervision, should have free use of the baths. To this end Rev. J. N. Buttle, Mr C. Perry and Mr W.. H. Jackson waited on the Borough Council last evening and urged the free use of the baths to the children who would be sent to the baths in batches under their masters or mistresses as the case may be. Mr Jackson, head master o£ the -Masterton-School, £ said- he thought he would be able to make the present schedule of hours suit for this season at least. The Council unanimously resolved to allow the school children free' use of the baths when in charge of their teachers. The ordinary meeting of the Masterton Municipal Fire Brigade was held in the Central Station last evening, Lieut. Svviiigton presiding. Three months leave of absence was granted to Fireman Kivell. The Brigade decided to take pare in the torchlight procession this evening in connection with the Aquatic CfernivaL Fireman B. Braggins presented the Brigade with a handsomely framed photograph of the Masterton team which won the five-men manual competition at the Friendly Societies' Sports, at Carterton, on . December 26th last. The tender of Mr A. McLauchlin, at 10s, has been accepted by the Mastorton County Council for 81 chains of metalling on the AlfredtonWeber Road.

The report of the* manager of the* Municipal gasworks for the months of November and December shows that during that period 3,208,900 cubic feet of gas had been manufactured, and 2,610,400 cubic feet of gas had been sold, being an increase of 733,800 cubic feet, and 543,000 cubic fett over the amount made and sold respectively during the corresponding months of the previous year. The receipts for the months of November and December 1907 amounted to £1,283 13s 3d, an increase of £397 0s '6d over the amount received for the same months of 1906. The Borough Council, at a special meeting last night, passed a special order resolving to make a rate of 24-64 d in the £ on the unimproved value of all the rateable property in the borough, for the purpose of providing the interest and other charges on the gasworks loan of £12,000. The rate will be an annually recurring one, and will be payable halfyearly during the term over which the loan is spread. T'ie fureral of the late Mr Fred Lee will take place to-morrow, leaving No. 73 Lincoln Road, at three ©■' clock," for the Masterton cemetery. The newly-formed Ladies' Swimming Club lias already a grievance. Three of its members attended last night's meeting of the Borough Council and eloquently urged that the schedule of hours, during which the public baths are open, should be so amended as to> give ladies engaged in shops during, the day greater opportunities to indulge in the favourite pastime. A sympathetic Council referred the matter to the Works Committee for consideration.

At the meeting of the Borough Council, last evening, the Fire Police were made a grant of £ls. Captain Dixon and Lieut. Wilton were present at the meeting in support of application for the grant. The Masterton Borough Council, las': evening, authorised t;he expenditure of £75 for the work of raising the stop bank at the back of tho Park. During the past two months thirtyone new meters have been fixed and fifteen new services laid in Masterton. The Wairarapa Lawn Tennis Tournament will commence on the Masterton Club's courts to-day. The Methodist Sunday School will hold a picnic to-day, on the property of Mr McGregor, at Lower Manaia. The Featherston Chamber of Commerce are applying to the Postal Department to have the Telephone Exchange at Featherston open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. THE RUSH FOE MILKING MACHINES. Now that the "Lawrence-Kennedy Gillies" Milker has, after 5 seasons' use oil numbers of dairy farms, proved an unqualified success, there is heavy and increasing demand for this popular machine. Throughout Australasia a tremendous number of machines are being booked for the coming season,-and in New Zealand alone some thousands will be required. On all sides one hears of people going in for the "L.K.G." machine. If you wish to get a plant installed in anything like time for the coming season book up your order without delay. Plants will only be supplied in priority of application. J. 1?. MacEwan, Ltd., Agents, TJ.S-S. Co's Buildings, Wellington.

The delay in erec'ting the new postPeatherston iff agitating the minds of residents in that town. At the last meeting of the Featherston Chamber of Commerce, the folio.ving 1 resolution was passed:—"xhat the attention of the Postmaster-General be drawn to the fact that, although the amount required for the Featherston Post Office has been on the Estimates for two sessions, and the site for the same settled upon some months ago, no steps have been taken by tiie Department towards its erection, and this Chamber strongly urges that the matter be gone on with without any further delay, and would ask fora prompt reply as to when tenders will be called."

A heavy frost at Nireaba on Friday night last did considerable damage to the potato crops. The Mangatainoka and Mangahao rivers are very low, and a number of creeks in the Forty Mile Bush district have run dry. The Wairarapa Horticultural and Industrial Society (Carterton) have decided not to hold a summer show this year on account of the backwardness of the season. At the next monthly meetirg of the Featherston Chamber of Commerce, the question -of extending the telephone lines from Featherston to South Featherston, Tauherenikau, Western Lake and Kaiwaiwai, will be discussed. In the meantime the Chamber has decided to obtain quotations from Messrs Jackson Bros., of Masterton, as to the cost of such work. A movement is on foot to establish swimming baths in Featherston. The property at Fernside, in the estate of the late Mr R. J. Barton, has been purchased by Mr D. Algie, at £25 103 per acre. The property consists of about 200 acres. A motor car, in which were two medicos and two ladies from Christchurch, met with lan unusual kind of mishap oro the Amberley beach on • Saturday ' afternoon, says the "Press."' The party, delighted with the scenery and beach, instructed the chauffeur to take them for a good spin. All went well for about a mile . and a-haiif,, wftew sudiefanty the car sank in a quiblissamdi at few water up to the axle. The occupants, after fruitless endeavours to extricate the car, decided to send to Amberley for horse assistance. Mr J. Greig went down with two I 'horses s a«id< gear, and on arrival found: the; case 1 covered, op with sand and water to the seat, the tide having set in. After mary pulls and breakages,, the horses managed to extricate the car, and towed it to Amberley, some three miles distant. 9 Ait advertiser wants to purchase a good light trap. > Mr F. W. Temple and;family insert a notice of thanks for many.'expressions of sympathy ih their recent bereavement. , At Mr J. L. Murray's after-Ghrfsl- V mas Sale, at the Exchange' Buildings, Queen Sfreet, Masterton,. boys Kaiapoi all-wool tweed: selling at bedrock pricesMr Jas. Candy advertises the arrival o* shipments bf pianos and musical instruments direct from the manufacturers ;also piano-tuning by an expert with twenty years-' experience.

Mr Newton Kinjr, of New . Plymouth, advertises for sale two good paying hotfel properties, at)d a number of properties in the town of New Plymouth. Full particulars will be supplied on application. Mr Jas. Scott, watchmaker!' and jeweller, has just received a new con~ signmenfc of high-class goods, which are now on view at his shop in Queen Street. The range of bangles is particularly attractive, cable bangles, plain and half engraved, and a special line set with beautiful diamonds and rubies are shown to advantage. TheseJJare entirely suitablefor presentation,, and are quoted, ait, very reasonable-price*.