LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9056, 3 April 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The latest return from the Mystery Flat dredge is 4loz for the week. An effort is to be made to form a men's Hockey Club at Featherston. The Greytown Orchestral Society has disbanded. Owing to scarlet f»ver cases in Westport the schools have been closed. The Carterton Volunteers have received their new uniforms. They are of a brownish-green colour. During the past quarter there have been seventeen births, two marriages, and two deaths in Martinborough. The golf season in the Wairarapa will commence to-morrow, when the Middle Run links, near Carterton, will be opened. The Masterton Smith Brass Band intend holding a sacred concert on Easter Sunday in the Town Hall in aid of the instrument funds. The hospital at Greytown is now full, and a typhoid fever patient, who was recently refused admission, is being treated at a, private house. The local ambulance brougham is having plenty of use of late. Three trips were made by it for different" cases on Wednesday and yesterday. At the Easter meeting of the Wairarapa Racing Club an innovation will be introduced. The gate-keepers will wear neat badges in the shape of a bar brooch, having inscribed thereon the letters W.E.C. A Hawke's Bay orchardist is convinced that it pays to spray fruit trees. Last year he only obtained 70 cases of sound fruit. This season he adopted preventive measures, and his orchard has produced ten tons of fine fruit.

A meeting of shareholders of the Workmen's Mutual Benefit Building Society wps held last night. Mr R. Krahagen occupied the chair, and about twenty shareholders were present. The sum of ,£3OO was balloted for, Mrs A. Z. Hoar being the successful shareholder.

At a meeting of the management committees of the-Maeterton and Red Star Football Clubs it was decided to aoproach the Masterton A. and P. Association with a viaw to oblaining a portion of the Showgrounds for football \ urposes, and to apply to the New Zealand Rugby Union for financial assistance in connection therewith. It was decided to i-e----commend the Wairarapa Rugby Union to elect local delegates to the New Zealand Rogby Union. Recently a Mastertqn business firm received from a Sydney commercial house a receipt for money paid to the latter. The receipt being unstamped was returned for duty stamp to be affixed thereto. The Sydney firm has replied as follows: —"Permit us to point out that the document was in order owing to the New South Wales Government having abolished duty stamps for receipts. Our Government are making so much money that they do not know what to do with it, and are allowing the unfortunate merchants to participate in the prosperity by permitting them to issue unstamped receipts." i

A case causing considerable interest was heard at Greytown on Wednesday before VV. P. James, S.M., William Wiggins, of Greytown, farmer, sued James Colquhoun, of Greytown, farmer, for £25, price of a mare sold by plaintiff to defendant. The defendant agreed to give .£2f) for the mare without seeing the animal, but alleged in defence that he bought on a fourteen days trial. Next day, after delivery, the defendant, being dis-satisfied, returned the mare to the paddock of the plaintiff, who promptly impounded her for trespass. The mare was subsequently withdrawn from pound sale by consent of the parties, and the present action was brought. After hearing evidence, the Magistrate gave judgment for defendant, with costs £3 4s. Mr Ellis appeared for the plaintiff and Mr C. A. Pownall for the defendant. Mr C. F. B. Livi'say, Architect of Wei lington, has moved to more convenient rooms in the National Mutual Chambers, j Customhouse Quay, (adjoining the Head Ollice of the Bank of N.Z.) Address— I P.O. Box 771. Telephone 2C92. J

At Kaiparoro last month 10.26. inches of rain fell. The Eketahuria Ladies' Hockey ClUb opened the season yesterday with a practice, there being a good attendance of members. Vital statistics for Masterton for March are as follow:—Births, 23;; marriages, 14; deaths, 8. In Carterton last month there were 12/ births, 3 deaths, and 4 marriages. A special meeting of the managers-, of the Technical School will be held this evening, at 8 o'clock, to deal with the tenders for the erection; of the Seddon Technical School. The Wairarapa Racing Club has. decided to license bookmakers for its Easter meeting on the followingterms:—lnside enclosure, £2O; outside enclosure, £10; and 10s for clerks in each case. In order that every possible step mav be taken to stamp out orchard and garden pests and prevent the introduction of pests from neighbouring countries, the Government will shortly appoint two additional inspectors under the Orchard and Garden Pests Act. A combined meeting of the Red Star and Masterton Football Clubs' management committees decided to recommend the Wairarapa Rugby Union to pay all drag fares in connection with championship matches; or failing this, that the Union pay junior drag fares. A well-attended, representative and enthusiastic meeting of supporters of Mr P. L. Rollings' candidature for the Masterton Mayoralty was held in the Exchange Buildings, last evening. Committees wpre appointed and complete arrangements were made for the conduct of a vigorous campaign, with the object of securing Mr Hollings' return. A meeting of the Masterton branch of the National Defence League was held last evening in Ihe Drill Hall, when it was decided to apnoint Messrs I-I. M. Boddington and H. C. L. Robinson delegates to the Conffi-enr-e of League representatives to be held in Wellington on April 21. Any other members of the Executive in Wellington on that date are also requested to attend.

Mr G. Laing-Meason, C.E., accompanied the Mayor (Mr J. M. Co'-n----dine) and Cr J. H. Pauling to Ihe new race at the water supply headworks yesterday. The amount cf water coming down the Waingawa has prevented the putting in of the filter box for the race, but amply sufficient water of a high quality is finding its way in by percolation. The Mayor opened the flood-ga!e of the new race yesterday, whicft marked die successful conclusion of an important piece of work. Ihe water from the swampy creek, which has on occasions given the wl ole reservoir supply a decided taste, is now cut off, and the new race will keep the supply at a greater voluire, and of a markedly improved quality. The party-visited the reservoir on the return to town, and tltere it was observed that the overflow was very much more abundant than usual.

Butter is likely to ease down in price, probably next week, the spell of good rain following the drought having proved most beneficial to dairyfarmers in the Manavvatu, Wnirarapn, and Tnranaki district?. It has been proposed that the local shortage should he met by importations from Australia, but one Wellington wholesale merchant, on going into the matter with an "Evening Post" reporter yesterday morning, said the idea was not at all feasible. In the first place, Australian butter did not suit the New Zealand palate, and this had been demonstrated over and over again; in the next, the duty and charges would render its importation unprofitable. For example, the duty would be 2£d per lb, insurance, interest, and freight Id, freezing Jd, and local expenses, including patting and delivery, IJd, in all 5Jd, which, with butter at 10d per lb at the port of shipment, would bring the butter up to Is 3£d in Wellington, with no profit to the merchant. However, a meeting of wholesale butter merchants is to be held in Wellington shortly, when, among other things, the question of local prices will be considered.

Judgment for plaintiffs was given in the following cases by Mr W! P. James, S.M., at Masterton, yesterday morning:—C. A. Pownall v. E. E. Woodley, claim £2O, coats £1 12s; Lyttle Brothers v. Tuahini Renata, claim £l2 2s, costs £1 15s Gd; Olds and Anderson v. E. J. Clune, claim £4 ss, costs 10s; J. L. Murray v. Frank Reeves, claim £2 17s 6d, costs ss; same v. Robert A. Mclntyre, £1 3s scl, costs ss; J. Wickena and Co. v. Stephens and Vowles, claim £lO 193 6d, costs £l. Two judgment summons cases were taken in which neither debtor appeared. E. Gray was ordered to pay £6 5s 9d to executors J. Pringle estate forthwith, in default sdven days' imprisonment, and Manaini Waaka was ordered to pay £2 12s to Hugh Rea in default seven days' imprisonment. Both orders were suspended for 14 days. James Deane sued Terence Meredith for £BS for alleged'wrongful detention of a horse. Mr B. J. Dolan appeared for plaintiff.and Mr D. K. Logan for defendant. The case was adjourned to April 9th.

The enthusiasm likely to be displayed by members of the Masterton A. and P. Association in connection with its new Showground at Solway, will bring back memories of the infant days of the Association when working bees were formed, and most of the manual work on the grounds in the way of preparation of pens, hurdles and appointments, etc., was I done by members. Already several farmers have notified the secretary fof tiie Association that trains for ploughing are at the disposal of the Association gratis. It is anticipated that the whole of tlip ploughing will be done without costing the Association a penny, so eager are members to make the removal to Solway a financial success. Under such circumstances, the Association must maker rapid strides along the line of progress. The efforts about to be put forth, however, are only characteristic of what has been done by the various committees of » the Association for several years X past. A prominent member prophesies that the public will before long be agreeably surprised at the financial position of the Association as a result of its decision to removal to Solway.

At a meeting 1 of workers in Timaru last week, Mr Howard, secretary to the Chriatchurch General Labourers' Union, traid that the amount of funds possessed by the union should be kept a secret. He would not mention the figures in the presence of the reporters, because some day the union might be fined, as the Blackball miners had been. The latter had been fined £75, which was probably just about all the money.they had in hand, and the Workers' Union in Christchurch might have a\\ their funds similarly taken away from them, if it was known how much they actually had. An example of the value of young .'rorse as fodder for sheep is cited by Mr E. Scott, of Havelock. Mr Scott lias recently cleared a paddock of eight acr*s, part of which comprised an old orchard, and the whole very densely envered with gnrse. He had a good burn, and after tho young grass »»nd gorse shoots began to show forty sheep were put into the paddock. None of the sheep weighed over 351b when turned in, but aft?r remaining there during the whole of tho severe drought, feeding on nothing but gorse and moth-infected apples, there is hardly one of the animals that does not tip the beam at 601b to 651b. Referring to his recent visit to the Northern counties as a member of the Native Land Commission, Sir Robert Stout states that he was impressed by the small area of land there that is in the occupation of Maoris. In the Rodney County there are only about 9,000 acres, and 6,500 acres of the total are held by one family. There are not more than about 7,000 acres in the occupation of Maoris in the Waitemata County, bu* another 7,000 acres of Maori land are under lease to Europeans. There are also about 8.000 acres of land vested in the Maori Land Board for purposes of settlement. That land is feeing cut up, and it will soon be put into tha market. In Otstinatea County thero are only about 6,000 acres in the possession of Maoris, but here there is a considerable area—about 30,000 acres—belonging to Maoris tinder lease. There is ' a larger area of Maori land in Hobson County—about 70,009 acres—but of this there is only 30,000 acres in Maori occupation.

An engine-driver is wa-ted to take charge of a threshing plant.

An advertiser has two unfurnished roams to let.

A young lady to take charge of office and private telephone ia elsewhere advertised for.

Mr C. Y. Dally, agent for the Standard Rotary Shuttle Sewing Machines, quotes the prices at which these are obtainable. New boots and shoes for winter wear are to hand at Mr J. Carpenter's central boot depot. Prices of the leading lines are quoted in the a Ivertisement.

Prime beef, lamb, mutton, and dressed poultry will be sold at the Post Office Auction Mart to-day and Saturday. The prices ruling at former sales will be maintained.

Mr Weaner, of the firm of Scholefield, Godsal an i Weaner, Toowoomba, Queensland, will be at the Club Hotel, Masterton. to-day, to give particulars of the properties they are offering on the famous Darling Downs.

The auction sale of drapery and clothing by Mr J. R. Nicol, at the Masterton Auction Mart, on account of the British Woollen Company, will he continued to-morrow and Saturday, when every line will be aold without reaprve. The goods are all high-class quality, and having juat been imported are up-to-date throughout.

Acting under instructions from the Deputy Official Assignee in the estate of J. H. James. Messrs Mitchell, Griffith and Co. will sell by auction, at the yards, Mangatainoka, on Wednesday, April Bth, a large quantity of timber, horse 3 nnd waggons, as well as freehold and leasehold properties and miscellaneous goods.