LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9058, 6 April 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Eight licenses for deer-stalking in the Wairarapa District have been issued at Carterton.

The Tararua Rifle Club defeated the Eketahuna Mounted Rifles in a shooting match on Thursday by 547 points to 509 points.

Last season the money taken at the gates in championship competitions by the Wairarapa Rugby Union amounted to £l3O 17s, and at representative matches to £77 13s 3d.

Plans are being prepared for a stewards stand to be erected on tht Taratahi-Carterton Racing Club's course at Clareville.

The Masterton Rifles are busy recruiting, and no less than twelve new memhers have been sworn in at the last two parades, nine being elected on Friday evening last. There is now room for five more recruits in the company.

Mr A, Haughey was the successful tenderer for the Seddon Memorial Technical School. The tenders were as follow:—A. Haughey, £2,795 (accepted);. King and Sons, £2,989;. J. Bacon,, £3,124;: Taylor and Hodges, £3,299 19s;. T, B, Micheli, £3,350. The harvest thanksgiving services; in connection with the Carterton Salvation Army were held in the Barracks, Carterton, yesterday, and were largely attended. Members- of the Masterton Salvation Army will assist at a concert to be held thi's' evening.

At the Y.M.C.Av Debating Club's* meeting to-night, the subject for discussion will be "Iff the Arbitration Court a failure." Mr D; Hsbentoir will lead in the affirmative, and .Mr H. Brassell in the negative. The interest at present taken in all labour questions should ensure a full' attendr ance of members. The general pubhe are invited to attend.

Large numbers of cattle and sheep are continually being grazed on the public roads in the vicinity of the UpDer Plain and the Kuripuni railway station. The residents in these localities are complaining of the damage that is being done to the fences, and of the danger incurred by the children attending the public bchools.

Preparations are now being made by the Curator of the Masterton fish hatcheries (Mr J. Miller) and his staff for the spawning season. In spite of the low state of the rivers, Mr Miller anticipates that the spawning this \ear will be quite up to the usual. He informed an Age reporter, on Saturday, that the Wairarapa rivers are to be very heavily stocked with trout next season.

/i number of interesting friendly games of bowls were played on the Masterton green on Saturday afternoon. The green is now in excellent playing trim. The ladies' f'nk has heen completed, and will be a great attarction when ready for play. The levels tor the pegs for the new green were taken on Saturday, and the custodian (Mr W. H. Denby is now nearing the end of a heavy task in re-making the green.

The West Coast of the South Island was looking remarkably fresh! and verdant, whilst, other parts of the dominion were yellow and parched with drought, according to a Masterton visitor, who has just returned from a prolonged visit to Westland. He said that the healthy condition of vegetable gardens' was particularly noticeable, and the "Coasters" were generally existing in quite a verdant paradise, with a rainfall substantial and regular. Several ex-Wairarapa residents now living on the Coast are well satisfied with their new surroundings, although they feel somewhat the "isolation" peculiar + .o many who take up their residence in those part?;.

Two Wellington residents, Mr Sinclair (a member of the Wellington Harbour Board) and Mr Welch, a rising metropolitan artist, have just con-.hided a fortnight's holiday bivouacking in the Maungatarera Valley. They spent the first week of their holiday under the rainy conditions which marked the termination of the drought, but. were nevertheless delighted with their outing, fv'r Sinclair expresssd his intention of spending a month in the same locality next year. Both gentlemen were charmed with the lovely scenery of the valley and Mi. Holdsvvorth, and intend recommending their friends to visit the mountain. Mr Welch took many sketches of different places of interest in the ranges, some of which will beexhibited later in Masterton.

The adjourned meeting of the Drovers' and Shepherds' Society was held at the Central Hotel on Saturday night, and was well attended, the President, Mr D. McKe:;zie, being in. the chair. A discussion of the terms of the proposed industrial agreement with employers so far as concerns the employment of drovers was resumed, and eventually a. complete formulation of terms was arrived at. Mr R. K. Jackson, was instructed to draft an agreement on the lines of the resolutions.. The management committee was also instructed to bring the proposals before the employers with a view to mutual adoption. Members present expressed their conviction that there would be no difficulty in this respect. The precise terms of the agreement will not be made public until after the conference with the employers. The formation of the union was reported to be popular throughout the district, it being stated that Eketanuna, Pahiatua and Lower Valley drovers desired to become members, and it was resolved to admit them on the usual terms.

Because TUSSICURA is good all through, ami docs not contain any harmful ingredient, it can- bo given to all members of the family—grandparents, parents and children—and always does good. For clergymen, auctioneers, public speakers, and touchers' sore throats, Tussiouni will be found a never-failing rjmedy. Sold by all good chemists and grocers. 119

The Wairarapa Rugby Union has a credit balance of £143 lgs» ' The supply of milk at the Newman * creamery has decreased considerably during the past week ortwo, and tho creamery is now running only every other day. The highest/test during the past week was 4.9>tti)d the lowest 4.0.

Rain of a light nature .fell in Masterton yesterday afternoon and last night, and will be not unwelcome to farmers. Rain also fell at Carterton. The ground rapidly assimilated the rain of a week or.so back, and farmers were heard on Saturday expressing a desire for another downpour.

A new entrance is about to be made at the northern, end of Masterton District High School. The alteration to be made means that the old science room will be converted into a corridor. Nothing has so far been heard from the Education Board as to when the new class room applied for by the School Committee some time ago is to be built. No doubt the Board is awaiting the erection of the Lansdowne school, to see what effect it will have in relieving the attendance at the High School

Speaking at the annual meetingof the Wairarapa Rugby Union, at Carterton, on Saturday evening, Mr C. J. Beard, treasurer of the Unior> said that he was pleased to see the rapid strides the Wairarapa had made in football of late years. He made some interesting remarks on the past history of the Union, and said that, the; annual meeting this year required the. attendance of seventeen delegates, whereas over twenty years ago, when he was a delegate, the business only nt cessitated four being appointed.

Quail are reported to be very numerous on the outskirts of Masterton. It is. now about thirty-three years- since quail were liberated f<r the first time m Wairarapa by t] e late Mr/B. Bannister. The bins were procured by the late Mr E. L. Meredith from Tasmania. The late Mr Bannister also liberated the first trout placed in Wairarapa stream;. Some fifty fish were .given to M< Bannistsr by Mr A. J. Rutberf rd (now a prominent' acclimatisation enthusiast), and liberated in Waipoua- river.. Th'eyearwas : about 1874..

Following are the figures for stock slaughtered at Masterton Abattoir last month: —155 cattle, 10 calves, 868 sheep and lambs, and 87 pigs. Condemned animals were—3 cattle, 2 sheep and 2 lambs. It is interesting tc compare these figures with March of last year, as it. shows that tre consumption has now about xecoveied its normal. The- figures for Mar..h, 1907, are-169 cattle,, calves), 851 sheep and-lambs, 96 pigs. The total stock slaughtered for year ending March 31st, 1908,. were:—l,7lo cattle; 230 calves,, 8,279 sheep, ,993 lambs, 1,144 pigs; condemned—26 cattle, ,41 sheep, 4 lambs, 14 pigs. .

It is now considered 1 fairly settled that the application to allow the Crown Lands Forest Reserve oh the western slopes of the Tararuas, near the Maungatarera, to be <iut into for timber rurposes will be, finally decided in the negative. ~A member of the Mt. Holdswortih Track Committee informed a Wairarapa Age reporter on Saturday ' that the strenuous opposition of the Commit-: tee combined with the adverse reports of the Crown lands officials had so influenced the Land Board against the sawmill proposition that nothing more was ever likely to be heard about it. ' '•'■'.''

On Thursday .afternoon•■■next, Captain Jonassen will, in 'th2 Showgrounds, give a balloon ascent. When the balloon is at a considerable height, Captain Jonassen will descend by means of a parachute. In various parts of the South Island he has given exhibitions that have never failed to draw large crowds'. In describing a recent ascent in Dunedin by Captain Jcnassen, a contemporary states large number'of people witnessed the exhibition, and .were deeply interested in the proceedings. Captain Jonassen- ascended to a height of several thousand feet in his balloon. He then, left the latter by means of a parachute'and safelyreached terra- firma. His performance was indeed a plucky one, and thoroughly deserved the favourable comments that were made in connection therewith."

The stream of Chinese which is steadily pouring into the dominion has amounted to 137 new chums all told, for the twelve months ending March. The coffers of the State have consequently been strengthened by .£13,700,< The total suiri collected for the previous twelve months was £9,100, from 91 Chinese. For the four quarters comprising the year, with the corresponding periods of the previous term in parenthesis, the amount collected was as:follows:— June quarter, £4,000 (£2,100); September quarter, £1,400 (£3,500);, December quarter, £3,000 (£2,400);, March quarter, £5,300 (£1,100). The last, quarter's return* it will be> noticed,, is. unusually strong. 0£ course, figures only disclose the number of Chinese who have visited the: dominion for the first time, and do, not include returned aliens:

The Mutual Trading Company associat with Messrs Dwan Brothers, submitted 60 sections in the Buckeridge: Estate, Carterton, to auo»» tioa on; Saturday. There was a large attendance, and a keen interest in the sale, competition being keen and ! bidding spirited. The sections ran 1 mainly from one-fifth to one quarter acre. Twenty-three lots were sold at from £45 to £6B each, and two three-quarter acre lots sold at £ll9 each. The area sold reached six acres, and the average per acre was £293. The lots sold are as follow : Lot 3, W. McLeod, price £46 10s; Lot 17, T. P. Firman, £45; Lot 3U and 31, C. H. Gayfer, £ll9,each; Lot 41, E. Hardinge, £59; Lot 24, E. Hardinge, £SO; Lot 43, H. E. Broughton, £6B; Lot 44, H. E. Broughton,. £SB; Lot 45, H. E. Broughton, £SB; Lot 47, W. McLeod, £6O; Lot 55, C. H. Gayfer* £65; Lot 56, W. Halley, £62; Lota 57, 58, 5!) and 60, M. D. Hornsby, £57 each; Lot 64, E. H. Fell, £63 10s; Lot 65, F. Cawte, £63; Lot 67, B. Robertson, £63; Lot 68, W, Halley, £66; Lot 69, C. H. Gayfer, £65; Lot 70, W. Imrie, £63; Lot 71, H. Barrett, £63; Lot 72, A. Reid, £6O 10s; Lot 73, A. Reid, 1 £63.

A quoits club 1a t6 be'formed at Dannevirke. ; ,r ~;; •, >? :: ,. Some idea of the value of land at Hastings may be gathered from the fact that a nnraesyfflatr hads pur•chased the remaining BG,'acres of the iFrimley estate at J3120 per acre. The "Webb" craze has broken out •afresh. At a meeting to'torm a new ladies' hockey club in Wellington the •other night, Wm. ,Webb, the champion sculler, was elected a vice-presi-■dent of the club. It is also reported that a baby girl, born on the day of the race, has been christened 'Webbine."

The late Mr E. M. Smith's valuable collection of the products of Taranaki ironsand are to be displayed at the .forthcoming Franco-British Exhibition. The Department of Industries and Commerce secured the exhibit from Mrs Smith, and have sent it on at the expense of the Government. The exhibit should be of considerable assistance in attracting the attention of capitalists to the possibilities of the dominion.

Says the "Feilding', Star":—"A new danger from motor-cars is apparent. On Friday afternoon a car went whizzing down Manchester street, and in passing Mr W. Carthew's stationer's shop, threw up a stone, which crashing against the large plate galss window, cracked it from top to bottom. This is quite beyond a joke for the proprietor of the shop; It is stated that some time ago a vehicle smashed a window in the same shop in the same way."

The small holdings of France have baen held up as a blessed example to all civilised countries, but there is one man in that favoured land who is none too fend of his share. He has had to pay 183 6d a year for a piece of land which he does not possess. He has protested again and again, but the authorities invite him to prove that he does not own the land. He prefers to pay the cash rates rather than go to law to prove that he has no land.

A letter signed "Restitution" and bearing the Gisborne postmark, has been received by an Auckland gentleman. The correspondent states: "Some time ago I defrauded you of four or five shillings, which 1 wish to restore fourfold, so I am sending you £l." A pound note was enclosed with a request that it be' handed to the management of the Parnell Children's Home. "My restitution," adds the writer, "will enable me to have a clear conscience, for I am sorry I have wronged you."

The manager of the Government Vifcicultural Station at Arataki, Hawke's Bay, has informed the "Hastings Standard," that he is convinced after three season's trial, that the best varieties of table grapes can be profitably produced under natural conditions at 3d per lb to the grower. More especially will this be the case when the Department is able to supply in large quantities the young vines of the, new sorts now under trial. The manager expects to, graft fully 10,000 vine 3 this season, and the demand is.so great that this Will not be sufficient to fill all order?.

King Alfonso bears a charmed life. He has had;many remarkable escapes from death,' including four deliberate attempts to take his life. When a bdy he \yas attacked' in the streets of Madrid by a ruffian armed with a knife, but escaped uninjured. Two shots were fired at him on June 11th, 1903, in Madrid, while he was driving home from church, accompanied by his mother and sister. Both shots missed him. During his visit to Paris in June, 1905, a bomb was thrown at him as he was returning from the opera with President Loubet. Two horses were killed, but the Kin j escaped unhurt. The fourth attempt was made on May 30th, 1906, during his wedding festivities in Madrid. -He was driving through the streets with his bride, when a bomb was thrown at the Royal carriage. Twelve people were killed and many others were injured, but the Royal pair escaped.

A Parliamentary Buff Book has "been issued by the Imperial Government, containing a statistical abstract for the British Empire in each year from 1892 t0,1906. The area of the British Empire .is 11,323,000 square miles. At the census of 1881 the total, population of the British Empire was 303,696,000, in 1891 it was 345,352,000, in 1901, it was 385,346,000. The total value of the foreign and inter-Imperial trade of the British Empire in 1892 was £926,572,000, of which 75.3 was foreign and 24.7 inter-Imperial. In 1902 the total trade was £1,194,371,000, of which 74.1 was foreign and 25.9 inter-Imperial. In 1905 the total trade amounted to £1,366,675,000, of which 74.1 was foreign and 25.9 inter-Imperial. In 1906 the total trade was £1,526,018,000, of which 74 was foreign and 28 inter-Imperial.

A witness in the faim labourers' dispute now being heard at Christchurch went to some pains to show the uselesaness ot the town-bred boy compared with the country boy at farm work. He said the boy from town who had attended a jjprimary •school, and had been "topped off" at a high school, would be a very great loss to the farmer, while the boy brought up in the country was inva'uable. To keep a boy at school until he wao 17 or 18 and then sHX)d him to a farm was simply to ruin him. "I think," added the witness, "that we are a little wrong in our education system. I would like a boy when he ha 3 passed the sixth standard instead of going into town to lose two years, to go into the country, where he will bv. practically attending a technical school. The town boj- loses any amount of time in the -morning, when he could be picking up hints on the farm. If he could be nn the farm between •seven and nine o'clock-in the morning, and then go to a high school • near at hand, it would be all right."

Mr C. P. B. Livosay, Architect of Wellington, has inovotl to more convenient rooms in the National Mutual Chambers, Quay, (adjoining the Head 'Office ci the Bank of'N.Z.')' Address— P.O. Box 771. Telephone 2692.

Send the documents of your nnpor- • tations to MESSES J. J. CURTIS & CO. LTD., Customhouse' shipping and Forwarding Agents,, .Customhouse Quay Wellington, who will,quickly clear, pass :tand forward the goods to.yon. Moderate,

Thirteen cases of scarlet fever occurred in Wellington last week.

There are now 320 students at Wellington College. No other secondary school in the dominion has such a large number of names on its roll. A Press Association telegram from Timaru states that a middle aged man was brought in by the police from twenty miles up country on a charge of maliciously shooting a horse and wounding three others. He was remanded until Thursday next. Accused is a farmer living by himself at Hazelbarn.

In Great Britain the average man earns, after allowing for taxation, £29 10s 7d oer annum. In the United States it is £25 5s 9d; in France, £lB 12s sd; in Germany, £l6 9s 6d: in Austria, £9 15s Id; in Spain, £8 19s 2d; in Russia, £6 12s 6d; and in Italy, £6 Is 4d. But what about Monaco?

Forty-four years ago last Friday the battle of Orakau, near Te Awamutu, was commenced, the fighting lasting for two days. It was the last Maori batt.le in the Waikato, the native stronghold falling before the onslaught of the British forces. The fight was a very stubborn one. The Maori 3 were called upon to surrender, but refused, declaring that they would all die together rather than give up their women and children. During the two memorable days in April, 1864, 130 rebels were killed and wounded, and 17 Europeans were killed and 55 wounded. Close to Orakau the great v.ative chief Rewi presided.

As finger-print clues have lately figured so largely in the detection of crime, it is not surprising to find that burglnrs have adopted measures with a view to defeating this method of identification. It now appears that the gloved buiglar has come on the scene. In a case heard at Edinburgh the other day it transpired that the "chevalier de l'industrie" has taken to wearing gloves made of the most delicate silken texture and of india-rubber; and that in the possession o-. one man was found a complete set of "tips" for the fingers and thumbs—all made of indiarubber.

Speciality in skylights is the subject of a new advertisement inserted by Messrs Beald and Parton, Ltd., of Masterton.

The'"Masterton Master Butchers' Association notify that the price of meat has been reduced bv one halfpenny per pound. At the Post Office Auction Mart, at 2 o'clock, on Wednesday, Mr M. 0. Aronsten will sell on account of Mrs Healy, the whole of her superior furniture and household effects. Particulars of the lines, which will be sold without reserve, will be found in the auctioneer's advertisement.

Miss A. Davey, specialist from the Wellington Millinery College, is at present on a visit to Masterton, and will open classes for instruction in the Dominion Hall. Intending pupils are requested to call at their earliest convenience. Miss Davey brings with her a number of the latest millinery modes.