LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9098, 26 May 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Masterton Dairy Factory is still working every other day, the output ranging from 2501ba to 350 lbs per day. The Masterton police require owners for the following lost articles: — Gold bangle, a ladies' fur, and a gents' bicycle. There is reported to be a slight freshening up in the local demand for town properties. The market has been unusually quiet for some time DJSt. A train load of damaged wool from the lonic passed through Masterton yesterday en route to Longburu, where it is to be scoured and dried before re-shipment. Two first offending inebriates were hauled before Mr .7. Fraser, J.P., at the Masterton Police Court yesterday morning. Both were cautioned and convicted without a fine being imposed, except that two lemonade bottles containing whiskey found in the possession of one were ordered to be confiscated. It is improbable that the Masterton Municipal Band will enter for the South Island Band contest to be held in December next. Although the Association are offering liberal prize money, the nett result to a winning North Island band is. so small, after the heavy expenses are paid, as to make the tour frequently quite impracticable!. It is probable that some important changes will be made in the local fire brigade as a result of the assumption of office of the Fire Board. One proposal of a sweeping nature is the suggested reduction of the numerical strength from its present standard (about thirty-five) to twenty. To balance this the Board proposes to materially improve the fire-fii>hting appliances, and generally pjaee the Brigade on a very efficient basis Changes in some of the minor offices may also occur. The''number of entries received for tho sheep dog trials to be held by the Masterton Collie Club at Lansdowne, on May 28th and 29th, is very gratifying. It shows that a live interest is taken in the trials, and that the object for which it was established is appreciated by sheep farmers and other?). The total number of entries is 129, which is (51 ahead of those received for last year. They have been received from all over New Zealand, and even a few from Australia. There is every indication of the trials being an <? unqualified, success.

Mr C. F. ]]. Livesay, Architect of Wolington, has moved to more oonvenien rooms in tho National Mutual Chambers, Customhouse) Quay, (adjoining tho Head Offico of the Bank of N.Z.) Address— P.O. Box 771. Telephone 2G02,

The residence of Mr G. Bruce, Mayor of Ross, was destroyed by fire on Sunday. The Masterton Municipal Band will recommence its fortnightly Park recitals as from Sunday last. Mr F. Gooderick, of Kahautara road, his purchased the farm of Mr W. Tyler, of South Featherston. The autumn session of the Agricultural School opened at Greytown on Monday. The ladies of Martinborough are making an effort to form a Baeket Ball Club. A meeting of tho?e interested in forming a gentlemen's gymnasium class will be held in the Boxing Hall, at 8 o'clock, this evening. Empire Day was not officially celebrated in Masterton yesterday, except by the closing of Government and°legal offices and the flying of the British ensign at the General Post Office. The golf-links were well patronised during the day, while the firing of the Opaki Rifle Club in the "Daily Mail" Cup competition took a number of rifle shots to Papawai, to which range the Club betook themselves.

A commencement has not yet'been made at the Masterton Park lake with the new excavation and extension authorised by the Council some thres months ago. It is understood that the specifications are now ready, and the work will shortly be proceed ed with. In addition to this work, the Council has the money raised by the Aquatic Carnival yet to expend The members of the Morris Tube Association held a very satisfactory practice in the Drill Halljast nie;ht. About twenty took part, including six new members. Some good tallies were made, several thirty-threes and thirty-twos being registered. The next shoot will be on. Monday next, June Ist, when a sweepstake will probably be arranged.

There is talk of the Featherston squad.of Volunteers disbanding. It appears, writes a correspondent, that the squad, which is a half company of the Grey bo wn Rifles, have been upset through a communication received from the ruling quarter. The letter has been considered, and a reply sent. If the response is not in accordance with members views, they will in all probability disband. The caretaker of the Park (Mr 81.B 1 . Jackson) is about to level out the 1 area once used as a football ground, adjoining the «;ld cemetery. This will be top-dressed and converted into an attractive lawn. There has been a considerable area of shrub and tree planting carried out during the past few months, and little more will! be done until the close of the year,, except for willow planting. The Mastertqn Choral Society nqw numbers over seventy working members. The first practice sjof "The May Queen" is to be held on Wednesday evening at St.. Matthew's schoolroom. Punctual attendance is requested,, as the arrangement of voices will take some time. So far as can be a«certained at present, there are about thirty trebles, sixteen contraltos, ten tenors, and fifteen basses. Following the example of the Masterton drovers, the Manawatu and Rangitikei drovers are about to form an Industrial Union for the West Coast. A meeting of drovers, held at Feilding last week, was well attended, atid decided to follow the lines of the Wairarapa Union, and to itvstr.UGt Mr R. K. Jackson, of Masterton, to prepare a set of rules and to take the necessary steps to procure a certificate of incorporation and registration. At the Wellington: Suprems Couct,. yesterday, no evidence was offered in the case of Annie Barrie, charged with the theft of a distress warrant, the Crown Prosecutor stating that he was satisfied that .the Act committed by the prisoner, though wrongful, was devoid of any intent which would bring her a".t within the definition of theft. The prisoner had matched the warrant from the bailiff with the intention of embarassing him in the execution of his duty. Messrs Orange and Wood, two gentlemen who are pissing through the dominion, on their way from China to England, are at present in Christchurch, and intend leaving shortly for the North. Seen by a r n DrfSciitative of the Chiistchurch "Press," and regarding the boycott of Japanese goods by the Chinese, they expressed the opinion that the boycott would not prove to be nearly so extensive or so prolonged as the boycott nf' some two years ago with respect to American goods. When they left China the movement against Japanese goods had just commenced, and was confined to Southern China. They \v».re of opinion that it would not be allowed to spread over all the Chinese Empire, and that *.he Imperial GovernmentVould exert itself to terminate the boycott. As to the probability of war between the two countries resulting,-they thought it was extremely remote, principally because ] the grounds for an appeal to arms [ were so comparatively-slight. !

A romantic and pretty story is told by a Dtmedin gentleman who is the fon of a very old resident of Bal'arat East. He left bis home when 16 years of age, going abroad to seek his fortune, intending some day to return home with his pockets well lined. But Dame Fortune never smiled, and finally he settled down in New Zealand, where he married and brought up a large family. Though he had written to liallarat to find out whether his mother was alive or dead, he obtained no reply, and the letters were returned, so for many years he was under the impression that his mother was dead. Recently, however, some Ballarat peoplo happened to be talking to one of his daughters. The name was discussed, and finally by writing to one of his grandchildren he found out that his mother was still living and 87 years of age. He immediately journeyed to Australia, and the re-union of mother an 1 son, after a lapse of 50 years, can well be imagined. He found his mother in bad health, and as he has to return to his family, he looks forward to leaving her again as one of the hardest tasks he has ha"} to face during his life.

Golds lefivo weak places. Weak, cowhinjuved spots invito consumption. Take TUSSICUKA, tho marvellous throat and lung hoaler. Will stop yor.r cough at once.

In the Kaiapoi district the potato crop is turning out very well, in spite of the very long spell of dry weather. Already £I,BOO has been subscribed for the erection of a Unitarian Church in Wellington.

The Baptist Union of New Zealand will meet in Palmerston North on June 3rd. Thirty delegates will be present. The scow Maroro is overdue at Raglan irom Wanganuj, and some uneasiness is felt for her safety. She ia part loaded with timber, and was to complete loading at Raglan. The lonic, whose departure had been delayed on account of the fire which broke out in No. 1 hold, left Wellington for London shortly after noon yesterday. It is stated that a lady vocalist in Dunedin intends to issue a writ for £5Ol damages against the "Triad," for alleged libel in connection with a recent criticism. A sentence of 45 consecutive attendances at Sunday school was imposed recently by a magistrate at Geneva, New York,'on two boys who had been arrested for theft. Heavy purchases of butter continue to be made in Sydney on account of Victoi'ia, Tasmania and West Australia, and the market is, in consequence, very firm. The executors of the estate of the late Hon.* J. T. Peacock have paid over £SOO to the Christchurch Acclimatisation Society for the purposes of the society. Experiments are being made in Nfi\v York with a new type of steamer to run 60 miles an hour. The keel i« practically one huge propeller, with flanges working up and down, enabling the vessel to travel at a great speed.

The Canterbury correspondent of the "Farmers'' Union Advocate," writing- in the last issue of that journal, says: "Wha': this country wants more than anything else just now is an influx of about 10,00 ft good farm workers. "

In reply to a question in the Hous** of Commons, Mr E. Robertson stated that the annual cost of a first-claf s British battle-ship in full commission was JE23',r500. A torpedo-boat destroyer cost £71,500, and a firetclass torpedo boat £6,000. Christchurch possesses more motorcars than all the rest of New Zealand put together, states a contemporary. The registrations in Christchurch with the City Council at date number 531, of which about one-half are motor-cars and the remainder motor cycles. "What would happen to the man who betrayed his mates?' 11 ' was the question put to a fireman during" the hearing of cargo broaching cases at the Christchurch Supreme Court recently. "He would not dare to," whs the reply. ""He would probably find himself shot over the side of the ship during the next voyage."' It is stated that there are no rabbits on the Chatham Islands. Two skeletons of rabbits have been found, hut it is thought that they are the remains of pets. Pigs and cattle, apparently, are the only wild animals on the islands (says the "Lyttelton Times"). The pigs eat the young lambs and the cattle destroy some of the vegetation. An advertiser wants a man to da fencing and other work. Bargains in flannels, blankets and other winter lines are being offered by Mr H. A. Whelch, draper; Masterton; Two first-class farms of 135" acres' and 546 acres, respectively, are advertised for sale by Messrs Husband Bros., land agents, Pahiatua>. Special bargains in blouses, ladies* jackets and children's wear, are now being offered at Messrs Warnock and Adkin's Masterton warehouse. At the Post Office Auction Mart, on Saturday next, Mr M. O. Aronsten will «ell on account of an Auckland' firm a quantity of high-class furniture. , Mr H. C. Robinson will address a meeting of voters at the Kuripuni' Hall, at 7.30 o'clock, to-night, hi supnort of his candidature for n seat on the Masterton Trust Lapds Trust. Messrs Baker and C-abb, land' agents, Ha wen*, advertise particulars of three good farm propertieswhich have been placed in their hands for sale. A list of properties of interest to those who are seeking bargains in sheep ard dairy farms will' be found on page 8 of this issue. Fuller particulars and terms can be obtained from Mr J. R. Nicol, Bannister Street, in whose bands the properties have been placed for sale. The programme to be rendered at the Orchestral Society's concert tonight, at the Town Hall, is published on page lof this issue. The items are well selected and of a varied character, v the classical numbers being interspersed with an occasional piece of a lighter nature. The orchestra, tinder the capable conductorship of Mr J. Candy, is playing excellently, and will doubtless fully sustain its reputation at \the aproaching 1 concert. The vocal items will be "I'll Sing Thee Songs of Araby" and "The Slave Song," by Mr W. Jago, with orchestral accompaniment, also a quartette by Mrs Jago and Miss Jago and Messrs Jago ar.d Hunn. A successful rehearsal was held last evening. The box plan is open at Mr J. Candv's.