LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9154, 30 July 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The number of registered motor vehicles in Masterton has reached the century. There are now 60 motor cycles, and 40 motor-cars registered at the Town Clerk s office. A euchre tournament is to be .held in the Foresters' Hall on Friday evening, the Foresters' Lodge having challenged the Oddfellows. Refrehhments will be provided by the challengers, and a pleasant evening generally provided. Work will shortly be commenced by the scholars of Upper Plain School in connection with their school garden plots. The preliminary work has already been taken in hand, and the youtnful horticulturists are anxious to push 011 with the manual labour. A meeting is lo be called shortly in connection with the proposal to form a draught horse breeders' association. Already over a hundred persons have promised to support, the association if formed, and the promoters are anticipating that the membership will reach nearly 200. The Mauiiceville Rifl Q . CLub will hold its annual meeting in a few weeks time. A prominent member of tin Club predicts a very successful season for the Club next season as eight; new rifles ,have been recently procured, and there is every prospect of a strong membership. The accounts in connection with the recent Show of the Masterton. Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association are nut yet \all balanced, but the treasurer ia abls to htate that there will be a small credit balance. This is regarded by the executive as a satisfactory result, and it means that the Show is certain to be hslil again next year. The local Society has thus fared much better than the general run of Poultry Associations* quite a number of whhh closed down this year and last. "Disgraceful" is the only adjective that can be justly applied to some of the bank-notes that are in circulation. Protests against the microbe-laden, dilapidated paper money seem unavailing. An Age reporter was shown yesterday a note dated 1901, which means that it has been seven years in circulation. The person who was paid the note had four others tendered him at the same time (they came direct from the bank), and not one w..to even reasonably respectable. A valued "liver" , was torn through nearly from end to end, and it had been held together with two red seals, and adhesive at.imp All were very much tha worse for wear.

Another case has been listed for hearing at the silling of the Wairarapa District Court, which will open on August 21st. A. 11. Hewitt, settlor of Masterton, claims £lO5 5s from W. Rossiter, set'ler, of Cross Creek, in connection with the sale nf a boarding-house at CroSs Creek. I This case came before Mr W. P. James, S.M., at Masterton, a few weeks ago, plaintiff being nonsuited. Plaintiff- claims to recover £lO5 5s for alleged trespass and conversion, tr in the alternative, <-£55 5a as the amount agreed to be paid by defendant in consideration of plaintiff giving up possession of the boarciing-house, and £SO damages for trespass and conversion, or £55 5s as damages for breach of agreement, and £SO damages for trespass and conversion. For Children's Hocking Cough at night Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. I/6 and 2/6.

The Featherston Fire Brigade has decided to send a team to tne demonstration at Auckland in March next. The Wairarapa Branch of the Teachers' Institute are to ihold a meeting in a few days to discuss the Teachers Bill. Mr W. P. Jame«, S.M., will preside at a sitting of the Magistrate's Court, at Masterton, to-day, when a number of adjourned civil claims, and a few police cases are to be heard. The Rev. J. Gibson-Smith, of St. Andrew's, Wellington, will deliver a lecture on Tennyson, under the-aus-pices of the Knox Young People's Association, '» the Knox Hall, tomorrow evening, at 8 o'clock. A section of the borough rna.l staff is at present engaged in some important road and footpath imp*'ovements at the south end of Queen street, The locality is being attended to not a bit earlier than is desirable, as hitherto it has been about the most unkempt part of the town's main thoroughfare. When the time cornea to put the road into that state of repair which will not mean a sea of mud after every s';orm, users of the road will not be sorry. As things are, the mud is a temptation to by-law breaking by cyclists. The bankruptcy petition was filed in Masterton yesterday of Christopher Heaton Smith, farmer, of Masterton. The liabilities are set down at £1,071, and the pssets at £1,070. There are only four creditors —all unsecured —as follows:—Dalgety and Co., £9B; Abraham and Wiliiams, £620; W.F.C.A., £24; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, £329. The assets comprise the lease of 549 acres (valued at £430); furniture, £200; stock and implements, £'45U. Bankrupt, in a written statement, attributes his bankruptcv to Tosses on forward delivery consignment of stock.

Dominionists would rub theit ey6s to see if they were dreaming- if they looked out of a railway carriage window and read a sign for the enginedriver to "slow down to sixty miles per hour." Yet this is what the/modern railway locomotion has arrived-at in England. Mr Kemble Welch, of Masterton, writing from Home to a relative here, states that the Plymouth express does SO miles an hour at a certain stage, while from 60 to 70 miles an hour is quite cointnrn. Mr Welch naively wrote that in crossing the Atlantic the Mauritania was "compelled to slmv down to 22 knots per-hour" through a fog. And when our New Zealand "fliers" cut out a 21-knot trip for a few hours we telegraph it from end to end of the land!

The'"Welcome Flag',' to be sent to Auckland as Masterton'a contribution to the decorations of the Northern City in honour of the visit of the American Fleet was received at the Age Office last evening.,. Subscribers to the fund and the public generally will have an opportunity of seeing the flag to-day, when it will he suspended from the balcony of the Age Office. The flag has a rather striking design, Mr F. G. Moore being the designer. The words"Masterton's Welcome," in larg" letters, surmount the American and New Zealand Ensiens, two clasped hands being worked in between the foyp. The flasr in size is approximately twelve feet by bix feet, and is, no doubt, equal to the contributions from other towns. Subscribers to the flag fund are invited to be present at the Age Office at 1 o'clock this afternoon, when the flag will be photographed. The weekly session of the Endeavour Lodge. 1.0. G.T., was held in the Y.M.C A. rooms last evening. Bro. H. King (Chief Templar) occupied the chair. There was a good attendance of members. A committee, consisting of Bros. Anderson, Brasell, McLean, Braggjns, and King, was appointed to confer with the Rechabite Tent regarding the Temperance section. It was unanimously resolved to hold the lodge sessions in futiire on Monday evenings, in the Domihon Hall, commencing on Monday next. The election of officers for the ensuing quarter resulted as follows: —Chief Templarj Bro. J. Heyhoe; Vice-Templar, jitter C. McLean; Secretary, 1 Br >. Leete; Minute Secretary, Broi 11. P. Brasell; Treasurer, Bro. J.. Mi-Lean; Marshal, Bro. W. J. Morris; Guard, Sister Mrs Miller; Sentinel Bro. T. B. Miller; Assistant Secretarv. Sister Mrs Brasell; Deputy Marshal, Sister Millier.

| From, inquiries marie by a Wai- | rarapa Age reporter ytsteruay, regarding the condition of the labourmarket, and the general business condition of the town and district, it appears that beyond the ordinary winter slackness there is not any marked depression, such as is seriously affecting the larger centres at present. Within the Borough a few resi dences are going up, and building is not in any line at an absolute standstill, The Municipal general labour staff,, exclusive of the Abattoir staff, is about 60, and the expenditure of the loan money has proved something of a blessing at such a time. Farmers say that there are some good men out of work —men who have seen recent weeks of idleness—but there are cases among such where the amount of the wages offered is the cause of their being unemployed. The fall in wool following on a bad season has undoubtedly affected the agricultural labour market very much, and money is rather tight. The pianow/is invented in Italy some 400 years ago and was then a very crude affair, not at all like—either in tone, touch or appearance —the beiutiful instrument.-; with which wo are now familial 1 . It is difficult to say wliero the best pianos are made; indeed,thero is nut niucii to choose between the productions of the best Gorman' or English manufacturers. The selection of a piano' is pretty much a question of individual taste and requirement. There are so many makers, so many prices and qualities which a purchaser must consider, th/it it is always advisable to consuls a reliable iirin of specialists, preferably a firm with a good reputation, a thorough knowledge of the business, and a'large stock to select from. Purchase your piano from the Dresden Piano Company, Limited. They aro to be doponded upon in all these respects. Time payments from 20s. monthly. Local Kepresontative: T. B. Hunter. Beware of the dealer, salesman, or traveller who casts reflections upon his competitors. He does so from interested motives —perhaps to back up his own woak position. Our Agents aro instructed not to discredit rival firms. They are to rely solely on the merits of the Company's instruments.

It is understood that the UnderSecretary for Lands is negotiating regarding the acquirement, for public purposes, of the native reserve at the mouth of the Whareama river. A New Plymouth man in the timber trade wants to know who are complaining that they cannot sell ■their timber on account of the competition of Oregon pine. His trouble is that he cannot get rimu except at an exorbitant price. The members of the Carterton Bowling Club and the Tennis Club combined are giving a "social" to the ladies connected with the club next month. Tho "social" is given as some slight acknowledgment to the ladies for their kindness and generosity in providing refreshments every week throughout the bowling season. The management of the "Elite" Skating Rink have secured the premises of the old Gymnasium for skating purposes, and in the course of a few days the opening date of the new rinlc will be announced. The floor of the new rink is particularly adapted! for skating. The management propose to extend the Gymnasium another twenty feet, and this additional skating space should be greatly appreciated by patrons of the rink. Messrs Cooper and Sons, of Wellington, the successful tenderers for . the erection of a new Poat Office in Featherston, commenced the work on Monday. Nine months is the time allotted for the work, and the contractors consider that they will get finished well within that period. They purpose employing some fourteen hands, including a number of local labourers. The con tractors have built post offices in Nelson, Otaki, and Hawke's Bay.

An extraordinary occurrence ia reported from Inch Valley. A post office receiving box was recently placed at the Inch Valley Mill's, and for some weeks past there have been numerous complaints as to the nondelivery of letters posted in the box. On Tuesday last, however, (says the P'almerston "Times") the mvstery was cleared up. A lady was seen to post a letter when suddenly a starlirg 1 scrambled out of the aperture in the box and flew away with a letter m its bill!. Gn another occasion an unposted letter was found in a paddock close-at hand, and no doubt the starling was responsible for all the theft is from the box. It might be mentioned that the aperture in the box is rather large, and the attention of the postal authorities has betn called to the matter. , / An advertiser has for sale ten cords of matai roots. A young girl seeks position asp {general. 1 The Borough Council: advertises its intention of taking l'and in Kuripuni Street, undtr the Public Works Act, for the purpose of street widening. Objectors to the proposal are invited to attend at the Borough Council Chambers on Tuesday evenirg next at 8 p.m., when the Council" wiU hear their objections. Nominations for the offices of president, vice-presidente, timekeeper. clerk of course, treasurer, stewards, and auditors, foi the Masterton Racing Club, close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, sth lAugutet Nomination forms can be obtained from: the secretary (Mr A.. J. Hathaway)., The annual meeting of the Civil' Service Cash Purchase Association, which> was held at the Railway Station, brought a highly successful year to a close. After a considerable amount? of discussion it was decided by the members to call tenders from; local tradesmen for supplyingthe Association ' with the required necessaries for the ensuing yearTenders for the same aire advertised in another column. Mr H. Moverley, of New Plymouth, announces that he has homing pigeons to sell. At the recent New Plymouth Show he secured the championship for best working Homer, special for best bird in the Show classes, special for best bird in distance classes, first for cock flown 150 miles or over, and numerous other first prizes. The judge declared the- champion working: Homing to be the best bird he had ever seen, and one that woUlti win anywhere in Australhsin. He declared it to be a "scul'ptot's model'." Messrs Levin and Co., Ltd , Masterton agents for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, Ltd., have received advice that the following are the approximate sailings for T909 passenger season,, viia Rio Janeiro, Monte Vkieoj Teneriffe, and 1 Plymouth to London: —January 28th,. Tainui (new twin screw steamer, 10,500 tons); Fehruary 25th, lonic: March 25th, Athenic; April 1 22nd, Corinthic; May 20th, Arawa. Intend- 1 ing passengers are advised to book early for this increasingly popular line.