LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3177, 30 April 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Platform bridges over streams on the Wangaehu and Weraiti roads have just been completed by the contractor, Mr Peter Compton. The following have been elected u Council for the Eketabuna Borough: —Messrs F. 0. Turnor, 209 votes; W. M. Wilson, 191 votes; J. A. Haswall, 184 votes: J. S. Tripe, 174 votes; T. Parsons, 171 votes; and P. Pike, 103 votes. _ ._ - .

The next "meet" of the Wairarapa Hunt Club wi:l be held at Tehuion Thursday next, and at Blairlogie on the following Saturday. A first offending inebriate was convicted and discharged by Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court, yesterdday morning. The following are the latest dredging returns to hand:—Mystery Flat Dredge, 460z 14dwt for the week; Mastertun Dredge, 340z 13dwt for week.

Prime 381b lambs are worth about 12s at Otago freezing works, and large purchases have been made of fair lines at lis to lis 6d. At the Farmers' Union Conference, to be held shortly at Eketahuna, there will be 45 delegates present, exclusive of members of the Wellington Provincial Executive. Fully fifty whales the other t!ay visited West Wanganui Inlet (West Coast). It is estimated that the average length of the whales was not less than 30 feet.

At the next meeting of St. Matthew's Club, on Tuesday night, an interesting debate will take place on "Whether Women Should Compete With Men in Business." An animated discussion i 3 anticipated. The estate of the late Mr Robert Maunsell, >of Masterton, has been certified to for duty at £101,422, that of the late Mr John Graham, of Masterton, at £5 635, and that of the late Mr Anders Anderson (South Wairarapa) at £15,646. A new truss bridge, with a seventy feet span, is to be erected over the Taueru river at Castle Hill, at the point known as Wingate's crossing. The work has been entrusted to Mr C. E. Daniell, and a commencement will be made almost immediately.

Last year £6,300 was expended in the upkeep of the Wellington city reserves. The Botanical Gardens absorbed £1,357, the Basin Reserve £224, Kelburne Park £770, and the Zoo £llO. It is probable that the next cehsUa will be taken about April, 1911. An Empire conference is to be held in London in September to discuss, among other matters, the question of fixing a day for a universal census. If one can be arranged the Commouwealth will adopt it. Some very amusing incidents were witnessed in the nail-driving competitions at the "Rainbow" Exhibition last evening. While the winning lady drove the nail home in eight hits some of the other competitor required as many as sixty hits before accomplishing the feat.

The minimum number of members has now been received for the home nursing class in connection with the Ladies' Branch of St. John Ambulance Division. Additional members, however, are still requirtd for the first aid classes. Intending members are invited to communicate with the secretary, Miss H. Gillespie. Mrs M. A. Potts, representative of the Wellington Branch of the Australian Viovi Company, is at present visiting with the object of introducing a natural system of treatment for the health of women. During the ensuing month Mrs Potts will interview the ladies of the district for the purpose of explaining to them the principles of the treatment.

During the present month the local Stock Inspector has been busily engaged in inspecting the sale yards for sheep infected with lice. One prosecution has already taken place, and it is understood that several more are pending. Farmers are reminded that it is in their interests to make a clean muster at dipping tiTie, as a few lica-infected sheep missed from the dipping may contaminate the whole flock.

• "I have got the church on one side doing nothing," said an aggrieved property owner in tha Auckland Assessment Court, in endeavouring to impress the Court with reasons why the valuation of his property should be reduced. "The chruch," he added, "is a bad neighbour, and a poor farmer, and to make matters worse. I have got Chinamen on the other side." After this recital of his tale of woe, the objector was granted a reduction. Apparently England is getting more like New Zealand every year, remarks a contemporary. A writer in a recent number of the "Saturday Review" professes to view with alarm what he terms the "Scotchification" of England. In nearly every profession in England, he says, a Scotchman' now rules the roost. He points to "an almost unbroken, sequence" of Scotch Prime Ministers since the time of Gladstone, and the active part taken in the present Government by Mr Haldane, Mr Sinclair, Lord Elgin. Lord Tweedmouth, and Mr Bryce. and complains, more in sorrow than in anger, that the handful of Englishmen in the present Cabinet mostly sit for Scottish constituencies.

The finding of a moa bird's skeleton in a scoria cave at Penrose, says the Auckland Herald, in the opinon if Mr John Aitwood, of Te Awamutu, is proof conclusive that the moa survived the "glacial period," and lived, if not until very recent times, at least till the latter end of the post-pliocene period. The later volcanic formation of Eden County, he states, is clearly of post-pliccene times. There is not a shell on the hilltops, nor in any other part of the series that is not in .existence on either side of the isthmus, and nearly every shell that occurs either in the Waitemata or Munakau has its fossil type, strswn from one end of the series to the other. An indication of the existence of the discount system in regard to American goods exported to New Zealand was mentioned by a witness in the Arbitration Court at Auckland on Wednesday. Some time ago, he said, he had obtained a camera from the United States at a discount of 40 per cent off the published price-list. Shortly afterwards his brother visited America, and took with him the camera. On visiting the manufactory, and enquiring the price, he found that if he obtained the article here he would be re quired to pay the full price. "But this camera was sold at a discount, of 40 per cent off that!" was pointed out. "Yes, but that was for export," was the astonishing and instructive reply. _

The various coach factories in Masterton are working full time at present, and will probably continue to do so throughout the winter. Potato crops throughout the district are now being dug, and the Up-to-Date and Magnum Bonum varieties are turning out well. The older varieties, however, such as Derwent, in most parts, have been badly affectedi by blight, and the returns are necessarily not satisfactory.

The Government declines to give assistance to any immigrant unless it is conclusively proved that the applicant is a farm labourer or farmer. The High Commissioner insists on the production of references to this effect. Forty-four years' continuous service as a school committee-man has been achieved by Mr W. Cleland, of the Taita (Hutt Valley, Wellington). He has been a member of the Taita School Committee since 1864, and in all those years he has been absent from only one meeting. A case of some interest will be heard at the next sitting of the District Court, when William Hugh Long will claim from Max Oscar Aronsten the sum of £499 on a statement of account between the parties in connection with the Hall street butchery business. Mr C. A. Pownall will appear for plaintiff, and Mr P. L. Hollings for defendant.

Fencing operations on an unusually large scale are being carried out on an estate on the East Coast at present. Mr C. E. Daniell has recently forwarded in one order from his Masterton yards over £3,ooft worth of battens, wire, and other fencing material. A large number of men are now engaged at the work. A number of farmers in this district have decided to turn their breeding ewes on to their turnip crops during the coming winter. The high prices ruling for store sheep is I bringing this result about, as at the present time store wethers, for instance, are bringing between eleven and twelve shillings, whilst fats are obtainable at ten shillings, i There has beefi a distinct ment in the timber trade in Masterton during the past month At the present time Mr C. E. Daniell has nine or ten waggons permanently employed carrying timber out to various localities on the East Coast. IHe has already despatched about 200,000 feet of timber and over 100 tons of sundries.

The continuance of the Tararua vineyard, owing to the carrying of No-License last November, became a matter of considerable uncertainty, and at one time Mr W. G. Lamb, the proprietor, was of opinion that be would be unable to continue his business owing to technicalities in the law. Mr Lamb has, however, consulted a firm of leading solicitors ia Wellington, and it is understood that their opinion is favourable to his continuing the manufacture of wine within a No-License district.

At a recent meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, says the Stratford "Post." Mr A. W. Budge referred to the fact that the Government had, at the instieratiun of agricultural societies, prohibited the importation of Australian or stubble quail. There appeared to be an impression among farmers that these birds did considerable damage to crops, whereas, Mr Budge faid, he had been assured by a gentleman recently from Australia tint such was not the case. The birds do not touch the crops at all, but affect stubble fields considerably, hence their name.

As showing the benefits to Masterton business houses of closer settlement, it is only necessary to instance Langdale. During the past .month no less than six brake-loads of merchandise have been conveyed to farmers in that settlement by Masterton tradesmen, irrespective of the amount that has been taken out there by private persons and carrying: companies. In connection with the subdivision of estates on the Coast for private reaaons it i 3 calculated that dose on £IO,OOO will be expended in building and other improvements.

In answer to a query as to whether there had been an increase of rabbits in this district the local stock Inspector informed a "Wairarapa Age" representative that as he had only been stationed in the district for one season he was hardly able to express an opinion as to whether there had been an increase in the pest. He was, however, thoroughly satisfied with the work done by the majority of the settlers in the district. The fact that every effort had been made to decrease rabbits was evidenced by the very large increase in the output of poison from the Department's depot t in Masterton.

An interesting game was played on the Lansdowne Links, yesterday afternoon, when Mr F. M. Clements,, professional coach, played "the bast ball" of Messrs Uox and Lawrence. A number of spectators followed the game with interest, and at times play was of a really high order. Mr Clements won the match 3. up and 2 to play, recording the splendid medal score of 74, Ist round 38, 2nd round! 36. Mr Lawrence went round in 83, and Mr Cox in 86. Mr Clements was the winner last year of the Open Championship for New Zealand." During his visit to Masterton he has made some very fine scores,, his best being 71, and on another occasion doing the nine holes in 33. A correspondent writes as follows to the "Manawatu Standard":—An interesting and pathetic relic of the Maori war has recently been found. I refer to the sword belonging to Captain James Duff Hewett, who was killed by the Maoris at Toi Farm, Wanfeanui, in 1865 (over 40 years ago), when- his sword was taken by the Maoris, and only quite recently was discovered in the Haw era Museum, where it had been placed by Mr Ewen MacKae. It was first seen in the hands of an old Maori woman, who paid she had found it a "lons time ago in a rata tree," and she sold it to an Englishman, who, on examining it, saw that it had belonged to a British officer. This sword is not only a relic of the Maori war. but also of that battle of Waterloo won by "The Iron Duke" against the great Napoleon, in which it was carried by Col. Hewett, who lived to be the very last Waterloo officer. The sword is now in the possession of his grandson, Mr C. R. Hewett, of Awapuni, Palraerston North.

The various successful candidates at the Borough elections held on Wednesday last return thanks. The electoral rolls and defaulters' list of the Masterton County Council are now open for public inspection. Gloves of all descriptions, but of only one quality—the best—are obtainable at the W.F.C.A The .prices are right. Mr W. I. Husband, Pahiatua, has for lease a first-class farm of 420 ;acres with 50 good cows, and the necessary plant for carrying on a dairy farm. Particulars of this .property will be found on page 8 of this issue.

Those desirous of seeting a photograph of Amy Bock, the lady who as **' Mr Redwood" created a matrimonial sensation down South a few •days ago, may obtain one for threepence from Mr Pattito. photographer. Dunedin. The photo was taken a few days before the wedding. A few of the remarkable bargains *fchat are on offer at George and Kersley's. "The Economic," Wellington, are set out in an advertisement appearing on page 6 of this issue. Thev should be carefully noted. The assortment of gent's fashionable .and stylish overcoats now on view in the New Zealand Clothing Factory's Masterton premises include selections from the very latest goods on the Home market. They are made from the very be3t materials, are cjt in the latest pattern, and are guaranteed to wear well. A nice "line of overcoats for_boys is also exhibited.

Mr A. Mrmau, the well-known • draper and clothier, has taken a ilease of the new shop next to the Smpire Hotel. Queen Street, Masand will shortly enter into uossession. In order to substantially reduce stocks previous to removing, he has decided to hold a sale, during -which profits will be absolutely dis- ■ pensed with. In the course of a few days particulars will be advertised'in these columns, from which an idea will be gained of the special inducements offering to induce purchases. The stock of winter footwear now on view in Messrs F inlay son and .'Son's Masterton premises would be hard to excel in any inland town in <th« Dorrinion. In making their selection care has been taken to secure thoroughly serviceable foot- • wear of the approved makes. As the good 3 were bought from the •xn inufacturers for spot cash, exceptional bargains were secured, and the firm are thus enabled to offer to customers unusual value for money.