LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3194, 20 May 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ascension Day services will be held in tl;e morning, afternoon and evening at St. Matthew's Church to-day. A special meeting of the Master - ton Trust Lands Trustees is to be held this afternoon to discuss the question of rebuilding'of the premises destroyed by fire in Queen street yesterday morning. The footpaths in the Lansdowne school grounds have baen completed and the Committee intend to apply to the Education Board for a further grant for metalling.

The social to be held in aid of St. Patrick's Church, Masterton. on the 2nd June promises to be a very great success. Committees presided over by the Very Kev. Dean McKenna have arrangements well in hand for the function, and an enjoyable gathering is promised. Michael Fahey was charged with drunkenness before Messrs N M, C. O'Oonnell and J. H. Pauling, J.P.'3, yesterday morning. Accused was ordered to pay 12s 6d medical expenses, and convicted only. William Kenny, charged with vagrancy, was severely cautioned and discharged. A representative meeting of townspeople and settlers has been arranged to take' place in the Borough Council Chambers en Friday evening next, for the purpuse or making arragements in connection with the visit on the first of June next of Mr McNab, who is to give an address on universal military training.

At the meeting of St. Matthew's Club, on Tuesday evening next, Mr R. Brown will deliver a lecture entitled "The Brain."

At Carterton, yesterday, Mr J. R. Nicol submitted by auction, under instructions from the mortgagee, a number of sections in the Borough, also a residential property. The equity realised £4OO, the purchaser being Mr C C. Fairbrother. Siberian butter, says a Home paper, is of very good quality, while much of the secondary colonial, both Australian and New Zealand with which it comes into competition, is not so good as it ought to be. _

The Masterton Hospital grounds are being planted with trees and shrubbery in furtherance of the scheme of ornamentation agreed upon by the Trustees. The funds at the disposal uf the Trustees for such a purpose are necessarily limited, and therefore the -public are invited to make donations of plants, shrubs, and trees, for the purpose, or special monetary donations would, of course, be very acceptable.

"How is the oat market, just now?" was a query put to a local merchant yesterday by a Wairarapa Age reporter. "The market has quietened down somewhat," was the reply. "A while back the tone of the market was distinctly brisk, but then southern buyers were operating to fill shipments for foreign orders, while farmers.were then holding on. The shortage nf sacks also contributed to the improvement in the market, but now all these causes are no longer in evidence. The market has eased appreciably." A rapidly increasing membership, and the starting of many new classes has forced upon the Board of Management of the Masterton Y.M.C.A. the necessity of enlarging the building. Under the present restricted conditions it is felt that the beat results 'are, riot obtainable, and hope of immediately enlarging the present building, the management is appealing to the general public for the necessary funds. That there will be a ready response for such a deserving object is beyond question, and during the remainder of this week? an active canvass is to be made for the money required.

The maintaining of the progressive policy hitherto pursued in connection with the beautifying and general improving of the Masterton Park is a matter which the Borough Council should not hesitate to keep in view in framing the estimates for the ensuing year. Last year the estimate was about £4OO, and the expenditure £435, while this year a sum of only £2OO has been set down, a fact which is likely to cause dissatisfaction among those who believe that the past expenditure on the Park has not been in the least unreasonably high, and has been money very well and economically disbursed. The small amount allocated "will leave very little for general improvements after the salary bill has been paid,and the Council should reconsider the matter before finally settling upon so small a sumfor the uurpose stated.

Business is slack in Westport and money is tight. Owing to the refusal of the Government to advance moneys at 3£ percent, '(interest and sinking fund) on municipal leaseholds, building operations are not as brisK as formerly. The refusal of the Government (says the "Westport News") is hitting the owners of municipal leaseholds, tss these lands have not the same speculative value. The Government takes up the position that the Act requires the loans to be 33J years, whereas the municipal lease has only a 21. years' tenure. In parts of the Dominion, the position is felt as Keenly as in Westport, and efforts are being made to place the leaseholders on a more favorable footing The question will probably come up for discussion in Parliament.

The enthusiasm of farmers in connection with' the proposed co-oper-ative freezing works is evidently a •substantial realism acccording to the remarks of one of those taking a leadir.g part in pushing forward the preliminary work of flotation. This gentleman, who is a prosperous farmer in the Bush, told an Age reporter yesterday that in the Woodville and Dannevirke districts, and towards Pongaroa, the farmers are manifesting extreme interest in the progress of the movement, and he believes that when the company is finally launched it will come as a big surprise to those who predicted failure for the movement, it only for the great support which will be forcoroing from the Bush hinterland.

Mr F. F. Munro, speaking at a social on the West Coast, said, although Newcastle coal was obtainable for lis a ton, ships came to Westport to load at as high a figure as 19s a ton, and carried the coal to Yap, Matupi and Samoa. Yap and were small places, but Germany was converting them into naval stations, and storing up Westport coal for use should occasion arise. Germans recognised what a great advantage it would be to have a coal superior to that in use on the warships of an enemy. Instead of spending £2,000,000 in purchasing a Dreadnought that might be blown Jo the bottom of the sea at first encounter, the New Zealand Government should have expended half a-milliori in making Westport harbour suitable for despatch ot large coal cargoes for British ships when engaged in war. !

Local enthusiasm in horticulture has resulted in a "Dreadnought" in potatoes (says the Dunedin "Star.") Mr Jt-J. Clarke, gardener to Mr R. Glendining, in order to restore, if possible, tlit! good qualities of the Derwent potato—which, like other varieties, tends to a gradual deterioration —crossed it with a white variety of Sutton's. Three years must elapse before potatoes raised from seed mature sufficiently for table purposes. This year being the third of the cross, groat interest is centered in the result. Before lifting time arrived, the drawing away of the surface soil from around some thaws revealed promise of an exceptional crop, which was verified later on to an astonishing degree. One shaw produced 105 potatoes, weighing 24ilb, whirl) works out in tons to the acre to an envious number. Another shaw in a somewhat drier position, which affected the size of the individual tubers, numbered 124 potatoes, and so the suitability of name for this new potato is evident.

A garden fete in aid of St. Matthew's Building Fund is to be held in Masterton iu November next. The "Dannevirke Advocate" understands there is a'prospect of the' Railway Department discontinuing the train which leaves Dannevirke in the morning for Palmerston North.

West's pictures concluded a most successful three night season in the Town Hall last evening. A completely new programme was submitted, and the pictures were keenly appreciated by4he large audience present. Engineering work is brisk in one shop at least in Maserton. There, is at present an extra large stafE of men engaged in the works at MrJ. C. Ewington's establishment in executing a big order of Massey Harris seeders (drills), an order which will take several months to fulfil. The Morris Tube Association are unable to hold any practice this week owing to the Drill Hall and Town Hall being engaged. The next practice will probably be fixed for Mon-r day and Tuesday week. A number of trophies have already been promised so that it behoves members to take advantage of these practices to get into form. A new an 3 important industry Iss likely to be commenced in Waitara during the' next few months (says the "Taranaki Herald). For some time past negotiations have been proceeding with respect to the leas«* ing of certain portions of the sea beach on the south side of the river in order that the ironsand may be treated under a patent electric process which is said to be giving ad-j mirable results in England, a _

The Success of the milking machine is a factor which is assisting, in a most marked way to make dansfarming a more congenial occupation," said a local farmer yesterday, in conversation with an Age reporter. "We intend to milk about one hundred and thirty cows next summer by machine, and from our experience of three years past, with herds of sixty, eighty and over a hundred, we can testify to. the wonderful differences thepresence of the machine on the farm has made in the way of lightening labour, dispellirg worry, and generally'ameliorating' the condicions of work. Hand-milk-ing is**not to be compared with the machines.*'

x. ] sit aoi the tire in Queen street, yesterday morning, was the rendezvous of curious crowds throughout the day. The piles of salvaged articles which were heaped up on the pavement on the opposite side of the road were removed to various places of safety soon after daylight, whilejthe firemen «and fire police had the footpath along near the firs cleared'of debris and ready for traffic at a commendably early hour. Superintendent Jenkins and Captain Dixoa spent many hours on continuous duty from the commencement of . the fire, and deserve special mention for, their vigilance and care.

Yesterday afternoon representgtives from the Masterton and Sooth Wairarapa County Councils m c t at the Waingawa bridge, with a view to considering the best method of const: ucting protective works oa. the Carterton side of the bridee. There were -present:—Crs W, J. Welch, ichairma"), W. D. Foreman, John Moris, Jas. Miller, and Mr D. McLachlan, Engineer, representing the Masterton County; and Crs T. V. Moore, R. G. Welch, H. S. Mason, and Mr Herbert, Engineer, of the Wairarapa County. The confines of the river were carefully [inspected, and it was decided to construct two groynes between the road and the railway' bridge, calculated to divert the stream down the centre of the bed, and thereby rendering the south end of the bridge and road immune from encroachment. The river was also visited at the South Road point, and arrangements were made to erect a groyne to protect the ford. After this the Masterton councillors visited the river at Fernticge, and the recuJt of the deliberations will be submitted to the. next meeting of the Council. '

The embers, of the Queen street fire were still burning brightly yesttrday morning, and the brigade wtre still busy quenching them when a glare in the direction c.f Cornwall street attracted the notice of a pt rson returning home from viewing the Queen street conflagration.. An alarm was sounded on the Main and Kuripuni firebells, and the Fire Brigade and Fire Police, on proceeding to the locality of the blaze fbui:d that the brewery erected some twelve yesrs ago by Mr W. Buttrnent, between Michael and Cornwall streets, was a mass of flames. Nothing could be done to check the flamis, and the fire soon burnt itself out. The place hjd not been used for some years, and the origin of the fire is a mystery. Mr F. Exell whs le;;sing the paddock in which the brewery stood. The musical practise to have been held this afternoon in connec i>n with St. Matthew's Church concert has been unavoidably postponed. A notice to trespassers is inserted in another column by Messrs C. F. Vallance, G. C. Williams, A. "P. Whatman,and E. T. Williams.

Particulars of a splendid investment in house property are published on page 8 of this issue by Mr W. H. Cruickshank, land agent, Master ton. Mr J. K. tflinkhorne, tobacconist, is arranging for temporary business premises in Masterton, until those recently occupied by him, and which were damaged by fire, are renovattd. At the Elite Skating -Rins, tonight, there'jWill be a competition for the half-mile championship. A large number of entries have been received, and a keen contest is expected. Mr P. McKenzie's Band will piay selections during the evening.

When the fire occurred in Messrs Warnock and Adkirs' premises, in Wellington some few days ago,' a stock valued at in the store. At the salvage fair which followed -enormous sales were recorded, and a glance at the, illustrated inset circulated with this issuJ will give air idea of the crowds that attended. A proportion of the Wellington stock, has b-en forwarded to the Masterton branch, and during the next few .weeks a great sweep out sale is to be held at which ordinaryprices will be reduced 1 by two thirds. The management promise that no reasonable offer for any article lit stock will be refused, and residents are invited to pay a visit of inspection.

Men's heavy footwear forms the 'heading of an advertisement inserted on page 6 by KJr J. Carpenter, of the Central Boot Depot. Mr Carpenter gives a detailed price list or gent's >bootsJto suit the present season. •£he stock of men's mercery and underwear, carried by Mr J. L. Murray, in his premises next to the Club Hotel, Master'on, i 3 not excelled for quality or variety in any metropolitan centre in Ne\v'*Zealand. He imports only the very best of goods and retails at decidedly reasonable rates. A very large shipment of new shirts for winter wear Has just been opened up, and they .are a choice assortment, well worthy •of the attention of those looking for shirt satisfaction. Effervescent Saline,purifying, refreshing, invigorating to all who suffer from sickness, headache, sluggish liver, etc. Price, 2/6, H. T. Wood, Chemist and (fc. ©Xam,), Masterton # For Inflaorza take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Never fails, x' 6 and 2/6