LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3195, 22 May 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The nominations for the office of Trustees for the Masterton Trust Lands Trust closed yesterday, _ at noon. Five nominations were received for the three vacancies, namely, Messrs C. E. Daniell, E. G. Eton, H. Evans, E. Smith, and T. Wagg. The Rev. A. Hodge will conduct the services in the Congregational Church to-morrow morning and evening, the subjects being "The Philosophy of Cheerfulness," and "The Wisdom of Watchfulness," It is quite possible the members of the Palmerston branch of the Woodlands Hunt Club will decided to hold a Hunt Club Steeplechase during the present season, though so far nothing definite has been decided. A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that Miss Ottaway, who was married to Amy Bock, masquerading as Percy Redwood, at Nuggets, yesterday filed a petition for the annulment of the marriage. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., Michael Ginnane, Frederick Neilson, J. Monaghan, and John Prentice were charged on the information of L. J. Matthews with trespassing on the property [of Mr C. A. Wall in search of game, native pigeons. After hearing the evidence His Worship imposed apenalty of 20s each, with costs. Whether it is the depression that is responsible or not is a matter for conjecture, but there has been a drop of 20 per cent, in the matrimonial rate in Masterton for the period of the present year ending yesterday. To May 21st. 1908, there were 51 couples" wro abandoned single blessedness for the greater or less blest conjugal state as against 41 for the same period this year. A drop of nearly 6 per cent, in the birth rate for the same period is a parallel circumstance, 117 being registered in 1908 as against 110 this year. Reserved judgment was delivered yesterday by Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., in an action for rates, Masterton Borough Council v. Thos. Porter, in which the debt was admitted, but the defendant claimed to set off against the plaintiff's claimgof £ll 19s 9d, the sum of £5 Bs. paid by him under protest in January last in respect of water ratea on the Club Hotel. Judgment was entered for plaintiffs for the amount claimed, with costs £l, solicitor's fee £1 Is, making a total of £l4 0s 9d. Mr C. A. Pownall. Biirouerh Solicitor, appeared for plaintiffs, and Mr D. K. Logan for defendant. "In the case of George Henry Clarke, farmer, v. Victor A. Jorgensen, hotelkeeper, of Dreyerfcon, a claim of the sum of £IOO as damages in that defendant, who took over the Mulgrave Arms ' Hotel, Dreyerton, failed to carry out his undertaking to forthwith keep plaintiff's property in repair according to the conditions of lease, Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., delivered judgment at the Magistrate's Court, yesterday morning, for plaintiff for £35, costs £1 14s, witnesses' expenses £1 12s 2d, and solicitors' fees £2 12s. Mr C. A. Pownall appeared for plaintiff, and Mr D. K. Logan for defendant. Counsel for defendant applied for a rehearing for this morning, by consent, owing to the Magistrate's early departure. A valuable parcel in its way was received from the Tourist Department yesterday by Mr W. M. Easthone, secretary of the Mount Holdsworth Track Committee, m the shane of a box of roots of that beautiful alpine flower, the Ranunculus Lyalli The specimens are from Mount Cook, and are to be planted on Mount Holdsworth, where it is hoped that they will thrive and add still more to the beauties of the wonderful mountain garden already so bountifully endowed with varieties of flora. About two years ago the experiment was made of planting seed from the Mount Cook white ranunculus on Mount Holdsworth, but no success attended the trial It is believed that the roots themselves will, however, brave the initial difficulties of transplantation better than the seeds stood a new environment, and if so, it will be an important matter from a tourist point of view. Mr C. Bannister is to be entrusted with the duty ot planting the new specimens. Speaking to the an Auckland "Herald" reporter, Mr R. K. Martin, organiser for the Reform party, contrasted the attitude of that party with the attitude of the Government on various questions. Mr Massey and Mr Jas. Allen had strongly urged from the public platform the universal training of "our youths, but Sir Joseph Ward, and also Mr R. McNab, while acting as Minister for Defence, would not face the question, although the latter was now a most welcome convert. The Government's retrenchment proposals in reference to the Civil Service, continued MiMartin, had opened the eyes of the public, for if the Prime Minister could effect economies to the ex- , tent of £250,000 a year without ; impairing its efficiency, the service , must have been grossly over-staffed ] in the past. Mr Martin thought the ] repeated critieisms of prominent i members of the Reform party had j been a considerable factor in bring- ( ing about this des.v/.ble change. <

. A new venture for Timaxu,, that of selling meat by public auctfonj. has; been started. The Ashburton Society has paid for only 32 shags' heads during the past year, and it offers 5s per hoad. Where and when Master ton is to have its new fire station, a matter now for many months undecided, will not be finally dealt with by the Masterton Fire Board until after the Board holds its annual meeting, which' will take place next month. "My experience of livery stablekeepers' book debts is that they are scarcely worth the paper they are written on," said the deputy official assignee at a meeting of creditors held in Timaru this week. It is interesting to note that of those who have signed the petition for a military pension for Mew Zealand Field service, the youngest age is given as 61 years, quite a number arejjover 70, one 83, one 92, and one 99. The fund which is being raised throughout New Zealand to erect a memorial to the memory of Sir James Hector, the late scientist, is still below the £3OO mark, though the collectors have been at work for a year. Some of the little owls lately imported by the Otago Acclimatisation, Society have been seen lately indifferent parts of South Canterbury, and the farmers say that wherever the owls have made their appearance sparrows are conspicuous by theirabsence. At a meeting of the Timaru Debating Society, a resolution was passed urging the Prime Minister to< appoint a Royal Commission toformulate a scheme for national-, defence, eliminating therefrom the objectionable features of conscrip* tion. A Christchurch doctor has wutten- *£ to the Canterbury A. and P. Associration protesting against cropping the manes and docking the tails of horses. He is giving a special prize to the horse section of the next show,, but stipulates that the prize trust not be given to a horse cropped or docked. A locally invented airship is to be , exhibited at the Auckland A. and P: .. Association's exhibition next week,, provided a trial is attended with satisfactory results. The inventor is a Mr Barnard, and it is stated that a. trial made some time ago was sufficiently gratifying to warrant a patent being taken out. The annual meeting of the Master ion Fire Board takes place next: month after the election iof new insurance company representativesThe Borough Council having elected: its representatives, and Mr 0. N. C Pragnell having again accepted theposition of Government representative, the Board will be duly constituted as soon as the Insurance Con>panies elect their representatives. Wellington's latest weekly, "TheCitizen" is rapidly coming to the front as a metropolitan and cosmo- < politan journal of a very necessary crder. The issue of last week was distinguished by a slr'kirg cover, depicting the busy Wellington i waterfront, in blue tint, and by a " series of clever sket:hes and bright. I newsy pars of a topical nature) Theproduction is excellent from both: literary and letterpress standpoints,, a-id if "The Citizen" maintains the \ standard hitherto set it must soon l " become a widely ie«d and influential* . journal. 1 A woman who appeared at the t Auckland Police on Tuesday, i was stated to have put up something . : of a record in the way of breaking V , windows. She was charged with , having smashed no fewer than 73 • panes of glass in the vicinity of the Swanson and Federal streets corner, , and she attributed-her violence to drinking methylated spirits. The panes broken were in the houses of . persons who had given evidence against her in a Court oa?e. The , woman, by nam2 Jane Wheeler, was remanded till Monday on the charge. "One of the finest successes that 1 could be imagined,. is the description ■ given by an Upper Plain School Committeeman to the new system of drainage recently installed at tie : Public. School there. The question m£ of draining country schools has been : 1 a constantly recurring topic at meetings of the Wairarapa School Committees Association, and that budy time and again impressed upon Education Board, the necessity for the-problem being '.ackled in a systematic way. The matter was hung up pending the result of the Upper Plain School experiment, and an Age reporter was informed yesterday that the system there had proved a splendid success. Dr J. P. Frengley, District Health Officer, is patentee of the system, and he is s to be congratulated on the result of his achievement. The School Committees Association should now urge the extension- to other schools of this system. Thirty acres of first-class land near Mast rton is advertised for sale by Mr W. H. Cruickahank. A fine display of the best selected Protoben dessert Turkey figs is made in the grocery window of the W.F.C.A. to-day. Professar Vear, mental scientist, phrenologist, a'nd physignomist, and Mrs Vear, scientific palmist, may be consulted at their rooms, Wrigley street. The "Ajax" bicycb, fitted with free wheel, two brakes, mud-guards,, etc., is wonderful value at £7 10s. **-~" That is the price charged by Mr Robt. Pook, cycle and motor expert,. . Masterton. n^ Messrs Warnock and Adkins opened) their great salvage sale of drapery, and clothing at their Queen street premises, yesterday, and they report that the large staff of assistantswere kept v<?ry busy all day in at* tending to the crowds that attended. l . The genuineness of the bargainsobtainable was strikingly demonstrated by the large parcels procurable for a little money. Mr W. Gardiner, the expert wood—carver, of Masterton, has removed to. a shop in Messrs Lyttle Bros. - premises [(opposite the Queen's.Hotel), wherehe will hold a special.: display of carvings this evening. Particularly striking samples of carvings amongst the exhibit will' be a mantlepiece frieze, two lions heads, and carved, table tops. The work generally is of a high standi ard, eiving an excellent idea of MrGaridner's ability ast a.designer ancL, carver.

T At the residence, No, 27, Hessey "street, this afternoon, Mr J.R. Nicol will sell in the estate of the late Mrs Sttfckley-Jones, household furniture and effects In another column Mr Eli Smith notifies that in response to a numerously signed requisition he has decided to contest a seat.on the Masterton Trust Lands Trust, at the approaching elections. The man with inventive gtnius, who has a patent worth exploiting, but who has not the necessary funds to finance it, should communicate \ with the Pa-ent Exploiting Syndi- < cate, box 495, Dunedin, who arc prepared to furnish the required money. The success attained by Mr A. Webb, in making and fitting ladies' costumes is sufficient ev dence of his ability in this imoortant branch of the tailors' art. His stock of costume tweeds and cloths is always stylish and comprehensive, and selection is thus made easy. Orders for costumes for delivery in June are now being booked. ■' " Have you a Patent, or an Idea for a • Patent? We furnish the money, you furnish the brains. If interested, communicate with the Patent Exploiting I Syndicate, Post Office Box 495, Dunedin.' — Advt.