LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3210, 9 June 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There are at present a large num ber of swappers passing through the Masterton district. Chaffcutting and threshing operations are practically finished in the Kopuaranga district. The Masterton County Council yesterday decided to effect metal repairs on the Miki Miki Road. During the past two months six constables have been expelied from the Wellinetoo police force. As the net result of the present i slackness in the timber trade, three mills, belonging to a Hutt Valley firm have cljsed down until business was more prosperous. A five-roomed house has been ; erected on Mr Douglas' property at j Kopuaranga, adjacent to the r&ilI way station, in place of the building destroyed by fire a few weeks ago. A number of rape and turnip crops in the Kopuaranga district are i affected with blight, and, writes our I correspondent, some o.f the crops j have been ruined. j An Order in Council is gazetted providing that the sum assured un any one life in the Government Life Office shall not exceed £5,000. Cases of scarlet fever in Masterton County were reported to the County Council last month as follows:—One case at Miki Miki, reported by Dr. Prior; one case at the Masterton Hospital, reportd by Dr. A. Hosking. It was decided by the Masterton County Council yesterday to put the road grader on roads in the Opaki riding, and that the matter of getting stone crashed be left to the County Engineer. Shipmasters state that, in course of time, East Island, between Napifr and Gisborne, on which a lighthouse was erected about 15 years ago, will cease to exist. The sea is washing many feet of it away every year. j

In connection with Dunedin's "Industries Week" display, much amusement was created there on Fiiday by the discovery that tha cards in ! one shop stating that "all the goods in tnis window are made locally," have in small type the awful mnouncoment that the cards themsjWe* \vjre made in Germany! At the meeting of the Anglican General Synod next year it will be proposed that the Primacy should be permanently attached to the See of Wellington, and that the Bishop of the Diocese should assume the title of Archbishop of Wellington and Primate of New Zealand.

Mr G. Moore, of Apirama, having offered to dedicate an extra half chain of a thirty chain strip of road north of Patanui bridge, it was yesterday decided by the Masterton County Council, on the motion of Cr Toogood, to accept the land, provided the cost to the Council of dedication did not exceed £6, and that Mr Moore set the fence back. The appeal lodged by the Masterton County Council against the contribution levied upon it for the maintenance of the Victoria Home for Incurables, Wellington, has been withdrawn, on the representation of tha County Solicitor (Mr W. G. Beard). The decision was arrived at by the Finance Committee of the Council, which met yesterday morning. !

The Greytown Dairy Factory closed' down on Saturday last after having had a successful season.

The usual meeting of the Masterton Hibernian Lodge was held last evening, Bro. Connor presiding. A challenge at cards was received from the Foresters, Lodge, and accepted, the match to be played on .the evening of the 18th ins .' The evening was spent in a social way after routine business had been transacted.

The Westport branch ot the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants is agitating for the granting of a half holiday for surfacemen. The movement is receiving very general support from branches of the Society throughout the Dominion. The Executive Council of the Society has placed the matter before the Minister of Railways. Mr F. S. Harding, secretary of the Masterton South Brass Band, wrote to the Masterton Borough Council last evening, applying for a grant towards the band uniform fund. It was decided to grant £lO. (Jr. J. C. Ewington considered the grant was somewhat small for the special purpose stated, and moved that the amount be £ls, this not being seconded.

At the half-yearly installation of officers of Myrtle Lodge, U A.0.D., which took place at Eketahuna on Monday evening, the following officers were instilled:—A.D.. Bro. J. Ackerman; V.A., Bro. C. Blake J Treasurer, Bro. Kean; Secretary, Bro. E. Jackson; A.B.'s, Bros. W. 1 Foote and A. Sparksman; V.A.B.'s, Bros. G. H. Leslie and R. McGarryj. 1.G., Bro. H. Byrne; 0.G., Bro. E. Hogaard.

What is believed to be a world's angling record this season has beea established by Mr Charles Fitton, of Rotorua, says a contemporary. Fishing in the lakes uf the thermal district between November Ist. and May 31st. Mr Fitton landed 2,25$ fish,of which 2,241 were taken with the fly. The heaviest fish was 16Jib, the average over 2flb., and the total weight 6,3441b, or two tons 16cwt 721b of trout.

The Masterton Borough Council met last evening, there being present:—The Mayor (Mr P. L. Rollings), and Crs J„ Elliott, F. W.' Temple, T. G. Hoar, R. Rigg, W. Pragnell, J. C. Ewington, J. Prentice and J. Yarr. Mr A. P. Kawson, engineer for the Sol way Estate syndicate, wrote asking the Council to accept dedication of Fleet Street and York Street extension, the roads just completed in the Sol way estate. The request was acceded to on condition that an undertaking be given that the sections on the road be fenced.

Mr T. P. Lett waited upon the Masterton County Council yesterJay in reference tu th<i improvement of the road leading to his property. He asked the Councils' assistance un the ground that he had paid a sum in rates, and only £lO had been expended on his road. He offered to contribute quid pro quo towards the work. About fourteen chains of stumping was needed, and a couple of culverts required. Cr Toogood said that he thought that Mr Lett was entitled to consideration, and he moved that £2O bi voted by the Council, The m >tion was seconded by Cr Beetham and carried.

The Finance Committee of the Masterlon County Council met yesterday. Or Kebbell being in the chair. I The treasurer reported as follows:-. •' Local Bodies Loans account, dr. K £3.386 la; General Fund accoi ;t r £5,533 153 6d; Account, credit balance £2,150 lis sd. Accounts amounting to £1,595 33 7d were pa?sed for payment Cr Foreman reported that the blocking of Te Mara stream, iha subject of a letter from Mr E. W. Payton at last meeting, hrl bsem caused by the careless falling of bush. He suggested that the ownersof land be called upon to clear thestream. The report was adapted. "How do you do?" was the gresting official!'/ given to a professedlynaturalised Chinese subject on the deck of tha at Melbourne the other day. "Forty," was tha absurdedly irrelevant answer "What | part of China do you come from?"" inquired the officer, bent on giving the Celestial a further chance to prove the genuinaness of his naturalisation papers. "Forty," was again the answer. "How old are you?" was the third interrogation, and the answer came as before, "Forty." Ihis little comedy, with certain* additions and repatitions, resol-ed in six out of ten Chinesa, who had arrived in Victoria, en route forHobart, with what purported to be naturalisation papers, being promptly sent back on the vessel.

"That gorsa be declared a noxious weed in the County," was a motion by Cr J. Colquhoun at the meeting of the Masterton County Council yesterday. "1 am afraid it will swallow all our rates in keeping our riverbedsclear," commented Cr H. 0. Toogond. The Chairman (Cr W. J. Welch) said the mov>:r no doubt had; the sympathy of the Council, but while neighbouring Counties were- | adverse it was useless. About two years ago the Council nad moved in the matcfcr, but no satisfactory result was obtained. "We shall shortly not be able to get into Masterton for he weed," declared Cr Colquhoun. You'll have to educate the Council up to a sense of their duty in tha matter," said the Chairman, as no seconder to the motion was forthcoming. "I think the Cou.icil is afrai j to ' do its duty in this tnatter," said Cr Colquhoun. "Is it too late or too soon to face the evil?"

The ordinary meeting of 1.0. R." Tent was held in the Dominion Hall last evening, Bro. L. Jones, D.C.R., presiding over a fair attendance of members. A letter was received from the Onward Tent, Palmerston North, asking the Masterton Tent to appoint t vo delegates to attend a conference i; in hel.i at Palmerston North on Juik 23r l to discuss the rearrangement of sub districtsunde • i.he new convention passed at the ru-- ;nt J Mastercou Conference. C. p . Bro. Temple and Bro. Threadwell were appointed delegates. The following nominations for officers for the ensu-f ing term wera receivedC.H., Bro. 1 Jones; D.R., Bros. Thoumine and A. J Miller; Treasurer, Bro. Heyhos; Secretary, Bro. Easthope; Book. Steward, Bro. Tornquist; CashSteward, Bros. L, Thoumine and W. Andrews; juevite, Bro. Gilbert;. Guardian, Bro. Hursey. This concluded the ordinary business, and members then held a mock Borough. Council, Bro. Temple presiding.

A second crop of pears was gathered from a Kopuranga orchard on Saturday last. The typhoid epidemic has apparently abated at Alexandra, only one more case having been reported last week. Tha Borough Council meeting last evening lasted just over the half hoar. About half that time was occupied in reading minu'.es. The Treasury notified the Master"f ton County Council yesterday of the following remittances for loans:— East Coast Road, (10 per cent) £800; Wangaehu Road, £140; WeraitiFernyhurst Road, £2,000. A lecture entitled "Present Day Remains of Ancient Rome" is to be delivered by Mr Robert Lee, Chair- ■ man of the Wellington Education JBoard, to the secondary scholars of the Masterton District High School to-day.

At the present time three distinct companies are playing "An Englishman's Home" in Australia. The original organisation is finishing its season at tier Majesty's Theatre, J- Melbourne. In West Australia the Julius Knight Company i 3 meeting with gratifying success in the same production, and n third company is playing it in Northern New South Wales prior to a visit to Queensland. A conference attended by the •Chairman of th 3 Wellington Education Board (Mr R. Lee), Inspectors T. R. Fleming, J. 8. Tennant, and P. H. Bakewell, and Headmasters W. H. Jackson (Masterton), A. B. Charters (Greytown), and A. N. Burns (Carterton), was held at Greytown on Monday to discuss a regulation affecting the coursa of wurk in the secondary department #*»f High School. The matter was fully discussed in camera, and the outcome of the conference will be known in due course. The contractors for the WeraitiFernyhurst Road (Messrs Langlands ' a-d Co.) wrote to the Masterton County Coucnil yesterday, asking the Council if it could see its way to pay them the 25 per ce..t still held on the completed portion of the contract (two-thirds) as the contract had involved a large outlay in plant, and the work had been abandoned until next summer. The Council decided that it could not alter the present financial position of the contract. At the informal Parliament on Monday last, it was decided that ] Parliament should, after making the ' necessary financial arrangements to enable the business of the country to be carried on, be prorogued until September 30th next. Resolutions were passed by the Legislative Council yesterday approving of the Premier attending the Imperial Defence Conference, and of the prorogation of Parliament till September 30th. The question of the site for the proposed ladies public bath at Masterton was discussed at the meeting of the Borough Council last night. f The Mayor stated that the Engineer interviewed Dr W. H. Hosv king, who donated £SOO towards the •work, and he and the ladies interested in the matter had agreed upon a site in the track of the stream at the Park Lake. He moved that the Engineer ba instructed to draw up plans and specifications for the baths, and to go ,on that site, these plans to be submitted to and approved by the Council. His Worship stated that it was very r.ecessaty to push the work forward. The motion was s?conded and carried unanimously.

At the meeting of the Masterton X Borough Council last evening, Cr F. W. Temple moved, in accordance with notice given, "That the general rate of 2,2-5 pence in the pound on the unimproved value of the Borough ba deferred until the income from all sources on the general account for the year 1908-9 and the estimated income for 1909-10 is submitted to the Council in detail." The motion had a short life. The Mayor ruled it oat of order, on the ground that it rescinded a previous resolution of the Council, and the standing orders provided that no motion could be rescinded which had been acted upon. The estimates were sealed by the r speaker immediately after the Council had risen, in order that the estimates could ba advertised immediately. The monthly meeting of the Masterton Fire Brigade was held last evening, Superintendent Jenkins presiding. The Secretary reported the average musters for the month of May as follows:—Meetings, 14; alarms, 15$. Branchman Feilding applied for an extra two-year service bar. The Secretary was instructed to write and thank the Fire Police for the gift of a photo. The following nomination of officers for the ensuing year were received: —Senior foreman, E. Jenkins; junior foreman, Y J. JohnsGn; branchmen, T. Feilding, B. Morris, B. Braggins, A. K. Johnstone, W. Blinkhorne, D. Knowles; hydrantmen. A. K. Jonstone, B. Braggins, J. Stewart. Messrs J. Prentice, H. E. Gardiner and D. A. Pickering were elected auditors. Mr G. Laing-Meason, C.E., Engineer for the Opaki-Lansdowne irrigation and high pressure water supply schemes, reported to the County Council yesterday that fair progress was being made on No. 1 contract (Mr M. Kerins) for the headworks races, etc. The concrete work for the culverts and railway was expected to be completed in a fortnight. The report suggested that where no more shallow depth than 8 inches could be obtained crossings over the races should be put iri by the Council. The crossings would cost from £7 10s to £B, and only isolated ones would be necessary. Contract No. 2 (Messrs Burke and Buckley)was very well forward. The clerk of works (Mr C. D. King) had been instructed to measure the length of fencing required by the Health Department. Mr Laing-Meason suggested a 14 post and 16 dropper fence, with 7 plain and one barbed wire, as suitable for the purpose. The report was adopted. advertiser seeks employment washing and cleaning by the day. Mrs Pyke, Essex Street, requires a lady help or general servant. A ladies' coat, lost between Pinhey's stables and the Hospital, is advertised for. Special lines in lampware are advertised by the Fancy Department at the W.F.C.A. Messrs J. Graham and Co.adverti3e the prices of numerous lines which are being offered at their stock-taking sale. .. __ ,

' The public are offered prime joints at bedrock prices at the Post Office Meat Mart. A list of prices is announced elsewhere. Messrs Wrattan and Spence, land agents, Danrievirke, advertise particulars of a sound bakery business they have been instructed to sell. Applications for the position of clerk in the Masterton Municipal .Gas Department will be received by Mr Wm. T Mansfield up till 4 p.m. on Friday, 18th June. Mr J. Carpenter has to hand a large and varied stocl< of young ladies footwear fox the winter season. Particulars and prices appear in a new advertisement inserted elsewhere. In another column the local branch of the Navv Zealand Clothing Factory have a word to say with regard to j their tailor cut sac suits, and chil- , dren's shoes, fdr winter wear. Special prices are quoted in all lines.

Tha Public Trustee gives notice that all amounts payable to the estate of Alma Eugenie Jones should be paid to his agent in' Masterton, Mr W. B. Channels, or lodged to the credit of'the Public Trustee's account at any Money Order Office.

On Tuesday next, at Kopuaranga, Air J. R. Nicol, instructed by Mr V. A. Jorgenson, will sell the whole of the furniture and effects of the Mulgrave Hotel. The time of sale has been fixtd at one o'clock to enable intending purchasers by the up and down trains to be in attendance.

Messrs Hunt and Co., merchants, Wellington, announce that their stocks are maintained from the best makers of all descriptions of wines and spirits. The firm invite correspondence with regard to the future requirements of clients in this district.

Exceptional value m Winter Millinery; .smart now-shaped toques trimmed witli velvet; fur, and wing; in all colours at 21s and 25s each. Large shapes in silks, velvets, felt?, and straws; in every imaginable shade' beautifully trimmed, from 19s 6d. Tho small tweed hat so much in favour for wet weather, may be obt.lined in any colour, with a pretty wing at the side, 8s 6d. for smart new millinery, see the display at Mrs Matbewson's, Lambton Quay, Wellington.— A.dvt, " Have you a Patent, or an Id en. for a Patent? We furnish the nnney, you furnish tbe brains. If interested, eornmunioaie with ths Patent Exploiting Syndicate, Pitt Office Box 495, Uunedin." —Advt.