LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9552, 27 July 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A dividend of la per share hai been declared by the directors ct the Worksop Dredging Company. The Navy League's smoke concert to-morrow night promises ro be a vtry successful function, -judging by the demand for tickets. Mr C. W. Palmer, Secretary of the Wellington District, who will he one of the guests, is the owner of a "Cremona" violin, on which he will give several selections during the evening. An offer of from ten to twenty acres of land at Pigeon Bush free of cost has been made to the Wellington Farmers' Freezing Company as a site for their contemplated works. The donor aUo offers to sell up to 400 acres at £6 per :»cre, and will take £SOO worth of shares as part payment. A letter has been reecived from Hastings by a resident of Christchurch'stating that at last 350 acres in that district have been planted in orchards —100 acres in apple trees, 75 acres in pears, and the balance in peaches, grapes, etc. The writer of tne letter states the residents are m earnest about the planting of fruit trees. ;As an evidence of the high rents charged for indifferent house accommodation in Christchcrch, Mr Frank Rule, apent for the Presbyterian Social Service Association, stated the other day that he had under his care a family whose total weekly income was 355. This family was paying 12s per week rent tor poorly constructed cottage. A judge of an English County Court has recently decided the question of priority of right io use the road?. He said the pen-on, who has the first right to. the nad is the pedestrian, after him the equestrian, then the drivers of horsed vehii 1-ff, j then the cyclist and lastly the motor- , ist. , A boon that will be welcomed in i university circles has been granted , by-the Orient Royal Mail line of i steamers, and other companies,, which ( have decided to offer yearly two ; free first-class return passsages be- i tween Australia and England in fav- t our of graduates of the University c of New Zealand, who desire to pro- \ ceed to Europe for the purpose of con- \ f tinuing their studies. The passages I i will be available during the months & af May to September (both inclus- o ive), to Europe, and during the a months of March to July (both in- t elusive), outwards from Europt. The f Union Steam Ship Company and Hud- c krt-Parker Steamship Company have a igreed to supplement this offer by t: extending a similar concession be- fi :ween New Zealand and Australia to T rraduates selected thereunder. The n :ompanies desire that preference F ihould be given to graduates who w ;hough wishful to go to-Europe, are g lebarred from doing so by reason of II he expense involved, rather than to gi he holders of any particular univer- it ity distinction, or graduates who bi ire able to dispense with such assist- t' nee, and would go in any case. t tt

An important special meeting of airwomen interested in swimming is called by the Masterton Ladies' Swimming Club to be held in Dominion Halll to-morrow (Wednesday) evening at 8 o'clock. A cordial invitation was given to all ladies interested in swimming to attend as important business will be transacted. Mr A. J. Cameron has disposed of his farm of 113 acres at Te Ore Ore to Mr Alexander Ross, of Manaia, Masterton. Tne sale was* effected through the agency of Mi J. R. Nicol, whose property representative, Mr S. R. Edwards, reports there is a good demand for freehold and leasehold farms for dairying and agriculture. 0 The track at the Masterton racej course has been in splendid order during the past month or so, due to the favourable season experienced, and the careful attention it has received. As the slack period of the racing season is approaching it is proposed to plough up the "plough track," as soon as the weather conditions will permit. £gA great Roman Catholic Congress is to be held in Sydney in September next. There will be a comparatively large attendance, of leading laymen from New Zealand, and all the bishops of the Australian and New Zealand heirarchy will take part. It is believed that the congress will prove the most important assemblage of Roman Catholics, both clergy and laity, ever held in' Australia. f; At an informal gathering held last evening in Masterton Mr W. Howard Booth, of Carterton, who has presented a handsome Cup for competition among the junior teams of the Wairarapa Hockey Association handed the Cup over to the members of the Management Committee. A pleasant half hour or so was spent recalling reminiscences of hockey and discussing mattersof general interest. The Cup, which has been won by the Knox Juniors, will be presented to the successful team at the annual rejumon to be held at Carterton on Thursday next. The smoke concert to be held under the auspices of the Masterton branch of the Navy League promises to be a great success. The officers of the Ruahine Battalion and the Mounted Rifles will appear in uniform, and the Commander and officers of H.M.S. Encounter will also wear their uniforms. The tickets are selling freely, and a large attendance is expected. At intervals between the speeches during tha evening songs will be rendeied by the following:—Messrs Branson and Jago (duet), W. Iggulden, H. Hall, W. Jago, F. H. Elcoate, and G. Branson, and Mr Hall will also give a recitation. Mr C. W. Palmer, the secretary of the Wellington branch of the League, who is a brilliant executant on the violin, will also contribute to the programme. His violin, which is said to be a true "Strad," is considered to be almost without equal in the Dominion for its purity and fullness of tone. Promissory notes, like the proverbial chicken, or curse, have a knack of sooner or later coming home to roost, but it is seldom that one payable on demand takes so long in coming up for payment as one which arrived from New Zealand last, week (states the Sydney "Daily Telegraph") It was very usual many, years ago for the various agents of liquors, etc., to place here and there t a note promising to pay £1 when i presented, these being secreted in the capsules or behinJ the labels. Wolfe's Schnapps agents, however, state that they stopped this practice about ten years ago, buc ntvertheless on Monday last, in a letter from Masteiton, New Zealand, whs one of their notes dated 1890, or nineteen years ago. As only the name and address of the ser.der accompanied the note, the romance of how it came to light after so many years must be left to the imagination, i A glaring example of departmental mismanagement ard waste of public money is vouched for by the "North Auckland Times," a representative of which has satisfied himsplf that a serious spendthrift policy is being perpetrated. It is common knowledge that the country beyond Kaihu is typically bash, and abounds in totara ard other durable timbers —in fact the erection of a telephone line through euch a locality should be effected at a record midimum cost; but it is a startling fact that the poles being used in the work were imported from Australia to Auckland, thence trained to Helensville, from there shipped to Dargaville, again trained to Kaihu, and then waggoned into the New [ Zealand bush. It is, moreover, a fact : that the handling charges during the various transhipments would have paid the cost of suitable dominiongrown poles. The ridiculousness of the work is furnishing roadless settlers with an object lesson of departmental extravagant stupidity, and indignation is rife at such waste of public money. The officially stated cost of Government telephonic construction is £25 per mile, but a private line trected in the district ( over 100 miles long cost but £5 per , mile. \ The informal nature of proceedings , in' American law courts is described ; in a letter received in Auckland from | j Mr Ben Fuller, a member of i known theatrical firm. Writing from s Chicago, on May 20th, Mr Fuller t says: "I went to the Criminal Couit, } in Michigan street and Dearborn j Avenue. The charge was one of g wounding with intent. I left the ' Court when the lawyer, who was s appointed by the judge for the de- p t'nee (the defendant, a colored woman, t having no legal adviser), started t questioning the jury. One case was "5 beard without a jury, while waiting C for the jury to return from consider- " ing another case. It was a charge e igainst two colored men, of smoking h )pium The whole of the witnesses w : md ( the defendant stood in front of a ;he juriees's desk like schoolboys in n Tont of a master. They were sworn w :ollecti«eJy. 'J'he judge heard the tl itory of each side, asked a few ques- ui ions, and without any formalities, sc ined the defendants five dollars each, sc ?he whole thing took about five b< oinutes " In another Court Mr " heard a murder case. There w ?ere about two dozen witnesses. A lii irl witneess, who gave her age as re 5, started her evidence chewing co um. Someone ordered her to take ou t out of her mouth. She did so. he ut the judge continued to chew. He mi vice excused himself when called to an ts 'phone in an adjoining room. of

A progressive euchre party will be , heldb y the members and hon. members of the Masterton Fire Brigade and their wives in the Brigade Station to-morrow (Wednesday) evening. The annual meeting of the Masterton Racing Club has been arranged! to take place on August 12, at which the officials and stewards for the ensuing season will be elected. Tha nominations for offices will close at the end of this month, Septic metritis in cows has made its appearance in the Gisborne district again this season. The disease, which as only brought under notice a couple of years ago by Mr S. Burton, Government veterinarian, was responsible for the death of about 50 or 60 cows in the district last year Mr Burton stated to an interviewer that many local farmers had realised the seriousness of the ailment, and had closely followed the preventative action recommended with gratifying" j results. This year, however, it has appeared further afield, due, he considered, to"atmosnheric conditions. I The usual meeting of Endeavour Lodge, 1.0G..T., was held last evening, Bro. McLean in the chair. Routine business was transacted, after which the nomination and election of officers were proceeded with, and resulted in the following members being elected:—C.T., Bro. Tarr; P.C.T., Bro. McLean; V.T., Sis. Judd; Chaplain, Sis. N. Miller; Marshall, Bro. Bedford; Treasurer, Bro. King (re-elected); F.S., Sis. F.Miller (re-el6cted); Guard, Bro. Reg. Miller; Secretary, Sis. Flanagan (re-elected). Officers of sentinel, deputy marshal and assistant S3cretary to stand over until next meeting. Fraternal greetings t, wer,e received from King's Coronation, Lodge 33, and heartily reciprocated The sale of furniture on account of Mr N. H. McEwen, to-morrow, will be held at the residence, 30, Church street, Mr J. R. Nicol will conduct tl e sale. Messrs Hare and Co., land agents, Pahiatua, advertise particulars of a well-improved dairy farm of 10tt acres, which has been placed in their hands for sale. On Saturday next Mr J. R. Nicol will sell on account of Mr W. J. Henry, Lincoln road, the whole of his household furniture and effects of his six-roomed dwelling. Further particulars will be advertised later. During their stocktaking operations the drapery department of the W.F.C.A. continue to bring forward numerous oddment bargains, which the public are keen to appreciate. As this is the last week of their stocktaking those in search of bargains are invited to call early. A special sale of Indian goods is? now proceeding in No. 3 sample room, Exchange Buildings. The goods include a large assortment of handmade bedspreads, toilet covers, tea and tray cloths, which are beingsold at very low prices. Full particulars and the various lines appear elsewhere. The attention of builders, farmers and others is directed to the sale of building timber which will beheld by Messrs Mitchell and Co., at Managtainoka, at 1.30 o'clock, tomorrow. There is a total of 60,000 feet to be offered m lots of 500 feet and upwards. An auction sale of well-selected household furniture will be held at the residence No. 30, Church street, to-morrow, by Mr J. R Nicol, on account of Mr N. H. McEwen. Ihe goods will he orj view on the morning of sale, and will be sok without reserve. Mr Albert Webb, tailor and costumier, Queen-strett, Masterton, has at present on view some very fine examples' of the costumiers' art. Mr Webb has won for himself a reputation for this particular class of work, and the costumes now on view give ample evidence of a master hand. 'lhe ladies of Mas'erton are invited to inspect the costumes. Messrs Jones and Ashdown, Ltd., of Willis street, Wellington, are rightiy classed as amongst the meat expert tailors in the Dominion. They cater for hundreds of the most fashionably dressed men in the Empire City, and suits made by them are noted for their distinctive style, and splendid finish. Mr £. L. Chatwin, a member of the firm is at present at the Club Hotel, Masterton, with a large assortment of new season's tweeds and worsteds, and those desirous ot meeting him are invited to call upon him at the Club Hotel, or Mr Chatwin will cell at any address on receipt of a postcard.