LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9565, 11 August 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Buildings operations in Fielding are at a standstill. The Wairarapa Golf Club defeated Greytown, on Saturday, last, by three games to two. The volume of bankruptcy business being transacted in Wellington at present is larger than for some time past. One of the Timaru banks complains that in the course of business several filed or clipped soverigns have been received. The "Herald" points out the seriousness of the offence, while the authorities have been advised on the matter.

In a month's shooting at the Whatarangi Station (Lower Valley) two Featherston residents secured 134 wild pigs and over 100 goats. The ex-uhampion boxer Burns, has denied to a representative of the Council of the New Zealand Boxing Association that anyone outside himself is financially interested in his tour, and he asks the Council to advise the associations that there is no truth in the report that a syndicate is running him. Mr ■ Ben Fuller, of the firm of Messrs Juhn Fuller Sons, is at, present in London, one of the objects of his visit being to float a company with a capital of £60,000 for the erection of big skating rinks an each of thu four centres of New Zealand. The buildings are intended for skating rinks in the winter, and for picture entertainments in the summer.

Masterton people are apt to complain about the continuous rains that have been experienced lately, but Ihey would not like to exchange positions with Queensland settlers, that is, those m the interior. An Eltham settlers has received a letter from a Queensland friend in which' he says that cattle are dying by the hundreds from drought over there. Mr J. Cross has b.'en appointed Secretary of the Greytown Glee Club,, vice Mr Jellicoe, resigned. Mr Jellicoe, who has been on the staff of the Greytown Post Office for some considerable time, and who has been transferred, to Wellington was presented with a case of pipes by the Glee Club;,, as a mark of esteem.^.t^'l^ZZl!

An interesting action is likely to engage the attention of Mr Justice Williams and a jury at Dunedin this week. This is a claim for £3,000 damages brought by Mr Hugh Gorlitz, now of Timaru, (husband of Amy Sherww), against Mr Jan Kubelik. the virtuoso, for alleged failure to fulfill a contract to appear in Australasia urder Gorlitz's direction A strong bar is engaged, including a K.C.

An epidemic of diphtheria has broken out in Lyttelton, and five cases have been reported in three families, one being fatal. Owing to the want of an infectious diseases hospital the cases cannot be properly isolated, and anxiety is felt less the outbreak should spread. As it is, the treatment of the cases is putting a severe tax on the local medical men, and is also interfering with their work in*other directions A growing but little known export from N*w Zealand is scrap-iron. It is taken by China to a very large ex tent, and the port to which it is consigned is Shanghai. From Wellington alone 100 tons have been exported during the past three months. The iron pays two,' freights, however, viyz., New Zealand to Sydney, and Sydney to Shanghai, in all, £2 per ton. Direct shipment between New Zealand and the Far East would, of course, mean a. substantial reduction in freights, leading, it is believed, to an improvement in the volume of trade which is slow ly but steadily growing between New Zealand and China and Japan.

One of the most pressing railway problems in Australia is the difference in gauges. There are at present three gauges—New South Wales 4ft Bin., Victoria sft 3in, South Australia sft Sin and 3ft Sin, Queensland 3ft 6in, and West Australia 3ft 6in. The disadvantages of such a system are obvious. Passengers and goods have to be transferred at the borders, and the monetary loss is considerable. It was suggested that the difficulty might be overcome by the addition of a third rail, but the idea was abandoned as impracticable in view of the cross lines of|railway, because of the supposed impossibility of designing switches to workthe combined gauges Mr Brennan, the eminent inventor, has now come to the rescue with a compound switch and [[crossing which j is said to be a complete solution of the break of gauge difficulty so far as the sft 3in and 4ft Sin gauges are concerned.

A somewhat unusual complication of family relationships is chronicled by'the Taien Mouth correspondent of the "Otago Witness." In recording the marriage of Miss Cooper, who is a daughter of Mrs Meadows, he says—"Strange to say, another daughter of Mrs Meadows ia married to a brother of the bridegroom, and two of her sons are marriea to two 'of the bridegroom's sisters, making in all four Andersons married to four Coopers. Another strange thing is that a son of Mrs Meadows married a Miss Anderson, but of another family, and, what is still more singular, another son of Mr Thomas Anderson married a young lady who had a twin sister, This young man's name was Thomas Anderson. The twin sister also irarned a Thomas Anderson, but the two men were in no way related before marriage. Again, Mrs Meadows has two others married daughters. One was married to Mr William Kingan, of the Forks, and the other to Mr Kobert Kingan, of Hawera, both brothers. I think this beats the record in the way of coincidences."

The most direct plans for talking with Mars have been put forth by Leo Stevens, a distinguished American aeronaut, who is planning a voyage beyond the clouds with, Professor David B. Todd, of Amherst College, writes a New York correspondent. Mr Stevens says that Professor Todd and himself will ascend ten miles in the largest balloon ever built and from far beyond the clouds will endeavour to send wireless messages to the unknown planet. The balloon has already been completed. Within a fortnight it ascended with Mr Stevens and Professor Todd (<> an altitude of nearly 9,000 ft, a record, breaking achievement in America. Ot course to ascend ten miles will he a far different matter from two. Kemarkable paraphernalia for the great ascent, is now under construction. It includes two hermetically sealed aluminium cases, with tanks of oxygen attached, to be used for breathing in the outer peripheries. The men will step within these tanks wheh are connected by a speaking tube,.and live within them as they pass out of the breathable atmosphere. There will also be a powerful wireless plant with ten miles of wire trailing down to the earth, specially made clothing of tremendous thickness and all manners of navigating instruments. Even if the expedition fails to talk to Mars it will be a most interesting aerial event.

At Hawera,. on Monday, Andrew" Parkinson, six years of age, died whilst under chloroform for a alight operation. The heart was quite sound, and the doctors said that it was one of those inexplicable cases in which a patient cannot take chlorofoim.

George Welch, in an interview, stated that the report published that the match with Day is for the championship of New Zeaalnd is incorrect. This is one of the matches arranged by Mr Coombes, of the Sydney "Referee," at Mr S. Messina's instance, to be rowed on the Manawatu river distinctly on the understanding that it does not include the title. Whelch considers that it is only due to his local backers that any matches for the local championship should be rowtdjn Akaroa.

The riots in Spain, although sufficiently serious to threaten the existing order cf things, do not appear to hold out any great hope to the supporters of the Carlist movement. The death of Don Carlos in Venice a few weeks ago aroused comparatively small interest. There are, however, Carlists still in Spain who greet a Royal fete with an exhibition of black flags, but they become less demonstrative every year as the Spanish throne strengthens its hold upon the national sympathies. The late Don Carlos, who once so nearly , had the ball at his feet, cased to be an active Pretender years before i his death.

The methods employed in the Agricultural industry in Great Britain, according to Mr T. W. Belcher, of Christehurch, who has just returned from a visit to England, lag far behind those pursued in New Zealand. In the South of England he saw an antediluvian single furrow wooden plough drawn by three horses, and that was practically the only instrument of which the farm could boast. In the Midlands and in Scotland the best type of farming was carried on, but even parts the methods'and implements employed were far behind those utilised in New Zealand. In Ireland Mr Belcher saw some splendid fertile country, but as a rule, a most ineffecive style of cultivation was followed. The Danish brothers Andersen, already known as inventors, have invented an apparatus by ,the use of which it is possible to see what is going on at the other end of a telephone wire. The technical details of this invention are so far kept secret, but a Copenhagen newspaper* recently employed as engineer of repute to test the brothers' claim. This experi declared the claim to be justified, and described the process; as entirely new and very simple.. The process differs from the Koto and otherjsystems of phototelegraphy' in that it makes no use of photography, but transmits light and colours directly. A speaker at & telephone fitted with the apparatus can be seen, and he can show any—i thing he likes across the wires. tn sentencing a postal official at: the Parramatta Quarter Sessons last week, Judge Rogers, referring to an application on. behalf of the Postal Department for the sum of £B3, which had been found on the prisoner, said he must make the order;, but he had no sympathy with y a Department that could pay a servant,, after twenty years' service, £l2O a. year—a starvation pittance. Hewould have thought the Liberal Commonwealth Government would have allowed the £B3 to be kept for the wife arid children. His Honour had heard of other cases in which these wretched pittances weae*. paid by the Postal Department. Hehad a great contempt for their service. Why. did people take the positions? Perhaps because they wanted to be married. Any privateemployer entrusting a servant with> big sums, and paying such a would expect to be robbed*

The progress of the Opaki-Lans-downe high pressure waterworks and water races was reported upon as follows to the County Council yesterday afternoon, by the supervisor* (Messrs, F. King and Son):; —Contract No 1.: The work is practically finished, and the water hasbeen tried through all the races. Therailway crossings are nearly com>~ pleted. -Contract No. 2.—Cood progress is being made, and earthenware pipes having been laid. With the exception of the plastering the' reservoir is finished, and the men are now working on the feed tanks and; power house. The pipes have not: arrived, but the vessel containing" them has reached Auckland. Word should be received shortly of the arrival of the machinery. Contract No. 3; —The fencing is being proceeded with. Messrs Stewart and Lloyd's, Ltd.. wrote that the pipes were due in Wellington on August 10th. The pumping plant will not arrive for several weeks yet. Mr G. Laing-Meason, C.E., wrote-, to the Masterton County Council yesterday regarding the liability on the respective works of the Opaki waterraces, and the Lansdowne high pressure water supply. The Engineersuggested thatvthe amount of £433: 14s set down to the debit of theOpakiwork should be transferred to ths Lansdowne account, and this, with, other apportioned amounts, brought\ the total of the latter account to £1,814 12s 6d, theOpaki account tobe, after the suggested transfer, £927 19s Id. In next month's progress payment it would be correct todebit one-half of the No 1. contract payment to Lansdowne, and onethird of the day labour account. In Contract No. 2, the whole progress payment 'should be charged to theLansdowne account.

The illuminated address which the passengers and crew of the illfatecL Peneuin intend presenting to Mr J. 1 McMenamin, in recognition of his hospitality towards them, reads as follows:-"To Jehn MacMeuanrin, Esq., Tera.wi.iti. Dear bir, We the undersigneu survivors of the pas' sengersand crew of the b.s. Pen*/ guin, wrecked on the night of the 4 12th February, 1900, in the vicinity of Tom's Rock, off Sinclair Head Cook Strait, desire to express to you our deep sense of graiitude for your humane and .hospitable treatment of us in our then i*reat extremity We shall carry through life the kindliest memor<es of your generosity and liberality on that sad occurrence. Furthei,. we would express- our great admiration of similar timely assistance rendered on other occasions by you to persons shipwrecked near yourhomestead, and with every good wishfor your future prosperity."

In the Dominion Hall this evening, at 8 o'clock, DrCook will deliver his final lecture belore the Masterton Ladies' Nursing Guild. The Masterton Fire Brigade's annual social and dance will be held iu the Drill Hall on Tuesday, August 17th. The proceeds will be in aid of the Members fund.

Chief among the pictures to be shown here by Perry's Biorama on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday next wil be the films giving incidents in the life of the Scottisn Covenanters and Heroes of tlie Cross. These two films are said to .be exceptionally good productions and particularly interesting.

A hockey match will be played on the Showgrounds to-morrow between the Kamolers and Konini ladies' teams. The following will represent the former:—Misses Finnis, Kyle, Barr, Loean, Richards, Kayner, P. Jliller. Johnson, Ball, Collins, J. Miller.

The annual meeting of the shareholders in the Wellington Meat Exort Company will be held in the Chambers of Commerce, Wellington, at 2.30 p.m. on Wednebday, Ausgust 25th. Messrs William Allan and W. C. Buchanan have been re-elected .on a ballot to the Wellington Education Board as representatives of the Wellington and Wairarapa Wards, respectively. Mr John Kebbell was re-elected unopposed to represent the Manawatu Ward.

A prisoner named Solomon Levy, undergoing a sentence of two years imprisonment, and who was recently fcrought from Auckland, snatched up a shoemaker's knife in the Terrace Gaol, Wellington, on Saturday, and gashed his throat, inflicting an ugly wound.

The fortnightly meeting of the Stonehenge Lodge, U.A O.D was held last evening, Bio. Gourlay :n the chair. Three new candidates were initiated, and two proposed for membership. The Lodge decided to challenge the Fire Brigade to a euchre tournament.

The trophies presented to the Ramblers Hockey Club for competition amongst the members have been awarded as follows:- Best back, Miss M. U'Toole; best forward. Miss C. Easthope; best all-round player, Mies K. O'Learv; most improved player, MissF. Miller.

The subject of a deLale between members of the Wellington andl Masterton Y.M.C.A., in the local Y.M.C.A. rooms to-night will be "That the Financial, Legislative and Administrative Policy of the Liberal Government is Worthy of Continued Support." The affirmative will be taken by the Welirgton members, and the negative by the Masterton.

Mr A K. Hansen wrote to thai Maaterton County Council yesterday, asking the Council to declare gorse and tauhinu noxious weeds. Cr Colquhoun moved that the Council declare gorse a noxious weed. He de* dared that the evil of spreading gorae was rapidly becoming worse, and needed the Council's earnest attention. The Chairman expressed his sympathy with the motion, but said that it was useless for the Masterton County to act alone, and unless neighbouring local bodies acted in concert the expenditure would be wanted. The motion was not seconded and it was'decided to inform Mr Hansen of the views, "The Rev. vT~H. Kiteat gave a lecture in S. Matthew's achoolroorn last evening, on the English Cathedrals. After being introduced to the audience by the Vicar, the Rev. a. Watson, the lecturer proceeded to give a historical sketch of his suniect. After pointing out the BasiliJan:originotthe plana.of Christian Churches, the lecturer indicated the successive periods through which ecclesiastical architecture passed in England, viz., from 1000, to 1075, SaL; from 1075-1175 Norman; 1175-1275, Early English; 12751375, Decorated; 1375-1525, Perpendicular; 1525 and onwards the Renaissance. Each period was ilustrated by a selection of Cathedrals in which the various styles were emphasised. The lecture was given in connection with S. Matthew's Club.

A vigerous alarm was Bounded on the firebell lant evening, at about 10.30 o'clock. The Brigade quickly turned out, and it was discovered that a 5 or 6 roomed cottage, situated on the Akura Koad, a short distance over the railway line, and occupied by Mr F. O'Toole, contractor, and his family, was in flames. By the time the Brigade arrived on the scene the fire had obtained a firni hold, and moreover, on account of the isolated position of the house, a supply of water could not readily be secured. Eventually, however, a lead of hose was obtained f Jom the | Waipoua river, and the flames ot the then nearly demolished structure were put out. Practically the whole of the furniture was destroyed. The fire was caused through Mr O'Toole's 13 year old son tripping over while carrying n lighted W> into one of the bedrooms. The lire spread with great rapidity, and the family had just time to escape, in fact Mr O'Toole was badly burned about the hands while endeavouring to save an article of furniture. The house was owned by the Trustees of the Bishop's Estate, and the insurances on it and the furniture, if any, were not available last evenMrs Watson requires a good wasnerwoman. A lady assistant is required for a Pahiatua drapery business. The owner of a parrot is advertised The Mauriceville County Council gives notice of a special order m regard to the licensing and control of heavy wheel traffic. Mr J. Carpenter announces the arrival of a consignment of Clarke's celebrated footwear. At the residence, No. 31 Bentley stree;, on Saturday, Mr J. R. Nicol will sell on account of Mr J. «• Campbell, who is leaving Masterton, his fine selection of up-to-date furniture. Particualrs will be advertised in next issue. A special invitation is extended to the ladies of Masterton to see the early spring exhibition of imported millinery at the W.F.C.A., just landed direct I rom London* The ahipment includes the wry latest productions, the pick of London and Paris creations, and are well worthy 6f inspection. The exhibition will be ' «pen for one week from to-day.

Owing to substantial increase in business, Mr T. McCracken, cabinetmaker, of South Queen Street, has found it necessary to acquire more commodious premises. He has secured a lease of the premises recently occupied by Mrs Timms, opposite Mr T. Wnctg's coach factory, ami a contiact has been let to effect the neeessfary alterations, and bring them right up-to-date as a furniture emporium It \* Mr eCracken'a intention to hold a sale of furniture previous to removing to his new shop. ...